[Audio/Visual] Dude where's our map? [Date TBD?]

[naturaltwohands]

[Drizzt's human hands are holding up some paper, his eyes focused on a note in neat Imperial Calligraphy:

I have your charts. If you want a chance of ever leaving this benighted island, bring me the Bando rebels’ box and give me safe passage back to the Empire.

K

Drizzt's gaze continues to linger on it as he speaks out loud, voice even but laced with anger. Yes, he's got a young teenager's voice. And yes, it doesn't do anger very well. Also yes, shut up.]

As the note says, our sea charts have been stolen. [You know, the ones Drizzt found after they didn't need them anymore?] I found this ransom note on the back of our charter.

Does anyone possess clues that might lead to the identity of the traitor? What course of action should we take? And where exactly would we meet this individual? They've neglected to mention a location with which to meet.

Comments

[naturaltwohands]

It seems the thief has a contingency plan in place.

... I am not certain I wish to know what is in the box. Does anyone know already?

[claudiometer]

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say 'an Imperial dragon.'

[naturaltwohands]

A dragon?

[You can almost see his jaw drop with the way he thinks that.]

How big is this box, exactly? [A beat, that makes no sense.] Or is it only a hatchling?

[claudiometer]

Imperial dragons hang out in scrolls when they're not active. Open it a little and you can talk to 'em, but I really don't recommend it.

The Empire used to have ten of 'em handy, two of each element. One ended up in the Sun Temple's basement at the end of the last jaunt and I think another one got co-opted by another arm of the rebellion. This one's either the Sun Temple's or another, I'd guess.

If it's been on Helena's ship, she probably doesn't know what she's been carrying, or if she does she just found out. There's dangerous cargo and then there's something that could literally tear her home to shreds if given the chance.

[naturaltwohands]

[Hold on, Drizzt is finding someplace to sit down. Not that you can see. But there's a delay in his reply as he drops into the chair.]

By the gods... And this individual wants the dragon.

[claudiometer]

Going by the 'and passage back to the Empire' business, they were sent to return it.

...Hey Thorne? That leader powwow you guys had, did Helena happen to say anything about the Bando Mystery Box?

[naturaltwohands]

And from what I have heard, the Empire is not a good one.

[Well there goes the idea that this person is innocent.]

[claudiometer]

Oh, definitely not. Last jaunt they were trying to provoke a civil war and strafed at least one village to do it.

That was before they sent in an army to wipe out the Sun Temple.

[naturaltwohands]

[A mental sigh as that knowledge brings him some measure of sadness and pain. Poor nameless people that he will never know. :( Why are people awful.]

Then we cannot allow this individual have the true box and its contents.

[claudiometer]

No. No, we can't.

Helena would probably be down for a bait-and-switch. Wouldn't put it past her to have come up with one, if... not as elaborate as what Malik's planning.

[thornsofmalkav]

Nope. Not a thing.

Hey Zed? If you can 'hear' this, did Kotei ever find out what was in it?

[claudiometer]

Balls. That makes it harder to know whether she knows what's in it.

If she does, I can't see her agreeing to take it anywhere, never mind back where it came from.

[whydoyoushine]

Nope. They wouldn't let me anywhere near it, and none of the times I tried stealing it ever worked.

[thornsofmalkav]

Have you seen the outside of it, though? Enough that if you showed it to me I could make a convincing fake box with liminal manip?

[whydoyoushine]

Oh, sure.

[There's an image of said box from several angles projected across the network.]

That work for you?

[comebewe]

[And here is where Matthew butts in, with a rather long string of emphatic swearing. Sure, it might not all make sense to anyone not familiar with British curse words...but you can get the idea]

[claudiometer]

Agreed.

I have a feeling Jeina got herself told she's not allowed to complain about her brothers pulling stupid shit anymore.

[comebewe]

Nevermind that - where is Jeina? Right now? Because if anyone's going to have that bloody moth-eaten scrap of paper...

[claudiometer]

She did come in on the Pulao, but I haven't really been keeping track of her. Bad enough that Saya's here.

[comebewe]

We need to find her. Now.

This might not be their only plan to get the scroll.

[claudiometer]

Aaaaaand how do we explain how we know about it?

[comebewe]

I don't know, but we need to at least make sure that she's still got it.

[thornsofmalkav]

... I almost feel like I should be writing some of these down.

[comebewe]

Up yours!

[Sorry Thorne. The whole dragon thing's got Matthew a little testy, if only because he knows exactly how much damage these things can do]

[naturaltwohands]

It is impressive, I admit.

[Gods, Drizzt needed that laugh. Even though he's still avoiding Matthew because of that last very awkward conversation, just to give the man a bit of space.]