Raiders of the Temple of the Last Crusade (Aiden, Fergus, Karlsen)

"Let's keep it quiet for awhile....until we know exactly where and how we want to kick over this ant hill for maximum effect. Benjamin, you said you know where this boat is docked. Let's go and have a look, shall we.....just as soon as I make a call."


Aiden takes the speakeasy and dials in the number for city medical services. He informs the operator on the line of the death of Isabella and the address at which she can be found. Placing the device on an end table next to the couch upon which she is lying, Aiden says, "Okay, let's go.....out the back, this time."

Fergus leads Aiden and Karlsen through the back door and down towards the harbour. As he goes he keeps his eyes out for any monocled men following the group. Heading towards the sea is easy but as he gets closer to the docks area he has to ask to get directions towards the exact birth that was indicated on the document.

The berth of the boat mentioned lies a little ways off what most would consider the mainfare of yachts, fisherboats, ferries and the like. Before long the three find what they're looking for--an enclosed wooden hut where the Sea-Cat should be. It lies among half a dozen similar huts at the end of a pier. All the doors appear locked.

Fergus decides to check with the others before acting this time.

"Does anyone have any objections to a bit of breaking and entering or is there an alternate strategy you have in mind?"

"I think that is an acceptable course of action. But I do not think breaking will be needed. Let us be about it then. We attract more attention standing here." So saying Karlsen strides along the pier to the hut. After they reach the hut he reaches under a loose board and pulls out a key. "Well what do we have here? A spare key? How convenient." After a quick inspection of the frame for an alarm (magical or mechanical or electrical) he will open the door if there is none.

No alarm that any of them can perceive. There, in the filtered light of dirty glass along one half of the slanted roof, lies a sweet little craft. It resembles a catamaran, with a hold/cabin for one or perhaps two if the people are good friends. The sails are tied back.

"Nice," Aiden grins, checking out the boat. "I had one of these babies, oh, about 15 years ago...They were quite popular where I was living then....Right quick in the water, they are...and a lot o' fun."

Aiden steps aboard the craft and quickly disappears into the hold...

The interior looks lovely. Not at all ornate, but find-crafted and well made. Drawers, cabinets, portholes, all well-used. Everything is stiff now, but it has the feeling of a craft taken out many times, taken care of by someone who understood it, loved it. Old linen remains in the cubbards--white, gold, black, purple. The galley, like the rest of Sea-Cat, is splendidly designed.

"Let us know if you find anything down there Aiden." Fergus calls out content to let one of the more experienced Amberites check it out.

Whilst Aiden is exploring Fergus decides to use the time to take out the Lodestone that Karlsen has lent him. He ties a piece of cotten around the middle of it and then lets it swing freely until it settles in a direction. He then turns around another way and lets it swing freely again to ensure that the first result gives the same direction. He tries a few more times facing other directions to ensure that it points to the same way.

The real test of course would come when he found a broken pattern as he could then tell if the lodestone was only pointing to the pattern in Amber or whether it would be skewed of course by the reflections.

After experimenting he waits for Aiden to come back up on decks.

"Count on it," calls back from inside the cabin.

He examines the interior with an appreciative eye, running his hands over the curved surfaces of polished wood and metal. He takes his time exploring each area with a mind on checking for concealed compartments, false-bottomed drawers and the like...

Now then, If I were her nautical charts, where would I live?. Aiden continues to search quietly and thoroughly. If she had a favorite destination - maybe friends in a Shadow port - she might be there

Charts prove easy enough to find, in fine-crafted tubes of leather and wood. They reveal this world's oceans and seas.

Extremely careful examination will eventually uncover a hidden cache of other charts, including one of the seas near a place called Iv and another place called Wone. This last seems to have been used the most, and includes notes on some very interesting landmarks that Aiden can memorize with little difficulty.

Aiden also finds one more small hidden compartment, near the door to the main quarters. The second he reaches in and touches something, his eyes widen at the sensation.

It is a trump.

Aiden carefully studies the charts, mentally filing as much of the information as he can...

lv...isn't that where cousin Mint hails from? Do the redheads of the family have secret meetings to coordinate this stuff, I wonder? Aiden smiles to himself

Looking around again at the interior It might be worthwhile to simply sail out of here to the points marked on these charts. It's a shame the cabin isn't just a bit larger...Still, it wouldn't be too bad as long as the journey isn't too great.

As his hand grasps the Trump a small, icy shock of recognition passes through him..."Bloody Hell, what have we here?" Aiden pulls the card from its hidden location and slowly turns it over to see....

Julian.

Realising that Aiden is taking a while, Karlsen wanders down to see what is keeping him. When he sees the charts laid out (assuming that Aiden hasn't put them away) he intensly scrutenises them. "Nice charts."

Fergus watches as Karlsen dissappears into the hold of the boat and waits for either of them to let him know what is happening down there. They were older and more experienced than him and would probably be better at finding things out. Fergus didn't want to make another grave error.

Winnow said that people with pattern can bring it to their mind. I wonder if the lodestone is swayed by the presence of a pattern initiate. That would make it less useful in determining direction, but more useful in assessing whether a person had pattern imprint.

Now that Karlsen has moved away from him he tests this theory, ensuring that Karlsen and Aiden are in a different direction to that which he previously determined the lodestone faced. He then repeated the test. If it pointed to the direction it was previously going then it was pointing back to the Primal Pattern. If it pointed to the boat, then it was actually detecting the presence of a person with pattern imprint.

The Loadstone remains unaffected.

Karlsen notes the Iv charts have a distinctly "medieval" feel to them, whereas the mystery charts resemble those of the Nexus, in style anyway.

"Julian!?" Mild shock then... puzzlement...then his eyes narrow in suspicion What is his part in all of this, I wonder? He always has been a man of many secrets...but would he do anything that might threaten the realm? That would be almost unthinkable. And yet, he has always had his own agenda...as, I suppose, do we all. And he does love his games. What is your angle, Julian? What is the game we're playing?

Aiden almost decides to use the trump...almost, but his wiser, more cautious self prevails. No...No, I think I'll just hold onto this for a little while. I don't think I'll let you know of this little discovery yet.

Aiden continues to study the card to see if he can recognize style of the hand who drew it. He then flips it over expecting to see a crimson unicorn emblazoned on the reverse side.


Aiden doesn't hear Karlsen as he enters the cabin.

Fergus puts away the lodestone and takes a look around the rest of the hut, before starting to look at the boat to try and work out it's relative bouyancy. He then decides to try and work out whether it could be made more efficient.

I wonder what's taking them so long. I'm sure if they'd found something they'd have told me by now.

(Occ - The cabin was described as tiny so I am going to assume Karlsen can't miss what Aiden is looking at, unless Aiden is trying to hide it. If you are hiding it then let me know I will change the post.)

"What have you got there? Hmmmm...." Karlsen pulls out his glasses of true seeing and slips them on. He will examine the Trump at a distance unless Aiden offeres it to him. He will check the following, does he recognise the style? Was it made with The Pattern, a broken Pattern or by other means. If it is not by someone he knows does it look at all similar to a style he knows, say Dworkin's or Brand's?

This time, as Aiden hears Karlsen's question, he shifts his angle a bit - purely by reflex - to hide what he is holding. A moment later , after a quick mental debate, he shifts back around and hands the card to Karlsen over his shoulder. "In addition to the charts, I found this hiding....I don't know what to make of it yet."


Turning back around to face the small fold down table where the charts are lying, he continues. "I was debating on sailing the catamaran to this port in Wone," he says, tapping the chart with his finger. "She seems to have had a preference for this place and I figure it's as good a lead as any."

Gesturing around at the interior, "I know it's a little small, but the Shadow isn't too distant. I think we could make out just fine. Whatdya think?"

The Trump was clearly made by Dworkin. It is one of those that is part of a regular Amberite deck.

[OOC - the interior is enough for two adults to sleep there at the same time and if need be someone can sleep on deck. The ship can sail easily carrying maybe five people if all of them don't sleep there.]

Kalsen looks over the Trump carefully (not assuming that because it looks like a Dworkin Trump it is one) can he date it? Artist's styles drift a bit with time. He shares his findings and hands it back to Aiden, "Finders keepers."

"Do you think Fergus is ready to leave? Or will he want to do a bit more investigation?" Unless Aiden wants to continue the private chat he calls for Fergus to come in. "Remember we could also let a bird go and follow it. The second one so they don't know any more than where we start out."

Occ - Does Aiden know how to handle a boat? Karlsen does, and could probably do it by himself with a bit of help.

Fergus hears Karlsen call him from inside the boat and he leaves his examination of the potential to increase it's efficiency. He heads over to the cabin and sticks his head inside, not able to get inside the small cabin himself without vastly rearranging his body.

"What's up? Found anything useful?"

"Yes we have. Come on in. We need to decide where to head next."

OCC - The cabin is big enough for 4 or 5 people, they just can't sleep there. Also we could change the boat a bit while we travel if we have to, right?