Ghosts of Saltmarsh (cbaer8) - Campaign Thread

Gerrard, Kei, and Peri leave the temple and trudge over well-trampled, slippery snow to the Hatchet. The Hatchet - the first tavern you patronized upon coming to Seaton - is serving a brisk lunch crowd. A couple of dwarves, but mostly humans, some in guard uniform. Gerrard is again recognized and given preferential seating by the host.

A full spread of meats, ale, and candied turnips appear. More customers sneak glances at Gerrard.

Just as you tuck in, a sweaty boy in a frilly uniform rushes in and taps Gerrard on the shoulder. "Mr. Daal! Mr. Daal!" he chirps, his voice breaking in adolescence. He pauses and straightens up, clearly nervous. "Mr. Daal requests that your immediate return is needed at the hotel."

Gerrard:

Grabbing a bit of the more portable food, Gerrard indicates the others should do the same.  He pays for the food and tells the boy, “Pray eat your fill and distribute the remainder as you see fit.  When a man’s friends are in need, he must quickly respond.”  

With that, the young noble hurries out the door and eats as he walks back to the hotel.

Unless Kei and Peri have other business, I'll presume they follow Gerrard back to the hotel. (The frilly teenager stands awkwardly and nibbles on a candied turnip as he watches you depart.)

You are greeted warmly by the hotel doormen, and offered the usual barrage of treats and services as you make your way upstairs to the suite.

Entering your rooms, you find Dwal seated with a book. Looking around, you soon spot Vertheg, standing awkwardly in the doorway to an adjoining room. He gives a wince of a smile and nods slightly in a nervous greeting. 

Gerrard:

Taking the last bite of meat off the hastily grabbed turkey leg, Gerrard tosses the bone In the trash with a muffled thump and looks at Dwal, then at Vetheg, saying, “Well, this can’t be good…”

"No, no. All good!" mumbles Vertheg. He fishes around in his heavy cloak for a moment, looking for something.

Dwal watches Gerrard enter and then looks to Vertheg, then back.

"He's come with yer pay," Dwal tells Gerrard, closing his book but still holding onto it.

"We was just havin' a little chat while we waited fer ya ta come back." Dwal looks at Vertheg when he says that not attempting to hide his ire towards the vague half-orc. "An it seems he thinks it might be best fer us ta go back ta Saltmarsh, until Aubreck sorts out his business dealins." 

Gerrard:

”Ah, ahem…that was faster than expected…Still, if we have our payment, perhaps we should settle up and head back to sea…We have some promises to keep, do we not?”  responds Gerrard.

OOC:  Abbey Isle and rescuing the old man first, then on to Saltmarsh?  Unless we have further business in Seaton.

Kei 

The sight of Vertheg snaps his mind back to the sight of the gnawed body dragged, unceremoniously, through the seedy laneways of town. "Tell me, how goes business? Seems like a place that could chew you up and spit you out without a second thought. Real cut throat." He watches Vertheg to see if his less than subtle language sparks some interest.

Insight 11

((Abbey isle would be a logical side quest since we'll be on the water. There is the chomped corpse here in town if we wanted to see that through before leaving. That is, if we don't take Aubrek's advice))

Vertheg fumbles around and eventually produces two small wooden boxes from his overcoat - simple, ordinary oaken containers, each with a small latch. He opens one, and carefully unwraps the cloth inside. He shows you the contents - perhaps a dozen and a half precious stones in black, pink, and white. He wraps them up again, closes the box, and hands one to Peri, and the other to Kei. "Pay" he says.

To Gerrard, he unceremoniously hands a sack of coins and an envelope.

He clears his throat, and eyes the exit.

Gerrard:

”Why are you so nervous, and what has caused Master Aubrek to accelerate his timetable?” asks Gerrard as he casually opens the envelope to read the contents.

Insight:  19

Dwal nonchalantly moves to a corner of the room and turns so his back is to the corner and he can watch the party and the half-orc.

"If'n yer nervous," he says "that don't set right with me. Ya been takin' about mysterious enemies an' not given too many details so I want ya to give us a name of Aubreck's enemies and who we need ta look out fer. Or is it Aubreck is lookin' ta regain his funds he gave us?" Dwal puts his hand on his battleaxe. 

Gerrard peeks in the envelope and finds a well-executed ink certificate attesting to a 1,250 gold piece investment in the trading company of merchant prince Aubreck Drallion. 

Vertheg shifts his weight from foot to foot. "Nervous times. The attack on th' ship was unsettling. Until we sort that out, Mr. Aubreck is acting with utmost care. An' speed."

Eyeing Dwal's axe warily, the old butler holds up his hand. "The pay is yours. And you've earned Mr. Aubreck's protection as well, but that can only go so far. But these are delicate times, and it may be best for you all to lay low for a little while. Go back t' Saltmarsh and enjoy your well-earned pay. We'll join you there in a week or so. We may have more jobs for you. But Mr. Aubreck has a lot on his plate right now."

(Back on topic, @cbaer8 what do I add to Kei's inventory for his "Pay"?)

Kei peaks into his box. It contains three black pearls, five pink pearls, and ten moonstones. He reckons their combined value to be about 2500 gold, depending on where he unloads them. The black pearls alone are worth 500 gold apiece back in the Styes, he knows.

Kei 

"Well that's good enough for me. As much as I'm growing used to this opulence, I think laying low sounds good. We could even rescue that old hermit on the way back to the 'marsh. I'm sure there's even more, ah...."he fumbles with his new box of jewels "personal satisfaction to be had setting him free". The thinly veiled attempt at hiding his desire for treasure does not fool his companions. 

"Perhaps a meal and some drink so we can discuss our next move." He attempts to break the tension in the room. "Maybe without outside influences, sorry Vertheg, but we need to discuss this amongst ourselves."

Gerrard:

”Indeed,” agrees Gerrard.  “I certainly have some loose ends to tie up before setting sail. For now, let us return together to the Hatchet for our delayed luncheon, shall we?”

Once the half-orc leaves Dwal will clear his throat and say. 

"Yea may want ta postpone any trips once ya hear what I have found out." he tells the group. "I spoke with some of the folks that yer kin look down on and they tell me that these deaths an' the person chewing on a body is all part of whats been goin' on for about a year now." 

Dwal pauses for a moment so the words will sink in then will say:
"I've been told some wererats have moved inta tha sewers and around about and been huntin' and killin' folks."

Vertheg happily takes the hint, and bids the party goodbye. "Come see us in Saltmarsh in a few weeks, when your other business is complete. We may have work for you. But this concludes our business for now." He gives a wince of a smile and exits quietly.

Gerrard:

Quietly, the young noble responds to Dwal once Vertheg has left, “Everyone in Seaton, from the Duke to the lowliest beggar, deserves protection against such depredations.  We’ve got work to do.”

Gerrard starts changing into his least fancy clothes—the most appropriate for sewer work

(Ideals:      Respect. Respect is due to me because of my position, but all people regardless of station deserve to be treated with dignity. (Good))

"Now hold on there yer lordship," Dwal tells the young noble. "One, this is the word of someone that might or might not be too honest. An' two, we got a missin' halfling. Both need investigatin' 'fore we go off an' storm tha' gates as it were."

Dwal thinks for a moment.
"Lad, do ya have anyone ya can talk to ta get some more information about what's been going on? One of the guards maybe?" he asks.
"Now what I was told was last summer there was a girl that was found dead and tha body had been gnawed on. The woman that told me said they have ta be careful in the low town at night, especially when the moon is full. She also said it was tha "ratmen" that was responsible fer tha girl's death. Since yer a noble's son, an' if yer set on figurin' this out, I think official folks would be able to confirm if this was happenin' an' tell ya any suspicions they might have."