The Oakdell Circle
Chapter Five
The week of downtime and celebration went by quickly. In that time the party bought and sold various items and trinkets from their adventures and spent the evenings celebrating with some of the city folk that followed them around. Ari mostly stayed in Bilben's tower and spent much of her time in the garden communing with nature and tending to the plants. Samash and Kuku spent much of their time during the day betting at the dinosaur races with heavy drinking in the evening. Tamar tried her luck at pickpocketing in the streets down in the Market Ward while Chaucer thrilled audiences with stories from their adventures. His favorite tale to tell had been of the time the party faced off against a giant froghemoth and he'd gotten himself swallowed so that he could polymorph into a giant sperm whale which exploded the froghemoth. It had been a terrible mess but was impressive nonetheless.
Bilben's tower was a buzz with activity that week with all of the guests staying there. He almost didn't have enough room for everyone so the smaller party members had to double up in rooms. Raz insisted on a room close to the study so he could work while Tamar insisted on a room with a window that would allow her to come and go through it. Nyx did her best to accommodate the demands of the guests and on more than one occasion found that she needed magic to help her honor the requests. Bilben spent his evenings up late with the party, enjoying their company and getting to know each member better. On the evening of their last day of the week Bilben sat them down as they'd done the nights before but this time without the regalia of music and servants swimming about. The party all sat or stood on the intricately woven rug in front of him in his large upholstered chair.
Bilben cleared his throat. "Thank you all for coming tonight. We will get to the merriment in a moment. First, I have a task I would ask of you," he paused. Taking a long sip of his wine the party looked to one another in anticipation and shrugged shoulders. Bilben began again, "There is a set of magic items I have been collecting for some time. I have two of three items in this set. It has very recently come to my attention that the third lay right under my nose all this time."
Chaucer looked at Bilben with wide-eyed anticipation while Samash shot Goilon an uncertain look. Goilon merely shrugged and extended a hand towards Chaucer. Samash looked back and nearly laughed out loud at the childlike wonderment that was Chaucer at that moment.
"The item I am looking for belongs to a set of artifacts known as the Regalia of Might. I have the orb and scepter of the set but the remaining item, a crown, lies out in the old lair of Needle the dragon on the eastern side of the island. I would hire you to fetch this artifact for me and return it safely. A simple enough task. What do you say?" he finished in a cheerful smile. The party all looked around questioningly. They looked at one another for a time in silence as Bilben leaned forward in his chair awaiting an answer. Samash was the first to speak up, looking from Kuku to Bilben.
"This task would take us back into the undead infested jungles?" His face was stern and cold, the expression he wore when it was time for business. Samash was a hard-looking half orc, his height imposing and his muscles bulging out of whatever he wore. All of this might have led people to think of Samash as a ruffian or brute except for the pink bunny slippers he always wore in his downtime.
Bilben nodded, "Yes, you will eventually end up in that same jungle, however, I have plotted out a route that will see you in the dense jungle as little as possible," Bilben said with a charismatic smile. Ari, sitting cross-legged in front of Bilben in a white wispy sheer dress, frowned hearing they would avoid the jungle.
"And what about the pay," piped in Tamar, arms crossed as she stood beside Ari in her dark brown leathers, tail swishing back and forth with eagerness.
"A good question, Tamar," chuckled Bilben. "I've been thinking about this a lot. What do you reward a party such as yourselves for a task so important to the requester? This leads me to my second announcement. Upon the retrieval of the crown, I will be taking my leave of Port Nyanzaru and Chult for good. I am willing to leave as payment this tower and anything in it left behind." He smiled and sat back in his lavish chair.
"You're leaving?!" cried out Chaucer. "You can't leave, we've only just begun to share stories and knowledge." The grung frowned visibly and looked away. "We're kindred spirits…" he trailed off softly.
Kuku shook his feathered head looking from Chaucer back to Bilben. Looking at the halfling he asked, "What are you leaving Chult for? You make a big positive impact on the region with your quests and your aid." Bilben nodded softly as he sipped his wine again.
"Thank you, Chaucer. You have been a dear friend indeed." Chaucer beamed with pride. "Kuku, I am not from here and what brought me here is now gone. I would have left sooner had I not discovered the crown I seek is here." Bilben stood from his chair and paced the rug before them. "You defeated Acererak and broke the Death Curse," he said flatly, "the very curse that I and my own party failed to disrupt. I have noticed that my power granted me by Nangnang is no more. I take that to mean the spirits rest." He finished and stood still looking at the wall. "I will forever miss that bond."
Goilon stepped forward in his nobleman's clothes and red braided beard, placing a hand over his heart and saying in his soft highland accent, "We will honor this place an keep it as the bastion that it now stands as." His demeanor was respectful and principled before a smirk crept across his face under his thick mustache, "and I'm sure that Ari will be more than happy ta tend ta the garden, ain't that right, lass?" Ari smiled up big to Goilon, her eyes almost disappearing into her cheeks.
"Might have to enlarge a few things," said Samash softly in a side comment, not quite able to stand tall with the low ceilings.
Bilben laughed hearing Samash's comment. "Yes, Samash, that would be quite alright. Ari, feel free to make the garden your own in my absence. I know it will be well cared for."
"Can we turn the first floor into a tavern?!" said Chaucer bouncing excitedly. "We can have a stage where I – I mean entertainers – can perform for the room!" He looked around to his compatriots each at a time, smiling at them all.
"Let's worry about getting this crown before we start demolishing the tower here," said Kuku trying to calm down Chaucer. Ari rolled her eyes at the childlike enthusiasm of the white grung. Standing up Ari went over to Bilben and extended a thin hand to him.
"We wi take ya quest an venture ta de site ah Needle's deat. Tell mi doe, isit safe ta touch de ting ya wan us ta get? Cyan we just pick itup?" Ari asked with light reservation.
Bilben smiled. "Always thinking ahead. Yes, it should be safe to pick up. It isn't known to be a cursed item and it requires attunement so it should not activate just by having it on your person."
"Are there any special creatures or hazards we should know about before heading in?" asked Samash with concern.
"No more than the usual undead, dinosaurs, and goblins, all an easy match against you all. Needle was killed by goblins long ago so there's a strong chance there may be a tribe living nearby." Bilben sipped more wine and went on. "The Flaming Fist and Order of the Gauntlet are both out in the jungle quelling the undead force but the threat still remains. Stay alert when you are in the jungle, not like I have to tell you all." Bilben went to the window that overlooked the Market Ward. He sighed and took the last swig of wine from his glass. "I am going to miss this place," he lamented, "but I'm ready to go home."
"Then for the rest of the evening, let us make merriment to the honor of Chult and all its inhabitants," piped in Samash. "Where is the ale and wine?" he asked, clapping his hands. Bilben laughed and waved a magic hand, pitchers and jugs beginning to float in from the other room. The party smiled and all stood, taking mugs and glasses up and pouring them full with alcohol. Ari stood off to the side as she usually did during times like these, her hands clasped across her front. Tamar came over to her with a glass of wine in her hands.
"Ari, drink with us, have fun. It's our last night before our new quest," sang Tamar as she came up beside her. "And you've got a pretty dress on," she sang to the elf.
Ari shook her head politely. "Mi dun like ta have mi wits all scattered, but tank ya none de less. Mi still make merriment witcha." Just then the music kicked on as Bilben cast a quick cantrip into the air. Ari smiled at Tamar and took her hand. "Do ya wanna dance?" Tamar smiled and nodded.
The morning saw the party standing at the docks with the small wild haired halfling, looking out into the wild blue yonder while the gentle sea breeze lightly danced against their skin and through their hair. Ari found that she rather enjoyed the pleasant breeze and had rolled her sleeves up to feel more of it. Goilon had braided his beard into one thick braid that morning, leaving out his usual intricate jewelry and trinkets in preparation for the sea voyage. Kevin and Adora both sat on Tamar's furry orange shoulders, Adora stretching deeply in the warm sun.
The dock was a bustle of activity with all manner of person and cargo running back and forth along, packing ships full while others unloaded ships full of goods and materials. Rugged men called out orders as bells clanged from ships. Sailors bellowed the time urging the dockworkers to pull cargo faster so the ships could get back out to sea. One small ship among them sat quiet, small crates being loaded onto it with stacks of barrels lashed together. It was this boat that Bilben walked the party over towards, turning to address them once he reached the ramp, a tall skinny man walking down from the ship to meet them.
"This will be the first leg of your journey. This is the Silent Rudder," he said motioning back to the ship and the man approaching, "belonging to Captain Peter Dagger here." The tall skinny man came up to stand alongside Bilben and smiled gently to the party, raising a hand as a greeting. He remained silent while Bilben continued, "Rather than have you trek through the jungle I have arranged for Captain Dagger to sail you out into the Shining Sea to drop you at Kitcher's Inlet. From there you should use the whaleboat I've left with Captain Dagger to sail down the river Olung past Mezro and Ataaz Muhahah. Needle's Bones is located just north east of the avian monastery Kir Sabal, so if you see the monastery you've gone too far." Captain Dagger nodded in agreement with all that Bilben said. He looked down to Bilben to make sure he was finished to which Bilben nodded lightly. Dagger looked back to the party.
"I've got some other locations I need to hit after I've dropped you all off, so as soon as you all are ready we're prepared to set sail," the captain said to the group looking them over one by one. "We'll be back in time to pick you up from the mouth of the inlet once you're done, but we won't be mooring there the whole time you're out. While you're on my ship I'm responsible for you so that makes you a part of my crew. Please treat the rest of my crew as your own and they'll do likewise. Any questions?" He looked around the group, everyone with stoic or content expressions on their face.
"We've just had a weeklong break, Captain," said Samash, "so if it's all the same to you I think we're ready to board and get on with this." Kuku nodded in agreement while Goilon cheered "Here, here!" from the back raising his blunderbuss Big Medicine in solidarity with the half-orc.
With a nod and a pat on the shoulder to Bilben Captain Dagger extended an invitational hand towards the ramp up to the ship. "After you, my guests," he said with a smile. Gathering their packs and belongings the group filed up the ramp one by one, Chaucer excitedly bouncing out front. Ari moved unsteadily along the creaking board while Tamar darted up the ramp with cat-like grace. Chaucer didn't help Ari any by hopping along the plank ahead of her. Samash came up behind Ari and placed a guiding hand on her bare shoulder. She smiled lightly and placed her own small hand over his in thanks. Once on board she promptly sought out something stable to lean against.
"The trip should take us a little over four days, give or take depending on winds and currents," said Captain Dagger as he stepped up from the ramp behind them and onto the sailing ship. "We're going over four-hundred miles to skirt around the island to get to the inlet. I encourage you all to get comfortable and lay your things down then take some time getting familiar with the ship before we set sail." Nodding to them in finality he made his way to the captain's quarters, waving to his crew and greeting them as he made his way.
Tamar looked over to Ari with mild concern. "I take it you'll be below deck for the first leg?" Ari looked a touch queasy and hunched over slightly, her stance awkward and wide as the boat rocked back and forth in the port's waves. Ari looked pleadingly to Tamar and ever so slightly nodded her head. Tamar smiled, taking Ari by the elbow and looked over to the group, "I'm going to take Ari down below to get her settled in. I'll stay with her until she gets her sea legs and see to her needs." Samash smirked at the druids newfound vulnerability as she smiled weakly to the group and allowed Tamar to escort her down below to the crew cabins.
"Let's go ahead and download our gear then head back up here topside to get a good look around at everything," said Samash as he took charge of the remaining group. "I'm anxious to see how much of this looks like the one we rode on in astral space. Already it looks much bigger."
"Couldn't fit this in Bilben's courtyard," chimed in Chaucer. "The Yellow King knows that would be a disaster!" The grung smiled and slapped his feet against the deck making his way down below. Goilon looked to Kuku and with a faint smile said in his thick highland accent, "After all that time cooped up with ye in the tower I better have my own room this time." Kuku chuckled and shook his feathers as Goilon added, "No offence ta ye, of course, lad." Kuku, Goilon and Samash all made their way down below to pick out their cabins, the ships bell ringing out that it would depart in one hour.
Down below Ari was already lying back on a bed in the common area, Tamar at her side trying to coach her through her sudden onset of sea sickness. Her pack lie at the bed's side in between bunks with her cloak and staff resting atop. Her boots were already off and left on the floor where they'd been removed. Tamar was patting the druid's forehead with a wet cloth in an attempt to avoid clamminess from setting in. Chaucer bopped past pulling his pack off his back as he remarked to no one in particular, "All nature and elements until we're on the water it seems." Samash couldn't help but let out a light chuckle at Chaucer's comment. As Chaucer went into a nearby cabin to claim it as his own Samash went over to Tamar and Ari to check on their druid friend. Coming close he leaned over Tamar to evaluate Ari himself.
"How is she doing," he asked with a concerned tone placing a hand over her own hand that lie across her stomach. She looked up from under the cloth through squinting eyes and offered him a soft smile.
"Seems like the sea sickness hit her hard. I think this is the first time she's ever been on the ocean," replied Tamar with motherly intent.
"We haven't even left port yet," observed Samash. "Do you think this is going to get worse?" Tamar thought for a moment then darted her gaze up to Samash, her ears perking forward.
"See if the captain or one of his crew has something for sea sickness!" Tamar said excitedly. "I've heard there are herbs and potions for this sort of thing. I'd bet they've encountered passengers like this before." Samash nodded.
"Let me set my bag down and I'll go find the captain and ask about it. Sit tight. Maybe change her socks or something. I think she likes that because she's always doing that." Samash and Tamar nodded to one another as Tamar burst out in laughter. Ari peaked out from under the cloth once more and managed a response to Samash, "Mi cyan ear ya. Mi sick, no dead…dis time. Besides, itsna time ta change mi socks yet," she muttered through her queasiness.
Samash grinned and cast a glance over to Ari and Tamar as he threw his pack into the cabin adjacent to Chaucer's. "You know we love ya, kid. We'll get you feeling better." Tamar just shook her head as she quieted her laughing, pointing a clawed finger for him to head topside for a cure. Samash smiled and made his way to the stairs taking them two at a time while Tamar collected herself and went back to tending her friend. He was glad to have a family again.