Prologue: Fresh Off the Boat

Balthus stepped off of the loading ramp and onto the dock. He glanced over his shoulder at his apprentice, who was struggling with her overstuffed pack.

He sighed. "You know, we will be coming back to the ship tomorrow, and we'll be leaving for the Riverlands as soon as they finish swapping out their cargo. You don't need to bring everything with you."

Palthia grimaced at him. "Eh? But what about 'Always secure your gear, Palthia.' I can't count the number of times I heard that in training."

Laughing, he shook his head. "That's more for when you are on campaign. If you end up losing some vital piece of equipment while the Aerie is an ocean away, how do you plan on replacing it? It's more of that kind of mentality. Since we are just traveling right now, there's no need to be so cautious."

"You say that, but I don't trust those sailors not to mess with my stuff." She grumbled.

He laughed again. "I've known the captain for years. While he may or may not have been a pirate at one point, he won't let fare-paying passengers get robbed while they are under his protection. It would be a major blow to his professional reputation. Of course, I suppose that doesn't extend to a certain lovestruck cabin boy looking for a souvenir of his first crush."

"Ugh! Gross! He better not try to take something of mine, or I'll make him wish he was never born."

[I don't think the lad would have the guts to even try, but it's probably best to keep an eye on the matter for now. Knowing her hand-to-hand combat skills, Palthia could easily end up seriously hurting or even killing him. Hells, she never had to hold back during her training, so she might do it without even trying…Maybe I need to find some bandits along the way so she can get a feel for how she matches up with the average person.]

Dismissing the thought for the time being, he turned his attention towards the vast and opulent city in front of them. "Well, I won't tell you to go unpack again, but try to keep up. We'll need to find a place to stay for the night. Might as well try some of the local cuisine while we're at it."

That perked her right up. "Oh yeah! I've heard the seafood here is to die for! We got to try the Albion Clam. I've heard it just melts in your mouth."

"Albion what now? Where did you pick that tidbit up?"

"Garrus told me about it the last time he was at the Aerie."

"That old merchant? You shouldn't believe everything he says. I think he just makes up stories to impress kids."

"Hey! I'm not a kid. I'm a mature woman!" She shot back indignantly.

"Sure, sure." He responded distractedly while observing an unusual pair seated at the end of the boardwalk they were traversing down. Something about them caught his attention, but he couldn't really place it.

The first was a female cat beastman dressed in dark rags, for lack of any better description. Although she was in the process of drying, it appeared that she'd fallen into the harbor at some point and was still sopping wet. Yet, somehow, she was also covered in what looked like rotting vegetables. This had obviously put a damper on her mood.

A blonde, statuesque, and completely dry woman was gingerly patting her on the back, saying. "That's alright, Julia. It could have happened to anyone."

"Being knocked overboard by a flying cheese wheel accidently launched from another ship's anti-pirate ballista could happen to anyone?" The woman named Julia asked in a monotone.

"Sure…why not?"

"Could having your entire pack being upended into the harbor after it got caught on the railing while you were being bowled over by a projectile dairy product, causing it to rip in half and spill its contents, to include all of your money, into the water only for it to be devoured by a school of conveniently located fish also happen to anyone?"

"Uhhh…"

"What about finally making it back to dry land after losing every valuable possession you have only to catch a face full of rotting produce the local vegetable seller was trying to sneakily dispose of in the harbor? Could that happen to anyone?"

"Well…" The blonde trailed off, not really able to reply.

The cat beastman buried her head in her hands and yelled. "AHH!"

Balthus walked past the pair while doing his best to stay upwind of them. Even from this distance the combination of polluted harbor water and rotting vegetables was creating a potent smell.

"What's going on with those two?" Palthia asked, a hint of disgust in her voice.

"Enough misfortune to last a lifetime by the sounds of it." He replied quietly once they were out of earshot. "You'll see some folk like that from time to time, people who've lost everything through some twist of luck or destiny."

"Should we help them?" The girl asked uncertainly.

"Ordinarily, I would have no problem offering a helping hand to unfortunate folk like that, but you have to remember that we are in Bergell, the so-called City of Coins right now. I've been here a few times myself, and I can safely say that I've never seen a larger and more industrious population of thieves, beggars, and charlatans anywhere else."

"You think they're trying to scam us? I imagine they'd come up with a more believable sob story if they wanted to get our sympathy."

Balthus chuckled and tapped the side of his head. "Exactly. They make their story too ridiculous to be fabricated."

"Hmm…I don't know. That cat lady looked like she was one small mishap away from throwing herself back into the harbor while tied to a large rock. Are they really that good of actors?"

"I once watched an emaciated woman spend three hours weeping in the middle of the street over the corpse of her baby until a wealthy tourist gave her a handful of gold out of sympathy. As soon as her mark was out of sight, she picked up the wooden doll she was using as a prop and moved over to another street to start all over. While they certainly aren't professionals, their dedication is truly impressive."

Of course, Balthus couldn't be sure the pair were scam artists preying on travelers fresh off the boat, but he figured that simply avoiding them was probably the best option. Maybe if he ran into them again at some point in the future, he'd offer them some help. For now, though, he chose to focus on his mission.

Finding a decent inn took longer than he expected, since most of the establishments he was familiar with had either long since gone out of business or changed ownership. However, they were eventually able to secure loding in a modest boarding house that catered to more affluent sailors in need of a place to stay between voyages.

After dropping off their gear, they headed down to the common room and ordered dinner. While they were waiting for it to arrive, Balthus glanced around at the other patrons, looking for one that might serve his purposes.

He settled on a burly sailor who appeared to be in the later part of his forties. Judging from the deep lines in the tanned skin of his face, he'd evidently spent most of his life at sea.

"Alright, time for another lesson." He murmured quietly to his apprentice.

Palthia groaned. "Ugh, what now?"

"You see that guy over there? The one who probably just got off a ship not too long ago."

She glanced in that direction and then rolled her eyes at him. "Because of the dried salt stains around the pants of his legs, right?"

"That's right. I need you to approach him and see if he has any information pertaining to our mission."

"Why him?"

He held up three fingers. "Three reasons. One, he's alone and about two flagons into his ale, which will make him more prone to open up, especially about juicy gossip. Two, he paid for his meal with Dovistani marks, meaning he probably just came from somewhere to the southwest. Three, he's obviously experienced and reasonably successful, given the fact he's staying here, but has chosen to remain a sailor. In my experience, folks who choose to master a difficult profession often have the most valuable insight into details others would miss."

"Oh? You didn't mention that you're hoping the age difference would stimulate his paternal instincts rather than his male ones."

"There is that, but I doubt I'd have to worry too much about you being assaulted. Considering how you handled the last drunk with a wandering hand, I suspect we are much more likely to have issues with the law after you break his arm in three places."

"Hey! You're making me sound like some kind of demented harpy. That was legitimate self-defense. They even said so in the end."

He laughed. "I believe the magistrate called it 'incredibly excessive,' but I suppose you have a point."

"Hmph. Well, I guess I'll go chat up an inebriated man old enough to be my father while you laze about here." She shot back with a feigned frown of displeasure.

"I'll be doing my part. Don't you worry. Even if it won't give the same quality of information as your target, there is a lot to be learned by simply listening to the conversations of the people around us." He replied calmly while motioning to the steadily growing crowd filling up the common room.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say." Palthia grumbled as she walked over to the bar to pick up some props for her bit. With some amusement, he noted that she was planning on using a half-finished tankard of ale that she'd managed to swipe from a nearly unconscious drunk.

[They grow up so fast.] He thought with a hint of pride before turning his attention to the other patrons.

Most of what they talked about was meaningless gossip, but there were a few tidbits that caught his attention. He gathered that there was some kind of internal conflict going on in Dovistan, which has largely hindered the country's ability to deal with the larger than normal number of monsters emerging from the Vale of Silence.

Tidings from the region were mostly grim, and he heards multiple groups talking of devastated settlements and slaughtered garrisons. More troubling, however, were a few reported sightings of giants near the southwestern coast. Many feared that it marked the start of a second invasion from the lands to the south.

[Clearly there is something going on in Dovistan, but would it attract the attention of Erasmus? He was last reported heading to the Riverlands, but could that have been a diversion? Or is there a more pressing matter keeping him occupied?]

The middle-aged sailor he'd sent Palthia after strode by on his way out, a large splash of dampness down the front of his shirt. He didn't seem particularly bothered by the stain, however. His gaze was fixed on the horizon, eyes filled with determination and purpose.

"Apparently he has an estranged daughter around my age." The young elf commented dryly while sitting down. "So now he's going to go try talking with her again and begging her for forgiveness."

"Hmm."

"I have to ask, did you already know that before you sent me after him?"

"Of course not, but I've seen his type before, and they usually have a soft spot for kids." He shot back with a slight grin.

His apprentice glowered at him for a few seconds before continuing. "Well, mister I know everything, were you already aware of the disaster that struck Gildusi?"

He unintentionally leaned forward. "A disaster? What happened?"

"Our friend over there was apparently part of a merchant crew bound for the Riverlands that turned east after hearing the news. According to the rumors, the city was struck by a series of major tragedies that have the religious folks already talking about the wrath of the gods. First, there was some kind of undead plague which came without warning and pretty much wiped out the local law enforcement types. That was quickly followed by several earthquakes which pretty much destroyed everything not already destroyed by the earlier fighting. Finally, to cap it all off, they were then invaded by not one, but two separate armies."

"If all that happened in a short time span, then something or someone was clearly guiding events. It would be too much of a coincidence otherwise."

She grinned at his serious comment. "Hence the whole divine retribution bit. But get this, the weirdest part is the identity of the armies. One was supposedly composed of pale and supernaturally strong humanoids who seemed bent on slaughtering everything they encountered…"

"Vampires? Attacking in force? Why would they?"

"Let me finish. The other was a horde of literal demons. To make matters more confusing, the demons were apparently intervening on behalf of the city. There were several accounts of them attacking the other invaders and even defending civilians."

Balthus gave her a quizzical look. "There is no way that's true. Setting aside the idea that demons would ever willingly protect mortals, bringing them in to confront a vampire army makes no sense. I can believe that a demon lord might have stepped in for their own inscrutable purposes, but even the strongest among them would not call forth a legion of their followers for something as simple as a mortal city on Ea…"

He trailed off for a few seconds while lost in thought before continuing in a distracted tone. "Unless there is something or someone worth the effort."

"What if it wasn't a demon lord commanding them? Weren't there some pretty powerful mages in history that could force armies of demons into their service?"

"There are a few records of people like that, but most have either died or retreated into obscurity centuries ago. I highly doubt that any of them would willingly break that silence. Of course, the Archmage could probably bend a demonic legion to his will, but I'd be surprised if he resorted to consorting with those types, given his history." He frowned for a second while considering the possibilities before sighing. "I suppose we can't completely dismiss the chance of an unknown party capable of doing something like this."

Palthia waited for a few seconds while he was lost in thought, before clearing her throat. "Ahem. Well, as interesting as all this is, it doesn't really help us with our goal. We know the Dragonknight Erasmus was heading towards the Riverlands by boat for some reason, which gives him one of three real destinations, of which Gildusi is one. So, the real question we need to consider is, was he involved in the tragedies that struck the city, and if so, where is he going next?"

Balthus held her gaze for a few seconds and then nodded. "Looks like we have our next destination. Convincing the captain might be a bit difficult, though."

"What? You think that pirate in sheep's clothing would pass up the chance to fleece the survivors? As soon as he finds out about the disaster, he'll be loading up with food, medical supplies, and whatever else he can shove in the cargo hold with every intent of getting as much out of the Gildusans as he possibly can."

"Well…you're not wrong, I guess. We'll just keep quiet about the whole undead plague and army of demons thing. Wouldn't want to scare him off."

"Sounds like a plan." She shot back with a cheerful grin before grabbing a mug and tipping it back into her mouth.

Or at least she tried to. Thankfully, Balthus's reflexes were still fairly sharp despite long decades away from the field. "Oh no you don't, missy. You're still way too young for this stuff."

"Come on! I'm already thirty-two! That kid over there can't be older than sixteen, and he's drinking!"

"You know the rules. Besides, thirty-two in elf years is like twelve for humans."

"More like thirteen…" She grumbled, but let go of the argument. It was one they'd often had in the past.

Watching her childish expression of anger from the corner of his eye, he almost found himself smiling. [You'd almost never guess she's been sneaking drinks with the sailors while we were at sea.]

Her grumpy silence was only dispelled when their dinner finally arrived.