Dwal

"You go ahead lad." Dwal says. "I'll catch up in a bit." he tells Kei.

Dwal will help the acolyte with the bodies and help transport them to the church. "Be at ease you that are dead. We only take you to a place where you can find rest and return to the forge." he tells the dead ones as he helps. 

Peri:

He crawls up out of the surf, cold, tired, battered and cold. Lacking the mass of the larger members of the party, his elevated metabolism is all that keeps him from freezing. But all those calories are going to need to be replaced and he finds himself voraciously hungry. He dresses quickly, uncharacteristically quiet, and hurries with Gerrard back to the inn. His pants, though still wet, are no longer dripping, so he sits himself down as near the fire as he can get. He orders a mug of hot tea and whatever bread is handy to start with. The warm drink and fire lull him nearly into a daze by the time Kei returns to the inn. He rouses himself enough to join his group for a bowl of stew and a drink. Feeling much restored (Hit Dice 6 + 7) he looks around to see if the boy who'd fetched his new pants is here, and if so will ask him if he had any luck locating his old pants.

The evening continues to be cold and gusty, with driving, spitting sleet. You are happy to have it at your backs and make your way into the Wicker Goat. It's a slow night – you seem to be the only customers tonight. Lankus has slabs of grey, buttered pork and salted turnips waiting for you, together with hardtack and nuts. And lots of ale.

A tribe of marauding gnolls has been spotted moving into the area, Lankus explains, putting the town on alert. Farbern has called out the militia. The guards have been called in for defensive preparations, and travel in and out of town has been restricted, irritating many of the locals and leaving Lankus without many customers tonight.

You get a good look at the fishing pole in better light - it appears to be neither magical nor does it give any particular advantages to a fisherman. But it is beautifully made and has a thick veneer of fine silver. Clearly a rich person's toy. And worth some gold.

The pants boy is spotted outside - he's never far from the Goat. "Gimme a copper an' I'll go look fer yer pants right now!" is his reply.

Gerrard:

Looking up from his food and drink in alarm, Gerrard says, “A Gnoll incursion?  Where is the militia gathering, Lankus?  I must go and do my part.”  Gerrard hands the pole to Kei and gathers his gear, preparing to head out into the evening to offer his services to Farbern.

Peri:

Peri tosses a copper to the boy. "There's a full silver for ya if you can bring back those pants and tell me where they've been. But stay away from the edge of town; don't want you endin' up in some gnoll's stewpot." He weighs his responsibility in defending against the gnolls. On the one hand, he thinks it's about time the Saltmarsh Guard gets to, well, guarding something. On the other hand, he's not been too impressed by the skill level displayed by the guards he's encountered thus far, and if the gnolls break through into town a lot of innocent folks would be killed. He remembers Red, thinking she was a decent enough person, and the thought of her risking her neck surrounded by a bunch of Butters decides it for him. He reluctantly takes up his spear, looking out into the cold, wintry night, and prepares to follow Gerrard to the muster point. He does at least wrap up a couple of turnips and some hardtack and tuck them in his pocket. He might need to be cold, but he didn't need to be hungry on top of it!

Dwal accompanies the body in the cart with the two acolytes back to the temple, where an appreciative Brinehald greets you with many inquisitive questions about the state of the wreck, and the sailor you found. He has an assistant fetch you dry clothes and a place by the hearth to warm up. 

Gerrard learns that the muster point is the Tower, where Farbern is gathering able-bodied fighters to join his guards. Evidently a family of three was attacked, killed, and eaten by a band of gnolls earlier this afternoon – their home was inside the city walls, quite close to the Wicker Goat. You see Lankus has his spear nearby, and is a little less good-humored than normal. The gnolls are believed to be somewhere west of town, along the shore, outside the city walls. They plan to ring the western wall with guards and volunteers through the night, then send out an attack party at dawn. 

(While everyone is on guard and preparing, there is an air of patience and resolve rather than of emergency and urgency. Lankus implies that they've been here many times before. If anyone needs a hit die, take it as you warm yourself with a roaring hearth and a lot of stringy, greasy pork.)

Gerrard:

"Captain Farbern," says Gerrard as he approaches the leader of the guard, "I volunteer to be part of the attack party at dawn, unless you need me on the wall tonight."  Having recovered somewhat from his aquatic adventure, the young noble stands tall and resolute as he makes his offer.  More quietly, he adds, "I might be able to convince my friends to track down the murderers from the scene of the crime yet tonight if you think that would be better."

Peri:

Peri is amazed at the audacity of the gnolls. He'd assumed it was some travelers attacked on the road. Hearing that the gnolls had breached the town walls he thinks they must have been either recklessly bold or very hungry and desperate. Hearing Gerrard's offer he nods in agreement. "You've got plenty of townsfolk to guard the walls. We'd be more useful in an attack party. I don't like the idea of goin' into the woods in the dark after a group that brazen, but we could maybe try to find where they got over, under, or through the wall. If we find their way in, we could set an ambush."
To Gerrard, "If you decide to go after 'em tonight, you can count me in. But I think we'd be better off gettin' some rest and headin' out before first light."

Kei

While the salvage mission may have made him cold and wet, he had suffered no lasting ill effects. He joins Peri as they follow Gerrard to the Tower. On hearing the details of the assault he directs his question to Peri. "Should we not send for Fiercebeard? I'm pretty sure he'll want to seek revenge for the family." Kei nods in agreement with Peri. "We aren't the standing around types. Put us to use in some sort of advance party."

Farbern looks old and tired as he leans heavily on his wooden peg leg. "Thank ye' for coming. We need you and your comrades alive and rested to take care of that mission we've given you, tomorrow. We've dealt with worse than filthy gnolls." He spits on the ground as an exclamation point. "But if some of your friends have 'the sight'" - he puts two fingers to his eyes and then gestures with them into the dark - "we would welcome any careful reconnaissance." It occurs to you that most of his guards, and most of the town, are human, with only a handful of dwarves and other dark-seeing races. "But DON'T do anything stupid. Gnolls are foul, evil, DANGEROUS fighters." 

Gerrard:

Crestfallen, Gerrard says, "I can move quietly if I change into my travelling armor, but I have no ability to see in the dark. That's why I have a blade that glows softly in the dark."  Gesturing to his elegant fencing rapier Moonblade, Gerrard adds, looking hopefully at Kei, "but perhaps there is some magic that can help?" 

"Gnolls can see as well as dwarves in the dark. And they're vicious fighters. No conscience at all. Demon spawn. But they'll move elsewhere if we put up a strong defense. They prey on the weak, not the wary" says Farbern. "You don't want to be caught in the dark with 'em. Not if you don't have 'the sight'. But if they come within eyeshot of the wall, my bowmen will get 'em." He gestures to a thin handful of his crossbow-wielding uniformed guards, mostly acne-covered teenagers and spindly old men. The rest of his guards are equipped with spears; the townsfolk militia with little more than torches and kitchen knives.

Gerrard:

"Very well captain.  Unless my companions can enchant me with darksight, I will wait until the morning.  Just in case, let me go change armor and I will come back here.  If the gnolls attack the walls tonight, I will be close by and able to help," states the young noble, resigning himself to a cramped night in the Tower.

 Kei

"Seems our human ancestry has let us down this time eh Gerrard?" says Kei to the noble upon hearing the Captain's caution. "You know, I have the magic's to be able to create light, and both Peri and Dwal can see through the darkness....we could give it a try if you truly wanted to." He quietly voices the idea of a four person raid party to Gerrard hoping to avoid the scrutiny of the Captain.

Gerrrard:

”True, and I have my glowing rapier, but the light would give us away to the gnolls,” responds Gerrard, looking out into the evening and trying to judge how much natural light there was from the moon and stars tonight.

It's deeply overcast; the wind still gusty. It's a dark night with little ambient light. In the distance to the west, you can see torches being set up along a perimeter at the edge of town, along the ancient, crumbling wall. The wall itself seems more symbolic than practical, at least from stealthy invaders – even if it wasn't crumbling in places, any of you could scramble over it, with a boost from a companion, in just a matter of seconds. But well-lit, well-watched, and with an effective defense, it could serve a formidable barrier to invasion.

Kei

Out of respect for the young noble Kei resigns himself to a night on the wall. "So be it. I shall stand with you in defence." His words shock even him. A few weeks ago, he would've cut his losses and sailed on the next vessel to leave the harbour. The adventuring with this group of misfits seems to be changing his overall attitude. 

Gerrard:

OOC:  To be clear, Gerrard is volunteering to sleep in the tower near the wall so he can rush to their defense quickly if the Gnollls attack during the night.  If not, he will be rested enough to join the Dawn attack party.

OOC: I agree. We'd make a better "rapid response" team in case of an attack, and we'd be rested for an early foray in the morning. Peri is willing to sleep wherever Farbern thinks is the best reserve area from which to react to a gnoll breach of the walls.

Farbern encourages you to be ready, but to go back to your quarters and get some sleep. He'd rather you be rested and prepared for the Lizardfolk mission tomorrow, than to spend a sleepless night on the wall. But he asks you to be ready at a moment's notice if something happens. 

In fact, there are no bunks at the tower. The Wicker Goat (#3 on the map) and the Mining Company HQ, where Dwal has been staying (#5) is considerably closer to the western wall than the tower (#12). (#4 is Farbern's own home; #2 is the Guard barracks and jail.)