Gracy nods as Klaus mentions the loan of funds 'Count me in, happy to help keep you and Hiramat on your feet.'  

Hefting the crossbow he lifted off one of the smugglers' corpses 'This is a nice upgrade in punching power for me, but I wouldn't mind finding some better armor m'self.'

Turning to Archie, Gracy assures him that he also knows his way around a ship and feels confident they can manage to get the ship at least to the edge of the swampland towards the north.

Archie turns to Gracy “Fantastic old boy.  You can be first mate! And any captain worth their salt always sees the value on having his crew well armed.  Klaus, you can have my share of the reward we just attained.  No need to pay me back.  You have pulled my butt out of the fire on more than one occasion. Of maybe I started a fire.  Who knows!”  He hands Klaus his gold.  “Now, let’s spend the evening getting supplies and maybe even a little deserved merriment.  To the bar!”

Klaus yells “Huzzah!”, then mutters “I always wanted to say that one.”

Before they leave, Archibald uses prestidigitation, some soapy water, a dab of paint, and a little elbow grease on the ship.  When his friends return, the ship’s name on the side has been altered from The Sea Ghost to The Sea Hoe.  In an oversized, purple pirate hat and captain's outfit he looks down from the gang plank.

“So, what do you all think?  Pretty classy huh?” 

Wilmot chuckles, offering a half-hearted salute to Archibald. “Aye aye!” he laughs, moving to find a comfortable spot on the ship. 

Curious. Yuan-Ti were incapable of feeling true emotion, but as Zmeya felt the neck of the man she killed snap, a twinge of a feeling she heard as remorse began to creep up. She pushes the thought down. Remorse was referred to as a weakness in her tribe.

"I don't have much else to do, so I will gladly accompany the voyage towards the lizardfolk's den. Snakefolk and Lizardfolk have been enemies for as long as they have existed. Please, take my share of the profits earned - I have no need for armor."


Sometime later, she approaches and boards the ship, turning another shade greener than usual. She notes the change in the ship's name, unfamiliar with the word. She'd need to ask Archibald sometime. 

“Splint armor, Hiramat!  We are moving up in the world!” Klaus marvels at his new armor.  

“This will keep me alive longer to protect you, dear Gracy, Archie, and Zmeya.  I promise.  Wilmot, wear the mariner’s armor in good health.”

“Ahoy me hardies!  First mate Gracy set course for...where the hell are we going again?  Oh ya!! To the lizard folk!”  Archibald beams as he believes he’s a real captain of a ship. “And woe to any who dare block the advances of the mighty Sea Hoe!”

Wilmot emerges from the privvy, the shell and fishbone decorated armor oddly has grown to fit his large body. "Well, this is nice," he says, digging into his bag to retrieve the pipe and light it. "What would they think of me back at home now?" He slaps a big hand on Klaus's shoulder, letting out a hearty laugh. "Looking good, paladin. A hero for the ages. My the Dweller on the Horizon guide our journey and make swift your blade." He then blows a face-full of aromatic smoke at Klaus, granting the paladin a vigilant blessing.

Using what he learned on his time on the Barracuda's Maul, under the tutelage of the Dread Pirate Hobert, Archibald scans the coast and weather.   Pulling out his navigator's tools he starts to set a course that will take the ship out around the western side of Abbey Isle and into open waters.  This way they can dock north of the lizardfolk lair behind the small peninsula on the map.  Hopefully this will give them some element of surprise.  "First mate Gracy, would you mind helping me with these maps?"

Navigator's tools check (Used Survival as my base): 18

Hiramat looks around, "Hero's now", he thinks to himself, he likes the sound of that.  He also likes the heft of his new, shiny Splint Armor, oh the blows he'll be able to take in this sweet baby.

Gracy busies himself about the ship, adjust sails, and helping the rest of the party find their footing as the Sea Hoe gets underway.  

'Ok then, so what's our plan here?  Sail close and then try to row our way in closer under cover of night?'

The distance from Saltmarsh to the lair is about ten miles as the crow flies, and a sea journey would take about three hours in normal conditions.

While you are at sea, as your boat approaches the promontory, you see a well-traveled and relatively dry track (at the point marked A on the map) leading from the coast. It disappears into the marshland interior.

Once they are within 40 feet of the promontory’s northern coastline, you all spy another track running up to the middle elevations of the promontory, where it disappears behind a clump of tall grasses and brightly flowering shrubs (leading to the hidden entrance marked D on the map).

You also note, as you approach by sea, a 15-foot wide, 6-foot high sea cave entrance on the northeastern tip of the promontory (marked E on the map).

Wilmot looks to the others, suggesting, "I would think trying to sail the boat into the cave would likely squash any attempt at stealth." He looks apologetically to the foppish captain, "No offense, but this Hoe has a pretty big ass. Perhaps we find a place to drop anchor and travel by foot?"

Hiramat agrees with Wilmot's assessment, by foot would give us some level of stealth, perhaps setting forth at point A, where the Hoe could be far enough away from being seen by any of the lizardfolk that might be patrolling the area.

"A most excellent strategy crew!  I saw we wait until night to make our approach, set anchor, and take a rowboat in.   Once on shore, hide our boat and proceed from this point A on the map.   I made need a little help navigating once on land.   I don't see so well in the dark like most of you."   Archibald gives a slightly embarrassed frown at this omission.  

Wilmot says, “Once we set out, I can gift those who need nightvision with the ability to see.’

“So this is supposed to be a reconnaissance mission. So, should we send someone a little lighter on their toes?  I can communicate with them if their at least 120 feet from me.  So, maybe send in one or two while the rest hold back.” 

Gracy nods his head 'I agree, I can go ashore first and scout out a bit.'

The rogue lowers the dingy over the edge of the Sea Hoe, padding the oars to keep the noise to a minimum, and rows onto the shore near point A.

Stealth 27

Perception 13

You guys drop anchor at POINT A, and see the trail you saw from the ship. Before you lies the path to POINT B, which goes through some sort of very damp marshland. You can hear flies buzzing and frogs croaking, but nothing else out of the ordinary, like Duergar.

Do you proceed to POINT B?