"An oath before a God is not lightly broken. Yes, you are free to go." Ulark untied the assassin, and after Aleksey had performed his healing, motioned the assassin to the door.
Dugan leans in and whispers low 'Now, hang on, we didn't talk about going to no Shackles...'
It looks could kill then Dugan would have been dead, buried, mourned, and rediscovered by scholars several generations later.
Aleksey's divine ministrations close the worst depths of the axe wound upon the assassin's stomach. Though the fresh injury remains a nasty sight, at least its bearer no longer seems on the verge of death. With her bonds removed, she hobbles towards the door. Dugan and Ulark's last exchange gives her pause, and she takes note, but it does not foil the party's ruse. Rather, it seems to sell the bluff further.
She slips away, out into the stormy night, hopefully to never cross your path again.
Aleksey watches the half-elven woman go, saddened by her life choices which lead her to the life of an assassin. We should go quickly in the morning from this place- They will know we were here when their goons do not return.
"Agreed. The longer we tarry, the more danger we will be in." Ulark said, grim faced as the assassin left. He was truly glad that he was in control of himself when it came to dealing with her. Though he hoped that they made the right choice in not taking her life.
The storm relents near dawn. The wind's howl fades to but a whistle, and the hammering of the rain upon the old shingles becomes just a patter. Shafts of sunlight and glimpses of blue sky pierce the gray, woolen clouds.
Whether he keeps the final watch of the night or merely rises early to make his prayers to Iomedae, Aleksey notices something out the window. Through a gap in the boards, he spots a bright red glint at the foot of a tree left partially uprooted by the storm.
Aleksey, having continued his prayers to the Inheritor will wander outside, armed and armored, checking the red glint at the base of the tree. If it is something more than just a piece of armor, he'll call to the others, See here? The Goddess has revealed something to us, vhich may be of interest to all parties. Assuming nothing jumps out to assault the pious priest, he'll begin digging loose whatever caught his eye.
Aleksey finds a hawthorn tree that once stood alone among pine, birch, and oak. It appears younger than the other trees that surround the inn. Its roots could not hold fast in the wet soil against the storm's might, and now it teeters drunkenly.
An oilskin bag, once buried among the roots, has been disgorged. It has partially spilled open, revealing its contents. The source of the glint that the warrior priest spotted turns out to be a wine red topaz the size of two finger knuckles - and this is not the only one.
In all, the bag contains a small collection of red topaz, amethyst, and even three small sapphires. A couple hundred coins fill much of the bag's space, including gold pieces etched with scarabs and silvers stamped with strange masks.
A single silver ring, etched with cresting waves, is also nestled among the cache.
Lastly, a parchment note has survived within the waterproof bag.
Comfort and fortune to you, seeker!
Whether by design or fate, you have found the last of my treasure. Most of the proceeds from my life at sea went into building and upkeeping my inn, but I knew enough to keep some for a rainy day. Of course, I also know full well that I may not live long enough for it to be my own rainy day.
The Katapeshi call me a privateer. The Jalmeri call me a scourge. The infernal bootlickers of Cheliax call me an anarchist. Thus, there will always be bounties upon the head of the sea wench called Tommi Bones.
I have dipped into this stash more than once to aid some poor slip the Bellflowers brought to my door as part of their path to freedom. That's why I now rebury it beneath a hawthorn, which bears a special significance to the halflings and Bellflowers, to be found someday. I can only hope what remains can likewise do good in the world.
I have been many things. Perhaps I am an optimist after all.
-Tommi Bones, avenging scourge of the Inner Sea
Ulark, Duggan, I think vee have found zhee treasure our host has been looking for... reading the note, the cleric gives pause, An anti Cheliax pirate?? Who vould have thought. And we just stumbled across it. It seems only right we should share it with the one who has been looking for it for so long - but only if he agrees to release Phineas from his service, or whatever you want to call that.
Ulark looked at it, deep in thought. "I fear that this will turn violent. The man was foaming at the mouth at the thought of the treasure. To ask for even a copper piece of it will likely make him go red with rage." After a moment's thought, he continued "But Mr. Bones has made it clear that he wants this bounty to do good in this world. Turning it all over to someone so mad with greed does not seem to be in his wishes, and taking it all for ourselves is likewise churlish. I would think that the topaz to our 'gracious' host, the amethyst to his 'servant' and if we does not agree then it is on his head."
Even as you discuss how to share the discovery with Darvin, the man himself intervenes.
"It's real! I found it!" he exclaims as he pushes past you to snatch up the oilskin bag. "Tommi Bones' treasure! And it's all mine!"
Darvin clutches the bag tightly, like a beloved child. He turns his eyes, burning with paranoia, upon you.
"Oh, no," he taunts. "I've spent years looking for this treasure, and I'm not letting anyone - not a dwarf, not a half-blood, not some gill-neck - no one is taking it from me!"
His eyes bulge and the veins in his neck pulse. His fingers grow tense and rigid as they clutch the bag. His face flushes, and his breathing grows ragged.
Brief convulsions rack his limbs before he falls back against the partially uprooted tree and slides down, upon the damp soil.
"At last...it's all...mine..." Darvin groans as the life flees his eyes and his body grows still.
Aleksey will jump into action, attempting to save the man's life through magical means, or just regular healing, pounding on his chest to prevent the life from draining away from this somewhat crazed treasure seeker.
Looking up from the man's corpse, Aleksey shakes his head in the negative, I am afraid his heart gave out. The Inheritor preaches patience and reserve in life. Sadly Darvin did not listen to those messages.... running his hands through his black hair, the priest looks at the others. I do believe good Phineas is deserving of a share of what's found, as he is once again free from his captor.
Turning his eyes to the gillman, You have suffered at this man's hands, would you help me inter him in the ground here, where his heart's desire lay? I know he has wronged you, but it is better to bury the past with him, and lend forgiveness if you can find it in your heart. I know it cannot repay you for your suffering, but some of this belongs to you - and you are welcome to do with it as you see fit, even accompany us should you desire.
That said, the Cleric casts about for a shovel to dig a grave for the ill-mourned Darvin. Placing two silver pieces upon his eyes, that his spirit may pass into the Boneyard without troubling the living.
Dugan barks a laugh at the man's outburst directed at his companions and himself. 'Dwarf! I got off pretty easy.'
His mood sobers slightly as the man seizes and collapses. He watches with mild concern as Aleksey attempts to revive the treasure-maddened man and eventually helps lower the body into the freshly dug grave.
Perhaps shockingly, you see genuine sorrow in Phineas' eyes. Despite how cruelly the late Darvin treated the gillman, still he feels pangs of misplaced loyalty. Thus, he eagerly aids in digging a grave for the man where the treasure was once buried, then burying him at the foot of the hawthorn tree.
Once the grim business is concluded, Phineas looks around nervously. He carries himself like a child that has suddenly realized he is lost. This is perhaps best demonstrated by his reaction when offered a share of the treasure. He makes no move to claim a single piece, seeming afraid to even look upon the valuables.
He waits to see what is offered to him, instead.
"I-" Ulark said, raising a finger, only to get cut off by the man's ravings. "We-" He tried to say. "But-" He said, helplessly. And with that, he watched as the man died.
As Aleksey saw to the corpse and Dugan stood over it, Ulark turned to Phineas. Taking the amethyst, he put the eight gems into the man's hands.
"I see the pain in your eyes, and I wish that there was more that we could do. We all here recognize what you have been through. I believe that this is well deserved, and hope that with it you can find what you are looking for in life. If you would travel with us as we head out of the wilderness then we would enjoy the company."
Phineas is bewildered by the purple gems conferred upon him. Nevertheless, Ulark's words ensure that he dare not dream of refusing such generosity. What's more, though he now finds himself in possession of both freedom and wealth beyond what he ever imagined possible, Phineas does not look afraid any longer. Rather, a new and rare look of hope comes upon his face.
With nowhere else to go, he eagerly accepts the offer to accompany the party.
"Um, but if you don't mind the asking...where are we going?"
”Andoran.” Ulark answered, leaving out that they were going to Almas. ”We have business there, and have been trying to move covertly. There are...very bad people who want us dead. As you can see from last night, exposing corruption leads to reprisals. I cannot say exactly where. Not out of lack of trust, but for your own protection. While we can protect you from dangers on the road, I do not want you knowing more than needed due to these assassins.”
'Do you have people? With what you have there we could easily get you back with them. Maybe not right away, but as soon as we're done with what we're doing.'
"Some...friends and I had traveled together, across the sea, from Absalom to Almas. We'd heard such amazing stories about freedom in Andoran," Phineas replies to Dugan. "When we arrived, it was...harder than we thought. We had no money. When we met Darvin, and he offered to hire one of us to help with his treasure hunt...it seemed like the answer to our prayers."
"I know the feeling." Ulark said. "Spent most of my life paying off debts accrued before I was old enough to understand what a debt was. The greed of men is one of our worst traits." With a sigh he shook his head. "But you are free. We are going to be heading out shortly and I see no reason why Almas should not be our next stop. Perhaps your friends are still there?"
The suggestion perks up Phineas. He is suddenly excited to return to Almas, especially to share his very recent good fortune with his friends.
Although the storm tore some planks from the stairs and dock leading down to the river, they remain traversable - albeit carefully. You find your canoe still safely stowed where you left it, undamaged by the storm, proving that you wisely chose a hiding spot.
Phineas readily wades into the river to help you ease the craft back onto its surface. With both a new friend and a cache of treasure, you return to your voyage down the Andoshen River.
Exhausted from both the events of the previous day, as well as plain relief, Ulark sat upon their craft as they went down the river. He didn't even have it in him to talk. Instead he just watched the scenery go by, doing his best to not think about what was to come.
The storm has seemingly purged the clouds from the sky, for the morning opens with nothing but endless blue above the mighty Andoshen River. The lingering wind provides a gentle, cool relief in stark contrast with the whipping rain of the previous night. The air remains quite humid, though, as the sun begins the task of drying up all that rain.
The day brings you many hours of placid, almost lazy travel down the river's immeasurable length. Phineas spends several stretches in the water, holding onto the gunwale of the canoe, affording you more space in the small vessel whilst enjoying the free feel of the passing water.
To the east, the Carpenden Plains unfold like a limitless sea of green and gold. The prairie grows verdant and wild, devoid of crop fields, orchards, canals, or other signs of settlement.
"Look at that, sirs!" Phineas calls out whilst floating alongside the canoe.
He points to the eastern banks with a webbed finger. There, you see a lone lion standing upon the shore, lapping at the water. The big cat eyes you curiously if warily, though without raising its golden maned head from the water. It appears far more interested in getting a drink than interfering with your journey.
'Well, that's a pretty beasty! You think it can swim?' Dugan has spent the journey basking in the sun, enjoying the leisurely pace.
"What is that...?" Ulark asked, roused from his stupor by the sight. "We should keep a distance. It looks dangerous."
Simply magnificent. It is a wonder the power of nature when shown to us. Aleksey keeps an eye on the lion, but is relatively unconcerned given how far away it is. Instead shifting in his seat to scan the horizon away from where the lion is, so that not all eyes were watching the great cat.
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"I've never seen a beast like that! Is it dangerous? Will it attack?" Phineas asks, his voice oscillating between fear and wonder.
Inconnu, acting as navigator, informs you that you're about one hundred miles north of Riverford, the next major landmark in your journey, so you will arrive in about two days. You can also expect to start seeing more active farmsteads and hamlets along the riverbanks.
As your canoe continues down the river's course, the lion slips out of sight without having moved or paused its drink.
You soon come to miss the majestic big cat, as the rest of the day proves almost crushingly dull. Wide expanses of nothing line the banks of the river. Starlings and sparrows fly in twos and threes, and occasionally you see a lone hawk or eagle gimble and gyre high above as they scan the prairie for prey.
Entertainment comes in the form of Phineas' questions, who proves insatiably curious about your prior adventures.
On the second day, you can spot wisps of smoke curling into the sky, presumably from nearby chimneys or cookfires. These are quite welcome signs of civilization. Where fields of grain overlook the river, which feeds irrigation canals, you even spot farmers who pause their work to watch you pass. A few even hazard to wave.
Night falls upon the river again. You estimate that you are only a couple hours away from Riverford. Your attention is torn from your course, however, when you hear the cries of a woman in pain. Her anguished voice rises from a pasture spreading out from the river's eastern bank.
Does anyone see better at night than I do? It sounds as if someone is in need of assistance over yonder. Aleksey sort of stands, and then resumes his seat, trying to see into the pasture for the source of the cries.
'I can see reasonably well, should we put in and see if we can help?'
With Phineas' help, you easily put the canoe ashore. It does not take long to trace the pained voice to its source.
You find a woman, dressed in the simple clothes of a farmer, fallen to her knees upon a grassy heath. She is heavily pregnant, and she clutches her gravid stomach with one hand as she uses the other to balance upon a crook and keep from falling over entirely.
Her breath comes in ragged pulses, occasionally punctuated by moans of pain. Even for those without training in the healing arts or the ways of the body, it is abundantly clear that she is in labor.
A lone sheep nervously keeps a distance at the edge of the scene. The animal hazards a few steps forward until the woman's next cry startles it back.
'If one of you wants to see to her I can keep an eye out.' Dugan offers, not being much use when it comes to medicine.
Aleksey looks at Ulark and asks, Can you follow me? he heads into the meadow walking deliberately toward the woman, I do not have a midwife's tools with me, zhis vill be tricky... and calling out to her, Miss, miss, are you okay? Is zhere zomething vee can help with? As he closes with her, he removes his helmet to re-assure the woman, whom he suspects is going into labor in this field.
Why don't you have a seat for a moment. I am a priest and healer - may I take a look?? he reassures her, despite his tattooed self and warlike demeanor, that he is there to help...
He kneels with the woman and begins to examine her, thinking back to the courses he took in Lepidstadt University on childbirth and human anatomy...
In other circumstances, a simple farmer might shy away from a trio of strangers emerging from the river at evening. However, Aleksey's courteous introduction not only assuages her worries, but it even gives her a spark of hope and relief.
"Name's Gestelle. I was...hold on...gah..." she pauses to grit her teeth before groaning with what Aleksey recognizes as a contraction. "I was out looking for that wayward critter when this critter decided it wanted to make its entrance," Gestelle says, gesturing towards her pregnant stomach.
Childbirth is such a common procedure that it was, thankfully, covered during Aleksey's education at Lepidstadt. Unfortunately, seeing as it's a procedure usually overseen by midwives or Pharasmins, the Iomedaean priest has had little chance to practice what he learned.
Dugan keeps a good distance between himself and the birthing scene. His dwarf eyes, still fairly keen in the gathering evening darkness, scan the horizon keeping watch for any threats but the worried glances he casts to where Aleksey works with the woman betray where his true unease lies. Occasionally muttering about 'Midwife's curses.'
Aleksey looks at the others, and shrugs, urging the woman to sit. Now, why don't you lay down, and I think I'm supposed to take a look and see where the child is. I vill admit, zhis is somezhing I have studied, but my practice iz limited. and he'll help her as best as he can, ready to resort to magical healing if needed.
Ulark keeps his distance, surprisingly unnerved by the scene.
Aleksey soothes the woman, and begins remembering what he learned at University about child birthing, doing his best he begins walking her through what he remembers, So, try to relax and breathe... Iomedae grant us strength and wisdom. he invokes the Inheritor's name to bless this birth and help him remember what to do!
This experience differs starkly from your flight from the Consortium men, yet it is nonetheless harrowing. Gestelle's voice rises to the sky, heralding each contraction. Of his companions, any whose knees cannot stand the sight, Aleksey sends them to fetch water.
The going is not easy. The birthing takes a couple hours, bringing the dark of night falling down around you. Ulark and Dugan quickly kindle a fire, not just for light and warmth, but to also boil river water to clean it for the delicate procedure. All the while, the errant sheep that brought Gestelle so far from home remains your audience.
Eventually, a new voice pierces the night. The farmer's newborn son wails his first cries, loudly singing your success.
Wiping sweat from her brow, the armored priest congratulates the woman, Well done! Please meet your son. The Inheritor has given me the strength and knowledge to help in this moment, and now his life is in your hands - as is right! He beams with success, wiping sweat and fluids from him with a tattooed hand.
Now, let us get you and the boy home, that you may rest more thoroughly than in a field.. Lads, will you please help escort the woman and babe home? Aleksey rises, gathering his scattered equipment to bring the woman home.
Hearing the infant's first cries in this world Dugan breathes a sigh of relief. As Aleksey cleans himself from his task Dugan sheepishly approaches the woman and sneaks a glance at the boy. 'Good lungs on him.'
At Aleksey's suggestion he's snapped from his admirational trance and sets to breaking down what they'd made of a camp and readies to get the woman home.
Gestelle attempts to rise to her feet, but the strain of her ordeal is too much for even the strong farmer. While she seems like a normally stubborn person, she tiredly concedes and accepts help getting home. With mother and child safe in your care, you escort them both towards Riverford.
The night grows eerily silent. The newborn's cries subside, and his dark eyes curiously rove across the surrounding dark fields. The songs of night birds provide most of the sounds that chorus your march through the fields and pastures. The nearby town is quiet and dark at this late hour.
Gestelle directs you towards her small farmhouse - little more than a cabin - sitting a few dozen yards away from a barn that dwarfs the home and a wide, fenced-in pasture. Ulark leads the wayward sheep towards the barn, and the animal obliges as though feeling guilty for leading its mistress away from home.
Gesturing to the small house, Aleksey indicates they should move Gestelle there, This way, let us get you inside and resting with the babe. he heads to the farmhouse, opening the door for her and the babe. Once inside Aleksey will attempt to light the fire in the hearth to make the woman more comfortable.
"I should hope I'd be welcome in my own home," Gestelle grumbles as you help her inside. She plops down in a chair beside the hearth and holds out her hands for her newborn.
The home is very sparse. Other than the chair and a kettle hook above the hearth, the only other proper furnishings are a table, bed, and cupboard. A pegboard is affixed to the wall, from which hang some wooden mugs and utensils, as are some plank shelves that hold a few dusty trinkets.
"By this point, I'm fairly certain you're not a gang of robbers," she sighs weakly. "If you are, at least wait until I'm asleep to make off with your plunder. I'm too exhausted and too sore to deal with the bother whilst awake."
Dugan stops and turns at the door to the farmhouse, standing vigil as Aleksey further tends to the woman and child's comfort.
'You wouldn't happen to have a spot of drink squirreled away in there would you? I'd settle for a thimble of that thin elven piss-wine at this point.' Dugan asks over his shoulder hopefully.
'Feels like it's been months since my last sip...' He grumbles to himself.
Aleksey shakes his head in the negative, No, not hardly robbers, Ve were just passing by in our boat and stopped to camp for zee night. Why do, you have problems with brigands in these parts? He speaks slowly to mitigate his accent, while stoking the fire to life to warm the woman and babe. May I inquire, is it just you here? Seems like a lot for one person alone.
"I suppose things are pretty safe around here, what with militia over at the Old Bridge Tower. They even got some Eagle Knights there to train them. They certainly keep bandits and river pirates away. Too bad we still get con artists and flim-flam men coming around to cheat folks out of their money, especially around harvest time."
As she tries to calm her suddenly squirming, squealing son, Gestelle goes on to explain that she used to share the farm with her husband, Horatio. However, their livelihood has largely been subsistence farming, making very little actual income from their crops and animals. Increasingly unable to pay the bills, her husband enlisted with the Andoren army a few months ago, sending his pay home to Gestelle to support her and their soon-to-be-born child.
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Since Riverford is the last landmark before Almas, your destination, it seems having a local indebted to you could be a great boon. She could introduce you to someone who could provide supplies for this last leg of your journey, or even a boater who could take you down the river safely and quickly.
Gestelle, Vee are trying to reach Almas, do you know of anyone who can help guide us there? And is there a place we can buy supplied? the priest asks the young mother. He looks to his companions for help with the negotiations, or other ideas.