Norveg and Narl get the feeling this guy is nervous. Like really nervous. He keeps twitching and he drums his fingers on his leather armor restlessly. His eyes keep
Darting around
“I knows of him. An’ I knows where he’s holed up. I don’t knows no Brissa. If you want to find him, it’s 10 Falcons*”
*Falcons are the gold pieces of Opal
"Worried someone might see you talking to us?" Nahuatl ti asks calmly.
The man nods
“Aye. It’s not a good thing to be a snitch. Vanthus has friends “
"So then friend why risk giving us this information? What makes us so lucky eh?"
Narl is suspicious as a rule and figures this man maybe trying to lead them into a trap.
"So you come with us to this place ... you know show us the spot so we know and then when we are satisfied we go ahead and pay you. So if something happens to us you don't get paid."
The kobolds snout wrinkles momentarily as if he smells something offensive. But only for a moment.
The man nods
“Aye. It’s not a good thing to be a snitch. Vanthus has friends “
"Ah. Indeed. But you can ssee,... we have friendss too."
Taishe gives the man a friendly, if draconian, smile.
"Your price iss ssteep. But, maybe, worth cosst if information iss good. You wish to make enough gold to make rissk worthwhile. And we wish to enssure that information is good. Friend Narl ssugesstion iss reassonable. You lead uss, we verify, we pay. Everyone happy. Yesss?"
Taishe asks the fellow politely. Although he drags out the last word a trifle longer than one of his less serpentine companions would have.
"Perhaps let us know who these friends of his are? This might help us alleviate your fears eh? Perhaps we make it so his friends maybe don't want to be friends with him any more and are thankful for the support you are offering eh?"
Narl hasn't been so lucky with this but perhaps third time is the charm?
The man looks about
“You don’t know who Vanthus’ friends are, and you are asking about him all over the Driftwood? Besmara’s teats, you lot are either the luckiest or most foolish folks I’ve met”
He whispers
“He runs with the Lotus Dragons”
He looks at the diminutive kobold.
“Aye, I’ll take you there. But I want half up front. “
"Hmm, I will do you one better I will give you 12 gold when we get there and see everything is copacetic."
"Hm. 'Lotus Dragons'? Ssoundss like my kind of people." Taishe says casually.
Meanwhile he racks his brain for what he may have heard about these 'Lotus Dragons'.
The man nods jerkily
"Twelve then. We'll need a boat. He's holed up on one of the Black Stones."
Taishe has heard of the Lotus Dragons. They are a criminal syndicate, fairly new to Opal. He doesn't know much except that lately they have become whispered more in conjunction with various robberies and smuggling jobs. They keep a relatively low profile
Tragon nods. "I am sure a boat can be arranged."
"Which of the Black Stones is he holed up in?"
The Black Stones are a collection of small islands just outside of Turquoise Bay. They range from mere feet to roughly a square mile in size. They are rocky and inhospitable, with little to recommend by way of comfort
The man looks at Narl
“He’s hiding on the Parrot. It’s one of the bigger ones, an’ he found some old smugglers tunnels. I knows the way”
Taishe mentions what he can recall of the Lotus Dragons to the others. Then the kobold turns to their new 'friend'.
"Exsssssssellent." The kobold hisses to the man, tapping the tips of his claws together as a human might steeple his fingers.
"Lotuss Dragonss, Black Stoness, ssmugglerss tunnelss?!? Oh, thiss one cannot wait to match witss with Vanthusss. It should be,... Interesssting. Let uss proceed."
"By all means, take us there. We will take care of getting a boat." Nahuatl ti agrees.
"Well then please let us depart with haste and see about finding Vantus. What can you tell me of the Lotus Dragons good sir Perhaps Vantus is ... very friendly with a high ranking member ?"
"...Vantus is ... very friendly with a high ranking member ?"
Shefton nods
“Vanthus is a part of their crew. He’s likely an officer by now. “
The man agrees and the party heads to the Driftwood docks. They find a ship rental that can rent them a large enough sloop to fit them all for 1 GP a day and a 10 GP deposit. The man, one Shefton Rusk is nervous, and looks about constantly. If asked, he explains that he is very nervous about being recognized
“The Lotus Dragons don’t play nice with snitches”
Taishe wrinkles his snout in confusion.
"Thiss one wass under impresssion that 'Lotuss Dragonss' did not 'play nice' with anyone?" The kobold whispers to Norveg.
"Your name will not come up as long as you continue to cooperate." Nahuatl ti says calmly.
“Long as I gets me Falcons”
The group piles into the sloop and sets sail. The tropical afternoon is slowly settling into a gorgeous sunset as the group takes the one-sailed craft out of the Opal River and into Turquoise Bay. The sea is calm, and a fair wind fills their sail
"Thiss one wass under impresssion that 'Lotuss Dragonss' did not 'play nice' with anyone?" The kobold whispers to Norveg.
"Oi wager they know lotsa nasty games," the ratman replies, snout likewise wrinkling with distaste.
Norveg seems to come alive aboard a sailing vessel, checking the little ship's fitnessness, resetting the sail slightly, and settling himself at the tiller if nobody else seems comfortable there.
"Perfek evenin' fer a pleasure cruise, ain't it?" he remarks to no-one in particular, drinking in the sea air with relish.
Taishe watches Norveg's actions with some,.. amusement?
At the ratman's words the kobold looks out, and inhales deeply, seeming to relax.
"Indeed." He agrees simply.
As the sky reddens above them, the party sails towards the collection of small islands known as the Black Stones. Volcanic islands that jut out of the sea with forbidding cliffs. Shefton points to one in particular
“That’s Parrot Island there. Sail to the eastern shore. There’s a small beach there.”
Norveg steers the sloop to the east, sifting a very small beach wedged between two towering rock faces. The group runs the ship up onto the black sand, pulling it past the tide mark and tying it fast to a palm tree.
Initially there doesn’t seem to be a way up the cliff. There are various tropical plants along the edge of the cliffs, and up the face; attached in every crevice. The top of the island is about forty feet above the beach.
Shefton points to a small waterfall trickling down the face of one cliff
“There’s a path there, by that waterfall “
Upon inspection there is a narrow switchback leading up the cliff
.
Tragon draws his two swords. "Well, we can't very well leave you here with our boat, can we? You'll have to come along, but keep out of sight."
"Oi likes the way ya think, mate." Norveg grins approval at the big fighter. He pulls an oddly-shaped blade from his belt pouch and attaches it firmly to the tip of his tail.
"Anyone good at movin' quoit-loik wanna go ahead'v us?"
Nahuatl ti, secures her spear on her back as she looks toward the waterfall, tracing the narrow path up the cliff. "So a climb it is." she says quietly digging her toes into the sand.
The party soon realizes why this rock is called Parrot Island. There is a multitude of the loud colorful birds within the treecover. Along with parrots are the more lizardish birds the Opallines call Kitetails. They are colorful birds with a toothy muzzle rather than a beak and a long tail tipped with a kite-shaped fan of feathers.
The switchback hugs the cliff face, one person wide. They group manages to attain the top as twilight darkens into true night. The birds and a few nocturnal animals start to make loud sounds as Shefton leads them into the jungle at the top of the island. After a short walk along a game trail they come to a clearing. The stars are beginning to blaze brightly overhead as is Arcaia’s largest moon, Selene. Selene is almost full, and she casts a bright blue light upon the glade. Shefton points to a square rock set into the ground.
“There’s the entrance to the tunnels”.
Taishe navigates the narrow switchback path with the others. At one point Norveg realizes that Taishe is showing the Kobold signs of ,.. nervousness.
Meeting the ratman's gaze, Taishe gives a wan, toothy grin.
"FALLING does not bother one. It is rather the sudden stop at the end which gives one concern.
“There’s the entrance to the tunnels”.
Taishe nudges Norveg's elbow with his own.
"Tunnels, on the other claw, are home."
"Long as it ain't a trap," Norveg warns, saying a brief prayer and examining the square rock and area around it. "'Arf a mo, gents."
The square stone reads non-magical. There are two recessed iron pull rings on either side. It looks as if it is just a hingeless cap
Shefton looks at the group
“As promised. There’s a shaft underneath that leads to the smugglers tunnels. I did what I said. I’d like me 12 Falcons if you please.”
"Ain't no magic on it. Could be reglar traps, tho," Norveg offers, pointing to the cover stone. Turning to Shefton, he continues, "As fer you, we need yer sloop to return. Ye've done roit by us. Falcons'r yours once we git back."
Shefton nods reluctantly
“I’ll wait here, but I’d like at least half my gold for getting you this far. I can’t sail that sloop by me self anyhow”
Norveg knows that a sloop of that size would be difficult for anyone not an expert in sailing to be able to handle by themselves. Not to mention the tide is still low, and dragging off the beach is at least a three-man operation
"Unlesss, One knowss where ssaid tunnels come UP on other side? Sso one could promisse we will not have to sswim back?" Taishe adds.
Politely.
For a lizard.
Shefton shrugs
“I knows they store goods here and use it as a hideout. I don’t know where the exit is, if there is another one”
Taishe nods his understanding. The kobold looks at the others, and pulls out what few gold coins he has left. (not 6)
"Fair iss fair. Half now. Half upon our return. Yess?" Taishe looks at the others with a knowing tilt of his head.
The stone slab is easily lifted by two party members. A vertical dark shaft is revealed. At the side of the shaft is an iron bolt ring with a stout knotted rope attached, leading down into the dark.
Norveg passes over 3 gold to make up the rest of the half. "'Ere's the color uv our money ta show good faith."
He lies on his belly at the edge of the hole, peering down into the darkness and listening carefully.
The shaft drops 30 feet, and the bottom seems to be a floor of old brick
The kobold snakes his head over the edge of the opening across from Norveg.
"Ah. Lovely." The the kobold intones neutrally.
(It's very difficult sometimes to know if he's being serious, or sarcastic.)
Tragon adds his gold to the pot as well.
Standing behind his smaller companions, Tragon looks down at the trapdoor. ”Is there a ladder or rope to climb down?” he asks them.
"Aye, knotted rope. 'Bout thirty foot down. Nuffin to it long as it ain't trapped."
No obvious traps can be discerned. There are no noises or movement below
Moving close to the edge, Nahuatl ti utters a spell, conjuring a quartet of softly pulsing orbs of light that bob as if underwater. With a mere flicker of will, she sends them slowly descending to illuminate the hole.
The lights go down illuminating the wider room. Unfortunately although the area is brighter the room is still not visible because of the shaft’s narrow aperture. However, the light does not seem to provoke any movement or other reactions
"Oi kin git down that rope easy enough, but Oi ain't real quoit," Norveg observes. "Anyone sneaky-loik?"
Taishe shrugs noncommittally.
"One can be ssilent, if needss be. Excusse, pleasse." The kobold says as he maneuvers into position at the top of the hole,...
Clearly, the kobold is over excited about getting to be underground again. He isn't NEARLY as quiet as you know he can be.
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Nahuatl ti goes down next, practically flying down the rope with breathtaking skill. Unfortunately, her spear is poorly secured on her back, as it goes plunging down ahead of her, barely missing Taishe, and clattering loudly on the brick floor, the bobbing lights flaring wildly as she curses under her breath.
Narl gives half the money as promised but still is uncertain about why this guy is so nervous. He is not buying it this nervous about the Lotus since he is betraying them.
Leaning over to Targon he whispers. "Not sure I trust this guy not to simply cut the rope and trap us here you know? Should we be paying him at all until we get out of here and know this isn't a trap?"
The party descends to the bottom of the shaft. The rope is stout, and looks new, with little fraying. At the bottom is a small room, just 10x10. It is empty, but there is a brick lined tunnel leading off to the west.
As the party orients itself, they hear a cry from above. There is a thumping sound as Shefton tumbles down the shaft! He lands on the bricks with a terrible crunching sound, and twitches feebly. A moment later, the knotted rope comes slithering down the shaft as well. A mocking laugh echoes from the shaft.
“Serves you right for messing with my sister, you thugs! Say hello to Penkus’ ghost for me!”
There is a scraping sound from above