Wyran mutters something to himself, shaking his head at the whole story. A father trading a child for a drug? The mother kills the father as punishment?
The child needed saving, but where would it go? And where were these drug dealers? It wasn't part of their tasking, but destroying their operation was definitely something that Desna would agree to!
When Ting approaches and offers to help, the woman's eye grow large:
"Oh lardy Toh-rag! Iss a talkin' chicken!!!" she exclims.
"Oh please mister chicken! Save my poor Ella an' I promise won't ever eat no mo' eggs!!!!"
.
.
Odo looks at Tessai "The monks down the river deal in alchemical substances. They sell a crystal that some of the poor farmers use to give them energy to get hard work done."
He grimaces "I don't approve of the stuff, I think it slowly turns the users bad and they need more and more of the stuff for it to work."
"I don't let anyone deal in it here in the settlement, but I can't stop fools from going down river to buy it for themselves."
"I've never heard of an addict being so far gone that they would trade a child for the drugs...."
I've heard such tales, but I never really believed them. What can you tell us about these monks, Odo? What god do they worship?
He turns to the distraught woman. Madam, you need to take us to where this all happened. We can put you on a horse so you don't have to walk. If you're hurt, we can fix you up. Please help us help you.
"Not if he sold his child. I'm only upset she got to him before I could."
Odom looks at Lefty: "I'm not certain they worship any god. They keep tp themselves mostly. Occasionally they'll send a couple brothers here to buy goods. They wear green robes with hoods, and they always reek of incense."
"You probably saw the monastery from your boat on the river. It's on the north Bank. There are two buildings, an older one that was ruined long ago and a newer one the brothers live in now."
Yes, we saw that. Didn't see anyone, but if they're really monks, they can avoid detection well enough. If this tale is true, we can presume they're a nasty lot.
What we must first determine is whether or not this is really what happened. This woman must lead us to the scene right away. We can learn more there.
"We'll need to put the husband to rest eventually," says Garados. "But for now, who knows what'll happen to that little girl. We should head directly for the monastery."
"Save the kid. Sort out the parents and the details after!"
Shouldering his pack, Garados leads the way towards the monastery. He's ready to administer some frontier justice right now. For this purpose, he double checks that he has rope.
As Garados grabs his bag, Odo speaks up:
"Yer gonna be needin' a boat."
"The monastery is on the north side of the river and it's troll country between here and there."
"I'll see what I can do to help."
Seeing that the others trust the woman more than he does, Lefty shrugs.
All right, then. Let's get on a boat.
"How did your husband make contact with these monks?" - Tessai asked the woman - "Have you a boat we can use?"
Leslie tells Tessai: "Lots of swamp folk go to tha' monastry for medicine. They sell them crystals to them that wants ta work hard."
"Jake has been goin' there and usin' them fer years, but it's been a bad year and he ain't had no money. I was out fishin' fer mudpuppies a couple days back and when I came back, Jake and ma' daughter was gun."
"He showed up with a bag o crystal and no daughter."
Odo asks you all: "Do any of you know how to pilot a boat?"
"If not, I can find someone in the morning to guide you back downriver."
Wyran listens and wonders at the intelligence of the people. Why would anyone buy... medicine? to work harder? He knows that many of the common people barely have enough coin to put food on their tables. This situation with the crystals just seems insane to him!
Garados can't stand the idea of the little girl having to wait until morning. He takes out his coin purse and thunks it on the table. "Surely there has to be some boatman in this town who'll take us now."
The big man may be a hound. He may adore creature comforts. But he cannot rest while innocents are in danger. Particularly not children. He wants to get to her before these monks can do whatever it is they plan to do, and he wants to feel their scrawny throats between his hands.
"...I was out fishin' fer mudpuppies a couple days back...."
"Can we use your boat?" - Tessai insisted.
Leslie says "It'll be only a lil' biggen than a canoe." It makes it
Odo frowns in concentration and turns to Skorma "Skorm, run down and see if Riko's boat is at the dock. Tell him I've got a charter for him this evening, and tell him I'll pay double."
He looks back at you and says: "We'll see if Riko will take you downriver in the dark. He'll grumble about it, but he's a good man."
He sends Leslie to get some food and clean up with one of the barmaids.
Then he tells you "This is likely to be a dangerous trip. The river in the dark is no joke."
"I don't know what you'll find at the monastery. They keep to themselves and trade with the local farmers and sometimes with river boats. I've kept them from selling any of their wares here in Zelkor's Ferry, and no one here is going to admit it if they do have any of that crap here."
Wyran glances around at the group. "What about her husband? If he traded their child for the crystals he had to have some before she stuck her spear in him. Surely there'd be some left, likely enough to analyze?"
Odo scratches his chin through his beard.
"They live upriver, in the wrong direction."
"If you're in a hurry this evening, I don't think you'll have the time."
"Let me get you some food while Skorma fetches up Riko." he orders up some bowls of stew for you all and another round of drinks.
.
After about 20 minutes the door opens and Skorma comes in with a short, dark haired man. The man wears well-worn leathers. A shortsword hangs from one hip and a hand crossbow from the other.
"What's this crazy idea Skorma tells me about going downriver overnight?" the man asks, directing his question towards Odo.
Odo rises and meets the man half-way across the room grasping his hand.
"Thanks for coming Riko. Let me introduce you to my guests."
He introduces the man as Riko Jaskin, captain of the Yellow Dagger.
He explains the problem and your desire to get down to the monastery quickly.
He finishes by telling the boat Captain that he will pay double his rate and consider it a favor if he'll take the job.
Riko considers for a moment and then nods.
"We can do it. It's a little risky in the dark. We'll have to light lanterns and that can attract bad things at night."
"You lot look like you can take care of yourselves though."
"It'll take an hour to get the Dagger ready to head downriver."
"Would it help to have other lights as a distraction, at a distance from the boat? I could put four dancing lights a hundred and fifty feet ahead, or beside the boat while we are moving. Anything attracted would be far enough away to warn us."
"Might be worth a try" - Tessai nodded at Wyran.
"Thank you Captain Jaskin" - the tiefling added to Riko - "Time is of the essence, so your help will be crucial"
"Would it help to have other lights as a distraction, at a distance from the boat? I could put four dancing lights a hundred and fifty feet ahead, or beside the boat while we are moving. Anything attracted would be far enough away to warn us."
Let's do that, starting out, but not for too long. Some creatures may not be so easily fooled.
Wyran glances around at the group. "What about her husband? If he traded their child for the crystals he had to have some before she stuck her spear in him. Surely there'd be some left, likely enough to analyze?"
That would be good. Let's see what this stuff does to people.
Garados is pacing impatiently by the dock when his companions arrive, his big hands flexing angrily.
An hour later you are all on Riko's boat, headed downriver towards the monastery.
He runs a fairly tight ship, the only surprise is when a full sized lynx walks up out of the hold and perches at the bow of the boat.
Riko laughs when you guys notice and says: "Don't mind Ramakin, he's just helping keep watch."
You drift east with the current through the night.
As you pass the location of the troll mound you hear deep bellows in the dark from that direction.
As the sun comes up, you see the monastery on a hill, high over the north bank.
map (the top of the map is east)
As you approach, Riko says: "I can put you ashore anywhere along the bank. Then we'll pull off."
"When do you want us to come back for you?"
Make it 3 days, Riko. If you don't see us waiting here, presume we died.
Lothorian leaps off the boat, too.
"Three days sounds adequate" - Tessai nodded at the others, and turned to Riko - "Thank you again Captain"
The tiefling then disembarks and joins Ting on the dock - "Let us get to the bottom of this"
You hear a lot of marsh sounds, frogs croaking, crickets chirping, etc.
The boat tied up to the docks has a hole in the bottom. It looks like it has been there for a long time.
It's early in the day and the sun has just come up.
There's a zig-zag switchback path from the docks up towards the older, ruined building.
"Lothorian, you want to scout ahead, and let us know what we can expect to find?" - Tessai inquires - "This whole situation is off, and I do not expect to parley with those who would trade with human lives" - the tiefling adds.
Lefty casts Invisibility on himself (7 minutes), and moves to the building at the top, wary of any lookouts.