The Caretaker

Ricmo’s nose wrinkled. Blue Archie had evidentially been hitting the sauce again. The smell was pretty extreme in the relatively confined space of the Great Cabin on the Lady Jezebel. The Great Cabin was large, the largest on the ship, but it was still a bit cramped with all of the heroes crowded into to. And Blue Archie. Who smelled. 

“Guess keeping off the stuff was a lot to ask of the old guy, given we were staying at a winery” he thought. Regardless they needed the old sailor sober. He might be a drunk, but he’d been sailing the Northern Reach for decades and no one knew these waters better.

The Lady Jezebel was nearing the approaches to Puerto Lejos and those approaches were known to be hazardous. And not just from a nautical perspective.

Ricmo gazed out of the bay windows toward the sky worriedly. Far above, almost beyond the limits of his vision he could make out a small red dot, far up and behind them. He knew it was only small because it was so far up in the sky. Up close, that Roc was the size of a house

It was bad enough being harried and harassed for the last few months by that giant squid, but now they had a threat to deal with above the water as well as below it. And those two threats could cooperate, it seemed. They had barely beaten off the combined assault from the two creatures a few days ago.

“Radiant Lightbringer” he called out. When he didn’t receive an immediate answer he stepped out the door onto the weatherdeck and flagged down a passing sailor.

“Fetch me the cleric” he commanded. The sailor nodded, tipped his hat and hurried off amidships. Sometimes it was good to be the Captain.

As they waited, the only sound was the great clock ticking. Ricmo had been relatively amazed to see the care that had been spent on keeping time aboard ship, and when Tello had explained to him the importance correct time was to navigation his eyes had basically glazed over. But still, it was a nice clock. His wandering attention turned back to Blue Archie. Ricmo had maps spread over the great table, and he understood the basics of navigation, but he was no navigator or pilot. That was what they had Archie for. And he was a drunk.  

————

Radiant Lightbringer’s magic washed over the unfortunate Blue Archie, flushing all vestiges of alcohol and drunkenness from the unfortunate old man. His eyes flashed wide as sobriety hit him like a brick, and he groaned and griped his head.

“Sorry, my brother, I can purge the drink but not the hangover” the Cleric consoled him. “All actions in life have their consequences.”

Archie moaned again.

“Just help us chart a course through these waters” Ricmo said encouragingly. “And then you can go sleep it off.”

Blue Archie nodded and bent over the charts.

“Thar be two main approaches to the town from the south. Both have their perils. The westward approach comes perilous close to the Tres Demonies, the three fire mountains. They ‘ave been quiet these last years but recently started ta' rumbling again of late. In addition to the spittin o' fire, those mountains have an evil reputation, some dark thing lives there, and ships that passes too close are known to go missin.

 

The easterly approach is a bit better. It passes close to Bolcán Idithe, that old sunken caldera, though. It’s quiet, no fire left in it, and people live along the inner rim in small fishing towns. But there be ruins of the old folk, the Yuan-Ti all over that mountain. And within and under it. Also the channel there is narrow and the current strong. Still, I reckon the human folk that live there be the greater danger, they have been known to steal a ship or two that strays too close to them. Plus the reefs are perilous.

But regardless o’ which approach you choose, stay clear of the island and the tower that divides them one from the other. That island is the home of some great mage or demon, tis said that none that set foot on it ever return. Folk call it "Fablehaven" on account o' the strange creatures that live there.

And now me throat be parched and in need of a drink?” Blue Archie asked hopefully.

—————

The Lady Jezebel chose the easterly approach, on the reasoning that men were easier to deal with then volcano demons. The channel between the huge extinct caldera and the large, off-limit island was narrow but deep, and had a strong current flowing in a direction opposed to the Lady Jezebel's path. As a result, despite the brisk wind, the ship moved slowly through the channel and had a excellent view of both the Caldera and the large tower that marked Fablehaven.

The Caldera was quiet. A few small fishing boats were fishing the lagoon and nearby waters but they ignored the large heavily armed ship passing by.  The entrance to the lagoon was guarded by a tall stone tower of ancient and unfamiliar design, from atop it, a lookout was clearly watching the ship pass but took no action. Through the narrow entrance to the lagoon small villages dotted the inner island.

They did not, however, pass Fablehaven without incident. As The Lady Jezebel sailed parallel to the tower, a small golden dot took to the air from the uppermost ramparts and flew toward the ship.

Whisperleaf shaded his eye, while Tello brought the spyglass to bear.

"Doesn't look like a threat" Whisperleaf remarked. "Too small. Very shiny. Headed straight at us though."

"It appears to be a golden owl. It's feathers glow in the sunlight, almost metallic" replied Tello, carefully adjusting the spyglass to follow the bird's rapid flight.

"No one shoot that thing!" Ricmo ordered from the poop deck. "Unless I give the order." Several of the more paranoid sailors lowered their muskets 

As the golden owl grew nearer it's splendor became even more evident. It wasn't just of golden hue, but did indeed appear metallic, almost as if it's feathers were made of golden metal. It didn't seem to be a construct however, it moved with the suppleness of a living creature.

The owl circled the ship twice and then beelined for Whisperleaf, where it landed on a spar near him.

"Greetings Druid" it spoke in a sweet baritone. 

Unphased, Whisperleaf replied. "Greetings Owl."

"I bear a message. My mistress, the Caretaker of Fablehaven, sends friendly greetings to her fellow practitioner of the mysteries, the initiate of The Northmost Groves. It has been long since she had heard news from the Woods of the Golden Sylph. She invites you to visit in her in her tower, to make your acquaintance and exchange pleasantries. And knowledge."  

The owl fell silent, waiting.

"This is the same tower that no one ever returns from, right?" asked Dakhir.

"Of course" replied Ricmo cheerily. "I say we go."

"Well, it was a nice invitation." Freddy commented. "Seemed pretty friendly."

"She clearly knows something of my homeland, though it is far from here. Her words seem to indicate perhaps she is of a neighboring or allied druidical tradition." Whisperleaf observed. 

The party exchanged glances. In some unspoken way, they all knew they were going to accept.

"We shall happily accept your mistresses invitation." Ricmo replied, for all of them.

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The Caretaker was very old. Her tower was a collection of ancient books, scrolls, and odd animals. A monkey-butler had met them at the door, greeted them cordially, and then escorted them up to the highest chamber where the Caretaker (and a well laid out and sumptuous breakfast) awaited them on a large balcony overlooking the sea. 

She may have been old but she was clearly spry for her age, leaping to her feet when they entered the chamber and greeting them with energy and excitement. 

Whisperleaf and she hit it off immediately. His guess had been correct, she was a druidess of some flavor, though she was vague about her lineage and training. She had evidentially spent considerable time in the druidical preserves in the far north of the Woods of the Golden Sylph though, and was well acquainted with the great trees of that holy land, Trees that were tens of thousands of years old. Trees that reached taller then the tallest tower. Trees that had names and spoke wisdom to those who knew how to listen.

The rest of the party were pretty much ignored, though politely, and took the opportunity to dig into the breakfast while Whisperleaf and the Caretaker went on and on. Dakhir noticed that after a while, Whisperleaf managed to shift the conversation away from his elven homeland to the Caretaker and the islands she oversaw, which she called "FableHaven."

"And why not" she explained. "For a haven for fables is what this place is. Just like my lovely Mica here, last of his kind, last of the Golden Owls. Hunted to extinction by men for a few gold coins made from their feathers." She reached over and scratched the golden owl under his chin where he say on his perch. He preened. 

"All across the lands are creatures like my Mica. Beautiful animals, magical animals, on the brink of extinction because they are too small and powerless to protect themselves from the predations of men. So I seek them out, I bring them here, or they find their way on their own. And I give them a safe place. I protect them."

She seemed to remember the rest of the party and glanced over toward them. For a moment her eyes became cold and the laughter and joy faded from her voice. "I protect them" she repeated, her voice becoming dangerous. "With extreme prejudice." 

"A beautiful and noble mission" Freddy stepped into the conversational void the dark words had left. "Worthy of being commemorated in a song"

The Caretaker softened immediately. "Aye, you are a bard, aren't you! Been many a year since I've heard a merry tune. Do you know 'A Wizards Staff has a Nob on the End?"

Freddy smiled.

---------------------------------

As the tower of Fablehaven receded behind them, the companions gathered on the quarterdeck where The Sturg was, as usual, manning the great wheel.

"She was really quite helpful and pleasant. A wonderful old dame. Didn't know much about the current state of Puerto Lejos, but that Finding Spell she cast on Whisperleaf should make it a lot easier tracking Sister Clara down".

Whisperleaf had been pretty quiet since they left the island tower. He nodded. "I think she is very very old" he said softly. "And I say that as one with elven blood. Archdruids can live for a long long time, they are practically immortal. Many of the things she spoke of, as if they were recent events happened hundreds of years ago. But yes, she was very kind to us. I believe the legends about the island though, I shudder to think what one of such age and power could do to trespassers who threaten her creatures."

Dakhir nodded. "I have a feeling her response would be quick and terrible. If you had not been with us, I doubt she would have been so friendly." 

"Well, look at that. That is something you don't see every day" Ricmo interrupted.

Blue Archie, who had been hanging back near Sturg, quietly heling him pilot safely through the various shoals and islands, chuckled.

"Aye we call that "El Hundido" , means "The Head". I heard tell divers say it ain't just a head, but an entire statue. That it goes all the way to the ocean floor. 

"Wow, must be huge then" Ricmo commented. "Annwyn make it maybe?"

"Nay" Blue Archie replied. "Old Annwyn never really made it out this far. The ruins in these lands are far far older then that, Tens of thousands of years old. And not made by humans, or at least not entirely"

"Thousands of years old it may be, but that head still radiates strong magic" Dakhir observed. His infernally granted senses tingled with it.

Blue Archie was quiet for moment then he spoke again, softly.

"The world is old. Older then we can imagine, and many peoples an' empires ha' rose and fell. Old Annwyn, which seems so long ago to us, was only the most recent of these.

The legends say that long long ago, the land was diffrnt' then now, the weather were colder and the seas were lower, and all this land o' islands and archipelagos' was one land, one continent, like Mythras or Mbo. And that the people that ruled that land weren't human, though they did keep humans and other creatures as their slaves.

We call them "The Yuan-Ti" and we call that land "Lost Farbosheia. No one knows much about those folk other then they were dark and bloody, as you can tell from the frescoes and statues they left behind them in what be left of their cities. They passed away long long ago, some say destroyed in a great war, some say fled underground to escape their enemies, but you can still find their ruins, things like El Hundido there, and some of them caves in Bolcán Idithe, and others, statues and pyramids buried by the jungle. 

You can find those ruins all over the Thousand Isles, and Mbo too I heard, but there are an especial many of them around these parts. Big ruined city not far from here called Lozuemel is the greatest of them. 

"Like that snake-temple we exploroed back on the island of the Thunder Lizards" Ricmo commented.

"Indeed indeed" Blue Archie replied. 

"In the Southern Reach, the mermen live in such ruins, make them into their cities. Great pyramids, fathoms beneath the waves" remarked Tello. "They are magical and beautiful places."

The heroes were silent for a moment, thinking about the deep past, when suddenly.

"Puerto Lejos over the port bow!" the lookout sang out.

Tello rushed to the gunwale and got his looking glass out.

"I see ships in the harbor. Several are familiar to me. One is The Summer Gale, the ship that Sister Clara chartered."

"Interesting." said Dakhir. "So she made it this far then.