Rask listens to Irob and Yga's plan to go and speak with Dredge. She tells the party she will wait at their table and create a distraction if anyone gets too close to the door of the back room. Being a large, obstrusive sort, a distraction shouldn't be hard to muster up...
Zaerra, Irob, and Yga head into the room with Dredge.
Rask watches the door to the kitchen and the room, only letting staff through.
Susk and Yakeerk head outside and go around the back. They wait at each edge of the building, keeping an eye out. There are buildings behind, and the Council Hall is next to the Snapping Line. There are people walking around, but none cause any suspicion.
In the room - which turns out to be a storeroom for cleaning equipment, sheets and blankets, and other things, Dredge takes in the trio facing him. He looks unwell.
"I know you mean well, but the people who wish me harm can take you out in an eyeblink. The only reason I'm alive is I stay in the public eye. I rarely go anywhere alone. And they think I'm a drunk who no one will listen to. I'd leave Saltmarsh.." he opens his hands to look at the coins Rask gave him, "if I could hold onto money and not drink it away."
He sighs again, holds up his hand to stop anyone protesting that they can protect him.
"You can't protect me," he begins in his scratchy voice. "And you are making life even more dangerous for me. If they even think I'm talking to you, we'll all be dead before the end of the week. Probably sooner." He sighs again and puts his hand to his forehead. "Gods, I feel unwell."
He continues. "Get yourself known by people, get yourself known by the Council, so you couldn't just disappear without someone asking questions. Do some things that make people pay attention to you and even like you. Then, and only then, will we talk. This is my life we're talking about. And yours, of course. But you possibly might be able to survive, but not me. I'm a nobody. But I'm a nobody who wants to live, even if my life is sh!tty. Don't take that from me. Please!"
Zaerra nods whilst Dredge speaks, she has an idea about what he is talking about. The horror and evil she has seen allows her to understand his fear.
She places a hand on Dredge's shoulder, "It is ok my friend. We don't want to cause you any more drama. We are meeting this morning with the intent of taking a job offer from the council. How about we do the job, and see how we go. Do you think you would like to meet us within the week? You'll know when we are done I expect."
She turns to Yga and Irob, "Ask what you wish but I can taste the fear coming off this man. It may be best we don't make it worse for him I feel. "
"You know this threat better than any of us. If you believe this is the best way to survive then we shall take your advice. Are there any signs that we should watch out for, for both our safety and your own?"
He hands Dredge a silver piece, procured from a mechanical storage compartment within his chest piece.
"Consider this a gift to seal our beneficial relationship, we hope that you will help us where able as we will endeavour to do for you. As long as we know of your existence you cannot be a nobody, you are somebody, somebody I would like to call a friend if circumstances permit."
Irob, saying what he wanted to say will wait for Yga to speak if she wishes before leaving the room as casually as his mechanical body will allow.
Dredge takes the silver piece and then looks up at Irob.
"I don't know what you are, but you seem to act more kindly towards me than most. Thank you. My only suggestion is don't go anywhere alone - go in pairs or more. They only act from the shadows, but it won't be like that forever if they have their way. I'll stop talking now before I say something that will get you killed."
The party meet up again outside the front of the Snapping Line, and Yga, Zaerra, and Irob tell the others what was said.
Looking around you see the market in front of you. It's not the big market that happens every Moonday, but the daily market, selling mostly food and other daily living needs. There are a lot of people there buying and selling seafood, herbs, vegetables. Benches are set up for people to eat or sit and talk, and several people are using them.
To the south of the Snapping Line the neighbouring building is the Council Hall. This large brick building contains the offices of the town council and the chamber where they meet to discuss the town business. The hall is built from sturdy stone from the nearby cliffs and a variety of hardwood from the nearby Hool Marshes. A wooden sign depicting a net filled with fish hangs above the double doors leading into the hall. A small tower rises from the building, housing a horn at the top, which is blown to announce the beginning of a council session or other significant events. There is a noticeboard to the left of the entrance with various bits of paper pinned to it.
The town has a sturdy but weatherbeaten platform and gallows in front of the hall for use in the event of an execution.
"Rarely used," says Yakeerk, noticing the others looking at the gallows. "And if it is, the crime is heinous and the perpetrator not a Saltmarsh resident."
Moving over to the job board you peruse all the notices there. They are not all from the Town Council, some are from merchants or from Town Council members for their own businesses.
You see the following notices:
A petition to be rid of the dwarves working the silver mine or have them pay a fine. No name for who posted this, but there are many signatures scrawled in the space provided.
An advertisement for crew for the Oweland Fleet (fisheries), the Primewater ships (merchant ships), and the Royal Navy. (Eda Oweland and Gellan Primewater are council members)
A request for volunteers to guard several areas during the festival celebrating the Pact of the Wild Flame.
An advertisement for crew for boats of Solmor Fisheries. (Anders Solmor is a council member)
A request from Eliander Fireborn (town council member and Town Guard Commander) to report suspicious activity due to there being spies of the Sea Princes present in town.
A request for Makaster House to be cleansed of evil.
Notice of a story-telling competition at the Temple of Procan.
Free Crab lunch with a purchase of a bottle of wine or a pitcher of beer at the Snapping Line between 11 bells and sundown. Rip off a ticket and bring with you.
Primewater Holdings (owned by Gellan Primewater, town council member) looking for community ambassadors to work at the Highest Tide event.
A wanted poster for three smugglers - Opfer Unschuldiges (gnome), Schlecter Hinweis (half-elf), and Kleiner Rotbarsch (female goblin).
Being more interested in the Makaster House job, the party read it carefully.
Yakeerk pulls the notice from the board, and turns to walk into the Council Hall with the rest, but a group of five people and a dog bar their way. The appear to be adventurers. Yakeerk eyes them - he knows who they are.
They are all human, and look at Yakeerk and the others with curiosity.
"Taking up adventuring, Yakeerk?" asks the tall warrior with a goatee, giving an insincere smile. "How about you leave that to the professionals?"
"We were going to take that job," added a woman with a longbow at her back and a shortsword on her hip. Her face was tanned and her dark eyes hard. The dog - no, it's a wolf! - stuck close to her.
"Just hand it over, and go do guard duty or something," suggested the obvious wizard, a tall bald and bearded man wearing robes and carrying a staff. He had tattoos of possibly arcane design on his head.
"Plenty other jobs to choose from," says the female blonde cleric of Pelor. "This might be too dangerous for you. Why don't you let us handle it? Start with something less dangerous and easier and build up to something like this." While Pelor was a deity of goodness, obviously arrogance and condescension of his clerics was not frowned upon.
The last one, cloaked, hands resting on his two sheathed swords, said nothing, but he exuded menace.
Zaerra steps to beside Yakeerk quietly asking them, "Will this be trouble or do you think we can just ignore them and continue on our way?" She steps back a little behind Yakeerk keeping a close on the other group, watching them closely.
"I have witnessed myself Yakeerks prowess in battle. His stature is far greater than the respect you are currently affording him and I suggest you rethink your choices before belittling my companion further. I will not tolerate this disrespect and will take appropriate measures should you continue to intervene."
He pauses, looks towards Yakeerk in reassurance before turning back to the group and saying:
"In all my travels I have met few as capable as Yakeerk and fewer still who are as disrespectful as your travelling group. May your walls be bare stone and your windows barred!"
Yakeerk steps up beside Irob. He puts a hand on Irob's shoulder. He knows these adventurers, they have been in Saltmarsh for about a year. They have just gotten swollen heads from being admired, but they are not evil. Well, one might be.
"We'll take our chances, thank you," says Yakeerk and holds the job advertisement up. "We'll go apply now."
"Don't worry, we'll come do the job when you fail," laughs the tall fighter.
"We'll check on you at some point," says the blonde cleric, giving the fighter a look. "Good luck, and don't die."
The Saltmarsh Blades move past to look at the jobs on the noticeboard. They don't find any to their liking, and have a conversation about looking at the job boards at the Wicker Goat and the Hoolwatch Tower.
Zaerra steps to beside Yakeerk quietly asking them, "Will this be trouble or do you think we can just ignore them and continue on our way?" She steps back a little behind Yakeerk keeping a close on the other group, watching them closely.
Yakeerk responds "They're not anti-social, just flushed with their own success and reputation. We can ignore them."
The party enter the Council Hall. Inside you are guided to the Town Council Clerk, who introduces herself as Kate Lapsia. She is an older woman who dresses plainly, but carries herself as if she has a noble background.
She nods when you explain and present the job notice. She takes it, stamps it, and signs it and asks your groups name or if you want all your names on it. Irob says "Amici Noctus". Kate looks up in surprise.
"Oh, the ancient tongue. I'm a little rusty, but 'Friends of the Night' is it? You are well learned, only sages and nobles bother with it these days." She gives a smile for the first time as she writes the job and Amici Noctus in a book.
"At least it makes a nice change from writing 'Saltmarsh Blades' or 'Fred the Fisherman who thinks he can put a nail through a club and become an adventurer.' Now, you have one week from today to return here. If you have not yet completed the mission it will be reviewed, and either reissued, or given to another interested party. If it has been completed, the usual procedure is that I send an agent to investigate and verify this is the case, and then you get paid. However Yakeerk here,' she nods at the owlin ranger, 'is a member of the Royal Marines, and his word is good enough for me.'
Kate hands back the job notice with a stamp, her signature, and the name Amici Noctus written neatly above it.
"Can you give us any additional information in relation to the type of problems have been reported at the mansion?", Zaerra asks. "Oh and are we the first group to take this job or have others failed before us?"
"Can you give us any additional information in relation to the type of problems have been reported at the mansion?", Zaerra asks. "Oh and are we the first group to take this job or have others failed before us?"
"You're the first," answers Kate, consulting a book with handwritten notes. "The Council initially did not see it as a priority so it took a while to put through a motion to put it to tender. It was on the agenda recently because Councillor Eliander Fireborn has a belief that there are more problems coming and wanted this issue to be resolved, especially so close to Saltmarsh. And we do not have any information other than the signs of haunting are lights at night, described as 'ghostly' and inhuman shrieking and wailing."
At the hint of undead being involved, Yga will seek the first opportunity to excuse herself and beseech as much holy water as she can from the Temple of Kord, and also see if the acolytes and priests of Kord have any knowledge of the haunted mansion.
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Rask listens to Irob and Yga's plan to go and speak with Dredge. She tells the party she will wait at their table and create a distraction if anyone gets too close to the door of the back room. Being a large, obstrusive sort, a distraction shouldn't be hard to muster up...
"Well I have never been the perusasive kind, so I might try to be useful elsewehere and cover the back door from outside"
With that he will head outside and around the back to watch the back door to ensure there are no distractions there either.
Zaerra with go with Irob and Yga to meet up with Dredge.
Zaerra, Irob, and Yga head into the room with Dredge.
Rask watches the door to the kitchen and the room, only letting staff through.
Susk and Yakeerk head outside and go around the back. They wait at each edge of the building, keeping an eye out. There are buildings behind, and the Council Hall is next to the Snapping Line. There are people walking around, but none cause any suspicion.
In the room - which turns out to be a storeroom for cleaning equipment, sheets and blankets, and other things, Dredge takes in the trio facing him. He looks unwell.
"I know you mean well, but the people who wish me harm can take you out in an eyeblink. The only reason I'm alive is I stay in the public eye. I rarely go anywhere alone. And they think I'm a drunk who no one will listen to. I'd leave Saltmarsh.." he opens his hands to look at the coins Rask gave him, "if I could hold onto money and not drink it away."
He sighs again, holds up his hand to stop anyone protesting that they can protect him.
"You can't protect me," he begins in his scratchy voice. "And you are making life even more dangerous for me. If they even think I'm talking to you, we'll all be dead before the end of the week. Probably sooner." He sighs again and puts his hand to his forehead. "Gods, I feel unwell."
He continues. "Get yourself known by people, get yourself known by the Council, so you couldn't just disappear without someone asking questions. Do some things that make people pay attention to you and even like you. Then, and only then, will we talk. This is my life we're talking about. And yours, of course. But you possibly might be able to survive, but not me. I'm a nobody. But I'm a nobody who wants to live, even if my life is sh!tty. Don't take that from me. Please!"
Zaerra nods whilst Dredge speaks, she has an idea about what he is talking about. The horror and evil she has seen allows her to understand his fear.
She places a hand on Dredge's shoulder, "It is ok my friend. We don't want to cause you any more drama. We are meeting this morning with the intent of taking a job offer from the council. How about we do the job, and see how we go. Do you think you would like to meet us within the week? You'll know when we are done I expect."
She turns to Yga and Irob, "Ask what you wish but I can taste the fear coming off this man. It may be best we don't make it worse for him I feel. "
Dredge nods, solemnly, then spoils it by burping. It smells like blackbrew. "You know where I'll be."
"You know this threat better than any of us. If you believe this is the best way to survive then we shall take your advice. Are there any signs that we should watch out for, for both our safety and your own?"
He hands Dredge a silver piece, procured from a mechanical storage compartment within his chest piece.
"Consider this a gift to seal our beneficial relationship, we hope that you will help us where able as we will endeavour to do for you. As long as we know of your existence you cannot be a nobody, you are somebody, somebody I would like to call a friend if circumstances permit."
Irob, saying what he wanted to say will wait for Yga to speak if she wishes before leaving the room as casually as his mechanical body will allow.
Dredge takes the silver piece and then looks up at Irob.
"I don't know what you are, but you seem to act more kindly towards me than most. Thank you. My only suggestion is don't go anywhere alone - go in pairs or more. They only act from the shadows, but it won't be like that forever if they have their way. I'll stop talking now before I say something that will get you killed."
The party meet up again outside the front of the Snapping Line, and Yga, Zaerra, and Irob tell the others what was said.
Looking around you see the market in front of you. It's not the big market that happens every Moonday, but the daily market, selling mostly food and other daily living needs. There are a lot of people there buying and selling seafood, herbs, vegetables. Benches are set up for people to eat or sit and talk, and several people are using them.
To the south of the Snapping Line the neighbouring building is the Council Hall. This large brick building contains the offices of the town council and the chamber where they meet to discuss the town business. The hall is built from sturdy stone from the nearby cliffs and a variety of hardwood from the nearby Hool Marshes. A wooden sign depicting a net filled with fish hangs above the double doors leading into the hall. A small tower rises from the building, housing a horn at the top, which is blown to announce the beginning of a council session or other significant events. There is a noticeboard to the left of the entrance with various bits of paper pinned to it.
The town has a sturdy but weatherbeaten platform and gallows in front of the hall for use in the event of an execution.
"Rarely used," says Yakeerk, noticing the others looking at the gallows. "And if it is, the crime is heinous and the perpetrator not a Saltmarsh resident."
Moving over to the job board you peruse all the notices there. They are not all from the Town Council, some are from merchants or from Town Council members for their own businesses.
You see the following notices:
Being more interested in the Makaster House job, the party read it carefully.
Yakeerk pulls the notice from the board, and turns to walk into the Council Hall with the rest, but a group of five people and a dog bar their way. The appear to be adventurers. Yakeerk eyes them - he knows who they are.
They are all human, and look at Yakeerk and the others with curiosity.
"Taking up adventuring, Yakeerk?" asks the tall warrior with a goatee, giving an insincere smile. "How about you leave that to the professionals?"
"We were going to take that job," added a woman with a longbow at her back and a shortsword on her hip. Her face was tanned and her dark eyes hard. The dog - no, it's a wolf! - stuck close to her.
"Just hand it over, and go do guard duty or something," suggested the obvious wizard, a tall bald and bearded man wearing robes and carrying a staff. He had tattoos of possibly arcane design on his head.
"Plenty other jobs to choose from," says the female blonde cleric of Pelor. "This might be too dangerous for you. Why don't you let us handle it? Start with something less dangerous and easier and build up to something like this." While Pelor was a deity of goodness, obviously arrogance and condescension of his clerics was not frowned upon.
The last one, cloaked, hands resting on his two sheathed swords, said nothing, but he exuded menace.
Zaerra steps to beside Yakeerk quietly asking them, "Will this be trouble or do you think we can just ignore them and continue on our way?" She steps back a little behind Yakeerk keeping a close on the other group, watching them closely.
Stepping forward Irob will intervene.
"I have witnessed myself Yakeerks prowess in battle. His stature is far greater than the respect you are currently affording him and I suggest you rethink your choices before belittling my companion further. I will not tolerate this disrespect and will take appropriate measures should you continue to intervene."
He pauses, looks towards Yakeerk in reassurance before turning back to the group and saying:
"In all my travels I have met few as capable as Yakeerk and fewer still who are as disrespectful as your travelling group. May your walls be bare stone and your windows barred!"
Yakeerk steps up beside Irob. He puts a hand on Irob's shoulder. He knows these adventurers, they have been in Saltmarsh for about a year. They have just gotten swollen heads from being admired, but they are not evil. Well, one might be.
"We'll take our chances, thank you," says Yakeerk and holds the job advertisement up. "We'll go apply now."
"Don't worry, we'll come do the job when you fail," laughs the tall fighter.
"We'll check on you at some point," says the blonde cleric, giving the fighter a look. "Good luck, and don't die."
The Saltmarsh Blades move past to look at the jobs on the noticeboard. They don't find any to their liking, and have a conversation about looking at the job boards at the Wicker Goat and the Hoolwatch Tower.
Yakeerk responds "They're not anti-social, just flushed with their own success and reputation. We can ignore them."
The party enter the Council Hall. Inside you are guided to the Town Council Clerk, who introduces herself as Kate Lapsia. She is an older woman who dresses plainly, but carries herself as if she has a noble background.
She nods when you explain and present the job notice. She takes it, stamps it, and signs it and asks your groups name or if you want all your names on it. Irob says "Amici Noctus". Kate looks up in surprise.
"Oh, the ancient tongue. I'm a little rusty, but 'Friends of the Night' is it? You are well learned, only sages and nobles bother with it these days." She gives a smile for the first time as she writes the job and Amici Noctus in a book.
"At least it makes a nice change from writing 'Saltmarsh Blades' or 'Fred the Fisherman who thinks he can put a nail through a club and become an adventurer.' Now, you have one week from today to return here. If you have not yet completed the mission it will be reviewed, and either reissued, or given to another interested party. If it has been completed, the usual procedure is that I send an agent to investigate and verify this is the case, and then you get paid. However Yakeerk here,' she nods at the owlin ranger, 'is a member of the Royal Marines, and his word is good enough for me.'
Kate hands back the job notice with a stamp, her signature, and the name Amici Noctus written neatly above it.
"Do you have any questions?"
"Can you give us any additional information in relation to the type of problems have been reported at the mansion?", Zaerra asks. "Oh and are we the first group to take this job or have others failed before us?"
"You're the first," answers Kate, consulting a book with handwritten notes. "The Council initially did not see it as a priority so it took a while to put through a motion to put it to tender. It was on the agenda recently because Councillor Eliander Fireborn has a belief that there are more problems coming and wanted this issue to be resolved, especially so close to Saltmarsh. And we do not have any information other than the signs of haunting are lights at night, described as 'ghostly' and inhuman shrieking and wailing."
"Thank you for that information. We shall see you in a week." Zaerra gives a little wave and a big smile to Kate. She turns to head out the offices.
At the hint of undead being involved, Yga will seek the first opportunity to excuse herself and beseech as much holy water as she can from the Temple of Kord, and also see if the acolytes and priests of Kord have any knowledge of the haunted mansion.