Ghosts of Saltmarsh (cbaer8) - Campaign Thread

Gerrard:

Having stayed out of the way while the healing was attempted, Gerrard responds to the old man, saying, "Yes, a private audience with Brother Los would be very helpful.  Is Captain Jane perhaps back yet?"

Dwal lets the woman sleep, hoping her rest will help her heal.
"Funny thing how healing costs folks and how ya cut off a limb and then charge 'em fer it." he says flatly. "I'll pay her bill ya old sea crow."
Dwal takes a few paces away then turns to Gerrard.
"Ya best handle business here fer I bring down a torrent of flame and lightning an' burn this place down." 
With that he rummages through his sack and removes 50 gold, placing it on the old woman's cot then he walks out. 
Dwal will stop outside the temple and look up at whatever icon they have out to symbolize Procan. He will look at it for a moment then say to it:
"I know tha gods watch and can hear when they wish ta or when they can. An' I know yer all about tha sea and what not but these folks have made their home here ta take part of yer bounty an' if ya don't mind hearin' an' old dwarf say this, ya sure need ta find someone ta brin' more hope ta these folk than those in there cuttin' off folk's limbs an' chargin' fer it." 
Dwal moves a few feet away but keeps a close eye on the door, to see when the party comes out. 
He will also be on the lookout for someone to talk to and maybe get more information about this plague. 

He will also say a short prayer to the dwarven gods and the gods of magic. Just to keep him in good graces.

Boko lets out a breath, disappointed at the failure of the spell. She rests a hand on the woman's forehead and mutters again in druidic.

She turns back, listening to the exchange about Los, still not knowing who that is. But she nods when asked about buying a potion. Her brow furrows as Dwal leaves, but nods again as he turns to go.

Kei 

Dwal's exchange with Gerrard reaches the bards ears. Experience tells him that their holy man is in a huff about something and probably needs a bit of space to set things straight in a way only Dwal understands. He is not surprised when the dwarf storms out. Kei steps over to Boko's side. "Nevermind him. He has a black and white view of our very grey world. He'll go and rant to someone outside and then be right as rain, trust me." 

The talk of magical potions piques his interest, knowing that Los can provide magical items he offers to join in the meeting.

"Captain Jane is still away," replies the old man. As Dwal steps outside to speak to the masonry, the old man leads the rest of you through a cold, dark corridor, and into Los' parlor.

Los' room is ancient, but well kept; full of maritime artifacts and religious trappings connected to Procan and his followers. A large pool of still water sits at the center of the room, and heavy, stone chairs are positioned around it. The tang of saltwater is in the air. 

Los, a smartly dressed middle-aged man, is present. He straightens up with a prim smile upon seeing Gerrard again. "Welcome back, Master Feldren."

Meanwhile, Dwal eyes the confusing exterior, filled with tailor shops, merchants, and shoppers. The two burly men reappear. "I hope that was helpful," one says to Dwal; they prepare to escort him to whatever nearby destination he indicated.

Gerrard:

”Greetings, Brother Los.  I am afraid the afternoon has revealed some troubling news.  Is there a place we can speak in private with my new companions so they may tell you of the threat to your waters?” asks Gerrard quietly, indicating Boko and Lilyn.

When they have been shown to an appropriate place, Gerrard says, “Brother Los, there are dark forces poisoning the rivers and streams feeding the sea, leaving a flotilla of severed feet.  These forces are willing to kidnap and coerce to spy on you, and may be connected to allies of the sea devils as well as the cultists on Abbey island.  Would you be willing to share with us what you know? My companions can share their stories as well, and perhaps we can eliminate this threat together.”

"I'll be waitin' here for a bit." Dwal tells them. 

Kei 

Well this is going to be a lot less exciting than I thought. He mulls over his decision to follow Gerrard. He shuffles over to the nobles shoulder. "I'm going to keep Dwal out of trouble" he whispers. Leaving Gerrard and his charges to flap gums with the priest, Kei exits the same way as Dwal. When nearly out of earshot he pipes up "Hey Fiercebeard, where'd you get to? Talking to yourself again I bet." His voice trails off as he exits the building.

Los clears the room of a stray attendant and bids the party sit on the extremely uncomfortable stone chairs. He listens attentively. Then he begins to talk.

"Captain Jane is working with the naval forces of Seaton in preparing for the upcoming battle with the Sahuagin. As you know, it requires a formidable common enemy to bring the Temple of Procan and the Feldrens together. It is fortuitous that you have come here. The threat of the Sahuagin is real. I have heard from my contacts in Saltmarsh that you and your party have been approached to provide reconnaissance prior to the battle? Is that correct?"

"But the sahuagin are not the only threats in the bountiful sea to life ashore. There are old threats, ancient things older than Procan himself, as old as the stones, who still lurk deep under our feet. And there are humans among us - puppets and mind slaves - who act on their behalf or clown around for their favor. Those cultists on Abbey Isle are such folk - ignorant fools who toy with forces far beyond their means to contain."

"The poisons are nothing new - land creatures have fouled the waters for a time immemorial. The creeping death at the bottom of the bay is relatively new - it was only a few years ago that Seaton folks were digging clams in these waters."

Meanwhile, Kei and Dwal stand outside in the dark, swirling snow, watched carefully by the pair of burly merchants. They watch a pair of bald old men haggle for underwear, and a bucktoothed woman expertly sewing warm-looking caps. Some of the merchants are beginning to close their stands for the night.

A heavyset teenaged boy with a scruffy beard approaches the duo. He pulls out a cage full of lethargic yellow snakes. "Snakes? Snakes?" he whispers. "Ten gold apiece. Milk their venom or loose one in your enemy's bedsheets when they are away!"

Dwal watches Kei as he comes out. 
"ya, talkin' to myself out here." he mumbles.
As the boy approaches Dwal keeps his distance. "Off ya go lad." he says as he waves the boy away.

"What of... kuo-toa? Have you seen sign of them nearby?" Boko says after Los helpfully explains more of the situation. "Are they involved? And if you could tell me any more of the ancient lurking things... well I would like to know what you can share."

"The kuo-toa are simple creatures, full of misguided religious fervor and blind obedience to the undeserving," continues Los. "Some are loyal servants of Procan, others follow opportunists and wooden figureheads. Still others follow the deep ones, the ancient ones whom time forgot. The kuo-toa were never meant to endure the oppressive mental forces they have been subjected to. But they are cruel. A few still lurk in the sewers that drain into the bay. They don't show their faces in the city; the guard will kill them on sight, even when undeserved."

"As to the old ones - they lair in the rocky depths of the ocean and seldom surface. They enslave the weak-minded, and are probably immortal. They are no friends of Procan. They foul waters and pollute minds. They are a blemish on our waters that must be washed away if only we had the means."

"The evil clerics of Abbey Isle are undoubtedly in their employ. Perhaps the sahuagin as well."

Undeterred, the scruffy-faced boy puts away his cage of snakes and pulls a bottle halfway out of his coat, enough to show Dwal and Kei its unusual manufacture. "What if I told you this potion will make you invulnerable to all mortal damage?" he whispers. "A sword will simply bounce off of you. Fire cannot seriously burn you. Very rare. From the forest. Five hundred gold." He looks around nervously.

The pair of burly minders continue to keep an eye on the two of you, while the merchants begin to pack up their stalls for the night in the deepening snow.

Gerrard:

”Perhaps we can help somewhat, Brother Los, though ancient immortal evil may be beyond our capability, breaking its grip locally may be possible, at least enough to spare the feet of the locals,” says Gerrard.  

Gently to Boko, he adds, “Please, tell Brother Los of your experience with the Kuo-Toa, that he may be warned of their surveillance.  If we can strike a blow against the shadowy evil manipulators here in Seaton and at Abbey Isle, we may lessen the larger Sahuagin threat as well.”

Boko takes in a quick breath, and lets it out with her eyes closed. "I got pulled into something. Just a few hours ago. The Kuo-Toa, and whatever master they serve, well... they are interested in your temple. Is there a way for you to tell if someone, or something, is watching, or listening? My life is at risk here. I have likely already said too much."

"The old ones can enslave others with their minds alone," responds Los to Boko. "It can speak and listen with its mind. It can read your desires. How much they can read, and how far... nobody really knows. You have clearly not been enslaved, although sometimes they recruit in other ways. Some old ones maintain kuo-toa as their slaves and worshipers - that much is known. And it's sharply evident that the old ones would destroy all of Procan's Fleet."

"As fer myself," Dwal states. "I want non of yer wares boy, so Off with ya." 
Dwal maintains his distance from the youth but will take a pinch of sand from his pouch.

Gerrard:

”If we are to brave the sewers below and break the hold that the ancient ones have through the enslavement of the Kuo-Toa, we have an issue.  How can we tell the difference between the ones who follow Procan and the ones devoted to the ancient evil ones?  Even those who are enslaved in thought might be rescued, though they might also be too far gone,” puzzles Gerrard.

”I have been called idealistic and naive, and not without cause, but I would rather make allies of those Kuo-Toa who might be freed than slaughter them indiscriminately.  There is also the issue of pursuing them into the depths—something I am not at present equipped to do without the aid of magic,” he adds.

Considering for a moment, Gerrard says,, “Boko, you are the one directly threatened by these creatures.  For your sake, and for the people of Seaton, I will commit to aiding you against them.  Lilyn, you have shown initiative to help as well, risking the ignorance of the populace to warn us of this threat.  What do you two propose we do next?  A direct assault on their lair, or something else?”

Kei 

This hawker was starting to get on his nerves. While facing away from the street urchin he quietly turns his eyes into flickering flames. When he turns around to face the lad he lays a hand on his shoulder and says quietly "I was told I could work this area of town unimpeded. You dare go against the Boss? Perhaps you should move on."

Deception 30