Part 13: Hello, Sailor

Update 10: Hello, Sailor



"I'm starting to worry for our spiritual health."



"The Quest of the Inner Sanctum is a sacred endeavour, but is attacking and killing every monster we see really the right way to go about it?"



"And what about poor Jostiband? Despite my best efforts to set her on the right path, she's only slipped further into her violent, lawless ways."
"It's not my fault that helping people is less fun than blowing them up."



"It's time I did penance for my sins by making a generous donation to the local temple, that it may be used to do good works."
"Awesome! I'm not evil any more! Now that you're done with that, let's go raid the town jail and kill everyone inside!"




A secret passage in the eastern wall of the jail led into an area filled with magical darkness, requiring Preacher to cast Lasting Light.



Behind a second secret passage, the party reached a cell reserved for the most dangerous prisoners. The Dust Demon was a particular nuisance with its sleep spells, but the party was strong enough to easily overcome the monsters nonetheless.



Exploring Sorpigal further, the party found a few statues that they had missed previously.

"A key? Idols? Most interesting... I wonder what it could mean."



"Well, at least this one seems straightforward enough. The legendary castle Doom truly exists, then?"
"It's just a plaque on a statue. Who says it's true?"



"Are you calling us weak and cowardly? Screw you, mick. If we need to go somewhere, we can go through a portal for free."



The party travelled to the cavern in the Northern Barrier, and from there they entered the portal, spiriting them away to an unknown destination.



"It looks like we're in another cavern."
"What, pray tell, was your first hint? The fact that we're surrounded on all sides by rough stone walls, perhaps? Or was it the bats that fly by every so often? Jostiband, can you give us a more specific idea of where we are?"



"Hmm... we're under the town of Portsmith. Ooh, I've heard about this town! You guys are going to have so much fun!"
"Coming from you, that claim seems decidedly ominous."
"Oh, not you, Preacher. Not me either, unfortunately. They don't swing that way."
"Wait, who don't do what?"



The party's conversation was interrupted by a roving band of orcs. It soon became clear that the cavern under Portsmith was chock-full of orcs, ogres and their kin. In large numbers, ogres were still a formidable threat to the party, and they decided to search for an exit from the caverns before they were killed.



"Hey guys, look over here! It's another portal! I wonder where this one goes?"
"Somewhere even more dangerous, I'm sure. We can always come back later, when we're more experienced and better-equipped."



"Finally! Now, let's see what's so special about Portsm--"



"GAH"

"What the hell was that?"
"I dunno, but I feel like I just got run over by a four-horse carriage."
"What are all of you complaining about? I feel perfectly fine."

Every time the party arrived at an intersection in the tunnels of Portsmith, all its male members were drained of half their life force. Only by resting regularly could the party stave off the deadly effects of the town's curse. Minutes of travel could require hours of recuperation. When a trapped chest poisoned several party members, the party's search for a way out of Portsmith took on a new urgency.



"A traveller's inn... that must mean we're close to the town entrance, right? I can't go on much longer..."



"Whoa! Hey there, good looking. Got a bed for me?"
"Drewjitsu... remember your paladin's oath! Get your eyes back in your head... we need to get out of here."
"Don't you talk. If you could cure poison, we wouldn't be dying."



Fortunately, Mattybee was correct: the exit from town was only a short walk away. Portsmith had once been a major seaport before the towns moved underground. The fresh sea breeze from the nearby ocean reinvigorated the party, but it could do nothing to purge the poison from their blood.

"That was fun, wasn't it?"

"No."



"Tired already, huh? I guess I'll have to use my magic to fly us all back to Sorpigal now. We can go back and explore Portsmith some more when you're feeling better."



After a quick visit to Sorpigal's temple, the party was as good as new.

"Hey, who are those guys heading for the temple? Wait, is that... it is! Sylphosaurus! How's everything going lately?"
"Could be worse. I've found meself a new party, and we're gonna find the Inner Sanctum before you do. Jus' wait an' see."
"Well, if they just wait and see, we'll certainly find it before they do! I'm afraid my comrade is quite right, though. As long as we're around, you have no chance of finding the Inner Sanctum. You may be more experienced, but we have something that you don't."
"Wait, we do? Is it the power of friendship?"
"Not exactly."
"Unstoppable fighting spirit, maybe?"
"Not that either, I fear."
"Truth and justice on our side?"
"You still don't know us very well, do you?"
"Um. Well, it's great to hear that things are going so well for you. By the way, stay out of Portsmith. It's dangerous."
"Thank you for your advice. We must be going now; good luck to you."



"Are they gone yet?"
"Looks like it."
"Excellent. They must have found a lead on the Inner Sanctum! My brilliant mind has seen right through their feeble attempt to misdirect us away from it! Everybody, pack up your things: we're going to Portsmith!"

Meanwhile...



"Once more into the breach, eh?"
"We haven't even seen what the town blacksmith's got yet. All the men in Portsmith must be armed to the teeth to survive there."





"You know, I'm not sure all the men in Portsmith are still alive. We've seen nothing but beautiful young women in this town so far. Not that I'm complaining, mind you."





"See?"
"A whole town, populated entirely by young women... even with the life-draining curse, I think I could get used to living here."

Most of the weapons and armour on offer at the smithy were no better than what the party already had, but there was one item of particular interest...



"A gold key? That's gotta come in handy somewhere. I'll take one."



"Zam? What's a zam?"
"I don't know, but those coordinates are somewhere in the southeast corner of town. We could always go check it out later."
"Not yet. Thanks to all this resting, we're short on food. Restocking should be our first priority."





"Do I ever!"
"Drewjitsu! Paladin's oath!"
"Aww. Stupid vow of chastity."
"Tell me about it. You should have seen that one time that Preacher and I were in a tavern in Sorpigal and I wanted to show her this party trick where I can--"
"That's quite enough of that! We're here to buy food, and nothing else!"



With the party's food supplies restored, they returned to the Inn of Portsmith for the night, to discuss what to do next.



"I got this magic halberd off some ogres in the cavern. The best fighter deserves the best weapons, and there's nobody better than me."



"I've got Tarquinn's flamberge now, and I've still got this cool armour! Plus, we finally got around to getting that curse removed so I haven't got a shield stuck to me any more!"



"I'm still stuck with my old equipment, but at least I'm more experienced. Before long, I'll have mastered some basic spells."



"Sorry about that poison trap before, folks. All's well that ends well, right?"



"No matter: very soon, Radaso willing (may his light shine eternally), I'll be able to cure all forms of poison and disease."



"I've been keeping up with my studies too, and this magical staff makes me even smarter!"

"So, guys, where do we wanna go next?"
"I'm still hanging on to this stupid scroll that old fart in the cavern asked us to deliver to Erliquin. We could go deliver that and beat up the wizard until he gives us a good enough reward."
"It is important that we make good on our promise to deliver the scroll, yes, but we have a more urgent task at hand. There is an evil force at work in Portsmith. My sacred vows oblige me to root out and destroy evil wherever I may find it. We must investigate what has happened to the men of this town!"
"I'd kinda like to find out what the hell is going on here, too. And more time with the lovely ladies of Portsmith can never be a bad thing."
"I still wanna see where that portal goes!"
"I agree. This town seems to hold nothing but death for us -- sexy death, but death nonetheless. And I don't hold out much hope of getting a reward from some mad old wizard. The portal will at least take us somewhere new."

With the party divided on their next course of action, the choice falls to you. Should they deliver the scroll to Erliquin, try to solve the mystery of Portsmith, go through the portal in the cavern under Portsmith, or do something else entirely? Vote now!

Meanwhile...



"Take us to Portsmith, my good man! We have an adventuring party to chase!"
"I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they realise we've followed them!"



"GAH"