Current

January 29, 2005

Chapter 1: The Final Rest of Jarel' Sur

'They came out from the Dalelands,
guided by fate, seeking destiny
on a journey from the mists of legend
toward an uncertain end.

-Introduction to the 'Song of the Wayfarer'
as told by Thomasin the Bard

It was spring, and that meant rain. So much rain that the roads were nearly impassable. The merchant caravans, hauling their goods between Cormyr and the Moonsea, were forced to put up until the rain stopped. Their misfortune, however, was good news for the Old Skull Inn, nestled alongside the Northride in the town of Shadowdale.

The Inn was crowded, so the three wanderers found themselves staying busy in exchange for their being allowed to sleep amongst the goods in the storeroom. Thomasin and Leif worked in the kitchen, fetching goods from the storeroom and peeling potatoes, while Chance filled in as an extra serving wench (of which she was not pleased. The crowd was good, but a edging towards rowdy, so Jaele, the innkeeper, called upon Thomasin to get his harp and try his hand at entertaining the lot. Eager to please, Thomasin passed his peeling knife off to Leif and strolled out into the common room, the lyrics of a heroic poem about Korga, the river pirate, and the Knights of Myth Drannor gently rolling off his tongue.

As Chance wove in and out of the entranced crowd, she caught wind of a local farm, named Luth, exclaiming how he had discovered an entrance to the Underdark on his property! Apparently, the heavy rains had caused an underground chamber to collapse, resulting in a sinkhole that had revealed a passageway. Luth had told the local guard, and they had promised to look into it - in the morning. Chance passed the info onto the Leif and Thomasin; despite the rain, they decided to sneak out after closing and start their adventuring career.

After a short walk and a rummage in Luth's shed for supplies, the group assembled at the lip of the sinkhole. Lowering a rope, they each climbed down to investigate. It was indeed a chamber, though now completely filled with mud. A doorway was evident, partially buried by the collapsed wall. Using Luth's borrowed shovels, the party managed to clear enough mud and debris away to gain access to the corridor beyond. They found themselves waist deep in cold, muddy water in what looked to be a former storeroom of some type. Moving deeper into the complex, they climbed a short rise to find a massive cave. Thomasin gasped when he saw the secret that the cave held: a large, rotting riverboat was moored to a submerged dock. The name on the prow declared the vessel to be the Gar, the long lost riverboat of the legendary pirate Korga.

Crossing over to the ship, the party fought off a small nest of giant rats that had taken up residence. After a quick search, they found the boat to be all but destroyed; only the captain's cabin was relatively intact. Inside, they found a skeleton draped across a large chest. Breaking the rusty lock, they opened the chest to find a leather bound book entitled The Log of the Gar. Inside, a journal documented the travels of Korga, but suddenly switched to a spidery, unreadable language. The book also contained a quill pen, fashioned with silver and set with a black onyx, and a water-logged map of Korga's cave, revealing a second set of rooms on the north side of the lagoon. Thomasin carefully wrapped the book and quill into his pack, and the three exited the Gar.

Along the north wall, they found a door that had been blocked by a cave-in long ago. Using Luth's shovels, it didn't take long before the top of the door was cleared away and the old, rotten planks broken through. Scrambling inside, the party found themselves in a partially collapsed chamber, filled with mud, water, and the burned remains of timbers. Charred skeletons were stilled propped against the door, apparently trapped when the wall collapsed on the outside. Suddenly, the room grew cold and was illuminated by a strange, blue light. Turning, the party saw a ghostly figure, brandishing a sword, emerge from a partially-blocked passage. Frozen with fear, the group could do nothing but stand and watch as the figure seemed to do battle with some unseen foe. As the scene escalated, the light suddenly turned red, and the figure was knocked back into a room beyond. Hastily following, the party witnessed the end of the battle scene as it was played out: the figure, gravely wounded, struggled to raise his sword before apparently being stabbed in the chest and collapsing in a heap. As the figure "died", the light faded, and the group again found themselves alone in the darkness.

Lighting a lantern, Leif and Thomasin began searching the room where the figure had collapsed. Right away, they discovered an old skeleton buried in the mud, his sword buried nearby. Thomasin took up the rusty blade, and Leif picked up an unusual curiosity - an invisible pendant that the skeleton wore around its neck. Not finding anything else, the group started to back-trace the phantom's steps, and began clearing a path to the north.

The debris-filled passage soon opened into a strangely decorated chamber. Strange, unreadable writing covered the earthen walls, and small pieces of splintered wood were pressed upright into the floor, arranged in orderly rows that proceeded down a hall to the right. Following the hall, the party made a shocking discovery: a giant, seemingly hand built clay statue of a dragon dominated the far wall. Directly in front of it was a large pile of tangled, charred bones. The rows of splinters led right up to the pile, and the crumbling statue leered over all. The same strange writing covered these walls as well. Growing more and more uneasy, Thomasin led the group back the way they came, and the continued exploring to the north.

The chamber to the north turned out to be no less grisly than the others; there, a skeleton was crucified on a large, makeshift frame. The victim's ribs were crushed inward, and the entire north wall was heavily fire-damaged. Referring back to the map, they found that only one room to the east remained. Eager to discover some clue as to the events that had transpired long ago, the party headed east.

The final room of the pirate complex was almost completely submerged. The floor had almost completely washed away, dividing the entry from a small corner of dry ground to the north. On this corner, illuminated by a strange red glow, was a small pile of coins and jewels. Sitting atop, like a king upon his throne, was a skeleton in a silver coat of mail. Getting across turned out to be more difficult than first imagined, however, for a monstrous crystal ooze had made this room its lair. Leif and Thomasin were almost nearly overcome before they could again gain the shore. Then, Leif dangerously offered himself as bait as Thomasin made a dash for the far shore. Eventually, the beast left in search of easier prey, and the treasure pile was reached.

The party wasted no time in gathering up the loot, for fear that the ooze would return and trap them in the room. As Chance filled her pouches with gold and jewelry, and Thomasin had started to remove the mail coat from the skeleton when he noticed the skull's silver teeth. Recalling the songs of Korga of the Silver Grin, he identified the remains as those of the long lost river pirate. Unlike the other bodies, Korga's was intact, and it still clutched a curved, strangely colored dagger. Leif removed the blade from the bony grip and tucked it into his belt. Thomasin also discovered the source of the red light - a short wand, one end of which burned with a non- consuming red flame that gave no heat. Gathering up their treasure the party made its way back out by the glow of the red torch. They had found no clues as to the fate of Korga and his band, but their treasure more than made up for the mystery.

Posted by Terrepin at January 29, 2005 05:05 PM

Comments

Posted by: Teen Tender at February 4, 2007 06:33 AM

Posted by: Tender Tranny at February 4, 2007 06:35 AM

Posted by: Two Hoes and a Load at February 4, 2007 06:36 AM

Posted by: Black Bitches Club at February 4, 2007 06:37 AM

Posted by: Fuck For Three at February 4, 2007 06:38 AM

Posted by: Porn Ethnicity at February 4, 2007 06:40 AM

Posted by: Shoot My Face With Cum at February 4, 2007 06:41 AM

Posted by: Teen And Cocks at February 4, 2007 06:42 AM

Posted by: Temple Of Anal at February 4, 2007 06:43 AM

Posted by: Brutal Anal Sex at February 4, 2007 06:44 AM

Posted by: Brutal Dildos at February 4, 2007 06:46 AM

Posted by: Extreme Kream at February 4, 2007 06:47 AM

Posted by: Gush Busters at February 4, 2007 06:48 AM

Posted by: Moms Teaching Teens at February 4, 2007 06:49 AM

Posted by: Gay Movie Source at February 4, 2007 06:50 AM

Posted by: Voyeur Dorm at February 4, 2007 06:52 AM

Posted by: Dude Dorm at February 4, 2007 06:53 AM

Post a comment