Dr Midnight
Explorer
Sunday, 9th of Harvester
The warm air of late fall was blowing through their capes and over their faces as they rode down through a thin forest into a field of grain that waved before them. The town of Whiteport now lay in their view. It was a small sea town that did its business from trade and travel. Beyond it lay the vast Azure sea, which danced with the sun’s light. The ocean seemed to eat the horizon, from left to right. It was far more immense than anyone had imagined.
“The rest of you can go about town looking for information,” Jamison said. “I’ll ride into town and get some lodging.”
“You’re not leaving my sight,” Dartan growled. They two went off to secure a room for the night.
The others split up and began scouring the town for people to ask questions of. Kizzlorn and Orthos entered a tavern and right away found someone to talk to. A grizzled old sailor at the bar was happy to answer their questions… if they bought him a drink.
“Sure, I’ll share a pint with you!” Orthos clapped the man on the back and climbed up onto a bar stool. “Barman! Two tall pints of the best stuff ye’ve got for me and my friend here.”
The man, named Fialner, liked him immediately. “So what was it you wanted to know,” he grunted when he’d done with a massive slurp of his ale.
“If it pleases you, we should to know what you remember of the Eye of Heironeous.”
The man’s face darkened with the memory. “Aye. I remember. Horrible. They come sweepin’ down through town like a plague. Ran out or killed anyone of differin’ religion or arcane magic. Gave ‘em a choice: convert or be named heretic. It was an awful time. It didn’t last long, though, as I hear it some fancy adventurin’ party up north put an end to their cult, somehow.”
“Are they still around here?”
“The group? Nah, they were only here a few weeks before they had cleaned out all the heretics. They were looking for something new. They heard the legend of the crag and took off after it.”
”The crag?”
“A forgotten temple to the goddess Isillyn. They thought no temple to a false deity should stand, and set out to destroy it. They didn’t come back.”
Orthos thought for a moment. “If we were to go to this crag, could you recommend a good ship?”
“Aye… Look for Captain Pyterie. He funs a tight vessel. Oughtta know… he was my cabin boy for years. Now he’s a captain in his own right. ‘Pyterie the Pirate’, we sometimes joke. Once, he…”
Orthos politely listened to the old man’s pointless story, nodding when appropriate. Kizzlorn, who was less interested in courtesy, tapped her foot impatiently. When it was done, Orthos bought the man another ale and said a hearty farewell.
They collected the others and headed for the docks. There, they found Pyterie, captain of The Azure Wind, a large and capable ship. For a gold piece a mile, he would take them to the crag. For fifty more pieces, he would dock there and wait for them. Ziad paid the man, and they were off.
In the dusk they pushed across the foam. They saw many strange things once far out at sea. Schools of slingfish jumped alongside the boat. They saw a young Kraken trying vainly to capsize the boat. It was very funny, for it couldn’t have been bigger than fifteen feet from tip to tail.
Jamison, on board a real oceangoing vessel, was delighted. He forgot his troubles and used his hat of disguise to make himself appear as a pirate- or at least as his idea of one. He wore an eyepatch, pegleg, big tricorner hat, and his poofy pirate shirt exposed plenty of thick black chest hair. “Arrr!” he yelled more than once during the short trip. “Can I be of any help to ye, Cap’n Pyterie?”
The amused captain replied “I don’t know… can you tie a sheepshank?”
Jamison the pirate grinned. His teeth looked to be made of gold… with one missing of course. “I can’t even SAY sheepshank.”
Kizzlorn looked over to Dartan, whose weary face seemed to say “Yes, he’s like this sometimes.”
Later, they ate. Orthos called forth a great feast- it was one of the many blessings of his god. He invited Dartan to sit and eat with the others. The fallen paladin eyed the meal and said “You can keep your god’s empty gifts. I won’t eat it.”
“Fine with me,” Orthos said, ripping a juicy bite out of a succulent turkey leg with a smile. “I’m sure you’ll find some nice fat rats below deck to chase about and roast over a torch. Hey, Jamison, don’t be stingy with the mashed potatoes.”
Dartan’s stomach grumbled as he wandered away and sat, trying to ignore the smells of the banquet. After a moment, he said “I’d just like to make sure you’re aware that I won’t turn away healing from your god.” The dwarf laughed as he washed it all down with some ale.
They reached the crag after nightfall. It was immense. Almost a thousand feet high, with a five-foot wide stone stairway winding up counterclockwise to the unseen summit. A cloud of seagulls wheeled and flapped around the upper half of the colossal structure.
“This is it, then,” said Pyterie. He anchored the ship and sent the heroes over in a dinghy to the stairs. “I’ll be right here. I’ll not wait forever, though, so don’t take a week doin’ your exploring.”
The Knights waved and began ascending the steps. Jamison took the illusion away, now that he was off the ship. “Sorry, Scratch… time to be ourselves again.” He removed the hat and turned back into Jamison Crow. The green and yellow parrot on his shoulder turned back to a weasel, which squeaked its displeasure at once.
Nanny barely fit on the five-foot wide stairs. Every time he took a step, his right foot came close to slipping off. Down he would tumble, near a thousand pounds of wood, stone, and iron… straight to the bottom.
The climb up was treacherous.
More to Come...
The warm air of late fall was blowing through their capes and over their faces as they rode down through a thin forest into a field of grain that waved before them. The town of Whiteport now lay in their view. It was a small sea town that did its business from trade and travel. Beyond it lay the vast Azure sea, which danced with the sun’s light. The ocean seemed to eat the horizon, from left to right. It was far more immense than anyone had imagined.
“The rest of you can go about town looking for information,” Jamison said. “I’ll ride into town and get some lodging.”
“You’re not leaving my sight,” Dartan growled. They two went off to secure a room for the night.
The others split up and began scouring the town for people to ask questions of. Kizzlorn and Orthos entered a tavern and right away found someone to talk to. A grizzled old sailor at the bar was happy to answer their questions… if they bought him a drink.
“Sure, I’ll share a pint with you!” Orthos clapped the man on the back and climbed up onto a bar stool. “Barman! Two tall pints of the best stuff ye’ve got for me and my friend here.”
The man, named Fialner, liked him immediately. “So what was it you wanted to know,” he grunted when he’d done with a massive slurp of his ale.
“If it pleases you, we should to know what you remember of the Eye of Heironeous.”
The man’s face darkened with the memory. “Aye. I remember. Horrible. They come sweepin’ down through town like a plague. Ran out or killed anyone of differin’ religion or arcane magic. Gave ‘em a choice: convert or be named heretic. It was an awful time. It didn’t last long, though, as I hear it some fancy adventurin’ party up north put an end to their cult, somehow.”
“Are they still around here?”
“The group? Nah, they were only here a few weeks before they had cleaned out all the heretics. They were looking for something new. They heard the legend of the crag and took off after it.”
”The crag?”
“A forgotten temple to the goddess Isillyn. They thought no temple to a false deity should stand, and set out to destroy it. They didn’t come back.”
Orthos thought for a moment. “If we were to go to this crag, could you recommend a good ship?”
“Aye… Look for Captain Pyterie. He funs a tight vessel. Oughtta know… he was my cabin boy for years. Now he’s a captain in his own right. ‘Pyterie the Pirate’, we sometimes joke. Once, he…”
Orthos politely listened to the old man’s pointless story, nodding when appropriate. Kizzlorn, who was less interested in courtesy, tapped her foot impatiently. When it was done, Orthos bought the man another ale and said a hearty farewell.
They collected the others and headed for the docks. There, they found Pyterie, captain of The Azure Wind, a large and capable ship. For a gold piece a mile, he would take them to the crag. For fifty more pieces, he would dock there and wait for them. Ziad paid the man, and they were off.
In the dusk they pushed across the foam. They saw many strange things once far out at sea. Schools of slingfish jumped alongside the boat. They saw a young Kraken trying vainly to capsize the boat. It was very funny, for it couldn’t have been bigger than fifteen feet from tip to tail.
Jamison, on board a real oceangoing vessel, was delighted. He forgot his troubles and used his hat of disguise to make himself appear as a pirate- or at least as his idea of one. He wore an eyepatch, pegleg, big tricorner hat, and his poofy pirate shirt exposed plenty of thick black chest hair. “Arrr!” he yelled more than once during the short trip. “Can I be of any help to ye, Cap’n Pyterie?”
The amused captain replied “I don’t know… can you tie a sheepshank?”
Jamison the pirate grinned. His teeth looked to be made of gold… with one missing of course. “I can’t even SAY sheepshank.”
Kizzlorn looked over to Dartan, whose weary face seemed to say “Yes, he’s like this sometimes.”
Later, they ate. Orthos called forth a great feast- it was one of the many blessings of his god. He invited Dartan to sit and eat with the others. The fallen paladin eyed the meal and said “You can keep your god’s empty gifts. I won’t eat it.”
“Fine with me,” Orthos said, ripping a juicy bite out of a succulent turkey leg with a smile. “I’m sure you’ll find some nice fat rats below deck to chase about and roast over a torch. Hey, Jamison, don’t be stingy with the mashed potatoes.”
Dartan’s stomach grumbled as he wandered away and sat, trying to ignore the smells of the banquet. After a moment, he said “I’d just like to make sure you’re aware that I won’t turn away healing from your god.” The dwarf laughed as he washed it all down with some ale.
They reached the crag after nightfall. It was immense. Almost a thousand feet high, with a five-foot wide stone stairway winding up counterclockwise to the unseen summit. A cloud of seagulls wheeled and flapped around the upper half of the colossal structure.
“This is it, then,” said Pyterie. He anchored the ship and sent the heroes over in a dinghy to the stairs. “I’ll be right here. I’ll not wait forever, though, so don’t take a week doin’ your exploring.”
The Knights waved and began ascending the steps. Jamison took the illusion away, now that he was off the ship. “Sorry, Scratch… time to be ourselves again.” He removed the hat and turned back into Jamison Crow. The green and yellow parrot on his shoulder turned back to a weasel, which squeaked its displeasure at once.
Nanny barely fit on the five-foot wide stairs. Every time he took a step, his right foot came close to slipping off. Down he would tumble, near a thousand pounds of wood, stone, and iron… straight to the bottom.
The climb up was treacherous.
More to Come...
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