"Corliss said the priest's amulet was somewhat odd. Something about the mouth looking different from other symbols of Norgorber."
...including the amulet which looks to be a tiny onyx map with a single diamond eye and spiral of crushed diamond inlay over the mouth.
Dingus looking resplendent as usual, now that he has access to his whole wardrobe, pulls the book from a pink spangled bag he's using as a satchel for now.
"Here is is. Now that we're in a safe place maybe it's time to open it. Anybody good at seeing if it's got a trap on it or anything before I open it"?
No traps are detected, but the Book of Secrets seems to have some hidden lock on it.
Kaul nods toward the tome;
"Want Ol' Kauly to give the lock a little jigger eh?"
He fishes out his crowbar and looks expectantly to his shipmates...
Dibbets was about to open his mouth for the recap when Madman stepped in and took the honours. Raised eyebrow and furrowed temple the filthy halfer followed along before shrugging at the close and adding "Aye, thass bout it."
At Kaul's offer of brute force lockpicking Dibbs cautions "Hold steady like there matey... less hold that as a reserve. Mebbe Dingus' got some sort o' trick that could part the covers a bit more genteel like?"
The dark leather-bound book has the symbol of Norgorber embossed on the cover, a black mask that is featureless except for one eye. It seems to be magically locked though Dingus doesn't detect any magic on it. The spine reads, Book of Secrets.
Kaul shrugs his no-neck and idly taps the crowbar upon the floor...
"Hur. Ol' Kauly'd have the secrets open in a jiffy..."
"Well I could use my old crusty hand to open it tomorrow. I believe it's already opened a door today".
"I'd rather not wait. There might be something important in the book. Do you have any idea how to open it other than risk destroying it?" He frowns at Kaul and then looks at the amulet again. "That spiral over the mouth is unusual," he agrees with Corliss and Jim.
"Maybe the mouth on the amulet be some sort o' key?" Corliss asks with a shrug. "Anyone see a keyhole, though?"
"Err...mayhaps one o' the Os in 'Book o' Secrets' be the keyhole?"
Maybe we should put some blood in the spiral".
the Groom shrugs and nicks his thumb drawing a bead of blood and touches the spiral on the amulet with it. Nothing happens. "Worth a try. What next?"
Dibbets offers but a shrug "Dunno feck all 'bout this rell-ee-gee-on, that were always yer portal Groomy. Spose since tha bugger were hangin out wi stumpy ye could try lickin it?" cocked head an raised eyebrow "But dinnae think it likely eh? Either that or whisper tae it wi' an eye closed?"
"I'm not licking it," the Groom asserts.
Knowledge: Arcana (To see if the patterns invoke any kind of memory).
Dingus takes his finger and runs it around the spiral, first clockwise, then counter-clockwise, as he thinks.
"Seems like the amulet he had might be the key. I never knew anyone so foolhardy as to keep something like that far from their hand. Try tracing the spiral with the amulet, hey?"
Tracing the path of the tiny diamonds spiraling in and out of the amulet, Dingus is inspired to try the same on the featureless black mask embossed on the book. When he reaches the center of the spiral, he is rewarded by an audible click as the clenched covers magically release.
the Groom gives a gargling chuckle in surprise. "Well done, mates!"
With a dark chuckle Dibbets agrees "Aye aye, now wotsit say?"
the Groom takes the Book and begins flipping through, quickly reading the scribbled entries. The others are left to wait expectantly. Estabo finishes his stew and pours out bowls for those that missed chow adding some toasted bread and beer. Belinna launches into a report on the repairs and additions to the ship while Rafe sits close to Dibbets glancing at his returned mentor fondly while the halfling eats.
the Groom pauses to think and then flips back to reread a section before continuing on. Finally, after Estabo has washed the bowls and the crew have finished a couple bottles of rum, the Groom looks up from the book. "A fair bit of this should be left in murky depths and never hauled to the surface. Seems the author was a wealthy merchant in Magnimar before he came to the Shackles in search of information on the profane voidsticks sometimes found among the kuru savages on the Cannibal Archipelago. He was able to recover one and discover the secret of making them. The instruction are in here along with a couple other items."He looks up at Dingus. "There's something in here called an ectoplasm bottle that sounds a bit like the soul bottles you recovered from the Man in Yellow, Dingus." He returns to paging through the front of the book. "This section ought to be ripped out and burned if we keep the book."
Jim belches contentedly and pours another splash of rum for himself, offering the bottle around to anyone else interested. "Sticks, you say? The zombie I fought had something like that piercing it, and when that priest turned his dark power 'gainst us it felt like the stick did something to make it worse. That'd be why I kicked it into the drink 'fore I attacked him."
The Taldan pauses and takes another drink, then indicates the book. "Think Tarmon would be interested in that? And any idea if this priest was up to anything besides the obvious blackmail?"
the Groom gives Jim a wry look. "I don't really know Tarmon's views on necromancy, but I think the less who know about some of this stuff, the better." He flips through the book a moment. "Seems the Norgorberite's crew weren't fans of his dark practices. They mutinied and left him adrift near Widowmaker Island on the return trip to Magnimar. He made it to Arena and did well enough to buy a boat and hapless ogrekin pit fighter. Seems he wanted to voidstick the ogrekin, but it was loyal enough that he put that off. Ended up in Freeport and took over the Crematorium Depot. Here's where it gets interesting though, seems our friend 'Stumpy' shows up at the Depot one night with a badly rotted corpse and a JADE BOX."
"The tuyewera, after acquiring a tongue from a corpse at the Depot, told the priest that the box once held the key to an ancient serpentfolk city beneath A'Val, but its master had been murdered and the key stolen by local pirates. If I recall correctly there was only the jade dagger in the box, no key?" the soggy sailor inquires of Dingus and notices the viper familiar has stopped his exploration of the pink handbag to stare unblinking at the Groom.
Oblivious to the serpentine byplay, Jim starts with what is to him a more immediate concern. "Does it say what became of the corpse?"
"Anythin' in thar 'bout understandin' women?" Corliss inquires with one of his crooked grins. "Or tips fer gettin' bloodstains outta yer shirt?"
"Nothing on any of that though I wouldn't recommend taking dating advice from a crazy cultist anyway. But there are definitely secrets. The book descends to another level of strangeness here. Pleas to Norgorber and conversations with someone called the Spider. And interrogations of the corpses delivered to the Depot. Some delivered by his zombie assassins."
Dibbs gives Rafe a weary wink and honest smile, making sure the lad is festooned with at least a snifter of rum whether he asks for it or not. At the sharings of the Groom his mood darkens and he grumbles "Ain't aught fer the good in any o' that tale mateys. But looks like Stumpy's nei much fer leadin an prefers tae foller... which means he'll be onna hunt fer a new pasty man."
"I think that you have the right of it, Dibbets. I wonder if he could have led us to this Spider." the Groom leafs through the back of the Book. "Do you know who Millant Lefevre was looking for?"
Dingus listens in rapt attention as the contents of the book are divulged. He doesn't even react to Richard exploring his hot pink component pouch.
He shakes his head as he realizes he's being questioned. "No only the dagger wrapped up in some cloth scraps. Whatever happened to that box? Maybe it had a secret compartment or something we missed".
"I thought Millant wanted us to find out who was behind the killings and blackmail. Now that I think on it, he probably wanted to know what had become of his personal guard, as well."
Filling in Dingus' memory Dibbets adds "Stumpy took tha box when he went slinkin away afters we put doon tha man in yeller. And aye Madman, reckon Millant would be after a fuller story than a shorter one." furrowing his brow "Now am I missin aught or hae we gots nei idea how Stumpy an Millant cross streams on this'n? - I mean where do 'e factor into tha tongue-buggers plannin?"
"Unless Millant has a deeper game than we've seen any sign of, I'm thinking that he's just what he claims--a victim of this priest's moneymaking scheme. Stumpy found the priest for its own needs: a tongue to speak with, and some way to restore its master. Best we keep our eyes and ears open in case there's more to it than that, though."
the Groom nods. "the Book mentions the box and the Man in Yellow's corpse, but doesn't say what became of them. I don't see any evidence that the necromancer and your patron were in contact. I expect that the secrets contained within would make the rich and powerful nervous though. Will you return the book to Millant?"
Kaul's scarred brow furrows as the two an' fro continues.
He then looks to Lopper and nods;
"Reckon we could give 'im the book... fir a price.... Hur."
The thug leers a grin.
Corliss rubs the bump on his head, hopeful of stimulating thoughts.
"Mayhaps we could report to Millant, just kinda checkin' in. Tell 'im we ain't had a lot of specific success in huntin' down the killers but we got some leads. And have Dingus here lookin' through the Book o' Secrets the whole time. See if Millant recognizes the book an' if maybe that be more important to 'im than dead bodyguards."
"'Fore we make the call, I'd like to know more about the Spider. Groom, have you heard the name?"
the Groom shakes his head. "No, Jim. Though that could be a code name. Might be another Norgorberite cultist. They collaborated on some of the experimentation and the Spider seems to have been very interested in the secrets pried from the jaws of the dead."
He hands the book back to Dingus. "I'll ask around tomorrow. See if I can find out anything more, but that's all I know for now. I imagine you'll be wanting to try your new quarters. There are two berths in each of the officers quarters beneath the Captain's Cabin. Dingus has a cot in the Storeroom. I'll sleep with the crew."
Stretching his neck with audible pops and cracks Dibbets offers "Issues for the morn tae my mind... sleep an' dark dreams betwixt us thinkin an our doin..." rising from his seat "I'll be aloft, spendin some time starin at nothin an feelin tha wind... probly fall asleep inna crows iffin ye lookin fer me."
The mates head to their appointed berths for the night and have a fitful rest. There is plenty of time to renew connection with the crew the next morning over chow as Estabo pulls out all the stops for a breakfast feast of eggs and cockles, ale and fruit, even a bit of bacon and sweet bread.
Corliss makes a messy sandwich from eggs, bacon, a slab of cheese, and some bread; then he makes the rounds of the ship, introducing himself to those crewmen he's not yet met. He asks everyone if they're feeling well and treats any cuts or bruises from the previous night in port.
Dingus shows up for breakfast resplendent in a solid black jumper, highlighted by a White fur hat, and a single white feather pinned to his chest.
"So. What's next"? he asks as he struggles to remove a stray piece of fuzz from his mouth as he eats enough for someone twice his size.
Kaul munches on eggs and bakey as he mulls Dingus' request for an itinery, before offering up his plan;
"Hur. Nice ensemble Ding, an' since ye ask.. Next fir Ol 'Kauly is finishin' off this fine spread... let it settle fir a wee while, then pinch one off I reckon..."
The thug looks toward his belted hatchet with a furrowed brow, then chuckles;
"Hur-hur-hur. Lopps' reckons yer askin' bout the grand plan, not me mornin' abolutions... Iffin so I ain't got the foggiest. Reckon we auction the book... see who bids..."
He taps his scarred head with a knowing smile, then eyes a block of veined cheese...
Corliss finds himself now familiar with the small crew of the Bloody Fortune. Last night he met the crew that had stayed aboard: Captain Belinna, Estabo the Cook, and the cabin boy, Rafe. The rest of the crew is made of familiar faces he met on the Black Dragon and only now realizes that they are actually mates from theFortune: the mute Onzu, tough Lola, volatile Grund, big mouth Ed, and sour Ella. Ed and Grund have a few bruises and abrasions to treat from last night's activities in town.
The only new folks to meet are a superstitious old salt named Cobb that serves as carpenter and keeps asking Corliss to treat his bunions. the Groom departed at first light, off to talk to his contacts in the city. Zossrov remains missing.
Belinna inquires as to how much longer the other officers want to remain in Freeport. She mentions that she will need a few days to fill out the crew and take on supplies if they have any thoughts as to their next destination.
Dibbets waits up pensive and still sated from the repast the prior night, new morning spray drying out to salt on his skin. He gives a smile at Kaul's plan "Aye see tae tha simples afore we turn tae more nuanced eh. As tae that... minds still roilin... but far as I seein we's got tha job wi' tha old bastard... be good tae see tae that afore we sailin... but inna same breath we should gets tae sailin in our ship eh?"
"I'm thinkin we gives it fer as long as it takes Cap'n tae get ready like... then we feck off. An outside o' that I needs tae find Zoss… Kauly - yer noggin gots thoughts o' any enterprises that'll help us track doon tongues or Zoss?"
Bushy eyebrow raised and twitchy in the silence Dibbs watches as Kaul's forehead grows ever wrinkled in deep thought...
...as the nugget scowls "I'm thinkin... pity Stumpy went in the water or I could sniff him out hur hur"
To that Dibbets shrugs "Aye, fair nuff... 'spose we coulds always drop in on Peg or tha useless arse-wipes at the Sky-lord's temple eh? I dinnae think Corliss has laid eyes on the pert an pokey flesh yet... might turn tha bugger frae tha Drowner" winking lasciviously.
"Garn--that sounds both temptin' an' terrifyin' at the same time!" Corliss replies, obviously a bit uncomfortable. "You lads pick our path; ol' Corliss will follow to the best o' his humble ability."
The mates discuss plans. Kaul posits not returning the book to LeFevre, but putting it up for auction to possibly get a heftier price and perhaps draw out other cultists. Dibbets, seeking a quicker resolution so as to get back to sea, considers whether the supposed omniscience of the gods or at least the deep local knowledge of one of their priestly contacts might offer guidance.
"I'm thinking that putting the book up for bids would draw too much attention--the likes of Finn might get involved, and I'd prefer his eye to be somewhere other than on us. That said, copying some of the more...interesting, let's say...sections 'fore we turn it over to LeFevre would be wise."
Belinna volunteers, "I can copy over the bits you want, Jim. Shouldn't take very long. Are you talking about the nasty necromancer stuff or the juicy gossip?"
"The gossip, I'm thinking. How long do you think it will take?"