[Myself and Dak had finished with 'The Reaper' and headed home, if you could call it that, to Yacg'harr Island.]
DAY 562 (17th Eleint) (September) ...
We still had another job to do, and it felt like it was probably best to do it straight away - namely - deal with the two pirates we had kidnapped.
They were currently in the small chamber at the back of the barrow, so we dragged the first one out and interrogated him.
His name was Forgie Partik, he had been with the Reaper 45 days, but admitted to previous crimes of murder and rape. He was quite annoyingly argumentative to begin with, an unusual tack to take for someone in his position I thought, but I suppose pirates are not known for their common sense.
(I should note that Dak gave Partik a colossal wallop when he admitted to rape and had to have water splashed over him to regain his senses!)
Anyway, a baddie he certainly was, but since he had not been at the Lost Refuge he was not a target for Sharptooth revenge.
He admitted the last man he had killed had been on a ship called 'Mystra's Gusset' just three weeks ago.
We put him back and brought out the other one. His name was Ima Gorpatch and he had been a sailor on the 'Gusset' when it was taken and rather than being slain or sold as a slave he had decided to join the crew of the Reaper.
He was 23 years old and from Delthuntle, nearby. He had only been at sea a few weeks before the Reaper had attacked his ship. He vowed to go home after this and never go near the sea ever again!
We stashed him back with Partik and discussed our next move. Dak had been talking about exploring the portals in the Barrow when we got back, he'd seemed very keen on it. But now we were here he seemed disinterested in it and asked about the last ship on my list.
Well, you may remember, we found out about it at the same time we found out about the Reaper. The Black Mirror, for such was the ships name, was actually due in Waterdeep in just four days.
'Let's do that then,' he said with a shrug. I've known a few half-orcs in my time, (not least Shump, whom I consider a friend) but none of them so nebulous as Dak. I am making a study of him, but I think there is no order to his actions at all, he is truly a creature of chaos.
Anyway, we rounded off the evening with a trip to the pub. I used my 'A Thousand Faces' ability (recently learned!) to disguise myself while Dak simply marched up to the bar and demanded to be served.
He was still barred though and the landlord told him to sling his hook. Dak put a purse full of 1000 gold coins onto the bar and between that and some promises of good behaviour from now on he was allowed to stay.
To seal the deal Gyles the landlord brought out some lethal looking spirit and offered it
to us. We drank it down and managed to stay on our feet. He then brought out a black
bottle and offered (I should say sold, as it was very expensive) us some of that.
Dak went first and the result was that he went perfectly rigid for two hours. He fell to the ground like an axed tree and there he stayed, where the other patrons amused themselves by balancing random objects on him.
I didn't fancy any of that at all, but after a few beers and when Dak was back on his feet to egg me on I took a drink of the black draught. It had the same effect on me though and I went as solid as a stone for a couple of hours too. At least I had the sense to be sitting down, but when I was able to move again I had a collection of empty glasses on my lap.
Not long after that Dak put 100 gold behind the bar and we left.
DAY 563 (18th Eleint) (September)
While everyone else went about their business in and around the barrow I spent the day awakening another rat, to replace poor Rolanda.
DAY 564 (19th Eleint) (September)
In the morning a new rat arrived, we named him Theodore. He seemed a sharp enough fellow.
I saw that Dak had made a little shrine to Rolanda at the back of the barrow, with a few offerings to the gods on her behalf, which was sweet.
I had a nap, then we packed our bags for a trip around Faerune. We took Irritator with us as a back-up teleporter and extra guard for the prisoners. As usual we went through Raitavin to get there.
We released Ima, Dak even gave him ten gold. I have less patience for these sorts of fellows than I used to. The sort of people that go along with acts of evil because it is the easiest thing to do. I used to try and talk sense into them, but I've had enough of that. There are more important things in the world than trying to change the ways of a single ill-natured dolt.
Partik we handed over to the watch at the Dock Ward Tower, giving the details of his confession, in the hope that he might get his desserts.
We then teleported to Waterdeep, via Corm Orp, and went straight to the Singing Sword. I gave a false name - Alvin Hardcastle.
The Black Mirror is due in a couple of days.
DAY 565 (19th Eleint) (September)
We sent Irritator home today, then sat around in the bar pondering our next move. Well, I say that, but to be honest the ales and spirits of Waterdeep are much finer than the gut-rot they sell in Tumunzah, so we spent most of the morning refreshing our palates with some decent booze.
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