To The Island!

[OGRE MAGE]

By The Cook Fires

Drakkar wanders off alone towards the tower while Fitz stops to ask for a bite. The crowd around the fish continues cutting off large hunks of its meat when one skinny human turns to address the gnome.

"Hey there, stranger? You must be new round here, huh? Just get off the boat, didja? There aint no plates ta use, but there aint no meat ready yet anyway. Why the capn' just brung this beast in. If yer hungry now, and got coin to spare, try the Treehouse. Randall's always got some stew ready up there."

"If'n ye wants soma this fish, yer gonna have to wait a bit longer fer it ta cook through, friend."

The gnome can see the excitement in the faces of the gathered people, as if getting a large chunk of fish to cook for themselves was some kind of blessing around here. Everyone is civil and helpful with one another while each person takes their turn at the huge carcass. The skinny farmer type speaks up again.

"So what brings ya way out here ta Beachtown, mister? Looking fer a way out of yer normal life back home?"

[hedgeknight]

Fitz

"Well good sir, I don't mind the wait if you don't mind the company!" he responds cheerfully. "I am Fitz from the Yeomanry, here to do something besides working in a mine. Me and that Dwarf yonder," he points at Drakkar's back, "we just arrived on the boat with Captain Quark."
Fitz looks around at the happy folks and can't keep from grinning. "Say, what can you tell me about that old leaning tower over yonder? And if you don't mind, what is your name?"

[OGRE MAGE]

The human remains as kind and polite as Fitz is.

"Heck no, I dont mind the company. As long as you dont mind me gettin my turn at the fish once the crowd clears a little." He smiles and brandishes a huge carving knife that he retrieves from his trousers.

"The Yeomanry ya say? So yer a real westerner then? We dont have a lot of gnomes round here, but you seem like a good one, mister Fitz. My name is Stewart, but everyone here just calls me Wert. I am happy to make yer acquaintance, friend."

"That tower? It belongs to Quark, folks say. They also say its gonna fall inta the sea pretty soon. I dont think it gets used much anymore. I heard tell that they built it with bilge stones. And that it was the first permanent structure built here. Though it seems that permanent aint so permanent after all fer that one."

"Cant say I know much more about it than that, sorry."

[hedgeknight]

"Welp, that is still good to know, Wert. And no, don't mind at all at waiting my turn. My grandpappy used to say, 'Don't get too big for ya britches! and I took that to mean to know my place in life. I've tried to live that way ever since."

[OGRE MAGE]

Wert nods enthusiastically at the gnomes words, eventually making it up to the huge fish and cutting himself off a massive hunk that must weigh at least 20 pounds. Fitz watches it all happen, eventually seeing people eating off of a blackened filet that was cooked close to the fire. It looks delicious and he is offered to join in on the feast.

Before Wert leaves, he smiles at the gnome again. “Say Fitz! If ya don’t have anyplace ta stay, the missus an me are gonna be up all day an night smoking this here meat. You should come on by the common houses if ya wanna talk some more.” He points across the small town to the west, towards the three large buildings at the edge of the beach.

[hedgeknight]

"Thanks for the invite, Wert! I'll drop by after giving the tower a once over."
He ways at the friendly fellow, and takes the offer to eat some broiled fish, bellying up and digging in!

After he has thoroughly stuffed himself, Fitz will head for the tower, looking for Drakkar.

[OGRE MAGE]

Having his fill on hospitality and fish, Fitz seeks out the leaning tower and his Dwarven partner.

Drakkar is nowhere to be seen as the gnome makes his way closer to the eyesore on the beach. Constructed of uneven stone and failing mortar joints, the squat round tower does appear to be leaning badly towards the surf. There is no action around the building and the townsfolk don’t seem to pay much attention to the thing.

There is a single crooked wooden door on the ground level that has one of those tiny barred windows in it. Unfortunately, the window is about 3 feet higher than the gnomes head.

[hedgeknight]

Fitz walks up to the tower, looking around for Drakkar.
"Perhaps he went to that treehouse tavern for a bite," he says to no one but himself.

He tries to look through the door window when he walks up, but failing that, he simply knocks.
"Drakkar?" he calls after knocking. "Anybody home?"

[OGRE MAGE]

After a long wait, and a few strange looks from people passing by, the little barred window in the door slides to the side. A weak male voice is heard coming from the open slot in the door.

"Yes? Captain? Is that you, sir? Why cant I see you?"

[hedgeknight]

Fitz waves his hand, or at least the tips of his fingers, over the opening and says, "Hey...erm...I'm not the Captain, but he suggested I come to the tower and check it out. I'm Fitz...and...erm...can you open the door please?"

[OGRE MAGE]

Fitz hears multiple locks being clicked and turned from beyond the door that eventually opens to reveal a short studious looking human male wearing dirty robes and an ugly green visor on his head. The living area beyond him is cluttered with a desk that is stacked with books and papers.

"Oh, a gnome? No wonder I couldn't see you. Quark sent you to me? Why? I wasn't given any prior notice of such a thing."

The human who looks a bit like a giant pigeon with glasses sighs heavily as he peers around the beach area outside of his leaning tower.

"What do you require of me then?"

[hedgeknight]

Fitz bows at the waist
"Fitzenbell Goldenhammer at your service, good sir! Newly arrived from the Yeomanry and ready to appraised and approve work to renovate this lovely tower. Captain Quark sent me...along with a companion of mine...which I have seen since I stopped and got some fish. Could I come in for some tea and a look around?"

[OGRE MAGE]

The rat faced human looks mildly perturbed at this intrusion.

"Yes, yes. Glad to meet you Mr. ummmm Goldenhammer. My name is Clinton, Clinton Bigsby, though I am not at your service in the least."

The nervous looking human peers around outside again, especially after the mention of fried fish.

"Tea? Surely you cant be serious. I have work to do in here. Why hasn't the captain told me anything about this.....this.......renovation? Huh?"

Looking past the doorway, Fitz can easily see that the tower's construction looks even worse on the inside. With all the gaps in the walls and the rubble already fallen to the floor, the gnome isn't sure how the tower is actually still standing.

[hedgeknight]

Fitz shrugs, ignoring the man's rudeness.

"Couldn't say, Mr. Bigsby. Captain Quark told me, and erm, another chap to come over and take a look and see how much it would cost to do some renovations. Something about not wanting the tower to fall into the surf...or something like that. I really wasn't listening that closely to be honest."
Fitz looks around inside as he speaks, rocking back and forth on his heels.
"Say, do you have a privy around here? An outhouse or something akin?"

[OGRE MAGE]

Clinton the Bookkeeper cant help but to laugh a little when Fitz is so blatantly honest about not paying attention to his directions.

"Well, that is certainly reassuring information. So, the old salt has finally listened to me then? Look at this place! It's ready to fall over at any moment."

"But the only thing that could be done is to move the entire building inland. Is that what you are here to.....I'm sorry, a what? An outhouse? Well, there are a few holes dug out behind the Hi-Lo for doing your business."

He points across the tiny town to the well built wooden building in the distance.

Just from looking at the tower, Fitz is pretty sure that moving it from the beach will be far more work than one gnome could possibly manage. He still doesnt see Drakkar anywhere.

[hedgeknight]

Fitz hops around a bit, realizing almost too late that he needs to relieve himself.
"Excuse me for a second, good sir."

He trots back out through the door and around the side facing the open sea; looking for a bit of shade or shadow to do his business.
He then returns inside and says, "Now then. How can I be of service to this place? I confess, I am not much of a builder. But, I do not wish your place to fall over on its side. Tell me who I can help you."

[OGRE MAGE]

Clinton looks down his nose as he replies.

"Well, if you have about 20 friends with you, you could start working on removing the stones from this location and moving them to a new location, further inland."

"But since it is only you here now, and I have heard no details from the captain as to his preferred new location, I really dont see how you could help me at all. No offense sir, but you have shown me zero reason to believe that you could do the work yourself. Where is Quark anyway? Why isn't he the one telling me about these proposed changes? It obviously needs to be done, but how is one gnome going to do this much work?"

While the conversation goes nowhere, Fitz sees a few people carrying around large black hunks of rock through town, using them to line their gardens, paths, and as foundations to small buildings and such. He doesn't recognize the stone at all, which is a little strange for one of his kind. They seem to be getting these stones from somewhere down a wide trail that leads deeper into the vast jungle beyond the town. There is a steady line of humans retrieving them as he watches.

[hedgeknight]

Frustrated, Fitz scratches his chin and says, "I'll be back in a few."

He hurries off toward the trail of people and asks one, "Hey! Where are you getting those stones?"

[OGRE MAGE]

A farmer type townie struggling to carry a larger specimen sets his rough black rock down for a moment when Fitz walks up.

“Well there’s a big pile of em right over there!” He points a little further down a wide logging trail that leads into the dark jungle where a few people are wading into the thick foliage a short distance and coming back out carrying more of these strange looking black hunks of rock.

“Hey! I ain’t seen you around here before. You just come in on Quarks ship? We ain’t got no gnomes round here that I know of. I seen a few go off inta the jungle before, but folks who go wandering round these parts don’t always come back, if ya smell what I’m cookin.”

[hedgeknight]

Fitz looks where the man is pointing, then back, and says, "Well...what are you using them for? Where did they come from?"