A Thousand Ships

We wake, eat breakfast and down the river we hear someone calling for help. Rounding a corner in the gorge, we find a guy stuck in boulders. He’s quite calmly calling for help. Hmmm. Nanda reckons he’s not that calm underneath though. He says he fell from above, and reckons his leg is broken. Dwarf-sized but beardless. Jess heals him up at least to walking level. Vasco finds his pack. Naigan Morax is his name. He’s lost. “I take it I’m not in either Elbenstraz or Tajidar.” Nope, Thiemus. You fell in the middle. “I don’t suppose you know the dwarven name for it?” Dekrazh Gan.

He came out a transport tube that does nothing at this end. “You’re aware there’s a Hark again?” Ummm. “A dwarven king of kings?” He sits to tell us.

“Once in a while it is realised that there is a Hark, an king of kings, among the dwarves. He goes to the most significant dwarf he can find and says ‘I am a Hark, give me my hammer.’ Any dwarf at his home has a number of weapons stashed away, special weapons to be given to special people when they ask for them. If he thinks this person could conceivably be a Hark, he gives him the hammer form the box of weapons. At that stage there’s a whole lot of ritual and ceremony and investigation to determine if this person is suitable to be a Hark., If he is, then he gets to be the dwarven King of Kings until such time as he dies. During the time he is alive, the city of Harkfast, very high in the mountains, is opened again. We are exploring, because some o fthe parts of Harkfast which should hage been closed off and preserved last time apparently were not, or something got in, so things have changed there, so they are not as they were remembered, and we are investigating some of the tunnels there. One of the tunnels led to a place of old magic, of a kind that hasn’t been practiced much for thousands of years, and when we investigated more we found not only was itthere but partly still working, and part of that was this network of gateways, portals, whcih if you know how to use them take you to other dwarven places.” There’s a place where you arrive downriver from here, and it seems to originally have been connected up at the bridge.

Nanda tells him about Kríomor, a most unpleasant fellow nearby with powerful magics.

He wants to get to a coast, find a ship, and see if he can get home. He has a very small amount of money in a very large number of currencies. He has some valuable items that he probably won’t be able to sell on a small island. He opens a small box. Holy shit, it’s full of gems. Sapphires, emeralds, rubies, diamonds. Jesus. We warn him not to wave that around.

We get underway, and as we turn a corner, Naigan goes “ah”, staring at the fortress behind him. “Did you say that there’s a dangerous hermit in there?” You know where you are? “One of maybe five places. I really have no idea how much I’m allowed tell you. I just saved your live, but I’m also considering that I may be in a hell of a lot of trouble if I say too much.” Some impending dwarven invasion of their ancestral lands? “No. If it were, I think the first thing you’d know was when you woke up dead, really. But - is there anybody else living there?” Not that we saw. “How ruined is it?” One of the gates is snapped in two, another unbroken. “The inner gates? Unbroken but open?” Inside is where the hermit lives. That’s as far as we got. “I realise that this is a massive imposition but would you mind terribly if at least I went to have a look?” Uh, he attempted to kill one of our number by speaking. Jess: “If you go he’ll immediately know who sent you” — Naigan grimaces — “that is, who pointed you in this direction. I’m loathe to bring that down on us without knowing why.”

“A long time ago then, in among these islands, there were dwarves living. There were a few sites wherein great works of engineering were carried out. This to my eye at least, looks like one of them. And some of those works were too big and too inherent to the places to move when we moved out.” What would you, alone, do with him? “Well, I would go and see what’s there.” Uh. “If this is one of the steinbergs then I don’t think I have much choice but to investigate. If i go back home by any means whatsoever and say to my masters that I saw it and didn’t investigate it there will be hell to pay.” What’s in there? “I don’t know. If anybody does know, they’ll be hiding it very well. That’s part of what we’re trying to work out. There’s a part of our history here that we don’t know, and for a dwarf that’s about the most offensive thing there is.” The transport tube was broken, presumably that’s where it was heading. Maybe there’s a tunnel on the other side that you can get through.

So what if you don’t come back? “Send word to Harkfast that Naigan Morax died in the pursuit of his duties. You might add if you want to that a steinberg is on this island.”

We cross the bridge to the gates, which he insists on seeing. Digs a pair of binoculars from his backpack to look at the gates below. “I really don’t like that. Something was capable of pulling the gate off and throwing it down there with enough force that it broke.” Like a dragon came along and ripped the door off. “It would have to be something of that degree of strength. But why I don’t know, a dragon could just fly over.” We wander into the killing ground. The goat is tethered again with the rope over the door, meehing. Nagan looks around. “Those weapon mounts - see up along the tiers? They’re new. Or rather, they’re not the original ones.” How old are they? “A few centuries at most. Something came in that new how to use the defenses, fitted out parts that we should have dismantled, and made use of it for some time until the gate got ripped off by something big enough to do so. Eitehr the gates at the end of the ground were left open, which is not sensible for someone who knows enough about the defense to put in new engines, so whatever pulled off the gate must have been killed here unless it was able to go further in. What is that animal doing there?”

Rope, hammer, etc. Vasco intends shouting to let him know that we’re here. Then smell, then rocks, then he tries to kill you by speaking at you.

“I think I have seen enough now to know that I need more knowledge before I try” — Jess hushes him and ushers him out.

“I have seen enough now to know that whatever happened there was something unwritten in our histories and puzzling. That place was not abandoned in an orderly way, it was taken by force or its defenders considered it undefendable and left swiftly. I assume the people who take afterward, but I cannot see how they could be anything other than dwarves. No one else would know how to replace the engine mounts or operate the gates. We know that we do not know what happened here, but we thought that it had happened a long time ago and it was done with then. What I see here indicates that something happened since that we should know about.”

Come home, have ale and hot food.

We get home 2.5 days later.

In the port is a big, big strazi galleon. Nanda grabs Naigan’s shoulder to get him to stop. He gives Vasco the binoculars to read the name on the side. “Inquisitor.” Vasco’s never heard of it. The figurehead is a blank spike. Jess looks through them to see his temple. No one standing outside. Quite a number of people outside the Harbormaster’s office, and a bunch of people outside the remnant of the burnt down inn. Vasco takes a look at the people in uniform - he can make out the rank insignia. A commodore. Young sharp look about him. The chap to his left has battered captain pips. To his right, no rank insignia at all. Same ageish as Vasco. They’re talking to the villagers in general, and handing out big coins.

Vasco: “I can’t go down there. Where’s the duke in all this, I wonder?”

Nanda offers to go down to the other temple and ask around there.

Naigan is studying the ship with the binoculars, frowning slightly. “I don’t mean to sound condascending about it, but generally speaking human ships aren’t that good.” So they contracted people to build it for them? “I’m not a shipwright, and I couldn’t say with great authority, but I don’t think that any dwarves would build that for anybody but dwarves. That’s all human design, but there are elements of architecture I’d call it if it was a building, elements of shipbuilding that I’m pretty sure humans don’t know.”

Nanda asks for Jess’s map, and shows Nagan a path that apparently disappears into a field, which onward will lead to a set of steps to a cave. She goes on ahead.

Nanda speaks to Arkvanin. The ship arrived in the night and was there when everyone woke up. The officers are asking questions and throwing around large amounts of money. They gave a pile to the innkeeper as compensation. This smells like trouble. They seem to be planning to leave this evening though. The seniors are the only ones who’ve spent any significant time on shore, except for the sailors who rowed them out on a longboat and went straight back.

Nanda returns as the longboat approaches the pier again. The officers slowly make their way toward the pier. We head down, since everyone’s distracted. Take the back door to the temple. Stuck between the double doors of the temple is an envelope. “Jessen”, seal is a plain naval seal.

“Confidante Jessen, I understand that there were some strange events. Please send an account to Captain Martouse Vinehand, commander, Inquisitor, care of naval affairs office. M.V.”

We get some food.

Vasco goes to talk to the innkeeper. He’s rich, and not at all comforted by it. He got 50 royals. Everyone’s been getting money, fair number of half royals handed over. The duke hasn’t been seen nor heard, which is really unusual, they always send a message to greet ships.

Vasco to Naigan: “So, your Harkfast, open to everyone?” He tries to send the innkeeper and his family with him. Vasco announces that he’s leaving too. The economy in this town is effectively destroyed.

Naigan: “So in the next short period this island is going ot be in the possession of the kingdom of Elbenstraz. And there’s a steinberg up there.” Vasco: “And you’ve a good port, and a decent roadway there.” Nagan: “If that ship was built by humans, then they already have one steinberg and have learned from it.”

Nanda discovers that the officers were very selective in who they gave their money to. They gave more cash to the really nasty people. They seemed to size them up pretty quickly and accurately, even the ones that are secretly bastards. The only one who got a good wodge of cash and isn’t at heart a nasty bastard is the innkeeper. Sometime in the very near future, if Ilya doesn’t stop jingling that pouch, someone’s going to grab it and run. There’s no money in running mildly illicit goods in a freeport where everyone is wealthier than you are. So they reckon that they’re fucked. There is debate, some are saying to hang on and see what happens, but more are saying it’s obvious, time to up sticks. They reckon the place will either descend into internal strife and backstabbery, or people from other places will arrive and pillage the place, it being practically defenseless. Consensus is converging on the next island over.

Nanda pops in to Arkvanin on the way back. He’s staring at the collection box. Lifting the lid and dropping it again. She’s looking pale at this stage. Arkvanin: “it’s not full. There are only two coins in there. But they’re both half royals. I know we get better money here than Jessen does, but I haven’t seen a half royal in this box before. I would’t expect to see it anywhere. People hand that kind of money in person and expect a receipt.” Nanda: “The officers deliberately gave the most money to the worst people they could possibly find. They have been seeding strife here.” “What in the names of the gods were they doing that for?” “Somebody there wants to make sure that nothign untoward is heard about this place. Will you come back to Eislint with me?”

The ship’s still there.

Arkvanin hands Jessen one of the two half royals. Nanda spills about the nasties being given money. Vasco goes do to Ilya’s, then the Marmoset.

Vasco persuades Ilya to bring his family to Jess’s temple, and sometime after get the hell out of there.

Vasco visits the Marmoset. “I’m going to assume you’re out of here.” “Things have happened. Things are not good.” “I’m down here to ask you quietly, nothing happens to Ilya, nothing happens to his kids, nothing happens to his wife.” “I will say those words to other people, but people are confused by the smell of gold.” “As long as they don’t become greedy.” “Greed follows fast. Everyone saw.” “Do you have contacts in Tajidar?” “Ohyes” “Going to tell them what happened here? I woul doffer you money but– ” “Don’t like it” “I can offer you a fig.” “Fig!” “Tell them this place will be a strazi fortress within the year. If you can get it to a dwarf as well, let them know too.” “A dwarf? Bash vadzunan!”

Vasco arrives back with Ilya and co. “We need to leave, tonight.” Jess finds somewhere for them to sleep for now while we work out what to do.

There’s a thump on the door. Chap outside is wearing the duke’s uniform, no one Vasco’s not seen him before. “There is known to be trouble. It is strongly suspected in certain noble quarters that people here know what is happening. Entry is desired.” Vasco tries to stall him. He is eventually let in, by invitiation.

Nanda - awareness - this is a Vampire.

What happened? Ghost ship, I was on it when it disappeared.

“This place is on a knife edge. My employer has indicated to me that he would prefer that this place remain the way it has been. You know more of this place than I do. Therefore suggest solutions.”
Nanda: “A heavy tax on everybody, right away. Get the money off the people, by force if need be.”
He peers at the dwarf. “And then use the tax monies for good and useful public projects?” “Such as fortifications and the like. Also, crime has been very strong here in recent times. It would be very useful to round up all the usual suspects.” “And perhaps post some guards in the town itself on an ongoing basis. Very well. The people you speak to tomorrow may be a little confused. But they will know very well where the money is, and that a heavy tax has been applied. They won’t like it at all, but they will each individually be reasonably convinced that the duke knows what is best. Please do not step out of doors again tonight. Remain here in this nice, safe building. All will be well in the morning.”

He drops a silver - decent money, not ostentatious - into the collection box and steps outside. The bolt, from this side, without anyone touching it, closes.

Arkvanin puts his holy symbol back around his neck.

Nanda: “Has anyone ever actually seen the duke?” Arkvanin: “I looked for an audience when I came here, but he was away. Since then it just hasn’t come up.”

Naigan: “The historians in Harkfast have often wondered why the free ports stay free.”

There’s a shout of alarm from outside in the bay, someone on a ship. The whole ship is outlined in flickering green not-burning flame. There’s a shape - human with a big cloak, or very large bat passing in front of the flames, and then they just go out. The ship remains.

Arkvanin: Cross the headland over there and look into the waters of the bay on a still day. You’ll see the remains of fortifications. That’s form the last time anyone tried to take this island. You won’t here of Tajidar or Elbenstraz and the battle of Thiemus, because no one knows which side attacked this free port, nor did anyone survive to report it. And if anyone else fmor my order asks, you didn’t get that from me.

We settle for the night. Illian’s looking puzzled. “I think I’m going to start rebuilding. Didn’t get a huge amount from the officers, but I think it’s enough. Two royals will go a long way as long as I stretch it.”

Jess still has his half-royal from Arkvanin, and Vasco’s rucksack hoard is still intact.

We sleep. A howling gale blows up around sunrise. First big one of the season. As the sun rises, the ship is still there. There’s a thumping on the door around 08:00. A very drenched small boy in an oilskin. He’s let in. “Me da’s fallen over in the wind and busted his leg. Can the priest help?” Nanda stays to mind the guests, Jess and Vasco go to sort out the dad. “He was making sure the boat was tied up. He slipped.”

We get there. The guy asks that the boat be tied up. The marmoset appears at Vasco’s elbow and starts going at knots. Vasco: “What did I give you alst night?” “A fig. But I don’t remember why.” Marmoset shoots back to his place.

We sort out the guy. A huge wave drenches us all. As it subsides, there’s a longboat coming out from the ship. A sailor comes pelting up toward Jess and Vasco. “Is there a priest? It’s the captain. He has, I don’t know what’s wrong with him, he’s very ill. Feverish and having fits, flailing, very pale, very weak.” Vasco gets the boy to send a message that we’ll be going across to the boat. We’ve no choice.

We get longboated out to the ship. Oh dear.

There’s a man on a bed being held down with some difficulty by four very strong sailors. He’s gone through toss and turn and up to flail sort of fever. He’s marked on his arms and legs, been at it for a bit, as Jess watches manages to wriggle free and deck one of them before being wrested back down. This is the old captain. Looks very pale, sweat rolling off them. No sign of commodore or no-insignia guy.

When did he last sleep? “Somebody heard him screaming. He went to sleep last night perfectly normally. We had meant to reprovision today but it doesn’t look like we’ll get any chance and I don’t know what to do about this.”

Jess casts sleep on him and examines him. Tongue bitten but not bitten off, everything else in reasonable order. Eyes are very bloodshot, pupils tiny pinpricks. Pulse 90 to the dozen. Jess barrels out some ingredients for (mundane) potions and barrels some spells into the captain. The lieutenant returns with an alchemist’s chest, and is accompanied by the man with no insignia, whose coping best with the rough seas. THe rest of us are clinging to the furniture. Jess reels off a recipe.

No insignia guy: “The very height of it, I think ti was around dawn when we woke to hear him screaming his skin was so hot that when he was sweating it came off as steam. I did not think that was possible.” How did this happen? “Not in the least. We came back ashore and had dinner and all was fine. We were due to reprovision today and sail out. I will speak with the Commodore, but I do not think we will be sailing today with the captain in this condition.” Why not? “It is a complex situation. This commodore is not technically incommand of Captain Veinhand, and so command technically devolves to the lieutenant that you saw there.”

Would there be enough ingredients for potions? about a day or so. Are there supplies in the village? not enough. Could try the duke,.

The captain sits upright. “Remember to reprovision.” Whack, lies back down. Perfectly normal temp. “Well, the captain has given us orders. We must reprovision.”

Jess negotiates a half-royal donation - the guy didn’t seem to have a clue what was reasonable, or at least wasn’t letting on. We get flung back in by longboat. They haul off as quickly as they can.

Spend fate point. The only magic in that ship was in the captain’s own chest, and a few items on the insignia-less officer.