Paradise's Gates

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Episode no.	Episode 48
Date	2009
Game Master	Abbe
Characters	Dorothea Gloriana Honeypot Nell Velicia
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Closing on Turtleback Ferry we could see a strange light over the village. It had an orange-red color as if there was a big fire and sure enough there was. Hurrying into the village to see how we could help, we saw that it was Paradise's Gates that was burning. It was maybe 500 feet out on the Claybottom Lake. We ran up to the closest boat, where a fisherman stood pulling it ashore. We started to put it back out to sea when he protested. We told him we would just borrow it to help out. He still didn't agree until he heard the commotion behind him. There people talked about the rangers we saved. He asked if we saved those rangers and when we nodded he helped us put the boat back to sea.

The burning barge, Paradise's Gates

Rowing out, Honeypot performed a ritual on Velicia to protect her from fire. As we closed in I looked carefully at the burning wreck. I was sure there could be no survivors still there. We got close enough for Velicia to jump over and she searched among the flames. Still in our boat I searched for traces of what could have started the fire. I could tell that the fire had spread very quickly, almost like an explosion. The walls had collapsed immediately and the roof had fallen down, trapping most people inside. Velicia told us that it had looked like the fire had been started by lighting. Honeypot and I looked around and saw something floating in the water. It were the bodies of a trapper and a waitress. With a sad mind we returned to Turtleback Ferry.

We were met by the priest who was also the mayor. He introduced himself as Maelin Shreed. He told us that there were around thirty people missing. They had recovered fifteen dead and almost thirty survivors. He led us to a cottage hospital where they were treated. He lived there. Several of the survivors were severely burnt. He offered us to sleep there but we declined as didn't want to be any burden. Instead we went to the inn.

When we got there we were treated with great respect. It turned out that the rangers were held in high regard, staying for free at the inn, and when the locals heard that we had saved some of them we were heroes. We still payed for our rooms though. We were asked to tell the story of how we saved the rangers. The others drank wine and we told the story of the awful half-ogres. The mood of everybody rose, but I was still shook up by the experience. I took care of Kaven, making sure he was comfortable, but the rangers were in such a bad condition that they were helped to bed early. I went to bed quite early too, at about midnight.

I woke up surprisingly well rested. After breakfast we went to question the survivors from the fire. We found most of them at the church. We asked them if any one knew where and how the fire started but most just said that suddenly the whole barge exploded and they were thrown into the water. When questioned closer some thought there was a flash as of lighting just before the big bang. It turned out that most of the survivors had been outside or near the exits. Very few of the ones working there had survived. The owner was missing. She had been a beautiful red headed woman. The Paradise's Gates had been a gambling hall but also a brothel. From the descriptions it seemed that the whole barge had been too high class for such a back waters place as Turtleback Ferry. Velicia told us that she was completely sure that the attack on Fort Rannick, the strange weather and the fire were all connected somehow. I asked if anyone had seen any seven pointed stars anywhere on the boat. I got no answers, but some blushed.

When the meeting was over I walked up to a girl that had blushed. She was one of the few who had worked on the barge. I took her to the side and we started talking. After a lot of convincing she showed me a tattoo she had on her butt. It was a seven pointed star like the ones we had seen before, but I didn't study it too closely as it was in a little embarrassing place. She told me that she was a member of a very exclusive club she shouldn't talk about and that was their membership symbol. Only the best of the employees could join and there were less than ten members.

Returning to the inn I saw a merchant selling perfume. I had never gotten around to buying it earlier, but this time I stopped. The merchant had a very good smell, but he called it fragrance. It was made by gnomes in ??? forest nearby. I was even cheap so I bought two bottles.

We gathered and discussed what we had learned so far over lunch at the inn. The food had been better at Pendaka and I had run out of pies. I wished that I could bring someone that could cook for me while traveling. Then I realized that Nathaniel had brought someone along to help him out and nowadays I'm a noble too. I decided to start looking for a good cook to hire.