Shipwrecked in Saltmarsh

     "They lost a woman," Fianna snaps back.  "Fossie.  Her name was Fossie."  Fianna is quite the rest of the way to the meeting...

     Fianna listens to the proceedings and listens to the latest offering with a disgruntled patience.  She turns and looks at her companions and gives them a shrug to indicate she doesn't mind much one way or another if they take this latest mission or not.

     "We have a mission of our own to complete first though," Fianna says, wincing through her headache as she attempts to talk loud enough to be heard by all.  "One of us was assaulted in a tavern not long before the first mission.  He still suffers through a previous injury to his foot which hinders his, and thus our teams, effectiveness.  We must get him properly healed up before we can be ranging out on treacherous and perilous tasks for this town once again..."

     "Once we are back at full health though... However long that may take...  I do believe we would be willing to take on this information gathering..."

Molo is humorous about the comments about his injury at first, waggling a mangled foot at the councilfolk. 

However, as Fianna continues and makes it clear what a priority he had become to her, and maybe even the others, he starts to get emotional, crying a little. Then crying a lot. Loudly. 

Dain stands at the end of the meeting.  "I be ready to find out what the scaly folk be planning fer ye," he tells the council. "But I agrees with the lass here - the little un has been mighty hurt in the process of defending this town - yer town, " he points at the council members.  "His fixing needs ta come first.  I suggests ye be thinking of ways ye can help make it happen fast so we can head off to check out the lizards."

He then sits back down and gives Molo a comforting pat on the shoulder.

Fireborn speaks up. "Suit yourself. I got the Stoutlys out looking for 'em, also. First one who finds and scouts them lizards gets the bounty. But we'd appreciate your help. Matter of city defense."

Primewater chuckles a little. "Tavern brawling! I've heard those ill-bred brutes at the Empty Net can be rather uncouth. I trust you got the worst of them?"

Oweland speaks again. "We can't help th' little one with his foot. Did'ja talk to Brinehanded at the Temple? But we must take th' matter of city defense before one creature's foot. We could use your talents." You can tell from her color that Oweland is reaching the limits of her patience with this conversation.

"i have," Katernin says, "that's why we have this other job. And forgive me for saying this, I dont mean to come off as rude. I understand that Saltmarsh is your priority, but I have to prioritize the health of this group."

Molo tries to wipe his snot away and speak up. 

“Brinehanded, yes. Said he wanted a sunken ship’s sailors recovered. Not sure we can.”

     "I'm sorry...  Forgive me if I misheard, I am quite hungover and really have no use for your words at the best of times.  But... You there..." Fianna points to Oweland, not really remembering her name or title.  "Did you say 'one creature's foot.'?  Did I hear that correctly?  'Creature,' you said?  About my friend?  About this person who has, on several occasions now, risked his life heroically for you are your city while you say around and...  thought him no more than a 'creature'?"

     Fianna draws herself to her feet at this point.  She slams her staff into the ground, casting Shatter so it's boom explodes simultaneously with Fianna's staff hitting the ground.  Fianna winces as the loud ringing noise even though she was expecting it - Hangover, ya'know?  "I think, before we go any further, that you owe my friend an apology..."

"Fianna," Katernin says quietly, "maybe you should step outside for a bit. Try and get some air."

     "Maybe...  After an apology," Fianna whispers back in a snarl.  

     "I do not allow my friends to be belittled by smug, haughty racists... council members or not," Fianna concluded, not whispering.

Kelnan, previously bored with the meeting and running through casting rudiments in his head, is brought to sudden attention by the noisy spell. "If it's an apology the lady wants, probably best to give it. But if we will get no other assistance, we'll help out our small friend before taking on the council's business."

A deafening, thunderous blast erupts from a point somewhere over the Council Hall. The painfully intense ringing noise rattles the bones of the building, sending dust and bits of loose plaster raining down from above, spoiling the cakes and coating everyone inside with a light dusting. Primewater emits a high shriek, and the elderly guard staggers and pulls out his baton threateningly, an angry scowl on his face. Other council members cover their ears and instinctively duck.

Oweland explodes with anger. "GET OUT! Before we have you drawn and quartered on the spot! I will NOT have the likes of your lot soiling these chambers!" She is purple with rage, pointing an outstretched finger at the exit.

Molo will narrow his eyes but gently slips his hand into Fianna’s and gives her a tug to walk out with him, leaning on her to keep the weight off his bum foot. 

He turns back to let out a quiet trilling growl over his shoulder on the way out. 

Dain stands and shakes his head.  He gives the council members one long look of reproach and then spins on his heel and marches out behind the others, huge maul hefted over one shoulder.

     Fianna takes Molo’s hand and walks out with him, pausing just long enough to look back and say “Good luck with the lizard people!”

     Outside, she turns to the rest of the party and says “Sorry for the outburst... but as different as we our, we’re a team.  I’m not about letting anyone attack any of you without lashing back at them.”

"I understand you being upset," Katernin says, looking very embarrassed. "I... most of the people here didn't trust me when I first came to town. And now it looks like I'm back at square one. And I get it, they're concerned about their own. We're outsiders for the most part."

"So, what does we do now?" asks Dain.  "We go speak to the priest fellow about Molo's foot I assumes?"

Dain looks a bit troubled at what has just occurred.  Well me guess is that I is in with this lot fer good or ill now.  I don't see how I'll be getting work back at the mine any time soon, after this.

     “I get being an outsider, I do.  Been one most of my life,” Fianna says to Katernin.  “I’ve dealt with the rudeness and condescension often enough.  For some reason the added expectancy of me to risk my life for the ones treating us that way...  it just gets to me in a way typical insult and ignoring doesn’t...”

     “But yes, we see after Molo first.  Whatever comes next, we want the whole team at full strength, I’d think,” she answered Dain.

     “Kat, do we need see the healer first or do you already know the task?  Either way, seems we’re following you for a bit.”

“We know the task. A mission to the bottom of the sea to retrieve the bodies of sailors. Heh... too bad we don’t have the sea elf still.” Molo hobbles towards the docks. “We need a boat.”

     "Sounds like we need a way to breathe under water..." Fianna scowls. 

     "With a little bit of time, and supplies, I could do a little something to FinFin and allow them to swim below the depths and maybe find what we're looking for... But I can't do anything about letting us breath down there."

A few review notes...

Re: Ferrin the druid: He told Katernin and Molo that he could not help Molo's foot. (pp. 71-2) He referred you to Brinehanded.

Brinehanded couldn't cure him either (pp. 72-3) but he had his acolyte Byron take some measurements, and promised a prosthetic boot that would restore Molo's movement to normal (provided he keep his boot on.) For payment, he wants the bodies on Sinker recovered. The boot will two days to prepare, so that suggests the end of the day tomorrow. (I will add the day and time and weather to the Discord server shortly!)

Other things you learned (mostly from Brinehanded): Sinker was lost just off Crabber's Cove the same night as the shipwreck, very close to where you came ashore. The water is reportedly only about fifteen feet deep there. Sinker was a small fishing boat named for the exquisite, silvered fishing pole its owner had aboard. There were two sailors aboard - Brinehanded wants them for proper burial, but he said you can keep the pole. "Be cautious about the cove, however," he warned. "More than one overeager fisherman has disappeared into the clacking darkness there, never to be seen again." Katernin had elsewhere heard that that cove, just past the Carpenter's Guildhall and overlooked by her shrine, was overrun with crabs. The water, of course, is very cold. It's late autumn.

Other note:
- The Council was about to pay the party 900 gold at the conclusion of the meeting, but then Fianna upset Oweland, and got everyone tossed out. So you haven't received that money.

Where is everyone headed next? Back to the fishy tavern?

It is dark out. Early evening. It's gotten quite cold and the cobblestones are slippery with frost.