The Rhodes Family Curse
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The Lord of Calamus Manor, Marlowe Rhodes (Ggl), had two surviving grandchildren; A grandson, Rikon Rhodes, to take over when he was gone, and a granddaughter, Vivian Rhodes, to make a useful alliance via marriage to rebuild the strength of the House.
One night, many years ago, after years of arguments between her and her grandfather, the strong-willed Vivian fled the manor and was never seen again, presumed dead. Her maid, Lanarus, vanished too. Marlowe was so angry he declared that he had but one grandchild and ordered that her name never be spoken again.
What actually happened is that Vivian had given a letter to her best friend, Dessigon Diz (Ggl), to deliver to Pannisa at the Abandoned Fortress, asking Pannisa to meet her that very night in the Sailor's Graveyard. Afraid of what might happen to her in that den of thieves, she did not deliver the letter but instead buried it in a box out in the Sand Scorpion Plains. Having never received the letter, Pannisa missed the rendezvous and Vivian and Lanarus were captured by pirates.
By the time Pannisa located them Vivian had married a pirate of the Black Sail, Haniya, and the girls had both changed their names, Vivian to Rose Westwood and Lanarus to Sonora. Eventually, Pannisa married Lanarus/Sonora. Happiness was not to be theirs, though, as Pannisa contracted an illness and died on a voyage.
When things came to an ugly point and Snow Blake was slain, Haniya, Rose and Sonora, along with others, escaped and struck out on their own, changing the surviving organization from Black Sail to Black Blood. Huck, the mutinous First Mate, is still flying the pirate flag but under then name of the Shadowmoon Pirates. A curse has changed him and all of the mutineers into Goblins! This is covered further in The Story of the Black Mary.
Meanwhile, Rikon Rhodes had joined the Order of Dark Glory to see the world, but his world ended not far from home when he was killed by the rowdy and lawless inhabitants of the Nameless Port. You are tasked with taking his necklace to his grandfather, with the news. Faced with the loss of both his heirs, Marlowe is rocked but refuses to cry in front of you.[1]
Anna Zilly, the old housemaid at Calamus Manor, approached you and asked that you find out once and for all what really happened to Vivian and whether she still lives. She sends you to interview Dessigon Diz (Ggl). You did eventually track down Lanarus and Vivian, but Vivian has too many responsibilities to the Black Blood to leave now. She sends a necklace to Anna and promises to return "when the time is right" but asks that you both keep her secret until then.[2]
You were also given a parchment, by Kolodo (Ggl), the farm supervisor, that has led you on a long adventure and may at last lead you to the legendary Treasure Trove of Snow Blake and the Black Sail Pirates.[3]
Recently, following the disappearance of Haniya, Rose Westwood (aka Vivian Rhodes) has taken over much of the administration of the Black Blood Merchants but two extremely violent members of the hierarchy, Yuri and Saiyen (Ggl), have placed them all in great jeopardy, making deals with some shadowy organization (the Zurhidon?) which could bring down the full wrath of the Eye of Wisdom and the Order of Dark Glory on them all.
Rose even fears that the two may be planning her "removal", as she is not as ruthless as them and abhors their lack of ethics (even for a pirate). In preparation for this Rose has had you collect some special items she can use to fight back.[4]
- ^ Stolen Honor and Last Wish
- ^ Entrusted by Anna through Ice Crystal necklace
- ^ Qeust content of Legacy of Inheritance
- ^ From the quests, Scorpion Tail Venom and The Power to Protect