"Hello, Manistrad?  Manistrad Copperlocks?  My name is Kulogall and these are my companions, we just finished a job escorting some wagons of supplies for Isadore and he told us to seek you out once we arrived in Saltmarsh.  He was mentioning that you might have some work for us?  We accompanied him and provided security for the trip, we can handle ourselves in a fight and we can look into anything that you need looked into, if you know what I mean.  Do you have any needs, ... that do not involve bean counters?  I am certainly not one of those..."  He stands up straight and smiles, reaching his full height and his right arm on his staff, allows a wind to rustle his robes and the locks of his Triton hair.

All - Manistrad ignores you as she finishes checking the packs and saddle on her mule. When Kulogall mentions Isadore however, she stops briefly with a sigh and gives you all a quick once over. Her gaze lingers on Elwyn a fraction longer than the rest before she finishes her checks and climbs into the saddle. She turns the mule to face the group and says, "I didn't catch most of that, but if ye can swing a sword half as well as yer friend there can play a lute, I might have work for ye, aye. Keepin' Izzy's arse outta the fire is no small feat neither, so thank ye fer that as well. We've just begun excavating a new branch in the mine that looks to be one of the richest yet. Problem is, my foreman got himself arrested a few days ago and all of a sudden his crew's refusing to return to the new branch. They're belly aching about Trogs and other fairytales while tons of ore sits buried. I need my foreman to keep 'em in line so I don't have to go knock a few heads every time some arsehole spooks over his own shadow. I've tried talking to Capt. Eliander myself, but his resources are stretched thin as of late, much like my patience. If ye could go give him a hand so he can complete his investigation and I get my foreman back, that'd help me greatly. Should be over at the jail, across from the Wicker Goat." Manistrad then takes her leave.

All - You find the jail squatting across from the Wicker Goat and step inside. An older human man with a bushy grey mustache sits behind a desk with his feet propped on it and a book in his hands. He looks up at you from his book and stretches before dropping his feet from the desk and setting the book in their place, "Hail, how can I help you?"

"Thanks Lara, that was an excellent breakfast, haven't had a breakfast like that since I performad at Castle Obarskyr." Elwyn says as he finishes eating. "Be sure to give my regards to your parents and I hope to see more of you too." He adds with a wink and a smile.

As they visit Manistrad Elwyn flanks Kulogall, trying to look more like a competent adventurer than a carefree entertainer. "Don't you worry Ms. Copperlocks, we'll get your foreman back to foremanning in a jiffy." He says encouragingly before departing again.

"Good morning Sir, the name is Elwyn, we're here about a matter of an arrested foreman at the mines. We'd like to offer our help with finishing up the investigation into the crime he allegedly perpetrated." Elwyn says to the bushy grey mustachioed old man.

Persuasion to get him to accept our help: 14 rolled with advantage if help action is given by someone, otherwise go with first roll.

All - The man behind the desk says, "Well, we could certainly use a few extra hands lately. But, that's Cpt. Eliander's call, not mine. I'm Sgt. Gelborn," he shakes Elwyn's hand before continuing, "I oversee the jail. The Captain should be finishing up questioning the suspect, ah, here he is now." A large human man enters the room from a door behind the desk. He's quite tall, but also rather burly as well. He appears to be in his fifties and though age has softened him a bit, his bulk appears to be mostly muscle. He nods to you all and walks over to Sgt. Gelborn, "I'm done with him for now, you can take him back to his cell." Gelborn stands and says, "Aye, right away Captain. These folks were asking about helping out with the investigation. I told 'em we could use the help, but it's your call sir." The Sgt. then exits the room through the door behind the desk, grabbing a heavy iron key ring from a peg near the door as he goes. Captain Eliander takes a seat behind the desk and the chair groans under his weight. He bends over and rubs his left knee and you see that his left leg below the knee has been replaced by a finely scrimshawed wooden leg, "Damn knee always pains me when the seas are choppy." He sits upright and says, "I'm Captain Eliander Fireborn, nice to meet you all." He says to Elwyn, "Mighty fine show you put on at the Goat last night, my men sure appreciated it." Addressing the group once more, he says "I assume Copperlocks sent you over here to bug me in her stead while she sets about crushing all dissent at her mine." He gives you all a smirk before continuing, "We could use the help. With the influx of activity in the area and losing a few men to better paying jobs in the mines or trading ships, we're barely keeping the peace. Manny's foreman's being held while we investigate the murder of a local girl. Her and her brother were orphans, and from what I understand the town all kinda pitched in and raised 'em together. Anyhow, her and her brother have been missing for about a ten-day. Some unlucky bastard caught her body in a fishing net a few days ago. She was bound at the wrist and ankles and drowned. Marks on her seem to indicate she'd been bound for a while before she died. She was always a smaller gal, but she looked half-starved when they found her. She was only wearing some ratty rags as well. All signs point to slavers, but I haven't had much time to investigate it further. Your foreman was known to hang around with the brother and sister when he was off-duty. He'd even frequent the Snapping Line, where they stayed. Which is peculiar since most of the crowd there are fishermen and dockworkers, the kinda folk who resent the dwarves and their mining operation. I'm sure he had to ignore more than a few muttered insults and sour looks. Most of the town is convinced he had something to do with the murder and are calling for his head. I'm keeping him here mostly for his own safety at this point, I really don't have anything that says he's guilty. He's been cooperative and seems genuinely distressed about the girl. Says the brother kept going on about the old mansion a few miles east of town. Seemed to think the old alchemist that used to live there left a hoard of gold beneath the floorboards, wanted to go check it out. I don't know much about the place, but the locals think it's haunted or some such. The foreman suggested checking there and I don't think it's a bad idea... Just that I'm already short on men and the town won't look too kindly on me sending some off to go chasing ghost stories when they're convinced the killer is already in custody. If you want to help, go check it out for me. You might also stop by the Snapping Line and see what Hanna has to say. She's the owner and has been housing the girl and her brother for years now. That's the biggest problem on my plate at the moment. If you can resolve it I'd be much obliged."

"Thank you for accepting our help Captain Eliander. Talking to Hanna at the Snapping line before investigating that haunted house sounds like a good line of inquiry. Who could tell us how to get to that mansion though?" Elwyn asks, eager to get going with the investigation.

Ariana has been standing a bit back from Elwyn and Kulogall. After the captain's speech, she mutters to Wake and Ruby, "I heard some tavern patrons talking about a haunted house on a hill. We should check it out."

A murdered girl does not sit well with Ariana, so she feels a sudden sense of urgency and purpose. She speaks up. Louder and to the captain, she says, "We're here to help, sir. However, we are new to town. Is the Snapping Line on the way to the haunnn-- the alchemist's mansion?"

Elwyn & Ariana - Captain Fireborn says, "It's easy enough to find heading east out of town. About four miles up the coast road. You probably didn't see it coming westward as it sits back and above the road overlooking the sea. The Snapping Line is on the way, head back over the sharkfin bridge and take the first right, the Line'll be on your left. Looks like a bunch of old fishing boats all slapped together, can't miss it. Thank you all for offering to help. The locals can be mule-headed and ornery but Saltmarsh isn't all bad. Folks just want to protect their livelihoods and their own. I've got to head on back to my office now, on to the next issue. Got a patrol that went missing some where in the Mere. Come by the Merewatch tower here in town if you need to find me, that's where my office is. Farewell." The captain leaves and Sgt. Gelborn returns to his reclined reading position at the front desk. Assuming the group wants to stop by the Snapping Line on the way out of town, you find the Inn and Tavern across from an open air market. The structure appears to be made from the planks and hulls of half a dozen decommissioned fishing ships. Inside, not one of you are surprised to find the décor to be nautical themed. What does surprise you is the smell. The faint smell of fish permeates the air inside. An elderly human man drinks alone near the front window and nods to you as you enter. A human woman with her long brown gathered into a braid sweeps the floor in front of the bar. She looks up when you enter and says, "Hello, looking for rooms? My single rooms are all spoken for but there might be enough cots in the common area for all of you. Should I go check?"

"No we're looking for Hanna. Would that be you by any chance?" Elwyn says, with a wide smile, immediately starting to feel a bit thirsty as he enters the Snapping line.

Elwyn - Hanna nods and says, "Aye, that's me. What can I do for you?"

"Nice to meet you Hanna, the name is Elwyn, I'm an entertainer and would be happy to perform under your roof some evening if you would have me." Elwyn says motioning to his lute.
"But for now we are here in another capacity. We've been deputized you could say, by Captain Fireborn, to help with the investigation of the most tragic case with the girl that was found drowned and her missing brother. We are planning to search the haunted mansion that they spoke of, but first we would like to hear what you had to say about the siblings. We were told you had been housing them here." He goes on, showing sincere concern for the fate of the siblings

Persuasion if needed to get Hanna to tell us what she knows: 18 rolled with advantage if help action is given by someone, otherwise go with first roll.

Elwyn - Hanna nods as you speak, but she frowns when you mention the mansion, "Thank you for looking into it, Cal and Corrine were dear to me. It breaks my heart what happened to her..." She begins to tear up and wipes her eyes with her apron before continuing, "I keep telling myself that Cal will turn up unharmed, but... Well, I just keep telling myself anyway. They lived here and helped out around the Inn. Cal was restless though, was always talking about signing on with a trading ship or up at the mines. I think he didn't want to leave Corrine behind as much as he wanted to go. I know folks think that dwarf has something to do with it, but I've seen them in here together enough to get a feel for him and I don't think he did it. He even tried talking Cal out of poking around that damned mansion. Told him to save his coin, but Cal went and bought himself some arms and armor. Of course Corrine wanted to tag along, she was always a precocious one. They took the day off and set off for the mansion a little more than a ten-day ago... And now..." She cries a bit before blowing her nose on her apron, "I'm sorry, they were just so dear to me... And now they're gone. That damned mansion is nothing more than an abandoned rat's nest. Kids make up stories about it to entertain themselves and more than a few fool adults believe the tales as well," At this point, the old man cuts in, "It is haunted! I've seen it for me self! Poor kids met a bad end up there, though I told 'em what I saw." Hana rounds on the man in anger, "And your damn fool stories just encouraged them all the more to go!" She turns to the group and says, "I'm sorry, I need to sit down... I don't have much else to tell you. I hope I've been helpful. I hope you can find Cal and bring him home." She heads into a back room as she wipes her eyes. The old man grumbles and says, "I seent the damn ghosts with me own eyes... I heard the damn screams with me own damn ears... Sounded like a soul hollerin' in the depths of Avernus..." He takes a swig of his ale and peers out the window.

Elwyn tries to comfort Hanna as best he can, laying a hand on her shoulder. "We will do everything in our power to get Cal home again, don't lose hope." He says while motioning to the others to go and question the old man about what he has seen.

"Elwyn´s right." Ruby says, trying to help Elwyn calm Hana down. "We´ll find out what happend, and bring him back."
Then she turnes to the old man. "I have no idea what you heard old man, but I don´t really think there´s such a thing as ghosts. I wouldn´t be suprised if a band of thieths were hiding there and using the "haunted mansion" as a cover though." She says and then gets lost in thought remembering the past. 

Ruby - The old man sees you walking over to his table and quickly quaffs the contents of his mug. He crosses his arms with a Hmmph as you dismiss his tale and replies, "Believe what ye want little miss, but ye'll learn fer yerself if you go pokin' 'round up there like those poor kids did."

Ariana says to the drinking man, "You never went in there, big strong man like yourself? Or do you know anyone that's ventured inside? We're going to go save that boy, and any information would be helpful."

Persuasion if necessary: 17 | adv roll if granted Ruby's help: 18

Ariana - The man scoffs and says, "Aye, I went in there. A few months back. I was trapping weasels in the area, they grow big 'round there fer some reason. Anyhow, I'd heard the stories 'bout the place and thought they were jus' tall tales myself. I don't no more, that's fer sure. I'd be willin' to tell ye what I saw, aye..." He picks up his empty mug and gazes at it a second, then looks up to you, "though my throat tends to get a little dry in tellin' it. Could use a refill." he adds with a smug smile.

Ruby sighs, then comes up to Hanna and pays for another round of whatever the man was just drinking. She will sit down at the table after he gets his drink and ask: "So, what exactly did you see?"

Ruby - The man takes the drink with a smile, revealing yellowed teeth, what few there are. He takes a noisy draw from the mug before leaning back in his seat and telling you what he saw, "Ah... Nothin' like a cold ale to wet the ol' whistle. Now, a few ten-days before I went inside the place I'd seen some strange lights in the second floor windows when I was in headin' east on the coast road late one night, didn't think much of it then. Shoulda known better, but there I was not two ten-days later, trampin' around the place. Like I said, I was trappin' in the area and decided to go take a look fer myself. I wasn't havin' much luck with the traps and I was bored. Figured if the stories 'bout gold and whatnot was true, I could use a little myself. So I walked around the place first. Found a garden full o' weeds and a crumblin' well 'round the side of the house. There was door too." He stops to take another drink, "I tried the handle and found it was unlocked so I took a peek inside. No gold or ghosts to be seen, just a dusty hallway. I took the first door on the right and it led me to the kitchen. Nothin' in there out of the ordinary, stove, sink, cupboard, and another door. There was a set o' stairs leadin' up to the second floor in there too, but I decided to try the door first. Behind that door was a scullery. Big ol' copper tub fer worshin' dishes and whatnot, some busted up plates, and another set of stairs, this time leadin' down. I figured if I was to hide my gold anywhere, I'd hide it in the cellar, so I headed down. I didn't get half-way when someone started screamin' down there like nothin' I ever heard before. It was like... Somebody burnin' alive or findin' all their loved ones dead or somethin' else horrible. Spooked me half to death. So I took off outta there and I ain't never been back. Left a couple o' good traps up there too. Don't want 'em. No sir, the spooks can have 'em."

Wake tries not to interrupt, but has to ask,

”Were the traps set, if so, where? Or do you mean you dropped them somewhere in the house in your hurry to leave?”

Wake - The man says, "They were set in the area 'round the house. Just a couple o' chicken wire weasel traps. If yer thinkin' o' headin' up there and don't mind luggin' 'em back with ye I'd sure appreciate havin' 'em back." He gives you his best gap-toothed smile.