Marcellano, spells newly prepared, also listens from afar, stroking his goatee and biting his tongue.
"Coffee or pie, especially pie" and he gives him a mug of coffee and a slice of pie. The group walks over to the table. Robin and Cadas put the pie and mug down, with a smile. "Mmmpphh" the sheriff mumbles as he stuffs most of the pie into his mouth. After finishing chewing, he continues, "and what brings you to our fair village?" he queries. "We don't have many visitors this far out, especially since the Black Arrows have not visited in several weeks."
Marcellano watches carefully.
Having already seen the ruin in town herself Cadas watches for the man's reaction to Robin's questions.
"Well the Black Arrows do an excellent job at keeping the roads and forest edges relatively safe for hunters and travelers, but for the past several weeks there’s been no sign of the rangers in the hinterlands or in town. Normally, an official delegation of rangers from Fort Rannick would visit Turtleback Ferry on every Fireday, in addition to their individual off-duty visit, so when two weeks passed without any sign of them, messengers were sent to the fort to investigate. None returned. That is when we sent word to Magnimar for help. I guess your the help."
"Aye, I have seen that sign. The regulars at the Paradise boat wore then. It was given to them by a beautiful red-haired woman named Lucrecia who ran the barge. It allowed them all hours access and they did not have to pay the cover charge when entering the place. When the boat sank a week ago, losing twelve or our citizens, some said it was the lake monster, some said it was from the combined weight of all the sins of all on the boat."
"Ah the Shimmerglens. The lights are just lanterns that are on the boardwalk from the beach into the Santos Forrest, but all the rain in the last few weeks, and the town flooding, and the sinking of the Paradise, folks will try to come up with reasons."
Marcellano glances sharply at the others when the red-haired woman tattooing people with the Sihedron is mentioned. "This is very important, sheriff: did this 'Lucrecia' survive the sinking of the Paradise? And were many of the people on the ship when it sank marked by that rune?"
Marcellano frowns. "I see. I, for one, have no further questions..."
Cadas sends a knowing look to Marcellano before adding I am going to ask you to trust us on this one, and do not want to explain all we know about that symbol, but I would ask you to do all you can to dissuade its use in Turtleback from now on. Suffice it to say that it is very bad luck and those who choose to wear it should not be completely trusted. She then asks about the identity of the man she saw wearing the make in the Inn earlier.
After that she asks more about the location of the boat and how the townspeople got out to it. And how deep is the water there, does anyone know?
"Aye, I don't relish the prospect but it should be investigated. Anyone able to help me grow gills for a bit?"
Marcellano chuckles. "Perhaps with the blessings of Gozreh the Gill-Giver?" he asks, glancing at Cadas. "I could look around to see if there are any other arcanists in this town...but the odds of one knowing a spell to permit breathing underwater seem small."
I will be prepared to provide water breathing. But combat under water is not so easy. Bludgeoning and slashing weapons are not effective. Best to have piercing weapons. She hoists her trident to show it. I can grant Freedom of Movement to one or two of us at best.
The group heads to the docks, and walking to the end, you pass several folks, some fishing off the pier and some on the way out of town; they look like hunters.
Adolina looks into the water, and one of the fishermen asks her what she is looking for and when she replies the Paradise boat, he tells her, "it sank about 100 feet off the dock. It is in perhaps 50 feet of water. All the sins on board where just too much for the old barge" and he goes back to his fishing.
Cadas will cast Water Breathing on the group, which lasts more than two hours each. She also casts Freedom Of Movement on Adeline and Atrius as soon as everyone says they are ready to go. She gets Bearskin for herself and maintains Light on her shield. And she will cast Bless just as the group enters the water. Lets get this barge explored!
Marcellano grimaces slightly, but nods. "I've never been fond of swimming...but I suppose there must be a first time for all things." He casts extended mage armor on himself before diving in, leaving Narcizi to perch on the dock.
Cadas casts spells that allow everyone to breathe underwater, and also a spell on Atrius and Adolina. While Marcellano casts a spell on himself, Cadas casts a spell on herself and her skin thickens and toughens, and finally casts bless on the group. Adolina, once the initial spell is cast, strips down to her snakeskin tunic and leads the way into the lake.
Moving slowly, with Adolina and Atrius in the lead you walk out the 100 feet, at a depth of about 50 feet in a few minutes. Seeing the boat, you approach and an enormous 30 foot fish, a sleek predator with bony scales and a long set of toothy jaws, decides to attack. It is heading directly for Adolina.
Marcellano burbles incoherently underwater, but can still cast spells if need be. When he sees the giant fish approach, he watches carefully to see what his friends do. If need be, he opens his mouth and casts a spell on the creature, waves of energy rippling through the water.
Before the gar has the opportunity to attack, Robin casts a spell, and the gar swims away, to stay about sixty feet away from Adolina, and it circles around but does not approach.
Now that you have time, you spend a while searching the ship. The investigation of the wreck turns up several interesting facts. First, among the fish-eaten skeletons of those who died, none wearing Lucrecia’s fancy clothing are in evidence. Second, the barge’s hull bears several obviously artificial holes, the boards burst out rather than in, indicating that the damage that caused the barge to sink was inf licted from on board; perhaps deliberately.
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Robin is delighted as the shark thingy slinks off. "It's like we have our own bodyguard, now, guarding the waters! It should want to stay away from our half-elf for quite a while. Let's keep going and see what we find. Don't stray too far Adolina!"
"Right you are Robin." Adolina burbles through the murky water of the lake. She doesn't take part in the actual search of the barge, maintaining position on what was once the roof, watching the gar as it circles the sunken wreck.
Marcellano smiles as well, pleased not to have to spend any of his own arcane resources. "A neat trick, Robin," he burbles. Then he sighs, annoyed by the sound of his own voice underwater.
When the party gets to the wreck, Marcellano looks over it with a careful, critical eye. He points out the holes in the deck, indicating with his hands the suspicion that they were destroyed from inside, rather than out. He murmurs something and waves his hands, then very carefully examines the wreckage again.
Cadas's face darkens with realization. This sinking, it was all a sacrifice of greedy people by the lamia matriarch. Just like the sacrifices back in Sand Point, only on a much grander scale. I'd bet diner that this Lucrecia was non other than the lamia.
Atrius frowns.
"I wouldn't want to take that bet, Cadas. How wide-spread are these fiends?"
I only know of two - sisters. One is dead at our hands. The other is thought to be ... here.
When Marcellano uses detect magic on the ship, he finds nothing magical. Inspecting the skeletons, you see that there is not enough flesh left after the various lake creatures have taken their lunches from the bodies. There are no sigils and other than the information already gleaned there is nothing else to discover here.
Cadas takes a moment to look around for clues or valuables. She expects to find little and suspects if the ship's sinking was planned then little of value would remain here. After she motions to the others to go back to shore.
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Once the others emerge from the wreckage Adolina swims slowly to the surface, keeping everyone else in the group around her. She makes sure she is the last one out of the lake and spends some time wringing out her soaked hair - thoroughly glad to be out from under the water.
"Well that decides it. I definitely prefer hot baths to swimming!"
Cadas emerges from the water with a smile upon her face. My deity is a deity of water and weather. To be held so, even for a short time is an exhilarating blessing.
"I have to say, I'm with Adolina here. I most especially would not welcome being in water in my armor without the aid of magic!"
Marcellano, clambering out of the lake, uses prestidigitation to dry off himself, Adolina, Atrius, and anyone else who seems like they would want it. Given the limits of the spell, it takes some time.
"I've little doubt that Cadas is right," he says, stone-faced, in between castings. "This was likely some sort of fulfillment of a powerful and evil ritual. That sinking was no accident--boats that have accidents don't generally have holes blown out of them!" "This Lucrecia has probably finished most of the work she had to do here and disappeared. I say that we visit the man with the Sihedron tattoo to learn what we can about her and then, assuming he doesn't have anything earth-shattering to tell us, make our way to the Fort."
With Adolina bringing up rear guard, the group heads back to shore and exits with water having learned everything you can about the sinking of the boat.
Atrius is in agreement with Marcellano.
I am unsure that this marked man is worth any time but he is at least convenient. Let us do this and head to the fort.
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"I think Cadas is right. Didn't the man in the tavern say the tattoo served as a kind of members mark? I'd assume that our man simply didn't go to the Paradise that night - in a town like this not every man is going to be debauching himself every night, not if he wants to keep his wife!" Adolina smirks a little at that. "We'd best head to the fort without delay in my opinion."
"Still, he may be able to tell us something, and it will only take a few minutes," Marcellano says sternly. "A greater description of this woman, perhaps, or information on how and when the tattoo was applied...perhaps he's even been in communication with her. We can't know unless we look!"