Shipwrecked in Saltmarsh

Kelnan wanders a bit among the graves, looking for any that might tell an interesting story. While putting poor Lucky to rest is certainly important, Kelnan feels as if he's already said goodbye as fate sent them different directions, and is mostly at peace with the situation.

Kelnan wanders the lumpy, sprawling graveyard, which is fairly unkempt. He finds one large, fresh patch - a mass grave - with a wooden marker labelled simply "wreck" and a date three days prior - evidently the resting place of both slaves and slavers from the ship most of you arrived upon. 

Krag will take the body, but he'll need a day to dig the grave – if you plan on holding a burial ceremony, he asks that you return at noon tomorrow. ("No portals, no sacrifices, nothing destructive," he reminds you.) He again asks you for details of Lucky's birth, life, and death for his records. (How forthcoming do you want to be when answering him? Anything you prefer to lie about, omit, or emphasize? For example, the place and cause of death?)

     Fianna is non-committal about a funeral service.  Someone should say a prayer of some kind she supposes but she doesn't feel the need to be present for it, but will follow the lead of any of the party who feels strongly that they should be there, if any do.  She will however pay for such, if such needs paying.

     "Only knew him as Lucky," Fianna will advise.  "I doubt that was the name his mother gave him.  We were all on the wreck a few days ago, but we survived.  We only met then so we weren't all that close or familiar with one another so I'm afraid I have no details on his life other than he was trying to make it better...  As for his death, he was killed by attackers while we explored the coast.  We fended them off, but not in time.  Not sure what happened to them, we escaped and didn't go back to check..."

     She will omit the exact location, being vague and just saying along the coast up that way.  She will not say for sure if the attackers were dead or not.  They were down when we fled, is the most she'll commit to.  "Is there law in town I should be reporting such to?" She'll ask, feigning concern about such things. "Our first thoughts were taking care of his last needs..."

Following the direction of Fianna's handwaving, Krag looks uncomfortable and replies, "If you were attacked between here 'n Seaton, ye' oughta tell the guard. Tell Eliander, the guard commander, or Clay." He lowers his voice a bit. "Not the others. Go to th' Tower."

Dain will speak to the others in the group when the grave digger is out of ear shot.

"Personally, I'd avoid speaking to anyone in this gods-forsaken town.  I say we go back up to that cave and house and take revenge on the ne'erdowells who took the poor laddie's life.  If you will stump me up enough cash to buy a replacement weapon, til I can recover me own, I'll happily stand at the front and break some heads."

Molo feigns considering for a long moment before giving his whole pouch to Dain. “Come back with something nice. Well... something nice for when it’s time to not be nice.”

(17g 35s)

Dain thankfully takes the pouch from the small kobold, bowing to him as a mark of respect as he does so.  "I will not spend it all and I will pay ye back.  You have me word."  Well, that was unexpected.  You don't see that every day.  Definitely one unusual kobold.

Assuming that the business with Lucky is done, Dain will run down the hill back into the town, looking for anywhere that will sell him a maul or, failing that, some other big two-handed weapon.

     Fianna raises an eyebrow in surprise.  She had just been considering what kind of return to ask for on a loan when the question became moot.  She shrugged and followed the new guy.  Perhaps it’s not in the cards for her to be a money lender, just as well.  But she’d stay with him to make sure he spent the coin honestly enough...

     “My instinct is with you,” Fianna tells Dain as they walk.  “But something in the way the grave digger steered us to those two in particular... I’m of a mind to trust him.  Revenge is good.  I’ve a mind for some myself.  But revenge where I don’t need run from the hangman’s rope after is a lot more appealing...”

“Ye makes a good point,” Dain concedes. “Patience was never me forte.  I’ll follow yer lead. I will just feel a whole lot happier when I have a weapon in hand again. I feels naked right now”.

Dain wants to buy a weapon first, then will happily follow Fianna to the authorities.  

     “Is always best to see the authorities with a little of your own at your side.  Just in case,” Fianna agreed. “Shopping first!”

Kelnan says a short prayer for the deceased at the shipwreck grave and joins the others.

"I found the grave for our other shipmates over there if you all knew the others. Otherwise we should move on. Maybe I can find someone to clean up my damaged clothes..."

The party departs the old graveyard, leaving the cheery old hunchback in charge of Lucky's body.

"Winston's Store," immediately next to the graveyard, makes an obvious first stop. Winston is an older halfling, with a deeply wrinkled face and a wild head of curly hair. He has an odd collection of items in his store - a smattering of everything from artwork to weapons. An enormous lot of daggers, very cheaply priced. He has a bizarre collection of bejeweled skulls, a lot of oils, some very high-quality smoking tobacco, loaded dice, and bad art. Dain is drawn to his collection of hammers and mauls - quite a range of low-priced, high-quality weapons, but all with odd, grandmotherly, decorative flourishes. "I have solid goods!" shouts the halfling. "Solid goods. Whatcha need?"

Dain will check through the hammers and select the best maul and one hammer. 

Dain chooses a maul which, while oddly frilly and ornamental, is a solid weapon of war, together with a matching light hammer. It'll make a slightly odd fashion statement, but the goon on the receiving end won't be long to mock it. Besides, the price is very good - only 8 gold for both.

Well, beggars can't be choosers, I suppose.  At least now I feel ready to go and stick it to the goons who mugged me.

Dain finds Molo and hands him back the pouch of gold, 8 coins lighter than when he received it.  "Me thanks, little un.  With yer help I am ready to go and mash some 'eads.  I feels a lot happier now.   I'll pay ya back as soon as I can get me hands on me own gold which the blighters up in that cave stole off me."

Dain now looks to Fianna for leadership, telling her, "I'm yer dwarf for now, lady.  Ye want revenge on the brigands who killed yer boy.  I want revenge on the bandits who mugged me.  They may be the same group.  I'm ready to mash some heads."

Molo waves his dagger in a supportive, dramatically threatening fashion at Dain’s statement for vengeance.

”Let’s go get ‘em!”

     Wait.  What?  Surely I’m not in charge! Fianna thinks to herself.  I have no idea what I’m doing!

     “Right then,” the small slip of a girl says, trying to sound sure about what to do.  “We go to the tower and report what happened.  We went to see this house that tumor said was haunted and after stepping onto the lawn to get a closer look we were knocked out by magic.  We awoke in the basement being held captive and had to fight our way out...”

     “Exactly how it happened,” she says with emphasis to make sure everyone knew the story.   After she gets some nods she heads off to the tower to ask for Eliander or Clay..

"... but... that's not how it happened," Katernin says, confused.

     “It is now,” Fianna explained.  “Small changes just so nobody gets the wrong idea.  The nugget of it is true, we were defending ourselves... But sometimes authority types choose to get the wrong idea.  We did nothing wrong entering and abandoned house but they may claim otherwise... so best to not give them that choice to make.”

     “So we tell the bigger truth.  Maybe the details are blurred but the essence is true.”

"What about me?  Shall I tells em what truthfully happened, or just pretend like I was one of ye all along?" Dain asks Fianna.