Noon - Freeday - 14 Ready'reat
Within the
Barracks of
Saltmarsh, Wee Jane states that she worked for the Agile Hand. Fireborn takes a hard look at Wee Jane before asking, "You worked for the Agile Hand?!"
Wee Jane responds, "Ya. I mean maybe worked for is a bit too strong a word. I've done a few jobs for them and they stiffed me on the last job. I'd love to pay them back so to speak."
Fireborn relaxes a bit as he continues, "So you know a little bit about them and where they call home. Good. That'll help this lot out. Do you want to, umm, interview our guest?"
Jane grins wickedly as she nods, "Yes! I definitely want to ask this person a few questions." She follows Fireborn downstairs to the cell at the end and immediately lays into the prisoner named Grinky, "What's with the map? I'm not understanding what floor is what. There are definitely three floors, but you are only showing two."
Cowering back deeper into the cell, his voice quivers, "I drew three floors. The Basement, ground level, and a second story."
"How many people?" Karia demands.
"Uh.. Ten to fifteen at any given time, I guess," Grinky answers.
Jane blurts, "Are you a member?"
"No," he responds, "They aren't taking new members these days, but I've worked with them since I was a teen."
Karia quickly pulls his attention back, "Are they well armed?"
"I'm not sure. It's so hard to be certain," he muses, "Guildmaster Dusk seems to run openly within Redshore regardless of the city guard. Does that mean she's got an arsenal behind her? Or does she have some other power or powers at her beck and call?"
Well, you're just a font of details!" Jane says in a huff before leading the party out of the jail. As they step outside into the cold wintery air, she asks, "What the hell game is he playing. Saying he's helping without giving any real information."
Adlia commiserates, "Some people just like to talk and this would be a way for him to reduce his punishment."
Karia feeling frustrated vents, "Well! I guess the Try-hard misfits are off to find this painting because it's sooo important. Ugh! This feels like gofer work. However, if we're going to do this, we should stock up on healing potions. Kyra, you've got a contact where we could purchase some?"
Kyra answers, "Maybe. I can certainly go ask. I'll meet up with you all at the
Snapping Line for lunch." Kyra then heads south toward the
Empty Net and
the Faithful Quartermasters of Iuz.
As the rest of the party heads toward down the town's square, Jane continues, "Grinky was definitely holding back. I've been to the Agile Hand's headquarters. I've seen the outside. He was definitely missing at least one floor and there are more guards than he notated and definitely more people around. I don't know what he's trying to achieve, but we can't trust his information. Anyhow, how are we getting to
Redshore? Does your group own a ship?"
"I own two actually," Nar quips, "Well we all do that is. However, we need a captain to run the ship. Let's head down to the docks and find O'Donahue." Upon reaching Captain O'Donahue's fishing vessel Nar calls out, "O captain my captain! What do you have going on today?" Several minutes pass without a reply before she turns to Karia, "hmm he must not be on the ship. Where else could he be?"
Karia replies, "He could be spending time with his family. Do you know where he lives?"
Nar shakes her head, "No. I guess we'll just head back to the inn and get lunch."
Upon entering the Snapping Line, the part sees Jimmy Jr, Capt O'Donahue's right-hand man, sitting at a table with a few others. Karia heads over and greets him, "Hey Jimmy Jr! I want to proposition you!"
Jimmy smirks, "Oh!? That sounds, umm, exciting!"
Blushing Karia responds, "I mean we need to hire you and O'Donahue for a trip. Do you know where O'Donahue lives and can we head over?"
"Well, that's a problem. Mrs O doesn't like the adventuring types," replies Jimmy Jr. "She thinks your kind causes chaos and trouble wherever you go. I doubt she'd be pleased if you just show up at his doorstep."
"Great!" Nar quips, "I'll let the captain know my desire to be friends with his wife, then she'll like us and it won't be a problem!"
"Umm," hedges Jimmy, "I'm not sure how well that will go either. How about I go let him know that you all have another trip planned and see what we can do?" Jimmy then stands up drops a few coins on the table and heads outside.
Adlia states, "I'm off to temple so we can tithe Procan for fair winds."
A few hours later, the party approaches
Primewater Mansion where the butler grants them entry and escorts them upstairs to a most irked Councillor
Primewater's office. As he finishes crossly scribbling out a note, he looks up and greets the party, "Hail! I see the glorious misfits have heard word of the rude and unpatriotic pilfering of my precious painting! I fear someone's out to sully my good name with his majesty, and after I went through all that trouble to showcase my dedication to the crown, it is truly reprehensible behavior by those charlatans! I'm certain you must be here after hearing of this despicable crime and to help salvage my good name as one of the utmost citizens of Saltmarsh."
Nar begins, "You know costs these days are crazy, so we came here. We want to know what it's worth to you."
"Of course, good lady Nar, let not mere trifles such as this stand in the way of justice! After all, this is not just some random work of art, but a piece donated by yours truly to the town of Saltmarsh, to remind all councilors of the august visage of his majesty! Surely word of its beauty would have spread far and wide as well as," Primewater winks knowingly and says in a conspiratory tone, "a certain councilor's dedication to the royal family, eh?" After a moment of a far-off look of joy in his eyes, his mind returns from the clouds and his expression sours and in a dejected tone he continues, "How can this be allowed to happen! It's not right and I--er I mean *we* cannot stand for it!"
Nar clarifies, "We understand your position, but the problem more lies with finding people. Everyone is doing weird Freeday rituals, like spending time with their family."
"Oh!" Primewater exclaims, "But don't you have your own ship? Couldn't you be loading it right now and making all haste?"
Jane speaks up, "Um. We need a captain and for that we need an advance. The captain and his crew require getting paid, you see."
"Ah! Of course, I understand," Primewater responds, "After all, economics is the life-blood of any town. That's easy enough, surely for this service to the town, I can authorize you to draw on a bit of our coffers to fund your journey." Pulling an abacus out of somewhere you don't care to image, he begins to muse, "Let's see, perhaps fifty-five gold a day? I suppose that will end up around four hundred forty gold for your expenses?" With that he quickly returns to his desk and writes, signs, and dates an official letter of credit to the town coffers, and affixes a wax seal emblazoned with the Saltmarsh town council seal granting the misfits the right to withdrawl the amount necessary.
The party quickly agrees and accepts the letter from Primewater, stopping to cash it along the way back to the Snapping Line. As they look for a table, the party sees Capt O'Donahue sitting with Jimmy Jr waving them over. The group quickly agrees to heading out tomorrow for hopefully a seven or eight day round trip and the party should be ready to sail by the morning tide. The party enjoys a meal and several hours of hanging out in the tavern before heading to their rooms.
Starday - 15 Ready'reat
The party rises early and heads toward their sailing vessel the Seaghost where Capt O'Donahue has already loaded it and rigged it waiting for the tide to turn. Coming aboard, the party quickly resumes the roles they've learned with Kyra checking the weather, Nar strumming on her lute, Karia climbs the mast, Adlia starts plotting a course, and Jane starts coiling the lines. Within hours the Seaghost finds heads eastward on open waters. A couple days pass with the wintery weather blowing squalls, but the ship keeps her heading, mostly, and continues on course to Redshore.
Godsday - 18 Ready'reat
The third day dawns with the sun hidden behind dark stormy clouds, but these pass eastward without unleashing their power.
Karia shouts out a warning as three figures leap out of the water. One immediately attacks Wee Jane on the bow, while another lands at midships and then runs up the ladder to flank Jane. The third attacks Adlia on the starboard midships deck.
Kyra leaps upward as her boots sprout wings taking her out of range while weaving arcane engergies into a scorching ray blasting the Sahuagin near Adlia. Jane feels deep cuts as both of her sahuagin attackers breach her defenses as she then retorts with her blade swishing forth. Nar fires arrows into one and then moves in to flank it against Jane. From the crows nest, Karia showers arrows down upon the bow. Adlia hearing her compatriot cry out in pain calls upon the blessings of Ehlonna providing succor to Jane.
The battle wages hotly as both sides seek retribution upon the other, but then following a strike from Jane, one of the
sahuagin blademasters leaps for the open ocean, but Jane instantly reacts and slices its head clean. The body falls to the deck as coins scatter forth.
Feeling the tide turning against them, the other two sahuagin make a strategic retreat leaving echoes of steel ringing against steel behind.
The party heaves a huge sigh of relief as Adlia calls upon
Ehlonna for healing. Within an hour, the docks of Redshore come into view.
