Whizbang Dustyboots
Gnometown Hero
It is the second day of Moons, in the 720th year of the Tarsisian Empire.
In the Docks neighborhood of Ptolus, four who recently helped end the reign of terror of the murderer known as Longcoat gather once more in the Savage Shark tavern, discussing a strange rune circle they discovered in Longcoat's lair.
"Hail, Ada, Garn, Garnet. Well met again. I hope you've all enjoyed the day. It feels good to be out and about the upper city again. Not that I've anything against the docks, on the contrary, it is the memory of Longcoat's place I'd prefer to leave behind. But Vanden and I have found some interesting information regarding those encryptions." says Maugra in greating.
Garn scowls in response to Maugra's greeting. He nurses a drink, his good mood from earlier having been drained away by the day.
"Met the foulest smelling woman in the city. A !@#$ing lothian witchburning pyre wouldn't burn away her animal stench." He fingers a new glass flask at his belt purse with the hand not holding his drink. "You ready to !@#$ing head back down." He then seems to think over what Maugra said at the end "Do they mention what loot the Queen has?"
"Yes, tell me about the encryptions: What did you find?" Garnet asks, leaning forward with interest.
"Any information on where we're suicidally trekking into would be good," Ada says. "We came up with zero on our end."
"In the Delver's Guild Library -- oh, we're members -- we were shown a book by a Fonkin Hoddypeak," Maugra says. "He was searching for clues about something he called 'the Dreaming City,' but Fonkin apparently had to leave off his search for a time several hundred years ago when a war with the sahuagin of the Whitewind Sea threatened the young city of Ptolus, and Hoddypeak joined the crew of an Imperial Navy vessel as a ship's wizard.
"Finally, the Commissar of Ptolus presented a strange suggestion: He would marry the queen of the sahuagin nation, unifying the two peoples. What he hoped to accomplish this, Hoddypeak can't understand, as the long-lived elf predicts that war will begin again after the Commissar's death, since no children will be born of the union.
"In any case, it never ended up being an issue: The queen and her retinue arrived in Ptolus, where the ceremony was to take place in a temple built at the base of the Cliffs of Lost Wishes. But the queen and her retinue betrayed the Tarsisian Empire and attempted to murder the Commissar. His men, apparently prepared for just such an eventuality, killed the sahuagin retinue, and imprisoned the queen, holding her as a hostage to force a break in the war.
"Hoddypeak was at sea when all this happens, so he does not even speculate as to where she has been imprisoned, but simply notes that she is being kept magically asleep, to prevent further mischief from her until a permanent treaty can be reached.
"We believe that from the inscription we have found the resting place of the Queen of the Sahuagin," she finishes.
"Hmm, you think she was imprisoned with her jewelry? Noble weddings always have lots of !@#$ing jewelry. Did it say if she had a crown or necklace or crap like that?" Garn's calculating interest on this point is obvious.
"The book didn't say. Though she was a queen," replies Maugra.
Garn's avariciousness seems lost on Vanden.
"The important thing here is that we should investigate further: Now that Longcoat is gone, anyone could stumble into those sewers and release the Water Queen, and that could be disaster for all of Ptolus."
"Or get the crown jewels first." Garn nods in agreement then smiles. "Not to worry. She wakes up then a bit of fire and a clout to the head should !@#$ing take care of a water Queen. Saw who again or not. Let's go."
Garnet listens to Maugra's tale and is not surprised by Garn's reply.
"Sounds interesting. Was there any hint at what wards or guardians may stand in our way?"
"According to the tale Vanden read, there was no mention of where the Water Queen was hidden away," Maugra says. "So no, unfortunately we have no way of knowing what is ahead, beyond the water Queen herself."
Ada sits back.
"Well, we have an interesting challenge in front of us don't we? Take a chance on gold not there or unearth ancient evils. I hate Delvers. I hate the thought of being one. Having said that, we could easily take a look and sell the site to some sages for anthropological value."
"The perks seem worth it at the moment anyways. I've seen a few come to the temple for ministrations, but not spoken to many before today. To each their own though, Ada. But we don't have to look at this as part of the Delver's purview, given that we are working under the Docks. I don't think many of them make it down here." says Maugra, though it mostly comes out as a naive view of the adventuring community to which she now belongs.
In the Docks neighborhood of Ptolus, four who recently helped end the reign of terror of the murderer known as Longcoat gather once more in the Savage Shark tavern, discussing a strange rune circle they discovered in Longcoat's lair.
"Hail, Ada, Garn, Garnet. Well met again. I hope you've all enjoyed the day. It feels good to be out and about the upper city again. Not that I've anything against the docks, on the contrary, it is the memory of Longcoat's place I'd prefer to leave behind. But Vanden and I have found some interesting information regarding those encryptions." says Maugra in greating.
Garn scowls in response to Maugra's greeting. He nurses a drink, his good mood from earlier having been drained away by the day.
"Met the foulest smelling woman in the city. A !@#$ing lothian witchburning pyre wouldn't burn away her animal stench." He fingers a new glass flask at his belt purse with the hand not holding his drink. "You ready to !@#$ing head back down." He then seems to think over what Maugra said at the end "Do they mention what loot the Queen has?"
"Yes, tell me about the encryptions: What did you find?" Garnet asks, leaning forward with interest.
"Any information on where we're suicidally trekking into would be good," Ada says. "We came up with zero on our end."
"In the Delver's Guild Library -- oh, we're members -- we were shown a book by a Fonkin Hoddypeak," Maugra says. "He was searching for clues about something he called 'the Dreaming City,' but Fonkin apparently had to leave off his search for a time several hundred years ago when a war with the sahuagin of the Whitewind Sea threatened the young city of Ptolus, and Hoddypeak joined the crew of an Imperial Navy vessel as a ship's wizard.
"Finally, the Commissar of Ptolus presented a strange suggestion: He would marry the queen of the sahuagin nation, unifying the two peoples. What he hoped to accomplish this, Hoddypeak can't understand, as the long-lived elf predicts that war will begin again after the Commissar's death, since no children will be born of the union.
"In any case, it never ended up being an issue: The queen and her retinue arrived in Ptolus, where the ceremony was to take place in a temple built at the base of the Cliffs of Lost Wishes. But the queen and her retinue betrayed the Tarsisian Empire and attempted to murder the Commissar. His men, apparently prepared for just such an eventuality, killed the sahuagin retinue, and imprisoned the queen, holding her as a hostage to force a break in the war.
"Hoddypeak was at sea when all this happens, so he does not even speculate as to where she has been imprisoned, but simply notes that she is being kept magically asleep, to prevent further mischief from her until a permanent treaty can be reached.
"We believe that from the inscription we have found the resting place of the Queen of the Sahuagin," she finishes.
"Hmm, you think she was imprisoned with her jewelry? Noble weddings always have lots of !@#$ing jewelry. Did it say if she had a crown or necklace or crap like that?" Garn's calculating interest on this point is obvious.
"The book didn't say. Though she was a queen," replies Maugra.
Garn's avariciousness seems lost on Vanden.
"The important thing here is that we should investigate further: Now that Longcoat is gone, anyone could stumble into those sewers and release the Water Queen, and that could be disaster for all of Ptolus."
"Or get the crown jewels first." Garn nods in agreement then smiles. "Not to worry. She wakes up then a bit of fire and a clout to the head should !@#$ing take care of a water Queen. Saw who again or not. Let's go."
Garnet listens to Maugra's tale and is not surprised by Garn's reply.
"Sounds interesting. Was there any hint at what wards or guardians may stand in our way?"
"According to the tale Vanden read, there was no mention of where the Water Queen was hidden away," Maugra says. "So no, unfortunately we have no way of knowing what is ahead, beyond the water Queen herself."
Ada sits back.
"Well, we have an interesting challenge in front of us don't we? Take a chance on gold not there or unearth ancient evils. I hate Delvers. I hate the thought of being one. Having said that, we could easily take a look and sell the site to some sages for anthropological value."
"The perks seem worth it at the moment anyways. I've seen a few come to the temple for ministrations, but not spoken to many before today. To each their own though, Ada. But we don't have to look at this as part of the Delver's purview, given that we are working under the Docks. I don't think many of them make it down here." says Maugra, though it mostly comes out as a naive view of the adventuring community to which she now belongs.
