Ghosts of Saltmarsh (cbaer8) - Campaign Thread

Gerrard:

Moving over to the Captain, Gerrard addresses him quietly, saying, “There is no active Sahuagin invasion, though we did find this.”  He hands over the foot and says, “I estimate the owner of this foot has been dead several days.  With the footwear indicating someone from the lower city, it would appear we have found another victim of the recent series of unfortunate murders by parties unknown in our fair city.”

”I would appreciate any information you might have about these occurrences, but first I think congratulations are in order,” Gerrard adds with a smile.  Speaking more loudly and broadly, Gerrard addresses the Captain and his nearby men, “The defenders of Seaton have performed well in this full-scale military drill.  You and your men should be proud of your performance.  A grateful city thanks you for your service.”

Gerrard lingers and speaks more with the Captain in hushed tones once more as the remainder of the defenders (hopefully) stand down from their military footing.

A short triton woman leans against the outer wall of a tavern, hands tucked in the pockets of her emerald green coat, foot tapping anxiously. She looks up and down the street, hopeful that if someone approaches her, it's a friend of the fisherman and not another spear-happy guard.

Dwal jumps slightly as Kei slides in next to him.
"I should have figured yer well acquainted with sneakin'" he says offhandedly. "The old man said there was a Triton that came out of tha water and is at a local hotel. I am assumin' it's one close by. Gerrard's checkin' in with the locals, we might as well wait till he gets back and make our way to the closest hotel. Unless you wanna go jottin' off and take a look-see and local the fishy person." Dwal suggests to Kei. 

Kei 

Not one to miss out on a bit of "sneakin", Kei obliges Dwal and slips back into the crowd. He flits through the throng of Seatonians as he scans the building's for a tavern.

Perception 25 

Easily spotting the watering hole he returns to Dwal's side. "Up ahead. There's even a nervous looking character holding up a wall. I think we've found the right place." 

If in range he links in with Gerrard again and informs him that they may have found the tavern in question.

Chaos continues to bubble along the waterfront. Turning from Gerrard's report and accolades, the guard captain releases a string of profane epithets as he tries to reel in the trigger-happy force. A number of heavily-armed vessels continue to prowl the bay; one accidentally releases a mangonel stone which clatters onto the rocks in a vacant strip of stony shorefront to the amusement of the crowd.

The rowdy crowd continues to loudly watch the proceedings. The guard continues to try to disperse them, with little luck.

The triton up the street begins to draw attention - the beginnings of a new crowd begin to form around her. "What are you?" demands a stout middle-aged woman.

A human woman spots Dwal in the crowd. "Dwarf! Dwarf! I need you! My foot!" she shouts, and begins to hobble toward Dwal. (He recognizes her as the woman he had previously spoken to in the streets.)

Kei vanishes again into the crowd and quickly spots the strange triton in the street.

More guards arrive at the wharves, even as the captain manages to signal some of the patrolling boats back to the docks.

Kei 

Watching the crowd grow as they approach, Kei pushes forward towards the Triton. "There you are! The show starts in 15 minutes. I see you're in costume already. Hurry, if we're to make opening curtain we need to hurry. Don't want to keep the crowd waiting." He grabs the short Triton by the shoulder and directs them down the nearest alleyway, walking with a purpose. Whispering once their backs are to the gathering crowd "Play along if you want to get out of here safely."

Deception 25

Dwal rolls his eye as he comes close to the woman "Well, did ya do like I told ya ta do?" 
Dwal continues to make his way to the "nervous newcomer". 

"My toes turnin' black. I think they're dyin'," exclaims the old woman to Dwal as she follows him up the street. "I need coins for the priest. Can you spare a few more coins? I think I'm going t' die."

Meanwhile, the growing crowd on the side street continues to stare at the triton, as nearby, the harborfront crowd continues its cacophonous rubbernecking of the military chaos on the bay. 

Gerrard:

”I will leave you to attend to your duties,” says Gerrard to the distracted Captain.  He moves over toward the crowd starting to gather near the tavern, noticing they seem to be focusing on Kei and a shrouded figure just outside the building just as the man makes his pronouncement

Tapping the shoulder of the nearest citizen in that group, he asks, “What’s this I am hearing about a show?  Is it any good?  What’s it about?”

The triton presses her back against the wall as the crowd starts to gather, trying to avoid eye contact with the onlookers while still scanning the street behind them for the mysterious stranger who's supposed to come get her. She opens her mouth to answer the woman, but before she can say anything, she's interrupted by a man saying something about being late for a show?

"I-I'm not who you-" she stutters out in accented Common, but her words fall on deaf ears, and the man starts to lead her away. She hesitates at first, but realizes that even if he's mistaken about her identity, at least he's getting her out of there.

"Okay," she immediately whispers back, face flooding with relief. "Where are we going? Somewhere away from the guards, please. They think I am sahuagin."

Kei 

Keeping up the ruse he sings loudly to the obviously troubled Triton. "I'm not who you need in these troubled times. I'm only the musician who writes all the rhymes." He pats his charge on the back. "Come on now you know the lines. We've been practicing this for weeks." 

Once out of apparent earshot of the crowd, Kei gently shoves the Triton into a doorway. "Out with it. Why did I just rescue you from being mobbed?" Before waiting for a response he sends his location to Dwal. "You've got til my friend gets here to fess up!"

The triton nods along with the song lyrics, staying silent until they've left earshot of the crowd.

"I haven't lied to you," she blurts out in response to the bard's demand. "I came into the harbor a couple weeks ago, and I've been finding human feet all over the sea floor, and I tried to tell your people about it so you could do something because it isn't exactly my issue but I figured you might want to know, but then the guard I talked to freaked out and tried to stab me and I had to run away and now everyone thinks I'm either a murdering sea devil or an oddity to be stared at and I don't know what to do." The words come out rushed in a single breath.

Dwal continues to walk and ignores the old woman. He pauses a moment, concentrates, and responds to Kei.

The words roll off Dwal's tongue quickly as he moves his arms wide then from back to front. Dwal casts Fog Cloud at 3rd level, covering a 60 ft. area with a thick obscuring fog, the starting point a few feet in front of his location.
Trying to maintain concentration Dwal will call out to the crowd, from the fog and yell, "Back to tha Wharf!" 

A massive (60' radius!) cloud of grey fog envelops the entire block of buildings. Everything is heavily obscured - you can barely make out the hand in front of your face. Shrieks can be heard as the alarmed crowd begins to disperse in the chaos. One man shouts, "Fire?" You hear the crash of a wagon into a storefront somewhere as someone's panicking mule bolts.

The party, accompanied by the triton, begins to flee toward the hotel via a back street.

The party enters a maze of side streets and alleys, away from the fog cloud, trying to work their way up toward the hotel by dead reckoning. The dark, narrow alleys are similar to the ones Peri and Kei explored earlier - full of bold rats and open sewers and hanging wash and dumped refuse. An old woman tosses out a bucket of foul-smelling slop into your path, then ducks inside an ancient wooden trapdoor quickly when she sees you coming. A big jowly dog sits on its haunches, panting and eyeing you closely; it looks like it's been swimming in something nasty. A one-eyed old man stares at you from a peephole on a second floor.

You are putting distance between yourselves and the fog and the chaotic waterfront; the noises of the mob are diminishing. 

Kei 

Dark, foul smelling alleys reminds Kei of The Styes. He walks with confidence through the unknown yet familiar surroundings. Heading in the general direction of the hotel, he keeps one eye on the surroundings and one on their guest. 

Gerrard:

By contrast, Gerrard is quite uncomfortable in the foul smelling alley, made even more uneasy due to the fact that this is his home city and he has never really seen this side of it.

Dwal does his best at keeping up and keeping one eye out for any danger that might present itself.

Perception: 10

The group slowly works their way up the hill through the network of alleys to find themselves near the back of the hotel, without incident. You circle around to the front, where a doorman greets you. Dwal notices that the wet dog - a mastiff of some sort with wet, greasy hair - has followed you.

Gerrard:

Having stayed quiet for most of the journey, Gerrard speaks up now that they are at the threshold of the hotel.

“Master Kei, it seems you have made good your rescue of this mysterious stranger.  Shall we go up to our rooms and discuss more privately, or go somewhere else that suits the comfort level of your new friend?” the young noble asks gently.