After so long aboard the paddleboat, Finn was glad to finally be setting foot back on solid ground—in the Delta, no less. Not that he didn’t enjoy his time aboard the vessel. He was not prone to seasickness, and the accommodations had proven quite luxurious. Finn would have to make his gratitude to Araxis known for that. Growing up in the temple, his existence had always been modest. On the boat, Finn had a cabin to himself, a soft bed, and the food in the mess rivalled anything he had eaten since leaving home. The time aboard the ship had offered Finn an opportunity to meditate and pray, something he had missed on the road to Delphinium. What’s more, Finn had met yet another benevolent soul in the world, and had become fast friends with a kind and generous woman. She shared many a story about her life, and in parting had bequeathed to Finn a treasure in the form of a “Bag of Tricks”. With that said, Finn was eager to continue his journey of devotion, and while the float down the river was fruitful, he wasn’t sure he would find his Calling aboard the boat.
The Delta marked the largest city that Finn had ever visited, and it was undoubtedly the farthest from home he had ever ventured. Not that he was wholly unfamiliar with The Delta. He had certainly read about it in his studies. He was eager to visit the temples to pay homage to the Grand Masters, and to extend tidings from Ulther. Reading about a bustling city and experiencing it first hand; however, are two very different things. No sooner had Araxis, Daphne, and Finn disembarked when Finn was approached what seemed to be a kind and desperate young man. The man pleaded with Finn and his party to deliver a package on his behalf. Without awaiting an answer, he thrust the package and a bag of 10GP into Finn’s arms, shared the address of where the package was to be delivered, and raced off into the throng of creatures bustling along the quay at the Goods Docks, supposedly to catch an immediately departing boat.
Finn was dazed. Araxis seemed mildly annoyed. Daphne seemed skeptical of the encounter, and her skepticism was exacerbated when on old gnome started laughing at Finn.
“You’ve just been had” he chortled, “good luck getting illegal goods through the port authority”.
Certainly, Finn knew that the ports of big cities were hubs for scum and villainy, but Finn sensed no malice in the in the now vanished young man, and he was usually very good at sensing such things. Out of a sense of charity, and against Daphne’s (possibly sound) advice to stow the package behind a crate and pocket the GPs, Finn decided to join the queue for entry into the city, intent on delivering the package before sunset.
Arashi joined the queue also, but made it known that she had much to accomplish that afternoon, and would not be able to aid Finn. Instead, she would secure lodging for the trio, and Finn thought he heard her mention something about a tattoo, but he wasn’t entirely sure. Part of him wondered if she was just making excuses to see if Finn would be able to accomplish this task without her help. He was sure the elf was warming to Daphne and he, but he also sensed they would have to prove themselves to her if they were to remain in her company. After a moment of hesitation, Daphne joined the line also, a few creatures behind Finn. Finn wondered if she might tag along with him for the afternoon, just to see if he would get himself into some serious trouble.
No such trouble found them with the Port Master, and once through Finn had his first good look at the city. It was beautiful to behold, with all manner of creature bustling to and fro, all manner of shops and merchants stacked on top of each other lining streets that vanished in to the distance, and all manner of intoxicating smells permeating the air. Above everything, the domes and belfries of the temples could be seen, and Finn sensed peace. Unfortunately, he could not dwell on the feeling, as he and Daphne had to reach their destination before sunset, and they found themselves at the edge of an immense city.
The first order of business was to find a map of the city, which actually wasn’t very difficult at all. Given their proximity to the ports, Finn and Daphne found themselves in a district with a number of map shoppes and vendors of information. The duo made their way into one such shoppe; a quaint and musty old establishment, with a quaint and kindly old proprietor. After some fruitful bartering, Finn and Daphne found themselves in the possession of several maps, which Finn was sure would prove useful on the journey to come. One such map was especially intriguing. It appeared to be a second-hand map with some very interesting notes scrawled on it. Unfortunately, Finn and Daphne did not have time to study the notes in detail, but Finn made a mental note to study the map in more detail, when the opportunity afforded itself—perhaps Araxis might have some insight into the messages.
After a whirlwind race the Bellfrew District, and skirting the edge of Temple District, Finn and Daphne found themselves at the edge of the Guildhalls. And by a strange twist of fate, the twosome ran right into their travelling companion, Araxis. Finn praised The Light for this fortunate twist, as somewhere along the way he realized that in their haste to depart, none of the three had made plans to meet up again. Reunited, Araxis quickly pointed out the precise location Finn and Daphne were looking for, and without a moment to spare the trio entered the door by the lamp in an alley just north east of the main forge.
Inside, Finn found a dimly lit hall that seemed to stretch much further than he would have expected from the building’s exterior. Midway down the hall was a desk that seemed to grow as Finn approached it. When he arrived at the desk itself, Finn found himself face to face staring into the eyes of a curious old Dwarf, who seemed to have no idea where there should be such a curious trio of travelers standing in front of him. It was then that Finn held out the package he was carrying and in his best Dwarfish, tried to explain what had taken place, and why it was he and not S. Oliver making deliveries that evening.
Hesitant at first, the Dwarf eventually accepted the package with gratitude, and Finn felt that perhaps his Dwarfish had warmed the old creature’s heart a bit. The Dwarf was so grateful for the timely delivery, that he insisted on displaying his gratitude by bestowing a gift to each of the bearers. After a series of questions were asked, and a series of answers were given, the dwarf produces for each member of the trio, a bespoke item specifically chosen to suit their need. Wondered and bewildered, Finn was gifted a cloak of protection. Daphne was gifted an immovable rod, and Araxis was given a brooch of shielding.
After so many days spent in quiet contemplation and pleasantly mundane conversation aboard a boat floating down Marna’s left, the last few hours had been a blur. Leaving the Forge, Finn was happy to have accomplished a good deed, but was even happier to know that Araxis had succeeded in finding lodging for the evening.
