Insight
Adventurer
WELCOME TO
THE ISLE OF DREAD
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This is the "in-character" (IC) thread for my "Isle of Dread" adventure. Please keep all "out-of-character" (OOC) discussions for the appropriate thread - although short OOC discussions may be OK from time to time for better comprehension of what's going on.
Specularum is the largest city in the Grand Duchy of Karameikos, with a population of around 50,000 people (and yes, this includes half-orcs). Built just west of the point where the Highreach River meets the sea, Specularum is a trade center with a deep harbor, ample accomodations for tradesmen and other visitors, and most of the normal comforts of civilized cities. Surrounding the city are the farmlands of the Estate of Marilenev and the lands of Baron Vorloi to the southeast. Specularum is ruled, through subordinates, by Duke Stefan Karamaeikos III. The Merchants' Guild, the Church, and the wealthy families of the Radu, Torenescu, and Vorloi clans also hold political power within Specularum.
The most common access to the city of Specularum is, of course, by port. The port is protected on the seaward side by two long breakwaters. The Highreach River, east of the city, allows ships to carry cargo inland to other towns of the Grand Duchy. There are also overland routes from Specularum to other parts of the continent, but these are infrequently used, as bandits and evil humanoids are rife in the areas around Specularum.
The Duke has erected a wall around the city. The wall is dotted with 24 stout towers, from which the guards overlook the lands north, east, and west of Specularum. The Duke's castle sits on a craggy hill overlooking the harbor. In the city, Duke Stefan keeps 500 soldiers ready for any emergency. The Elvenguard, the Duke's elite cadre of elven warriors, goes on special missions and sometimes acts as the Duke's personal bodyguard. The Elvenguard also patrols the most commonly traveled road heading north out of Specularum. Just south of the castle is the Duke's private estate.
Specularum is a crowded, noisy, and unsanitary place. The roads are narrow and buildings are in various states of disrepair. Except for trenches in the centers of streets, there is no sewage system. Pigs, chicken, geese, and goats are not uncommon sights in the poorer sections of the city. Most buildings stand one or two stories and are made of clay or brick, constructed on a wooden frame. Most businesses are on the ground floor, with the owners living upstairs. Water is drawn from public wells or from the river when the tide is flowing out. Crime is fairly rampant and gangs tend to rule Specularum's streets after dark. The city watch patrols only the wealthier sections of the city, leaving the poorer sections to the gangs.
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Our heroes have just arrived in Specularum from adventuring elsewhere in the Known World. The heroes have, at one time or another, been to this city, but have not been all that anxious to return. For whatever reason, however, the most important port in the Known World has its draws and you all find yourselves in Specularum once again.
On your prior adventure, among the many treasures you discovered was an urn containing several apparently blank sheets of fine vellum. One of you decided that it would be wise to take this vellum and see if it can be used for some purpose, perhaps to pen scrollls or perhaps make a map.
During the trip to Specularum, however, your group ran afoul of a sudden and violent rainstorm. During this event, the vellum pages got wet. An enterprising hero used magical fire to dry out the vellum. When the pages were dry, words began to appear on the pages.
Here is what you found once the pages were arranged in proper order:
THE JOURNAL OF RORY BARBAROSSA (PARTIAL)
This journal consists of several pages of vellum that you came upon in your last adventure. The writing on these pages was only revealed after the vellum pages were exposed to a peculiar mix of rain water and the heat of Delver's Fire (to dry the pages). Only once dried did the pages reveal this seemingly lost writing...
978 Svift 6: The vicious gale finally ended. The Luss. happened upon an unknown island. I have named this place "Haven". Capt. Roundbottom declared that we were a week due south of mainland. The maps are a total loss. I tried to get our last known coordinates to agree with our likely current position. I explained to Roundbottom that the Luss. was at least two weeks out of Spec. He refuses to listen. Typical.
What we can agree on is that the Luss. is in the Thanegioth Arch. Following the storm, we are to spend several days patching the rigging and sails. Men are sent ashore to forage for supplies.
978 Svift 8: We sailed from Haven towards more unknown islands. The lookouts have seen no inhabitants but parrots and monkeys. Capt. Roundbottom has declared that we should map these islands. His uncle is something of a collector of maritime maps and will pay us a fine sum when we get back to Spec. Of course, given my predilection for maps and navigation, this task has fallen into my capable hands.
978 Svift 10: The Luss. sailed two more unknown islands. We have spent the last few days mapping and charting "North Farshore Island" and "South Farshore Island". Nothing remarkable about these places. Capt. Roundbottom wishes us to search for rare woods, spices, and fruits to take back to the mainland. I told Roundbottom that we could cage some of the parrots and monkeys, but he does not like the idea.
978 Svift 11: We came upon a large natural harbor on a larger island I have named "Lussitania", after our ship. We are to spend the night on this island and forage for further supplies. Everything the Luss. brought with her from Spec. has run out. I advised against eating monkey meat. The sailors found some star-shaped fruit. It seems edible. We will need to find something more sustaining and soon.
Markos brought back to the ship a strange, wooden idol. He says he found it in what appeared to be a very old camp of some kind on the south shore of the island. None of us could identify its origin. It appears reptillian in nature. Roundbottom has taken it to his cabin for "safe-keeping".
978 Svift 14: Lussitania is mapped and charted and so off we sail further west. The men are hungry and in dire need of fresh water. They have tried boiling the ocean water, but this is only drying them out. The fruit is also running out. Rum is running out. Capt. Roundbottom has been holed up in his cabin and refuses to come out. There is talk of mutiny.
978 Svift 15: The Luss. has come upon another large island, which I have named, "Desperation". The island is covered in jungle foliage and may bear game for hunting or perhaps fresh water of some kind. Capt. Roundbottom is still absent. I have taken de facto control of the Luss. I sent men into the jungle to hunt for any sort of sustenance. The men returned, minus a few, with fully slaughtered and dressed venison of some kind. We resolved to stay here for a few days to stockpile this meat before continuing.
978 Svift 16: Another day of exploration has brought us fresh water from a stream. I have ordered the men to collect sixteen gallons of this water and return to the ship. The larders are stocked with salted venison. This should keep us going for another week, at best. We do not have enough supplies to return to Spec. or even Thyatis.
I managed to capture a parrot. He is a large fellow of remarkable red and green plumage. I have decided to call him, "Mr. Feathers".
978 Svift 19: We sailed west from Desperation. Roundbottom finally emerged from his cabin. He looks crazed. The men still whisper of mutiny. At night, the Luss. came upon a large island. This one was dotted with villages. The natives set after us in canoes and did not seem at all friendly. Having heard tales of cannibals in these islands, I have named this place, "Cannibal Island". Roundbottom resolved that we should map this island from the sea, rather than travel inland.
978 Svift 21: Supplies are again running low. Capt. Roundbottom has hidden in his cabin. The first mate wants me to lead a mutiny. I am unsure.
At mid-day, lookouts spotted a very large island. As we got closer, we realized that this was a truly massive land. As the majority of what we could see were very high and steep cliffs, we sailed for a low-lying peninsula. We found natives here as well, but these were far more friendly than those on Cannibal Island. The Luss. set anchor and we traveled to the shore on rowboats. The natives offered us supplies, which we heartily took. We traded them bills and hooks from the ship's armory. The natives entertained us with dancing and a feast. We noted a huge wall cutting off the peninsula from the rest of the island. I have resolved to find out more about this massive wall.
978 Svift 22: I have named this peninsula, "Tano Roa", which seems to be the natives' name for this place. Communicating has been difficult. Capt. Roundbottom emerged from his cabin with a magical scroll. Reading the scroll allowed us to speak with the natives for about an hour. The villagers told us that they guard this wall, for great danger lurks within the inner plateau beyond that wall. The villagers call this island, "The Isle of Dread", and I am keen to believe it.
The villagers told us of an ancient city in the central highlands. It was built by the same people who built the wall, people that the natives call "The Gods". I noted that the names of these "gods" matched the family names of these savages. I suspect that these "gods" are the forebears of these natives. Who knows what caused the downfall of a great people, leaving only primitives in their wake?
The inland city is rumored to be filled with treasure beyond imagining. In particular, I heard tales concerning a great black pearl created by "the gods". The island waters are rife with clams and, thus, pearls, so this tale of a black pearl may be true!
We have taken note of the many strange, metal statues populating the native village. These people have neither the skill nor materials to craft such things. They don't even have mines! Upon questioning the natives as to the origin of these statues, they claim them as further works of "the gods" and will say nothing more.
Our resident gnome, a fiend with languages, has spent time learning the native tongue is now suited to work as a translator. This is especially important as we have no more magic scrolls. At least none that Capt. Roundbottom is willing to part with.
978 Svift 23: Great calamity has befallen the crew of the Luss. The men have come down with a violent scarlet fever. Our cleric died in the storm, so we have no way to cure these men or any idea how to treat them. The native witch doctors will not allow these sick men into the village. Myself and a few men were ashore and did not contract the disease. We remain ashore and await word from the Luss.
978 Svift 30: I have returned to the Luss. The striken crew are all dead. Capt. Roundbottom is nowhere to be found. The wooden idol we found on Lussitania is also gone. I suspect that Roundbottom has gone mad or died from this sickness. We have only five crewmen left, plus myself. The crew has elected me captain and we have all decided to try to return to Spec. There was talk of recruiting natives to help crew the ship, but no one believes they are capable of grasping advanced sailing concepts.
We sailed around the Isle of Dread, mapping what we could from the sea. Once we were satisfied with our rough map, we set sail for Spec.
978 Eir 1: We are a few days out of the Isle of Dread and already encountering fierce storms. The crew is not enough. They fight bravely, but the Luss. is taking on too much water. We will never make the mainland at this rate.
978 Eir 3: With a stroke of luck, the Luss. happened upon strong northerly winds. Our feeble sails were able to take advantage. We caught sight of the continent just before nightfall. We will be home soon.
978 Eir 5: This is my last entry as interim captain of the Luss. The crew and I have scuttled her and split what goods we could sell to brokers in Spec. For my part, my maps earned a tidy sum. I will one day return to that "Isle of Dread". With strong, brave explorers at our side, Mr. Feathers and I will breach that inner island and find that ancient city. That black pearl of the gods shall be mine!
Capt. Rory Barbarossa
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The scholarly and observant among you realize that this is part of some sort of journal and the dates about 30 years old.
What do you with to do with this providence?
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