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You toss the bound gnome into the wagon and continue up the road.
After another hour or so of walking, after the road has swung back to the coast, you come upon a footpath leading down to the beach. As you approach, you can see a merchant ship run against some rocks in shallow water. Though it looks as though you could fairly easily wade out to the vessel, a number of shambling figures wander around the shallows between your current position and the ship. Their numbers are already too many to safely dispatch, and storm clouds loom just offshore and moving inland, suggesting that these may just be the vanguard of a larger swarm. If you are to reach the boat successfully and complete your investigation, it's going to require some skillful operating!
[ooc]The investigation is done as a skill challenge, as there are too many undead to face head-on. We'll do this in four phases, with each PC making a check in each phase, and I will tally your total successes across all four to see how well you do overall.
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Santiago sees water and picks up his pace to enter it. Nish starts to trot after him, then remembers that she's traveling with people who aren't wetlander iruxi.
Oh! Santiago and I can swim, but I prepared one Water Walk if any of you need help getting there or back. Unless we expect our time on the ship to be very short, perhaps best to save for an emergency, yes?
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to observe movement patterns of undead and other things. Jelly bolts for the boat as soon as everything has its back turned. He carefully calculates not only the pattern but how long. Like he may count that they take their eyes off in the north direction for 2 seconds, then their eyes off in the east direction for 3 seconds. He bolts from location to location, running out of sight and around corners getting closer to the boat each time as he observes the patterns.
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Whispering, "This one is uncomfortable so close to the walking dead...but for our Society, perhaps subtlety will do, yes. Also, please to be asking for Pharasma's guidance if you wish it as we do this, yes?"
Upuaut will leverage their knowledge of the undead and their own boneyard-influenced ash-gray scales to try and impersonate them.
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Eir raises a concealing bank of mist, slipping by the undead under the magical cover, accompanied by Tess and Dorrance (though the dwarf stumbles a bit with her vision obscured). Jelly times his movements carefully to avoid the notice of the undead creatures, while Upuaut, knowledgeable in the ways of the undead, works to blend in. Nish and Santiago ignore these shenanigans entirely, slipping beneath the waves and emerging again when they reach the boat.
A light rain begins to fall as you reach the boat as the outer edges of the storm are nearing landfall, and you can hear waves lap against the side of the hull as you climb aboard, driven by an strengthening breeze. You'd best investigate quickly and get out before the storm truuly arrives.
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The boat sways and groans in the growing breeze, made louder by the creaking of uncooperative floorboards as Dorrance and Tess try to move around quietly. The party fans out, searching the ship efficiently as the rain begins to fall more steadily. You quickly identify the cargo hold where several crates of iron ingots lie scattered and broken. Still there are a few with enough structural integrity left that you might recover them, if you can work quickly enough. Meanwhile, Nish finds a small alcove on the forward end of the cargo hole, in which rests a bundle of papers rolled up in an oilskin. A quick examination at the other layer or two reveals cargo manifests and shipping logs--exactly the kind of document you came here for! With the growing storm, however, your time to examine the ship is rapidly drawing to a close. Time to make your preparations to depart!
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Upuaut will leave the heavy lifting to the others (while still offering Guidance for any takers) and use their duskwalker's sight to keep a steady eye out for the undead...while also casting Scholarly Recollection, once again!
<~
They once again begin to mutter in tongues beneath their breath (and are once again flat-footed).
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While Eir focuses on the whether and the waves, everyone else keeps a careful eye on the undead while you carefully stage your cargo. The boat is noticeably swaying now with each gust of wind, and the rain is falling steadily on the planks above. Glancing out towards the lake, you can see the storm very near the shore and a strange, almost churning appearance to the water below it. Clearly, it's time to make your escape!
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Upuaut will once again attempt to leverage their knowledge to assist the party in avoiding notice from the undead by whispering details about these particular creatures and their abilities.
They will cast Guidance on themselves for this, as well (while still offering Guidance if anyone else wants it).
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Emerging from the wreckage into the now-driving rain, you see that what was once a large handful of undead has swelled to be several dozens. Even more ominously, the water beneath the darkest of the storm clouds, only a few hundred feet offshore now, seems to be churning in a most disturbing fashion.
Jelly and Upuaut study the undead carefully, while Eir keeps her focus on the strange weather instead. Together, they find the perfect moment to move out, signaling Dorrance, Tess, and Nish to put the rest of the plan into action. Santiago, laden as an underwater pack mule, swims with Nish beneath the waves carrying what cargo could be saved, while everyone else moves carefully and quietly, led by Dorrance, to the shore and beyond the tree line. From there, you can make your way back up the footpath to the road and back to your cart, where the rain-soaked horse hitched to it gives you a mournful look. On the way back down the road, you catch a glimpse of the ship through the torrents of rain, the shallows now downright crawling with shambling figures as more emerge from the depths of the lake!
Venture-Captain Valicho is delighted at your return, welcoming you in out of the rain which seems to have chased you all the way down the coast. ”Come in, come in! I’ve got a table open by the fire.” He leads you over to a warm spot, carrying a pile of blankets with which to warm yourselves. He then retreats behind the bar, returning with a tray with 6 leather-wrapped tankards, each with a sizzling iron rod submerged in the pungent beverage within. As you warm yourselves, he unrolls the oilcloth and examines the documents you recovered. ”This looks like exactly what Mr. Passad asked for. Well done, Pathfinders, and thank you for your help! This will go a long way toward establishing our position in Kerse.”