Narciso turns and glares when Naia mentions that it was the human prisoner that poisoned the man known as Thout. He starts to speak but pauses to listen to Edam, then continues. "Hang him and then forgive him? Not a bad idea. See that's what I mean about evil though. We don't know why the goblin attacked. Heck, maybe they were hungry and didn't know humans weren't food. They attacked. You all killed them. Without knowing their motivation who can truly say if they are evil. He points at the other prisoner, "But that bastard poisoned your man? That is evil and he deserves to be put out of YOUR misery! I wouldn't say to poison him with his own, but hanging may be a good choice. Or when the others get back I think I could talk Grond into taking his head off with that big axe of his. It'd be a quick, merciful death. Probably more than he deserves...."
"Or are you keeping him alive for questioning by the authorities in town?"
”That is the current plan...” Naia replies, emphasising the ephemeral nature of the nameless bastard’s fate meaningfully...
Nodding wearily as Fedora speaks to Corporal Rain, Peran adds his own response.
"Thank you to you and your men Corporal...I just wish we could have been quicker. I think we may have some clues to follow up on, however."
He trudges back with the others as they make their way to the Inn.
[b]"So where to next? The stables to see if those sailor's horses are still there?"{/b]
"We could certainly inquire of the stablehand as to the whereabouts of the horses the sailors used, yet remember we are still supposed to be resting in our room now," Ferona reminds him. "We could discreetly ask Warfa to find out for us however."
That well may be very true but we should still keep our guard up.
-----------------------------
Antas, Ferona, Peran - 4th Day of Readying, Godsday (worship day)
Late Afternoon - 6.5 hours past noon
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Map of the Town of Saltmarsh
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The Wagon takes off and makes it way through the grassy field onto the dirt road heading south down Beacon Trail. The wagon will take the turn on to Main street and will travel to the North Road and back down to the barracks from the other end of town. Corporal Rain walks behind the wagon but in front of you. He plans on walking to the Beacon to talk to Lira.
The three of you see them leave and are making your way on to Peddler's Road heading south. As you walk down the road you notice the traffic is light and hardly anyone is out or about. The wagon turns left around the bend and heads down Main Street and the young corporal continues to walk down Beacon's Trail. You pass the locksmith (1) on the left as you round the bend the splits off Beacon Trail and Main Street.
Peran
Antas
Ferona
Edan
Edan laughs at Naia's expression. Very well Naia! I will hold my tongue!
He looks to the unnamed man and back to Narciso. My guessing is that one will not like the questioning he will receive from the Watch Commander.
Grond, D'ogryn, Rabalar, Soros
Grond checks the sides of the chest and grabs the sides thinking it might be heavy (the chest is thick solid oak wood reinforced with rusted iron banding). The half orc picks it up with ease and looks a bit surprised.
The chest feels empty and you can neither feel nor hear anything moving in it.
Edan
Edan laughs at Naia's expression. Very well Naia! I will hold my tongue!
He looks to the unnamed man and back to Narciso. My guessing is that one will not like the questioning he will receive from the Watch Commander.
** spoiler omitted **
"Good. Just what a poisoner deserves." Narciso sits back and relaxes, waiting for the group to return with the chest.
"What is going on? This is too light" - Grond frowns at the others - "I can easily carry it myself"
Naia nods in agreement. She stands, stretches her arms out, checks the sky, Thout/Edan, the goblin, nameless bastard and the fire before sitting back down.
She leans back to look at the trussed man.
"I got a name for you. Nameless bastard isn't really a name. But Pissface is." She stands up. "See, when I look at you, all I see is vileness and waste. The story of your evil is written on your features. So. Pissface." she spits the words out as an epithet. As if aware of Edan's likely disapproval she shrugs.
"I'm sorry E. You'll probably have a proverb for me about evil begetting evil. And you'd be right. There's a sorrow in me that doesn't bear sayin'. The sooner we hand him over the better."
"Let us hurry now," Ferona murmurs as the Corporal proceeds along the road, "I an feeling tired now and could use a long bath. Let's follow the Dock road so we avoid the crowds."
The olf sighs. "We didn't spend much time examining it, as we were worried about other house occupants. It fits the state of the house for the one chest that looks worth investigating to be empty, though, don't you think?" He shakes his head. "Anything else you want to grab while we're in here, D'Og?"
D'ogryn stares at the chest for a very long time.
I have failed you Dalt. I...failed...
His emotions are slowly coming to the forefront when he regains his calm...
No...There is more to this...I have not seen inside and therefore have not found its secrets. It true value can only be found once opened...
His eyes roam over the chest as if it is a chest match...trying to figure out his next move to beat his opponent.
Most likely nothing inside but I wish to see for myself. I would like to know one way or the other...I say we take it outside but we can pop it open right here and now.
He turns to Rabalar and nods slightly towards the unexplored side of the house.
The only other thing I want to grab is what may be in the other side of the house we did not explore...but I understand that we are a bit banged up...still you asked.
Soros
Soros looks at the chest that the half-orc is carrying and back to D'ogryn. "You do realize there are two chests. One in this room...the goblins were clawing at and the one covered in dirt and dust in this next room."
He points to the room just north of this storage room.
D'ogryn stares at the chest for a very long time.
I have failed you Dalt. I...failed...
His emotions are slowly coming to the forefront when he regains his calm...
No...There is more to this...I have not seen inside and therefore have not found its secrets. It true value can only be found once opened...His eyes roam over the chest as if it is a chest match...trying to figure out his next move to beat his opponent.
Most likely nothing inside but I wish to see for myself. I would like to know one way or the other...I say we take it outside but we can pop it open right here and now.He turns to Rabalar and nods slightly towards the unexplored side of the house.
The only other thing I want to grab is what may be in the other side of the house we did not explore...but I understand that we are a bit banged up...still you asked.
D'ogryn takes a moment as he ponders his thoughts and looks over at the chest that Grond is holding.
He can see that the oak wood was varnished a long time ago...but it has faded in spots and the wood is water-swollen and the hinges are rusted through. He looks back at where it was sitting...under the window. Broken glass lies around the chest covered in dust and the boards on the window are cracked and broken. The window seal is warped, rotted in spots as is the flooring near the window and around the chest.
Antas, Ferona, Peran - 4th Day of Readying, Godsday (worship day)
Late Afternoon - 7.0 hours past noon
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Map of the Town of Saltmarsh
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You hear the town cryer sounding off that it is now seven past noonday as you go down through Merchant's Row and on to Hynms Road. You pass through the Commons without issue. You make it on to Common's Road and down Whaler's Road. The breeze off the ocean tells of a cool night as you make your way into a crowded Rest. The sounds of merry songs, the smell of pipeweed fill the air along with good food.
Before the party enters through the front door Ferona holds up her hand, "No one is supposed to be aware of our absence. Let's return through the back way." She then slips around the front entrance and to the back door where they had exited earlier.
Soros
Soros looks at the chest that the half-orc is carrying and back to D'ogryn. "You do realize there are two chests. One in this room...the goblins were clawing at and the one covered in dirt and dust in this next room."
He points to the room just north of this storage room.
Grond looks somewhat frustrated at the group around him, and without a word puts down the 'empty' chest, and moves to the next door over, weapon in hand.
He tests the door, and if it opens, he does exactly that, checking the inside of that room.
Party in the Haunted House
Grond places the chest on the ground in front of D'ogryn and walks off and right by Soros into the dirty hallway. He turns and looks into the adjoining room to the north as the door is wide open they way D'ogryn left it.
This was once a large bedroom, now decaying and dirty. Filled with cobwebs, dirt, dust, and refuse. Damp mold and mildew cover the walls and ceilings liberally all over the room. Rubbish is strewn about the floor and in the center is an old mattress. It is badly worn and torn from which stuffing protrudes. Under the window is a large wooden chest, the timbers split at the front and covered in a thick coating of dust and mold. The iron bandings are rusted and the wood appears to be swollen.
There is nothing else in the room other than broken, shattered, and destroyed furniture. It is apparent the goblins came into this room as well at some point but have left the room alone for a good while.
Narciso, Naia, Edan, and Thout
The breeze picks up from the south and Naia can feel the temperature dropping ever so slightly. The wind will bring a cool night tonight. As she looks south and scans the horizon she doesn't see rain of any sort.
Thout seems to toss and turn his head as he begins to snore. He has obviously fallen into a deeper sleep. Edan checks on him and seems to not be concerned with the noises coming from the man. The Touv then checks the unnamed man and the goblin. The man appears to be napping but both Narciso and Naia suspect he is putting on a show...
No noises are sounds are coming from the house but at points Narciso can hear Grond talking and a younger voice...the cook possibly...with is Southern Keoish accent.
"I don't think we ever actually entered that room. You might see an arrow or two in the mattress. Something's growing on or in it, and we weren't real interested in seeing how we would respond to it."
"So there might be something alive in there?" - Grond replies to Rabalar.
"Molds. Fungi. Lots of it. Just not a place we wanted to be."
"So it'll stay put when I go in to drag the chest, yes?"
Peran follows the others as they try to sneak back into the tavern. He keeps his senses alert for anyone who might see them.
Stealth:
Perception:
Antas, Ferona, and Peran
Peran looks around and scans the area as he works to move around the back and into the door they snuck of earlier in the day.
Antas is the first to enter the small alley behind the inn and then Ferona and finally yourself. As you walk by you notice a man that sees you and your group. He was on a horse sitting on the opposite side of the Inn by the stables. At first you would not have noticed him but he clearly was watching you. He turns his horse and heads down the road back into the small fishing village.
He is gone before you can react to what you saw or suspect. He didn't hurry but he moved as if he had some place to go.
As you turn to talk to Ferona you can see that both her and Antas have made their way to the door. Ferona gives you a look as she realizes you are not directly behind her any longer.
D'ogryn-BOTTED
He turns and follows Grond out. "We have not checked that room thoroughly. We only opened the doors to these rooms to see if goblin inhabited the spaces. This room was one of them... I have no idea what lies in that room. As Rabalar said he shot an arrow into the mattress after we found the bodies in the bed in one of those rooms back there.
He points to the north east towards the east hall.
"There was a mounted man watching us from over by the stables! What should we do? He left when he saw that I spied him.", the priest whispers to his colleagues.
Ferona's shoulders slump slightly as Peran informs her their efforts in stealth have been in vain. "Unfortunately there is little we can do about it now. Perhaps we could see if another has seen this rider...but chasing after him is a futile gesture. Still," she twirls a lock of hair in thought, "we now know there are others observing us, which takes away an element of surprise they held over us!"
"It should. The arrows were an attempt to get them to release any spores they had built up. And make sure the lumps in the mattress weren't hiding goblins. While I'm not happy the chest is empty, I don't know how long I want to be in here with the others watching the prisoners. But I'll provide cover if you want to look around some more. This room is almost as bad as it gets. Kitchen was worse."
Naia shifts, trying to make herself comfortable. She stands. Stares at the fire. Stares at the nameless prisoner, the goblin, Edan, smiles at Thout's snore. She squinches then pinches the bridge of her nose, then sits back down with a thud.
The soft sounds of the pastoral countryside compete with the scrunching and soughing of the fire as it devours bone, body and evidence of life. Naia blinks.
"So. Narciso. You have any...stories to tell? You must know some songs...or...sagas?" she finishes weakly.
With another nod at Rabalar, Grond strides forward looking for a handle or some other way to grasp the chest, to try and drag it some, testing its weight.
Narciso considers Naia's request for a moment, then grins. "I've a number of tales, and songs taught as I learned my craft. Here's a simple and fun one for elves...." He takes his tambourine from his belt but leaves the cloth wound on it to quiet the chimes. He taps it a bit with a simple rhythm, adjusting with a bit of concentration like he's thinking about how fast it should go.
You're chaotic, Mr. Gruumsh.
You really are quite fell.
You're as cuddly as a gray-ooze, you're as charming as a grell, Mr. Gruumsh!
You're a bad deity who belongs back in hell!
You're a monster, Mr. Gruumsh
Your heart's as black as coal.
Your brain is full of spiders, you're as handsome as a troll, Mr. Gruumsh.
I wouldn't touch you with a magical, adamantine, extra long pole!
You're a vile rune, Mr. Gruumsh.
All you care about is war.
You have all the tender sweetness of a wingless manticore Mr. Gruumsh.
Given the choice between the two of you,
I'd take the wingless manticore!
You're a euroz, Mr. Gruumsh.
You're a greasy, sleazy orc.
You're a filthy one-eyed porker, your mother was a norker, Mr. Gruumsh.
The three places that best describe you are, and I quote:
Suss. Scant. Stoink!
You're a rotgrub, Mr. Gruumsh,
you're the king of sinful louts.
Your heads a lump of hair that sprouts a grubby greenish snout, Mr. Gruumsh!
Your heart is an appalling dump heap overflowing with the most disgraceful assortment of deplorable rubbish imaginable....
You could give an otyugh gout!!!
You sicken me, Mr. Gruumsh,
with a sinister shifty sneer.
You're a crooked combat cheater and you wield a crooked spear, Mr. Gruumsh.
You're a three course monkey-brain and larvae banquet,
With cyanide beer!
D'ogryn - Botted
D'ogryn reaches out to try and stop Grond as he gets to the doorway of the room...but sees the half-orc walk into the room towards the chest and decides to stop talking and scan the room and the area to try and figure out quickly if there was anything that would endanger him.
Just as Grond approaches the chest the young cook notices something similar to what he and Rabalar saw in the room with the two bodies in the bed. "Stop!"[/] He turns to Rabalar and back at the chest. [b]"That is the same stuff that was all over the bed when you put two arrows in it. Remember the cloud it created?" He turns back to Grond. "Grond I am not sure what exactly is on that chest but it might be dangerous...we saw something like it in another room."
Grond
The big half-orc turns and looks at the chest and clearly see big spots of black and reddish black mold and mildew covered in dust and dirt as well as small amounts of orange looking dried fungus...
Naia laughs easily as Narciso barrels into the song.
”Mr Gruumsh indeed! That will go down well on a whaler that’s for sure. Once more, so I can learn it!”
If Narciso relents, Naia will join in from time to time as she picks it up.
"So the issue at hand is slightly different than initially explained" - the half-orc grunts - "It is more a matter of how to deal with this... Whatever it is, than the chest itself"
Enjoying the laughter Narciso repeats the song, working to teach it to Naia. "Any with Olven blood tend to chuckle. Many with blood of Euroz on the other hand don't. It's taught as an object lesson about scanning an audience when selecting the songs to perform....
"As to a tale.... I remember a tale about a witch from lands far north of here. It's a surprisingly heroic tale of a young lady, teenage girl actually, that suffers a rape and a rejection. She commits a murder and has to run from her home, only to find great power, friends, and eventually love as she wanders trying to recover her life. I'll warn you though, the tale is true, which means that much of it isn't appropriate for children. Interested?"
[dice=Perception]d20+1+2
"So the issue at hand is slightly different than initially explained" - the half-orc grunts - "It is more a matter of how to deal with this... Whatever it is, than the chest itself"
Grond turns and looks at the chest as he takes a step back. He can see that there are brass rings riveted into the sides of the chest. They to are covered in dirt and debris.
-----------------------------
Antas, Ferona, Peran - 4th Day of Readying, Godsday (worship day)
Late Afternoon - 7 hours past noon
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Map of the Town of Saltmarsh
-------------------------------------
The three of you walk into the back of the inn and several of the staff give you a funny look but it is not something that shocks them and they go back to their work of washing platters, plates, and bowls. From the rear of the washing room you looks up the stairs and see into the kitchen. Beyond that you can hear song and celebrations.
Ferona barely pays the staff members any mind as she continues up the stairs and heading towards their room. Occasionally she turns to see if anyone is either following the group or taking any undue notice of them.
A Hot bath sounds wonderful at this point! Alas I doubt we will get the time to rest here as I feel we will be visited soon...
"I am not going to tamper with that until we know what it is" - Grond shrugs pragmatically - "Had I known that was the bottom line, and I would have suggested Narciso to come along" - he adds, shaking his head, and getting ready to move back down the stairs and out of the house - "Shall we take our leave?"
Well if you want to see more of the house...we can continue exploring the other side.
"To explore areas you have not been to yet, I would suggest we bring in as many as we can" - the half-orc adds - "Seeing the wounded outside, there is no reason to proceed without being as strong as we can"
Soros
Soros nods as he listens to Grond and D'ogryn talk. Mostly in agreement with Grond but then it seems something occurs to him as he studies the room and the chest carefully.
"I think we should regroup outside. There is no need for us to press and we could use the rest and a bit of time to recoup. Thout needs to see a trained healer as well." He looks back to the chest and then to the north down the hall that leads to the front door. "Not to mention we have two prisoners. One is a goblin and from what I can tell we have broken this raiding party. But we now have many questions that need to be answered with our other prisoner." He scratches the leg that he was first bitten on.