It would be best to stay well away from the that local...
I, your Lord Mr. Bojangles have arrived! Somehow I've managed to show up just in time to witness my good friend Iolo speaking with a local who appears to be having some personal issues probably pertaining to the local water.
It would be best to stay well away from the that local...
After speaking to Petre the local, the town mayor Finnigan who doesn't seem to believe that I could possibly be the Avatar (...Finnigan must pay for his insolence!) decides to immediately make me the lead detective in some murder that has occured in the stables of Trinsic.
Finnigan, the pompous fool!
Suddenly my mood changes from annoyed to interested when the topic of a reward comes out of Mayor Finnigans mouth. Surely this detective work must be worthwhile if a reward is in it, so I decide I will accept the mayor's proposal to investigate the murder in the stable.
I'm asked to interrogate Petre the local with the bowel problems as to what exactly has happened. He quickly relates his story about finding Inamo the Gargoyle (lovely... already have to deal with redskins) and Christopher the apparent stable owner. Wonderful I think, a double homicide! I'm beginning to like this detective stuff already. The mayor again interjects (this man will surly pay one day) and asks if I have viewed the stables yet? I tell him no and begin my investigation of the stables and this is what I found...
Dhamer would be proud
What a lovely scene of well executed machinations! Clearly we have some kind of ritualistic murder with poor Christopher having been diced into several pieces and the vile redskin Inamo taking it in the gut against the wall, I can't really complain about that one but I do have a job to do. I suddenly realize I'm contaiminating the scene, and quickly make the best of it. I steal the key, the bag and gargoyle jewelry (the reward plus selling this stuff off will make this ridiculous appointment all the more worth it!). I also spot a bucket full of Christopher's blood, for a second I tried to remember if I somehow had performed this work of art, quickly dismissed it and took the blood for my own devious experiments later.
The bag only contained a few pieces of gold and a loaf of the redskins bread, I'll pass that off to Iolo when he's not looking. I left the stable and couln't spot Mayor Finnigan, the bastard must have run off expecting me to chase him down to report my findings. To hell with him! I'll interrogate Petre once more to assert my power over him.
The little maggot immediately questions my being the Avatar! (What is it with these people?!) Holding back from pulling out my dagger I calmly affirmed his ignorance. Quickly respect is restored as he refers to me as his Lord, good man (Petre might make a good underling in the future..). I soon find out Petre is actually the stable caretaker, which immediatly makes him the prime suspect! He continues to dramatize the entire situation which makes me think all the more that this fool must have done it and is only looking for attention. He informs me that Christopher made horse shoes for the stable horses and Inamo was essentially equivalent to the spiks from my world. Petre tries to tell me that Inamo was in the wrong place at the wrong time as I say a silent quick prayer of thankfullness for eradicating another redskin. Lastly I learn that Petre might be useful later as he can sell me a horse and carraige for 60 gold, of which I clearly can't afford right now.
The Usual Suspects
After the first interrogation, I think about the first order of business.... to leave this wretched city! I notice the gate is currently down and begin to pick a conversation with Johnson the Guard. Perhaps he knows something of the murder as well considering his post RIGHT NEXT to the murder scene. I quickly learn that he is the morning shift for his worthless job. Gilberto was present during the murder but is said to have been knocked out cold, what the hell kind of guard is that?! Anyway, I'll have to follow up speaking with Gilberto later. Johnson is proving to be an invaluable source of information just not any good information. I learn that by order of that ass Finnigan nobody may enter or leave Trinsic until this whole murder situation is resolved! (Finnigan is quickly growing on my bad side!!) The one interesting bit of information Johnson has for me is that I can buy a ship if I want from Gargan the Shipwright, unfortunately I probably don't have enough money... yet.
In a vain attempt to leave Trinsic I try to open the gate myself with the winch nearby, but Johnson jumps into action to demand I know Finnigan's stupid password! Ah to hell with it, I guess I'm stuck here till I figure out who killed Christopher. I've declared the murder as a single homicide as the redskin Inamo isn't really a loss to society from what I'm hearing.
Next I read the sign of a local building and quickly found out I couldn't understand it, this blasted world speaks English but they can't write it! After dechipering the ancient runes I found it to read "The Honorable Hound". Intrigued by the name and the possibility of a lead on this investigation I entered the premises. It was a small restaurant and inn as I had suspected! Feeling hungry I decided to stay a while. I viewed the registration book of the establishment and didn't see any names that meant anything to me, although Iolo wouldn't shut up about a signature from some 'Janna'. The old bastard is probably losing it I thought. My stomach was grumbling at this point and I had to get a bite to eat so I decided to try my luck with the barmaid.
I found out soon the woman's name was Apollonia, such a distasteful name for such a lovely lady. She certaintly had multiple assets but for now I was only concerned with getting some food, I decided to attempt to flirt with her to get her to pick up the tab. Before I had a chance she had already initiated with flirtatious speech and body language (this should be easy!). After tossing out a simple but blunt bit about me and her and a bed, she quickly blushed. I had this meal in the bag! This wench!! All that teasing and for nothing! The harlot was only interested in making money! On top of it she pushes me to purchase some Silverleaf dish which I find out is 30 gold a helping! Again, holding my anger back I settle for a simple dish, remembering Iolo can have Inamo's bread.
After fishing for dead Inamo's bread, I realize I hadn't even checked my bags since arriving! I found an apple, more bread and some ale! I had Iolo search his bag as well and he produced a bottle of wine, even more bread and a nice cut of steak! To hell with this tramp! Iolo and I sat at a table and ate our fill of our foodstuffs, I demanded Iolo's steak the old man hadn't a chance. He would have Inamo's bread like it or not.
Eat your defiled redskin bread Iolo or no wine for you!
When I wasn't looking Iolo swiped my Ale, which would have had devistating effects on his health had I not become full from the steak. We then investigated the remaining contents of our bags. I found I had a cloth map of the world, ten gold pieces a torch stinking of oil and three lockpicks. Iolo had sixteen pieces of gold an abacus, clearly he was a buisnessman! I then decided to strike up a conversation with my good friend, I couldn't remember anything about him. I learned that Finnigan was a good friend of Iolo's, I'd have to put a stop to that. He also mentioned I have other friends, a Shamino and Dupre. He told me Shamino is shacked up with some actress tramp aways North in Britain (perhaps I can steal some action myself...). Dupre apparently is in some city known as Jhelom and was recently Knighted by this Lord British character. Apparently this Lord British knows me, but I can't remember him at all, but with a name like that, I hear gold. It seems as if I was last here 200 years ago! Perhaps thats why i can't remember. Ah well, Iolo is proving to be useful so far. I finally inquired as to what Iolo knew about the murder and all I got was some piss party for poor Inamo the Gargoyle. Why Iolo cares about the redskins I don't know but I will not tolerate it! I ignored his concern for the gargoyle and was further horrified to hear they are intermingling with humans! How atrocious! Apparently there's an island full of the vagrants to the South, I'll have to avoid it if I can. After catching up with Iolo we decided to leave The Honorable Hound and investigate this murder further.
Your blind, deaf and dumb... follow me!
The next point of interest for Iolo and I was "Fellowship Hall", just a little ways from the stable and Honorable Hound. I immediately reconized this as some place of worship and after reading a book near the door judged this whole thing to be a waste of my time. My guess from the book is someone named Batlin runs this church and is probably trying to filch the city through religious reasons, which I kind of admire. I'll have to follow up on this Batlin fellow as he too probably has lots of gold! As was becoming routine already I decided to pick the minister's brain for any leads on the murder investigation.
This man I liked, he immediately recongized me as the Avatar, if it weren't for his porkish face, I might actually have treated him with some respect. Unfortunately, I found out this was not the Batlin I was hoping for but instead Klog who runs a branch of this Fellowship organization (Wonderful! Batlin must have even more money!). The homely woman I saw upon entering the hall I found out was Klog's wife, Ellen. He invited me to one of his meetings which are held nightly at nine.... probably too early to have heard the murder take place, damn. After boring me with his psychobable about the Fellowship's philosophies the little fat man asked me to join to which I abruptly declined. Klog continued on and I found out Ellen was actually this branch's bookkeeper, she must keep track of the money! Finally I pushed him about the murder and learned Klog knew a thing or two! Apparently he and Christopher had words a week prior about Christopher leaving the Fellowship and verbally assaulting Klog (mark one for Christopher!) in front of his friends, apparently more followers of the Fellowship named Abraham and Elizabeth. Unfortunately they left for Britain soon after. Klog's last words were about what a pity it was for Inamo to get killed... seriously something has to be done about this compassion for the stupid gargoyle!!!
This was beginning to get interesting, apparently just days prior to the murder, Christopher had words with Klog, then ends up dead... connection? I think so!
The Usual Suspects
Ellen was a real piece of work, fat ugly and braindead. She basically reiterated everything Klog had told me about the Fellowship word for word and also pressed me to join! I showed her my disdain for her actions and bluntly questioned her about the murder and all she could say in her husband's defense was that they were home the whole night.
After wrapping up my interrogations of the Fellowship weirdo's I eyed two bags near the book by the door and a curiously sealed box towards the back of the hall, wrapped with some kind of seal. Surely the branch funds must be held in that strongbox! I'd have to visit the hall at a more opportune time... I also took a quick peek in each of the bags and found a full one-hundred pieces of gold in one of them and two rings in the other! A veritable gold mine! The joint was cased and Iolo and I moved on.
We moved North from the Fellowship and found the shipwright, Gargan I assumed. I quickly cased the joint and was amazed to find a solid bar of gold in one of the chests! Trinsic really was becoming a gold mine. Unfortunately Gargan was keeping a close eye on his shop. So I decided to put him on the spot. I soon found out this man wasn't too bad, just an old salt. To purchase his ship the "Scaly Eel" it would cost me six-hundred gold! Clearly I wasn't going to attain that amount of gold anytime soon, though things were looking up as soon as nighttime rolled around. He also mentioned about a Owen of Minoc who is a master ship builder, perhaps I'd be best getting a ship from him instead. As luck would have it Gargan knows nothing about the murder.
We continued further along the road and veered South towards some water fountains. Like an idiot I took a swig of the fountain water and found myself sick to my stomach! Apparently the water here really was bad! I slowly walked into the building and reconized it must be the town hall, then I saw Finnigan lounging in a chair in an antichamber! After dealing with the locals idiocy, the barmaid's teasings and the Fellowships rantings, only to be topped off by drinking poisoned water, I had had it! Finnigan would take my wrath!
Nice and easy...
I forgot about the guards. I was able to quickly dispatch Finnigan with Iolo's help but somehow the guardsmen found out and quickly took me down. Through some kind of magic, instead of dying, I found myself right where I was standing before lunging into Finnigan. I took this as some kind of saving grace and decided against attempting it again, besides my wrath had now subsided.
I am your new Mayor!
Iolo you fool! Attack them!
I decided to speak with Finnigan as he had originally requested, the very least it could do is grant me the damn password to leave Trinsic. My only disappointment was I hadn't yet found the murderer and could not collect my reward yet. Without as much as a friendly 'hello' he began interrogating me as to the status of my investigation! I told him I found a key after which he told me to track down Christopher's son who might know what it goes too... this could be promising. I then prodded for the damn password after which he started going through a list of questions I simply did not know the answer too.... TO HELL WITH FINNIGAN! I will have my revenge, this man will die! Calm yourself... breath in... and out.... ahh yess. Okay next Finnigan told me a murder like this had actually occurred four years prior in the capital city of Britain. Cool!! A serial murderer! Definitly big time rewards! I learned a little more about Christopher being a blacksmith and having a son named Spark. Furthermore dumbass Inamo seems to be an illegal immigrant from the isle of flaming redskins as I suspected. Lastly he told me to speak with Gilberto (one step ahead of you!!) at Chantu the Healer's place.
Upon leaving the apparent law drafting room of the Trinsic town hall, I noticed a strange inconsistancy with the main hall. Feeling as though Finnigan was probably all caught up in his drafting up his bill of, "Underwater Scavenging and Cricket Playing" I decided to investigate my surroundings. My intuition paid off as I managed to reveal two hidden doors made to look like the surrounding walls. I quickly found myself in the presence of Mayor Finnigan's personal office... deviance abruptly took over. I began searching through his desk, books and papers for anything of use. In a long chest in the corner I found what I had been hoping for...
Finnigan won't be missing any of these...
The chest contained a fine sword that would easily replace the meager dagger I'd been carrying since arriving and the fourty-six gold pieces would bring my coffers to a healthy level for the time being. I also spotted an unrolled parchment on the desk. Upon closer inspection I noticed this parchment to be a legal document binding a 'horse and carriage' to an owner. I quickly rolled the document up and stashed it in my bag, perhaps it would suffice as ownership of the horse and carriage Petre had mentioned.
Feeling as though enough damage had been dealt to Finnigan for at least a few hours, Iolo and I decided we'd continue South in hopes of finding Christopher's son Spark and the knocked out guardsman Gilberto. Aftering following Widows Walk for a few minutes we happened upon the healer Chantu's establishment. The man looked like a madman his hair was disheveled, his clothes looked as rags and he was running around frantically for no apparent reason. Clearly a possible rival for my future visions of Trinsic, I'd have to tread lightly with the healer.
The bastard was stonewalling me, I could tell immediately. He couldn't seem to tell me anything other than he was a master of healing and curing people and even tried to push his services on me! I coulndn't get anything about the murder beyond 'poor Christopher', yeah, my heart is bleeding, why don't you heal that?! I'd have to keep a keen eye on Chantu, he was clearly a rival now. Off in the corner I noticed a lone guard recovering from some kind of head trauma so I assumed this was Gilberto and questioned him...
Gilberto proved to be one of the most valuable witness with regards to this whole murder investigation. He claimed while on guard duty to being knocked out and remembers a ship, 'The Crown Jewel' being docked during his watch and when Johnson the morning guard woke him, the ship was gone. He believes this ship was scheduled sail to Britain. Now I'm wondering if perhaps the attackers may have been aboard that ship... maybe Finnigan would release me if he found out the murderers were wreaking havoc in Britain! Anyway, Gilberto told me that Gargan might know more of the 'Crown Jewel' so I'll have to catch back up with the old man. The last important bit of information I noticed from Gilberto was he mentioned 'attackers', which is clearly pointing to multiple attackers.
Futher thinking about the current state of the investigation I was beginning to formulate in my mind that this whole situation might actually be some kind of conspiracy, we have at least two attackers, butchering a man in a ritualistic fashion and also the possibility of a serial pattern with the same such occurance in Britain just four years prior. It was becoming all to clear to me that this investigation was going to last a lot longer than I thought and the truth was clearly beyond the walls of Trinsic.
After thinking about the current situation, I decided to prod the other injured folks in the Chantu's establishment. All they seemed to relate to me was various fits of pain they were having and a trail of incosistant wailing and ramblings annoying to say the least. I then decided to thumb through Chantu's various books on healing, one imparticular caught my attention as it had to do with the identification of the various brews of potion in the land. If it weren't for all the witness, as injured as they all were, I'd have swiped the thing for later reference. Instead however I quickly noted at the very least that it was the green potions I might most be interested in as they were poison!
From Chantu's we moved North as the South side of Trinsic seemed filled with residential homes. We encountered another place of business that I rightly guessed to be the local provisioner and arms dealer. Dell was his name and weapons and armor were his game. He was quite rude from the beginning but I calmed myself as I knew an arms dealer could be a valuable asset in the overthrowing of a small seaside town. I was disappointed to find out he was in league with the foolish Fellowship but I ignored it as best I could. Just like all the other Fellowship freaks, Dell began rattling off EXACTLY what Ellen and Klog had told me, word for word! This was beging to sound like a damn cult! As much as I hated it, it seemed somebody else had beaten me to it. Furthermore this ass Dell began demanding I get out of his face if I didn't buy something! Even Iolo couldn't stand Dell's lack of respect mentioning something about this fools poor atitude. I took that as challange and quickly made up my mind to boldly remove something from his shop with his knowing, this man would learn respect! He had a rather large shield leaning against a shelf, seeing as it was probably the largest item in the current room and would become a most obvious theft, I targeted it...
Look bastard, I'm taking this, now stand there and watch!
I stared at Dell the entire time and slowely took the steel buckler and equipped it right in front of him. He said nothing and did nothing, Dell had at that moment learned what respect was. I exited his establishment and quickly took note of a backroom filled with a lot of stock. I certaintly didn't have anywhere to house that many goods, but would return when I had. I believed Dell had used the same trick as Finnigan and had simply installed a fake looking wall that was in fact a door, I would return.
Iolo and I continued, this time we made to a small establishment owned by a Markus. We learned this was a local combat trainer, very useful. I learned his fees were quite steep at twenty gold per lesson, but then again, his experience was invaluable I was sure. Since we had not the time nor funds I decided against any training at this point. I then asked about the murder to which Markus knew nothing and bid him farewell. At this point a young black haired beauty came running into Markus' shop, cackling something about the damned Fellowship. Her name was Caroline and I was dismayed to find out this little hussy was a damned Fellowship recruiter trying to bring me into the cult no doubt with her 'womanly charms'. Although I denied her attempts she still invited me to the Fellowship meeting at 9pm later that evening. This pyscho wench couldn't relate anything useful about the murder except to reiterate what Klog had said of Christopher being a Fellowship member (although she left out the fact that he wanted out..... I cannot imagine why.....).
Right next to Markus' shop was a small two-story home. Curious as this was the only two-story structure we'd seen since arriving we investigated. Upon entering we saw some kind of juvenile yelling match between a bright green parrot and a small child, something about the bird being ugly from the child's point of view and the inccessant squaking of the bird's right to believe it was anything but. I stopped the verbal melee and met the boy in conversation. He had been crying but poised himself and also slowly made me aware of the sling in his hands. Good young chap, would be a valuable asset I thought to myself. He asked me who I was to which I replied that was would be called Mr. Bojangles. He seemed smug and inquired to why I was so important to which Iolo interdicted and made known to the boy that I was in fact the Avatar. Iolo having asserted my power over the boy, the boy who I found out to in fact be Christopher's son Spark fell respectfully in line. I was beginning to respect the boy as I questioned him further.
I learned the poor boy was now an orphen. He was used to working with his father learning the ways of a blacksmith until Christopher was murdered overnight. Spark also felt concerned with Inamo which I could understand as young and ignorant as he was. He told me while sleeping last night he had a dream that was eerily similar to the actual events of the murder. His nightmare relayed a vision of a red-faced man (clearly a wretched gargoyle phantasm) peering down onto the world and seeing his father Christopher. The poor boy had then woken up and ran to find his father. He went to the stable just in time to see what he described as a man and a wingless gargoyle running fast from behind the stable towards the docks (the Crown Jewel perhaps?). This boy was outstanding with the detail in which he remembered what he saw. He said the man who was running had a hook for a right hand. The gargoyle he understandably admitted he couldn't tell one gargoyle from another to which I smiled (who can?!). Immediately the boy cannot hold back and in the presence of Mr. Bojangles the Avatar tells me he is exceptional with a slingshot and wishes to join me to avenge his father. Having witnessed the boys respect and exceptional combat and analysis skills I decided to accept. He might make a great thief after all.
The Usual Suspects
I continued the interrogation of my new protege Spark. He told me that he wonders if the Fellowship is involved because last week Klog and two friends had come to their house and had an argument with Christopher, which Klog earlier admitted. Little Spark was unaware that the argument was about Christopher's decision to leave the Fellowship. I finally made mention of the key I plucked from his father's corpse and he told me it was to a chest, my eyes lit up knowing that, that chest was now mine! I also remembered the bucket of his father's blood I was carrying around with me, I must remember to not let Spark know of what it was, it would surly have some sour effect on him if he knew.
Having Spark now part of the party I decided Christopher's previous residence would now be mine. We moved upstairs and spotted the chest Spark had mentioned. After using the key I found a personal fortune. A pile of one-hundred gold coins met my attention first and found their way into my bag, Spark didn't seem to mind or care, he was on my side now for sure. A small note was also included, mentioning something about payment and making a delivery, perhaps Christopher was into something that went sour. The last thing in the chest was a Fellowship medallion, after thinking a bit I decided to wear it thinking maybe the Fellowship fools would quit bothering me to join if they though I already did! We then went back downstairs and in a moment of complete lunacy I took a gavel I found nearby and hit the green parrot over the head with it. Amazingly when I came back to reality I noticed I didn't kill the bird and the bird was rambling about a treasure at 169 South and 28 East. I still cannot fathom what made me do that but I know that I must follow up on that tip when time allows.
It began raining and I quickly had everyone run to Mayor Finnigan's, I figured I must have questioned most everyone in the city and perhaps Finnigan would finally release me to investigate further. I relayed all the relevant information to Finnigan about the man with the hook, the Crown Jewel and the Fellowship, he finally took that with open arms, paid me a handsome sum of one-hundred gold and then I asked for the password. As if I hadn't done enough to help this idiot he begins questioning me about this world I know so little about!! Feeling as though this was my last attempt at freeing myself from Trinsic I answered his questions without concern to their correctness. It was basic geographical information which I was able to glean from the map I found in my pack. With that Finnigan FINALLY told me he trusted me (that's it.. this man dies, there will be another murder in Trinsic at 11pm!). He told me the password to leave Trinsic was 'Blakbird' how utterly ridiculous, I'm suprised it wasn't his name!
With that I finally felt free and had time to contemplate why I was even here in this foreign world, why I was thrust into this investigation. I knew a few details, I knew I was the Avatar and I knew the Avatar was a very important figure on this world. I knew there was a Lord British the ruler of the kingdom I was in. I also vaguely remembered the names, Trinsic, Britain, Minoc and Skara Brae as names of towns within this world. I couldn't remember much beyond names however. Above all I felt I knew this world and should be in this world but that at the same time I felt I was far away from home. It seemed as if I had been in this land... this land I knew to be called Britannia many times before, but what had I done and why was I here again? I couldn't answer these questions and hoped they would come to me as time went on. Until then, I would plot...