"Huh. I take it you don't have his body?"
"Nooooo sar! Hit were still functionin, under powers what aren't completely natural."
"So he was dead, but still moving and talking? He's undead?"
"Aye; movin, and cursin' the living!!! Oh, save us!"
Oh, and walleye was this kinda fish my grandfather used to catch up in Minnesota, along with pike and muskellunge.
"Thanks for looking after the young ladies, Stig - drink on me, eh?"
"Cheers!"
"Aye; movin, and cursin' the living!!! Oh, save us!"
"Clearly ye need tae slay th' fool beest. 'E's yer mukker nae longer, laddie."
Oh, and walleye was this kinda fish my grandfather used to catch up in Minnesota, along with pike and muskellunge.
"Thanks for looking after the young ladies, Stig - drink on me, eh?"
"Cheers!"
"Aye; movin, and cursin' the living!!! Oh, save us!""Clearly ye need tae slay th' fool beest. 'E's yer mukker nae longer, laddie."
"Uich! We attemted said act, but he was too quick wi' is woodoo stick, waggin it at oos! Than spoosh! Back in the drinky!
We're doomed...."
Becton listens to sailor's tales, but the description immediately perks his ears. He looks at Altai to confirm his suspicions -
"Sounds an awful lot like the (name I forget) Anderhoff when last we saw him - fishlike man and all that. Could it be the missing brother out on a lark; is he a were-beast too? Hope he didn't escape."
He turns to the sailors. "Pelor's light be with you, men - you'll get no guff from me; only my blessing. When did you see this Walleyed Wally? How long ago? And what happened to your friend - did he go diving in, right then? Or did he go and disappear later? Were you out near the old mansion when this happened?"
"Perhaps a drink to smooth the tongue, eh?"
Becton listens to sailor's tales, but the description immediately perks his ears. He looks at Altai to confirm his suspicions -
"Sounds an awful lot like the (name I forget) Anderhoff when last we saw him - fishlike man and all that. Could it be the missing brother out on a lark; is he a were-beast too? Hope he didn't escape."He turns to the sailors. "Pelor's light be with you, men - you'll get no guff from me; only my blessing. When did you see this Walleyed Wally? How long ago? And what happened to your friend - did he go diving in, right then? Or did he go and disappear later? Were you out near the old mansion when this happened?"
"Perhaps a drink to smooth the tongue, eh?"
"Hit were midday's we were pulling hin th' nets this day and heading back to Saltmarsh. We went....south southwest; about 40 knots out t'sea. (the mansion's due east, so no...) (so, about 8 hours ago they saw him).
Aye, he pointed his woodoo stick! Says, "dive!" to Polloy, and young Polloy, that's what he did right then and there! He dove right off the ship, and we didn't see him agin! Oh, Polloy, Here's to you me hearty!!!" He pounds a swig.
In the corner, the sculptor is sketching something now.
Elgan thanks Tenser for his kind comment on his shooting in Sylvan, but seems, distracted, even to the dog.
From that point on, he is even more quiet than usual. Though he seems alert and watchful as usual, just even quieter than his usual observant self.
He does make sure to catch and say a personal farewell to Harvak before he departs. Wishing him well, hoping their paths cross again and all that. He also whispers a request for the half-orc to say hello to a family member if he gets the chance.
When they return to Saltmarsh, he silently follows Stiggy to what has become their favorite hangout. He accepts without question whatever the ranger-turned-barkeep hands him, and sits at the bar. Seemingly enjoying his drink, just thinking. Though he does perk up and volunteer more useful information about how the girls came to be there, (if not too much more understandable) than the drunken dwarf is probably capable of providing at the moment.
He regards the ongoing battle of wit-(less) with some concern at first, then with a slowly growing smile as it continues ad-hoc-nauseam. By the time The priest has rejoined them he seems to have fully recovered from whatever was bothering him.
"Ah don' have a clue whut hese ram'lin 'bout mos' o' da time, but he sure is fun ta listen too!" He tells the barkeep and her lizard pal, pointing to Reise.
When the opportunity presents itself after the conversation with the drunkards and the discovery of probably another Anderhoff brother on the loose, Elgan approaches Becton.
"Scuze meh chere, but ah wuz won'drin', if'n yeh don' min', Kin ah axe yeh a question?"
Harvak, to Elgan;...
"Who's that? Family member? IDK; them Dreadwood middlers usually ain't liken no halforcs too much.
No offence or nothing.
Later, druid dude."
“I heard that there’s all sorts of fishy people living under the sea,” comments Beldan, drunk but not yet too drunk. “It’s the good looking ones who get all the publicity – you know, sea elves like Ocean and mermaids … but then there’s these other ones, like reverse mermaids, with fish heads and men’s bodies. Pretty darn ugly from what I hear. Maybe that’s what yer mate caught.” He looks thoughtful for a moment and then leans in, voice lowered somewhat. “’Course, there was a tavern tale when I lived up north, ‘bout this little town somewhere down the coast in the boondocks. Seems that some of the folk there worshipped this thing from deep in the ocean. Father Dagon some called it, though I heard other names as well. Used to offer up their women to it, and they’d come back and give birth to sons with fishy features. Freaky stuff. Wouldn’t want to visit a place like that…” he suddenly cuts off and looks around at the locals with suspicion.
The sculptor ambles up to the hysterical drunken 'salts.
"I've drawn out two things that might be helpful in figuring out what this was, this Willy Walleye. Tell me if they help."
He shows one fish-headed man;
it looks like a horrid striped thing with a mouth filled with needlelike fangs. They shake their heads no.
The next sketch looks like a cross between a man, a fish, and a frog; no again.
"That's strange," the sculptor murmurs.
"Let me try one more thing."
He sketches for a minute or two;....
"How about this?"
He shows a picture of a lean-bodied man, with a fish's head supplanted on his head, with goggly blackish eyes and fins aplenty.
"OH PELOR SAVE US! THAT'S HIM! IS WILLY WALLEYE!!!"
Mardel looks confused.
"Guys, I drew a sahuagin, then a kuo toa. The one they identified was a locathah. That's weird, though. I thought they were more scared of men than the other way around."
"Me like picture of naked ladies, no fish men. Anyone see Jane?"
She's not at the bar...
"Huh. Strange things live in the sea - and if the locathah is truly undead, it might not act like its living compatriots do."
"Locathah? Ooo nooo. It's gine ta be war aginn. We've started a war! Oh, Pelor, no!" they're really slurring their speech now.
Altai looks over to Kailee. "Uh, war? What war?"
"Hasn't been trouble with the locathah in nigh on 12 years..."
How much to pay for the best room in the house for the night?
Next day Beldan wants to buy Pharsia a horse or pony (whatever is most appropriate for her size and equestrian skill) for the journey between the manor and town. Since he knows little about horses, he'll try to cajole Elgan or Stiggy (who for some bizarre reason Beldan assumes knows something about horses) to come along to see that he doesn't get ripped off.
How much to pay for the best room in the house for the night?
Next day Beldan wants to buy Pharsia a horse or pony (whatever is most appropriate for her size and equestrian skill) for the journey between the manor and town. Since he knows little about horses, he'll try to cajole Elgan or Stiggy (who for some bizarre reason Beldan assumes knows something about horses) to come along to see that he doesn't get ripped off.
"For you, sweety....1 g.p." Kialee replies.
When the opportunity presents itself after the conversation with the drunkards and the discovery of probably another Anderhoff brother on the loose, Elgan approaches Becton.
"Scuze meh chere, but ah wuz won'drin', if'n yeh don' min', Kin ah axe yeh a question?"
Becton glances Elgan's way with a bemused look from the current going-ons. "Go ahead, Elgan...no need to stand on ceremony." He offers him a chair/stool next to him at the bar as sign of welcome.
"Hasn't been trouble with the locathah in nigh on 12 years..."
"Pelor's shining face...it sounds like there might be more trouble. I hope the Stoutlys haven't had any problems out their way," he comments.
"I hope these fishmen don't decide to get in league with the smugglers..." Becton murmurs.
"Smugglers! Fishmen! Och, ahm goin' inlind to farm for sure!!!"
the 'salt swigs another hit of liquid fortification.
The next morning, Becton and........, and the sculptor show up at the church of Pelor in Saltmarsh.
"Oh, I know him.....the guy who made that anyway," he says of an angel scuplted in the entryhall.
You're shown in to see the High Priestess; "Becton! (and friends...) You're back soon. What can I do for you today?"
Beldan, Pharsia, and .....mosey down to the stables.
Standard rates; plenty of horses and ponies, even some warhorses are up.
A guy in an apron that was shoeing a horse, with a blacksmith's hammer,.....young guy with forearms like steel cord, comes up to Beldan....
"I hear you're trying to get a horse. I can get you a good deal on a Baklunish light warhorse; half price....meet me (here) at (9 p.m) when I'm off of work." He hands you a paper.
It's the address to the Flounder Pounder, another Bar in Saltmarsh.
"I got her in the barn there."
Oh, and Elgan; what was that question for Becton?
Oh, and Elgan; what was that question for Becton?
Elgan nods and gives a small smile to the priest as he offers the chair. The wood elf nimbly hops up onto it and looks the priest in the eyes.
"Ah wuz jes' wunderin', Did'ja never have a, whutsitcalled? A 'Crises o' fait'? I wuz raised and taught ta beleiv' dat ah alwuys have ta remain neutral, espec'ly in conflicts between duh humanoids. "Laws o' Nature' an' all dat. An' a've always had a hard time wit' dat. I means, sometimes sometin' is jes' wrong ya know? An ah has ta step in an' he'p. An ah've never thought nuthin' of it."
He looks into his drink, obviously not interested in it as an escape.
"But dat Spriggan back dere? He's from da old times. Back from when da eart' wuz young. An he said sum t'ings dat were true. He wuz hurtin' people, and Ah had ta stop 'im, but,... dat don' make whut he said any less true."
He looks back to the priest. "Muh goddess don' talk direct ta us much. She usually jes' pretty impers'nal lahk dat. An she don' seem ta have a problem wit' muh actions. Ah means, I kin still shift, an' cast spells an all, so ah guess ah hav'nt crossed a line. But whut ah feel ah have ta do is more an more con'flictin' wit' whut ah've been taught. Seein' as how you'v' a more direct-speaking diety, ah wuz wunderin' if'n yeh had any insight yeh might be able ta share in a situational as dis?"
Elgan notices some nice horses in and among the ones the horsemerchant has for sale.
There's a nice bay gelding (light riding) horse that looks real healthy.
He says, "Hidey hidey hi!!!" to Elgan.
Seeing that this was mostly his idea, Altai runs along to church the next morning. "Ah, um, your Holiness... I was thinking that we might have caught something of a break. You see, after we rescued Mardel here, along with some others, from a group of slavers, he showed us some fascinating and disturbing figures..."
"... and I just thought that, with our recent troubles, this seems lie too good to be a coincidence. Perhaps this robber knight's in league with Skullface?"
Right on; are y'all talking in front of Mardel, or in another room or something?
Stig passes out on the bar.
Stig passes out on the bar.
Right on; it's the next morning; (next time you wake up anyway ;))
nitey nite!
Right on; are y'all talking in front of Mardel, or in another room or something?
The priestess speaks: "I could make this room so that none within may lie. For as long as
(she picks up an hour glass) this pours sand. Then you could question him.
The young knight of whom you speak though; I....don't know if anyone in the town council is going to agree to question him; he is nobility; and that still means something, for a time at least.
He does keep to his own. He rides in the countryside a lot. I've never conversed with him; I don't know who has. He doesn't attend this church, and I don't think any other.
I....did cure him of a broken leg once. When he was twelve. A riding accident.
He was stoic; intense. Silent; very economic with words. He's always been a loner, even as a boy."
The young knight of whom you speak though; I....don't know if anyone in the town council is going to agree to question him; he is nobility; and that still means something, for a time at least.
Naah; you got 10 minutes (game time) to ask him stuff, and anything he says has to be the truth, unless he saved.
The spell does not compel him to answer, though.
I was going to leave it up to you guys, because she doesn't want anything to do with it in an official capacity, and if she did the questioning then I'm just n.p.c. grandstanding; plus I probably won't ask what you want to know anyway, due to subconscious issues.
Or he could just retell his story...
The story again?
He's not really sure why the guy wants the sculptures; he's only met him once or twice in Grey Hawk, when they discussed the work in question.
Domagel didn't seem like a ravening virgin sacrificer, or anything like that. The sculptor really didn't think it was all too bizarre a comission.
That being said, any other questions?
Elgan notices some nice horses in and among the ones the horsemerchant has for sale.
There's a nice bay gelding (light riding) horse that looks real healthy.
He says, "Hidey hidey hi!!!" to Elgan.
"Yeah? You reckon I should buy that one? Is it gentle?"
Beldan, Pharsia, and .....mosey down to the stables.
Standard rates; plenty of horses and ponies, even some warhorses are up.A guy in an apron that was shoeing a horse, with a blacksmith's hammer,.....young guy with forearms like steel cord, comes up to Beldan....
"I hear you're trying to get a horse. I can get you a good deal on a Baklunish light warhorse; half price....meet me (here) at (9 p.m) when I'm off of work." He hands you a paper.
It's the address to the Flounder Pounder, another Bar in Saltmarsh.
"I got her in the barn there."
"I'll check it out ... if I'm still in town tonight," he says non-committally. Sounds dodgy, he thinks, not that that's always a bad thing...
"Yeah? You reckon I should buy that one? Is it gentle?"
Elgan notices some nice horses in and among the ones the horsemerchant has for sale.
There's a nice bay gelding (light riding) horse that looks real healthy.
He says, "Hidey hidey hi!!!" to Elgan.
Elgan asks the horse....
"Yeah, I'm pretty gentle I reckon I am." Says the bay. "I like apples, and sugar cubes. A little girl usedta givem to me, and I rode her around the manor grounds. I don't know how I got here, but this place sucks doggy! They don't scratch my ears enough.Lemme go witchoo guys.
Hey, you understand me? What th' heck!"
And translates.
"I'll check it out ... if I'm still in town tonight," he says non-committally. Sounds dodgy, he thinks, not that that's always a bad thing...Beldan, Pharsia, and .....mosey down to the stables.
Standard rates; plenty of horses and ponies, even some warhorses are up.A guy in an apron that was shoeing a horse, with a blacksmith's hammer,.....young guy with forearms like steel cord, comes up to Beldan....
"I hear you're trying to get a horse. I can get you a good deal on a Baklunish light warhorse; half price....meet me (here) at (9 p.m) when I'm off of work." He hands you a paper.
It's the address to the Flounder Pounder, another Bar in Saltmarsh.
"I got her in the barn there."
It's buyin a horse...how dodgy could it be? ;)