Fellowship of the Dice

Gragol is nearly frozen in place. Only his head turns to eye up each officer carefully. His face turns a bit more serious. Or maybe it is too difficult to tell the difference. "We tend t' our wounded. We can let th' ship go. We'll need someone t' tell th' story 'f how a few dozen men couldn't take The Rock. 'f ther's anyone alive, interrogate 'em. I wanna know where ther' crew would sail to. 'nd someone get me a hat. Every Cap'n needs a hat."

"That's a great idea." Rod says. "You've proved your grit many times, and know how to run a ship. May Besmara give you good fortune, Captain Gragol!" Roderick is from a noble family, but he has always wanted to leave that life behind. And being lord of Tidewater Rock is quite enough of that for him right now. So he is actually glad no one named him.

Toruk is the first to produce a hat, "This was Aya's hat, I think she would want you to have it Captain." He holds out the fairly typical tricorn hat, it nothing fancy, but its a start.

Maggie comments, "Captain, there is something you should see. We should all see." She leads the group to the corpse of Iabella Inkskin, "Look...." You don't know what Maggie is going on about at first, but after a moment, you get it, the woman has a treasure map tattooed on her body!

"I see wher' she got 'er name from. You'd think she'd 'ave kept it more 'f a secret though." Gragol studies it closer.

Rod also gives his suggestions on where this might be.

The woman's body is given a more detailed inspection.

The map tattooed on the Isabella Locke’s back depicts the outlines of several small islands. A stylized half sun sits to the right of the islands, while simple images of a monstrous eye and the face of an aged, bearded king are to the left. Beneath the map are five lines of crude verse:

From blue bight’s embrace
Spy the Grave Lady’s prize tooth
With the Dawnflower’s first kiss
Climb the Captain’s wayward orb
To claim old king’s hoard

Gragol and Rod lean over, looking at the map itself first, they debate possible locations, islands, and places in the Shackles that might match the images of the tattooed lands. Both seem to come to some conclusion, cross referencing on a map Agasta has. It seems to be an unnamed archipelago in the Shackles north of the Ushinawa Isles and west of Besmara’s Throne. Its about 110 miles northwest of Tidewater Rock, as the albatross flies, but will likely have to sail a bit farther through the numerous atolls and archipelagos of the southern Shackles if you were to go there.

Toruk is busy looking at the rest of the items on the map, "This monstrous eye could represent the Beast of Mancatcher Cove, and the sun could be a sunrise or a sunset I suppose."

Maggie chimes in reading parts of the verse, "And the “Grave Lady” is the goddess of death, Pharasma, also known as the Lady of Graves. Not to mention “Dawnflower’s first kiss” could refers to the goddess of the sun, Sarenrae, called the Dawnflower,"


Kroop gives a long whistle, "Well, Ibe damn, this 'ere be a map ta Cyrus Wolfe's fabled hidd'n treasure!"

"That's interesting! I think we should try and find this treasure! What do you say?" Rod says excitedly.

Maggie and Tourk both nod.

Maggie considers, "I agree, Captain? If we do we better check out crew, and numbers, make sure we can handle it."

Toruk nods agreeing with all of it.

Gragol scratches his beard. "Do y' think it be wise t' leave the Rock undefended?" He grunts and mulls it over. The Dwarf then grins. " 'Tis treasure afterall. Aye, we sail f'r the King's hoard!"

"We can leave some of our crew here to better guard it. Maybe two or three. Then there should be enough guards. When the door is repaired the defences will be good, without major magic no one will conquer the Rock, I think." Rod says. "And hopefully, we'll be back soon." he grins.