The deal was made and for Darktow we sailed. From the archipelago, it was about 4 days to the island. Part of the problem with reaching Darktow was its layers of protection. The island was surrounded by reefs that would wreck any ship that couldn’t sail through them. Second, if you weren’t a Revelry ship you ran the risk of being killed by the dragon turtle that lived there. This meant the island was surrounded by driftwood and shipwrecks. Some of which were actually hidden watch towers that acted as an early warning system for the island. It is these defenses that contributed to the Revelry’s continued existence. They prevent the Clovis Concord from wiping the pirates out completely.
Now all these defenses wouldn’t mean shit if you attacked with sky ships but the Concord doesn’t possess enough of those to launch an attack. They are also way too expensive to lose in battle. The monetary loss of a fleet of skyships compared to the gain of less piracy would probably not be made up for a dozen or so years. I might be able to consider a plan that would wipe out the Revelry. Probably finding and killing a Leviathan. But I don’t feel like doing that. If the leadership of the Revelry changes and they become more of a resistance group they could be used to fight the corruption caused by the Myriad. This question is do I want to spend the time to do that?
Hmm. Maybe I can get Fjord of the Nein to do that. I would need to help them with not getting banished from Darktow. I could bring the Nein to Darktow myself and help them with the Cloven Crystals. I can find the information on Avantika’s plans quieter than they could. Get her arrest or just straight up kill her. Where is she right now anyway? Check later.
…….
16th of Brussen
Darktow lay ahead. Heidi acted as our helmsman and navigated the Dragshallow Reefs well enough. Not unfortunate accidents. The purple flag of The Revelry flew aboard the Wavecrasher to let all know that we were friendly and don’t shoot us. The flag had a reflective element as part of it. Reminds me of the holographic mark used on some trading cards.
The island itself is mostly rocky mountains and cliffs. The part that people live on is the base of the cliff. Docks fill the area and connect to a series of platforms and buildings. There are taverns, shipyards, and merchants that will buy all the ill-gotten goods. High on the cliff face is the Plank King's throne.
The Wavecrasher is roped in and we are docked. The crew moves back and forth on the ship. They talk about drinking so they can forget the things I transformed into. Guess I left an impression. I am enjoying looking at the city when the captain approaches me.
“I need to take the Plank King his cut of our profits. We had acquired more than just what you gave us before we met you. There you can meet the Plank King,” She said. Both things I assumed would happen. All pirates of the Revelry paid a cut of all treasure to the Plank King. This was done so Darktow had income. Because of this, all pirates may receive ship repairs and other services for free. Meeting the Plank King was also something the Nein did when they first arrived.
“Oh boy a meeting with Royalty so soon,” I said.
“I am sure he will appreciate such flattery but be careful. The Plank King is a powerful goliath who wields the laws of the Revelry with an iron fist. He is well-liked too, so there will be no one to save you if you piss him off,” she said.
This I knew, but I can’t help but joke. We walked the 300-foot climb up the cliff face to the Throne Roost. The torches on the wall were occasionally replaced with heads on pikes. I guess they liked to intimidate you. Eventually, the cliff face opens into a cave. We enter inside and walk into the room. I stay behind Three Earrings. She walks to a guard and presents a sack with her offering. We continue inside. The Plank King's room is filled with tables that would hold feasts for his followers but it's not lunch yet so they are empty. In the back is a throne carved from stone on which a large gray-skinned man rests. This is Wyatt Maranoss, the current Plank King. Easily 8 feet tall, he wears a loose white shirt with a vest on top of it. His pants are baggy and has long black hair. It's not his natural hair. It belonged to the previous Plank King whom he scalped and now wears.
“Earrings. I see you have brought someone I don’t know before me. I hope you do this with good reason,” Wyatt said.
“He is an adventurer looking for powerful allies to help in his hunt,” Three Earrings said.
“Hunt. He has come to Darktow and become one of us, to hunt,” Wyatt asked.
“Yes, I have. Edsom Lewis. I am here to make connections in the Revelry. I might have friends in the Clovis Concord, but I do not work for them. I have my own issues with them. I have no home currently and will continue to wonder for a few more years making friends and killing enemies as I go,” I said.
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“Well, I hope you understand that Darktow means family. It means protection. Here we do not harm or steal from each other. You have seen those that have on your way up here that have been judged,” Wyatt said.
“I assume what you don’t know about out in the wide ocean isn’t really your problem,” I said.
“If it doesn’t make it back here to me, I can’t really judge who's guilty. When you dock here in Darktow you need to own up to your fair share. We take care of each other and can’t do that without coin,” Wyatt said.
The guard that Three Earrings gave the coin to the king. He opened the bag and nodded, handing the bag over to an assistant. Wyatt said,” Now I am taking it you are not going to be a part of Earrings crew long term. That means you will need to make some friends or find some other way of getting back here. She spoke of a hunt. Whatcha huntin'?”
“Some very big prey. I know a Roc that nests on one of the Gravid islands. I am going to kill it. Three Earrings believed her crew wasn’t up to the task. I don’t blame her. The thing can destroy most ships. I am looking for someone crazy enough to join me,” I said.
“HAHAHA! That be a mighty beast to hunt indeed. You will find many crazy people here but few that are that crazy. I know of two captains you could speak to about such a hunt. Captain Alyson Paij. She is good fun and likes to hunt. The other is Captain Avantika. A dreamchaser that one. Go look at the pub for them,” Wyatt said.
Both of these people were someone I wanted to meet. Alyson because I was tempted to put in the work on making her the new Plank King and reforming some of the more evil nature of these pirates. The other I might just kill myself. That one is hard to say. I am definitely changing how the Nein go about their sailing arc. Starting with getting them to meet Alyson first. So in order to do that I need to meet her now.
“I think I will do that. Three Earrings thank you but I am gonna go explore for a bit,” I said.
“It was good meeting you Edsom. Good hunting,” she said.
“Aww, how sweet. Now fuck off,” Wyatt said. I did just that as I left the cave and came out to the cliff face. The winds around us kept this area cool. I didn’t want to bother with walking back down these slick stairs. I mean they don’t even have a guardrail or nonslip strips. This isn't OSHA-compliant. I jumped off the cliff and flew to the city.
…….
Plank King Wyatt Maranoss
“Linus did you get all that?” He asked.
“Yes boss,” Linus said.
“Good. James. Keep an eye on that one. He might turn out useful. And find out what his skills are. No one just comes to Darktow looking for help killing a Roc. He is hiding something,” He said.
“Course boss,” James said.
This new arrival might be a useful piece in dealing with these unruly captains. Avantika is showing too many signs of treachery lately with this Uk’otoa nonsense. It might be time soon to deal with her.
……….
I found the Bloated Cup easily enough. It was a three-story building that was wider at its base than the top. It was filled with laughter, sea shanties, drinking, and the occasional fight or show of strength. A nice little dive. I would have gone in now but I decided to learn the names of the ships currently in port. I know the names of the three I need to look for. The Ill Hand is Alyson’s ship. The Mist is the ship of Javeed Jawgrasp a half-orc man. It will be the Nein's for a short period. Lastly the Squalleater, Avantika’s ship. It will also become the Nein's. I find dozens of ships. I find the Adventures Rest, Broken Slave, Blackpowder Fortress, Wind Rider, Sun Eater, etc. No sign of the Mist but I do find both The Squalleater and The Ill Hand.
Confirming that both Avantika and Alyson are in town I now turn to the tavern. I know both of these powerful women hate each other. I am at a crossroads. Whom ever I choose to approach I will end up tied to. Both have their benefits and downsides. Morally I feel Alyson might fit what I want to do better. If I join with her now I can try and introduce the Nein to her later. This will make it almost impossible to approach Avantika. I would need to sell some real information on Uk’Otoa if I want to get close to her. Now if I approach her first I can probably get involved by showing off my powers. She will either seek to use me or kill me. I would need to join her in interest in freeing Uk’otoa. But for all this trouble, I will be close to her. Which will make it that much easier to kill her. I would need to keep up this deception for a while.
I walk into the bar and look around. There are about 20 tables with 4-6 chairs each. There is a long bar with 15 stools and a bar filled with all manner of alcohol. Cheers are had, songs are being sung, and drinks poured either in cups or bellies. A few people look my way. Some look away uninterested, and others keep their gaze on me for a bit. Avantika is an elven woman with tanned skin. Her crew includes an Orge called Boldergut. I actually see such an ogre in the back of the room. It doesn’t but take a second to see the captain herself. Now the fans made lots of art for all different kinds of characters, but sometimes official art comes out. I know what she looks like so I recognize her immediately. Alyson was described as a woman with curly shoulder-length blonde hair and a scar over one that keeps the eye closed. She is harder to find and I don’t see her. I don’t want to stay at the door so I move and sit at the bar.
I order a water or something nonalcoholic. I wasn’t interested in drinking right now. I could go back to her ship and speak with someone there. I looked over the bar again and settled back on Avantika and her crew. Honestly, the Nein interacted with their enemies too much. I guess it's because they tried to see the best in people when they could. Sometimes it worked. Essek was a major success. Turning a would-be evil and traitorous wizard into a best friend and eventual lover. I think they wanted that for their other villains. It wasn’t meant to be for all of them. I looked at Avantika for a second and considered, could I fix her. Show her that her god is not the way forward? Or does she want power so badly she doesn’t care who gives it to her? Uk’otoa let the Ki’Nau control the civilizations of the Menagerie Coast and accepted foreigners. He was simply a jealous god and demanded they worship him. He might have grown more conceited with time but that is a what if. The serpent was locked away by Zehir so we can never know. And I don’t imagine he is going to come out and be a benevolent god. Could I fix a demigod? I would have to fix all three. That sounds like an impossible task. Or maybe not. What if I killed all three and brought them to the soul dream? Would I be strong enough to contain them?
These thoughts would have to wait for later as I come back to that first question. Can I fix this elf? Turn her away from Uk’otoa and show her the power to be found elsewhere. Like the Nein did.
No. She is too manipulative for that. Immediately after they unsealed the first temple she seduced Fjord. This was done in order to keep him loyal. She did the same with Vandarn, Fjord’s mentor. She will probably do that with me if I show my skills. She is too power-hungry and I can’t stop her. I finish my drink and leave the bar. Time to find Alyson.