Shipwrecked in Saltmarsh

Katernin approaches, "I think as long as you cooperate everything will turn out for the best," she says gently. "Where is everyone else?"

Molo takes his cup and climbs down, settling into a calmer demeanor.

"Everyone else?" responds Butts, uncertainly. "Have ye' met Sanbalet yet? Tall man, yea high" – he gestures with trembling hands – "bald. Hard to miss."

"I just carry stuff," he adds. "And watch th' brandy so it don't get taken by bandits, ye' know. Have a mugful?" he offers Katernin, nervously. Then he put his hands back up in the air, surrendering again, grinning nervously.

Dain will look around.  "This is where they were keeping me," he'll tell anyone who is around, pointing to the first store room next to the sea cave.   "And that cave is how I got away," he'll explain pointing to the cave with the rowing boat.   Moving back into the complex he'll go and find Butts and the others.

"Butts here helped me escape from these goons," he'll tell the group.  "Untied me, he did.   Why did yer do that, big man?" he asks the obese one.  "Oh and put yer hands down, ye've nothing to worry aboot."

At this stage he'll notice the pile of gear and gleefully recover his equipment, showing loving care over his huge (not so frilly) maul.  He'll fully reequip himself.

Dain finds his equipment pawed through, but intact. It's all there.

Butts puts his hands down again. "We're old friends," he tells the others, nodding nervously, in explanation.

"Did'ja meet Sanbalet?" he asks Dain. "Where...?" he peers behind the group. "You see th' others just now?" He grins again in a sort of wince and shifts his weight in discomfort.

Dain looks at Butts.  "Let's just say you're on yer own now, Butts," he answers.   "The others were not very welcoming.  I never did get the chance to ask:  why did yer release me?  Also, what is the purpose of this place?  What was Sanbalet doing here?"

     Fianna half listens but from the looks of the place assumes it’s a smuggling operation or a way of moving stolen goods.  Either way she feels even less guilty than the not at all she already did for killing those who they found here.  Shell rummage  through what there is to rummage, double check the boat is secure and then go back to the house entry to see if there is sign of the guards from town or smoke,..  

Once it's clear that everyone is going to be alright, Katernin heads back into the house to get the guards body, to ensure that he could get a proper burial.

"I'm... on my own?  He's...?" Butts draws a line across his neck to complete his question. He peers over Dain's shoulder uncertainly, perhaps expecting his comrades to appear. "We are merchants," he explains. "We buy and sell goods. Another drink?" he offers Molo.

Fianna explores the boat and sea cave, and works her way back into the cellar. It looks like a good, seaworthy vessel, but there is nothing more of note in the sea cave. There are three bolts of silk and five casks of brandy in the small cavern where Dain was held, and five bolts and eight casks in the room where Dain is - all of similar quality, and all of some value, but all quite heavy and cumbersome. They all bear marks of their makers, and in the case of the casks, the royal seal. The first hobgoblin you felled wears unusual armor decorated with a fishy motif. The caverns to the southeast remain unexplored, but you see little of interest from the northern hall.

Katernin joins Fianna into the basement. She finds the crushed body of Seth still where he fell among the skeletons. The candle gutters in the small bedroom off the barracks room where she had found the signaling notes and the books. She hefts Seth's bloody body over one shoulder. He doesn't weigh a lot for a guy with such a big ego.

Fianna finds all quiet upstairs. A light rain is falling. Butter is passed out underneath the cart. Farley is sullen, feeding the horses some straw.

     "Umm, you guys want credit for 'arresting' these smugglers we found?" Fianna calls out, then heads back inside.  

     "On of them is even still alive..." She calls back behind her.

     Fianna will return to the caves and suggest everyone grab any loot they can pocket before the guards come back and take over.  "Let them have the credit, if it saves us some grief..."

Dain will clap Butts on the back.  "I think yer need to go with the guards, Butts.  But I'll speak fer yer when the time comes.  If not fer you I dunnae think I'd have made it out.   C'mon.  Let's be leaving this smelly hole.   I've got me hammers back - I'm made up.   That said, I'm not sure there's a place for me back at the mine no more.  So with no work for a bit, best see if there is something in here to make up for lost income..."

Dain will perform a search of the whole system, opening crates and stuff, looking for valuables - feeling like we are owed a good share and taking note of Fianna's suggestion to loot before the guards return.  He's not going to pocket anything - he will be open and honest about anything he finds.  If others are helping he'll happily split the work load to cover the caverns faster or more methodically, depending on the preferences of the others helping.

((Out of context, that opening sentence is odd...))

     Fianna will also do some quick, rough looting of the loot.  She’ll dip into the unexplored area and roughly look into whatever containers or such she sees.  Obviously not looking to pocket kegs of ale but if there is anything the could be easily pocketed and concealed, she’s all for it, and will likely share evenly with party later.

Quote from Kaemgen >>

((Out of context, that opening sentence is odd...))

(lol!)

Kelnan

As the others chat, Kelnan pulls out the purse he recovered earlier and sees what might be inside.

There are no crates down here - just casks of brandy and bolts of silk, plus a miscellany of trash, personal effects, and odds-and-ends like extra torches, a tinderbox, dirty dishes, etc.

Butter is quite passed out and sleeping hard outside under his cart in the steady drizzle, undeterred by a growing puddle. Farley nods vacantly and follows Fianna back into the house.

     Well if there's no small, quick loots to be looted, then I imagine we turn Butts over to Farley and ask the guard what should be done with him...

Katernin takes Seth's body, upset with how all of this has turned out, and wondering what she was supposed to do if she couldn't actually help save anyone before they collapsed down dead. She waits until it's clear everyone is ready to leave before following them out, ready to claim full responsibility for the death of the guard.

Farley follows Fianna into the caverns, and shores up his new charge. He comes to his own conclusion as to what should be done with Butts, and attempts to stick a sword in him:
Longsword attack vs. Butts: 11. Slashing damage: 6

 The big guy barely manages to twist out of the way of Farley's blade. He tries to hide behind Molo, or at least put Molo between himself and his attacker. He puts his hands back up. "I surrender! Right? Get this guy off me!" he shouts, desperately.

"What the!?  Oh no yer dunnae!" screams Dain, enraged by the stupid guard's actions.  Moving up next to him Dain tries to smack the guard over the back of the head with the long handle of his (non-frilly) maul.

(if I am able to do this, without proceeding into combat:)

Attack: 18 Damage: 13    <--- non-lethal damage, attempting to knock the guard out.

Dain's maul sends Farley reeling. Not quite knocked out, but very close. He staggers, trying to remain standing. 

"What?! Stop hittin' me!" shrieks Farley at Dain. 

"Git' 'im!" shouts Butts. "Git his sword away!"

Combat is paused, but the moment remains tense.