The Ship Roggan

Mary,

I am not sure how to explain this but, remember the lizard man that was accompanying us in Llorn? Well some weeks later he merged his soul into a titan of a golem and then, well, he is now the ship Matilda (I guess that I could call it the ship Roggan). See, shortly after our encounter with Wisdom (nice place by the way) we shuffled off to Y’Oda, home of the Library of Bletherad to get some information about some things (mainly Osiris). Oh did I forget to tell you we have a Minotaur? Yea. Anyway, remember him, even with the rule to leave our prejudice at the door, I thought that there would be problems with the Minotaur at the library. Not so. The patrons just gave odd looks and some of horror but not a finger was raised to the horned friend.

When we arrived there was a strange Imp that pointed at us and began barking at us that his master was going to get revenge for what we had done to him and the Glaive. The guy ranted for at least five minutes before disappearing. I didn’t pay it much attention as he was saying that we would rule the day that we blah blah blah… and victory will be mine… blah blah blah… Then after his rant he disappeared. I have to admit I stood there for a minute not sure what to say before we continued towards the building.The whole team was given paid admittance (as we all paid for entrance) but because our Minotaur friend was a fountain of knowledge (he opened his big mouth at the door), he was whisked away to who knows where. I didn’t care much for where he went as he was with monks, so I am certain that it was alright. Myself, I hooked up with an old friend and found him deep in the catacombs of the library talking to a human friend he addressed as Thomas.

The Wolfen introduced us and then Thomas in his excitement of learning who I was dismissed himself in a hurry like either he had to use the latrine or his pants suddenly caught fire because I could not get the guy to stay. My friend told me that he had other matters to attend but that he would meet me at the old hang out Auntie Em’s.

After spending a couple of hours reading dusty books, scrolls and pamphlets I headed to the bar only to find out that my Wolfen friend Rrggrllaph who has inadvertently decided that something or someone was more important than an old drinking buddy who is in town only once a year. Anyway I found someone to drink with so it wasn’t a total loss. Though I am a Dwarven ale kind of guy, I found out that raspberry wine has a nice flavor, especially the Eastern Territory raspberries.

Sorry got distracted there. Sometime when the sun was about to rise I retired back to the ship still wondering why the Wolfen failed to show. When I got to the ship I discovered that the others were there save Xerx’ses and that he had not been seen all day since he went into the library. I was not sure if there was sleeping quarters for guests so I was a little worried. It went on like this for two more days until he emerged. As it turned out Malkin and Rrggrllaph had been interviewing him about some things that he said at the entrance of the library. I assumed that the Minotaur was a scholar as I had not seen him do much else and that his knowledge of the area would be quite useful. Imagine us with a scholar monk?

Other things were discovered by Gavin and there was a fight of words over what Xerx’ses called the ‘War of the Fair and Strong’ because Quixis and when he left Terrimore and Gavin followed. This gave us limited time to find out truly why the Minotaur was chosen. A few words were exchanged and when Quicksus calmed himself, apologies were exchanged and we were off.

I love being on the water. The gentle rocking is soothing. Sometimes when the sky is clear you can see the constellations of the gods. For a moment I figure that we are safe away from the hustle and bustle of day to day life and not having to deal with Cava’s kind. Mary I tend to agree with you that humans cannot be trusted most of the time but Cava has proved himself again and again. There is a human here and there that I trust but on the whole those with big egos ruin it for the rest of them. I would include Elves in this but Elves have been kind to me (I wonder how dad feels about it) or Grandma in Northolme. I grew up around Dwarves and never encountered Elves except as traveling merchants and because I had such a distant view of them I had made no assumption but then I served on the Redbeard with a few and gained a true taste for them (Keeper and Kat Kall I will find you). They are ok. Though Keeper would not let me near him and who would go near an assassin, Kat Kall had a love hate relationship with me as she loved the way I captained but hated that I was a Dwarf. It became a game to us to make a call at each other “That was an ugly thing you did Elf” and “You’re getting slow Dwarf”. It seems that she was the only one who was allowed by me to get away with that. Everyone else was ‘Captain’ this and ‘Sir’ that. Few would call me Overkill without addressing my title. I have to admit that when I went by Merd those few weeks off the ship I missed the respect that the title Captain came with.

But I digress. Let me get to the story that is the most heart breaking. While we faced pirates and creatures of the deep, it was this one time that is the most heart breaking. The night was not heard. The waves were gentle, and the sky clear. I could see the constellations. I actually was enjoying the night until the ship shifted hard and the push almost launched all of us off the boat. Those underneath came racing up telling us of some thumping (banging?). These creatures were organized and we just got the ship fixed in Haven; thousands were spent and now the ship was going to sink. Xer’ses slid off the side of the ship and Quixis dived in after him. The second blow (or was it the third?) sent me and Gavin overboard. I activated my ring of Swim as a Fish as I was determined not to lose the ship. Roggen was tied to the mast and Cava was in the crow’s nest.

I was certain that these creatures were going to drowned us as I was sure that my ring was not going to hold out and the magic of the other guys wasn’t either. It was then that the story changed. The iron golem disappeared and the ship started to heal. The team started to act fast and within a minute of exhaustion, we saved the now sinking ship. We made it to the Fenery Islands, the ship broken. As much as Roggen told me he was alive, I could not believe it. A ring appeared around the ship but I still could not stop thinking that the man sacrificed his life to save us all. Mary, he will be the only Earth Warlock on earth that will never touch the precious soil that had been such an intricate part of his life.

Overkill.
Written by Overkill on the 23s of Selectra the 1st year of King

Minischmee.

Picture from www.d20rd.org