The Strangling Sea: Chapter 1

Firigin's white smile disappeared the moment 'Inigo Sharpe' crossed Inidrill's lips. He glanced toward the door then back at Inidrill before coolly replying, "Inigo is dead. Been dead ever since his tower exploded in flames." He crossed his arms then asked, "Your interest in Sharpe curiously coincides with another's inquiry. Who sent you on this wild goose chase and why?"

Seeing that he wasn't shamming anyone, Firigin slumped his shoulders, "I don't know how the word got out, but you're right. The Orc Lord knows it, and if The Druid knows as well, then the whole world will soon know!" He took a deep breathe then blurted, "Inigo Sharpe isn't dead, well, not really! There, I said it. And you know what? It feels good to get it off my chest. He had been hinting to me that he had found a way to cheat death and it wasn't until his tower exploded that I believed him." He paused for a moment then leaned toward Inidrill and peered intently into her eyes, "But why are you looking for him? Or rather, why is The Druid looking for him? And why should I help you?"

Firigin looked down at the little gnome tapping on his leg and cocked his head, "Curious. Derros made of steel? I wouldn't know much about that...." He crossed his arms and tapped one of his brilliantly white eye-teeth. "Hmmm...couldn't be a simple construct, for they could easily be dealt with by swords and spells." He hopped off his stool and began pacing and muttering to himself, "The High Druid sent them to find Inigo to help with this matter...he did have a knack for making mechanical devices exceed expectations. Ha! You mean when he actually completed them! But what would he do to help this situation? Above as below? Wrecking this place? Did that blasted man help create these steel creatures, and that's why they want to find him? Curiouser and curiouser. And how are they going to find him, when no one knows where he is? A locating spell? No - if it were that simple, they wouldn't be here bothering you, now would they? Hmm...there's always the boat, but there's no guarantee it will work...or that it even still works."

He stopped his pacing and banged a fist against his forehead, "Blast! I have too many unanswered questions. My curiousity demands answers! I will be honest with you. I don't know where Inigo is. And the only way I know to find him is a boat I made....or should I say copied....or tried to copy. He had been hired to make a boat that would always find the owner - seems the mistress was worried about him dying at sea and wanted a way to always find him or his body. Anyway, after the explosion and Inigo disappeared, I made a copy of the boat, but attuned to Inigo in the hopes I could track him down. The boat never took me anywhere, so I knew he wasn't near water....or that it just didn't work. And I couldn't figure out how to adapt the magics to work on a cart. But much time has passed since then, and perhaps it does work after all and will aid you better than I."

He looked around the room, "That's all I can do to help you find him. Would you like me to show you the boat? It's just a short walk from here....but first! As you can tell," he flashed you a huge grin and waved at the dome above them, "I am especially adept at making things whiter and brighter! - I could drastically improve some of your equipment or smiles if you'd like. I'll even cut you a deal since you took care of that pesky woman for me. What do you say?"

"Ah, yes! Excellent specimens!" He grabbed a set of tongs from the workbench and delicately took Nyil's dagger. He pulled it close to his face and bared his teeth, light immediately bathing the blood-stained steel in white light. He squinted at it, twisting it around, "I dare say, you have taken very poor care of your blade, but I am sure it is not past saving." He moved to Blackstar, walking around him and tugging at the dirty suit, "Fascinatingly curious! I have never in my life seen such strange material! Where did you get it?"

He cast a dubious glance from the dagger in the tongs to Inidrill's polearm, "Clean? I'll be the judge of that, but it will be clean when I am done with it. I will absolutely enhance it! It will be marvelous, magnificent, absolutely majestic! This dagger is small enough I can be done with it tonight, that polearm in three days, and that suit! That may take a week or two.....but before you commit, let us discuss payment."

He moved to the workbench and placed the dagger on a small stand, and tapped the tongs against his leg while he stared up at the ceiling, "Hmm...payment...." he looked at them, "My...ahem...previous employers gave me an ample sum of gold in advance, so I am in no need of gold at the moment. What else might you have to offer?"

OOC: 13th Age puts very little emphasis on gold or currency, as there's usually a better story involved in other methods of payment. I'll leave it to you to decide what your character has that might be of worth. This might also be a good time to cash in on a 5 or 6 of your Icon Relationship rolls - remember that a 6 gives you a straight-up benefit, and while you get a benefit from a 5, it adds a complication of some sort.

In awe, Firigin gently took the lightning jar from Blackstar and carefully examined it, "...line both sides with silver....charge it with amber? Curious! Who knew such power could come from such a small rock! I doubt even the brilliant Sharpe would be able to replicate such a device! Imagine if I were to....." He looked up, "You have given me a wondrous gift! In exchange, I will make the improvements I promised - but if you don't want to leave your equipment here, then we will have to wait until you complete your quest."

He walked over to Jeremiah and bent over and smiled at the troll on his shield, "My imagination buzzes with the possibilities of what I could do with this!" Straightening, he answered, "I will take care of Nadda's bones. I doubt there is any residual magic imbued in them, but you never know who may have laced a spell or two through them."

Still cradling the jar in one arm, he gestured toward the stairs with the other, "Dusk is not far off - you are welcome to stay the night here, or I could take you to the boat post-haste. It is about an hour's walk from here."