Chapter 6: X Marks the Mastew's

Morning broke over Grayben's Bay once more. Unlike the usual early morning bustle of the town however, there was instead a much quieter, melancholic feel to the atmosphere. Those that did not have to leave in order to work stayed inside, fearful of whatever attacked the town last night. The town guard, what was left of them, were clearing the fallen from the streets and figuring out who was who so that loved ones could be informed.

It was here that Garrick had found himself, assisting in the effort to line up bodies out of the way of the main street. It was a task that he was far too used to doing, he lamented. Sighing to himself as he finished gently laying down the body that he was carrying, he stood and stretched out the aches in his lower back. Looking down at the recently moved deceased, he shook his head in sadness. The girl must have seen barely sixteen summers, not even an adult.

Turning his attention back to the street in order to find another to move, his eyebrow raised when he spotted the unmistakable figure of Varus walking down the main avenue. The tall elf was making his way down the street, looking left and right at the shops either side of him. He didn't even look at the bodies of the fallen that he passed, even stepping right over one at one point with hardly a glance. Eventually, he seemed to find what he was looking for, swerving to the edge of the street and entering a store.

Garrick frowned at the display of disrespect, and turned his gaze to the store's sign. Seeing that it was a metalsmith's by the name of "Korth's Anvil", he grunted in curiosity. Abandoning his current task, Garrick walked across the street to also enter the store. He was in need of replenishing the arrows that he had used last night, after all…

Upon entering, he noticed that Varus was inspecting the racks of quivers full of arrows as well. Clearly, he was also seeking to replenish his used ammunition. Varus had seemed engrossed enough in his search that he had yet to notice Garrick's entrance, which honestly suited him just fine.

Garrick chose instead to approach the counter, where a dark-haired Dwarf was sorting through a few ingots that were lined on a shelf while humming a small tune. Garrick coughed to draw the man's attention, and the Dwarf turned to greet his customer "Why hello, welcome to Korth's Anvil. How may I, Korth, help you today?" he said in an upbeat tone.

"I am in need of some arrows please, I am running low. One quiver of twenty should suffice for now." Korth nodded before gesturing towards the section of the shop near where Varus had been browsing. "Of course, the quivers are pre-packed over there and will be one gold...Hey! What do you think you are doing!" the Dwarf shouted. Garrick turned around to see what he was referring to. Varus had a quiver of arrows in his hand that was part way through being stuffed into his satchel.

Varus simply looked up at them "What?" he said. Korth strode around the counter, looking imposing despite the huge size difference. "You haven't paid for that yet, hand over the coin before you put goods in your bag, eh?" Varus simply shrugged and threw his bag back over his shoulder, striding straight past Korth and back towards the exit, without even glancing at Garrick. "Don't see why I should, little man. Finders keepers after all."

Korth scowled and grabbed the nearest weapon hung on the shelf, a mean looking spiked mace. Before he could pursue and do some real damage however, Garrick stepped in front of him with a placating gesture "Now, we do not need to resort to violence, not after last night. I will pay for his...purchase, as well as mine."

Korth looked between Garrick and the exit, clearly debating whether to accept or simply continue with his plan for some righteous beating. "Friend of yours is he?" Korth grunted, lowering his mace. Garrick gave a strained smile. "Something like that." Korth grunted and returned the mace to the stand, returning to the counter.

"Fine, but that'll be three gold pieces, for compensation of time wasted, you understand." Garrick winced, but paid Korth the amount without complaint. Korth returned to his happier persona when taking the money, and wished Garrick well as he too, left the shop.

Outside, Garrick quickly sprinted in order to catch up to Varus, who was leisurely walking back towards the tavern. Getting in front of him, Garrick angrily shouted "What the hell was that!" Varus paused, looked to Garrick, then started to walk around him. "Oh, hey old man. I needed arrows is all, what's the problem?"

Garrick turned and started walking alongside Varus. "The problem is that you didn't pay. That's a quick way to get yourself arrested or hurt! I just had to bail you out so you didn't get a mace to the face!" Varus chuckled slightly at the mace remark, seemingly amused that it rhymed. He then responded "Eh, not my problem. I don't really care what a Dwarf thinks. Or you, for that matter"

Varus continued to walk towards the tavern, with Garrick fuming shortly behind. Clearly he would have to keep an eye on this man, lest he do something else stupid


Back at the Giggling Squid, Garrick wasn't the only early riser. Alistair had sneaked his way down the stairway, keeping himself as out of sight as possible. He poked his head into the room of the tavern proper, looking to see if any of his allies were there yet. Seeing the place empty of anyone he recognised, he sighed in relief and proceeded to sneak towards the exit of the tavern.

Keeping his eyes on the tavern at large, he backed his way out of the door and closed it behind him. Once he did, he gave a wry smile, before turning to head down the street. He had to suddenly stop himself, however, when he came face to face with Indira. Backing up quickly, he saw her tapping her foot, arms crossed and eyebrow raised. He quickly threw on a smile "Oh hey there Indira. What are you doing up so early?"

Indira gave a far too sweet smile. "Early bird gets the worm and all that. What about you? I haven't known you to get up this early in….well, since I've known you." Alistair chuckled nervously. "Oh you know, it's a lovely day and I wanted to take in the town's lovely sights before we left." he gestured to the street, his statement losing it's point due to the broken items and a few remaining bodies under blankets lying nearby.

Indira looked back to Alistair. "Right….and it would have nothing to do with you going to try to find Grayben's treasure all by yourself then huh?" Alistair lost his fake smile and slumped, sighing. "Ok, you've got me. Yes, I was going to do that. But it's something I need to do, before we go to Astor."

Indira uncrossed her hands and gave Alistair a fond look. "You know that that could be dangerous Alistair, and you'll never be able to find it in time on your own…" Alistair looked back up at her, a fire in his eyes. "You don't understand, I have to do this! It's not about the money, I couldn't care less. But if that Gaunt guy knows anything about Rog, and I have to do this to find it out? Then I'll do it!"

"...If you would let me finish," Indira chided gently, "I meant that you will not be able to do it without help." She then gestured behind him. Turning, Alistair saw Rogon and Na'ish having come out of the tavern behind him. Rogon gave him a confident smirk, while Na'ish simply nodded to him in silence. "Guys…" Alistair would deny to his dying breath that he had had a slight tear in his eye at that moment.

Na'ish and Rogon passed him and started walking up the street towards the dock. Rogon clapped him on the back as they passed "Can' leave a man hangin' can we?". Alistair turned to Indira, who was smiling at him. "...Thanks. But how did you know I was coming?" Indira simply pointed above and behind him. He turned and looked to see Peanut seated on the second floor window ledge. The window to the room, he realised, that was currently his.

Peanut gave a wave motion, before gliding down onto Indira's shoulder. Alistair followed it's progress, giving it the stink eye. As the couple turned to follow Rogon and Na'ish, Alistair muttered "Stupid sugar-rat…" before regaining his smile and walking in step with Indira.

It was not long after the four had started walking towards the docks that they saw the curious sight of Garrick and Varus, clearly disgruntled with each other yet walking side by side. Garrick was quick to notice their approach.

"Hello there friends. Good to see you up and about early, it means we can get an early start on the journey to Astor. It will take many days to get there on foot, after all." Garrick stated as he approached. Alistair gained a nervous look, "About that Garrick…"

Garrick looked to Alistair in surprise "What's wrong, surely you do not want to abandon this task? I agree with Lud, it is of utmost importance that the capital is warned." Alistair waved his hands in front of him "No, no. We still want to assist, really we do. However, something has come up that cannot wait." Garrick frowned and looked set to answer, but Alistair cut over him once more. "Look, we'll only be busy for one day. If we have not finished by tomorrow, we will leave regardless. You can go ahead, we'll catch up." Garrick paused and looked Alistair over. He seemed determined to do this, and a quick glance at the rest of the group showed equal desire to help him.

Sighing, Garrick nodded. Varus chose this moment to continue to walk right past them. "Have fun with your little playgroup people, do look after the old man won't you?" Garrick scowled at his back, seriously debating following him. He decided, however, that whatever trouble he got in was no longer his concern. Turning back to Alistair's group, he saw many frowns pointed in Varus' direction.

"Well, I suppose I can aid you in your task today then." Alistair jerked from his gaze on Varus and turned to Garrick once more. "Really? You sure?" Garrick nodded "Indeed. Many hands make light work, yes? All the better to ensure we leave for Astor in the morning."

Alistair smiled at Garrick, before turning once more to lead the group towards the Docks. Garrick fell into step with them. "So, what exactly is this task that is so important that it could not wait?" Indira skipped to his side, excitement clear in her eyes. "A treasure hunt!" she gleefully exclaimed. Garrick paused in his step "...Are you serious?"

After being more thoroughly informed of yesterday's events by the group and why exactly they were on a treasure hunt at all, Garrick conceded that this was an important task. Finding out important information about your past can often be a driving force for a person. As can trying to forget it…

It was not long before the group arrived at the entrance to the docks, everyone except Garrick marvelling at its size due to this being their first visit. "Blimey, how we gonna find anythin' here?" Rogon muttered. Alistair quickly reached into his pack for the twin pieces of parchment from Gaunt. "That's why we have these!...Lets see here...umm…"

Alistair laid one map over the other, before turning this way and that. "If that is a street...or is it a canal? Ah, this is a house...or a rock…" Garrick sighed before holding his hand out. "If I may? I have some experience with map reading." Alistair initially looked like he was going to stubbornly refuse, but a subtle prod in the back from Indira made him sigh and hand over the maps.

Garrick took a moment to look at the maps, before looking to his surroundings. Finally, he looked to the sky, appeared to orient himself based on the sun, and started to stride confidently down the docks. The rest of the group looked to each other, before hurriedly following.

Before long, Garrick stopped outside a particularly large warehouse, looked at the building and the map a few times before he rolled it up and passed it back to Alistair. "That is the building you seek. Whatever you are after ought to be in there." Garrick stated confidently.

Alistair moved forward and took a proper look at the Warehouse. It was the sort that had a large canal going directly inside, allowing ships to enter and be loaded and unloaded while under the cover of the roof. The wood the building was made of appeared old and worn, but repairs here and there showed it was still well looked after. The numerous signs scattered around doors and entrances displayed an old logo composed of crossed fishing hooks, with the name Mastew and Sons' underneath.

There were also clearly a lot of people around, even at this time of the day, all regularly entering and exiting the building carrying barrels and crates. "Right...so, here's the plan. I'll sneak in and try to find anything of interest. The rest of you stay here and…" as he turned around, he saw that none of his group had remained behind him. A quick glance around revealed that each member had split up in different directions towards the warehouse. "...or you could all go and do your own thing. Good job team." Alistair sighed before he, too, made his way towards the building.


Rogon had decided to simply walk in and take a look. It wasn't like the warehouse was particularly private, what with it's large front being completely open to allow boats entry. He would simply walk in, pretend to be a customer looking to buy wares from the ships, and find anything that seemed out of place. Simple right?

However, it was not long after his entry he realised that this wasn't really somewhere that people came to actually buy their wares. Looking to the various people milling around the warehouse dock, they all appeared to be workers of some kind. Whether they were unloading the wares, repairing the ships or carrying out some form of administrative task, all were wearing the same jacket and cap with the Mastew's logo on it, designating them as staff for the company. As a result, the large orc that was not wearing such things had garnered more than a few looks as a result.

Still, despite this nobody actively stopped his steady progress along the dock. Most just glanced and continued their work, others gave him a frown as if they were unsure why he was there. As a result, he was able to wind his way through the busy warehouse unimpeded in his search. Eventually, an area of the docks near one of the far walls caught his eye.

The area was stacked high with boxes, like much of the area. What set it apart, however, was the nook in between two such box towers. The floor was covered in pelts and carpets over the bare wooden floor of the rest of the dock. There were a few wooden chairs, all surrounding a small makeshift fire pit. Above the fire was a frame that held a metal teapot that was bubbling away. All of this combined to give the small space a homely look.

Most noticeable of all, however, was the figure of an exceptionally elderly man sitting in one of the chairs by the fire. He was wearing an old captains jacket, as well as a sailor's hat. Both appeared worn with age. White hair adorned his head, including a beard that trailed down his front. Finally, a short smoking pipe sat in his mouth which gave off the occasional puff of smoke.

Rogon took this in, then shrugged and approached the man. This seemed out of place, might as well check it out. The man was quick to notice Rogon's approach, unsurprising given his size. Unlike the other workers here, however, he did not seem perturbed by his presence.

"Well, what do we have here?" the man asked with a smile on his face, his words whistling slightly on account of a gap in his teeth. "You don't belong here sonny, what's your story?" Rogon immediately panicked at being found out so soon. "Er...I do, 'onest. Just er...forgo' me uniform today." Rogon blustered.

The man simply chuckled "And I'm this town's guardian angel. See, I like to play pretend too boy, hehe... I may be senile, but I know each and every person who works here." He then pushed a seat towards Rogon with his foot, which Rogon sheepishly sat down on. "So," the man puffed on his pipe, "What brings you to my humble warehouse?"

Rogon scratched his neck nervously. "Oh, I was just curious is all...wait, your warehouse?!" he exclaimed in shock. The man smiled to him "Well, technically my son's now, I'm long retired. Mannfred Mastew, at your service." the man stated, reaching a hand out for a shake, one Rogon happily reciprocated.

"Now, a man like you must have a few good tales to tell. I do love a good story, especially if they're one of my own! Like one time, I wrestled a giant squid with my bare...oh, wait a moment…" he said, as the teapot over the fire started to whistle as it boiled. Mannfred retrieved the pot off the fire, lifting up towards Rogon. "Tea?" he questioned, causing a large smile to blossom on Rogon's face.

"Don' mind if I do, I am a fan of tea. Make me own usin' these." Rogon said as he started rustling in his many pockets. He soon retrieved a stick of sugar cane, gesturing towards Mannfred with it, "Wanna trade? Fer' the tea?". Mannfred's eye glinted, before he grabbed the stick. He then took a large bite of the stick, chewing on it for a time. "Er...tha' wasn't quite what I..." Rogon started, before Mannfred spat out his mouthful of fibres. "No take backs!" Mannfred said, before he took another large bite and continued chewing. Rogon just shrugged "So, you were saying 'bout some stories, Mister Mastew?" he said while reaching for the tea that had been poured for him. Mannfred gained the widest smile yet, before launching into one of the many stories he had gathered while out at sea.


Na'ish had taken one look into the large doorway of the warehouse and quickly realised what Rogon had in regards to the workers. Unlike Rogon, he had chosen not to simply walk in anyway, instead sighing and moving towards the edge of the water.

Once he reached the edge of the canal, he sat down upon the ground and swung his legs over the edge for a more comfortable position. Na'ish looked out to the sea from his position, admiring the soft glinting of the waves from the early morning sun. Reaching up, he lowered his hood so he could better enjoy the sea breeze. In doing so, he revealed bronze skin that had a similar glow to Lud's. He also had a strong chin and black, mid-length hair that fell in tight curls around his face.

Soon after he had done so, he heard a soft gasp just behind him. Turning, he saw that Indira had approached him. He went to cover his head once more, but the damage had been done. He turned back towards the sea, as Indira came and sat on the dock beside him.

"So...that explains a lot" Indira spoke softly. "Is that why you were so keen to find Lud?" Na'ish paused before answering. "Yes...and also, no. I was seeking answers, mainly." Indira nodded and also turned to look to the ocean. "About what, may I ask? Perhaps we will be able to help you, as you have us." Na'ish was silent for a while, and Indira allowed him to gather his thoughts. "I don't know, I can't remember."

Indira raised an eyebrow, but Na'ish did not elaborate further, so she allowed him to remain silent. After a while, Na'ish turned to Indira once more "What of you? Forgive me, but you do not seem like the adventuring sort. How did you find your way to this town?" Indira perked up and started swinging her dangling legs. "It's so I can learn about the world! Where I come from, there are great forests and plenty of nature. However, I felt I needed to see more, and so I left on a journey. And I am learning so much so far." Na'ish tilted his head slightly. "You do this alone? That does not seem...safe".

Indira giggled before reaching into her cloak. "No silly! I had Peanut with me the whole time." she exclaimed, withdrawing her hand with the sugar-glider upon it. The rodent had apparently gone to sleep in her pocket, still snoozing even when held. Na'ish shook his head at this "As useful as he may be, he is hardly a valid defence in this world."

Indira returned Peanut to her pocket, sighing and losing her smile slightly. "I am aware, I found this out not too long into my journey. I was attacked by thugs trying to steal my things. Thankfully, Alistair was there, and he saved me! I have followed him ever since." Na'ish had a slightly confused look at this. Alistair seemed nice enough, but from what he had seen, didn't seem the type to stick his neck out for others. Still, appearances could be deceiving.

After a short silence, Indira spoke once more. "You know, you could come with us. Might find your answers, same as I am learning of the world." Na'ish looked to Indira. "We are all going together to Astor, yes?" Indira nodded vehemently "Yep! But I mean even after that."

Na'ish looked out once more. What of Godfrey? He had been hoping to meet up again, but he would have no idea where to look after Astor. Perhaps, joining up with these people would be his best bet of completing both goals. "...We shall see." he finished. Indira beamed before following Na'ish's example, and watching the waves in companionable silence.


As Garrick entered the warehouse through a side door, he immediately took in the layout of the place in order to formulate an appropriate plan. Other than the obvious central canal that allowed ships to dock, the most noticeable feature was the large storage area on the opposite side of the canal. At the back of the warehouse, a large room with many windows looked out over the canal, presumably the company's office areas.

Looking to his side, he saw something that caught his eye upon the wall to his right. Upon a cork board with various flyers and notes was a large poster. This poster had a caricature of an old sailor, complete with hat, white beard and smoking pipe, pointing out at whoever was looking at it. Below that were words that proclaimed that there were job vacancies available, and that anyone interested was to report to the foreman's office on the second floor. "Excellent. That's my way in." Garrick thought, before striding towards the metal stairs leading to the office block he had seen earlier.

When he reached the top, he was greeted with a balcony leading to an old wooden door. Said door had a plaque reading "Foreman's office" and a smaller "Clarke Mastew" underneath. Garrick knocked, and a soft "Enter." was heard from with. Inside the office was a series of messy filing cabinets lining one wall and a stack of crates similar to those downstairs to the other. Most noticeable was a large desk in the centre of the room, teetering with paperwork on both sides. In the middle behind the desk sat a middle aged man, dark hair starting to streak with grey poring over the piece of parchment held in his hands. He looked up and over his spectacles in order to take in his new visitor.

"Hello, can I help you?" The man, presumably Clarke, asked. Garrick strode to stand by the desk, standing to attention when he arrived. "I hope so. I saw that you were looking for workers, and it just so happened that I saw your poster downstairs." The man placed his papers down and looked Garrick up and down, a frown forming on his face.

"I mean no disrespect, but those posters were more aimed at the...able bodied. Not someone who is close to retirement age." Garrick frowned at this "I assure you, I still have plenty to offer. I am not afraid of hard graft, if that is your concern." Clarke paused, then sighed. He gestured to the boxes in the corner "Very well, prove you are able to lift those boxes in the corner, and we will discuss things further."

Garrick turned and walked up to the boxes. They were each around a meter square, and likely filled with goods. Crouching down, straightened his back and then lifted the box up with a small grunt of effort. Turning with it, Clarke gestured to the seat across from him. Garrick put the box down once more with a second slight grunt.

"Just some paperwork to fill out first, I'm sure you understand." Clarke stated, reaching into his desk for a new sheet of parchment. Garrick settled into the seat across from him, nodding. "First, name?" the man started, dipping a quill into a nearby inkpot. "Garrick." The man looked to him as if expecting to continue. "...Targrin" Garrick finished reluctantly. Nodding, Clarke returned his attention to the sheet.

"Prior occupation?" Garrick paused. "...Soldier." Again, Clarke looked to him, though it was apparent Garrick was adamant on not elaborating. "Place of Birth?" he continued. "Savarrah." Garrick finished, causing the man to gain a slight look of understanding, before signing the sheet he was writing on with a flourish.

"Very well," Clarke stated, before placing the sheet into his desk once more. "Welcome to Mastew and sons. If you take this note to the head longshoreman of the day, they will get you kitted up in a uniform and give you your day's tasks."

Garrick stood and took the note that was held out to him, before sketching a quick bow and walking out from the office. Once he had closed the door behind him, he paused to lean against the wall and groaned slightly. Lifting those boxes was not good for his back, dammit! Recovering, he went off to search for this "longshoreman". Hopefully, once he was in a uniform he would be able to search the place unimpeded.


Alistair's original plan of sneaking in had not changed with his allies having split up. After all, he had always planned to sneak in alone, as he felt he was the only one able to do so unnoticed with so many people about and it being broad daylight.

Thus, Alistair had found the nearest outside drainpipe, waited until the coast was clear and then shimmied his way up to the roof of the warehouse. Once here, he had quickly located a small gap that allowed him to enter the warehouse properly, and found himself perched upon one of the many large beams that held up the roof of the place.

From his high vantage point, he was quickly able to get an idea of the layout. Seeing very little of immediate interest in the main room of the building, he instead turned his attention to the many store rooms across the way. Winding his way along the beams, carefully in order to avoid any weakened ones, he made his way to the opposite side, crouched above one of the storeroom doors.

He sat there and observed for a short while, waiting until he was confident that there were no workers currently inside. Dropping down almost silently, he slipped into the room unnoticed. Once inside, he was greeted with a room full to the brim with various crates and barrels. Some empty, some full. The room, while nowhere near as large as the warehouse proper, was still a big room to search. Sighing, Alistair moved forward to start looking between the aisles of boxes, occasionally shifting some aside to get a better look.

Eventually, as he was pushing a particularly large box around, he caught a glimpse of something on the wooden floor. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be the corner of a joint belonging to a trap door in the floor. Unfortunately, there was a pile of boxes still stacked on top of it, meaning opening it was impossible. Alistair started to shift said boxes, slowly uncovering a large door around a metre and a half square set into the floor.

The door was made of a burnished dark wood, very different to the wood the floor was composed of. The edges were lined with slightly rusted metal, a large circular handle inset into the bottom. In the middle, a symbol was engraved and also highlighted with the same metal, taking the shape of a cutlass surrounded by flames. Overall, it did not look like it belonged.

Before Alistair could reach for the handle of the trapdoor, he heard the sound of a box being placed from a short ways behind him. Swiftly turning, he saw that a worker had entered the storeroom, and was standing there looking at the trapdoor, his eyes shielded by the peak of his uniform cap.

"Er...Hi. Don't mind me, I just forgot my uniform today!" Alistair panicked. The man smirked, before he lifted the hat off of his head and looked up, revealing the visage of Garrick. "I'm sure that excuse would work on anyone here, Alistair." he said sarcastically, and Alistair slumped in relief. "So, found something interesting?"

Alistair gestured to the trapdoor "You tell me. I doubt this belongs in a place such as this, especially with it having been covered up for who knows how long". Garrick grunted, moving forward to get a better look. "Yes. Well, it's a start. First we should check to make sure…" Before he could finish, Alistair had grabbed the handle and heaved, the door lifting out of it's frame and giving a loud creak. Garrick flinched slightly "Seven above, man! Don't you look before you leap? There could have been all manner of traps on there!"

Alistair, who was currently looking down the newly created gap, shrugged. "Eh, there wasn't was there? Hmmm, there doesn't appear to be a ladder, and boy is it dark down there…" Garrick approached, grabbing a nearby bit of broken box on his way. When at the edge of the door, he lit the dry bit of wood with some tinder from his pack. He then threw the fire down into the hole, the two men watching it fall for a few seconds before it impacted on some ground around 60ft down where it illuminated the remains of an old rope ladder.

"...Perhaps we should gather the others before continuing?" Garrick muttered. "Agreed" Alistair nodded, before he reached up and closed the trapdoor with a slam.


Character Profile

Name: Indira

Race: Wood Elf

Class: Warlock

Otherwordly Patron: Archfey

Indira is a young Woman that longed to see the world. Wood Elves traditionally remain within their forest homes, interacting with little else but the forest and its denizens. Wishing to sate her own curiosity, Indira set out with her friend Peanut the sugar glider. It was shortly into her journey that her naivety got her in trouble with some thugs. Alistair was nearby, and saved her from being robbed. Indira chose to follow him from that point on, resulting in the two arriving at Grayben's Bay.