Difference between revisions of "Bones of the Ancestors"

From Istaria Lexica

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Enraged he demanded answers of the servants, but they replied calmly that the treasures were deep in caverns found beneath the island and quickly descended into the hole. Beneath the island were indeed caverns, but it was dark and soon the Captain and his guard became confused and lost in the winding passages. The servants, they found, had vanished in the darkness but soon returned and a battle ensued. In the darkness the Trandalarans were no match for the servants and they and the Captain's family above were all slain.
 
Enraged he demanded answers of the servants, but they replied calmly that the treasures were deep in caverns found beneath the island and quickly descended into the hole. Beneath the island were indeed caverns, but it was dark and soon the Captain and his guard became confused and lost in the winding passages. The servants, they found, had vanished in the darkness but soon returned and a battle ensued. In the darkness the Trandalarans were no match for the servants and they and the Captain's family above were all slain.
  
*she laughs*  The look on your face says much, my dear Human. All stories told by my people have a meaning, a hidden moral point. What is the meaning of this story you wonder?  It is simple!
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<nowiki>*</nowiki>she laughs*  The look on your face says much, my dear Human. All stories told by my people have a meaning, a hidden moral point. What is the meaning of this story you wonder?  It is simple!
  
 
The Captain, called the Mad Captain by my people, abandoned his ideals my friend. He gave in to a life of wealth, avarice, and one without substance. He abandoned the beliefs of his forefathers and spurned the traditional ways of his people. The treasure he lavished on himself and his family was stolen from the very servants he employed and in the end he and his family paid the ultimate price for it.
 
The Captain, called the Mad Captain by my people, abandoned his ideals my friend. He gave in to a life of wealth, avarice, and one without substance. He abandoned the beliefs of his forefathers and spurned the traditional ways of his people. The treasure he lavished on himself and his family was stolen from the very servants he employed and in the end he and his family paid the ultimate price for it.

Revision as of 20:48, 13 August 2019


Quest type: Errand
From NPC(s): Geleon the Wise
Locations: Kion
Previous quest(s): Sslanis Militia: Bones of the Ancestors
View this quest in the Quest Tree

While investigating a great sinkhole on the Island of the Drowned you discovered a chamber filled with ancient sarcophagus and the spirits of half-giants. Geleon the Wise and Vrex the Scholar believe they are the remains of ancient Trandalarns who once raided the coasts and has sent you to speak with Frujak the Trader in Sslanis.

Quest text[edit]

<player>, thank you for your patience. I have studied these bones and they are indeed ancient. They are also, most assuredly, the remains of Half-Giants or Trandalarans. But, I am sure there is more to this story. I have heard rumors that a trader known as Frujak has been spotted in Sslanis in recent weeks. Travel there and speak with her about the bones.

Good day, friend, it is very hot here in the jungles, is it not? I am very far from my home in the snowy mountains, but there are opportunities for trade and coin and I could not pass them up. What can I do for you?

You discovered sarcophagii and remains where? A cavern beneath the waves? Well, that is most interesting and you are in luck for I have heard something of this before. The Trandalarans were, after all, my people's ancestors and, in fact, I am directly descended from the Captain of one of our great ships!

Long ago my people were privateers and explorers, <player>. They sailed the seas of Istaria seeking fame and fortune, knowledge and wealth. They traded and fought and they brought ideas and more back to our homeland far to the north.

Wait... *she frowns* You said these sarcophagus were discovered on an island west of this one on which we now stand? It cannot be... but I wonder. *she digs in a satchel and pulls out a large tome* *turning the pages quickly she mutters to herself before stopping on a beautifully illustrated page*

I never thought it to be true, merely a tale meant to warn the young of the folly of wealth and a life without substance. And yet, if what you say is true then you may have discovered the final resting place of the Mad Captain.

*she laughs* I look forward to telling my sons of this...Do you know the tale, <player>? No? Very well, let me tell it to you. *she clears her throat and begins speaking*

Centuries ago, the Trandalarans sailed the high seas of Istaria in search of knowledge and wealth. In their longships they discovered distant lands and met numerous peoples along the coasts of Aradoth. Through their travels they amassed a vast amount of wealth and knowledge, though they also left their share of sorrow behind for the Trandalarans were corsairs, trading or taking by force in equal measure.

One Captain whose real name has long been forgotten came often to the island now known as Lesser Aradoth to search for wealth and knowledge. Over the years he visited the island more and more for he came to fancy the Saris, their large palaces, and their lifestyle. He fancied the island so much, in fact, that he brought his family with him and near the place where present-day Parsinia stands he had a large house constructed.

The house was grand and built in the style of the Saris using local stone and labor. To manage it and create a life of ease for his family he hired many of the locals as servants. Soon, his house overflowed with treasures and he lavished his wealth on both his family and servants alike.

In just a few years, he became so enamored of his house and treasures that he let his ship rot where it rested on the beach, ceased giving offerings to the Mountain God, and even trimmed his beard which was a great travesty amongst the Trandalarans in those days.

One day his servants told him of a great treasure that lay buried on an island southwest of his palace. He was intrigued, but his family cautioned him saying "we have sufficient wealth now, father" and "what more do we need, husband". But the thought of these buried treasures weighed heavily on his mind and he could not shake it no matter how hard he tried.

Eventually, he was overcome by his curiosity and gathered his family and personal guard together. Then he bade the servants to lead him to this treasure. It was not a long journey and soon they reached the island, now known as the Isle of the Drowned. There they found a deep hole in the ground that appeared to have been newly dug.

Enraged he demanded answers of the servants, but they replied calmly that the treasures were deep in caverns found beneath the island and quickly descended into the hole. Beneath the island were indeed caverns, but it was dark and soon the Captain and his guard became confused and lost in the winding passages. The servants, they found, had vanished in the darkness but soon returned and a battle ensued. In the darkness the Trandalarans were no match for the servants and they and the Captain's family above were all slain.

*she laughs* The look on your face says much, my dear Human. All stories told by my people have a meaning, a hidden moral point. What is the meaning of this story you wonder? It is simple!

The Captain, called the Mad Captain by my people, abandoned his ideals my friend. He gave in to a life of wealth, avarice, and one without substance. He abandoned the beliefs of his forefathers and spurned the traditional ways of his people. The treasure he lavished on himself and his family was stolen from the very servants he employed and in the end he and his family paid the ultimate price for it.

How do I know that you have found the resting place of the Mad Captain? Legend says that the Saris used the traditional method of burial, stone sarcophagi, to bury the Trandalarans, but they chose to bury them in the caverns because they feared retribution by Merrasat for their murder and betrayal.

It is amazing to me that you have located the remains of the Mad Captain after all these years. My people believe he was a myth, that he did not exist and that his story is simply a tale told to scare our children. Now, however, they will all know the truth! I will take these bones and deliver them to my people for study. Please accept this as a gesture of our thanks. It is a trinket I picked up years ago at the bazaar in Tazoon, perhaps it will be of some use to you.

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