Ghosts of Saltmarsh (cbaer8) - Campaign Thread

Gerrard:

“Perhaps If the rest of us go warm up at the nearby tavern and stay near the door, we can rush in if there is an issue when you are scouting, Mistress Boko,” suggests Gerrard, adding, “I am sure Master Kei can keep us in contact if we need to exchange a quiet Message.”

Dwal just listens, saying nothing.

(So the plan is for everyone to leave the dome on the wharf for the Hatchet, while Boko checks out the door, alone? Tonight, in the snow?)

Kei 

"Give me ten minutes Boko. I'll have some company for you. I assume you intend to go as a common animal to scout?" Kei asks the newcomer. "If you like I can send a friend of mine with you. Cover twice as much ground or at least watch each other's backs."

He steps away from the huddled group and begins his casting. Waiting until Boko tells of his desired form to complete the spell. 

Having been given the direction of this "infamous" door, Dwal heads out, not saying anything to the group. His destination, is the door itself.

Gerrard:

Gerrard wrinkles his nose as Dwal suddenly leaves without notice…

Insight:  3

”Okay, Brother Dwal, get us a good table near the door,” calls the young noble as the dwarf leaves the protective bubble.

Kei 

Before he can even start his spell, Dwal walks out into the snowy night. "Here we go again. And he calls me the impulsive one." He slinks after his stout comrade. "Looks like we're off" he chirps as his own figure disappears into the night. As he leaves the dome disappears, leaving the rest of the group exposed to the sultry weather.

Once Dwal finds the door he will flex a minute then go to the door and bang on it with his axe.
"Need ta get a hammer" he thinks to himself.

"Alright in there let's open up an' see what this is all about." he calls into the building. 

Gerrard:

A bit puzzled that Kei abandoned his plan to summon a scout, Gerrard is shocked by the sudden return of the cold weather when Kei leaves the hemisphere and says to him, “Very well then…See you at the tavern.  Make sure you are in contact with Mistress Boko as she scouts.”

Gerrard shivers a bit and heads off to the Hatchet.  Hopefully the surly dwarf found a decent table.

Boko nods and suggests Kei try a spider or something small that could squeeze through tiny openings. She's got not reason to delay so she departs whenever the group is ready to go, or before. She wouldn't shift until close to the building, likely into  cat, unless she saw something that suggested something more durable. Then she'd try to walk around the building, looking for other openings, anyone or anything keeping watch. Any odd smells, runoff, footprints.

Perception: 23
Investigation: 16

Lilyn follows after Boko, splitting from her once they reach the building and circling around in the opposite direction. Between the falling snow and pitch darkness, she almost seems to fade into the shadows themselves. She checks for doors, windows, and any signs of people being there - lights on inside, footprints, sounds or voices from the building.

Stealth: 29 ((With the Umbral Sight feature, Lilyn becomes functionally invisible while she's in total darkness, even to creatures with darkvision, but I figured I'd roll anyways. If it's been less than an hour since she cast pass without trace, add 10 to the roll))

Perception: 8

Investigation: 16

Kei prepares to begin his ritual but then cancels it, as Dwal storms out into the storm. Kei follows Dwal, instead.

The dome abruptly vanishes into a shockingly cold and unpleasant blast of snow and wind, as Boko's tactical suggestions go unheard. Boko and Lilyn follow Dwal and Kei. As Lilyn's spell is still intact (if quickly nearing the end of its lifespan), Lilyn and Boko are nearly invisible in the snowstorm.

Lilyn, virtually undetectable, circles the block. Boko transforms smoothly into a stray cat, and finds a shadowy nook to pause in. Gerrard, separated in the storm from the others, heads to the Hatchet, expecting to meet Dwal there.

The network of alleys is claustrophobic, confusing, and pitch dark; but at least the snow and wind are considerably lessened in here. The buildings are integrated, organic masses of centuries-old concatenations of brick, stone, wood, and thatch. They are not in neat blocks, either, as Lilyn quickly realizes. Nevertheless, she is able to circle nearly back from the other side just as her spell ends, having seen little but slush, open sewers, and deteriorating walls. There are virtually no tracks except for some small animal trails in the snow.

Kei hangs back near Boko, as Dwal bangs on the door. It's a cellar door, not unlike (nor far from) the one that Kei and Peri eyed earlier in the alleys. It does indeed have a symbol scratched into it - sort of an upside-down crescent with an "x" under it. Everything in the filthy alley is scratched, with no small amount of graffiti as well, so this doesn't exactly stand out unless you were looking for it.

Dwal bangs on the old wooden cellar door with his axe. "Alright in there let's open up an' see what this is all about." 

A small portion of the patchwork door opens to reveal an old woman's face. "What? Who's that? What you want?"

Dwal can see a hugely obese man in the dimly lit chamber behind her, wrapped in many blankets. A colicky baby shrieks and wails from somewhere inside.

"Is that how ya treat an ole friend?" Dwal asks, and casts Charm Person

Old woman DC15 Wisdom saving throw: 4

She squints at Dwal and looks a little confused. "Get in. Get in." She unlatches the formidable bolt on the door and bids him hurriedly to enter. The ceiling is low, the room cramped with broken furniture, rags, and garbage. An infant shrieks on a pile of rags on the floor.

The large man bellows, "Who's this? Who are you?" They are both humans, in their 60s.

Dwal smiles broadly.
"I have looked fer ya fer weeks now." he tells the old woman. "Do ya mind if'n I come in?" he asks. 

She lets him in, and quickly bolts the door behind him. (I will continue Dwal's adventures by DM.)

Kei and Boko-cat look on from a distance, deep in the shadows. The alley is again dark and empty. Lilyn saw some unbarred, shuttered second-story windows on her circumnavigation of the crammed, oblong block, a few with hints of candlelight. This claustrophobic stretch is completely black, at least from this side. The first-floor windows on this part of the block are sealed or boarded up, some with bars.

Gerrard:

Wandering into the Hatchet finally, Gerrard shakes the snow off his cloak before he steps in.  Trying to keep a low profile, he moves to a table near the entrance, looking around for Kei and Dwal but not seeing them.  Gerrard starts to get an uneasy feeling that things are not going quite as planned.

Gerrard is greeted by the usually-congenial tavern host who is currently sporting a black eye and an obviously darkened mood. The table the party nornally sits at is cordoned off with ribbon, as the table itself is completely destroyed, together with other furniture. Clearly a serious commotion took place here. He is instead directed to a different table, which he suddenly realizes is bereft of his friends. 

He overhears a group of guards talking about whatever the incident was - something about a drunken halfling captain who picked a fight with a guard and after a lot of wild gymnastics was subdued and dragged off to prison, where runor has it he was found to be carrying a small fortune in gemstones. 

Boko-Cat DEX check: 5

She misses getting in the door but she will climb right up to the roof, pausing as needed on sills and other small platforms.

Gerrard:

”Well, I suppose I was walking quickly in the cold,” thinks Gerrard, saying, “Three hot mulled ciders, if you would, barkeep, I am expecting company.”

Taking in the carnage and the rumors, Gerrard begins to get an idea of what might have happened to Master Fenwader…

The young noble sits and drinks, nervously waiting for his companions to arrive as planned.