Insight's "The Isle of Dread" - Chapter One

[JustKim]

Nafije searched her pockets for something mystical. She trusted that these dwarves wouldn't recognize a ritual if they saw it. "As I said- a good description of the item is required. It would also hurry things if you told me where you've already searched for it."

She found a bag of incense in her pocket and knit her brow. Was it really worth pouring that out and wasting it? She hoped that they would just get the answer and overpower the dwarves before it became necessary to fake a ritual casting.

 

[Leif]

Questor, Halfling Chaos Sorcerer 6

Rake grins. "Fair enough, then," he says. "I take you at your word, sorceress. What, then, do you need from me?"

Questor just grins at these words and says, "I'm so glad we're all just one big happy family!"

 

[Insight]

Nafije searched her pockets for something mystical. She trusted that these dwarves wouldn't recognize a ritual if they saw it. "As I said- a good description of the item is required. It would also hurry things if you told me where you've already searched for it."

She found a bag of incense in her pocket and knit her brow. Was it really worth pouring that out and wasting it? She hoped that they would just get the answer and overpower the dwarves before it became necessary to fake a ritual casting.

OOC: Go ahead and make a Bluff check.

 

[JustKim]

OOC: Will do!

 

[Leif]

Questor, Halfling Chaos Sorcerer 6

Questor is totally fooled by Nafije's bluff, and moves to assist in some small way with the ritual casting, by lighting a candle, passing ingredients, making chalk drawings, or whatever. "Oh, I just love this thrilling magical operation stuff!"

 

[Insight]

Inside the Secret Passage: Cassi, Nafije, Astra, Questor, and Vrashek

OOC: Edited for Bluff check

Nafije searched her pockets for something mystical. She trusted that these dwarves wouldn't recognize a ritual if they saw it. "As I said- a good description of the item is required. It would also hurry things if you told me where you've already searched for it."

She found a bag of incense in her pocket and knit her brow. Was it really worth pouring that out and wasting it? She hoped that they would just get the answer and overpower the dwarves before it became necessary to fake a ritual casting.

Questor is totally fooled by Nafije's bluff, and moves to assist in some small way with the ritual casting, by lighting a candle, passing ingredients, making chalk drawings, or whatever. "Oh, I just love this thrilling magical operation stuff!"

"Well, ain't that fancy!" Rake exclaims. "All right." He gets closer to Nafije. She can smell the dwarf sweat and cheap local bourbon on his breath. "Now, ah, we shouldn't really be revealing all this but... if it'll save us some time."

"Very well. We were sent down here to find this shard. It's like... a piece of a clay jar or something. Supposedly, something's written on the inside of it. Heck if I know how you write on the inside of a clay jar. Anyway, this fellow who wrote this whatever-it-is on the inside of the jar owes my boss a lot of gold. Apparently, this shard is very valuable."

Rake leans in even closer, giving Nafije a good whiff of his particular scent. He whispers. "I reckon the thing oughta be about a foot long and maybe six inches wide. The outside of the clay jar was painted orange and black. That's honestly about all I know."

 

[Rhun]

Vrashek remains quiet, his eyes roaming over the dwarves for any signs of deception or danger.

 

[Insight]

After The Jump...

OOC: All of the PCs are now together again.

The group that passed through Specularum's underbelly has emerged in the Temple District and has been reunited with the rest of their compatriots.

The sewers group has learned that Rory Barbarossa is indeed still alive and has spent the last few years being hunted down by his enemies. It turns out that he owes a great deal of money to the Veiled Society. They kidnapped Barbarossa and are holding him somewhere in Specularum. The Veiled Society were the ones seeking Barbarossa's map, which is rumored to be painted on the inside of an ancient clay vase.

If he can be found and freed, Rory Barbarossa would be able to provide details on how to get to the Isle of Dread. Without him, the heroes would be hard pressed to find a navigator who can find the place or a sea captain willing to go there.

 

[Rhun]

"Well, it looks like we will be facing the Veiled Society, if we wish to free Barbarossa. It is time for the hunters to become the hunter."

 

[stonegod]

Skaros continues to sip the dark drink he had ordered while waiting. I have means to find one lost... but only if we are close. If we know roughly where Barbarosa is kept, my magic can guide the way.

OOC: If we know w/in 5mi Barbarosa's location, Lesser Planar Ally can find him. I assume we don't know that yet.

 

[Shayuri]

"We might do better finding the map in the vase," Astra comented. "If we have that, then the Veiled Society will come to us, at which point it will be a simple matter to track them back to their source."

 

[Leif]

Questor, Halfling Chaos Sorcerer 6

"Whatever you folks think is just peachy with me! I'm just having a blast being on an adventure again, so I'm up for doing whatever makes the mostest the happiest." Questor is awfully cute, but damn he is an annoying little git sometimes!

 

[Walking Dad]

Adam of Brightcastle

"We also found some poor, afflicted souls that need our help. The sooner we find the captain or the vase, the better.
Have we any hint where the vase could be?" Adam asks.

 

[Insight]

At The Temple District (Everyone)
The heroes briefly discuss what they have learned during their separation. It is determined that the following facts regarding Rory Barbarossa are at least fairly solid:

1. Rory Barbarossa is alive and around 60-70 years old
2. Rory Barbarossa is the same person who wrote that journal you found
3. During the past five years, Rory Barbarossa got into some serious gambling debt
4. Barbarossa's gambling debt was "purchased" by the Veiled Society for unknown reasons
5. When Barbarossa failed to pay his debt, he was captured/kidnapped from his home along the canal
6. For some reason, the Veiled Society has an interest in finding a map Barbarossa painted on the inside of a clay vessel

Note that this information comes from the dwarves that were digging in the sewers. More information could become available through other (and possibly more reliable) sources.

 

[Leif]

Questor, Halfling Chaos Sorcerer 6

Questor opines, "If we know already then I guess I've forgotten in all of our excitement and hubbub, but just why are we trying to find this island, anyway?" Questor means well, you hope, but it is readily apparent that he is going to need extensive assistance in remaining 'on task' during the mission.

 

[Rhun]

"Excitement and adventure, of course," answers Vrashek. "And the chance to discover ancient, hidden treasures, of course."

 

[Walking Dad]

Adam of Brightcastle

"And now we learned that something is spreading here.. and the origin and possible cure is on this island." Adam explains.

 

[Leif]

Questor, Halfling Chaos Sorcerer 6

"Cures, Treasure, Fun, and Excitement! Count me in, then! And thanks, guys."

 

[JustKim]

Nafije weighed the information carefully while she passed seeds and dried fruit to her familiar, Goldie. Every so often she nibbled on a pinch herself. "Whoever hired those dwarves signed their name as Vas. Since the note was written in Dwarven, Vas may be short for a dwarf name. There we have one lead back to the Veiled Society."

"If they think Mr. Barbarossa hid the urn somewhere careless, they may also be searching his home. But even if we don't find them there, we may find something."

 

[Scotley]

"There are a lot of veiled society types on the streets. We could try and capture one and try and make them tell us where their lair is?"