In the Shadow of Virtue

t was by sheer happenstance that Captain Pike met Avery, former Captain of the Royal Guard, in the Cat's Lair tavern in Britain. The pirate was just restocking his ale supplies, when he noticed Avery sitting by a table in civilian clothes. Pike remembered that Avery had been kidnapped during the Royal Council assassination. Whe he finally had been set free, the former king Casca had him imprisoned to force some secret information out of Avery.

Now Avery sat there, in Britain, as if nothing had happened. The pirate approached him and greeted.
"Hail Friend," Avery replied. "As you can see, I'm retired from the late Lord Francesco's private guard."
Pike asked him about his prison time, and Avery began to tell an interesting story.
"I spent eight months in prison for a crime I didn't commit. Met some interesting folk there. One of them was Ricardo. He was a good friend to me. Stark raving mad, but a story teller." "Tell me more about Ricardo," the pirate asked. "He was once a master thief. Now he's just a crazy old man telling stories about treasure. Last thing he mentioned was a warehouse in Britain. If you find some of Ricardo's notes, you should give them to Lieutenant Dan at the castle."

Pike had heard enough. He decided to visit the Yew Prison to chat with Ricardo the Thief.

Unfortunately, he couldn't get out much from Ricardo. He actually was blathering incoherent nonsense, little of which Pike could remember. Some of Ricardo's words were: "I love fishin'. Used to hang around the dock of Britain, angler by day, angle worker by night..." The pirate decided to leave and search for the warehouse Avery had mentioned.

As Ricardo seemed to have liked the docks of Britain so much, Pike scanned all the warehouses east of the docks until he finally found what he was looking for. When he opened the old creaking door of the wooden shack, he immediately spotted an old tattered book lying on the ground. Carefully he opened the pages and read:
"This is the beginning of me great research. I, Ricardo, master thief, am going to discover the truth of the legend of Lord British's Vault. I will be hiding me research where only I, Ricardo, can find it by using me ancient magic lamp. Me lamp 'tis better than any map, for a map can be decoded. No one alive but me, Ricardo, knows the secret of how this lamp works. I have hidden me research near me favorite locations in Sosoria, but even me closest frieds could not find it without the secret of me lamp. Thus, if'n I would tell a body that part of me research be near of the Terathan Keep, it would not help them a wit lest they have me lamp to discover exactly where 'tis. I never keep me books and me lamp in the same place for security purposes. I have also found a way to enchant me research books so they can only be read using the lamp. Finally, as an added security, me books can only be lifted by me. Ya learn a few things over the years about security when ye are a master thief."

Pike discovered the magic lantern in a nearby chest and made directly for the Terathan Keep.

DAY 1:
It took the pirate a while to find the hidden book. He had searched all the surroundings of the Terathan Keep, and even parts of the Terathan Dungeon itself, when he almost gave up. In one last attempt he decided to increase his search radius a bit and came across the old haunted ruins, when the lantern suddenly turned green. Magically a book appeared on the ground as soon as Pike stepped closer. He had found the first part of Ricardo's research! Hastily he opened the book while fending off some overzealous undead creatures. The lines in the book said:
"This be me research regarding the combination ta open Lord British's fabled Vault. Me research has been sailing against the wind so far, but I believe the vault be requiring words o' power. I record the first word here, it be 'An'."

After writing down the lines, Pike returned to Lord British's Caste to report this discovery and receive a reward from Lieutenant Dan.

DAY 2:
The next day, Pike returned to the Yew Prison to try and get some more information from Ricardo. As soon as the pirate entered the prison cell, Ricardo started mumbling something about the Moonglow Telescope. Pike immediately sailed to Moonglow to find the next hidden journal.

After searching the area south of the telescope for a while, the lamp suddenly began to flicker and turned green. There, on a small headland, a red book magically appeared on the ground. He quickly read the lines:
"This be me second hiding place o' me research into the words o' power what will open Lord British's Vault. I be thinking this vault be somewhere in his royal castle. I can only imagine the treasures that await me thar, it makes me giddy to think on it and I must put those thoughts aside. Me precious second word o' power be 'Sanct'."

DAY 3:
The following day, another secret book was discovered. It was hidden on a small island in the Vesper channels. Pike knew the Vesper channels quite well from one of his boat races, sailed to the isle and wrote down the third word of power 'Grav'.

DAY 4:
The next trace lead him to the mountain path south of the entrance to the City of Wind. A couple of Solen Infiltrators were roaming in the area, but they were quickly overwhelmed. The note Pike found on the ground said:
"I marvel at these magic locations that are somehow connected to this lamp, they be the perfect hiding place. I, Ricardo, did not make them, I have just discovered them. No one can find them but me and me wonderful lamp. The fourth word of power be 'Vas'."

DAY 5:
When the pirate visited Ricardo in jail on the next day, the prisoner was complaining: "I feel dirty here... such a waste. The bath house in Buc's Den, now thar be a place to be dirty!"
Pike had understood. He knew Buccaneer's Den like his own pocket. The bath house was the big building in the north of the island, and that's where he would start the search. After a short while he found the fifth book in the jungle. He read:
"I believe that the location o' the vault is somewhere in the royal throne room. It be kind of obvious putting it there, but I imagine it be the highest security place in the palace. I look forward to finding out. I have discovered the fifth word of power be 'Ylem'."

The words of power he had discovered so far were "An Sanct Grav Vas Ylem". Was this already the secret phrase that would open up Lord British's Vault??

From Lieutenant Dan the pirate had received two interesting rewards that would come in handy in the future: A cloak and a talisman he had never seen before.

DAY 6:
The next day, Pike discovered another book after a long search. Ricardo was a bit unclear this time, directing people to the vicinity of Yew where he once got married. The small chapel in the Empath Abbey contained no hint though. However, the small park near the Shrine of Justice was where Ricardo's research note was found. This place was as near to Yew as it was to Cove, Britain or Minoc. Anyway, the book contained the sixth word of power, a word nobody had ever heard before: 'Nes'.

DAY 7:
After a long night's sleep, the search continued. Perfectly rested, the pirate headed over to Yew Prison once again to receive another hint. It lead to Tokuno, to the Isamu Shrine. A few steps east of the shrine in some small ruins, he discovered the next hidden note by using the lantern.
"I have discovered more about the Crystal o' Duplicity. I 'ad to pay good stolen money for this information so I be recording it here. It seems that Minax herself had stolen the crystal from Magincia, back before it was destroyed. I didn't know she had it in her. It seems it was hid somewhere in Magincia by someone. I must learn more of this story. The seventh and final word o' power is 'Uus'."

Interesting indeed. Crystal of Duplicity? The whole story seemed to be linked to the destruction of Magincia two and a half years ago. The secret spell was now complete! The words of power were "An Sanct Grav Vas Ylem Nes Uus".

DAY 8:
The search continued. The trace lead to the Honor Moongate in Ilshenar, and from there towards the Ratman Villa. At the northeastern corner of the ruined villa, Pike discovered the book lying on the ground. Curiously he read the next message, eager to discover more about the Crystal of Duplicity.
"I, Ricardo, have discovered a most rare and disturbing tale about the crystal. It seems that it won't be letting me be in two places at once in Trammel, which is disappointing. However, it is a bridge between any two facets. Here be where it gets interesting... it can duplicate anything from one facet to another facet with the right words o' power. It seems that the great Nystul, royal mage of Lord British, used it to copy the land in the facet that we now call Felucca onto the faced that we now call Trammel. I find meself considering what might have been in that facet before Trammel. I could not discover this secret, and it is but a trivia to one who only seeks to steal it, but I can't help but wonder if Nystul knew what he destroyed to build this haven."

This was most interesting indeed! So the Crystal of Duplicity was used to build Trammel as an exact copy of Felucca? Pike wondered what would happen if this crystal got into the wrong hands...

DAY 9:
The next book was discovered on Skull Island off the coast of Buccaneer's Den in Felucca. This would become interesting! Expecting a group of murderers that called Felucca their home awaiting victims by the secret book, Pike prepared and then sailed to the southern tip of the island, a bit off the quest location. He anchored and carefully got off the boat, entering the jungle island east of Buccaneer's Den. He cast some protective spells and quickly proceeded towards the hidden book. Not a soul was around! Hastily he read the lines written by Ricardo.
"Me new research suggests that Lord British may have taken the item needed to open the vault with him to protect it. However, at the split of Trammel and Felucca, it seems that there were many objects that were accidentally duplicated. This increases me odds a great deal. I expect that any such artifacts will be here in Felucca. I must continue to be discreet in my inquiries lest the other thieves learn of me plan. The more I think of it, the more I am awed of the crystal. I am starting to question my own pursuit of it. 'Tis unprofessional to entertain such a conscience, I know, but such power is staggering."

Since this island was officially considered pirate property, Sharkeye decided to call his brother Hawkeye Pike and send him over to Skull Island to ensure that the island wasn't overrun by the typical scum of Felucca. A few hours later, Hawkeye anchored by the beach of the isle, applying some deadly poison to his freshly sharpened kryss. His friend Sarda was with him. As soon as they headed towards the middle of the island, they saw two evil folk from the True Britannian faction. Since there already had been lots of innocent victims, they immediately attacked the two murderers. Hawkeye's poison proved to be inefficient, as the enemy was able to automatically cure himself with a potion not even one second after he was poisoned. Anyway, after a short fight, one of the murderers cast a smoke bomb and vanished while the other fled. Hawkeye was a bit surprised that resistance had been so weak, although the enemies were equipped with powerful faction items. Anyway, the island was now safe again to those who wanted to solve the quest.
After a while, more murderers arrived on the island. They wore the tags of both the True Britannian and the Shadowlord faction. Hawkeye counted six people, some of them with the murderer tag, others hidden behind their "innocent" disguise. A battle broke loose that would last quite some time. Both Sarda and Hawkeye had to face two or three enemies at the same time, and the two pirates had to get some help from the wandering healers on this island at least two times. But they managed to be a pain in the murderers' arse despite! The enemies were so busy fighting the two pirates that they could not focus on killing innocent adventurers at the same time. Hawkeye lost track of Sarda, as he was busy to defend himself against a necromancer mage and a stealth archer. He was able to fend off the attacks quite successfully for a while, when a third and fourth enemy appeared. It was time to take off! The pirate quickly rode to the other end of the island, shaking his pursuers off, and luckily hid, although he had no hiding skill. Now he had time to dig the old tattered runebook out of his backpack and cast a spell from the recall charges that transported him back to the Jolly Roger Inn. Sarda meanwhile had left too, as the dishonorable fellows were constantly killing him immediately after resurrecting. This had been an exciting adventure! Had the battle been a little more honorable, Hawkeye Pike would have stayed longer, that was sure.

DAY 10:
"Kal Ort Por!" Sharkeye Pike cast the magic traveling spell that would bring him to Occlo in Felucca. "The provisioner in Ocllo has such good security, I keep my money with him instead of at the bank." That's what Ricardo had mumbled today in his prison cell. It was early in the morning, so the pirate felt quite confident that no evil scum would be around. After scanning the surroundings of Occlo carefully, he finally found the secret book west of Occlo. He read the lines carefully.
"I have determined that the object I need is one of the three: Lord British's crown, his scepter, or his cape. However, I have decided not to pursue me research further. Some things be best left lost. I have recently learned of a valuable item in the possession of the ophidians. This be an item that will allow me to retire to the kind of life I would like to be accustomed to. I might even be able to buy into the nobility! For now, and perhaps forever, me research will remain safely hidden under these magical nodes."

It seemed that the search would now be over. Pike felt a little dissatisfied, as he had gathered so much information in hope to discover Lord British's Secret Vault and it all had been in vain. At least that's how it seemed...

05/2010

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