In the small inlet of an unremarkable island, waves slowly wash over the floundered wreck of the Brass Bird barely lit by the predawn light.
Five years. That was the last time the four of you sailed together aboard the Brass Bird, pursued by the Andoran navy. It was the last time any of you saw Captain Renlock. Fortunately you were set free after only a few months, but Renlock wasn’t so lucky. He spent his last years in jail until an illness claimed his life.
You learned of Renlock’s death from his trusted companion, a clockwork parrot named Cawlo that remained ever at his side. Just a few weeks ago, the bird sought you out to deliver the bad news, a peice of a map and a call to be at this very beach before dawn after the next full moon. While one side of the map piece contains a cryptic clue, the other repeated the urge for you to travel to this beach on this morning to find the “captain’s most-prized treasure.” So here you are, along with three others, staring at the partially sunken remains of the ship you once called home. The smell of the surf and rotting wood hang heavy in the air, the silence broken only by the screech of far-away gulls on this lonely island north of the Shackles.
_______
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Lavanna Saltspray oils the flying contraption gingerly, careful not to waste the precious substance, and doubly careful to lubricate the joints on the tiny "feathered" wings where they rub the most "There you are" she says when she is finished.
Talking to the clockwork bird now "Cawlo, what are you going to do with the few days Captain Renlock gave us to dawdle?" she asks as it ejects a note from one of it's compartments...
If you're hearing this I'm mostly likely dead. But I have one last treasure for you, come to the place where it all ended.
-Captain [redacted]
...as she reads the note, the bird vocalizes the message, and it's weight dawns on her "Oh dear - Captain [redacted] has passed - and it seems there is an inheritance - hmm..." she turns to and says "What do you think he means by "the place where it all ended?""
Kaako sat in the seedy dock-side tavern drinking away his sorrows at a table, alone, in the early morning. It's been five years since he'd seen his old chums. Oh, how he missed them. Even Jaden, the thorn in Kaako's wing. He swirls the grog in the coconut shell cup, pulls out the tiny tattered paper umbrella, and sticks it in the breast pocket of his coat. Loading cargo ships by day and pick-pocketing drunk sailors at night were no way for an ex-pirate to spend the rest of his life. Something had to change.
The aged and sun-wrinkled halfling innkeeper, with an eye patch over her left eye, drops a plate of food in front of Kaako.
"You can't be poutin' in here all day again, Kaako. Here... I made ye ya favourite; baked sea bass an' a side o' yams."
She looks down pitifully at the sad bird.
Kaako pecks at the food, literally.
"Use yer fork, Kaako. Sheesh."
She smiles at the bird.
"One o' these days, your luck will be a-turnin', I betcha."
He searches his pockets for a bit of coin to pay for the meal.
"No worries, Kaako. Yer paid up for the week here. I wish you was payin' me in honest coin, though."
He finds a forgotten pocket in his search for his last pieces of silver and pulls out a crumpled piece of cloth covered in lint. Opening it, he realizes it's the map Captain Renlock sent him almost ten days ago.
Crikey!
He sqwaks.
Being so drunk all the time, I forgot about this! You was righty, Marta. My luck just might be a changin'!
He runs upstairs, grabs what little belongings he has, and bids farewell to Marta. He then heads out the door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kaako wakes up with a splitting headache on a section of the deck. He remembers the storm tearing the ship apart while he and Jaden blamed each other for navigating the ship into the squall.
He looks around and notices Jaden, still unconscious, clinging to the same piece of the deck as Kaako. The other two lay within sight. They all seem to be breathing.
Kaako puts his heel in Jaden's side and gives him a few nudges.
Wake up, you no-good son of a jackal.
Jaden coughs out seawater and groggily glares at Kaako.
Good job, mate, for gettin' us in this mess. I said "into the wind at full sail" to get around the storm.
Kaako scowls.
The others are alive. I think. Let's wake 'em up and get going. You wake up Elsir. I'll get Lavanna.
Kaako stumbles over to Lavanna. He turns her onto her belly and presses on her back several times to force the water out of her lungs.
Coughing as she slowly opens her eyes, Kaako leans in close to speak into her ear.
We're here, Lavanna. I think this be the place... what was it? "The place where it all ended?"
"Guulllgpphhh" coughing up ocean water here "Not sure if we're there yet" Lavanna looks up to the sky "I think the sextant washed overboard" she casts Know Direction here to gain her bearings without such a device.
The halfling dashes across the deck and kicks Elsir out of the way "Move it" and presses on Jadren's broad chest several times to force the water out of his lungs "Not going to lose you today!" there is some desperation in her voice, an added feeling above and beyond just a comradely concern for his well being. She yells at Kaako "DO Something!" and the moment the words leave her mouth she realizes that there really is little that he could do.
Will Jadren make it!?!
Kaako stands in silence, unfazed by Lavanna's command.
He takes a look around to gather his senses.
They'll be fine.
He says in an unsympathetic tone.
We all got some water in the lungs and some cuts 'n' bruises. We're lucky to be alive.
Kaako produces a wry grin, knowing he cheated death once again.
Lavanna, what did yer know direction tell ya? What side of the island did we end up on?
He pulls the waterlogged section of map from his inside coat pocket.
We each got a section of the map from the Captain, right? Let's put them together an' see what we can make of it.
He stares at the message on his piece of the map.
"Lost at sea, remember that the one that is worth the most, always goes last."
Hey, Lavanna. Did you get a strange message on your piece of the map?
The storm had been bad last night, bad enough to sink and smash your ship to bits on the rocks on this island, luckily you end up in a cove that if you look closely enough you can still see the divots where the warning shots of the Andoran frigate that captured your crew bored in the rock face.
Jadren and Eltis prove mostly comatose from their traumas and brushes with the depths, but it takes little to revive them and get them on their feet again.
The predawn light breaks as the sun starts to rise over the ridge surrounding this cove from the full fury of the mid morning sun. However, a crevice in that solid rock face lets the sun shine through and illuminates the deck of the wreck of your old home, the Brass Bird. A glimmer of light reflects off of something on the captain's wheel of the ship. Approaching closer, it proves to be Cawlo sitting and staring at everyone with an expectant look.
Jadren was just about to head to the courtyard of the temple to train with the new recruits as Cawlo arrived and relentlessly pecked against the window of his small and plain chamber. Cawlo…? It took him a few seconds to recognize the bird-like contraption and a strange mix of excitement, regret and fear washed over him. He was far removed from the man he was the last time he saw that bird; yet, he still opened the window and received the message from late Captain Renlock.
Jadren did not hesitate for long. He grabbed a pre-packed backpack from under his bed – some part of him seemingly was always ready to move on and leave the temple that remolded him into the person he is today. He went to talk with the abbot and the high-priests, and they explained to him that his penance was fulfilled a long time ago. That he was a free man and could go where he pleased; and so he did.
#######
For all his talk and thoughts about how much he changed, it was apparent that old habits die slowly. Jadren and Kaako went right back into arguing about the right course and got the whole crew into trouble because of it. Jadren has been the first mate on the Brass Bird and even though he has not been on a ship in the last five years, this surely could not mean somebody else was better suited to navigate their ship. It sure did, and when the towering wave rose in front of their vessel, Jadren swallowed his pride and ego just before the water crashed down on their tiny vessel and splintered it to bits.
#####
”…Jadren!...”
The darkness fades and only the cold remains, as Jadren coughs up a large amount of seawater. He looks at Lavanna, who leans over him and was apparently pushing the water out of his lungs. Jadren grabs her hand and manages a smile. ”Thank you, Lavanna.” He says with a hoarse voice and pulls himself up in a sitting position.
It takes a few moments for the tall man to get to his senses. He shakes his head, tries to free his nose and mouth from the sand that is making every part of him itch. He did not miss the sand, and having changed his old cutlass and leather vest for sword, shield and full plate he begins to regret not having brought any armor oil. Jadren spits more sand and seawater onto the beach before he clears his throat.
”Kaako.” Jadren begins and is interrupted by another cough as he addresses the Tengu that is scanning and observing the beach. ”I’m sorry Kaako. This is my fault.” He says and finally trusts his legs enough to stand up, still holding Lavanna’s hand for support. ”I should’ve listened. You’ve never left the sea behind, while I was sitting in a stone temple the last five years. I’ll try to be better at this.” Jadren brings forth and his voice slowly returns to its normal timbre. ”Old habits, I guess.” He adds to his apology – something his former self would never have considered - and flashes a boyish smile that is on the other hand very familiar to his old companions.
”Where’s Elsir?” Jadren asks all of a sudden. ”Where are we anyways?”
Kaako stares at Jadren with an astonished look.
He blinks his beady bird eyes several times.
*blink, blink... blink*
He's quite shocked that Jadren isn't arguing with him. He's... apologizing?
Kaako cocks and twists his head in birdlike fashion, seemingly puzzled.
He then thrusts a helpful hand down to assist Jadren to stand.
We may not have seen eye to eye in the past, mate, but you've always been a good companion. An' a helluva first-mate to the captain. It's been five damned years. What's in the past is history.
Arr! What say we leave them old hard feelings in the past an' try to be good ol' chums? Ye ol' sea dog.
Kaako gives his old pal a wink and a warm grin as he helps lift Jadren.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Elsir opens one eye and survey's the damage to the ship from where he lay. Tangled up in the coil of rope that likely saved his life from being tossed over board he calls out "I'm still here." Is the only reply he gives to the calls of his name. And I already wish I wasn't.
He unties himself from the rope and untangles himself, standing with a sore back and torn fingernails from the ordeal. Or maybe they were nerves. It doesn't matter, he was alive, unlike Captain Renlock, poor soul. He and Kaako were the only decent folks on that ship and now one's dead.
Elsir looks around the remains of their current ship to see the four of them still alive at least. The five years away hasn't softened his demeanor much, mostly its made it worse. Elves don't forget old grudges, they just out live them.
"What's that glinting in the sun over on the Brass Bird?" He asks out loud, avoiding any chit chat for now. All it'll lead to is an argument with this headache and dry mouth. He rubs his fingers together on his left hand Accursed ring, of course its still there and sighs in a deep breath. Looks like I'm back in it, at least for now.
Like he does every morning, Elsir draws out a well used wand and uses its magic to protect himself before stowing it back away. He looks out over the rough surf, casting a spell on himself and starts climbing down to the waterline. "I'm going over to check it out. Maybe its the reason we were called back here." Not waiting for a response he walks over the surface of the sea towards the wrecked Brass Bird.
Jadren and Kaako soothe each others feathers, a shocking apology from one and an burying of the hatchet from the other.
Elsir, however, has changed as much as, well, an elf over the past 5 years, quickly proving he'd rather explore the old wreck of the Brass Bird than get caught up in chit-chat.
Having sunk many years ago, the rotting hulk of the Brass Bird brings back memories of your time aboard, sailing up and down the coasts of Avistan and Garund, chasing fame and fortune. But dreams of that glorious past have faded and now all that remains is the half-sunken hulk of Captain Renlock’s prized ship. Even now, you can see the wheel where he steered the ship, shouting orders to you and the other crew members as you chased fortune together.
As he approaches the ship, Elsir is able to clearly see the form of Cawlo shifting around on the wheel of the hulk impatiently. He catches sight of the elf and stops moving, instead the parrot's beak opens and utters the sound of an angry Captain Renlock saying "Squawk!" in the not quite so nostalgic tone Elsir remembers as meaning, "Well, hop to it!"
Kaako swims out to the wrecked ship and climbs up to stand behind Elsir.
What's up with Cawlo? What'd he say?
He says while staring at the clockwork parrot.
She winks at Jadren "You're welcome, dear" and helping him back up "Kaako was worried about you" explaining the momentary emergency. When she hears about the Stone Temple "What were you up to there?" her curiosity is ostentatious. But as usual, he would rather argue with the tengu than pay her much mind...
When Elsir notices he is being somewhat ignored, she spins on him, letting the other two catch up and reconcile. "Sorry for kicking you" She scans his body for damage, then decides he's okay. When he stares off at the glinting, she follows, heading towards the Brass Bird, easily swimming through the water, her second home, and up onto the deck.
To Kaako "Our former captain left us an inheritance" she starts "I think we are at the place where it ended..." she looks towards the sky now "I think we are..."
Font: Heal x3
3rd: Heroism, Searing light
2nd: Dispel Magic, Sound Burst, Spiritual Weapon
1st: Air Bubble, Command, Ray of Enfeeblement
Cantrips: Detect Magic, Forbidding Ward, Know Direction, Message, Shield
Focus: Tidal Surge
Lavanna does recognize this as the place that you had all been together last, where your life as pirates of the Brass Bird ended. This tiny unnamed inlet in a tiny unnamed island somewhere northeast of the shackles was where the Captain had fled when the Andoren Navy started to try chase him down. There was something here, but you'd been surrounded before Renlock could do what he was planning on. His final call to stand down as the Andoran ships closed in still rings off the rock.
Taking a closer look at Cawlo, he's clearly settled onto the Captain's wheel, that seems to have weathered the years of neglect significantly better than the rest of the ship. The bird taps his claws on the wheel expectantly, as he stares at the three people on the boat.
Jadren hears Lavanna’s question very well, but choses to ignore her – for now at least. He is not ready for that conversation yet and is quite thankful that he can proceed burying the hatchet with Kaako.
Jadren is the last one to move, still a bit hazy from the shipwreck he holds his head and gazes after Elsir as he simply walks across the water. Showoff… Jadren thinks, but the grin in his face takes the edge off of his thought. ”Well, I need to get the sand out of this thing anyways.” He says to himself and moves his arms and legs in his plate armor with a horrendous screeching sound. ”Might as well get back in that water.”
It does not seem like the full plate armor, or the fact that he has been away from the sea for five years, has diminished how comfortable Jadren feels in the surf. With a few quick, strong strokes he reaches what is left of the Brass Bird.
”I know all of you got a message from Cawlo to meet up again. Otherwise we wouldn’t be here.” Jadren begins after pulling himself over the remains of the railing onto the deck. He produces a folded piece of parchment from a waterproof leather satchel. ”So I’d assume you all have one of these as well?” He wiggles the piece of paper in his hand. ”The one I’ve got looks like a piece of a map to me. Cawlo spoke of ‘one last treasure’, when he came to me.”
He looks at his former crew mates, one by one, and while standing on the deck of their former ship, a wave of nostalgia flows over Jadren. ”Anyone…” The lump in his throat is very audible at that point. ”Anyone heard the captain speak of this, while he was still alive?”
"Don't worry about it Lavanna, I'm sure I deserved it." It can be hard to read Elsir sometimes, he's always had a silver tongue, but Lavanna's pretty sure he did think he deserved it. He drags out a similar piece of parchment and pushes it into the Halflings hands before walking across the sea to the ship.
Kaako swims out to the wrecked ship and climbs up to stand behind Elsir.
What's up with Cawlo? What'd he say?
He says while staring at the clockwork parrot.
"Same thing that ball of feathers glued on a coconut always says: SQWUAK!" Elsir gets closer to investigate the wheel, scanning it for magic and looking for anything hidden as he shoos the mechanical bird out of the way.
"The Captain never told me any secrets about the ship or this place. I'm sure he was hoping to get back here himself but in the end decided to hopefully throw us a bone for past services rendered." He feels along the lines of the wheel, looking for anything out of place as the magic begins to fall into place.
"I'm sure that you did too" Elsir wasn't the nicest, but he did have a sense of humor, even if she wasn't really joking.
Lavanna places Elsir's quarter and her quarter maps together "Kaako - do you have the other half?"
She curiously walks up to the mechanical bird tapping on the wheel "What do you want us to do, Cawlo?"
"Make an offering to Gozreh, but be prepared to face the storm's wrath"
And what looks like an island to the west?
Kaako reaches into his pocket and pulls out his piece of the map.
I believe I only have a quarter of the whole, just like you.
He holds it out taut so that the other pieces can be set around it.
Let's see what we have here.
The four pieces of the map fit together to form one large rectangle of paper showing the Brass Bird in it's inlet and what you assume to be a cave system in the cliffs.
Elsir, having given up control and interest in the map, instead quite rightly assumes and confirms that the wheel is magical. It seems that it has been enchanted with some sort of magic. Cawlo puffs up his chest causing the metal feathers there to screech as the bird expresses his displeasure over being shooed away. He instead lands on Elsir's head and turns to face everyone else. He nestles into the elf's hair with his claws. A few seconds pass as some device inside the bird shifts about and the bird's beak drops open.
From the small bird Captain Renlock, in his normal voice, greets the group. “My friends. It pleases this old pirate’s heart to see you gathered once again on the deck of the Brass Bird. Although my time has passed, I have found one last treasure for you to plunder. But to ensure it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands, I have placed a few challenges in your way. Don’t worry, I am sure they are nothing you can’t handle.
“To open the way, you must sail from the home of the pirates to plunder the coasts of Varisia. Return home, but then make your way to Absalom to spend your loot. Finally, follow my dream and sail to the River Kingdoms and retire in peace.”
After that cryptic clue, Cawlo grows silent and stares at the old captain’s wheel, as he further buries himself in his new nest.
The wheel itself hasn't changed a lick from when Renlock last stood at it. The grooves of his hands upon the various handles that he liked to hold in different ways for each one, the compass rose that was engraved on the outer ring and the swirling tides on the inner ring.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Lavanna tries to make sense of the puzzle.
She looks at the map - it looks like it crosses a river, then onto three masses surrounded by water - each part with the phrases above etched onto it.
"What do you make of this?" she says, passing the map to Elsir.
Kaako lowers his beak in respect to the ol' Captain after hearing his words.
Nice o' the Captain to be leavin' us a retirement fund.
He says with all due respect.
When it comes to Kaako's turn to look at the map...
Kaako points back to the beach they were just on.
That "river" be this here beach. Those "masses surrounded by water" be caverns beyond the cliff face, I betcha.
We need to go into those caverns.
He says ominously, furrowing his brow.
Those look like cavern chambers to me eyes. There's a sword in one, four pillars or columns with an altar in another, and the last one has a crown. Arrgh. I can't make out the picture in the first chamber, though. A big leaf? Something to do with Gozreh, maybe. These words be riddles to solve the puzzles. It looks like we start readin' it 'ere at the bottom an' go clockwise.
He pulls the map closer and squints to read it.
This part about going with the tide...
With me nautical know-how, we go into the first chamber with the tide. The second chamber - probably this one here with the scimitar - against the tide, and so on. High tide and low tide.
He blinks.
I reckon those chambers flood if we be in there at the wrong time.
He passes the map to whoever else wants a gander at it.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
“I think you’re right, Kaako.“ Jadren says while glancing at the map over Elsir’s shoulder. ”At least regarding the chambers and how we need to move through them following the tides.”
His brows furrow as he looks at the geographic layout of the caverns and his lips quietly mouth the captain’s words. ”Look.” He begins speaking to his crew mates. ”The layout of that network, somehow resembles the journey suggested by the captain.” He puts his finger on the cavern with the drawing of a leaf. ”The home of the pirates. The Shackles in the south. The Varisian Coast. That’s in the north.” He puts his finger on the cave with the scimitar. ”Return home. Back to the first cavern. Then make your way to Absalom, which lies northeast of the Shackles.” He points at the the cavern with the rectangle and four circles. ”And finally: sail to the River Kingdoms. North-northeast of Absalom.” He puts his finger on the last cavern with the crown.
With a boyish grin, he looks at his fellow treasure hunters. ”What do you think?” He asks them. ”The riddles are probably what we need to understand to best the challenges in each chamber.”
Elsir takes his turn with the freshly mended map, he follows along as the others give their opinions tracing the likely route based on the riddle. He nods in agreement "Sounds like a solid plan." Looking towards the rock face where the map suggests there is a tunnel opening, then at the shoreline to try to assess the tidal situation.
"Flooding tunnels is not something I'm interested in dealing with so lets hope we're reading these clues correctly." He rolls the map back up when they're finished and stows it in a scroll case for safe keeping.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Kaako's hunch provides clarification for our halfling hero "Yes! I can see it now - Caves" and she looks under Jadren's shoulder while he applies another system to the map "Very clever - you really are turning a new leaf" she looks at Elsir now "I missed you guys!" and she very nearly runs in a little circle in excitement
lifting her Trident into the air!
Kaako stares at Jadren, dumbfounded.
*Blink. Blink-blink.*
Arrr, matey. You're one smart son-of-a-jackal, Jadren.
The group puzzles over the map and comes up with a prety plausible idea of what they are supposed to be doing with the caverns and the Captain's message for them... If only there was a suitable entrance for said caverns.
Looking over the wall at the approximate location on the map, there proves to be nothing but solid wall Cawlo gives a sound of a disappointed huff, and starts preening his feathers as he waits for someone to realize the truth of the situation.
Elsir also takes a look at the wheel and tries to tell what its magics were intended to do. He messes with the thing, as it moves freely on its center point. He can tell with some work that the thing is magically linked to something in the cliffs, and might activate or deactivate... something, but how or why escapes his grasp. The wheel left alone, slowly rights itself until the N on the compass rose is pointed up again.
Jadren puffs out his chest with a proud smile in his face. After no obvious cave entry is apparent, he looks towards the cliff face and tries to discern if there is a hidden entry, which aligns with the position on the map.
While still scanning the cliff side he mumbles to no one in particular. ”If there’s no entry… I might be subterranean… or below the sea.”
Kaako squints towards the cliff face to see if he can spot an opening in the side.
Wait. The wheel here. Maybe it opens a section into the cliff face. Try turning the top to the south position.
”The home of the pirates. The Shackles in the south."
Not being able to quite figure it out, Elsir steps back from the wheel for Kaako to work with. "Maybe you can make it work, definitely something going on with it and the cliff." He gives the ship a solid look over for anything useful or valuable though.
I just had another thought.
Kaako points to the writing on one of the sections of the map and reads it aloud.
"Begin your journey going with the tide, then against, with, and finally, against."
We got to this island going with the tide, then, when Elsir saw the glinting on this here boat, we went against the tide to get here, and now we have to go with the tide again to get to the caverns. When we're all finished in the caverns, I betcha we need to come back to this ship, which be against the tide again.
*Blink-blink.*
Just another idea.
Lavanna stands next to Elsir "I think you half got it" and draws upon her knowledge of magic and navigation as to what might be connecting the wheel.
Nature +11
Religion +13
Sailing Lore +10
Survival +11
She looks towards Kaako "I was thinking the same thing!" and suggests they attempt that next unless she thinks of something.
Jadren and Kaako both stare at the cliffs for a while trying to find an opening that might be hidden among them but Jadren gets the distinct impression that he'd not be able to see it without getting closer or having the eyesight of an eagle.
Elsir gives Kaako control of the wheel as the tengu turns the wheel so that the S for south is up a moment. Cawlo's interest rivets back to the wheel and the group giving an encouraging head bob as the pirate does so. But as soon as he stops and goes onto another tangent the bird gives an exasperated croak and goes back to preening.
Elsir notices that all of the valuable wood workings and carvings that decorated the ship (an inordinate amount of which were of clockwork birds like Cawlo, Captain Renlock was not secretive about his obsessions) have been removed and likely sold for money, but he does recognize that the wheel must have been impossible to remove, even though it is clearly an exquisite piece of carving with that simple but elegant wave design in the center.
Lavanna has a moment of recollection of a night watch in which she helped the Captain navigate through a fog bank, calling out directions. She remembers him patting the wheel, and saying, "You know why I had this tide marking carved here? So I could always make sure the tide turned with me, not against me. The sea is fickle, but the small things help. But then as a follower of Gozreh, I'm sure you know that..."
What's that, Cawlo? You want me to spin the wheel more? Alright, then.
Kaako grips the wheel and begins turning it, asking his companions which direction is next on the list...
"The home of the pirates. The Shackles in the south."
"The Varisian Coast. That’s in the north.”
"Return home."
Kaako sets the wheel to the beginning.
"Then make your way to Absalom, which lies northeast of the Shackles.”
"And finally: sail to the River Kingdoms. North-northeast of Absalom."
He peers up at the cliff to see if anything happens.
*Blink, blink, blink.*
Cawlo flutters happily onto Kaako's shoulder as he starts to move the wheel around giving a happy cherrup like noise in the process.
Kaako moves the wheel around a little too randomly, and Cawlo squabbles some over the placements of the directions but Kaako gets the sense he's onto something. Nothing happens when he finishes with the wheel though. Letting go it slolw rotates back to sitting with the N up. Cawlo jumps down and pecks at the tide symbol in the center of the wheel, before looking at Kaako expectantly.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Jadren watches Kaako move the wheel and hrumphs loudly, while listening to the input of his other crewmates. As the wheel repositions itself with north pointing upwards, Jadren organizes his thoughts.
”I have an idea. Let me try.” He says to Kaako and grabs the wheel. ”The first clue is ‘the Shackles’ in the south. But we also need to go ‘with the tide’” His finger points at the wave at the center of the wheel which rolls towards the right (when the wheel is north-aligned). ”So with the tide is clockwise, against it counter-clockwise. Let’s try that. Also, only the four rudimentary directions, north, south, east and west are carved into the wheel. Let’s use only these.”
Jadren turns the wheel, so the carved S points upwards, turning the wheel clockwise. ”To Varisia. North. Against the tide. Counter-clockwise.” He slowly turns the wheel back to the starting-position. ”Home to the Shackles. South. Clockwise again…Or…” Jadren thinks for a minute before he spins the wheel. ”No it doesn’t match up. Let’s go to Absalom. East. Clockwise.” He spins the wheel so East points up.
”Last one. River Kingdoms. North. Counter-clockwise.” He puts the wheel in the final positon. Eagerly looking and listening, to see if it did the trick.
Elsir watches after returning empty handed "Looks like you've gotten onto something there."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Kaako stares in astonishment at Jadren as he spins the wheel and explains how the tides symbol works.
*Blink. Blink, blink.*
Remarkable, laddy.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
*Blink. Blink, blink.*
Lavanna watches her broad-shouldered friend work the puzzle with his mind and the wheel with his arms. Her interest in what happened to him during those years in the stone temple piqued even more sharply now.
She doesn't yet realize she is abjectly gawking...
Cawlo hops up onto Jadren's shoulder as he seems to get the idea about the tides, happy the former first in command could be relied on... That is until the man erroniously stops the first turn of the wheel at the S. The bird flies down and pecks the mark giving a shake of his head as he does, he then pecks at the N instead.
”Not quiet huh?” Jadren grunts with frustration, but there is also a determined expression in his face now. He wants to solve this! He looks confused at Cawlo and then to the crew. ”Are we south of the Shackles here?”
In disbelief he gives the riddle another go. Shaking his head, still not convinced this is the right move, Jadren turns the wheel clockwise a whole turn so north points up again. Raising an eyebrow he looks at Cawlo. ”That’s what you meant, yeah?”. He then continues as with his first attempt.
North again with a full rotation counterclockwise. Then east turning the wheel clockwise again and ending with north after a counterclockwise rotation.
Arrgh! Me brain is the size of a walnut.
Kaako taps his head.
I think you all have a better chance at solvin' this much more than I.
Lavanna seizes the opportunity "That may be, Kaako" she winks at him "But your heart is the size of a coconut!"
The puzzle itself confounds her, having ceased her staring, she givies the crafty fighter the space he needs to work through the final stage of his inspired guesswork.
Aww, shucks. Thanks.
He says, blushing.
Elsir raises an eyebrow at the back and forth, keeping his comments to himself.
Cawlo gives an encouraging nod at the first rotation to the north then stops nodding once the former pirate swings past South on the second rotation. The other two get full nods as well.
Lavanna and Kaako exchange compliments, the halfling getting the rare and very hard to do blush from a tengu.
As Jadren finishes getting the puzzle completed a small tinkling sound echoes around the inlet as a section of the cliff face grinds back opening a hole in the cliffs.
As the hole appears, two large vipers that had been sunning themselves on the rocks above are unceremoniously plopped straight onto the sands below. They whip about for a few seconds angrily trying to get their bearings. Sadly they stand between you and the door.
The snakes are quick to find their bearings but Lavanna and Jadren are quicker on he uptake. Kaako feels that he hid from the snakes fairly well,even though he doesn't react quickly enough.
++++++++++++++++
Lavanna
Jadren
Snakes
Kaako: hidden
Elsir
++++++++++++++++
Current map
Lavanna protects Jadren first, then herself as her team reacts to this surprise.
◆◆) Cast Forbidding Ward @ Jadren + Black Snake
◆) Cast Shield to AC 20
↺) Shield Block (hardness 10)
"Well done dear - except for not clearing the cliff face first! - try not to get bit" teasing him somewhat.
A sigh of relief is Jadren’s first reaction followed by a sense of pride to have mastered Captain Renlock’s first puzzle. The fact that some gnarly looking snakes are blocking their way into the cliff side, seemingly does not faze him in the slightest.
”I’ll try my best.” Jadren says to Lavanna with a foolhardy grin and draws his longsword. ”Let’ see how rusty my boarding skills are after all these years, shall we?” He adds towards Lavanna, he oozes excitement about what he is about to do.
In a much louder voice he turns to the crew. ”Follow me! And with that he runs over the deck of the boat he called home once. He dashes towards the stern of the boat and takes a quick leap over the railing onto the sandy beach, hacking at the snake in front of him even before his feet have touched the ground.
Lavanna proves she is able to keep herself and her friends safe by putting a protective ward on Jadren and then another on herself.
Jadren leads the charge into the fray and runs up to the edge of the boat before leaping off into an overhand slash. The tip of his blade hits the hide of the snake at a bad angle though and skitters down the length of the snake into the sand. The snake gives a his of pain, but seems unhurt otherwise.
The black snake takes a moment to coil its body and hiss at the fighter before lunging at him.
It clatters against the man's breastplate, clearly not used to such metal armor. The snake then coils itself again, readying to sprign forward at a moment's notice.
The snake with pink diamonds on its back slithers forward a few feet before coiling and launching itself at the heavily armored man as well.
It too has not experienced fighting with armor before and latches onto a pauldron, before realizing it can't break through.
++++++++++++++++
Kaako: Hidden
Elsir
Lavanna
Jadren
Black-Fang
Pink-Diamond
++++++++++++++++
Current map
Lavanna keeps her protective ward over Jadren active while crossing the deck. She draws a dagger from her boot.
◆) Sustain Forbidding Ward
◆) Stride
◆) Interact to draw Throwing Dagger
"Look alive you lot!" she yells at Kaako and Elsir!
Kaako moves across the rotted deck of the boat, then hops down into the knee deep surf. He wades onto the beach and unsheathes his rapier.
Snakes. I hate snakes.
He remarks with a scowl.