GoS Session 10: The Merchant Report

General Summary

Fireday 18th Lowsun, Year 619. Saltmarsh Last time we left our heroes, they were hatching a plan to send into Gellan Primewater Mansion. The goal was to try to find any evidence which would help to incriminate the town councillor in smuggling. As they stood on a small dock not far from the Primewater Mansion, they noticed several prominent members of the Town Council and nobility entering the mansion. The Primewaters were hosting a dinner party. With the lengthening shadows, Hekate took the opportunity to slip down to the dockyard entrance. A few nights earlier had spotted Ned Shakeshaft accessing the mansion this way. After carefully picking the locked door, Hekate slipped through the door, soon finding herself in a large warehouse. After a cursory exploration of the goods, she found that they discovered common trade goods; silks, spirits and cloth. With the sounds of the party in full swing, Hekate moved upstairs; following William's directions and eventually finding herself in Gellan's office. The wooden panelled office featured a sizeable southern-facing window facing the docks, ornate fireplace and several bookcases and a beautifully carved rosewood desk. As Hekate studied the room, she discovered a smouldering scrap of paper left in the dying embers of the fire. It looked as though it was once a part of a larger document, now destroyed by fire.

Placing the scrap of paper in her pouch, Hekate turned her attention to the table; eventually discovering a concealed compartment in the desk. Upon opening the hidden drawer, she found a stiletto dagger, a pouch of gold and a small scroll of containing a strange arrangement of text. Unable to discern the meaning of the writing, she took it and the other items into her pack, before closing the door.

With William's invisibility spell still in effect, Hekate took the opportunity to engage in further larceny. Following the corridors of the house, she eventually came across the master bedroom. The large set of wardrobes, a quick rifle through revealed a small series of locked drawers. After successfully opening one, Hekate discovered a beautiful necklace and earrings, which she quickly added to her growing collection. Sensing that she might be pushing her luck, Hekate retraced her steps and returned to the rest of the group. After informing her compatriots of her finding, the group decided it would be best to return to The Wicker Goat. Where William could spend the evening deciphering the note. On their short journey, they came across two bedraggled figures, who quickly beseeched them for help. The lead figure introduced himself as Turi Porco, a Merchant who had been attacked by Orcs. Turo and his caravan were just a couple of hours from town when the orcs struck. Both Turi and his bodyguard Wilhelm managed to escape, however, his second bodyguard Alphonse was slain. Turi offered the party 100 gold each, to help him recover his items. Deciding to set off in the morning, the group headed into the Wicker Goat. Leaving the rest of the group in the taproom, William spent several hours in the room translating the documents. He found that the text was coded using a simple cypher. A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Z E N O P U S A B C D F G H I J K L M Q R T V W X Y Using this key, he was able to translate the letter:

Drop off completed the Masquerade landed in good time. Successful unloading the manifest includes

Meat 6 units

Brandy 16 barrels

Silk 25 bolts

Lakua 11lbs

Repairs have continued to the tower. We have created a second store to house the goods. I await further instructions.

Mabyn

Swordsday 19th Lowsun, Year 619. Saltmarsh The party rose early the next day. As William, Hekate and accompanied Turi to retrieve his goods, stayed in town to nurse Wilhelm. After a couple of hours of travel, the small group case across the group of orcs. They'd used Turi's wagon to block the road and had roasted Turi's horse. Using stealth and a couple of well-timed spells the group managed to get the drop on the orcs.

The resulting fight was bloody and brief. Turi, William and Theseus peppered the orcs from afar, while Hekate snuck into close quarters with the orcs. The orc chief spent much of the combat, suspended in the air above the battlefield after a quick-thinking William used a levitation spell on the defenceless orc. The battle ended with our heroes standing over the bodies of the dead orcs.