Exploring the Deep.

Part 3

I looked at the list of people to see where is should go first.

As the Governor of Jhelom it might be a good idea to go there as my first choice.

I stepped inside the tailor shop and found the seamstress.

I noticed several pieces of paper near her and started to read them.

***

Letter

Willem Hart

*The letter seems to have been read many times and has areas where the ink has run from tears*

Mother, it’s time for me to go out and make my own way. Ethan’s long since left and though I know how it has hurt you that he has sent fewer and fewer letters, but I can no longer stay here while my destiny lies out there. I’ve joined a group of skilled fighters who are planning to earn their keep escorting a group of miners attempting to gather some sort of special ore from Destard. it will be dangerous, but we’re being led by an experienced guardsman from Skara Brae.

Virtues be with you, Mother.

***

***

Journal

Madeline Harte

I’ve been successful in business, in training, in innovation, in invention…in every aspect of my life save for the one I really care about, the relationship with my children. I have lost one to the earth and the other I’ve effective lost to the sea. Willem…if only you hadn’t been so eager to try and prove yourself to your father. We had enough money to get by, and I would rather live in the street with you than to have had my baby boy die in such manner. Love is not commodity worth trading for any amount of gold in the world.

***

It Is With Regret…

Liam DeFoe

Mrs. Madeline Harte,

It is with our utmost regret that we must inform you of the death of your son, Willem Hart, who accompanied  us on our mission into Destard. Despite our best efforts, we were attacked by a horde of dragons…you son fought valiantly and held to the highest pillars of Valor and Sacrifice in doing so. He acquitted himself incredibly so against them, and we thought the day was won, until an Ancient wyrm sprung from the depths of the dungeon. Willem showed some trepidation, but his manner was in the highest dealings of Courage as he assisted us in holding it off until the miners could escape. Unfortunately, this cost him his life, and no manner of magic could coax him back. As such, we have appended all of his commission for his aid, as well a sizable fund donated by the miners whose lives he saved. I am sorry for you loss, and will assist in any arrangements that are necessary.

With regards,

Liam DeFoe.

***

After reading these heartbreaking letters I talked to the seamstress.

Destard is not my favorite place to travel to but how can I refuse such a request?

Inside Destard I avoided as many dragon-kind I could and went to the deepest part of the Dungeon.

I noticed some strange crystals and a strange looking dragon near them.

A close combat is never a good idea but at this moment I had no other choice.

It was a difficult battle but my experience in combat got me to upper-hand at the end.

Near the corpse I found Willem’s hat.

I went back to Jhelom and gave Madeline the hat.

She gave me the canvass robe.

I thanked the seamstress and decided to go to Buccaneer’s Den next.

It was not hard to locate the blacksmith shop.

I found a couple of interesting pieces of paper inside the shop.

***

Request for information

Cousteau Perron

*A hastily composed note seems scratched out on a shred of a scroll, with a few abstract equations and drawings near the periphery.*

Close to breakthrough,require reforged shadow iron ringmail suit (10), power crystal (5), miniaturized clockwork assembly (20), valorite keg (20), and six more verite toolkits of the usual kind. Expect delivery in three days. Usual payment protocol.

*At the end, there seems to be a note added on as if in afterthought;*

Have reconsidered previous offer and will pay 95% asking price for withheld schematics.

***

***

Trinsic Tribune #189

Elise Trent

*The article left out of this paper is entitled ‘Terror on the Seas';*

There have long been pirates along the waterways of Britannia, but none were as prevalent as Captain Silver John. His boat and his men were as feared for their piracy as for their innovation, and the intelligent captain kept a highly skilled crew to assist in his raids. Amidts them were a talented alchemist, an incredibly skilled blacksmith, a once renowned mage, and several former Rangers. Despite the attempts of Admiral Duarte of the Royal Navy, their preying upon the merchant vessels of the lands was not stopped until one of Silver’s own crew sold them out. An unnamed member of his crew led Royal Guardman to a hideout that they had utilized in the city of Skara Brae, and they laid in wait for the return of the crew. The informant was slain in the fight, as was Captain Silver John himself, and most of his crew is now safely behind bars, though some seem to have escaped. All those captured are refusing to talk, so it seems that those who escaped will continue to remain at large…though it remains to be seen whether they will join a new crew or form their own.

***

***

Private Journal

Josef Skimmons

*This appears to be a private journal of Skimmons Josef;*

Bloody old Costeau keeps on coming around and asking me about things I’d much sooner forget. I never bloody wanted to work for that crazed wench on her blasted clockwork abominations, but there weren’t much else I could manage after the mess that got made in Skara. Least I got out of both with my skin intact. Still, she’s trying to go even further then we did back then…Lass is still trying to make that dead sister of hers proud I reckon. If we’d had that kinda things she’s trying to make back then, nobody could’ve touched us. Makes the little goggles I used to make look like a kid’s toy.

***

I approached the blacksmith.

I hate orcs! They made us what we are.

I will enjoy this trip to the orc cave and kill as many of them I need to find some schematics.

At the end of the cave I found orc that was holding some papers.

He was well protected but I fear no group of orcs, no matter how many of them that attack me.

After I killed all the orcs I grabbed the schematics of the engineers dead body.

I took the plans and gave them to the blacksmith in Buccaneer’s Den.

He gave me the nictitating lens.

The next place to go to was Vesper.

I found the cobbler, it was east of the most north bridge that leaves the town.

I found several pieces of paper in his room.

***

Sealed Letters

Champ Huthwait

*The letters are sealed in tubes capped with wax to make them waterproof and hidden away. Written on the outside is “Open only on the occasion of the death of Champ Huthwait, to be delivered to the Britain Bugle, The Trinsic Tribune, and the Sosarian Scout;”*

***

***

Calculations

Champ Huthwait

1259

-300

-324

-569

-1290

245

867

-3250

9230

-12348

-23398

860

-2407

*There appears to be a lot of scratches of the pen all over this paper, as if it were calculated while under duress.*

***

***

I tried to talk to the cobbler but he gave me a strange replied first.

Ok… How hard can it be to defeat a group of brigands?

I headed southwest out of the city to-wards the City of Cove.

I found the ruins and a few notes where laying around.

***

Ledger

Mercutio

Collected from Amos, Leto, and Kas. Sent the husks to Nick. 7/21

Collected from Mathias. Sent the husks to Gaff and Bawdewyn. 7/24

Collected from Nick and Bawdewyn. Set the dogs to Gaff. 7/27

Partial collection from Champ. Sent the husks to Reann and Triston. 8/3

Sent the husks to Irvine, Lora, and Visko. 8/5

Collected from Triston. Set the dogs on Reann. 8/6

Collected from Irvine and Lora. Visko fled. Set a warning if they return. 8/8

***

***

Journal

Mercutio

The idiots constantly think there’s some kind of cheating going on here, but nothing could be further from the truth. We don’t need to have any kind of cheat to deal with these idiots.The all think they have some kind of special system that’ll work here, but the simple fact is that the odds are always on our side. We win because that’s how it’s always meant to work…doesn’t stop the bloody saps from trying though. Not that we discourage the practices of fools who think they found a way to win.

***

After reading the notes I looked up and saw Mercutio …

And dozens of brigands to help him.

This was going to get very messy!

I had a fight with a dragon, a cave full of orcs….I was not going to stop by a group of men in tights!

After I killed them all I picked up Mercutio’s Cutlass as proof I killed him.

Champ was very happy to see what I have done.

He gave me the boots of ballast.

For the last piece of the suit I had to go to the gypsy camp in Ilshenar.

I went to the Shrine of Compassion and then went southeast to the gypsy camp.

I found the Gemologist outside at the camp.

I gave Zalia the note from the master tinker.

This was going to be a long day!

I followed the sea to the east and noticed the Djinn.

And these things never go easy, the Djinn called some help from several efreets!

I killed the Djinn and his efreet friends and took the gem.

Now I only had to give the gem to Zalia.

She tinkered a little with the gem and gave me back a aqua pendant.

I now own all the pieces of the suit.

I now have to go back to Hepler in Trinsic to check what I need to do next.

To Be Continued