Entries From the Journal of Moreno Dionisio
Entries From the Journal of Moreno Dionisio
Day One:
I suppose I will start off with “day one” After all, the hideout is in ruins. After a humiliating defeat attempting to recover Eternity, the King decided to move in on our operation in Skara Brae… I had figured this one was very well hidden… A small farmhouse, pay off the farmers, and go about our business. I can still see the smoke and orange glow in the night sky as the merchant ship departs. Apparently, we are headed to Jhelom to deliver cargo and then onward to Papua for a second delivery. I do hope my enforcers Morz, and Harlan were able to escape. I am sure the Brothers and Sisters know to keep quiet and stick to the shadows. I keep telling myself it is just a spat of bad luck… things will get better. However, it has been quite some time since I have had to flee with just the robes on my back…
Day Five:
Travelling disguised as a monk sure does have its advantages… Most of the pirates kept their distance from me during the voyage to Jhelom. I befriended one of them with some of the gemstones that I had sewn into my robes, for some fish and ale that was just loaded on board. I think Bauyor knew who I was after he got a closer look at me… When my gaze would meet his, he would look away… Perhaps he really wishes to “see nothing” should he be questioned about my presence down the road? I am not sure. It was a bit of an odd feeling being as close to Jhelom as I was… I did not get off the ship, but still… every time a dockworker or guard came close to the ship, an anxious feeling came over me. Would I have to flee? Would I have to fight? Where would I flee to?
Day Eleven:
I have found the voyage to Papua rather relaxing. The open seas, fresh fish, a vibrant dawn, and dusk… I will enjoy it whilst I can. The swamp lands of Papua are a rather cloudy, misty, dreary place… The perfect place for someone such as myself to hide, gain a foothold and get back on my feet. Something a few of the pirates were discussing had caught my attention… I am not sure if it is just an old tale, folklore perhaps, or an actual thing… the “Refuge of the Whispers” they seemed to call it… A rumored cavern or cave of sorts. The treasures supposedly contained within were more than enough to simply dismiss this one… I will have to talk with Bauyor and see if he can give me the full story. It seems the search for gold and riches is something I have in common with these sea dogs…
Day Thirteen:
Bauyor filled me in about the “Refuge of the Whispers” Apparently, many years ago the pirate vessel I’Ordre du Verrat had a sort of mutiny on board… From the tale Bauyor described, the deckhands fought and squabbled amongst themselves over how to divide and share the haul of treasure they were transporting… During this fighting, the captain Luzor Memishh kept to himself in his quarters, seemingly obsessed with some sort of magical lantern that was part of their haul… Upon emerging from his room days after the mutiny had begun, Luzor found his entire crew either dead or missing, and the ship headed straight for a grotto. With no time to react and no crew to steer the ship away, it smashed into the rocks, causing a massive cave-in, sealing the ship and all of the treasure… This… “refuge” has never been found to this day. Should the rumors be true, this can make an excellent source of coin, perhaps a new hideout…?
Day Nineteen:
We have finally arrived in Papua… The winds must be blowing in the right direction, as the smell of swamp… decay is a bit strong. I am sure I’ll get used to it in a few days. I threw a few gems and a smile to Bauyor before I left… This time his gaze met mine, and he nodded as he bid farewell. Unlike the other cities, I did not see any wanted posters looking for us, this is a relief and welcome sight. Perhaps word of our deeds has not reached this far? I was able to sell some of the remaining gemstones I had for a room at the Just Inn and some food… I admit, I was a bit skeptical at first of the giant frog legs and alligator that was served, but it was not that bad… A welcome change from all of the fish I had been eating. Several times today and the past several, I find myself thinking and pondering about the “Refuge of the Whispers” that Bauyor had spoke of…
Day Twenty-Four:
The land here is very fertile, good for growing all kinds of herbs and flowers… Some of these I had only heard about, but to see them in person growing in the swamps is truly magnificent. I am very impressed by the craftsmen in Papua… How they harvest and manipulate the foliage and turn it into their homes… Shelters on stilts in the middle of the swamps, bridges woven together with vines, roofs that keep the inhabitants dry during the rains… truly a sight. I am discussing with some of the workers creating a place in the deeper swamps outside of town…