Johan sips again at the wineglass, the tasteless fluid seeming like colored water rather than priceless Elven spirits. He leans back, rolling his shoulders in a broad shrug. "Well, after we parted, I traveled south, to Beregost. Slunk around for a bit, until I had a bit of a run-in with the local watchmen after a stretch of being quite...parched. Their leader, Captain Kerp, took a shine to my fighting spirit, and offered me the job. The pay was shit, and the position was as plain and boring as goblin snot, but it meant I spent quite a bit less on sun balm, and, well..."
He chuckled, gesturing with the glass without taking a drink. "I never had a problem with energetic and boisterous prisoners once they'd spent a night in the cells under my watch, and good old Kerp either didn't notice, or didn't care."
Johan fished into a pocket of his coat, pulling out a rough map of the Sword Coast. On it were dozens of scratched circles in ink, dotting all over the coastal waters and coastline itself. "I've been keeping my ear out, as rogue and rowdy undead tend to mean suddenly everyone's wearing as much silver jewelry as they can steal or buy, and buying holy water phials like they're proper healing potions." He shook his head, throwing the map onto the table with mild disgust. "I can't make rhyme nor reason to the attacks; From what I've heard, the pirates have neither a base nor a target that can be made out from their attacks alone."
He leaned back, his grin showing the glint of slightly-too-long teeth, and reaching under his coat, withdrew a small hip flask. Johan took a single bracing swig, before recorking it and stowing it away again.
Thursday, January 28, 2016
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Could we get an image of Johan's map of the attacks?
ReplyDeleteI was thinking they would be scattered all up and down the coast and the Sea of Swords, as far south as Murann and as far north as Neverwinter, but with most of them being between the ruins of Candlekeep and Waterdeep. Just a general scattering, as Johan has mostly been keeping track of what he's heard but hasn't really gone out of his way to independently verify these attack claims.
ReplyDeleteI will add a layer to the map showing these attacks later today. And will post a link here when it's done.
ReplyDeleteNym shivered, understanding Johan's meaning about the prisoners. While their partnership had been short, she had learned more than she wanted about vampires in that time. She knew he was reliable, though, and willing to take on any reasonable job for a price, so his presence on this treasure hunt would be beneficial.
ReplyDeleteEvelaen held back a frown. She'd always been a bit suspicious of the laissez-faire attitude that Vampires took toward their prisoners, other sapient species, anyone available. She thought to herself before clearing her mind. She was determined to at least give him a chance to prove that he didn't sparkle in the twilight.
ReplyDeleteI can assure you that anyone sneaking glitter into Johan's sun balm will find themselves upside-down and exsanguinated in short order.
ReplyDeleteJohan looked toward Violet, nodding his chin towards his map. "So, where have you heard the attacks have occured? My map's mostly scuttlebutt and rumors, so there may well be more than a few of those markings that came from a run-in with a generous ale cask rather than a run-in with skeletal pirates. A land-locked stopping point for wayfarers like Beregost isn't a place I'd nominate as prime pickings for timely or even accurate news."
Sorry it's taking me so long. I added a bunch of new icon types and such so that the enemy activity would be easier to understand and read. The map should be ready shortly, and I will post soon after that. :)
ReplyDeleteViolet took a second to walk over to her stack of maps and grabbed one that looked very similar to Johan's. "I've been tracking the violence from my headquarters as well. It looks like you have one extra that I didn't mark, and I have two that you didn't mark, but I have no reason to believe that they weren't both accurate." Violet grabbed a piece of charcoal and added the missing spot on her own map.
ReplyDeleteThe markings on the map include both Violet's and Johan's "attacks."