JACK surrenders the pirate's amulet upon DAI's request.

The door unlatches when it is placed inside. Captain's cabin description to follow.

VIL/LOGG are on the docks outside of the ship. JACK and ZEIG are going through the lower decks. DAI is snooping around the captain's quarters.

Inside, as DAI is still concentrating on Detect Magic, he see many a thing.

There are trophies on the walls of all sorts of animals. Heads, horns, antlers, feet, many things.

There is a huge map of the southern continents on one of the walls. It looks to be on some sort of thick, soft material Knowledge (nature). In this room is also a table with many chairs. The table has what must be tens of thousands of gold and platinum pieces on it with many more scattered about it on the ground. Another door leads to a room with a large, lavish bed.

There are many personal effects of the captain, including a cabinet full of expensive-looking clothing Knowledge (local). There is a set of magical leather armor hanging on the wall of the cabin. There is also a magical longsword hanging by hooks on the wall not far from the armor.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:03, Sun 15 May 2011.

01:02, Today: ZEIG rolled 14 using 1d20+9. know history.
01:02, Today: ZEIG rolled 16 using 1d20+2. int check.

GM Edit Skill Check Result-
[Private to ZEIG:
INT check: just as DAI figured out, you quickly realize the pendant is some sort of magical key to the captain's cabin. It would stand to reason it fits in the wheel of the ship as well.
Know (hist): This is a boat. Boats have been a part of human life for as long as you have knowledge of it.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:04, Sun 15 May 2011.

Vil will follow Dai to make sure he doesn't get into any trouble.

VIL sees everything DAI does, then. LOGG stands outside on the docks, keeping watch over the pile of Bikke's belongings.

DAI smiles as he lifts the longsword off the wall, holding it over to VIL without really looking in that direction.

"You may like this...don't know what it does but, when has magically enchanted gear been bad?"

He then notes the leather armor, thinking LOGG might get some use out of it. DAI then moves to sit down in one of the chairs, lifting his legs to rest on the edge of the table.

"Wow...for the first time since we left Corneria this is looking up for us...of course much of this belongs to the town, but these are Pirates...they have loot and treasure from around the world!"

Vil takes the longsword and smiles. "Excellent."

Review of what occurred on AIM, outside of these forums:

- Bikke surrendered. JACK and Edmonds beat him to sleep, and he is now in the western city jail (since the eastern one has a hole or two in it).
- All other pirates in town have made it a point to get away, some by land, some by sea.
- The ship was searched and basically all of the town's possessions were returned to them.
- While you've not heard an exact number, all in all at least 45-50 people were killed by the pirates.
- VIL found a puzzlebox in the captain's cabin of the MARY. He deftly solved the puzzle while DAI was identifying items and ZEIG was perusing the town and selling the party's wine.
- The contents of the puzzle box have yet to be handled, other than that it is a folded up piece of material of some kind.
- The five of you received
- DAI is a completely clueless person when it comes to social graces (and he is, what with his Charisma), but was instructed by his party in his error. Further transgressions of the same nature in this town will result in the party, and DM, believing he is autistic.

Things to note:

- The White Mage Scroll Scribe is offering a 10% discount on scrolls. A boy was working the counter, not the usual proprietor.
- PETE told you to visit him at the Black Mage Scroll Scribe.


Items found:

Disarming Cutlass +1
Parrying Longsword +1
Breastplate of Easy Travel +1 - SOLD
Bikke's Pirate Hat
MARY's key
Briney Coat
Deck Boots
Shirt of Shell +1 (Shirt of Resistance)
Ring of Protect +1 (Ring of Protection)
Wand of Sleep, 12 charges, CL 6
Wand of Dia, 21 charges, CL 6

I'll be reposting the items and their effects.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:50, Mon 16 May 2011.

It is now 7:00pm. All of you are already on your way to the mayor's manor in the northwest side of town. It is slightly slow going as people are still coming out of the woodwork to thank you and meet you.


VIL, as you walk from the ship, you pull what might be some sort of fabric out of the puzzle box. It is folded many times so that it most closely matches a cube more than anything else. The smell is a little off-setting as well. On it is what appears to be a simple sketch, but with what implement you cannot tell:

There is obviously a drawing of some palm trees, some rocks, and sand dunes. The coast line is clearly discernable, but there is no indication of which direction is which. Common sense would tell you it looks like some sort of rough map. As you're reading it, a large and lavish red 'X' appears, almost assuredly magically, on the map between what looks to be a desert and a shore line.

You turn the puzzlebox over, and the pieces are still in their solved state. The box is big enough for what can now only be called a map and possibly two or three other very small items, such as jewelry or small gemstones. You, infatuated with the box and map, arrive at the mayor's house without noticing, the box still in your hand. Note: The puzzlebox was not one of the things DAI noticed inside the captain's cabin while he was using Detect Magic.


All five of you meet up outside of the mayor's house. The remaining guard from the fight near the docks is outside wearing a rather sharp linen outfit. "Glad to see you gentlemen! Edmonds will be on his way shortly I assume. The town council is inside waiting on you."

VIL quickly explains everything he's noticed about the map, as well as a rough outline of how he opened the box. He closes the box again at the end of his explanation, and the pieces on the top of the box begin to move on their own. The map is sealed inside.

After a few seconds of extremely fast switching and swapping, all of the pieces are in a jumble again.

Opening the box is an Intelligence check from this point on. It will require 25 rounds to open. The result of your Intelligence check reduces this by a 1:1 ratio to a minimum of 1 round. IE: If you have 14 Intelligence and roll a 10 on the die, the box requires 13 rounds to open (25 - 12 = 13).

VIL gains 75 EXP for opening the box. Which doesn't much matter now.
Everyone gains 50 Experience for discovering the map.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:37, Mon 16 May 2011.

Jack smiles at the guard and shakes his hand. Thanks. I never quite got your name. I'm sorry about your friends.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:46, Tue 17 May 2011.

Zeig gives a moderate bow and a big smile to the guard waiting for them.

"It might be rude to make them wait, but I'd like Edmonds to be here when we enter.  This is a result of your efforts as much as ours."

"They knew what they were getting into and I don't think they'd change anything if they had a chance to go at it again." He pauses for a moment.

"And it's BERT. Nice to formally meet you and your friends, Santa" The guard cracks a tiny hint of a smile as he opens and holds the old, thick wooden door open to the manor. The smell of bread freshly removed from an oven wafts out.

"Edmonds, I believe, is intending to show up a little later for a reason. Please go on in."
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:01, Tue 17 May 2011.

Jack grins, and goes inside.

LOGG follows everyone inside but doesn't say anything.

Zeig follows suit.

Everyone will follow JACK unless someone has anything left to ask BERT.

Despite the apparent size from the outside, the interior of the manor actually has a sort "small" feeling. There are doors and closets and hallways and stairwells all over the place. Trophy catches on the walls, driftwood sculptures, and memorial plaques and bells of ships of old decorate the walls. Indeed, the layout of the house actually makes you feel as if you're in a large vessel more than spacey mansion.

Two small girls appear from the direction of the wonderful dinner aromas, curtsy with red cheeks, then run down another hallway.

BERT hangs his head back in through the door. "Down the hall on your right. They're waiting for you in the council room before entering the dining room."
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:26, Tue 17 May 2011.

Thanks, Bert. Jack follows the instructions.

Zeig follows Jack, drawn tantalizingly to the aroma of great food.

"Now this is what I'm talking about!  Two botched attempts at staying at an inn, third time's a charm, eh?"

Jack nods. Yeah, I'm pretty hungry.

Going down the hallway reveals a long line of portraits of people. Every single one has a list of vessels the man (and in one instance an elven woman) served upon and in what position, followed by how many years they were mayor. Almost half are missing eyes, fingers, or even arms and legs, and the rendition of their form seems to accentuate this fact on purpose.

It finally opens into a room that has a 13' tall ceiling, which seems quite large by this point. About a dozen people are standing around inside. Chairs line the walls with one a little larger in the center by itself of one wall. They all turn to look at your party and begin to clap. A few whistle.

A rotund but extremely animated man steps forward "Now that ol' man Johannasan is dead I'm probably in line next--so I'll get us started." He walks closer to the group, turning so he can face everyone.

Clearing his throat, "One, who the hell are you and where did you come from? Two, thank you so very much for saving us all."
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:40, Tue 17 May 2011.

Jack is a little put off by the cursing, but replies. I'm Jack, and this is Dai, Vil, Logg and Zeig. We came here from Corneria in the hops of finding a ship.

GM Edit-
You mean Cornelia
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:51, Tue 17 May 2011.

"About that. Get that damned pirate ship out of our docks then. You can have it."

Everyone gains 250 EXP for obtaining a means of crossing the Alean sea to Elfheim.

"Cornelia, eh? We got word by black chocobo courier that they were going to rebuild the bridge. I take it that it's finished then? If so then that's fantastic news."

Yes. By the way, we passed an abandoned town on the way here. Do you have any information on why it was abandoned?

Whoops, me accents slipping

The chubby man remarks, "Only one?"

You explain that it's Rockwood and the state you found it in.

Another man speaks up, "I was born in Rockwood. Sorry to hear that. A lot of smaller villages are heading that way. A sense of fear seems to pierce everything this day and age."