Ghosts of Saltmarsh (cbaer8) - Campaign Thread

The peddler beats a nervous and hasty retreat from Kei and Dwal, and vanishes into an alley. Many of the stalls have closed by now. There are still a lot of people milling about for no obvious reasons, and the two burly merchants remain in the area, keeping an eye on everyone.

~*~

"You cannot always determine easily who is controlled by a deep one, and who is not," instructs Los to Gerrard. "Sometimes their mannerisms become odd, mysterious. I'm told the mental hold can occasionally be broken by binding the slave's body, eyes, and mouth, and forcing them overland against their will to a fresh shore many miles away. At least that was a case I heard about many years ago."

"As to the kuo-toa - those slippery saps are savvier than people think. They steal weapons and people and slip away into their dark depths. Some control magic. Be careful with them. And many are innocent and righteous - loyal and free servants of Procan and protected by this temple, despite the prescribed efforts of our esteemed guard."

"Captain Jane would instruct you to proceed with caution. The city and the temple will both need you in the war against the sahuagin. That threat is real, despite this morning's false alarm. This may not be the time to poke a new wasp nest. Unless, of course, we learn that the two threats are coordinated somehow."

Boko offers a simple thanks to Gerrard’s offer, and then says the only lead they have is the door she was instructed to go to.

She asks Los again about buying a healing potion, if there is anything notable about the ones they sell.

She suggests to Gerrard some monitoring of this door she was instructed to go to, which is behind the Hatchet, a mercenary bar in a very bad part of town. It’s a bit of a walk from here, if she can remember correctly. She doesn’t want to follow the odd instructions she’s been given but she doesn’t have any other likely means to find out more about what’s going on. A frontal assault would be likely, though she thinks monitoring the door and the building it’s attached to, while also making sure they don’t get abducted, would be good to start with. She says she’s open to any other option.

"Yes, I can call my assistant to fetch you some medicine," responds Los to Boko. "We don't actually sell these sorts of arcane materials, but for a fifty gold-piece donation to the temple, I am happy to obtain a vial for you. For three hundred, I may find something stronger for you, if you prefer. Shall I call for my assistant to fetch something for you?" 

Gerrard:

"It seems our choice is before us, then, Brother Los.  All I can say is that we will do what seems best--as of course we cannot find out if the Kuo-Toa threat is related to the others without first investigating.  I will confer with my companions and we will decide how far to pursue this matter for now, before we head off to address the other quests to which we have already been committed," answers Gerrard.  He waits for Boko to do her business, and then leaves with the two ladies to meet up with the others standing outside.

Once they are outside and have met up with the others, Gerrard quietly says, "We have a bit more information, though not much.  Let us find a quiet place to speak as a group and determine our next steps."

Los calls for his assistant – a short, sloppy-looking, baby-faced man – who soon fetches an ancient wooden case full of small vials. (Boko may purchase what she wishes - 50gp for a common healing potion; 300 for the uncommon variety. Let me know if she chooses to use her newly-acquired pp.)

Meanwhile, the rest of the party exits into the dark, swirling snow. There must be five or six inches on the ground now. Most of the clothing merchants have closed up their stalls, but quite a few folks continue to hang around in the snow. Kei and Dwal stand under an awning, protecting themselves from the worst of the bitter wind.

Boko does not use the coin given to her by the entity. She uses 50 of her own gold to purchase the normal potion, and thanks Los for his help. She says nothing else as she leaves the temple. 

She says, "well, I have done what I've come here to do. I'll be off now." She looks at the group, looks down at the pouch of old grimy platinum, allows a faint head crook, and then darts off to an alley across the street, or somewhere that isn't well-populated. She looks for an easy way up onto a roof top, even part-way, she's not climbing up on a night like this. She smacks the outside of the purse and says, "hey! that's mine! give it back! i was on my way to meet with someone important! a god!" and throws the pouch up onto the roof. She runs back down the alley.

She comes back to the group. "While we were in there, I started to wonder why the entity, Xolor, whatever it is called, even gave me coin to buy a potion. And why it thought it would know if I disobeyed it. And I thought maybe it had magicked the coins. Maybe it could listen in for a while, or track where it went. I hope I am wrong, and I just lost some platinum. If I am right, it knows I am disobeying it, and also that you are working against it. I am sorry if so."

She lowers her eyes to the snowy ground, thinking, ashamed, disappointed, angry, reflective? It's hard to tell.

Kei 

Watching from under the cover of the shop awning, Kei smiles broadly at the show put on by Boko. He breaks from the shelter and heads over to the rest of the group, speaking over his shoulder to Dwal as he leaves "Come on Fiercebeard, you've spoken to the walls enough today". He walks up on the now pavement watching Boko and says "If you wanted to get rid of that purse I could've organised something a little more believable". He laughs as he pats their new friend on the shoulder.

"So, where to to chat? If we head somewhere a little more open I can whip us up a warm private place if you like."

Gerrard:

Smiling, Gerrard says, “Lead on, Master Kei, I look forward to seeing what you have up your sleeve…and we have much to discuss.”

Dwal follows along, little to say.  
"Talkin' ta more than tha masonry." he mumbles quietly.

After following for a few Dwal will ask Gerrard. "So, did ya learn much from those Procanites?"

Gerrard:

”Not as much as I had hoped, Brother Fiercehammer—though it does seem that multiple issues we have experienced may have a common root.  Let us see what kind of privacy Master Kei can provide for us and we can speak more freely,” he responds.

(Boko may go ahead and add one Potion of Healing to her inventory, if she hasn't already.)

The two burly merchants immediately check the alley and separate, looking for problems. One approaches Boko. "Everything okay?"

(Where to? The largest, nearest open space that won't block traffic is the city square / plaza, which the hotel stands on.)

Kei 

Playing on Boko's charade Kei interjects on her behalf. "Yeah, it's fine. My friend here just had her purse pinched. I'm not sure but I think it was the same kid that was pestering us earlier. He ran off that way" as he points in the opposite direction to where Boko had thrown her tainted money. "There was little in the purse, so if you find it feel free to donate the contents to a worthy cause." In any other town he knew what that implied, but here in Seaton he wasn't sure.

Deception 14

The merchant listens with a slight flash of skepticism toward Kei, but ultimately buys his story. He mutters something to a wiry woman with a large facial scar milling around nearby, and she vanishes down the alley Kei referred to. "We'll find it," he says, simply, then returns to his loitering spot across the cluttered public space.

It's pitch dark, and still snowing hard. Traffic in the main thoroughfare has lightened. A lamplighter makes her rounds, although the oil street lamps barely cut through the swirling snow.

Boko nods, glad that at the resolution, but she keeps an eye on the woman who went to find the purse.

She follows the group to a place that might offer some privacy to plan, as they know the city better.

Kei 

"Gerry, is there anywhere close by that's wide open but out of the way? I can only think of the plaza. It'd suit but it's a fairly populous area. Otherwise we can head back to the hotel and I can create a silent zone, we'd have to write to each other though. Seems weird to me to have send letters to each other, but at least it'll be safe." He doesn't divulge his plan but seeks Gerrard's help.

(Gerrard knows that the plaza is the only big, obvious, nearby one. There are some small, private courtyards of wealthy families that he'd rather avoid. There are some private Feldren riding and practice grounds that he'd really rather avoid. The city guard has grounds just outside the eastern gate that are a possibility, although it'd be a long walk through heavy snow. And the hotel has a small yard behind it for staff to use for laundry, but it's pretty small. How much space does Kei need?)

Gerrard:

"Come with me.  There should be a pretty big open space at the far wharf, and it isn't too far away," volunteers Gerrard.  He is curious as to what Kei has planned, but impatient to take action against the various threats to his city and friends.

Dwal frown a bit.

"Why aren't we goin' back to tha hotel?" he asks. ' Not enough privacy or are we expectin' trouble there?"

Gerrard:

"Master Kei has an idea of a private way for us to communicate, Brother Fiercehammer, and we have much to discuss away from potential mind-reading foes.  We may yet have business to conduct tonight," answers Gerrard obliquely.

"I'm still not entirely sure who these foes are, but if they have eyes and ears on us here, could they not simply follow us to wherever we're headed?" Lilyn chimes in. "If you'd like, I could cast something that would make our location a bit harder to track."

If the party seems agreeable, she'll take hold of her seashell pendant and cast pass without trace on all of them.