Yakeerk also follows Yga's lead and also enters the building behind Irob. Yakeerk is unsettled, and that shows in the set of his feathers, if anyone knew him well enough to notice. The owlin ranger is thinking that the authorities should perhaps be dealing with this, but he does not want to lose the opportunity to find out more about these other people who assisted with the rescue of the sea elf. He is also curious about Captain Xendros' interest in this turn of events.
The worker assigned by Captain Xendros to clean the crime scene nods at Irob after the sorcerer's Prestidigitation cleans the blood from the stones better than the man's mop ever could. He goes about helping to load the bodies onto the cart that has been brought to the scene and cover them with the canvas tarpaulin.
The group file into the Captain Xendros' building. She has a meeting area with a table and not enough chairs, a bottle of what is probably rum and three cups. She takes a swig from the bottle and passes it to Rask. The room is clean but the building old. It has little in the way of decoration, and everything is functional. As well as the table and chairs there is a trunk in the corner.
"First of all, know that anything you say here stays here. Your confidentiality is assured," says Captain Xendros. "I do not work with the town council or have any duty to them that any citizen of Saltmarsh doesn't. Actually considerably less. My job in Saltmarsh is to make sure the trade between my employer and Saltmarsh continues. And I will act to stop anything that gets in the way of that trade."
She pauses and takes the bottle from Rask and takes another swig and hands it to Zaerra, eyeing her curiously.
"I keep a close eye on things, I pay people for information. I foster working relationships with people in positions to see things, to notice things. The reason I intervened tonight is that you stumbled across a situation that has been of some concern to me. There has been a secret war happening, in dark places, at night, and it has been going on for some weeks. The bodies are always cleaned up and little evidence left. I do not know who the combatants are, or what their faction represents. At first I wondered if it was the Traditionalist vs Loyalist factions going too far, but I don't think that any more. I would like to know more. I will examine the bodies and see what clues I can find. Identify them if I can. I did not want to lose this opportunity, so I assisted."
"You are a very interesting and unusual group of individuals. If you are willing to work together, or apart, I am willing to be your patron. In exchange for information and - if you are willing - some work, I will be able to offer you discounts on equipment, and perhaps put you in touch with buyers and sellers of anything you find or specialist or magical equipment you might want."
The tiefling walks to the trunk and opens it, and rummages around. She pulls out a medallion with a skull motif.
"I offer you this freely as a sign of good faith, I only have one, sadly. This medallion allows the wearer to cast an Aid once per day. Not particularly powerful, but for novice adventurers, it may be lifesaving." Captain Xendros places the medallion on the table.
Zaerra takes the offered bottle, gives it a sniff and wrinkles her nose a little. Not wanting to seem ungracious she surreptitiously wipes the bottle and takes a small sip. She concentrates on keeping the grimace of disgust off her face as the rough alcohol makes its way down.
"I can't speak for my companions as I have not known some of them long and only know the rest as worthy in a battle, but your offer seems interesting."
"What type of information would you be looking for and what will you be using it for exactly? I have my principles and values and am working hard at this time to sure those up after a shaky few decades. I don't wish to put anything at risk."
She hands the bottle on to Yga as she raises a fair eyebrow to Xendros.
"Anything that seems unusual, out of place, what are the fisherfolk saying, what are the guards saying or noticing that is out of place."
The tiefling looks at Yakeerk. "I know you are part of the marine contingent, and I do not expect you will compromise anything they would not wish to be known. You will understand working with me is a conflict of interest. There is nothing wrong with having a conflict of interest, it just needs to be managed. I am interested in situations, news, information, that concerns all of us. Anything that impacts the safety of Saltmarsh will impact my mission, which is to send food back to my employer. And as you know, while food acquisition is not glamourous, any hierarchy of needs model will have food and other primary needs as a base and must be met before other, loftier goals can be considered." Captain Xendros looks at everyone, judging their understanding.
You get the idea the good Captain says nothing frivolously, anything she says is for a purpose. In this case to get the measure of the company before her - are they simple treasure hunters, or are they able to understand concepts such as a hierarchy of needs? This likely determines what kind of jobs will be set, and how much information she shares.
Yakeerk, considering her words, nods. While he is part of the Royal marine contingent, his role has been reduced of late. Any missions given are invariably scouting and early warning detection. Or, information gathering, which he is sure Captain Xendros is aware of. He chooses not to give a reply. Being more of a reflective thinker, the owlin wants to consider the implications of what he is getting himself into. This could be an opportunity. Information can flow both ways, after all.
Zaerra catches Xendors' eye as she is looking the group over and gives a barely perceivable nod. She has seen much in her long life, it has left deep unseen scars upon her mind. She understands hierarchical needs and so much more...
She turns to the group and asks, "What say you all? I've got some time up my sleeve."
Yga takes the rum bottle from Tadesha with a painted, gracious smile. Looking at it circumspectly she takes a pretend swig and quickly passes it to Yakeerk to give him the option of being distracted from Captain Xendros' probing. Yga eyes the medallion neutrally but respectfully declines her offer.
"Who would your employer be, and what sort of food to they want?" she asks innocently.
Rask glances at her companions, briefly wondering what "loftier goals" the Captain might be referring to, and considering what the outcome might be for getting involved. She shrugged. It would be easy enough to leave town if the chips didn't fall in her favour, even if she had to fight her way out.
"I can spare some time. But I have to warn you, I might not be the most low-profile informant".
"Who would your employer be, and what sort of food to they want?" she asks innocently.
"Barrels of salted fish mostly," replies Captain Xendros. "My contracted employer for the food is the nation of Iuz, far to the north. Trelland and Iuz have the same enemies so they have a non-aggression pact."
Susk follows the group in after finishing up at the tavern. He listens with great interest as Xendros talks about the situation, realising that he almost became a victim of this secret war. His ears perk up at the notion buyers of special items, a concept he is quite familiar with. As the other speak and pass around the bottle, he ponders the options briefly, before concluding it may be to his benefit to take part.
“Well as it seems our little encounter tonight almost made me a victim of this secret conflict, then I feel it is in my best interest to help. It also seems to fit into my current situation well, providing goods or information.”
Susk then reaches for a cup and motions for the bottle to be passed his way.
Captain Xendros pours some of the rum into the sea-elf's cup and looks directly at Susk.
"I initially thought you must have part of this secret war, why else would they attack you? But now I don't know. Is there any light you could shed on why you were a target? Something you were carrying, maybe? But.." she holds up a finger, "I understand most of you have only just met, so you may not want to answer that, right now. But I would be interested to know."
She takes her turn at swigging the bottle and holds it out to Rask again.
"In the meantime, let me set you a job. It is one that is actually on at the noticeboard at the Council Hall. Of course I will set you this because you doing this job cannot be traced back to me - but I do have a particular interest in Makaster House."
Irob, silent for most of the conversation, and seeing everyone partaking in rum, takes the bottle and pours a small amount in his palm before rubbing it into his breast piece. Surprisingly the screeching of metal that the party would suspect is quiet and relatively imperceptible.
"I have my reasons to remain relatively unobserved for the time being. Provided that condition is met, I am able to take on your work."
He passes the bottle to whomever will take it next.
The tiefling sits on one of the chairs and puts her boots on the table.
"I am going to tell you two things, and I want to find out if they are related. The first is that I believe evil things are becoming more common along our coast. Fishermen are reporting evil things caught in their nets, or other things present but too smart to be caught. Some of the Town Guard are mentioning more frequent sightings of the evil residents and monsters in the Hool Marshes." Captain Xendros looks to Yakeerk. The owlin ranger nods. He has heard such stories, and has seen the carcasses of dolphins, seals, even sharks that have been attacked by creatures who leave bite and claw marks he has not seen before.
"There is a reason for this, I am sure. But I do not know what. Yet," says the tiefling. "Here is the second thing, and this is the job."
"Four miles east of Saltmarsh, just inland of the old coast road, stands Makaster House. Until twenty years ago, it had been the residence of an aged alchemist of sinister reputation, known only as Makaster. Even then, locals avoided the house because of its owner’s mysterious activities. Now, two decades after the unexplained disappearance of its occupant, the house has taken on an even greater air of evil and mystery. There have been reports of fearsome hauntings, horrible shrieks, and eerie lights emanating from the dismal place. What I - and the Town Council - want to know is what is behind these ghostly phenomenon. The council wants the someone to investigate and stop whatever is going on there. I want to find out if there is some connection to the gathering of evil mentioned previously, and the happenings at Makaster House. You will gain two rewards, one from the Town Council, and one from myself if you investigate."
"Will you take this on? And," she gestures to the amulet on the table, "please take the amulet as my gesture of good faith and a reminder of further rewards."
Irob, silent for most of the conversation, and seeing everyone partaking in rum, takes the bottle and pours a small amount in his palm before rubbing it into his breast piece. Surprisingly the screeching of metal that the party would suspect is quiet and relatively imperceptible.
"I have my reasons to remain relatively unobserved for the time being. Provided that condition is met, I am able to take on your work."
He passes the bottle to whomever will take it next.
Captain Xendros looks at Irob. "You might need a bigger cloak," she says.
She gets up from her chair and rummages in the trunk but does not find what she is looking for. As she straightens up, the three men in common clothes who were dealing with the bodies enter, and she speaks to them in her harsh tongue. One goes into another room and gets a large, brown cloak and some tall boots. He hands them all to Irob, and then enters an adjoining room with his comrades and closes the door behind him. Captain Xendros addresses Irob.
"I may be able to help with a magic item to disguise your appearance, but it will take some time to procure, and of course, it will be dependent on mutual assistance. I am pleased to do this for you because I find it better to engage in mutually beneficial partnerships. It helps motivation."
Yga nods in assent to taking on the task, but in the back of her mind is tallying some signs that are of concern, but also arouse her curiousity. Maybe the signs are nothing to worry about, maybe they are.
Irob takes the cloak but neglects the boots, his travel boots fit snuggly already and he wishes to avoid any points of friction. He nods at Captain Xendros, acknowledging her generosity.
Irob takes the cloak but neglects the boots, his travel boots fit snuggly already and he wishes to avoid any points of friction. He nods at Captain Xendros, acknowledging her generosity.
"What do you need done?"
"Tomorrow head to the Council Hall noticeboard and take the job. Tell the clerk at the Council Hall you are going to investigate Makaster House. Head to Makaster House. Find out why the house appears to be haunted. Dig deep. Report back to the Town Council, and then meet my operative, Biggus - not his real name of course, and you can guess what his last fake name is - in the Empty Net. He'll be there every night. Biggus will know who you are - how can anyone not? - and approach you. Report everything to him."
Captain Xendros drains the last of the bottle.
"I think we are done here. This could be the start of a beneficial relationship for us both. If you're smart, you'll not trust me totally, as I do not yet trust you totally. But it's a start, no?"
She stands up and waits for any last questions. If there are none, she walks to the door and opens it. The night air beyond is calm and warm. The smell of incense is strong - Saltmarshers use it a lot to keep away the flying, blood-drinking insects that come from the nearby Hool Marshes.
"Good night. And to quote an act that I like seeing when it comes to town - 'Good luck. And don't f*ck it up!'." She smiles with teeth that look way to pointy. It seems to be a genuine smile. She must really like that show.
"Well I guess that's a done deal then.", Zaerra says as the Captain walks out the door. She is left feeling a little uneasy about the new arrangement after the parting remarks made but not much she can do about it now.
"Shall we meet up somewhere close to this notice board in the morning? Can someone suggest where, I know nothing about the town really. "
She stands ready to leave once the mornings plans are sorted.
"Well I guess that's a done deal then.", Zaerra says as the Captain walks out the door. She is left feeling a little uneasy about the new arrangement after the parting remarks made but not much she can do about it now.
"Shall we meet up somewhere close to this notice board in the morning? Can someone suggest where, I know nothing about the town really. "
She stands ready to leave once the mornings plans are sorted.
Yakeerk suggests meeting for breakfast at the Snapping Line inn and tavern because it is next to the Council Hall. "Those that have no place to stay can get a bunk there for a small cost. If you have some place to stay already, then we'll meet at 8 bells." He sees the confusion on some faces. "That means 8 o'clock, you'll find a lot of people use mariners slang here."
Some info about the Snapping Line:
This popular inn and tavern is built from the planks and hulls of half a dozen decommissioned fishing ships. Its decor is predictably nautical in theme, and its sleeping rooms are plain but comfortable renditions of a ship’s cabins (1sp per night, or 3sp per night if it includes dinner and breakfast). The smell of fish has never been scrubbed from its walls, and those who stay the night find their belongings steeped in the scent, which lasts for several days. Sailors and fishers gather here to trade stories and drink into the night.
The Snapping Line is run by a young woman named Hanna Rist, who comes from a family of well-known lobster catchers. The Rist family also makes a spirit from lobster meat and potatoes called claw wine; it is, to put it mildly, an acquired taste. Hanna employs several former dockhands to keep peace in her bar.
Yga and Zaerra can stay at their respective temples. Yakeerk will stay at the Royal Marine barracks. Susk sometimes stays at the Snapping Line when he stays overnight in Saltmarsh. Irob and Rask will definitely need somewhere to sleep tonight and the Snapping Line is as good as any.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
A metallic voice echoes within Yga's head as she enters the building. Irob casts Message while crouched over the bodies.
"You are brave Yga. I pray your deity watches over us both. I will be behind you." (Yga is able to reply to this message for Irob only to hear)
Irob then stands tall and turns to follow Yga into the building.
Yakeerk also follows Yga's lead and also enters the building behind Irob. Yakeerk is unsettled, and that shows in the set of his feathers, if anyone knew him well enough to notice. The owlin ranger is thinking that the authorities should perhaps be dealing with this, but he does not want to lose the opportunity to find out more about these other people who assisted with the rescue of the sea elf. He is also curious about Captain Xendros' interest in this turn of events.
The worker assigned by Captain Xendros to clean the crime scene nods at Irob after the sorcerer's Prestidigitation cleans the blood from the stones better than the man's mop ever could. He goes about helping to load the bodies onto the cart that has been brought to the scene and cover them with the canvas tarpaulin.
The group file into the Captain Xendros' building. She has a meeting area with a table and not enough chairs, a bottle of what is probably rum and three cups. She takes a swig from the bottle and passes it to Rask. The room is clean but the building old. It has little in the way of decoration, and everything is functional. As well as the table and chairs there is a trunk in the corner.
"First of all, know that anything you say here stays here. Your confidentiality is assured," says Captain Xendros. "I do not work with the town council or have any duty to them that any citizen of Saltmarsh doesn't. Actually considerably less. My job in Saltmarsh is to make sure the trade between my employer and Saltmarsh continues. And I will act to stop anything that gets in the way of that trade."
She pauses and takes the bottle from Rask and takes another swig and hands it to Zaerra, eyeing her curiously.
"I keep a close eye on things, I pay people for information. I foster working relationships with people in positions to see things, to notice things. The reason I intervened tonight is that you stumbled across a situation that has been of some concern to me. There has been a secret war happening, in dark places, at night, and it has been going on for some weeks. The bodies are always cleaned up and little evidence left. I do not know who the combatants are, or what their faction represents. At first I wondered if it was the Traditionalist vs Loyalist factions going too far, but I don't think that any more. I would like to know more. I will examine the bodies and see what clues I can find. Identify them if I can. I did not want to lose this opportunity, so I assisted."
"You are a very interesting and unusual group of individuals. If you are willing to work together, or apart, I am willing to be your patron. In exchange for information and - if you are willing - some work, I will be able to offer you discounts on equipment, and perhaps put you in touch with buyers and sellers of anything you find or specialist or magical equipment you might want."
The tiefling walks to the trunk and opens it, and rummages around. She pulls out a medallion with a skull motif.
"I offer you this freely as a sign of good faith, I only have one, sadly. This medallion allows the wearer to cast an Aid once per day. Not particularly powerful, but for novice adventurers, it may be lifesaving." Captain Xendros places the medallion on the table.
"How say you?"
The Amulet of Xendros
Zaerra takes the offered bottle, gives it a sniff and wrinkles her nose a little. Not wanting to seem ungracious she surreptitiously wipes the bottle and takes a small sip. She concentrates on keeping the grimace of disgust off her face as the rough alcohol makes its way down.
"I can't speak for my companions as I have not known some of them long and only know the rest as worthy in a battle, but your offer seems interesting."
"What type of information would you be looking for and what will you be using it for exactly? I have my principles and values and am working hard at this time to sure those up after a shaky few decades. I don't wish to put anything at risk."
She hands the bottle on to Yga as she raises a fair eyebrow to Xendros.
Captain Xendros replies to Zaerra.
"Anything that seems unusual, out of place, what are the fisherfolk saying, what are the guards saying or noticing that is out of place."
The tiefling looks at Yakeerk. "I know you are part of the marine contingent, and I do not expect you will compromise anything they would not wish to be known. You will understand working with me is a conflict of interest. There is nothing wrong with having a conflict of interest, it just needs to be managed. I am interested in situations, news, information, that concerns all of us. Anything that impacts the safety of Saltmarsh will impact my mission, which is to send food back to my employer. And as you know, while food acquisition is not glamourous, any hierarchy of needs model will have food and other primary needs as a base and must be met before other, loftier goals can be considered." Captain Xendros looks at everyone, judging their understanding.
You get the idea the good Captain says nothing frivolously, anything she says is for a purpose. In this case to get the measure of the company before her - are they simple treasure hunters, or are they able to understand concepts such as a hierarchy of needs? This likely determines what kind of jobs will be set, and how much information she shares.
Yakeerk, considering her words, nods. While he is part of the Royal marine contingent, his role has been reduced of late. Any missions given are invariably scouting and early warning detection. Or, information gathering, which he is sure Captain Xendros is aware of. He chooses not to give a reply. Being more of a reflective thinker, the owlin wants to consider the implications of what he is getting himself into. This could be an opportunity. Information can flow both ways, after all.
Zaerra catches Xendors' eye as she is looking the group over and gives a barely perceivable nod. She has seen much in her long life, it has left deep unseen scars upon her mind. She understands hierarchical needs and so much more...
She turns to the group and asks, "What say you all? I've got some time up my sleeve."
Yga takes the rum bottle from Tadesha with a painted, gracious smile. Looking at it circumspectly she takes a pretend swig and quickly passes it to Yakeerk to give him the option of being distracted from Captain Xendros' probing. Yga eyes the medallion neutrally but respectfully declines her offer.
"Who would your employer be, and what sort of food to they want?" she asks innocently.
Rask glances at her companions, briefly wondering what "loftier goals" the Captain might be referring to, and considering what the outcome might be for getting involved. She shrugged. It would be easy enough to leave town if the chips didn't fall in her favour, even if she had to fight her way out.
"I can spare some time. But I have to warn you, I might not be the most low-profile informant".
"Barrels of salted fish mostly," replies Captain Xendros. "My contracted employer for the food is the nation of Iuz, far to the north. Trelland and Iuz have the same enemies so they have a non-aggression pact."
Susk follows the group in after finishing up at the tavern. He listens with great interest as Xendros talks about the situation, realising that he almost became a victim of this secret war. His ears perk up at the notion buyers of special items, a concept he is quite familiar with. As the other speak and pass around the bottle, he ponders the options briefly, before concluding it may be to his benefit to take part.
“Well as it seems our little encounter tonight almost made me a victim of this secret conflict, then I feel it is in my best interest to help. It also seems to fit into my current situation well, providing goods or information.”
Susk then reaches for a cup and motions for the bottle to be passed his way.
Captain Xendros pours some of the rum into the sea-elf's cup and looks directly at Susk.
"I initially thought you must have part of this secret war, why else would they attack you? But now I don't know. Is there any light you could shed on why you were a target? Something you were carrying, maybe? But.." she holds up a finger, "I understand most of you have only just met, so you may not want to answer that, right now. But I would be interested to know."
She takes her turn at swigging the bottle and holds it out to Rask again.
"In the meantime, let me set you a job. It is one that is actually on at the noticeboard at the Council Hall. Of course I will set you this because you doing this job cannot be traced back to me - but I do have a particular interest in Makaster House."
Irob, silent for most of the conversation, and seeing everyone partaking in rum, takes the bottle and pours a small amount in his palm before rubbing it into his breast piece. Surprisingly the screeching of metal that the party would suspect is quiet and relatively imperceptible.
"I have my reasons to remain relatively unobserved for the time being. Provided that condition is met, I am able to take on your work."
He passes the bottle to whomever will take it next.
The tiefling sits on one of the chairs and puts her boots on the table.
"I am going to tell you two things, and I want to find out if they are related. The first is that I believe evil things are becoming more common along our coast. Fishermen are reporting evil things caught in their nets, or other things present but too smart to be caught. Some of the Town Guard are mentioning more frequent sightings of the evil residents and monsters in the Hool Marshes." Captain Xendros looks to Yakeerk. The owlin ranger nods. He has heard such stories, and has seen the carcasses of dolphins, seals, even sharks that have been attacked by creatures who leave bite and claw marks he has not seen before.
"There is a reason for this, I am sure. But I do not know what. Yet," says the tiefling. "Here is the second thing, and this is the job."
"Four miles east of Saltmarsh, just inland of the old coast road, stands Makaster House. Until twenty years ago, it had been the residence of an aged alchemist of sinister reputation, known only as Makaster. Even then, locals avoided the house because of its owner’s mysterious activities. Now, two decades after the unexplained disappearance of its occupant, the house has taken on an even greater air of evil and mystery. There have been reports of fearsome hauntings, horrible shrieks, and eerie lights emanating from the dismal place. What I - and the Town Council - want to know is what is behind these ghostly phenomenon. The council wants the someone to investigate and stop whatever is going on there. I want to find out if there is some connection to the gathering of evil mentioned previously, and the happenings at Makaster House. You will gain two rewards, one from the Town Council, and one from myself if you investigate."
"Will you take this on? And," she gestures to the amulet on the table, "please take the amulet as my gesture of good faith and a reminder of further rewards."
Captain Xendros looks at Irob. "You might need a bigger cloak," she says.
She gets up from her chair and rummages in the trunk but does not find what she is looking for. As she straightens up, the three men in common clothes who were dealing with the bodies enter, and she speaks to them in her harsh tongue. One goes into another room and gets a large, brown cloak and some tall boots. He hands them all to Irob, and then enters an adjoining room with his comrades and closes the door behind him. Captain Xendros addresses Irob.
"I may be able to help with a magic item to disguise your appearance, but it will take some time to procure, and of course, it will be dependent on mutual assistance. I am pleased to do this for you because I find it better to engage in mutually beneficial partnerships. It helps motivation."
Yga nods in assent to taking on the task, but in the back of her mind is tallying some signs that are of concern, but also arouse her curiousity. Maybe the signs are nothing to worry about, maybe they are.
Irob takes the cloak but neglects the boots, his travel boots fit snuggly already and he wishes to avoid any points of friction. He nods at Captain Xendros, acknowledging her generosity.
"What do you need done?"
"Tomorrow head to the Council Hall noticeboard and take the job. Tell the clerk at the Council Hall you are going to investigate Makaster House. Head to Makaster House. Find out why the house appears to be haunted. Dig deep. Report back to the Town Council, and then meet my operative, Biggus - not his real name of course, and you can guess what his last fake name is - in the Empty Net. He'll be there every night. Biggus will know who you are - how can anyone not? - and approach you. Report everything to him."
Captain Xendros drains the last of the bottle.
"I think we are done here. This could be the start of a beneficial relationship for us both. If you're smart, you'll not trust me totally, as I do not yet trust you totally. But it's a start, no?"
She stands up and waits for any last questions. If there are none, she walks to the door and opens it. The night air beyond is calm and warm. The smell of incense is strong - Saltmarshers use it a lot to keep away the flying, blood-drinking insects that come from the nearby Hool Marshes.
"Good night. And to quote an act that I like seeing when it comes to town - 'Good luck. And don't f*ck it up!'." She smiles with teeth that look way to pointy. It seems to be a genuine smile. She must really like that show.
"Well I guess that's a done deal then.", Zaerra says as the Captain walks out the door. She is left feeling a little uneasy about the new arrangement after the parting remarks made but not much she can do about it now.
"Shall we meet up somewhere close to this notice board in the morning? Can someone suggest where, I know nothing about the town really. "
She stands ready to leave once the mornings plans are sorted.
Yakeerk suggests meeting for breakfast at the Snapping Line inn and tavern because it is next to the Council Hall. "Those that have no place to stay can get a bunk there for a small cost. If you have some place to stay already, then we'll meet at 8 bells." He sees the confusion on some faces. "That means 8 o'clock, you'll find a lot of people use mariners slang here."
Some info about the Snapping Line:
This popular inn and tavern is built from the planks and hulls of half a dozen decommissioned fishing ships. Its decor is predictably nautical in theme, and its sleeping rooms are plain but comfortable renditions of a ship’s cabins (1sp per night, or 3sp per night if it includes dinner and breakfast). The smell of fish has never been scrubbed from its walls, and those who stay the night find their belongings steeped in the scent, which lasts for several days. Sailors and fishers gather here to trade stories and drink into the night.
The Snapping Line is run by a young woman named Hanna Rist, who comes from a family of well-known lobster catchers. The Rist family also makes a spirit from lobster meat and potatoes called claw wine; it is, to put it mildly, an acquired taste. Hanna employs several former dockhands to keep peace in her bar.
Yga and Zaerra can stay at their respective temples. Yakeerk will stay at the Royal Marine barracks. Susk sometimes stays at the Snapping Line when he stays overnight in Saltmarsh. Irob and Rask will definitely need somewhere to sleep tonight and the Snapping Line is as good as any.