Shipwrecked in Saltmarsh

The party heads back down the hill from Hoolwatch Tower, again passing Kester's tannery. A wiry, heavily-tattooed woman is working in an outdoor workshop, boiling a batch of hideous purple tentacles in a vat of foul-smelling chemicals. Some leathery greenish plates of clearly monstrous origin are hanging out to dry. She glances at you as you pass.

You are cold, tired, and hungry. It is early afternoon.

Where to? Back to last night's inn? Or Dain's employer's office? More shopping? To that salvage job? Back to Katernin's shrine? Or your wreck? Other business?

((Did that guard ever mention when he thought they'd be back?))

Quote from BaconExpert982 >>

((Did that guard ever mention when he thought they'd be back?))

(Just, potentially, "shortly". The old man implied that his buddy Onald would go inside and find out, but then the party changed their minds.)

((Ah got it. Katernin was willing to wait and see for the party. After that's done she's going to her shrine to meditate.))

(Is anyone still exhausted?)

Katernin mills around the tower, waiting to see if the captain of the Guard will make an appearance. Onald disappears into the tower, while his buddy continues to chew, spit, and talk to himself.

The others have retreated down the hill, loitering for a moment to watch the tanner boil tentacles and deciding what to do next.

(Nobody is technically Exhausted but you're all tired and cranky after a long 24 hours and a bad night's sleep.)

"Me thinks perhaps a night in the inn, get some rest and then back to the house tomorrow?   Though, I just realized I has no money to spend on a room or food, since those brigands stole me money purse.  But I'm accustomed to sleeping rough, so I'll just find somewhere quiet in the village and meet ye all a little after dawn? Prehaps ye could steal me a loaf of bread or summat for breakfast?" Dain grins cheekily.

Dain quietly expects there might be food and lodging available to him (alone) as a Company employee, for while he has never been to Saltmarsh before, he's heard about some of the company policies regarding employees traveling between the mines and the offices and wharves. (Although having perhaps foolishly ventured to town for his day off duty, he's not fully confident that he would be eligible, but he's optimistic.)

A broad-faced young woman whose teeth suggest possible orcish heritage appears at the door of the tower. Silent and expressionless, she beckons to Katernin to enter the tower.

Meanwhile, the tanner, eyeing the party curiously, calls out to Molo, "That's a nice cut!" referencing his leather armor. But then she furrows her brow at Dain, "Where'd you get that maul?"

     "If we're not heading back to the house and the coast, I think I will go back and wait for the guards the gravedigger suggested..." Fianna says with a shrug.

Molo preens a bit, displaying the armor as best he’s able.

The tanner says "Wait right there!" She runs into her shop and comes out with a set of kobold-sized leather armor in a vibrant purple color. "Only 14 gold!"

Meanwhile, the female guard ushers Katernin and Fianna into the Tower. They pass through a small hallway into a large, dark chamber containing benches, weapons racks, desks, a curving stone staircase, and a couple of tables. Three guards are here, together with their boss – a burly, aging, but somewhat imposing man with a wooden leg. He stands and greets you. "Good evening," he says, adding a fluent greeting in Elvish to Fianna. "What brings you two to the Tower tonight? Let's start with your names. I am Eliander Fireborn, captain of the town guard and servant of the crown. Who are you?" He seems genuinely curious.

"Katernin Nemetsk," Katernin says, "acolyte of Ehlonna."

     Fianna returns the elvish greeting, though he reply is a bit rusty.  She doesn't get much practice with it... "I am Fianna Malloyd, a reluctant visitor to your town," Fianna replies. "A few of us were on the recent shipwreck and washed ashore here. Alas, that was not the end of our troubles..."

     Fianna pauses a moment to see if Eliander Fireborn wishes to question further or for her to just continue.  If allowed, Fianna will monologue a bit telling him of their recent adventures.  She will explain that they were tricked or kidnapped onto the slave ship as the most possible reluctant passengers possible. (She is a bit vague about how they weren't all passengers...) She will explain how they met Katernin and rested and all before hearing rumors of this haunted house.  New in town, not much to their names and not much prospects (and perhaps a bit bored) they decided they should check it out.  "I cannot speak for the others, of course," Fianna will say, "But I will admit I was thinking perhaps I could squat there for a while if it was dry and safe and empty..."

     Fianna will shape the truth a little at this point.  She explains to Eliander, and whatever guards are still in the room, that they had barely just stepped onto the grounds of the house when they were first attacked by animals - giant weasels seemingly trained to attack.  After they survived that they were beset by people that should could only assume already resided at the supposedly abandoned and haunted house.  The group was again captured and brought down to the basement of the place.  While the residents argued about what to do with the prisoners, a couple of us slipped our bindings and freed the others.  A fight ensued.  We killed a couple of our kidnappers in self defense, but we lost one of our own.  "He is being buried at the graveyard even know.  It was the Half Orc groundskeeper who said we should seek you out and advise you of what has befallen us," Fianna finished. 

     "I'll admit, a few of us are yearning to rest and recover and then head back out there to seek our own justice," Fianna adds.  "But we wish to not cross the authorities here about.  We have had enough trouble, we want none with you and the guards."

Deception 18   ((Not sure you need the roll but just in case...))

((lol, I should have skipped the roll... I swear it's impossible to roll above a 10 on this site.))

"Ah, Krag," he says, and smiles. "A good friend. He organizes and translates my library for me."

Fireborn listens carefully and intently to FIanna's tale. He is aware of the wreck, that there were survivors, and even of Katernin and her new shrine - he seems to have a lot ears on the ground.

But he has lots of probing questions about your time in the house.

- Why were they there, do you guess? What were they up to?
- Who was in charge?
- Did they mention contacts in Saltmarsh, the mine, Seaton, or elsewhere?

While sympathetic, Fireborn seems less interested in crime and even murder, and more in any threat they may pose to the town, and to local trade.

"I thank you for coming to us with this. Before you leave, please register with one of my assistants, especially if you plan on staying in Saltmarsh for more than three days."

He thinks for a minute, tapping his wooden leg in thought with his fingertips. "It's a bit outside our jurisdiction, but tomorrow morning I'd like to send a couple of guards to investigate. I'd like you to accompany them. How many of you are there? I'd like you to meet here an hour after dawn tomorrow. Can you do that?"

Quote from cbaer8 >>

The tanner says "Wait right there!" She runs into her shop and comes out with a set of kobold-sized leather armor in a vibrant purple color. "Only 14 gold!”

 Molo moves in close and examines it, scratching with his claws.

”Perhaps a trade?” He shows his own armor.

The tanner pulls it out of Molo's reach, before he does any damage to it. 

"That's a nice cut, but I can't make it an even trade. How about eight gold plus your armor?"

"I'm also keenly interested in acquiring hides from exotic creatures - beasts, monstrosities - of a certain dangerous quality. Like this chuul, here, although this one is a bit experimental. A nice owlbear, perhaps, or a giant crocodile. A basilisk, maybe? I made a suit of basilisk hide once; it was perhaps the most beautiful thing I've ever made."

Molo tries to stand taller. “A beast’s hide? I’m sure it can be managed. 8 gold, done. I’ll see you again if I’ve got a beast’s hide.”

Dain heads out to the company offices, definitely in need of some sleep and rest.  Before going he tells Fianna that he'll come and look for her at dawn at the inn and that should she need him he'll be at the mine offices in town.

     "Crime," Fianna says. "They were there for crime.  I would guess smuggling of some kind, human trafficking, most likely and I would guess also the smuggling of stolen goods.  I cannot say for sure, we were fighting for our lives and all, but there was talk of smuggling and with the ease of how they kidnapped us I can only guess they may have been connected with the slaver ship that carried us here in the first place."

     "I couldn't say who was in charge. The one did mention a Sandblast or Sanblath or Sanbalet and a female called Stumpy or some such...  We don't know if they were real people or just a distraction.  I don't think I heard anything about their shipping lanes or ports or such."

     "We can of course assist your investigation," Fianna concludes. "Always happy to assist the authorities.  We'd just like to feel safe again... We have been through a lot.  I'm sure you understand..."

Kelnan will seek out someone to clean and repair his clothing, or find a suitable replacement if it's too bad off. This shipwreck outfit is completely unsuitable for actual wear.