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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Haraash Saan" data-source="post: 3325224" data-attributes="member: 46615">Chapter 4  - Revelations and InvestigationsI slept well that night. Very well. The excitement of the previous evening had taken its toll, for I did not hear my usual dawn wake up door pounding; damned pageboys! I had become so hardened since setting out from Halfast some twenty five days ago that I could no longer remember the feeling of luxurious feather stuffed cushions that I has been so accustomed to. Every evening after the rigors of the days training I slumped exhausted into my hard unforgiving mattress and slept more soundly than I had ever before. Amazing what a little physical activity will do for you. When I finally managed to drag myself from my simple bed, I found the others of the Hydra milling about on the training grounds looking perplexed. My companions explained their confusion. Instead of disturbing us, the pageboys woke the Massive Hand and Five Kinds of Death and summoned them to an urgent audience with the Baron. So, somewhat neglected, we were left to our own devices. I convinced Strav to fence with me to pass the time. As we duelled we made small talk, I was trying to pierce him with my blade and also his secretive ways with my tongue. My sword yielded much better results than my questions.It was mid-morning when we were finally called to the see the Baron. The Great Hall was swarming with activity, servants ran about purposefully and the self-important ensured that chaos ensued. They seemed to be catering to the requests of the Massive Hand and Five Kinds of Death, who stood in separate groups some way off. I stopped a young lad to inquire as to what was happening, but the only information I could garner was that the two parties would be journeying separately to achieve some mission of the Baron’s. A hail from our lord cut short any further inquiries.“Come stand before me.” commanded the Baron gruffly. “As you are no doubt aware we have been having some considerable trouble with the Bloodsails. Cutthroats, thieves and plunderers the lot of them. They are not my immediate concern, but unfortunately their attack has caused your training to be somewhat shortened. I must send your trainers on errands and this leaves me with the problem of how to proceed with your education.Two solutions have presented themselves, either you stay here and practice with minimal tuition, or you accept a commission that may well accelerate your learning.” Whilst the Baron offered two alternatives, I was under no illusion that we had any option but to take his commission.The Baron continued, “I have a task for you to perform and I am willing to pay for your services. Obviously, your lack of experience comes into consideration and as I am supplying you with all the necessary equipment, including a long boat, your wage will not be high.”A long boat? A sea voyage obviously awaited us. I hoped our captain was a reasonable man.“It has become obvious that I have certain enemies and my investigations have so far led to the Sorcerer’s Isle.”My knowledge of this island was limited to a few smatterings of history relating to its founding. The great wizard Novorod, a follower of Nachtigal, many thousands of years ago had escaped from the clutches of the Convocation. The slippery mage found his way to what is now called Sorcerer’s Isle where he built himself a tower and in it he housed all the arcane knowledge that he had gathered over his many, many years. His divine belief was so great and the tasks that he had performed for Nachtigal were of such importance to his Goddess that his reward was to cheat death, at least temporarily, for he lived for several hundreds of years. Over the years the isle became surrounded by a thick fog of unknown origin. Most traders avoided the fog and its hidden island as if it were the plague, fearing that their ships would crash against hidden rocks. However, eventually the island and its abandoned tower was discovered and Sorcerer’s Isle soon became a haven for learning the magical arts. “I require you to travel to this island and see if you can learn who is plotting against me. Who sent the pirates to raid Yorathton and why did they have a map that showed a direct route to my chambers”, said the Baron.“I wish this to be a,“ he paused, “delicate operation. Draw no attention to yourselves for fear of forcing my enemies into hiding. Your only other constraint is that you must be back here by the seventeenth day of Burn to ensure that you have enough time to reach Halfast for the games on the twenty eighth. If you do not return then my investment in you, and your accelerated learning, will be completely wasted.” He offered us one copper common a day, the pitiful earning of a simple guardsman, but we accepted. It would not have been wise decline the first work our Baron had given us. Baron Yorath also warned us against attempting to disable or remove his enemies, unless of course we felt that we could achieve this challenge without getting ourselves killed. I believe he was more concerned with the loss of his ‘investment’ than our lives, but nobility has a habit of thinking that way. Trust me.Mortec was returned the sorcerer’s coin that he had retrieved from the lighthouse in Ravenswood and we were told that we would be well served investigating the Transmuters that operated on Sorcerer’s Isle, as they would be the ones capable of creating such coins. Mortec must have been held in high esteem because the Baron also gave him an opaque purple stone set into a necklace. It was the mate of one that the Baron Yorath wore and would allow Mortec to magically communicate with him once per day. Our patron and employer wanted frequent and accurate updates on our progress. I could not comprehend why I was not given the task. It was my right as the only member of the Hydra with any lineage to speak of to be given such responsibilities.Our final surprise was possibly the most daunting, we had to supply our own captain. Much to my dread it was decided that Argonne, being the only one of us with any sailing experience (he had been taught the art of sailing by one of the members of the Massive Hand), would be the ship’s Captain.  I argued that he was not yet capable of taking a vessel, with his companions, out into open sea by himself? Seeing my companions would not relent on their choice I urged the Yorath to provide us with an experienced seaman. However, he refused my request, quoting what was now becoming a tiresome line, “accelerated learning”. So that was it, our task, our captain and potentially our doom. What a wonderful morning it was turning out to be.</blockquote>

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