Silent Lips, Talking Eyes

“Silent Lips, Talking Eyes”
Rise of the Runelords episode
Episode no.	Episode 50
Date	2009
Game Master	Abbe
Characters	Dorothea Gloriana Honeypot Nell Velicia
Episode chronology ← Previous Next → "Paradise's Gates" "Attacking Fort Rannick"
Rise of the Runelords chapter list

In this chapter the heroes investigate the cause of the fire.

Silent Lips, Talking Eyes

I woke up surprisingly well rested. After breakfast we went to question the survivors from the fire. We found most of them at the hospital. 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. Gloriana promptly said that she had been far away and couldn't be blamed. Her outburst surprised us all. Velicia pointed out that the fire most likely started at the same time as Gloriana and Dorothea set the farm on fire. Most of the survivors from Paradise's Gates had been outside or near the exits when the barge exploded. Very few of the ones working there had survived. The owner, Lucretia, was missing too. 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 it 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 I noted a lot of wandering eyes.

When the meeting was over I went up to a girl that had looked like she had something to hide. She was one of the few survivors who had worked on the barge. I took her aside 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 some earlier, but this time I did. The perfume had a very good smell, but he called it fragrance. It was made by gnomes in Sanos Forest nearby. It 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.

Vale joined us all at lunch at the inn and asked if he could use some of my ink I was using to write in my diary. I said yes and he pulled out big sheets on which he had drawn the layout of Fort Rannick and added even more details to them. We started discussing ways of retaking the fort from the ogres. After a while Shalelu and Jakardros joined us and they were friends again. We talked for most of the afternoon and the rangers had gathered their strength. They seemed to be in a lot better mood even though Jakardros still was bitter about his part in leading the patrol that had been out when the fort was hit and Vale was the silent type. At least Kaven had lightened up. He's cute and funny. Anyway. We spent most of the afternoon that way and then Honeypot said she would go out and see if she could find out more about Paradise's Gates. I had an idea that maybe it would be easier to get someone to talk about the tattoo if I also had one. Gloriana used some of her magic to make a fake tattoo om my butt.

I looked around town and found a man I recognized from the meeting earlier. I talked to him an turned on my charm. We talked about Paradise's Gates and I showed him my fake tattoo and he showed me that he had one too but on the inside of his arm. I said that I didn't remember how I got it since I had been so drunk and he told me that he too had been drunk, but definitely remembered the beautiful woman who did it. She was tall with red hair, green eyes and perfect pale skin. It was the owner herself that had tattooed him. I excused myself and left.

I returned to the inn. Kaven was down in common room. I ordered some late night dinner and joined him in front of the fireplace. The light from the fire danced over his face as he stared into it. He looked distracted.
"Is something wrong?" I asked him.
"I'm just tired." he answered turning to me.
I looked straight into his eyes, sucking the grease of my fingers. He gave me a tired smile but had a playful twinkle in his eyes. It melted my resistance. I put down the plate and walked slowly over to his chair and kissed him.

Later we lay in bed and a sole candle lit the room. He was sleeping on his stomach. I slowly caressed his back, studying it in the dim light. My hand followed the curve of his back down to... That was when I saw it. He also had a tattoo in the small of his back. I leaned over him and got the candle. Holding it next to him I studied the tattoo. It was a seven pointed star looking exactly as the ones we've seen before. I was about to wake him to talk about it, when hot wax from the candle poured on my thumb. I bit my lip and put back the candle stick. Laying back down blowing my thumb I forgot about it and fell asleep.