Bath Savage Tide IC

[DrK]

The Savage Tide Begins!

The first savage tide has already touched the mortal world, yet none who live today recall this terrible time of red ruin. It swept over an ancient city, transforming beggar and noble, merchant and thief, resident and visitor, one and all into feral, ravenous fiends. What took the ancients hundreds of years to build came crumbling down in a matter of days. When the final ripples of the tide faded, only ruins remained.

Now, after a thousand years, the hidden architect of the Savage Tide gazes upon new targets. This time, the doom will not be limited to one hapless city. This time, all of civilization is perched on the shore, blissfully ignorant of what the tide is about to bring in.



A late spring breeze wafts in across the city from the sea as you make your way toward the Vanderboren Estate in the Merchant's District. Sunset approaches, but still the clinging heat of the day remains in the air. Hawkers begin to pack up there wares as the city's inhabitants prepare for their evening activities. Already the faint roar of thousands of voices from the arena in the distant Champion's district can be heard like the dull roar of the sea.

The Merchants district looms high around you. The neatly paved streets busy with the wealthy being carried aloft by slave bound sedan chairs, horse or ostrich pulled coaches and carriages or even a couple atop the backs of large elephants.

The Merchant's Watch eyes you suspiciously, a few passing comments of "Don't be causing trouble here. You're sort may be more at home across in Champions..."

Eventually you reach the small manor that identifies itself as the Vandeborn Manor. The owner of the mysterious note that the Halfling delivered to you after you finished your recent adventure. The seven-foot high stone wall that surrounds the estate is hard to miss, as is the towering, gothic, three-storey house that dominates the grounds within. Leering gargoyles and capering nymphs festoon the eaves of the manor's roof, and several trees give the manor grounds a nice buffer from the bustle of the city outside.

The compound gates are open and no-one is in sight. You make your way to the front door and knock. After a few moments the wizened halfling servant who originally contacted you opens the door.

"Ah welcome... I am glad you were able to respond and arrive so promptly. Please come in and wait in the receiving room. I will have food and drinks brought to you while the Mistress prepeares to greet you."

She gestures inside to a spacious waiting-room. It is open, light and has several plants and seats placed for comfort. A small cage containing some local jungle ferns housing a half dozen small brightly coloured frogs lies alongside one wall, the other wall opening up onto a small balcony overlooking the water and the city beyond. The opposed temples to Shelyn and Zon-Kuthon dominate the skyline - one well lit with curving domes and sunny murals, the other dark and shadowy as befits the Lord of the night and a player in the many criminal gangs that threaten to upset the balance of power within the city. To the south are the distant mist-covered mountains, and beyond them deadly snake-infested jungle. To the north is nothing but clear calm ocean, dotted here and there with fishing and trading vessels.

As you wait some more servants in the Vandeborn livery appear with trays of wine and ale and platters of steamed tree viper slices, stuffed fangfish parcels fresh from the river and a selection of diced fruit from the lush jungle.

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