Port Appulsus

It was very late in the day, with a clear sky, several stars, a bright moon, and no wind coming off the water, when we were able to book passage on a boat heading to Evershard Isle. Before boarding, Willow and I were required to hand in our weapons in exchange for tickets with markings on them. I assume we will return these tickets at the end of the journey, to retrieve our weapons, but I must admit that I do not feel at ease without my bow on my back, particularly amongst so many other unknown people, and heading into a foreign area. I put those thoughts aside as I walked up the ramp to the boat, Willow not far ahead of me. The boat was not very large, but it was roomy enough for its passengers and crew compliment. It appeared older, wooden, a little warped in places, and had a depiction of a mermaid on the bow. It had two masts with big, slightly tattered, billowy grey cloth sails, and a cabin that sat up higher than the deck. A worn staircase with a wooden rail lead to a door on the port side of the cabin, with a matching staircase that lead below on the starboard side, presumably to the location of the passenger rooms and crew quarters. The boat was lined with benches and tables, some covered and some open, making it obvious that this was a passenger vessel.

Accompanying us on this trip was a halfling, a drow, a dwarf, about three other elves, maybe a couple humans, a half-elf, and the ship’s crew. Out of habit, I took note of the other ship passengers. None particularly stood out, except for three: a smaller-than-usual halfling who kept to himself, hiding behind his cloak; a drow in tattered chain mail (which the mere fact that a drow is seen above ground with others is unusual in of itself); and a pale, blonde half-elf carrying several scrolls as if his life depended on their safe-keeping. For some reason, I was intrigued by these three passengers, so I decided it was in my best interest to observe them. I did not think they were dangerous, but for some reason I wanted to know more about them--who they were, from where they were traveling, and what their purpose was on this particular boat during this particular evening.

The cabins were pretty simple: a set of wooden bunks layered with straw and tattered (but clean) blankets, a table attached to the side of the boat, a cubby to stash belongings, a wash bucket, and a latrine. It was exactly what one would expect on a boat such as this one. I opted to take the top bunk, and let Willow take the bottom; we were fortunate enough to be able to share a cabin, which put my mind at ease because, not only did we have one another to keep company, but we could watch out for one another, as well. Our cabin was on the far end of the row, and I learned that the drow was down the hall a bit, and the halfling was next to her. The half-elf, however, resided in the cabin next to us, and I noticed some very odd noises emerging at night, almost like chanting, coming from his general direction. I tried not to concern myself too much with his actions, but they just seemed… off, like him.

It was very early morning when we docked on Evershard Isle, at a small harbor called Port Appulsus. The island itself was a beautiful place, with crystal-clear water, palm trees, and sand stretching down the coastline as far as the eye could see. The port, however, was not quite so inviting. There was a large building standing off on its own, looking quite out of place amongst the smaller buildings scattered here and there, haphazardly, like there was no rhyme nor reason in the creation of this port. They simply built a building where they saw fit. After gathering our belongings and retrieving our weapons, Willow and I headed ashore. We spotted a tavern up to the left, and the passengers all started heading that way, hoping to find some food at this early hour. As Willow and I were heading to the tavern, she wondered aloud about the larger building sitting a little further back. The blonde half-elf overheard us and seemed puzzled by question. “It says Mountain Hide Trading Company” he said, and hurried off to the tavern. Willow and I shared a look, then headed to the Mountain Hide building.

There were two big human men, presumably guards, standing outside a door to the building. As they stood there with their heavily-tattooed arms crossed, weapons on each hip and on their backs, their mere presence made it clear to anyone around that they were not to be trifled with, and that nobody would be getting past them anytime soon. As we approached them, they eyed us carefully, never moving from their posts. Willow asked the one on the left, the smaller of the two, if this was the Mountain Hide Trading Company building. He gave us a cursory glance and responded with a gruff “That’s what it says on the door, ain’t it?” Willow said “I am sorry for intruding, but we are looking for our brother. Would you happen to know an elf named Woodsy?” The guard, with an annoyed look, said “Look lady, I don’t know who this Woodsy guy is, but he don’t work here. This is a caravan stop. They drop stuff off, we ship it somewhere else.” I asked “Is there an office or manager we could speak with?” He gestured with his thumb and said “Yup. 2 days’ ride to the east of here, in Mountain Hide.” It was obvious we were getting nowhere with these guards, so we thanked them for their time and went to the tavern.

As we neared the tavern, Willow spotted the drow sitting outside, begging for alms in the name of Ehlonna. Willow stopped dead in her tracks, causing me to nearly bump into her. “Ehlonna?” she said, with a confused look. “Did.. did she just say… Ehlonna?” I nodded, equally as confused. After all, Ehlonna is our deity. Why would a drow, of all beings, be doing work in the name of Ehlonna? Intrigued, Willow approached her. “Excuse me, but did I hear you mention Ehlonna earlier?” The drow, startled that someone addressed her, stammered “Y-yes, I am devoted to Ehlonna. I hope to be a paladin of Ehlonna one day.” As Willow and the drow, who called herself Freija, continued their conversation, I noticed a human male approaching. I recognized him as one of the humans that was aboard our boat. As he came closer, the drow fell silent and looked down. The human seemed to pay no attention to her; instead, he addressed Willow and I. “Good morning, ladies. Might I invite you in for breakfast?” he asked. Willow and I looked at one another, then at Freija, then the human. Willow said “Only if she joins, as well” indicating Freija. The human looked at her, and after a moment, shrugged, and said “Sure, why not.” Freija, completely dumbfounded by the events that just occurred, gathered her belongings and followed Willow into the tavern.

The human (who called himself Jacob) was telling us a bit of history of the tavern as we walked in. The Sail & Anchor Tavern was built by a half orc named Elid, not long after the port was founded. Being the only tavern located at the harbor, Elid made (and still continues to make) a modest living running it. Jacob and Elid had been friends since Jacob was a small child, traveling around with his family. Once we were inside, Jacob called out to a half orc behind the counter. “Good morning, Elid!” The bartender looked up and smiled “Good morning, Jacob! The usual?” Jacob nodded and said “Yes, please! The same for my friends here, as well!” With a nod, Elid placed the order and we took a seat at a nearby unoccupied table. “So,” Jacob asked, turning towards us. “What brings you to our island?” I noted he still paid no attention to Freija, and acted as if she was not there. She did not seem to be affected by it, and simply sat there with her hands folded in her lap, looking down at them. It was, after all, quite odd for a drow to not only be seen above ground, but to be as reverent as Freija was about a deity other than Lolth. Willow nodded toward me and said “My sister and I are looking for our brother. His last letter said he took a job with the Mountain Hide Trading Company. We went to the building up the road, but had no luck with the guards.” Jacob chuckled at that and said “I would imagine not. Those two aren't much for words. Well, I know of Mountain Hide and there is a caravan heading there as soon as Schwerdt and Segita awake… oh, here they are, now!”

Before Willow or I could ask Jacob anything further, a male human and a female elf descended the stairs from the top of the tavern, holding hands. Jacob told us that the elf was Segita, and the human was Schwerdt. Segita, a slender, attractive elf, dressed in dusty travel clothes with her blonde hair pulled back into a loose bun, approached Elid and ordered breakfast for the two. Schwerdt, a tall, thin human with long black hair braided down his back, stood near the door and announced loudly, “Any passengers going to Mountain Hide, form a line. Midway stop at Medietas. 5 silver.” Jacob rose from his seat and said “If you want to go to Mountain Hide, there’s your way!” He paid for our meals and headed over to Schwerdt. After they spoke briefly, Jacob turned, nodded to Willow and I, then left through the door. Willow and I rose and got in line to buy our tickets, with Freija right behind us. Behind her was the pale half elf from the ship, still guarding the scrolls as earnestly as he was before. Schwerdt addressed Willow. “What’s your name?” he asked. “Willow” she responded. “Headed to Mountain Hide? That’ll be 5 silver.” Willow paid the man and was given a small red token, presumably a passage ticket. “Alright, go on out.” he said. He turned to me. “What’s your name?” Money in hand, I said “Eloni” and paid him in exchange for my token. “Alright, go on out.”

Willow was already outside, but I paused and waited just inside the door, watching the line of people pay for their tokens. While still looking down and recording my information, Schwerdt asked the next person in line, “What’s your…a DROW?!” he exclaimed, when he looked up from his notebook to see to the next person in line. “You have no business here, drow!” He spat on the ground in front of her. Freija immediately dropped her gaze to the floor, took a step back, and held her palms up in a gesture of peace. “Please, sir, I do not mean any harm. I just wish to travel.” Schwerdt appraised her for a moment. “Fine.” he said, reluctantly. “But you have to ride in the back with the cargo. We don’t want the likes of YOU among our passengers. One gold.” Freija dipped her head in reverent bow. “As you wish.” She paid her fare and left the tavern.

Schwerdt shook his head, mumbling something about drow, and his continued taking names and passage money, until all but one remained—the small halfling. Schwerdt looked at him and said “Sorry kid, but we’re all full. Next caravan will arrive tomorrow. You and your parents can travel then.” Before the halfling could say anything, the half-elf, who had earlier identified himself as Temporalis when he purchased his ticket, spoke up. “I can easily ride in the cargo hold. Is there a discount?” Surprised, Schwerdt eyed him for a moment. “You really want to ride back there? With… with the drow?” Temporalis shrugged. “Sure, it makes no difference to me.” Schwerdt shook his head and said “No discount-price is the same whether it’s in the passenger cabin or the cargo trailer.” Temporalis nodded and headed out the door. Schwerdt turned to the halfling. “Alright kid, looks like you've got yourself a seat. 5 silver. What’s your name?” The halfling replied “Finfer. And I’m alone.” Finfer paid for his token and left. Schwerdt shrugged, and as he went to join Segita for breakfast, I left the tavern, not far behind Finfer. As I was leaving, I heard Schwerdt call out “Alright, everyone load up! We leave soon!”