19. Departure

On waking up in their hotel in Riverside, the party briefly discussed the extent to which they should trust Nix. Clark sent some messages to Driscoll, informing him of the possibility of them taking on Nogg the Dread Drake. Wilfred found a moment to ask Malak about something he'd overheard in the Aquan conversation the triton had had with Minerva when the group first arrived on Tortuga. She'd called him a 'city boy.' Wilfred thought the idea of a triton city was just a myth, and Malak explained that there were towns and settlements, but they weren't that impressive or interesting. Since there wasn't much going on down below the waves, many triton, himself included, were opting to move above them. Later, Malak took a moment to explain that he hadn't told the whole story, but that there were things he didn't want to talk about for the time being. 
The group debated a lot regarding their best course of action. Malak was strongly in favour of checking in with Svavil's forces and seeing if they could forge an alliance. Others thought this was foolhardy; they didn't even know how they should being fostering that sort of relationship with the pirate lord. For the time being, they opted to go to the Pieces and meet with Nemmonis and her crew in Penny Town, a district devoted to producing the cheap novels that were popular on the turtle. 
Nemmonis was happy to see Malak and she filled the party in on her crew's activities since Crab Claw Cove. They'd come to the turtle to spread the word about Driscoll's attack against Shandy so that the world would be watching, then they hunkered down in Penny Town. She explained that the people of the Pieces were Rumidian refugees and they looked after their own. Nemmonis and her crew being Rumidians runaways themselves, they hadn't been sold out by the people of the town, even after tensions rose on Tortuga after the success of Driscoll's gambit. In turn, the party briefly explained what they'd been up to, careful not to reveal too much information to a potential traitor, and then told Nemmonis that they might attack the Dread Drake. She was unsure on their chances but figured they needed more information. She told the party to find out what they could, including speaking to their new acquaintance Nix, and she would do what she could from the Pieces. Then they were to meet up in the evening of the following day for a captains' meeting to discuss their attack. 
Malak, Clwyd, and Wilfred went from the Pieces to Glittergold, the gnomish section of the Small Quarter. They had the rickshaw take them to the market square, and though no stalls were set up at the time, the buildings around the square were all gnomish family shops of various trades. They stopped off at the Smoothhands Tailors, where Malak and Wilfred got new clothing made. Clwyd rushed around gathering materials for a new project, even briefly stopping at a silversmiths to purchase some raw silver. Wilfred also took note of the numerous establishments specialising in individual spells - including one called Chancery Scroll Works that specialised in the sending spell, and another place that specialised in mind magic and charms. 
Clark and Pyt went from the Pieces to Riverside and did some busking, making no money from the upmarket clientele of the district. They tried to figure out what Nogg had come to Tortuga for, overhearing a number of whispers suggesting people were worried - something about a challenge. They went into a wine lounge called Amy's Wine House and Pyt was eventually able to get Jackson, manifested in his drum, to find a pamphlet out on the street that apparently had the details of what was going on written on it. 
The group reconvened at the Thatchroof, where they were to meet Nix again at sundown. Pyt and Clark showed the rest of the group the pamphlet:.................................................................Challenge.....................................................................Eight Finger Driscoll has declared war. Mother Shandy wishes to respect Tortuga as a neutral space, but she seeks recompense for lives taken, as is her right. Three crews flying Eight Finger's flag have fled to Tortuga and found succour on its shell. Nogg the Dread Drake, Commander of the Third Division of Mother Shandy's fleet, challenges these crews. They will meet him in combat on the open waters of the atoll, lest all the people of Tortuga become victims of Driscoll's war. Captains and Quartermasters have until the dawn of Midwinter's Eve. The pamphlet also had the printing signature of a Rumidian printing press at the bottom. 
Midwinter's Eve being only six days away, the group begin seriously discussing the option of leaving the island. Nix walked into the room to catch the tail end of this conversation. He explained that he had the means of expediting them from the island whenever they like, should they wish it, on the condition that one of them joined his household as he had previously mentioned. 
Nix and his imp, revealed to be called Dimitri, told the group that they spent the day scouting out Nogg's activity, as they'd said they would the night before. The Behemoth had anchored away from Tortuga, watching the docks. The five other ships that had come with it were supplemented by the three ships flying Shandy's colours that had already been on the island, and they had moved into the atoll, forming something of a wide net around Tortuga. Aboard the ship, Dimitri had seen that Nogg had ten ogres and ten half-ogres. Nix had seen more half-ogres travelling to Tortuga itself, buying supplies all through the day. Thus, their full numbers were a little unclear. Additionally, Nogg's quartermaster was an ettin, a two-headed giant that didn't need to sleep. Because of the presence of the ettin, its heads known as Sodom and Gomorrah, sneaking up on the Behemoth at night would likely be a difficult task. Lastly, Nogg had a very dangerous pet: a grey render that always stayed at his side.
Having seen the forces they were up against, Nix thought the odds were firmly stacked against the party in this fight, but was still curious if they wanted to go ahead with it. Some loose plans were thrown around. Pretending to flee, then turning around and attacking. Sneaking up at night and burning the ship after Nix took care of the slaves aboard. Trying to sneak up to the ship and punch a hole in its hull. Potentially approaching one of the atoll's dragon turtles and pulling off a move similar to the gambit before. 
Nix thought most of those plans were severely underestimating one of Shandy's commanders. He took the opportunity to ask the group what this fight, and Driscoll's war in general, even meant to them. He was interested in why they would be willing to go so far for Driscoll when they'd suggested in the last meeting that they thought of themselves much more like mercenaries than anything else. The group had a mixed response. Wilfred thought Driscoll offered him protection. Malak didn't want to abandon Nemmonis and her crew. Clark also let slip during the discussion that there was the potential of a traitor among Driscoll's forces, though he and the group tried to backtrack after it was said. 
Clwyd asked Nix if they could have some time to talk without him in the room, and he happily agreed. Before he left, he told them to be wary of assuming Nogg's midwinter deadline was something sacred to the man. If it were him, Nix said he'd start paying people to kill Driscoll's forces as soon as possible. Perhaps even start going after innocent people who had helped the party during their time on Tortuga, if he learned how easily their hearts can be swayed by such things. After this, he left the room, going to speak with the owners of the homestead - members of a family that had apparently made a deal with Nix's household many generations ago. 
The party discussed the merits of fighting or running. A few arguments are put forth on both sides. When both Clwyd and Pyt say they were considering joining Nix's household, the option of fleeing gained traction. They eventually called Nix back in and got him to explain the deal in clear terms: The signatory would take a mote of power, a piece of hellfire, within themselves. It would then be their job to nurture it and to grow it alongside their own power. The power it bestowed was theirs to shape and do with as they wished, but upon their death, the household would reclaim it, along with their soul. The River Styx, the typical method by which souls transmigrate, robs people of their memories, depositing them as silt. On joining the household, one would not travel by way of the river, so one could retain their memories if they so wished. This was thus a chance at a life that extended far beyond the mortal coil. The position they would enter in the household would be dependent on their own skills and power, together with how well they had nurtured the hellfire during their life. In addition to the base deal, Nix was also offering to transport them from Tortuga to anywhere in the world that the party wanted to go, with the limitation that it had to be a place he himself had been to and that they first had to go to his household for one night. He promised them full hospitality and protection for the duration of the stay.Dimitri was revealed to be someone who had made such a deal, though not someone with the kind of potential Nix saw in some of the party, apparently. He was currently at the lowest rank, an imp, but had the full intention of becoming a mighty pit fiend one day through his work with Nix. By way of a taster of the hellfire's potential, Dimitri formed a brief mental link with Clwyd. When he left the room, the goblin could perceive everything the imp was doing in the Thatchroof perfectly, as if she were in two places at once. Dimitri flew about and scratched his arse a little, then came back. 
Nix told the party they are welcome to stay the night in the establishment; the rooms were paid for. Then he left them, agreeing to meet at midday on the following day in Amy's Wine House. Clark send a few more messages with his sending spell, telling Driscoll that they were outnumbered and had the option to flee. Driscoll said Nogg was a tough opponent even in a fair fight, so he'd defer to the party's judgement on the matter - essentially giving them his blessing to leave if they thought it was their best course of action. 
The next morning, the party used Clark's sending spell to try and quickly uncover the traitor from Badger or Nemmonis's crews. They fed them different information, saying they are going to leave the turtle at different times, and then waited to see if Nogg's fleet would react. Ultimately, there was no change from the waiting ships.
After this, the group went and met Nix. Clwyd decided to sign the contract he produced, joining his household and enabling the party's escape. The air rumbled a little as she signed her name, a measure of the power of the decision she'd just made. The party requested to travel immediately and so Nix had them all hold hands in a circle, Dimitri included. He then cast his spell. The group was suddenly free-falling through darkness. A long time appeared to pass. Somewhere along the way, the orientation of the fall changed such they were falling forwards rather than down. In the distance, a pinprick of light appeared, then quickly rushed towards them, revealing itself to be an enormous latticework of fire. Nix formed a small hole in it and guided the group through. On the other side, there was more darkness for a time, until, inexplicably, they all found themselves stood on a busy dock. 
A red sky stretched out above them, with tall, dark mountains in the distance. Below their feet was volcanic glass. The grey-blue waters of the River Styx was just before them. The scent of brimstone filled their noses and their air was uncomfortably warm on their skin. Infernal creatures of varying sorts were scurrying about the docks, largely paying the group little mind. Nix beckoned them away from the water. 
'Come along, everyone,' he said. 'And welcome to the Hells.' 
------------------- 
Messages from sending can be found here. 
Category:Part Two