Ghosts of Saltmarsh by Dylanthalas

Wake would like to be with Captain Eliander to deliver the bad news to Hana.

”If this young man was indeed Cal, I would like to return his effects to his guardian.”

Wake’s heart breaks then swells at the confession by Xolo.

Wake - After all in attendance have had their chance to question Xolo, Captain Eliander nods to you and says, "Thank you, that will be a kindness to her. Let's head on over to the Line now, best we break it to her before some loose lipped dock monkey blabs about it loudly over his ale."

All - Any who would join will find Hana behind the bar, serving drinks and pretending to listen to half a dozen stretched truths when you enter. She frowns and looks down at the sight of the Captain and those with him, tears already forming in her eyes. She motions for a young barmaid to take over and leads the party through the kitchen to the pantry. She sends the cook and scullery maids away and sits down on a pile of sacks, "I could tell the moment you all walked in that this wasn't going to be fair tidings..." She sighs and looks to Eliander, "Is Cal dead Captain?" Captain Eliander swallows and says, "Aye, he is Hana. I'm damn sorry for your loss. For Cal and for Corrine. You were the best thing that ever happened to those kids." Hana sobs and says, "And they were the best thing that ever happened to me!" She breaks down and sobs heavily as Eliander embraces her and lets her cry. After her tears are spent for the moment, Eliander steps back and says, "These folks found Cal and the people responsible for... For hurting him and Corrine. They wanted to come along and give you some effects they'd found with... Some effects they had found." He finishes with a clearing of his throat and motions the party to step forward.

Wake would have removed the platemail and donned his old scalemail before leaving the jail. He will fold the plates and carry it on the upturned shield that was found with the body. He will let Ruby know that he is planning on returning the armor to Hana and that it would be her call if she wishes to relinquish Cal’s longsword.

”Hana, I am very sorry for your loss.”

Before offering the shield and armor he will dig in his pocket and retrieve the necklace with the Lathander pendant.

”This was his, right? I’m sure he’d want you to have it.”

Once it is confirmed that the pendant belonged to Cal, he will offer the shield and armor to Hana.

“There is no compensation great enough for your loss, but please accept these. He wore them to the end and can be kept as a remembrance or sold to help you financially. I wish we had known him. He must have been very brave.”

Ruby will follow after Wake. "I am really sorry Hana, I really hoped that we would be able to bring him back to you." She says, looking down, her eyes also a bit teary. "I don´t know if you would like to keep it, but I also brought the sword that he had with him." She says and takes it out, offering it to Hana. 

As Ruby finishes Elwyn sits himself down by Hana and lays a hand on hers. "I'm so sorry Hana, no one should have to outlive their young ones." He says quietly, a tear trickling down his cheek. "Please take some comfort in that they both can have a proper burial now so that they can be reunited in the afterlife under the shining light of Lathander."

All - Hana takes the necklace with a nod and clutches it to her chest with a sniff. She'll then reach behind her neck and work the clasp, before tucking the now worn necklace in her dress. She takes Elwyn's hand in both of hers, looks to him with tears flowing freely down her cheeks, and whispers "...thank you..." between shuddering gasps and sobs.

When presented with the arms and armor, Hana will grimace and press them away, "I can not bear the sight of those horrid things! Please, I can not!" Captain Eliander steps in and takes them as he says, "That's okay Hana, we will take them and... We'll... We'll sell them and have a memorial built for Cal and Corrine. A pair of beautiful statues to remind folks of the joy they brought to this town. I'll handle it personally. Mafera over at The Dwarven Anvil owes me a favor and I'm sure she'd be honored to fashion something nice to remember them by." Hana stands and heads over to a washbasin while Eliander talks. She washes and dries her face and turns to you all, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to react so harshly. I appreciate all that you've done for Cal, Corrine, and I, truly. Now that I know what has happened and those responsible are being delivered here for justice, I can-" She sniffs, "I can begin to heal. Thank you again. If you'd excuse me, I'm going to close up early tonight I think. Good bye." Hana then leaves and Captain Eliander motions for you all to follow him out.

Outside in the street, Captain Eliander Fireborn bids you all farewell, "I'll be in touch tomorrow regarding the council meeting. Thank you all for seeing this resolved. I'll handle compensation for your services tomorrow as well. Swing by my office at the Merewatch Tower before noon some time."

Ariana has taken a back seat, probably with Gorik if he is still with them. She's nibbling on some stale bread she found in one of her pockets and waiting for the group to finish with their various condolences, hanging near them in case she's needed.

“I’m exhausted.” Wake confesses. “Let’s get checked in at the …” Wake struggles to remember, “Wicker Goat? Was that it? Perhaps their kitchen is still open.”

At the mention of food, Ariana perks up.

Before they turn in for the night, perhaps while waiting for food, Ariana will pull Elwyn aside. "Elwyn, have you ever smoked a pipe before?"

Regardless of his answer, Ariana will respond as she pulls the pipe from her bag, "I found this pipe in the slavers' cave. I want to try it out, but have never smoked a pipe before. I thought you could help me figure it out."

Whether Elwyn or someone else in the party can help or she figures it out after some fidgeting with it, Ariana smokes from the pipe.

"Yes, the Wicker Goat, excellent plan Wake." Elwyn responds and heads there for a hot meal and some drinks.

"Sure I can show you Ariana, you're supposed to light tobacco in one end and draw in the fumes sucking on the other end, no no, wrong end Ariana, and we need some tobacco first I think, at least that will make it a bit more interesting for you." Elwyn says and perks up a bit, happy to oblige with his extensive knowledge about pipes and tobacco.

All - When you return to The Wicker Goat, you find it to be uproariously busy. News of the vindicated foreman and captured slavers has obviously reached the establishment and you are all greeted by cheers, claps, and whistles. Lankus urges Elwyn to perform, "...lest they tear the place down with their revelry!" Elwyn, if you oblige him, please make a Performance check. You may roll with advantage if you perform whilst smoking the pipe of remembrance. The DC is 5 due to the excitement and cheer already in the air.

Ruby will try and find a quieter corner in the Wicker Goat, to sit down with Flo and Jet. She will ask them about their home and their family, ordering some snacks for them while they watch Elwyn perform.

Assuming Ariana will lend him the pipe Elwyn finds a place to sit where he can be seen and starts to smoke the enchanted pipe before beginning his tale.
"So there we were, on our way to the haunted house on the hill, a wicked storm coming in from the sea...." he starts dramatically and goes on to tell about the treacherous Ned, the hidden passage underground, how they found poor Cal's body, the skeletons and the undead alchemist, the slavers in the caves, Sanbalet, how they ran into Gorik, and finally the epic battle with Xolo in the sea cave, all a bit embellished and somewhat exaggarated as a good tale should be, accompanied by moving shapes from the smoke, although at times Elwyn improves on the smoke with his own images (using minor illusion and silent image for sound and sight effects). Elwyn is very thorough with describing the valor of his companions, their bravery and resourcefulness. He ends with declaring that the tale is not over as the brave adventurers intend to free Saltmarsh from the scourge of the slavers once and for all.

Performance: 21

Ruby - Flo and Jet quickly gobble down the finger food you ordered and Mia brings over another heaping plate, "Here you go, on the house. Eat up you two, there's more where that came from if you're still hungry." She smiles at you three before departing. Flo and Jet tell you they are originally from Neverwinter. Their father was a sailor and was lost at sea. Their mother fell ill and couldn't care for them so they hired on with privateers as powder monkeys and riggers before finding a steady berth aboard the fishing trawler they were working before they were captured. They ask you about your home and your family while they work their way through another plate of food.

Elwyn - Your performance enraptures the audience. The storytelling, the musicianship, the smokey reenactments, the added sight and sound effects all combine to deliver a one of a kind performance. The room erupts with applause and you are showered with coin, 9gp, 27sp, and 226cp, and copious amounts of drink. Throughout your performance you repeatedly catch the eye of a very pretty woman in a seafoam green dress. She has olive skin and dazzling green eyes. Her hair is black and falls in waves down her back. The dress is form fitting and just opaque enough to hint at what lies beneath but not quite reveal. She blushes and quickly looks away the first time your eyes meet, but you find they meet many more times before the performance is over. After the applause has died down and you feel you've shaken every hand in the establishment, you see the woman sits alone at a table for two. She smiles at you and indicates the empty seat next to her with a nod.

Gorik wakes from his daze as the last few hours were filled with solitude within, his mind fogged with torment into his betrayer. "Who could it be? Why would they have done this?" Gorik says within his thoughts. Coming to his senses, Gorik realizes he has been in a state of mindless automaticity. He collects his immediate thoughts and rejoins the companions. Snarling, the Scalebane dragonborn calls out softly, "How long was I gone? What did I do? And where the hell are we now?"

"My friends, I think we deserve an equal share in this." Elwyn says and motions to the coins in front of him, looking to Kulogall to shove them into that bag of his or distribute them as he would see fit. Then Elwyn excuses himself for the night as he has a very important matter to take care of urgently. He then grabs a bottle of wine by the bar together with two glasses and confidently takes a seat by the pretty woman in the seafoam green dress. "I'm sorry if that tale was incoherent at times but I was distracted you see, by the most beautiful pair of dazzling green eyes..." He starts off pouring her a glass while seeking out those dazzling green eyes with his own. He will then spend as much time with her as she would let him, trying to be very gallant, flattering and generous with his coin.

Elwyn - The woman sees you approaching and stands slightly to smooth out her dress. She sits with one leg over the other, leaning over the table toward you as you take your seat. One arm is resting on the table in front of her bosom and she rests her chin on the hand of the other. She smiles beautifully and says, "Oh? Am I to assume then that your performance might be improved by my absence? I was hoping quite the opposite." She gives you a wink and sips her wine. She introduces herself as Apollonia and engages in playful banter with you. The night winds down and you find yourself to be among the last people in the tavern. Apollonia stands and stumbles a bit, falling into you, "Oh, God's I'm sorry! I did not expect the wine in a town like this to be of such a fine vintage." She stands and says with an embarrassed blush, "Perhaps the daring hero of Saltmarsh might escort me to my room at The Snapping Line?"

Kulogall is quiet and reserved on the way back to Saltmarsh, giving guidance with the navigation when needed.  He remains lost in his own thoughts.  He sits in on the initial discussion with Xolo.  He says to the Captain "I definitely want to be here tomorrow when he is questioned.  There are many things that are unclear to me yet.  I don't know where Xolo ends .... and Umberlee begins."

He accompanies everyone to the Wicker Goat.  He takes a few puffs from the pipe ("What's in here, Elwyn?") and helps in the description, supports different parts of the tale, provides special effects and mimics the sound of the thunder and the battle with Xolo.  He performs, essentially, as Elwyn's wingman.  As the evening winds on, he gets deeper and deeper into his cups, eventually performing the beer breathing trick.  That night he heads up to his room, exhausted both emotionally and physically, looking to rest and recover.  He leaves his wingman when it is apparent that he wants to fly solo, not wanting to cramp his style.

Performance :  21