Qivys will sit with Peri and Thwack.

Gerrard:

Glossing over how he ended up stranded in the middle of the ocean, Gerrard spares no detail from the time he is rescued by the captain until they emerged victorious after fending off waves of undead.  He speaks of the threats posed by the pirates, the undead and their contagion, and the sunken ship they believe is the source of the undead.  He speaks plainly and answers questions as they arise, though he does not commit the party to any particular course of action, emphasizing they wanted to bring the news of the threat to the town before anything made it to the mainland.

The council accepts Gerrard's story, and has requests:

• They ask you to bring this information directly to the councillors of the Styes - the large coastal city just up the coast. They will undoubtedly have the means and forces to counter this threat – certainly moreso than Uskarn – or at least be forewarned. Your prompt firsthand account would be persuasive, and may save the lives of many in that city, as well as the whole region.

• They are quite impressed by the slaying of Rasp, who has long been a deadly threat in this region. Perhaps before or after you visit the Styes, you could nip this problem in the bud by directly assaulting the Tammeraut wreck. In recent days, the residents of Uskarn have been fearing and preparing for an invasion such as what happened on Firewatch a decade ago, and indeed again yesterday. They have retrofitted two more fishing vessels into armed makeshift little warships which are prepared to accompany you on such a mission, with or without the Styes' help, although diving is not something the Uskarn folks have any means or experience to do. Their forces would have to remain on the surface, ready to attack anything that appeared. Perhaps the Styes has better such resources, but they worry that time could be running out.

Gerrard:

Accepting what have been said, Gerrard considers if the Styes is on the way to Saltmarsh or not.  Also, as much as he would be inclined to the heroic task of defeating the undead evil of the Tammeraut, he knows others in his group who have other business in mind and would take some convincing otherwise.

”The others in my company are indeed capable, but we also have other commitments which are quite overdue.  Please, give us a few moments to discuss together how we would be able to help in this matter,” says Gerrard.

Speaking with the party in private, Gerrard says, “I would be happy to rest here, then set out to purge the evil of the shipwreck tomorrow, but I understand the desire to get home and see what is left of our lives at Saltmarsh as well.  What is your preferred course of action?” 

Thwack 

Thwack follows Peri's instructions and jumps up onto a stool that us way to tall for the tiny reptilian. He looks around to see if anyone is staring, and in response to any glaring, he raises his tankard and says "I'm s'posed to be here!" followed by a toothy grin. When he sips the beer it takes but a second on his tongue before he spits out the bitter liquid with a hiss. "Ewww. What drink is this?" 

Peri:

Peri laughs at Thwack's first taste of beer. "It's not for everybody, I guess. Maybe we'll stick with water for you."

When Gerard expresses interest in playing the hero again Peri shakes his head. "You can check out that wreck when you like, and gods' speed to you. Me, I'm leavin' for Saltmarsh just as soon as I can. If The Styes are on the way we can stop off for an hour or two to deliver a message, but that's as much as I'm doin'. If they're not on the way these people can deliver a message just as well as anyone else. They've got Janore to tell 'em about the dead things, so not much reason for me to be here. No, I'm goin' to Saltmarsh, and from there... Well, if the sahuagin mess is all cleared up, it might be time I made my way back home."

Qivys listens and nods his head.
"I'm with tha halfling on this," he says. "Unless ya got some overall plan fer playin'  hero fer folks ya don't know or yer tryin' ta establish yer own little barony in these parts, I'm fer headin' back ta Saltmarsh."
Qivys pauses then says.
'If'n we know which way that is fer that matter. If'n these folks don't know Saltmarsh then gettin' directions home might be a problem." 

Boko considers the geography she knows and where the Styes are in relation to Saltmarsh. She looks up from idly inspecting some feathers on Rasp’s hide and asks the party, “what is another day away from Saltmarsh, if we have already been away perhaps 180? Has anyone asked what the date actually is yet? Me, I would just as easily take out the undersea wreck on our way back and have a take to tell about what we did in the Styes, rather than leave more unfinished business behind me. There also might be treasure in that wreck….”

Gerrard:

"I have designs on helping all the people of Keoland if I can.  My time in Seaton has shown me the nobles take care of their own and not necessarily even the common folk in their own city, much less in other areas," answers Gerrard to Qivys' question.

 "I am a man of direct action, though I am trying to learn how to plan and prepare, taking advice from you all as we try to keep each other alive.  I would be in favor of assaulting the shipwreck and nipping this problem at the source before it can spread.  I have visions of those blue-boiled undead spreading and infecting those they kill rapidly--a plague that could quickly spread and affect us all," says Gerrard more generally to all his companions.

"But I must be honest with you, my friends.  My true hope, tenuous though it may be, is that after we slaughter the undead below the waves we might find the portal that can take us back to our time, to that fateful night at the vampire's castle, and we can pick up our lives where we left off.  I know it doesn't make much sense, but my heart longs for it to be so, and I find myself having a hard time letting go of that possibility, however far-fetched it may be," he adds wistfully, knowing this admission will reflect poorly on him as emotional and irrational, but trusting his friends with his deepest hopes to return and save his beloved from the Sahuagain menace.

Peri:

Peri would normally take this opportunity to tease Gerrard about delusions of grandeur, but this conference has a great weight of Consequence hanging over it. A sad, wistful smile seems to add years to his face. "A few weeks ago I'd have said you were playin' at bein' a storybook hero. Hells, a few weeks ago I'd've been right. But I think you've got your head on straighter than most now. Hard to believe we've changed so much in what? Less than two months. Yondalla's Blessed Children if it doesn't feel like years."

"You gotta do what you think is right. You're gonna make a good Count or Duke or whatever. But I don't think this is my fight. To be honest, the thought of goin' down in that cold, dark, uncaring sea sends a shiver through my guts that a dozen shots of rum won't thaw. And that's before addin' in the undead things and a portal to the Abyss. OH! And don't go jumpin' into any portals thinkin' you're gonna get your days back! Those things can go anywhere, and just about guaranteed to be worse than you are now!"

"All of that's been me puttin' off sayin' what I mean to say, cuz I don't want to. I'm goin' back to Saltmarsh. I'm gonna see what the situation is there, whether there's anything that needs wrappin' up. Maybe settlin' up on the Soul of Winter account, if I can figure out who to send the bill to. But after that... I don't know. I got some thinkin' to do. Been a long time since I've seen home; the scrapes we've been through lately make me think maybe I oughtta set some things to rights there too, before I disappear down some dark dungeon. I don't know. But I'll at least wait til you all get back from this Tammeraut thing before I go, if you're dead-set on goin' that is."

Qivys sips out his ale.
"Why in tha 9 hells do ya want ta go back ta that time." he blurts out. "I an' Boko were set upon by that fiend while you and hairy toes were dancing in his infernal ballroom. I cut that damn thing's head off and put it on a pike and won't be going back ta re-live any such thing, even if it were possible." 
Qivys pauses then states:
"Stop looking back. It ain't tha direction yer going." 

Thwack 

The tall folks talk has his head bouncing side to side. Peri, whom he thought would always search out adventure, was talking of going home. Gerrard is speaking of going back in time and Boko of treasures. Thwacks tiny brain has no idea what's going on. "Is we not group anymore? " he says sadly. "Because Thwack not kill bad guy on roof?" He slumps down on his stool and absent-mindedly takes another swig of his bitter tasting beer. Clearly lost in the moment, it doesn't evoke the same response as earlier.

(The Styes is a large port city an hour or two north of Uskarn. Saltmarsh is at least a day or two sail to the south and west, passing first around Seaton. The wreck is a few hours east of Uskarn, offshore.)

The council meeting breaks up. The three local armed vessels are prepared to transport, accompany, and protect you – and will take you to the wreck, the Styes, or both. If and when you plan to go to Saltmarsh, however, you are on your own.

Night has fallen.

Gerrard:

”And you succeeded, Master Qivys, saving us and the Saltmarsh children as well.  I would like to go back and escort Lankus and the children home to Saltmarsh, then join the assault on the Sahuagin to give Queen Othokent and her people back their home as I promised,” replies Gerrard.

”Still, it is a long shot—I don’t know if anyone else saw the portal once we first came through deep underwater, but I was unable to find it,” he adds.

”So, what next, then?  Go to the wreck and see what we can do to solve the problem early, go to the Styes and warn them, or leave the problem in the hands of others and head back to Saltmarsh?” asks Gerrard.

”My suggestion is that we take advantage of the armed escort to go to the site of the wreck, and those who wish to can dive down and see what may be found—so far Mistress Alcor, that is you and me.  Then, we decide what to do from there based on what we find—sail north to the Styes, or head south to Saltmarsh, or split up and each person choose what seems best to them,” suggests Gerrard.

Qivys shakes his head.
"If Boko is goin' with ya, I ain't gonna leave ya do it on yer own," Qivys says. "But not without a proper rest, some plannin', an' proper supplies." 

Thwack 

Nodding along with all of Gerrard's points and then shaking his head in unison with Qivys, Thwack seems thoroughly confused. Before he can speak though, a clear mug of water appears between himself and Peri. Swirling within the water an inky portrait of a familiar face appears. Thwacks attention is immediately drawn to the mug. "Psst. Look. Magics" he whispers to Peri. As he looks again the image slowly twists and swirls into letters - S. T. Y. E. S. The mug then disappears as suddenly as it appeared. Elbowing Peri in the ribs he asks "Did you see that?"

(Before anyone leaves, Boko asks the council members what the exact year, month, and date is.)

The druid, surprised that the offer of potential treasure did not perk more ears of the usually-acquisitive group, looks at Gerard, eyebrows raised.

Then, turning to the group again, she says, "we certainly need a rest. It has been a long day? Few days? 6 months? What ever it has been. After we sleep, tomorrow morning we can decide if we head a couple hours north to the Styes to warn them about the wreck before heading back south for a day's sail to Saltmarsh... or just head a few hours out to the wreck, go take a look and maybe try to snipe whatever is causing trouble, and then head back to Saltmarsh. I am not sure about a portal, but perhaps we could learn more about what drew us near that wreck. I keep leaving eldritch horrors in the deep behind me. Something is going on. That aboleth below Saltmarsh grabbed me, and is likely still there, plotting. Someone unleashed the deep horror trapped in that tower. The vampire freed from under your... cabin, which is fortunately beheaded but who had powerful friends. There is this wreck that pulled all of us to it. If we can learn more of what is going on, or eliminate this threat instead of letting it fester, or plot, then it would make our next steps, whatever they may be, easier. I can keep everyone breathing, and of course only those who want to go down to check things out would make the dive. And I may have other tricks to try, to keep things safer for us. That said, I will not force anyone to attempt this." She steps back, looking respectfully at Qivys, then Peri, then Thwack.

Peri:

Peri, irritated that Thwack would interrupt this important discussion, glances down at the mug. It takes a moment for him to realize it isn't the beer mug he'd given the kobold. And then he sees the letters appear. "Well, fish turds!" He looks up at the others and in a resigned voice says, "We gotta go to The Styes anyway. Kei needs us there." He will try to explain the vision in the mug, the ghostly cards that keep appearing, and the other weird clues that Kei is somehow connected to Thwack. "So I guess I'm goin' that far, anyhow."

(Boko's queries yield a response confirming that about seven months are unaccounted for. It is late summer; autumn is around the corner.)

(I believe Gerrard reserved some rooms in the back of the Fog and Frog tavern? The very modest rooms will cost you 5 silver apiece for the night; a full gold piece with beer and board included.)

Gerrard:

Having paid for food, drink, and beds for everyone, Gerrard goes to clean up and get some rest relatively early that evening.  He seems quite tired—physically, for sure, but emotionally as well.