Lady Red (log)

This is an excerpt from the logbook of the jurney to the Isle of Dread, written by Lady Red.

• Followed by Pirates
• Late Night Tentacles
• Saboteur Revealed
• The Ruins of Tamoachan
• Encounter with a Hydra
• Dragon hunt
• Latest entry

Day 1

Early morning.

After all our preparations and having spent the last weeks studying spells, scribing scrolls and making magic items, it is with a feeling of relief we're finally setting sail.

It is a beautiful morning and a soft wind slowly bring our two ships out to sea, almost majestically. The stress to get every thing done in time and to take care of all things to be left in Sasserine is slowly replaced by anticipation of the long journey ahead. The fabled Isle of Dread, our destination, full of dangers, treasure and unknown knowledge waiting to be explored, here we come.

Noon.

It took several hours of uneventful sailing before I begun missing the library of the Witchwardens. Thankfully I have my alchemical laboratory. A few hours of moving stuff around, without really accomplishing anything, made me feel better. I put up a simple map of our voyage on the wall by my bed and marked our progress so far. It's not much more than a dot as of yet. I also made sure the nest for Rara Avis is set safely next to the window. Night time my dear peregrine falcon sleeps indoors with me.

The course is still north, and we're making good way. It's still a funny feeling to be traveling north when our destination is so far to the south.

Evening.

When the first day at sea was nearing it's end, the shocker lizard of Liamae, the Jade Ravens sorceress, brought a message from Lavinia Vanderboren in which she invites us to dinner this evening.

After midnight.

We took in most of the sails and lay alongside the Blue Nixie. Some ropes was tied between the ships and a seat was attached to them using a pulley. This was used to ferry the guests to the dinner and let the crews visit each others ships. I, of course, flew to the other ship. Jennikki was planning to swing over but somehow she managed to dive head first into the sea. I was mostly surprised she didn't just swim across in the first place. She's almost aquatic anyways.

The guests included, apart from our little clique, Avner Meravanchi, Skald, Urol Forol and Father Feres from the Sea Wyvern, and Lavinia, Captain Sarim Pepper, and the Jade Ravens from the Blue Nixie. Kirith??? was disappointed that she wasn't invited. I sensed that she has a better upbringing than she admits. It seems she's trying to hide her family background. I should know. Amella Venkalie stayed on the Sea Wyvern to keep an eye on things when we were off.

During dinner I sat between Avner and Father Feres. It's awful that my brother don't know of us being relatives. That womanizer couldn't keep his hands to himself. In the end I had to leave the table to get away from him. The father wasn't the most interesting conversationalist either. But everyone wasn't as unfortunate. Aiken flirted with Lavinia (or was it the other way around), Jennikki went for a swim with Kaskus Kiel, the druid of the Jade Ravens, and Blood seemed to get along all to well with Liamae. After dinner a few of the crew gathered with some instruments and there were dancing. Captain Pepper asked me, and I accepted immediately, to some extent to avoid Avner. After dancing we conversed and I found him quite interesting. The old Captain has a lot of stories to tell.

When the evening was coming to an end and we were returning to our ship Aiken, the show off, were to walk on the rope between the ships. When he was midway the rope snapped and he fell, not that far though, since he grabbed on to the other rope and avoided a big splash. At the same time something fell from the crow's nest on the Sea Wyvern. I flew over and it turned out to be a steam mephit. A quick web held it in place. It had the very bad taste to use an acid spray on me! I gave it a couple of magic missiles and then it cast stinking cloud. Since I couldn't see it, I couldn't harm it anyway so I flew out of the cloud and started dispelling it. When the stinking cloud was gone the steam mephit had died from bullets and bolts. Avner boldly bragged about how he had slayed it, although everyone knew it was one of Amellas crossbow bolts he held as proof of his deeds.

When we discovered that the rope had been cut through an investigation was started. Someone was behind these sabotages and we was set to find who. My good bird of pray, Rara Avis, had seen a glass jar with a creature cramped inside in the crow's nest, but had no idea of when it appeared or how. My main theory is that someone with a way of using invisibility did it. Going through the ship with detect magic didn't give any results, but it's not that hard to hide magic items from detections. Kirith??? and Skald were among the suspects. We will have to keep an eye on anything suspicious, but we kept the investigation to only the officers. It could damage moral among the superstitious sailors. Their world is full of bad omen.

Day 10

Afternoon.

Today we sighted a merchant ship. They told us about a ship full of goblin pirates that had demanded toll but let them pass when it was payed.

Day 13

Noon.

We will soon arrive at Fort Blackwell. I'm definitely looking forward to some fresh supplies to improve on the cuisine.

Evening.

As we entered Fort Blackwell, I really looked forward to visit a new town. It turned out that it wasn't really a town but rather a village surviving on the passing trade. Father Feres asked if anybody would encompany him to the Heironeous monastery. I and some others, but not Blood, did. It was a rather small missionary station, much smaller than I expected. The others stayed ashore, drinking and whatever it is sailors do during a short shore leave, probably for the rest of the night. I returned to the Sea Wyvern and my bed.

Day 14

Morning.

We left early in the morning and as we now turn south we are finally traveling in the correct direction.

Day 17

Noon.

Rara Avis spotted a ship on port bow, just beyond the horizon that is on a course that will intercept us.

Evening.

The ship has kept it's distance but is now trailing us. It seems their ship can use the weak wind better than ours.

Day 18

Morning.

The goblins are still following us, but keep their distance.

Day 19

Morning.

Skald noticed that during the night the goblin pirates, who's ship has blackened sails, had crept up to quite close to us. But still didn't attack. They are now back at the same position as yesterday.

Afternoon.

I suggested to the captain that we try to fool the pirates that we loose speed and get behind the Blue Nixie as they probably won't attack as we have two ships against their one. To make sure we still had a way of communicating, Aiken sent his parrot familiar to live with Lavinia on the Blue Nixie. The pirates didn't react during the day.

Day 20

Late morning.

The pirates apparently got closer during the night but still made no move to attack. Perhaps just to make sure that they wouldn't loose us during the night. Father Feres has taken ill. It seems he has a fever and has been put in bed.

Noon.

Father Feres is getting worse. Since Jennikki is visiting the Blue Nixie, Blood has been trying to take care of him, so far with limited success.

Afternoon.

It turns out that Father Feres doesn't have the fever but is infected with a embryo of a magical beast, called blue slaad. I've read about those. They impregnate their victim and then their offspring grow within the host until they are bigger than the host body and burst out causing the death of the host in a messy way. Cinnamon flew off to get hold of Jennike and make sure she prepares remove disease at dawn.

Almost midnight.

The pirates closed in on us again during the early hours of the night. The captain tried to use one of the very good tricks I suggested, but failed to carry it through. This time I think they saw through us and now they know we are trying to provoke them to attack.

Day 21

Morning.

Finally the pirates have left us alone. Jennikki used her remove disease spell with great effect. It seems we got rid of two problems at once.

Day 22

Afternoon.

We have reached the mouth of a greater river. We went upstreams to get fresh water, when the wind failed us. I levitated up to a high altitude to get a really good look at the river from above. I found out a few inaccuracies of my otherwise very exact maps. I was joined buy Rara Avis. It was a quite entertaining way to spend time with my familiar this way. Kind of in her element so to speak. A very thick fog slowly engulfed the ships below us. Soon it was impossible to see anything but tree tops and mast tops sticking out of and my rope disappearing into the soft, moist, white fog completely hiding the decks below. After contemplating the interesting scene I descended back down to the ship and adjusted the maps.

Late evening.

We anchored for the night on the spot and I had just gone to bed, but not fallen asleep yet when I felt a slight bump to the hull. I ignored it, but could not quite fall asleep. There was a nagging feeling that something was awry. When I heard sounds of fighting I hurriedly got dressed and went up on deck, well at least almost. A floatsome ooze was blocking the only exit to deck. When it was killed it had killed Skald, but I saved Soller Vark from the same fate. It cost us a potion, but that is a small price for a life. We retrieved Skalds body to make sure it would get a proper burial. We also salvaged some other things stuck in the ooze.

Day 23

Morning.

I have identified the items we got from the wreckage that the ooze brought with it. It turned out to be a pair of gauntlets of ogre power and a ring of mind shielding. At least the gauntlets might come in handy. Skald also left a very strong magical bow. Father Feres suggested that he would take care of delivering it to his family. Until that time we decided to put it in the ships locker. It might still get used by the captain to defend the ship and that's when the gauntlets will come in handy.

Noon.

We got wind in our sails and got out to sea. Someone thought it funny to pretend to be the ghost of Skald. I'm growing tired of those tricks to lower the morale of the crew. We will make sure we get to the bottom of this. Is that a good phrase when on a ship? Father Feres held a sermon as we held a burial at sea. It was very inspiring and seemed to lighten the harts of the crew.

Afternoon.

Our unknown saboteur tried to poison Cinnamon. I hadn't filled my mind fully with spells during the morning so I added detect poison to my repertoire for the day. It turned out to be arsenic in her fruits. I will use that same spell on every little space on this ship to find where the saboteur has hidden his poison so we can find out who it is.

Evening.

I have worked very hard to try to find out if there is any poison, or more specifically arsenic aboard this ship. Several hours spent detecting. There were some bad looks from some of the crew when I left the forecastle cargo hold after hours of searching and spelling for their good. To make sure that they knew I did what was for their own best I decided to talk to them. They didn't seem to get comforted. Well, they should learn to mind their own business, anyway.

Very late evening.

When I at last got in bed for my well deserved sleep after a particularly hard day of tedious spell casting, Cinnamon suddenly appeared with a wand and asked to get it identified. She had been following Father Feres all day and found out some suspicious facts. He didn't pray much. His prayer book was worn on the binder, but the pages were practically unused. After yet another hour of hard work I identified the wand as a wand of healing. I will finally go to bed now.

Day 24

Noon

The crew is finished making the new manhole to get a second exit, we did find to be needed during the fight with the ooze. We have tried to find ways to find that saboteur...

Day 28

Evening.

Jennikki has finished talking to fish and is now down below talking to the ships cats. I don't know if I should be envious that she can talk to the cats or if she's just gone nuts.

Day 29

Evening.

Today Jennikki and Cinnamon spent the afternoon swimming after getting really messed up from searching the dirtiest place they could find on the entire ship, the bilge.

Day 30

Morning.

Finally it's come to search the whole cargo hold. It's going to take the entire day. It'll be me with Aiken for heavy lifting, Cinnamon with Jennikki for the lifting and Amella with the cargo manifest.

Noon.

This is taking a very long time. Luckily enough Aiken move the heavy crates for me. I just levitate and point.

Afternoon.

About the same time as we found a crate that should have been very heavy but moved quite easily, I noticed that the sun that sipped through the trapdoors had shifted and the ship was taking the waves in a different way than it should had we stayed on the right course. It turned out that it was Rowyn Kellani who, disguised as Peter Blood, had ordered the new course straight for land. She kept the crew from realizing what was happening by using a bardic trick to keep them listening to her. We foiled her plans and after a quite hard fight we succeeded in subduing her. She's in an awful state. Her hair is a mess, her skin looks kind of sick and she's hurt from the fight, not to mention her mental state. She's all "you'd better kill me". She really needs to change her ways and straighten up. Somebody should make sure she gets a new look on life. And I mean someone other than Avner. Not that it wouldn't be a good project for him, but I'm not entirely sure of his intentions. I brought Rowyns books with me as I thought I would have a lot of time on my hands, but I haven't been bored enough to make me reread those works of questionable literary quality. Now I can at least return them to their, former if not rightful, owner

Day 31

Morning.

It's been decided that I should make some alchemical lead that Cinnamon then will add to some of the shackles on board. Those will then be used to keep Rowyn from getting her spells back.

Evening.

I've finished making the alchemist lead. It's good to be done with it, but now I have to decide how to handle this whole Rowyn affair. I feel responsible for getting her into this trouble she is in. It would be easier just to keep away, but Jennikki and my conscience keeps nagging. I might visit her anyway. Her books wasn't worth discussing, but she might have some interesting stories to tell. Maybe she even knows some spells I don't. She might even teach me, but that would make it look like I'm only after her spells. Maybe I should keep away, anyway...

Day 32

Morning.

I have made up my mind. She's in trouble and I have to help her. She might be evil, but who knows what lies ahead. She might get through this with a new look on life.

Day 36

Morning.

As Lavinia had promised Forol to explore the ruins of Tamoachan, an old olman city we prepared to assist him in his adventuring. All of our clique will join him, or rather let him accompany us but stay behind until we will say it is safe for him to follow. We will not loose the only one on this expedition who has ever been at our destination.

Noon.

We followed Forols map and it turned out to be essentially correct. We did meet a basilisk as Urol Forol had been talking about. We were well prepared and it fell quickly. We entered the complex and found three more beings, a mumbling monster, a fire breathing bat and an evil faerie, which we slew. Now I must record our findings. I will write more of this expedition when we're back on the ship.

Evening.

There was three different parts of the complex. The first we explored had a statue and a well. That statue was of the (comparatively) good god ??? of the olmans. There were some items in the well, that survived the flaming sphere that burnt exceptionally hot this time.

There was a firewall trap in a very interesting map room. The map was actually a model of a city that this structure once were part of. Sadly enough it had seen better days, as had the city, nowadays hardly more than ruins, but it was interesting to study anyway.

The last part also had a map room but far better preserved, but of an unknown city. I and Forol recorded it as well as possible. There were a sarcophagus in the middle that Cinnamon disarmed some trap on before it was opened. I also found an almanac in the form of a large circular stone table. There were also several interesting wall painting. Forol and I copied all of this between us. There's a lot of material to study, notes to compare and mysteries to solve.

Now I have something to do during this long journey, as if I hadn't before; talking to Rowyn and making sure she's doing well, checking the navigational charts and correcting them if need be (It also makes sure Forol won't get us too far off course.), refining magical items in the laboratory. I just hope I get it all done before we get to Farshore. I will start on Aiken's gloves soon enough.

Day 39

Evening.

Aiken's gloves are finished. They turned out ok. I'm getting used to crafting magical items. I will have to improve on my eardrops.

Lavinia called for a meeting to discuss the tactics for tomorrow. The rounding of the peninsula marking the borders to the seas claimed by the scarlet brotherhood, known pirates, was the event that caused her worries. She suggested we split the ships up and try to sneak by one at a time. The Blue Nixie would go first. I thought that there would be safety in numbers but didn't want to make a fuss about it.

Day 40

Noon.

Early in the morning, as we were nearing the outer peninsula, the wind died down. Jennikki luckily had a wind spell prepared. She stood at the very stern, filling the sails with a formidable storm originating from her own body. Cinnamon flew around heedless of any dangers of injury. Myself I stayed sheltered from the wind forward of the quarterdeck. With this wind we made good way no matter of doldrums.

My trusty falcon was once more the first to notice another ship on the horizon. It was further out to sea and had probably been patrolling the islands to the east. It turned out to be a galley trying to reach us before we could round the peninsula and turn south and south-west again. With their oars they hoped to catch sailing ships helpless in the calm seas. But they had no such luck with us.

I quickly calculated that we would never be close, but we would have rounded the peninsula and far be away, well before the pirates would get there. Content I looked at Jennikki when I noticed a sailor walking up to her with a drink of water. My shout of warning was completely lost in the wind. It took quite a while of fencing, bashing and spelling before the sailor, who actually was Rowyn in disguise, was dealt with. She was once again knocked unconscious and locked back into Avners cabin, where she had been put when the pirates first was spotted.

We didn't lose any significant speed from the fight.

Evening.

It's a good thing that Blood has joined Lavinia on the Blue Nixie, otherwise there would have been no way of stopping him from hanging Rowyn. He have earlier painted himself into a corner by telling the crew that if she tried anything she would be executed. Not that he wouldn't like to do it anyway. I on the other hand can't let her be killed as it's partly our fault she's in this mess. We should help her get out of it.

As most of Rowyns anger is directed at Jennikki she suggested that she'd fight a duel with Rowyn to satisfy her. Rowyn overheard this suggestion and said she'd gladly agree as long as it was to the death. Jennikki didn't seem to grasp how bad an idea that would be. Either she would be defeated and Rowyn wouldn't hesitate to kill her or if Jennikki won and didn't kill Rowyn, she'd probably be in an even worse mood.

We finally decided to maroon her, but not until she had healed some.

Day 41

We put her crate and some supplies on a beach.

Day 49

Fort Greenrock burnt to ruins by lizzardmen!

Day 53

Noon.

It was time to fill our fresh water supplies again. There was a very tall waterfall falling of the cliff side into the ocean. As we approached I left the the boat and flew out to take in the magnificent view. It's a wondrous feeling levitating slowly up a waterfall, watching the water fall in front of you. Jenninkki started waving and the small boat put in the sea to get the water was brought back on board. I returned to see what was going on. It turned out Jennikki had been talking to some animals living there. There were some kind of monster living where the waterfall hit the sea. I deducted that it was a hydra that was living there preying on unsuspecting sailors. We setup an ambush and killed the monster. It never hit any of us but it took a long time to kill it, especially since it regenerates damage. Finally it was killed by a fire ball and a cannon ball from the ships cannon. Finally it had been tested in combat and it worked well.

Day 59

We reached Renkrue today. I ordered some scrolls to learn new spells. Balame Theron

Day 60

Noon.

Early morning we set out up the river. We had a slow pace sailing upstreams. It was very hot and the slow steady wind also hot gave no relief. After noon we met a strange man who wanted to barter, or rather try to fool us into buying something from him at ridiculous prices. Apparently someone of the others got something useful out of him.

Evening.

During the afternoon we got attacked by archers on the river bank. They were hard to make out in the woods, but I got them pointed out and Rara Avis helped too. I got some of them in my fire balls and they retreated. There were several arrows on the deck and when I checked them out I noticed that they were poisoned.

Late night.

Just before dusk we choose a place to anchor for the night. It was a flooded swamp which had turned into a shallow lake. Jennikki dived in shapechanged into some animal and swam around. After a while it turned out she had encountered some kind of monster resembling a lobster that very nearly killed both Jennikki and Cinnamon who were the first to notice Jennikki predicament and rushing to her help.

Day 61

Reading of spells from an altar.

Day 62

Return to Renkrue and to party.

Day 63

Off again. After some discussions the others finally understood the importance of visiting one of the smaller islands to find a good spot for a teleport.

Day 66

Noon

Early in the morning we prepared to set off from the boats. There was a constant fog surrounding these waters resulting from a hot stream meeting a cold stream. We choose to ride summoned hippogriffs, boosted by several spells to incredible speeds, to find the island chosen by me to be the way station for teleporting. With my sure guidance we flew straight to the island and took a short tour over it. We noticed a clearing with a palisade and a few houses by the northern coast. We landed on the beach outside the palisades and hailed the guards. There were a few half built ships that seemed very crude. We got to talk to some female lieutenant who let us enter to talk to the prince who was the head of the small colony. They were dressed in old fashioned armour and seemed to be from the eastern parts of the old kingdoms.

When we met he plainly told us they had problems with a dragon trying to destroy their colony. He drew us a map and told us to kill the dragon and then he would listen to whatever we wanted. I answered "Yes, my liege." to which Aiken responded as we left "But he's not your liege." Red answered sarcastically "No, but he didn't seem to know it."

We left the prince's adobe and noticed that most of the huts seemed to be built by lizard men. We asked how they got there and was told that a ship apparently had dumped them there after the princes mother had given the order to deport him as far away as possible. We also got the story about what had happened concerning the dragon.

There were some debate about what to do. I suggested that we should follow the trail and try to talk to any sentient races we could find in the jungle. I guessed it'd lizard men.

wooden ... where the armour and cloths of a soldier of the colonists were

came to a place where someone had put a lot of fruit on the ground. When we approached a lot of monkeys scurried up into the trees around us and screamed at us. I suggested that it was an improvised alarm, but the ranger and druid had to investigate it anyway and didn't come up with any other explanation.

When continuing we got aware of something stirring in the jungle and that we approached an ambush. Before walking into it we stopped and tried to talk to whoever was out there. It turned out to be some kind of bear men that wasn't really in the talking mood. There were some entangle and web that hold them until the druid finally

it turned out to be some sort of zebra-centaurs.

First we met

I was somewhat annoyed that Jennikke seemed to like human eating totally savage bear men more that humans, that admittedly wasn't the best of people, but could be reasoned with. She was very bloodthirsty and wanted to kill the prince. At least she, unlike the bear men, could be reasoned with and saw the wisdom in my suggestions. We decided to get the remains of the giant lizards young, and return it to the mother. Then we would talk to the son of the centaur and tell him that our goal was to get the colonists away from their island.

To make a long story short my plan worked. The great thunder lizard or tyrannosaurus got her dead child back and was healed. She grew very fond of Cinnamon. The son understood that it was the best way to get rid of the colonist without unnecessary bloodshed. They still demanded a price to avenge their fallen leader. It turned out that the prince was destitute. I was about to pay up, not for the princes sake, but to avoid a bloody conflict, when the idea to use loot from the dragon treasure came up. It just enough to buy peace.

and at the request of the centaur mother we didn't take anything from the temple, not that there were anything worth taking except knowledge of the old civilization.

All of the outcasts were put aboard the Blue Nixie due to space restrictions on the Sea Wyvern.

Evening.

I used the rest of the day to sketch as much of the temple as I could. It's a great way to familiarize with a place, to also try to get to know all of it's history and culture.

Day 67

Late morning.

Both the Blue Nixie and the Sea Wyvern entered the bay this morning where the 30 or so colonists were to board the Blue Nixie for transport to another but better colony, namely that of Farshore. Since it will take most of the day to load everyone onboard I will get back to the temple.