(OOC- Ok, everyone gets TWO levels then :) Also, there's four scimitars, enough for just about everyone)

After resting  and praying to her goddess, Cass is ready to go back and loot that ship and see if there’s still crew holed up there.   She gathers the group around and ritual casts (water walk) on everyone.  

”Lers go see whot we can gets!” She yells. 

As you walk across the water, you see the warship completely surrounded by port guard ships. The guard is standing on deck, with the surviving cannoneer and sailor tied to the mast.

Ceesh, robot parrot on shoulder, fox in his bag, and a steaming cup in his hand looks out at the ship and says; "We uhh, we can still get over there yeah? Demand we get some share? We earned it right?"

The ship won't be moving anytime soon (another 12-ish hours), but there's no reason you can't get over there.

All right then, Ceesh will walk on over and go up to the ship and talk to the guard.

"Scuse me, I'd like to take a look around this ship and try to find some things. I'd also like to take the engine off 'ere, I got an idea fer it. If I may we will also go and look at that there sinking metal one too."

Cass heads over as well.  We can walk over the water to get on board.     She wants to search the ship.

(OOC-  I got two interested players Dragondenn and Amaranth-  both are active players and a bit more reliable than some-  should we grab them?  Maybe they can show up to help with the battle and join us?)

Quote from Tesservett >>

(OOC-  I got two interested players Dragondenn and Amaranth-  both are active players and a bit more reliable than some-  should we grab them?  Maybe they can show up to help with the battle and join us?)

 (OOC- Y E S)

Quote from Fitz_Coulson >>

All right then, Ceesh will walk on over and go up to the ship and talk to the guard.

"Scuse me, I'd like to take a look around this ship and try to find some things. I'd also like to take the engine off 'ere, I got an idea fer it. If I may we will also go and look at that there sinking metal one too."

 The Captain of the Guard greets you. 

"Good morning, Captain. I hope you and your crew enjoyed your well-deserved rest. My men have just finished sweeping the vessels, they are both clear of enemies. We have beached the first ship, and we are just waiting on the feather token to run out on this one to beach it as well. Now, speaking of that feather token, I would like to have a chat with you and your first mate in the privacy of my cabin. Please, follow me."

We’ll go and follow him

The Captain leads the two of you into his cabin. It looks like a fairly normal captain's room, well furnished with a bed, a table, a wardrobe, and many trunks in the back. He opens up a cabinet and produces a bottle of wine and three glasses, then motions towards the table. 

"Please, sit down. We have much to discuss. Care for a drink as we talk?"

The Captain will pour a glass for himself and anyone who asks for one.

"What you and your crew did for us is invaluable, and the city of Chelmshurst thanks you. However I do have some questions about all this whole event, as it was quite bizzare. First off, the Crimson empire has been at peace with us for decades, do you have any clue as to why they would be sending such warships against us? And while we are on the topic, these warships are unlike anything I've ever seen, they are metal, and yet they float! How has the construction of such formidable ships been hidden until now? Both of these questions are cause for great worry, would you be able to answer any of them?"

“No, unfortunately, we could not answer that. We know that someone called “the gatekeeper” is behind this, and as for the ships, I would assume the peace with the crimsons is becoming less stable.” 

Ceesh says after denying a glass of wine.

Cass also politely refused the drink (and is happy ceesh turned it down!)

 “this is all we know-  we gots this note we intercepted, and we came here as quick as we could to try to stop em.   “. She shows him the note.  

(Yeah, Ceesh has a hangover 😆)

(OOC-  so I set up a recruitment thread for potential players.  Below.  Lot of good ones.  I’m gonna “close” it before we have too many.  :) ) 

https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/d-d-beyond-general/play-by-post/115354-looking-for-players-for-crimson-fleet#c10

“Listen sir, our greatest advantage is that they don’t know that we know. Let me and my crew have free reign over the ships we commandeered and let me go and recruit some people in the city and we’ll go and counter strike. We can patrol the coast and prevent and deter any attacks from the Crimson Fleet. You are restricted by treaties and laws, my crew? We have no such restrictions.”

(OOC: Nice job Tess, I looked at the recruits, they look awesome!)

"Yes... the 'treaties and laws' are something we need to talk about. As I have stated, you have done us a great service, but there is a problem. The ship next to us us currently disabled by a feather token, a weapon illegal to buy, sell, own, or use in this port. This is a very serious matter, may I ask where you obtained it from? We simply cannot allow these in our city, a mere bag of them could cripple the port for a week! Your use of these items could get you in serious trouble, but I'll let it slide if you tell us where you got them from."

“Feather Token? That thing? We got that from the same place we got that message. There was only one, I assure you, and if I remember correctly, those disappear after use yes? Do you needn’t worry about even that one! Look sir, leave the details to us and you just chalk it up to happenstance in your official papers and such yes?”

Cass says “there be only one, and it were put to good use, as it were!   Thank Me goddess we had it.   But ye kin rest assured- if we be finding any more o’ those feathers we will be lettin Ye knows.   So whots our plan next?  Gets some crew together and takes em by surprise when they are weak?   Mayhap you should find the traitor this here letter was headin for? “