A village council of six respected merchants guides general policy for Uskarn, Gerrard learns. Plenk, a beer maker and proprietor of the Fog and Frog tavern, is one of the six. But this impoverished stretch of coast has a mixed reputation in Seaton. Smuggling is rampant and piracy is not unknown here.

Gerrard:

As he orders drinks and food as well as lodging for the night for them all, Gerrard says to Plenk quietly but with the certainty that comes from his 'noble' tone of voice, "I am Gerrard Feldren, and I bring dire news.  Please assembly the six at your earliest convenience that we might discuss the plot against Uskarn and the rest of Keoland."

Peri:

Peri hops up on a barstool near the locals and orders a round for himself and them. "I hear it's good brew; be a shame to drink it alone!" He sucks down half the tankard, wipes his mouth, and says, "They weren't lyin'! That is good stuff! Any of you fellas ever get down to Saltmarsh way? Got an inn there called the Wicker Goat. Guy named Lankus runs the place, and this just might be as good as his ale!" In his experience discussing the relative merits of local beers is a good way to start a conversation, as long as you weren't too critical of the house's own.

Qivys follows along, still quiet.
He'll enter the tavern and find a seat and a good ale to drink. 
He keeps his distance from Gerrard. "He's probably throwin' his royal weight around ta get people ta jump to." he thinks and shakes his head. "Don't he think that any plans ta attack a coast will have scouts an' spies about as well as those colludin' with 'em?"
Qivys shakes his head and takes a drink. 
"Boy's just too green." 
Qivys keeps to himself and watches those around him, the party, and anyone who comes in. 

Boko allows Gerrard to handle the politics and Peri to handle the charm. She finds someone who seems like they belong there and who likes the tell stories. She sits down next to them, offers to buy a drink, and asks some innocuous questions that will encourage them to tell her just what the heck has been going on for the last 6 months….

Thwack 

Thwack takes his leave of the boat as it pulls along the pier. On solid ground again, he can't seem to keep his feet as the group is led to the tavern. Out of respect for Gerrard and the group, he refuses to enter the bar in his current state. "Thwack no come" he heaves again, into the small bushes near the entrance to the tavern. "Me sit here for bit". He flops in a heap, just missing his own bodily fluids.

Plenk looks Gerrard over. (DC15 INT check to recognize Gerrard's name: 7) The captain nods silently to Plenk, giving a half-shrug, as if to confirm that Gerrard's request holds some validity.

"Well, Vortanim is away. Golpin's sick but might be able to come out. The others I can probably fetch. But gimme the run-down first. What's the big news?"

The locals look at Peri with amusement. They clearly have no idea where Saltmarsh is, but they're willing to listen. It seems halflings are not common here. Qivys watches.

Boko strikes up a conversation with a local fisher. She learns little other than local gossip and weather. A corpse was found on the beach this morning, she learns; an older human male, missing his left ear, who washed up in the storm. A fishing schooner went missing in the gale as well – the locals are still hoping it'll make it back to port before nightfall.

Thwack waits outside, slowly recovering from their rough journey. 

Gerrard:

Looking around to see who might have reacted to his statement, Gerrard says, "Perhaps we could speak in private, with the good captain and my priestly friend here.  I would rather have fewer ears listening in before I get into details, and we can each tell you our understanding of the issue."

Insight for eavesdroppers/suspicious reactions:  14

Qivys, seeing that Thwack is not with the group will step outside and find the kobold. 
Once he finds him:
"Just hold still a minute lad." he tells the sick kobold. "This will get you right as rain in just a second."
Qivys will "Lay on Hands" , expending 5 h.p.of the ability. This should make the kobold feel better by neutralizing the "poison' effect. 
Once done Qivys wil say:
"Let's go back inside an' watch what's going on." 

Thwack 

It was clear to Thwack now....he was not built for sea faring life. He hadn't felt this I'll since he ate the rancid stew that Chuck, a member of his old clan, had made a few years ago. 

The approach of Qivys brightens Thwacks demeanour a little. As soon as the dwarves surprisingly smooth hands leave his arm he feels much better. "Magic's?" he says in awe. "Thank you Kiver." He follows Qivys into the tavern. "What we looking for?"

"Just act natural an' blend in." Qivys half whispers to the kobold.
Qivys will make his way back to the chair he had occupied or one in close proximity of it. 

Peri:

Peri notes Thwack entering the tavern with Qivys. Not trusting that the hospitality of these parochial taverngoers, unaware of the existence of a town within a couple days' sail up the coast, would extend to a kobold, Peri waves enthusiastically. "Hey! Thwack! You're looking better. Thank the dwarven gods for Qivys's tender, soft hands, eh?"

Plenk mutters some instructions to one of his employees, and then waves you into a back room. The captain stands to join him, nodding for you to follow. Gerrard sees nobody acting particularly suspicious among the semi-intoxicated crowd of regulars.

"The Council will be along in a bit. At least some of them," mutters Plenk. "I sent for 'em." Once he's in his back room - a cramped, dirty room that seems to serve as both a private office and a small meeting room - he turns to Gerrard and adds, "Okay, what's the big secret?" 

"Well, they killed Rasp," begins the Captain, "and skinned it. I can attest to that much."

Gerrard:

”Firewatch island was overrun by undead who carry a contagious disease.  The inhabitants were slaughtered or infected, save a handful including Janore here, who has special insight into the attack,” says Gerrard.

”We were able to protect the survivors overnight during the storm, though several waves of undead attacked.  This morning we headed directly here to warn you, thanks to the good captain,” he adds, yielding the floor to the priest.

Gerrard:

At the alarmed look he receives while speaking, Gerrard adds, “Don’t worry—we were able to cure the infection from those of us who survived before we came here.”

"Warn us? Are they coming here next? What is animating them?" asks Plenk, alarmed. He sits on his desk and begins to chew seeds he shakes out of a metal bowl, staring at Gerrard.

"Procan saved us," interjects Janore. "He sent me visions. In our darkest hour, Procan, in all his enigmatic wisdom, chose to smile upon us. Visions of a sanctuary in the cellar. Visions of the subsequent waves of death. And visions that helped us learn their foul plans. We give thanks to Procan, for it is he who guided us safely through the chaos, delivering us from the clutches of those vengeful undead souls. His favor is fickle, his moods ever-shifting, but in this moment, we revel in his benevolence."

With a fervent look in her eyes, the cleric continues, "The sea is a realm of both danger and wonder, and it is Procan who watches over it all. We must honor him, for he asks for but small tokens of our gratitude, cast into the waves. In return, he will continue to shield us from the wrath of the sea and its restless spirits. Let us pray." 

She collapses to the floor in prayer. Plenk quietly clasps his hands upon his chest in response, spitting a seed onto the dirty floor of his office.

A female elf wearing a fine, fur-trimmed leather jacket walks in without knocking. "Plenk, what's going on?" she asks in a deep, raspy voice. Turning to the party, she introduces herself. "Valissia Arrowen, Uskarn Council. Who are you?"

Gerrard:

Bowing with simple but courtly grace, Gerrard says quietly, “I am Gerrard Feldren, Lady Arrowen.  My friends and I bring a warning, though for now we seek the favor of the sea god.”

Thwack 

Following Qivys into the bar, Thwack does his best to heed the dwarves words. He slowly moves between the tables towards Peri. When Peri calls his name though he gets a little overzealous with his reply. "Givers hands so smooth. He look rough, but me think he big softie" he shouts back a little too loudly. Once next to Peri he whispers "What we do here? Is too much people". His eyes dart from one side to the other as he tries to take in everything around him.

A couple more council members drift in and join the meeting:  a bright-spirited cheese shop owner who introduces herself as "Bellis" and an old blacksmith named Mirria Delvane. It appears they are the only other councilmembers coming out tonight.

They all seem to accept and respect Janore's religious prostrations, and you suspect they are all followers of Procan, even if they do not demonstrate it to the degree Janore does. The Captain tells the tale of the things in the waters of the cove, of Hektor's tantrum, the harpies, of the noble she pulled out of the ocean, and of the other oddballs she picked up.

(How much of your tales are you sharing? Anything you leave out? Is there anything you want to urge them to do, or to ask of them?)

Peri:

Peri asks for a pint of small beer for Thwack -- no need to test how the kobold handles his alcohol in this new town. "Gerrard is a kind of a chief, so he has to meet with the other bigwigs in this place to let 'em know what we found on the island. Then, hopefully, we leave this place. The place we're going has about the same number of people though, so you're gonna have to get used to bein' around groups if you're gonna stick with us. We probably aren't comin' back this way though, so this is a good place to practice. Here, sit up here next to me, sip your beer, and just act like you're supposed to be here, like nothin's unusual in the slightest. People see a group sittin' and talkin' calmly, they just assume things must be okay."