Youth Meet 8, Adv 1, 2/16/18

The group decided on their own to head BACK to Saltmarsh before attempting to enter the lower level. This is interesting to me for 2 reasons: 1) it throws in a wrinkle in the time line for the adventure. Whatever is at the bottom level is “expecting” them to come through soon thanks to the intelligence gathered by Ned but when the don’t materialize, will they pull up tent pegs of double down on staying? And 2) It allows them to refill their dwindling stores and come back again fully rested and with an entire roster of spells and prayers. This will make their adventure in the basement level actually easier for them, even if the sundry down there are expecting the party’s presence.

Write up follows:

We looked over the upper floor, calling his name, but Ned Shakeshaft was nowhere to be seen. After poking into a few rooms, the group made their way to the 2nd floor landing where they could see the front door was partially ajar. They took the stairs down rapidly and then tore the door open – it was early afternoon outside but as for Ned? Nowhere to be seen.

Talion went outside and looked around; pursing his lips as he could not see any tracks that Ned would have left in the soft earth. He looked back inside and did see regular scuffmarks from Ned’s shoes had trod upon the main hall and headed north towards the kitchen. We approached the door expectantly; Valerie and Talion had just been in there not 7 minutes earlier. The party leader peered in – the room looked the same with no Ned…except, the door on the right that led to the scullery and eventually the basement was partially ajar.

Aha!

The group then spent the better part of 7 minutes discussing going down into the basement where besides Ned and whatever is going on here at the mansion is, but Veldryn DID detect at least 5 or 6 skeletons yesterday; or heading back to Saltmarsh and coming back tomorrow after a full night’s rest. The decision was made to head back to town for now.

We knew it was almost 4 hours walk back and with Valerie leading the way, the half-orcish druid was keeping a weather eye out for us of any hazards along the way and what was the easiest and safest path back. The afternoon waned and it was almost 6 when we arrived at the fishing town of Saltmarsh once again.

The group picked their way through the smaller Demesne until they arrived at the town proper. Keeping to the raised walkways they made their way back to the Salty Winter Wench and went in to reserve another room from Pettis. There was some surprise at seeing Valerie, Half-orcs are visited with some distrust, and then more concern at the large rat she was holding on her shoulder. She had to prove she was a druid before they would allow the rental to go through but a bath was ordered and the party made their way upstairs to room 4 again.

While the majority of the party stripped off their gear and took turns in the tub, Veldryn left the group and the inn, getting direction to the cemetery west of town and trudged her way up the shallow hill to the gated locale. There was a small temple to Hel near the entrance where the local Speaker for the Dead lived and maintained the cemetery, but the gates were closed. So she stuck her hand through the bars and took a scoop of dirt which attracted an angry wolfhound guard to come out of the shadows and bark and menace the elven necromancer.

The noise attracted the Speaker with opened the door, drunk, and addressed Veldryn to come in and stop pissing off his dog. Hjarlod was his name and the two of them got into a long theological discussion about Hel and Necromancy, the afterlife and Nifleheim, Valhalla and Loki and Valkyries and whatnot. It was a few hours later when Veldryn left, head spinning but thankful for her time with the bitter but wiser Speaker.

As for the party, at one point Marcus asked Valerie to see the Bifrost crystal and the paladin spent some time just holding it, praying over it. Time passed and after an hour, he felt surely and deeply, the presence of his god, Tyr, coming through the crystal.

The voice asked him to ask a single yes or no question and Marcus was humbled to think he was talking to his god. The disappearance of Ned was weighing on the young paladin so he asked of Ned was a good person or not. And his god surely answered him saying that No, Ned was NOT good.

The Bifrost crystal grew inert after that, exhausted for today. Marcus returned it to Valerie with much thanks and let the group know what he learned about the crystal and what Tyr had told him. Veldryn was back for all this by now and realizing that we were going to need every resource at our disposal, Deja went to Veldryn and gave her the wallet she had found in the mansion. There were two clerical scrolls within: Hold Person and Cure Moderate Wounds. She was thanked and the group was happy about it.

Then all that was left was to further explore the ring that Deja was wearing and after some research, testing, and trial and error, deduced it was a ring of protection and the Halfling thief was thrilled to be wearing it. The group then turned in and rested, waking up the next morning on Earthmonth the 16th bright eyed and bushy tailed. We broke our fast, prayed and readied our equipment, checked out of the Saucy Winter Wench and made our way along the Street of Docks to Rosensteel’s Equipment.

We spent our coin and bought sundry items, food, new shields, and other items we thoughts we’d need. Bolstered now and ready to face the Mansion and what its secrets might still be hidden in the lower level, we cleared out of the supply store by 9:30 and got ready for the trip across the Eider Downs back south.