Entry 3 - Ears Aren’t Colors
Finally, what a long couple of days. I’m about ready to make a nest in Norick’s library and sleep for a week.
I decided to see if I could find Elethrian, or failing that, Sen. I took to the skies, staying high enough that no bowstring-happy humans would decide to test their aim on me. I didn’t find either, instead coming across the elf who Sierra had pissed off, clear on the other side of town and about to head into the woods. I considered stopping him, but then Sen came out of nowhere and tugged on his sleeve and tried to get him to come back to where we were staying.
I tailed the two of them as they came back south, only making myself known when a trio of guards looked like they wanted to start something with them. Whether it was the even odds or them just being more unfamiliar with owlin than elves, I’m not sure, but they moved along and I guided Sen and Elethrian back to the barn.
On the way, I tried to ask Sen what sort of being they are. I wasn’t rude, of course, I just noted how ptarmagin change their plumage with the seasons to blend in, while other birds change colors to hunt more easily. I asked what sort she was and why she changed her colors; she didn’t seem to get the metaphor, and I tried to indicate her ears. “Ears aren’t colors,” she said. Fair enough. Still curious about her but she’s also proving to be exhausting.
When we got back to the barn, we regrouped with Captain McCanter. As we discussed how we might talk to the leaders of the town to ingratiate ourselves and make ourselves useful, a priestess of Helm named Lori showed up to attend to any injured who were still with us. She also inquired about peoples’ skills, so maybe she’s also thinking of how we might integrate, so it’s nice to see the will for that coming from a representative of the town itself. When she saw me, she seemed surprised, but simply said, “Your’re short,” which she also said to Drell. Far from the worst I’d come to expect here.
Sierra started to give a speech that she thought was inspirational; she seemed to get discouraged as the crowd chattered, but I waved a wing to encourage her (skies know I wasn’t going to do it). When she said something about leaving, Lori spoke up, saying that we couldn’t because of “the Curse”. She wasn’t mean, or even rude, just stating a fact supported by years of evidence - someone tries to leave, a storm shoves them back to the island or kills them outright. Sierra reassured her that we’re mages of various stripes and want to investigate, and Lori’s entire tone flipped. She asked if we were going to break the curse, Sierra hesitantly said that we intend to, and Lori, having (presumably) finished what she’d come here for, rushed out the door.
I thought that it was kind of assumed from Emris that that’s why we’re here? Then again, Lori is of the church - one of Tiergan’s people. I doubt he told them much of anything about us at all.
We spent most of the day walking around the town. It was… invigorating to see the new space, and new people, especially in the morning, but as the day wore on, that enthusiasm drained. First was the notice board - Sierra seemed to want to respond to and help every person behind a notice on it, while I just saw something about transcribing some books and someone interested in being a local guide. If we’re going to figure out anything about this island, we need a lay of the land, and either of those could help. Even if they don’t… well, books. Enough said.
The market was next. The herbalist there, Bessem Ambroise, spoke highly of the harvest festival (Festival of the Last Blade, I believe) that was coming soon, but naturally when asked when it’d be exactly he seemed confused. Damn whatever is happening with time here, there’s multiple puzzles on Merabeth and I have no idea how intertwined they are. Deeply and horribly, probably, with a couple more puzzles twined in for extra spice. Anyway, we’d know the festival will be near from the decor, apparently, and should ask Burus, who is in charge of the festival and in fact is “basically mayor”. Odd we hadn’t seen him yet. We also asked about the book scribe notice and he pointed us to Norick at the bakery.
Norick, as it turned out, is an enthusiastic gnome¹ who could sense the arcane on us. He closed up shop and brought us upstairs to his personal library.
This library, by the way, is where I intend to spend the next week not talking to anyone, doing my own research and transcribing books, and not coming back out to Merabeth’s cursed sun until I am good and ready. I somehow don’t think my compatriots will allow me to do so, but with Mielikki as my witness I will try. Maybe with more time spent in there I can figure out one that Candlekeep doesn’t have.
Norick seems to only read Common, so between me and Sierra we helped him get titles of a lot of his collection. He discarded a few of the mundane and was shocked to learn of a spellbook that Sierra found. (She was using Comprehend Languages so she doesn’t know what language it’s in, but she can read it and transcribe it, so Norick was very happy about that.)
After the books, my other interest resolved itself - stepping into the Leaky Mermaid for lunch, Erik accosted us, boasted of his worth as a guide, and said he’d be thrilled to show us around somewhere “out of this piece of shit town”.
I don’t have particular fondness for Merabeth (town), but at that point the vitriol towards it was just as exhausting as the town itself. He brought us to what seems to be his usual table, empty despite the midday crowd, then… left, rather than discuss any travel plans. Young lad, big lad, not a bright lad. But a guide’s a guide.
After lunch we headed to Burus’ house. Turns out he lives just down the road from us, in the southern part of town - what I’m coming to regard as the poorer part of town. I wonder what “basically mayor” entails with Tiergan, head of the church in the nicer, more well-kept northern part of town, being the first to respond to newcomers. We left a note at Burus’ door to speak to Sierra in the evening - she and Sen would keep staying in the Leaky Mermaid, while Glacé and I plan on staying in the barn.
Well, the barn or the library, for me. I suppose it depends on what other leads Sierra and Captain McCanter find. There’s a lot to do here (we found some evidence of foul play regarding an old woman’s missing locket, stolen by a ratkin), but aside from making people like we shipwreck survivors more, I don’t see the point. I’m here to find out why this island is untethered in space and time. Anything else is a distraction.
And of all the distractions, I’ll happily take the books. Norick will be more than happy to have me.
¹ - OOC: Rolled a nat 20 after using inspiration. Barnaby still hasn’t told his compatriots - it hasn’t occurred to him that they didn’t realize it.
