A few days (10/12 – 10/17) had passed since Tienarth’s Raiders returned from their initial attempt at fetching the pendant for Peran the Jeweler. Over these days, Nate’s encounter with Arianna buzzed around their thoughts, at first a mere gnat, then growing into a real problem. Six days later, Jerker gathered most of the party together on The Garlic Frog, away from those who might overhear, to discuss his many theories about Arianna, Silverfish, and many of the other strange signs appearing in their adventures over the previous years.
He presented a stack of notes, explaining they compiled a collection of revelations. He likened the experience to noticing a sole pest crawl under a stone, and when the stone is overturned, innumerable bugs scatter under the sudden sunlight. For more than an hour, they listened patiently as he recounted the times of dreams that drove them back to Doukreg, leading to a year of exploring tunnels under the ruined dwarven city, culminating in the discovery of Arianna. He noted the complicated device used to release her from the capsule which used six stones of different colors. He wondered about Arianna leading them swiftly from their home, over the sea, in a desperate quest meant to prevent a vague catastrophe.
He also noted many strange events related to the number six. There was a waterlogged book recovered from the tower on the Naked Isle that bore six eyes on its cover. There was the aberrant frog sacrificed by the druids that had six legs and died screaming as green goo poured from its body. Finally, the idea that Arianna, a self-described superior being, a goddess perhaps, was caught unaware by Nate, hurriedly concealing that she was eating frog, was the the culmination of myriad suspicions. He described these and many more, then turned the rest of them for analysis.
Urgesh seemed convinced, noting he never trusted Arianna. Distrust was also directed at Silverfish, Zhargrave and even the empire. Ollie began to follow along but wondered if there were any action they might take. It seemed like they were trapped by fate to follow the wishes of powerful beings. They noted the holy words of angels and the visions seem by Hocuspo during his resurrection. As the sun sank beneath the waves to the west, they disembarked to find Silverfish in Osrendell’s one tavern, an establishment that needed no moniker. It was called the tavern because it was the only place where the thousand residents could relax with a tankard of ale.
They found Silverfish at a table with two elf maidens in traditional attire. That is to say, wearing not clothes at all. They were sharing drinks, and the smile on the old man’s face indicated they’d been enjoying themselves for some time. He greeted the warmly, eager to engage in stimulating conversation as always. Ollie began with several questions.
Silverfish explained that Carrasthinian, Hestrin and Morstregal were well-known figures once. Carrasthinian was once great wizard who ultimately found a way to become undead. Before that, he’d wrested control of his island from a cult, destroyed their temple and built his tower on the cliffs over the southern shore. Hestrin was known as a wealthy merchant who built a luxurious retreat on another island. And Morstregal was known to be a criminal banished to the Island of Lonesome Shoulders. To this day, Sailors know to avoid that island where numerous shipwrecks slumber, nestled among the reefs. Going ashore there is known as certain death.
He described his knowledge of Arianna as more academic rather than personal, a subject taught in school. He grew up considering her a goddess of sorts, and as he headed into the world, he was in her presence a number of times. Jerker probed further about how the two of them related in time, pointing out Arianna’s claim to be from the distant past. Silverfish didn’t provide his exact age but stated he was certainly not millions of years old himself. Of Arianna’s age or origin, he could not speak, but it presented a mystery considering she seemed to have been in the capsule for a considerable time yet Silverfish claimed to have seen her during that time.
Ollie asked about constellations, about which Silverfish knew little but mused that perhaps he should pay more attention to the stars. The dwarf asked Silverfish to report back if he noticed anything unusual in the sky.
Urgesh spread the tapestry across several tables. Silverfish remarked on the subject of the tapestry, Carrasthinian himself while in the prime of life, notably handsome. He also pointed out outlines of four islands with runes below them. Silverfish produced his lens, running it over the runes, turning them into the common language (or so it appeared). Each island was named: Isle of Hestrin, Isle of Lonesome Shoulders, Carrasthinian’s Isle, and the Isle of the Sentinel. The runes also made
Jerker continued his line of questions relating Silverfish to Arianna. Were they same race? Silverfish responded with a typical musing soliloquy about the meaning of race. He surmised they were all of one race in a meaningful way, not just he and Arianna but all of the humans, dwarves and elves. In another sense, they were different, in the way a race of cobblers were different from a race of fishermen. Arianna was clearly exceptional, a goddess perhaps, and could be considered a different race. And on the point of misaligned time, Silverfish pointed to the elasticity of time when it came to other realms, such as the realm of Haderax. Tienarth and Ferris recalled how time passed slowly there as it sped by in their native reality.
Asked about a six-eyed beast, Silverfish had little to say. He claimed to be ignorant of zoology. He offhandedly asked, “don’t spiders have six eyes?”
About his interactions with Arianna, Silverfish said he trusts her, as he was taught to. He respected her as a powerful being. He didn’t talk to her often nor sought her out. He merely came when she called upon him, as he did when he relayed her impatient mood to the Raiders in months past.
End Notes
- Days
- 10/12 – 10/17 Downtime
- 10/18 – Talking to Silverfish
- Treasure: none
- Combat: none
- Characters
- Elaria
- Ferris
- Hocuspo
- Jerker 6000 xp for game enhancing activity (notes)
- Nate
- Ollie
- Tienarth
- Urgesh 7500 xp for game enhancing activity (island map)