QuestForTheNozarShaDagger part I [next: NozarSha2]

We wake up a few days after recovering from the underground adventure. We head down to a mediocre breakfast of potatoes and greasy eggs. At breakfast word was sent to us to join L'talus. A security guard tracks us down to give us the news.

The day is the 83rd of Season of the Lamb. Upon receiving the word we decide to extend breakfast. Once everyone else had left we make our way to L'talus's office where he is brooding over some documents. Afalar sees that they are geographical texts.

"There are two brothers who are bitter enemies and haven't spoken for twenty years. Each has a golden lion, a small figurine in their possession . The two have been fighting all their lives. The fortune was given to the older but the younger has prospered because of business and the old family money is running out and so the younger is flourishing more. The two lions come together to form the hilt of a dagger and is called Nozar'Sha, the Black Shadow. The blade is missing and tales say it is deep in an abandoned temple. The golden lions are only guarded by the brothers, but no one knows aught of the blade.

The dagger was broken up because it is magical and was perhaps destroyed by the church or some other force. But now through shipping channels at midnight an expedition is leaving, but this expedition is very well funded and some new foreign sailing vessel of huge proportion is the ship for the expedition. The person funding the expedition is one of the brothers. This means that the blade might have been found. The expedition is to go find the blade. Now L'talus has arranged a contact. We have a contact who has agreed to meet you . He is a guide and is very familiar in the wilderness. The guide has three tickets to the expedition.

The person we will look for is wearing all tan and his name is Ezra and the password is Gezazi.

This happens tonight and we will be given something for the road. L'talus at this point hands us each 5 purple drops. To Afalar he gives two bottles of salve. To Sjer he gives a masterwork silver dart.

We are meeting Ezra at the Drunken Duck by the Harbour.

Afalar and Sjer take the silver bracers with them.

I visit Prupumara. Zali and I are in disguise. She sees right through our disguise.

"Waste not your Hour nore in vain pursuit

Of This and That endeavour and dispute;

Better be jocund with the fruitful Grape

Than sadden after none, or bitter, fruit."

Dusk has now fallen and we get our things packed and move down to the river to take a boat to the larger dock at the northern tip of Island number 2.

At 10pm we arrive at the harbour and make our way to the drunken duck to look for Ezra.

The place is quite crowded with after work labourers and dock workers. Sjer follows Afalar to an empty table. A few flagons of ale are purchased and we scan the crowd for our contact.

Afalar yells out, that guy's just a mole. The fellow in tan with the black beard orders a couple of drinks for us and has the barmaid ask us what we would like. Afalar has the drinks delivered to the man in tan's table. After introductions all around we give our password and he shares the tokens. The man's name is given as Ezra. After we drink we head out to the docks. The man in charge is Shal Ail Vasi. Apparently, he will take us up to the main ship a month away and then we will meet the captain.

The second mate's name is Iz'zac. The Jaru?, Shal, gives us the spiel of how there will be no pay until we return, but that there will be danger. In fact thieves have recently attacked a caravan.

Raj and Cij are the names of the two arm wrestlers who appear to be warriors. The two who look in tatters look like they aren't from the city. They are barbarian like hill dwelling outdoors fisher type aboriginal-type-of-community with leathery skin and squinty eyes who look like they are from the far north.

The barge shoves off.

A rythym is quickly set up with Ezra playing cards with the warriors and Zali and Sjer spending time building a rapport. Afalar spends much time up on deck watching out for events on the shore. Ezra seems happy to help with anything but swabbing the deck.

At a hunting stop Ezra caught a deer and Sjer and Zali caught three rabbits, one of which Sjer ate on the spot.

Once back on the boat, we find that another ship approaching us. It is flying a strange flag. The oncoming boat drops two sails and begins to turn on us. Suddenly arrows start flying from both vessels. Ezra and Sjer are firing arrows and stones respectively and Afalar is firing fire quarrels. The men on the other vessel are firing tar dipped flaming arrows. Our sail catches fire even as a couple of their bowmen fall dead. Our sail is now mostly aflame and the two northmen cut it free it falls flaming to the ground and buries our Jaru?.