Peri:

"Well, there you are! Out shopping in the wondrous markets of Saltmarsh? I hear there's a sale on squishy apples!" he teases Kei when they return to the cabins. He whistles at the price they got for the silks, pleased at his cut from the haul. When Boko offers to dispel the enchantment on the chest, Peri agrees eagerly. "Crack 'er open; let's see what's inside! Should we stand back?" he asks, edging away lest any of his items also become disenchanted.

Gerrard:

Ensuring everyone gets their fair share, Gerrard is pleased to be done with that task, but excited to see what might be in the chest.  He watches intently.

Gerrard concludes that there are no diamonds in this batch of gemstones they brought back from the abbey.

Peri joins Dwal in the cabin. Gerrard and Kei soon rejoin them as well.

Boko casts dispel magic on the stubborn chest. It fails, as Peri can soon verify, but it also gives up some secrets. It opens. Out of it juts a ten-foot tongue of polished wood that veers ninety degrees upward as it hits the far wall. It splits open to form a boat, albeit currently L-shaped to conform to the interior of this small chamber, and within it is one pair of oars, an anchor, a mast, and a lateen sail. There's also a scrap of parchment in an envelope within. There's just one word on it, "ceapaireèisg" – a Dwarvish word that translates to a kind of fermented fish sandwich that is typically rolled into a spiral shape.

Boko heads off to see her friend (and her PMs.)

Peri:

Peri leaps back as the mast shoots out of the chest. ((OOC:I read "ten-foot tongue" and thought we were dealing with the world's most patient mimic!)) He takes in the boat, crammed into the small cabin, and begins laughing hysterically. "A magic life-raft?! We finally have our ship!" He falls to the ground, barely able to wheeze out, "Oh! We should've sold it to Winston! Can you imagine THIS opening in the middle of his shop!" And he rolls on the ground, right out in front of the cabin with its malformed boat, holding his sides.

Eventually, his mirth tapers enough that he's able to sit up and wipe his eyes. "Oh ho, Brandobaris preserve us fools! Well, speakin' of fools, I hear we've got a summons from the Town Council. I figure we oughtta discuss things before they hand us some hare-brained task and we just say yes. I don't know about the rest of you, but I've been wonderin' whether I'm really the right candidate for heroic quests. I did some thinkin' last night, and I came up with this list." He hands Gerrard a sheet of paper, one side covered in random words, phrases, tick marks and scribbles. But on the back is a list, relatively neat and with far fewer scratched-out words.

1. Cleared out spooky mansion -- Mostly success. Broke up smugglers. Would’ve been all good but Butter killed the leader. Saved toymaker!
2. Goblins -- Good! Killed goblins, ogre, worg. Saved Gerrard.
3. Ship -- Perfect! Killed slavers, took their ship -- Saved Elbin from gallows -- kept guard from killing lizardfolk -- not perfect, Whatsername killed and wizard escaped -- Nearly perfect -- Kei joined us after that
4. Dwarf hall -- Bad -- Gerrard turned into old man -- Duergar up to something -- fiend still down there
5. Othokent -- Great! -- kept lizardfolk & Saltmarsh from killing each other, made alliance! -- I like Othokent, no BS
6. Gnolls -- Real bad, nearly died! -- Xolor guy got away -- not really our fault, stupid town again -- still, not good!
   
7. Emperor -- DISASTER!!!!! -- Winter down with all but one -- Iuz wizard -- Peleg -- frog people -- nothing went right -- maybe our fault, definitely Aubrek’s
8. Seaton -- More disaster! -- Hong -- collapsed building, maybe cultists? -- Gerrard’s cousin? -- Boko joined -- made a lot of money though -- probably all our fault
9. Abbey Isle -- Good, right up until we freed sea monster! -- got rid of cultists -- cleared out a bunch of dead things -- load of treasure -- all went bad with Peleg -- not really our fault, couldn’t know -- still we’re responsible

Giving Gerrard, and any of the others who'd like to, a chance to read his list, he delivers his conclusions. "I was feelin' pretty bad after settin that squid-faced serpent thing loose. It's been a while since we had a real clear win. But really, we did a pretty top-notch job clearin out that temple. No way we coulda guessed that thing was trapped in those rocks. We thought we were rescuin a good man, and really nothin says we were wrong. Just a real bad, but unknowable, outcome.

"Other than that, we've mostly done good. The loss of the Winter was a tragedy, but half the dwarves were killed by those sea devils, which was just as likely to happen if they were just on a routine trip. The other half were killed by that Iuz mage, and we don't have any idea what that guy's deal was. The dwarven hall was a mess, but no one got hurt but us, and we made it through. So the only big screw-up that can be hung on us was the building collapse, and we don't even know if the people who were trapped in the building were innocents or more cultists.

"All that's a long way of sayin, while we might not be storybook heroes, we're likely the best this blighted town is gonna see. I suppose that means I've gotta see this thing through, good or bad. But, we could use a quick win, and I'm never steppin foot in these rat-trap cabins again! I happen to know where there's a real nice, big mansion just sittin, waitin for an intrepid group of adventurers to claim it as their own."

Dwal tries to spring out of the way of the unfolding boat. Once clear and out of danger, Dwal, if he sees the envelope and is allowed to, will speak the word on the parchment, suspecting this to be the command word.

Listening to Peri's little dialog, he says little. However when Peri comes to his description about the dwarves losing their lives he looks at the halfling. 
"So yer sayin' that those lives lost would have happened no matter what?" he asks. "That them dyin' had nothin' ta do with them tranportin' us around so we could make a bit of coin?"

Gerrard:

Nodding as Peri went through the list, Gerrard winces at Dwal’s question, the guilt of the Dwarves’ deaths still weighing heavily on his conscience.  

As the question was not directed at him, though, he remains silent to give Peri a chance to respond.

Dwal speaks the word. It is indeed a command word, but rather than retreating into the box, the boat expands even further, filling every inch of the small room. Deck, rowing seats, oars, anchor, decking, mast and sail are all crammed in a compacted jumble, completely filling the chamber and bulging into the neighboring rooms. Dwal, Boko, and Gerrard are forced clear out the front door. Peri and Kei are trapped in a side room with only a window to escape.

Dwal will try it again but by saying the command word backward.

Peri:

"Don't get tetchy -- I'm not dodgin responsibility. I was sayin the ones that died when the sahuagin attacked the ship, they had nothin to do with us. Just a random attack by the devils. Good reason to want the eel-faced vermin dead, but not really on us. The others, the ones lost when that Iuz follower attacked and sank the Winter, I don't know. He was definitely after that box, at least it seems that way, but how he found us in the middle of the ocean, at exactly that moment? Who knows? Still, those dwarves were repayin a favor to Aubrek, not to us. So if I was portioning out responsibility, I'd say the sahuagin, that Iuz cultist, and Aubrek share the bulk of it. We're already plannin on dealin with the sahuagin; I wouldn't be opposed to looking into the Quartermasters and Aubrek too, once we're free from our obligations."

Gerrard:

Listening carefully to the conversation, Gerrard is startled by the chest’s transformation. Then Dwal speaks a Dwarven word and things get much, much worse.  Violently shoved out of the house, Gerrard exclaims in surprise, “Holy ship, Boatman!”

"Gsièeriapeac!" commands Dwal. Nothing happens.

Dwal will take the time to ritual cast Identify on the boat to figure out how to operate it and its command words.

Gerrard:

Forcibly evicted from the house and seeing Dwal begin a magical ritual, Gerrard says, “Right then, Mistress Boko, let us go and exchange some coin for diamonds to fuel your spell while Brother Fiercehammer figures out how to deboatify our cottage.  Perhaps we could meet the others at the quartermasters of Iuz afterwards?”

“If we have time before the council meeting, perhaps we can all visit this manor house and see what kind of shape it is in—I expect it will need some repair and we will need to hire some security if we want to claim it for ourselves on a permanent basis,” he adds.

Peri:

Peri retreats into the side room with Kei. Just as he's opening the window to climb out, he hears a terrible shriek. "Gsièeriapeac!" "I think that may be Dwarvish for 'help!'" he tells Kei, and vaults through the window. He races around, prepared to pull his friend to safety, but Dwal is just siting on the ground mumbling. "Oh. Everything's okay here? All right, as long as Dwal has this under control I'll tag along to Winston's. Maybe after we can check out the Quartermasters? Rotten, the lot of 'em, but they do have some neat tricks."

Gerrard:

”The more the merrier, Master Fenwader…By the way, Winston is looking to unload a Hat of Disguise, just in case you are interested,” responds Gerrard, already heading that direction.

Peri:

"And deny Saltmarsh's citizens the one beautiful sight they'll see all day? No, this town is gloomy enough without hiding this light under a bushel!" Peri happily joins Gerrard, wondering where Kei got off to.

Kei 

"I would've thought a man of the cloth, like you Fiercebeard, would know that no matter the actions of us folk, lives that are meant to be taken will be taken. Whether we were the cargo or not, there's just as much chance that those dwarves would be lost to the sea. Today, tomorrow, a year from now. It's the way of the gods." His face turns a lighter shade of red "Don't go blaming Peri for speaking the truth. Just because it's dwarves that we're lost makes it no less no more tragic. If there's one thing in this forsaken place that's going to take more than its fair share, it's the ocean." He finishes his rant by stepping back into the antechamber.  Luckily he moves back just as the chest explodes into a half-baked boat. The sudden expansion of the vessel takes him by surprise but not as much as the second coming. 

Jammed in the tiny room with Peri, kei looks to the windows and says "In case this thing turns into a flotilla we'd better get outta here." He offer the half height halfling a step up to get through the window. Once he's through Kei follows and takes a full chested breath when free from the cramped quarters. Doffing his cap, as if to greet someone, he tosses the ugly Cap of Water Breathing to Peri.  "Don't think I'll be needing this anymore" he rubs the back of his neck as the hat soars towards its new owner.

As the others head towards Winston's, Kei makes his way to the Quartermasters, hoping to spend some of his hard earned gold on fancy new magical equipment. Quietly he's glad Peri is headed with the others - that halfling seemed to have a knack of grabbing the good stuff first.

Dwal slowly casts his ritual as Kei and Peri scramble out a back window.

Dwal learns that the box/boat is a folding boat. It has but a single command word (and requires you to use an action to speak it.) Speaking it the first time causes the box to unfold into a boat 10 feet long, 4 feet wide, and 2 feet deep. The boat has one pair of oars, an anchor, a mast, and a lateen sail. The boat can hold up to four Medium creatures comfortably. Speaking it a second time causes the box to unfold into a ship 24 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 6 feet deep. The ship has a deck, rowing seats, five sets of oars, a steering oar, an anchor, a deck cabin, and a mast with a square sail. The ship can hold fifteen Medium creatures comfortably. Speaking it a third time causes the folding boat to fold back into a box, provided that no creatures are aboard. Any objects in the vessel that can't fit inside the box remain outside the box as it folds. Any objects in the vessel that can fit inside the box do so. So according to Dwal's information, speaking the word "ceapaireèisg" – a reference to a hearty snack, albeit a rather acquired taste, from Dwal's childhood – one more time should solve their current predicament.

(I will set up the visits to Winston and the Faithful Quartermasters of Iuz later today, together with Boko's solo journey.)

Satisfied with the discovery, Dwal will say the command word again with the hope the boat will fold neatly back up into its box. 

If successful Dwal will place the box to one side and have a seat.

"Tha halfling's been complainin' and claimin' he wants a ship an' here is a fine ship fer him ta play captain on an' he's run off ta follow along like some cat."  Dwal thinks to himself.  "Leavin' responsibility ta elders." 

DWal will go back into they cabin and secure the small set of books the party had obtained from their first adventure together and any momentos that might have been left behind. 

With that, Dwal secures the box and makes his way to the inn where he will purchase a room for himself, since the cabin is less than ideal for living. 
"This mystery of tha "swarm of bloodsuckers" seems ta have been placed on tha back burner fer tanight's meetin'." again to himself. 

Once he purchases a room he will settle in waiting for the time of the meeting. 

Dwal speaks the magic word a third time, and true to his studies, it retracts back into a tidy box again. The damage to the room is surprisingly minimal - just some overturned furniture, a few small scattered items, and a bottle spilled. The magical boat seems to rise like a yeasty dough, conforming to its container.

Dwal wanders off to the Wicker Goat, where Lankus lets him a room.

Gerrard and Peri head back to Winston's to seek diamonds and interesting goodies.

Kei heads directly to the Faithful Quartermasters of Iuz to see what Captain Xondros has to offer.

And Boko heads to the waterfront to visit her mentor.