Shipwrecked in Saltmarsh

Brinehanded continues to spin tales to Molo, Katernin, and Kelnan. "Did I tell ye' the one about the Salted Glade, the pirate ship? 'Tis a galleon made from th' base of a massive, buoyant tree, they say. A grove of smaller trees grows from its deck, their boughs catching th' winds to propel the ship. A pair of treants serves as the ship’s main artillery, I understand."

Meanwhile, Byron makes some sketches of Molo's foot.

Another acolyte comes into the room. "A Guard is here," he announces. "Lookin' for some folks that match your description. You here?" he asks the three of you.

Brinehanded scowls but remains silent, visibly annoyed at being interrupted while telling his story.

Quote from Kaemgen >>

     "Swimming instructions?  That whole big list of things I asked the council for...  A target.  You know, the usual..."  Fianna says snidely.  She then shrugs and says "Don't worry, will be here...  Don't see a boat to take off in anyway."

 "Boat" says the old woman, pointing at the grimy skiff tied up at the wharf. It looks in need of maintenance. "Don' touch it. Wait fer Fossie."

     "That... is a boat?  For like... People and stuff?" Fianna looked again, squinting...  "You sure that's not a log for a couple of toads to sit on?"

The old woman guffaws loudly, then coughs wetly. "It ain' pretty, but the Stone hasn't sunk lately! Fossie'll get ye' where ye' need to go. Don'cha worry."  She chuckles again and coughs some more.

Kelnan

"Hearing of an enchanted tree-ship does my elven heart good. But it seems we are needed. Next time don't let me forget to tell you of my former gnomish student Chabon and his granite submarine!"

He eyes the boat suspiciously, then shrugs and waits to board. I've survived one shipwreck, why not try for two?

Dain yawns, stretches and nods in greeting to the new arrivals on the beach.  "I'm thinkin' this could be interestin'," he comments.

     “All the biggest disasters are,” Fianna replies with a wink and a grin.  She may not be liking the looks of the boat but doing something is better than doing nothing.

"So, if we has to take out a pirate ship, what's the plan?" Dain asks Fianna, clearly deferring to her as their defacto leader.  "If it were up to me, we'd rush onboard an' kill everyone we meet.  But I suspect we should be doing things a littl' more subtly than that?"

     “Honestly, I’ve no idea.  Truth is, the time spent as a slave aboard the last ship is the most experience I have on board a vessel..,” Fianna said.  
     “If our only goal was sinking the ship, well I’m still not sure but then we could at least try to be subtle?  If we are looking to capture the cargo in tact I’m not sure there’s any other way than boarding and slaughtering the crew...  some anti-pirate pirates they’ve hired in us, eh?”

"I guess we'd best clarify exactly what our goals are with the guard leaders?"

     “Well it’d be the council we’d want clarity from but I don’t see that happening.  But from my reckoning what is wanted is:: complete deniability for those in charge; and end to the piracy, hopefully a permanent one; their stuff back that had been stolen.  So again, more us having to take the ship than sink it.” Fianna said, stretching her memory to the limits.  

Dain leans closer to Fianna, making sure no officials are within earshot.  "Hmmm.  Seems to me that ye be thinkin' what I be thinkin'.  That we might get ourselves some loot from them there pirates that perhaps don't need ter be told ter the guards and their leaders.  Especially as the pay for risking our lives isn't up ter much"

     “They did say we could keep personal items seized from the pirates...  what they consider personal, and what we consider personal may vary, true enough.  Do best what may be questionable be kept hidden,” Fianna answers in a similar guarded manner.

     “Still and all, I doubt any of us are looking to open up a storefront.  As such, most the cargo likely wouldn’t interest us much,” she did say, hedging slightly.  “But the small, pricey, easily concealed booty we find... well that’s what pockets are for.”

Dain nods sagely at Fianna's wisdom.  "Now, where be everyone?" he asks into the night.

Unless they have other business with Brinehanded, Molo and Katernin are the last to arrive. Molo hobbles slowly on his mangled, but healed, foot. Kelnan, Dain, and Fianna are already here. Fianna can see the lamps in the building directly across the cold harbor where she fished Molo out of the rocks just a few hours earlier. It's a dark night, overcast, with gusty winds and choppy waves.

The old guard departs, and Fossie arrives - the young woman with crooked teeth in a guard's uniform. "HERE you are." She points at each of you and and counts out loud.

Fossie leads you to the skiff, named the Stone. The interior smells very strongly of old fish. Fossie climbs in and sits down.  "Ye' ready?" she asks, brightly. She spits into the oily water of the harbor.

 "I ain't boardin' the pirate ship. Did I say that already? I'm stayin' with Stone."

She spits again.

"By the way, I'll need somebody to help me bail – we gotta little leaky bit over here I still gotta caulk."

 It's very dark, and the harbor is quiet. There is a bitter breeze from the southeast. The clouds are heavy and there's little sign of a moon.

Fossie is becoming anxious about the time. "Ye' need me to stow some stuff in the shed?"  She has access to a nearby ramshackle building where she can evidently stow your excess gear.

Kelnan

"I'm ready, but I recall something about signaling the ship from the old house. Could someone from the guard ride out to the house and flash a light at them? Then we can approach from the far side while the crew looks out for their sadly deceased companions."

Molo starts bailing water

Dain climbs in and smiles at the little kobold manfully trying to bail water from the boat.  "I'll do that, littl' un," he tells the kobold kindly.  "You sit back and watch the ship - make sure them pirates don't spot us."  If Molo will allow Dain takes the bailing bucket from the kobold and begins scooping water up and, quietly as he can, dropping it over the side.  What would me old dear da say if he saw me becoming friends with a kobold?  He shakes his head ruefully and hides a broad grin under his bushy orange beard.

     "Wish you had thought of that before... Or I had, not blaming you," Fianna says. "But yeah, there was a boat at the old house, and the signaling... Likely would have made much more sense for us to depart from there, and use the boat they recognized."