

Uh... yes. Your fame has spread far and wide and adventuerers such as ourselves could not pass through Ulgoth's Beard without stopping to see you.

A charmer ye be. Even in me younger days I never believed that I held fame beyond the Beard. I know that ye follow Balduran's path to far Anchorome. This is easy to discover for an old woman that knows to heed the whispering stones.

What other knowledge do you hold?

Ye walk quite blindly into this adventure. I know something of Balduran's story and will share it with you. I require only a bit of gold for me research expenses.

Perhaps 100 gold pieces will satisfy your muse?

It will, at that. Listen, then, and learn. As ye may know, Baldur's Gate was named for the legendary seafaring explorer Balduran, who long ago sailed past Evermeet in search of the rich, fabled isles of Anchorome. Balduran returned with tales of strange, vast lands across the seas. He also brought back much wealth and scattered it about his sparsely settled home harbor. So Baldur's Gate was born.

He then set sail again for the wondrous lands he had found. Balduran never returned. Some say he sails still, finding new lands in the endless reaches of the far sea, ore ven that he sailed off the world and fares now among the stars. Others whisper that he met with misfortune and perished in the deeps, while still others believe that he lived to a ripe old age in his new-found home.

Perhaps you will discover his fate on this island that you sail to, perhaps not. Regardless, I wish ye well on your journey and may say no more.
I guess Mendas did mention Balduran artifacts in the shipwreck on the island. He didn't mention it was Anchorome though. I'm looking forward to seeing how this turns out!
When we get to Mendas' home again, he is overjoyed to see us.


I am ready. Where is your boat?

I hire boat at the docks here in Ulgoth's Beard. I meet you there soon.
Then he rushes outside before we do. When we finally get out there, he rushes up to us again.


I have bought boat to use. It has food and water for journey. Everything is ready. You go now?

Let us leave immediately.

Most excellent, heroes. May gods grant you speedy journey. I will await your return at my house here in Ulgoth's Beard. Go well!
His well-wishes are incredibly naive.
Things do not go well, not at all.
Gah.
Blah.
Pslah.
I never want to sail again.

Okay, we are all here. Imoen, Xan, Finch, and the two expendables. Ok. We can do this.
Wait, is that a little girl I see standing over there?


Yes child, I did swim in. Our ship sank and we are in need of shelter.

OK, I believe you. Not see many that swim in. Many float, but don't wake up. Fishies are mean and cliffs hurt ship-homes. You lucky. Still smell funny though. Maybe you stay and belong?

Belong to whom, little one? You are not alone here?

Alone? Of course not, silly. There's mommay, poppay, my brother too. We've got neighbors too. The village is very nice. It's boring sometimes, but I like it.

The seas are treacherous in this area. How did you come to live here? I saw no ships nearby.

Mommay says great-great grammay came here on a ship-home like you. Sumthin' happened and they had to swim or be caught by the fishies. The ship-home is here somewhere, I guess. We're not allowed to go there.

You do not seem alarmed to see me. How often do strangers come here?

Not very often, and they don't always want to make friends. That's what mommay says, but I never seen anyone that doesn't belong. Until I meet you, anyway. You still smell funny, but you not scary. Not like the beasties.

The "beasties?" What do you mean?

The beasties are scary. They sometimes look like us, but they change and get mean. Mommay says they are nothing more than animals, but the other animals don't hate us so much. Maybe... maybe you will help us?

Perhaps, but I should meet with your people and find out what is going on first.

Yeah, you go to the village and speak to mommay's friend, Kaishas. She leads while mister chieftain is away. Dunno where he went, but he's away and you should speak to Kaishas. I gotta go, but maybe we will see each other later, maybe I too busy playing. We'll see. Bye-bye!
I always like talking to kids. It reminds me of the Weave.
We have just recovered from an actual shipwreck. I don't really feel like going anywhere just yet. I think we should take some time to recover our strength, to rest and recuperate. To dry off. So we set up camp right here next to the pieces of the ship that brought us here, get a warm fire going, and just sit still. There is no rocking of the boat. No worries about anything. Just the waves and the seagulls and the relaxing feeling of being alive and not dead and not having my life threatened by anything.
I wonder if I am now further from my home than ever before. I do not know exactly how far away that ice island was, or the Isle of Lendore with Restenford on it. Does this count, or that count, as furthest island? I might try to work it out via the stars later. But the feeling is the same as when I was on Lendore. A feeling of removal, of peace. A feeling that whatever great horrors await me are not moving closer.
I also remember how I was a woman then. I can't get that idea out of my head, and eventually find myself looking at the Girdle of Cognizance again. It will turn me into a woman via magic, just by putting it on.

I should try it again. Just for the day. It was kinda nice being so pretty. I slip it on.

Ahh, yes! With the rush of magic flowing over me comes a desire to rush back into the waves and have some fun. So I do. Xavia stares, open-mouthed, but I don't think Mulgore notices or cares. Finch and Imoen giggle to each other and then set about the business of making food. Xan follows me into the waves.
It is an entirely enjoyable afternoon and evening. I don't even care what happens next. I just want to eat roast rabbit and look out over the sea and celebrate being alive. We all fall asleep in the night, after talking about our dreams and secret desires. Even Mulgore softens up.
The next morning...



Shhh... Estel'amin, it's me. The sunrise is near, and I do not want you to miss it. Not today.

*Xan picks you up in his arms, your head resting against the tender skin of his shoulder, and carries you away from the camp. As he walks, his fingers are nimbly racing lines along your cheecks and ears, bringing you awake. When you open your eyes, you see that the sky has already turned blue, and a pale pink line glimmers over the horizon.*

Finally, Xan stops in the middle of a small glade, and gently puts you down. You hear the sounds of arcane chanting, flowing from his lips in an ancient melody.*

*For a moment, nothing happens. Then his feet slowly start to rise off the ground and into the air. Whiley ou gaze at the sight, Xan gathers you up once more, and next moment, both of you are gaining height, levitating higher and higher over the ground in a tight embrace.*

*Some ancestral instincts of the People awake deep within you, and as the treetops sway under your feet, the first fear disappears, replaced by calm enjoyment of the ride, the morning and the slender figure in your arms. Xan is watching you in some trepidation, but as your face relaxes, he sighs in relief, momentarily burying his face in your hair, and murmurs your name against your skin.*

*The first glimmer of the sunrise lights the sky aflame, coloring your faces golden, and the light leaps from every wet blade of grass and leaf to meet it, erecting a golden dome around the pair of you. The sight is breathtaking, and the cool, solemn silence of the early morning makes it even more so.*

*Xan turns his face away from the sun, and his eyes shine as they look into yours.* Syvishtara, dream with me. Here, away from this world of misery, away from our foes and calamities, it is easier to imagine that some day, our trials shall be over. Some day, we shall be able to travel away from this sorrowful land, to where the gardens are full of blooming flowers, the streams run with singing water, and Elven blood runs strong and clear in people. Will you... will you step over the threshold of Hanali's temple with me, then? Will you become mine in the eyes of the whole darkening world? My... wife in the eyes of the People?

Gameplay note: Well? He's waiting. Make up our collective mind already!
Edited by Usurper, 07 July 2013 - 05:58 AM.