Ghosts of Saltmarsh

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"Ms. Teshyyn, Ms. Amy, and Mr. Tobi, the child is the key to figuring out more about what happened. I would ask Ms. Teshyyn, if'n ye don't mind, check under the boat and make sure she's not taking any additional water. I'd be hating to be on this beast if'n it is taking on water, with that storm brewing... While I may not be able to get into the docks, I may be able to help keep it afloat."

Pausing for a moment, the marine realized that he had made a promise and that it must be paid. "Ms. Amy, one last favor if'n you don't mind. Please ensure that this is given to Mr. Dagger. I did promise the good lad two silvers if'n he did get the message through. I'm sure that he has." Strangely, as the storm is coming in faster, the smile on the Marine's face is a bit wider. 'At least there is a survivor, and we have a witness along with a clue towards the race that do be attacking the ships in the area.'
 
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Tobi hauled the ships together, nervous about the storm but still enjoying the familiar feeling of rope and salt and sweat, before climbing aboard the apparently abandoned ship. Whilst the others look for survivors or study the weapon he checks the sail and the mast trying to see if the ship is still seaworthy enough to get it back to port of its own accord. He also looks over the rail to try and judge the distance and direction of the waves to see if they will aid them in moving the vessel. He does not like what he sees at all. 'This wind will take us all if we are not careful. Better to lose one boat and no crew that two boats and everyone.'

Tobi looks around, sees the marine standing on the deck and frowns. Shouting over the wind to try and make himself heard he leans in close to the older man. "There is no point, she's scuppered. You don't want to go down with her in this storm, even Teebs would struggle and you know." He makes a quick gesture around his neck like there were gills there. "Best we can do is take everything important over to the ship we came out on. Leave this one for the storm." He moves over towards the cargo hold, looking for any hidden storage areas or false bottoms that the ship could have. Looking for any telltale marks that would show that someone was running something on this ship that could show as to why it was attacked.
 
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The Storm
Discretion becoming the better part of Valor the marine returns to the keelboat as their triton friend slips below the surface.
Beneath the wave is that blissful silence, broken only by the creaking of the ships above. You've always enjoyed this, the quite that falls beneath the waves, a place where you can hear yourself think.
The thoughts must be brief however, lives are at stake. The scaring on the bottom of the ship shows damage from a reef of some kind...
Fingers trace along the scratches, discovering a small bit of coral is still lodged there. Perhaps a clue where the ship was fishing? Or attacked?
Either way now isn't the time, you head back to the surface and your allies.
The boat pitches as you climb aboard attempting to throw you off. A life in the ocean though keeps you in place.

Procan is watching over you though, this storm must have another purpose. For as bad as it gets your movements are deft and your feet sound, none of you even falter. The Marines stop preparing their boat, once they notice you returning. Instead many of them grab medical bags and rush to a location on the dock, next to an old human dressed in priest robes.
Wellgar Brinehand stands as a rock against the Storm, his grizzled white beard and attire are unmoved by the wind. Reaching down he takes the boy from Amy, who had been using her body to shield him from the wind. The deep blue of his eyes tells you it will be allright and to have faith. Turning around he bares the child away through the crowd, who part for him to pass, the limp from his artificial leg not noticeable.

Fishermen and marines desperate to do something help to secure your boat, nervous looks in their eyes. The disappearance of friends and loved one's doesn't bode well with them. Each passing day it is as if Saltmarsh gets more dangerous...

You are assaulted by a million questions and hesitant cheers as you find yourselves swept away by the masses to the snapping line.
"Drinks will be on me, and food of course" shouts the familiar voice of the richest man in town. It seems Gellan Primewater was watching, and he may not have been the only one...
 
Being underwater brought TBD much comfort -- the surface was interesting, but the water was so much better -- however she had a task to do. Leaving the weapon in the boat with the others she dove down under the keelboat, seeing the gashes along the bottom and remnants of coral. Breaking off a piece she swam back to the others, landing in the boat and trying to help guide it through the growing waves.

Seeing a familiar face waiting at the dock she waved slightly -- some motion she'd learned up here -- but it seemed Wellgar's attention was focused on the boy. Getting jostled by the crowd, TBD tucked the chunk of coral into a pouch -- recognizing it as being local, but from where specifically ... she wasn't sure yet. This wasn't the first time she'd been in the center of a crowd -- a few times before she'd been asked to find things lost along shore and assume lost only for her to quietly realize it was part of her hoard, but miraculously found while she was fishing.

Seeing they were being led to the Snapping Line the triton smiled, though closed her mouth soon after -- her shark-like teeth still seemed to unnerve people -- but at least this would be a chance to have some of the "Lobster wine" again, a strange drink but one she'd grown to favor. Setting down at a table, she waited for the others to join her, retrieving the chunk of coral to study it again, "Ae knowe this to bee local, butte notte specifics. Anie ideas? Thee bottome was torne uppe bie a reef, Ae doubtte itte was an acidentte."
 
The trip back from the keelboat was a different mix of emotions than when Silraine had traveled out. The initial trip out was awash with feelings of dread and fear for the crew when the vessel first appeared on the horizon, slowly working its way back to port, by the hand of an ambivalent deity. On one hand, the crew was obviously dead and gone. The blood splattered decks and mast a testament to the deeds that finished them. However, on the other, the merciful being delivered the son of the ship’s captain back to them. ‘Well somewhat returned to us. Poor lad is going to be traumatized for the remainder of his life.’
Despite having planned to stay on the derelict vessel, Silraine had to admit that Mr. Tobias was correct. The weather that was coming in and the damage done to the vessel would have prevented it from being brought back in without other vessels helping to pull or tow it. Furthermore, the damage that had been done to it, was beyond the ability of a mere marine and quickly gathered rescue party with the current storm bearing down. Lastly, even he had to admit that the ship had been fairly well stripped. ‘Miracle that they didn’t find the boy unless they wanted to send a message?’
With a slight reluctance and feeling that he wasn’t completing his duty, he returned to the Marines’ vessel and helped get the boat back underway. Unlike the outbound trip, the previous lessons of other Marines came back to Silraine. With deft hands and the benefit of the nimble feet of his elvish parent, he was able to help easily maneuver the vessel back to the docks. As they closed, he could see the Captain Stoutly on the docks with other marines along with members of the village.
As the vessel was secured, and the young boy taken away by the priest, he looked out over the waters and the storm that was preparing to break with full fury upon the docks. The vessel was bouncing among the growing waves. With a sudden exhaustion as the adrenaline wore away, he turned back to the Captain. Pulling himself together he snapped to attention, staring at a point past the Captain, he began to report. “Captain Stoutly, Private Coldrains reporting. Sir, the vessel was heavily damaged and signs of a significant struggle. The decks were splattered with blood. We recovered a spear that appears to have been used by ‘aquatic’ races according to Ms. Teshyyn. That would be the Triton. Ms. Amethyst found the Captain’s son. He was incoherent babbling about ‘Fish Monsters.’ We provided basic healing to the child, but I fear he’ll bear scars of this day for a long while. Ms. Teshyyn was able to examine the bottom of the vessel. while mostly whole, it had scraped a reef she said. Lastly, it had been my intention to try and remain on the ship for a crew to come out and work to recover it, but with the storm and damage to the ship, it was deemed too risky.” Maintaining the stare, “Sir, I apologize for commandeering the civilians to go out to the vessel in one of our skiffs. With the incoming storm, I felt that it was more urgent to get to the ship before the storm completely took her.”
 
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Tobi busies himself around the ship as it goes into dock, trying to look busy and keep his head down seeing the size of the crowd waiting for them. It is not that Tobi hates attention, merely that he wants it on his terms where he can have the first, and last, words on everything. This was far beyond his control. Still at least there was a survivor, the half-elf doesn't pay the boy too much attention. He would ask about him later, better that the poor lad had some air at least, besides Tobi was never really great with kids as he always found they asked questions that adults took for granted. Too much about a smuggler's job was playing on things that others took for granted.

When they got to docks he hears the voice of Gellan Primewater and tries not to wince, not wanting to know what his boss would say about him being off work on this little escapade. He gives Gellan the slightest of waves and nods and as the crowd gather around everyone and move them on he drops into the crowd, cheering with everyone else, until he is just a face amongst many moving towards the tavern. Once inside he takes a seat further back from the others he had been on the boat with and studies everything he can about the hustle and bustle. Information might be at a premium given the mystery of this nature and he wants to know who seems most interested in the most obvious members of the party like Teebs or the dwarf, aside from the usual cadre of well-wishers and attention seekers.
 
The docks:
"fucks sake Coldrains stand down. You saved a child's life tonight."
The captain returns a crisp salute in kind. Leaning in a bit closer the his subordinate his voice drops as to not be over heard. "You did your duty tonight son, and it took balls. Given the current climate, why don't you go have yourself a drink. Report to myself or Captain Stoutly tomorrow by eight bells. Hoolwatch tower. Now, dismissed"

He offers a final salute then turns heading back to the rest of the marines. Leaving you alone on the docks to pursue whatever you wish to do.
 
"Do it quick, and there two silver in it for you." Dagger says as the captain leaves Coldrains to check on the situation. Dagger then shakes his head and smiles to him "How bout a pint instead?" He says with a gruff dwarf like voice
 
Grinning as the rain started to pelt his face. "Indeed good Dagger. A pint and two silver for a well-delivered message." He passes over the two silver and proceeds to the bar with the kenku.
 
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Amy didn't really want to give up her defensive position holding onto Joshua. She had tears in her eyes, but she knew that someone else would be better equipped to help the lad out. She felt herself get pushed in the direction that she had just come from, being brought in to her own work by a large crowd. She sat at the bar, proud of herself for taking the initiative and helping to save the boy. She looked across the bar at her co-worker and shrugged, "We saved a lad and now we're getting a reward, I guess. I hope ya 'ave enough hands back there, 'acause I doubt the crowd'll let me come back ta work."
 
Moving through the crowd, Sil snagged a couple of ales for himself and Dagger. He quickly handed the one over to his ally and messenger and looked around the room. He spotted Ms. Teshyn at a table playing with something that looked like coral. With a familiar face in a crowded inn, that looked to be the best place to be.
"Ms. Teshyn, thank ye again for your assistance in getting to the boat and checking underneath. I wish we could have saved you some work and brought her back in, but does not seem to have been the case. The ocean has her own agenda. That piece of coral, from the ship?"
 
The triton nodded, "Yeas, fromme the boatte, shippe, either waie." Holding it out on offer for Sil to investigate, "Ae wouldde have gonne outte to thee scene onne waie or another, justte mie nature. If thee familie is gonne, there wille notte bee anything to repaire."
 
"I don't know that I would go that far. some of the shipyards and local captains might try to recover it and increase their fleet as it's now officially derelict. I really did want to try and bring it in so that we could do a much deeper and indepth examination of it. Something is stirring near Saltmarsh. I truly do not like it and what it forebodes. I joined the Marines to protect this town, not watch its crews disappear. I am truly glad that you and the others were there to help get out to the ship." Pausing to take a long drink of his ale, he pauses and rubs at the scars hiding beneath the mask.
Turning the coral over in his hands, he looks at it closely. "Hm, I wonder if our resident priest might have an idea of which of the nearby coves and reefs this might have come from?" Looking around the bustling tavern, Sil tries to see the others so that he can again relay his thanks to them as well. However while he scanned for them, he wasnt eager to leave either. Was nice to talk to someone other than his fellow marines.
 
"Amy!" a voice bellows from the other end of the bar. One she would know quite well to belong to Hanna Rist, proprietor of the snapping line. The young woman comes from a long line of lobster fishers, and is known for her somewhat brash nature.

"What the fuck are you doing? Drinking on the job? I should can you on the spot ye lazy I'm uncultured!" A hush fallsnover the room, the only sounds are those of creaking floorboards and the storm outside. Her face is full of anger. Nostrils flare as she storms toward you, a bottle of claw wine in hands. Placing the two glasses down on the bar, she fills them. Raising hers she bellows, "but I think I'll give you the week off with pay instead! Drink up ya did good!" Raucous laughter erupts and the party is back it full swing.

People seem more focused on their own drinks and friends now. You feel you could slip away to your fellow heroes if you were so inclined.
 
Amy works her way through the crowd to the table where TBD and Sil are and she sits down with them, nursing what would appear from the tankards left on the bar to be her 4th ale.

"That was nuts! I'll have to nearly die doing stuff I know nothin' about more off'en." She giggled, though it would be clear by the look in her eyes that she is concerned. "You lot think Joshua'll be ok?" she asked, her tone turning serious amid the raucous laughter and talking in the bar.
 
"Hooray for ale!" Dagger yells as he sits down to drink and listen to the others he tips the cup back but only take a small amount so that he may keep his wits a little while longer. The events of the night so far where big and grand and he wanted to hear what he had missed to report it to others.
 
"Ms. Amy, i believe that with your healing hands my limited Marine healing we gave him more than a fighting chance. He's in skilled hands now. Not in any way belittling your accomplishment. I was very glad that you were there. You helped find him and got the skiff moving correctly. You've been a major player in this. in fact you all were. Thank you!"
 
The snapping line:
"I beg your pardon, but I have a matter I wish to discuss with you."
The voice belongs to tall, lean, tanned human. His hair turns a shade of silver near the temples, and he wears an immaculate pressed black suit. "I am here as a representative of Anders Solmor. Your recent heroics have come to his attention and he wishes to extend an offer to you. If you will follow me please."

Turning abruptly, his shoes squeak of the floor with the sharpness of the movement. Walking to a small side room where kegs are normally stored, he waits at the door expectantly for you.
 
"Mr. Wavechasser, a man you cantrust with your life" Dagger says with an young and naive voice as way of introducing the man. Standing to follow Wavechasser he looks to the others, "You coming, Piss ant?" and smiles mischievously.
 
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For a moment or two, annoyance comes over the Marine's face as he thought about what the Kenku said. 'He did not just say that...' before he remembers why Kenku make such excellent messengers. They repeat what they hear.
"You are so hanging out in the wrong places if that is what you have to use for insults Gullet Breath. Come down to the Marine Training Barracks tomorrow at 0600. We'll start that education along properly."
Finishing his ale off, he sees Tobi hiding in the back watching. "Tobi! Come on, Mr. Solmor wants to talk to us."
 
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Each individually rises to follow the man, TBD still holding her mug as she crosses to the room.
Inside is a young man, barely of legal age to own property, much less his family empire. Anders Solmor as many of you know does just that. In fact not just that but he is the youngest person elected to town council. Usually kept away from common folk or accompanied by guards since the untimely death of his parents at the hands of the Sea Princes.

Tonight he is dressed in a long black cloak, reaching all the way to the floor, it's hood lowered. As you enter he is warming his hands against the heat of an oil lantern. He's old enough to not have his voice break when he speaks, "good good, thank you for coming."

Turning to face the group he gives you a warm smile, "my name's Anders, Anders Solmor. Hopefully most of you have heard of me and my... family. I have a job that needs doing. I've been after the council for days to hire someone or send guards but they always dismiss my idea and refuse to look into the matter."

He looks nervously to Skerrin, as if to check how he's doing. In return he receives a nod of encouragement.

"I think I have uncovered an outpost of the Sea Princes! Where they kidnap local travelers and sell them into slavery!"
 
Dagger let's out a long, low whistle at this. This could be big news and something worth being part of, if the others would agree to it they could all be savior's of the city in a bigger way then tonight
 
Shrugging, TBD followed the others towards the room off to the side -- the young noble had seemed to do well for the town as far as she could tell and overheard in the bars and along the docks. The triton made a point of bringing her tankard with her, filled with lobster wine -- a drink most others only stomached on a dare or if it had truly been a bad day.

Seeing the young figure, TBD raised an eyebrow, surprised to meet the young man himself, and couldn't help but smile as he seemed to look for approval and assurance from his handler.

Waiting for him to finish she raised a finned hand, "Thee Councils oftenne seeme to have their ownne focus, yeas? Itte makes me gladde to see someone do whatte theie feele needs to bee done -- Ae amme Teshyn Beldes Dubonzath, butte manie seeme to calle me 'Tea-Bee-Dee'." Taking a sip of her wine she let it rest in her mouth for a moment, the familiar tingle of alcohol before swallowing and continuing. "Thee Princes take a loftie name for suche crueltie. Though Ae have notte been here verie longe, Ae woulde gladly offer to helpe remove such threats to these shores."

Smiling for a moment, her shark-like teeth on display TBD then frowned, "However, younge Lorde Solmor, Ae worrie thatte striking an outpostte would onlie focus them here more, or anger them, making them lash outte in retributionne. Perhaps thatte is whie the Council pauses?"
 
"If the Sea Princes attacked the town directly it would be an act of open war, one they would not dare risk with the king." His boisterous tone changes dramatically as sorrow crosses his face, and the grief of a man twice his age. "It is not fear of attack that makes the Council disregard the place. For a long time there have been ghost stories about the old alchemists mansion. They simply think my information is another tavern tale, told over drinks to frighten and amuse. My fellow councilmembers hate the Sea Princes as much as I, but they have not shared my loss..."
He seems to wipe something from his eye, and his manservant speaks up. "Sir! Perhaps it would be better to discuss such things in a less dusty environment."

The young man gathers himself, and stands tall once more.
"No no Skerrin, it's fine. It's time I stated my proposition. I want you to investigate the old mansion on the hill overlooking town. If legend holds true their should be more then enough treasure inside to make it worth your while, it's previous inhabitant was an alchemist of sofme renown. I need to know what's happening inside that building... I hope against hope that it is not slavers, but if it is we have to know. The town must be protected."
He looks to Skerrin then each of you, before returning a glance to Skerrin. Who smiles support to the young man as a father would.
 
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Dagger looks to Wavechasser before he speaks and takes a drink "Ae woulde gladly offer to helpe remove such threats to these shores." He takes another long drink, finishing it before he speaks again with many voices "Count....Dagger...in."
 
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