((Jan would have been pitching her tone for Mard's ears.))

"I'd be interested in the customers they've been dealing with..."

"Not at a pier, just around the headland. Call me paranoid, but figured a bit of caution was worthwhile. They'll bring it in when I let them know things are good. Give us... a half hour or so?"

Insight Check: 18, just looking to see if she gets the vibe he's being evasive or if there's something going on he hasn't spoken of yet.

Jan gets a mixed read on Mard. She’s sure he isn’t telling her all he knows, but then he’s not under any obligation to do so. She doesn’t sense any threat from Mard and he seems genuine about taking the captive pirates off her hands. But Jan can’t shake that there’s more Mard could say.

Avaria listens to the exchange, not exactly sure what to make of it.  Obviously Jan trusts this man a bit to let him know what all happened with the Hargroves, but the man seemed a bit cagey and Ava didn't know why.  She wondered what he meant by the Hargroves had customers and thought about the lizardfolk they seemed to hang around with.

"Has anything been happening of note while Jan has been off on your mission?"

"You're not holding out on me, are you Mard? Sending me after a shark with a rowboat and a fishing rod? Not in the mood for games, had plenty of those in the Hargrove's arena. If there IS anything of note, now would be the time for it.", Jan takes a sterner note with Ava backing her up.

Marrin looks over to Geffroi,

"Geffroi, leave Mr. Hammerdasher alone or he might actually drag you up to the frozen north!"

Looking back towards town Marrin asks,

"Not to be impolite Ithleviur, but what do you think you'll be able to get from this Korda that, presumably, others have tried to get from her?"

On the ship, Hammerdasher calms down further when his given name is used. He looks out to the lights of town for a moment before he answers Marrin.

”She has to tell me where everything is. I’ll make her. How else can my father‘s legacy be saved?” the dwarf says.

Geffroi puts a hand on Hammerdasher’s shoulder. “That’s why it can’t be you. You’ll rightly be angry and she’ll laugh at you, which is what it sounds like she’s done before.”

——————————————

Mard looks at Jan and Avaria and shakes his head..

”There’s always more going on but hell if I know what it is,” Mard says. “But if you’re worried someone n town will come after you, I’ll assign a couple of guards to keep an eye on your back. Now, I’ve got to go tell the mayor about these pirates of yours. He loves to grandstand for this kind of crap.”

"Anyway we can NOT have the mayor be part of this? I'd rather a quiet hand off of prisoners for coin than a big show."

“If you want the coin, that comes from the mayor.” Mard says.

"Not sure the fuss and noise is worth the 'few coins' for a pair of pirates... How much we talking there? How about we hold off on letting the Mayor know, let me bring my people up to speed and if we want the coin, we can make a fuss, otherwise we'll just turn them over to you. That sound alright?" 

“If you let him make a show of it, and he can make it look like it was his idea and his actions that let it happen, you’ll get 100 gold per slaver. If you want to keep it quiet, I can probably rummage up enough to buy you dinner and a room.” Mard says.

Jan will look to Ava for her input. "Two hundred gold worth a bit of a to-do?"

Marrin chews her lip in thought,

"Geffroi's got a point. You aren't going to convince her unless you come with a new angle. Preferably an angle without her knowing it's you and your clan behind it."

She notes the show of comradery from Geffroi but doesn't comment on it as she asks,

"Why do you think you're the guy to break Kelda Geffroi? What's your plan?"

While Mard waits for Jan and Avaria to make a decision on the reward for bringing in slavers, and Ula and her family gather friendly supporters for backup, those left on the Xanthe's Wish pass the time in conversation.

Geffroi holds open his hands and then shrugs.

"I have no idea," Geffroi finally admits. "Maybe she could be tricked or bartered with. She can't enjoy being in prison. Maybe she'd talk in exchange for getting her out."

Just then several splashes can be heard in the water on the port side of the ship. Looking over the side, Marrin and Ethel can make out a pod of five or six dolphins passing by the ship, squeaking loudly as they do.

Avaria shrugs, " I mean we were about to dump them overboard.  I am not one trying to hide, others have a different story than I, so I am not the right one to ask.  Honestly, I feel like you like to keep under wraps the most, so I'll trust your judgement on this.  Sure 200 gold would be nice, but not necessary."

"Yeah, we should ask the others."

Jan turns to Mard. "We'll have the ship come in, but keep the slavers in the brig until it's been decided. I'll come find you if we want to call upon the Mayor. That work for you?"

If Mard is willing to indulge her caution, Jan will suggest she and Ava head back to the inn and ask Emma to flash a lantern thrice before heading down to the docks to meet the Wish as it comes in.

Ethel walks to the side of the ship and looks into the darkness warily.  Naturally, she expects the dolphins are probably loud because there is some horrible sea beast chasing them, since it has been more than 24 hours since anything has tried to kill her.

Perception (w/disadvantage for darkness):  14

Marrin notes the dolpins but doesn't dwell on them and continues her questions, watching Ethel as she moves to see what, if anything is pursuing the them.

"Geffroi, I for one am not sold on that plan! She will almost certainly be expecting a trick, I know I would be in her shoes. So far as bartering goes, can you really offer her release from prison?"

Flicking her eyes to the dwarf,

"Ithleviur, what motivated Kelda to bankrupt your clan? Was it simply greed, pure and simple? Or did she have a bone to pick?"

In the Spandeliyon Guard Barracks:

Mard nods.

“Up to you,” Mard says. “I’ll round up the guards on dock duty and meet you down there.”

Avaria and Jan make an uneventful trip back over to the “Broken Ore” where Emma is overjoyed to be able to run up and flash the lantern in and out of the window. With the enthusiasm she ran upstairs with, Avaria and Jan are both pretty sure there’s no way Ula’s sister will stop at three flashes of light.

They’re then greeted by the sight of Maisie, wearing an old suit of chainmail armor, a little tight in places, but spotlessly clean and maintained. A warhammer hangs from her belt.

“Okay, let’s go make sure you don’t have any trouble at the docks.”

As Avaria, Jan and Maisie make their way back to the docks, they’re joined by another trio coming down a side street. Olek Stonecast, a chainmail shirt covering his torso, open at the waist where an ample stomach prevents the armour from closing completely, and a battle axe hanging from his belt is accompanied by two newcomers. Olek introduces one, an elderly human woman walking with an intricately carved staff as Kiorna Kester. The other, an elderly human man, clearly still strong and burly despite his age, wears leather armor and carries a shield and spear, is introduced simply as Ingo.

The new pair greet Maisie warmly and nod at Jan and Avaria.

Down at the docks, the expanding group finds Ula with three others, wearing robes with the cresting wave symbol of Istishia, the same symbol everyone has seen on Ula’s amulet, waiting.

Ula smiles at Jan and Avaria and then laughs at the site of her parents and the other two. She shakes her head with amusement.

On the Xanthe’s Wish

Ethel watches the dolphins for as long as they’re next to the boat, but in the end she doesn’t detect any menace. The dolphins were really just out for a night swim and a check on this big ship in their bay.

Geffroi hangs his head a little. “I’ve no idea. But I would really love to see a real copy of the Chronicles of Years to Come. And if there is a key to a hidden vault in the Arcanum, I can only imagine what might be in there.”

Hammerdasher listens to Geffroi and almost laughs, almost missing Marrin’s question. He thinks for a moment, not sure where to start. He sighs.

“Korda Glintstone, was one of us. She grew up in our clan. Now she was always a bit of an odd duck, going off on her own for weeks, months, even years at a time, and always getting more and more tattoos. But she always came home. And as she traveled more she built a network of informants and agents to help protect the clan,” Hammerdasher says.

“I don’t know what changed. My father never saw it coming but Korda must have being planning it for a long time. I think she just got greedy. In one fell swoop, she used her network of agents and whisperers to steal away most of the clan’s gold, leaving only a pittance.” He says with growing anger.

As Hammerdasher’s words mingle with the last splashes of the dolphins, Bigge shouts and points from the quarterdeck.

“There’s the light,” he says.

Near the edge of the harbor, everyone on board can see the unmistakable blinking of a light a few stories above the level of the water.

With a flurry of activity, the ship is brought into harbor. While full darkness has fallen, there are still light lanterns around the harbor entrance, marking the channel to come safely in. Bigge guides the Xanthe’s Wish in, and heads straight for the dock where Ula, her fellow clerics, the quartet of aged adventurers, and now Mard and a couple of town guards wave torches.

The ship is quickly tied up to an empty berth, and the gangway is lowered.

The party is reunited and Mard waits for the prisoners.

Jan will spring aboard once the plank is lowered, conferring with the others. "Mard can get us two hundred for Slick and Tammer, but only if it goes through the Mayor, who will want some sort of big to do about it where he gets to swing his mast in the wind for everyone to gawk at. If we don't want the fuss, Mard will still take them, but for whatever spare coins he can scrounge up. That's Ula's folks, good people, insisted on putting the band back together or somewhat to be on hand."

Arcana to know to ask about tattoos: 7

As they are heading in she'll ask Hammerdasher,

"You have any leads on Korda's informants? They might be able to get us a better idea of her."

Marrin brightens at hearing there's a reward for pirates,

"I'm fine with some attention, especially if it comes with a couple hundred gold!"