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Message: <blockquote data-quote="talien" data-source="post: 4397920" data-attributes="member: 3285">Vengeance in Freeport: Part 4 – The Terrible Old ManAfter a bit of searching, they found Carthy’s house.  It was a two-story affair at the end of a cul-de-sac, front by gates and a private garden.  Sebastian stopped in mid-stride. “You feel that?” Kham rubbed his forehead.  “The throbbing headache?  Why yes, I feel that all the time.”Sebastian shook his head.  “Not that.  I can feel…energy, surrounding that home.  It’s like a hand gently but insistently resisting our approach.”“Perhaps that’s what Peg-Leg meant by Carthy being protected by Cadic,” said Dril.“Yeah, well it doesn’t seem to be all that effective in stopping us.”  Kham walked right up to one of the guards.  “We’re here to see Carthy.”“No Carthy here,” said the guard coolly.“It’s about the Cycle of R’lyeh,” added Sebastian.  “Father Peg-Leg sent us to ask him about a sextant.”The guard’s eyes widened.  He spun on one heel and disappeared into the house.A few minutes later, the guard returned.  “Caleb will see you now.”They were led through a high, clutter hall towards a door. Souvenirs of a life tied to the sea was everywhere: a captain’s wheel hung from the wall where other people might have a mirror, a fighting-net covered another wall section, and a harpoon and shark jaw sat above the doorway.  The whole place smelled of musty salt air. Inside, the comfortable, well-appointed sitting room contained numerous plush leather chairs and couches.  Bookcases ran along the walls in the room and a massive lacquered oak desk sat on one side.  The window behind the desk looked out into the backyard garden.“Caleb will be right with you,” said the guard.  He closed the door behind him.Kham flounced onto the couch and took out his wineskin.  Sebastian walked over to the bookshelves. Kham shook his head.  “Not gonna be that easy.”The dark-kin shrugged.  “It’s mostly nautical themes, but it seems Carthy has an interest in everything from philosophy to modern novels.”Dril nodded at a picture that hung on the far side of the room, on the wall opposite Carthy’s desk.  “Take a look.”The painting depicted a nautical scene; some kind of ceremony on the deck of a ship at nighttime.  The ship’s crew stood around a lighted circle.  They looked suspiciously at the two illuminated figures.  One of them was obviously a ship’s captain; he looked very upright and warlike in admiral’s uniform.  The other wore dark robes and a stern expression on his face, as he handed something to the ship’s captain.  Sebastian squinted.  “The banner reads: Victorie Affured.”“There’s another one over here,” said Vlad. He pointed a painting that hung on the wall adjacent to Carthy’s deskThe painting depicted a striking woman in a full-on pirate outfit; she was tall, confident, and had dark features.  She looked stiff and unnatural in the pose, but her face still conveyed arrogance and fire.The door opened and a tall man entered, wearing a navy-blue dressing gown with a crest over his heart and a cravat around his neck.  His thing hair had gone gray, but his face and hands were wrinkled and permanently browned from the salt air.  He moved with a cane.  And yet, there was a sense of strange vitality coming from him, as if he were a lot stronger than he looked.Carthy sat down at his desk.  “So what’s all this about R’lyeh?”Sebastian leaned forward.  “I’ll come straight to the point.  The Temple of Cadic was attacked by the Cult of Leviathan.  We were looking for the Cycle of R’lyeh, but Father Peg-Leg directed us to you.”A pall came over the old man’s face.  “Many years ago my…family,” he spoke in a halting voice, choosing his word very carefully, “swore an oath to Cadic and the Lords of Freeport.  We did the city a great service, but bound ourselves to silence about I in return for the protection of the Sea Lord and the god he served. I can tell you that the men you fought in the temple serve the…powers against which my family performed this…services—this sacrifice.”Carthy swiveled his chair so that it faced the painting of the pirate woman.  Then he lowered his face into his hands.There was an uncomfortable silence. Kham took a swig from his wineskin and cleared his throat.“Looks like you’ve got quite a lass up there,” he said nonchalantly.  Sebastian shot him a glance but Kham put one hand up.Glad for the excuse to talk about something else, Carthy wiped the back of his eyes with one sleeve.  “Ah yes.  That’s Black Jenny Ramsey.”“She looks like a handful,” said Kham with a grin.“She was,” Carthy managed a weak smile back at him.  “I was a rival for her affections.  But I lost her to a greater love because…well, I’d rather not talk about it.”Kham nodded.  “I understand.”“About this R’lyeh…” added Sebastian.“R’lyeh had something to do with my family’s great sacrifice at the sea battle,” said Carthy.  “Leviathan was involved.  It is not of this world.”“We figured,” said Dril. “What about the sextant? The figure in the picture bears a striking resemblance to you.”“The sextant,” said Carthy.  “Aye, the sextant.  Yes, that’s my ancestor handing over the sextant; it did indeed prove crucial to our victory.  As far as I know, Hell’s Triangle and R’lyeh are just sailor’s stories.”“My father, Corinalous val’Abebi, thinks that R’lyeh has something to do with a portal—“Carthy’s eyes widened.  “If R’lyeh returns, it means the Full-Fathom Five have somehow regrouped outside of Arcanis.  They were some of the fiercest pirates that ever sailed.  If the shadow of Leviathan has fallen over Freeport…why, anyone who traveled there would be in grave peril!”“Comes with the territory,” grunted Beldin.“Right, we’ve got all that.”  Dril was obviously losing his patience.  “Do you have the sextant?”Carthy shook his head.  “As far as I know, it remains in the hands of the Sea Lord, stored in the headquarters of the Captains’ Council.  My family gave it to the Sea Lord almost 150 years ago.”  There was a sudden change in the man’s expression that became unwelcome.  “I think our business is done here gentlemen.  Please leave.”</blockquote>

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