The Artifact
- Enekos
- Jul 31, 2023
- 4 min read
Leaf sat in his cabin, surrounded by mementos from a life in the royal shipyards designing vessels that almost blended into the sea. How he moved from that role to become a crime lord in the illegal trade in cats, is a mystery. While that trade was profitable, it also brought unconnected guilds together is an uneasy alliance.
Leaf took the role of Quartermaster, gaining him enough time onboard the ship as well as more secretive missions away from it. Some suspected the Artifact had become his obsession. Others suggested in hushed tones that Leaf had designed the Artifact, lost it and had issued a bounty for its safe return.
For many of the new pirates to board the Sails, Leaf presents the image of an old guy who likes his rum but doesn’t involve himself that much. They forget he’s a veteran of more than 190,000 battles and one of the top 100 most feared warriors in the whole world.
But right now, he’s trying to forget this and trying to find the Artifact. He’s also aware that several of the Queen’s personal guard died in the battle of Hellap’s garden when Leaf’s emissaries had arrived in the shape of Balder Grimm and the squawking Jeremy. “Decent fellow,” mused Leaf.
Horatio had briefly located the Artifact at a pumpkin farm, which had somehow ignited. From the shadows, Horatio had seen an old friend leaving the inferno with a man yelling something about beer. Horatio had also seen another figure leaving the farmhouse with a small chest, via a horse that took the figure to a small boat. In the confusion, Horatio decided to pursue the woman and her friend. Coincidences like this happened for a reason. Of course, pursuing them came only after he’d attempted to quell the flames. Old habits die hard.
Leaf understood the choice, of course. He commended it because that “old friend” and her manservant had proven to be useful additions to the crew, giving Leaf more freedom to explore his theories. The woman had also shared her stories about the Artifact – although she’d been unaware that it was Leaf who would have been her paymaster.
Leaf took another sip of rum and called for Arcturus to visit him.
"So you’re the guardian of the bear?” Leaf shuffled papers, which Arcturus summarized were documents from the Lore of the Black Sails. He nodded silently. “In the constellation of Boötes - being the herdsman Arcas, of course. And Fenrir, said to be the child of Loki: a wolf. And Timsland? So many names.” Leaf shot him a quizzical look. “Well my dear Arcturus, I have a little job for you in the Forest of Daphun.”
Long before he arrived at the Black Sails, Arcturus was known by different names and with a very different look. A fearsome warrior with a heart of gold and a love of nature made a very interesting combination. He had run with some of the most terrifying armies in Houndsmoor but he was always desperate to get home. Back to his beloved Rugnir, where his deeds were legendary.
But first he had to find someone. No that wasn’t true. He had to find a ship.
Jean Flint looked across the deck at the hustle and bustle of pirates preparing for another wave of attacks. To his side, a lightly shaven-man who looked less pirate than most and more respectable too. “A word, Flint?” The captain nodded and both entered his cabin where Horatio, Fiza – a snake-headed soothsayer and a visiting dignitary known as Quietus awaited. “Yes Enekos?” asked the captain. “Timsland aka Fenrir,” came the brief reply.
The captain looked briefly at Horatio who nodded, wrote the name on parchment, and then turned silently to track down an old friend.
In the port of Elsewhere is a ramshackle Dabbakins Alehouse, where lost souls go to forget their past and dream about a non-existent future. The man who would become known as Arcturus was sat there. Alone. One hand on a cup – its contents; warm mead. Oblivious to the noise of rowdy drunks he looked at the papers in front of him. One name filled his mind. Marc Wick.
He’d been spotted boarding the fearsome battleship of the Black Sails many moons ago. This was the ship he needed to find.
Suddenly he was aware of a new scent, grabbed a hidden dagger and spun round with such ferocity that his stool crashed to the floor and the whole place hushed into silence. He was about to lunge the silver blade into the nearest body and saw the face of… of…. of…. “Horatio?” gasped the man who would become Arcturus.
“Hello Fenrir. I have someone who wants to meet you.”
“Oh no, Enekos left the ship a month ago and is holed-up on an island in the northern sea. Take his bunk, I’m sure he won’t return,” recounted Horatio. The man who was now Arcturus had met with the captain and the two had agreed. Four months with the Black Sails and he would personally bring Marc Wick to Arcturus. A pact was agreed, handshakes were exchanged, and Arcturus went about the slaughter of anyone who attempted to board the ship uninvited.
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