Write up follows:
The group talked about the two options of either taking a room at the Leaky Tub or holing up in some burned out hovel, and we decided that we didn’t want Marshall Thurgood to have any reason to distrust us or look for an excuse to make an example of the party by doing something illegal. So we made our way to the two story, poor façade of the Leaky Tub Inn and entered the poorly thatched business.
The Common Room would normally sit around 50, but there were barely 8 here not counting the two tired looking wenches and the older woman behind the bar. As we entered a mangy cat slipped out and the barkeep screeched at us for letting it get free and told us to shut the door. The people in the bar were watching us without making it obvious they were watching us, as we made our way forward.
On learned we wanted a room, the barkeep called for a man named Yurlis Peebles to come out. Yurlis was a tall half elf with a tired look and pale skin. We greeted with “Sperthicus”, the formal version of an Elven greeting, and he broke into a smile and thanked us. We arranged a room for the 7 of us and were told that we could have room 2 on the second floor. He then gave us a log book and asked us to write our name down.
A fast look showed most every line in the log book had either a John Smith or an “X” filled in. We each took out turn making our mark, but during the exchange, Veldryn inadvertently used Talion’s real name, and then later on wrote her own name down in the book. Two of the patrons sitting around wrote something down on a scrap of paper and then casually got up and walked out – one through the front door, the other through the back.
Deja had seen all this and held back as the party made their way to the stairs, torn on whether to follow or not – eventually decided to just join the group. On the second floor the two doors on the left of the long hall were “1” and “2” – and we looked at “2”. Deja was sure that the many scratches on the lock were from attempts to pick it in the past.
We entered and were underwhelmed. There were 5 beds in here, a bit larger than normal, but the thatch was so poor in places that over the 5th bed could be seen bits of sky through the grasses. Deja let us know about the two men downstairs and the fact that this room was most likely a “target” room. We took the time to look around and discovered a secret door between this room and Room 1 on the west wall.
Deja snuck out in the hall to Room 1 while we watched. She looked the door over; the lock was new and not scratched, the hinges were on the inside of the door but the portal seemed to be well made and in good repair. She was going to open the door and decided at the last moment to leave it and return to the group.
We discussed what we were going to do next. We knew about the name Dru’uz as a possible contact, and knew the lizardmen were getting weapons from the Order of the Kraken – but we had nothing else at this time. One of the things we did know was that no matter where we were in Dunwater, we could hear the ever ringing hammers from the blacksmith district at all times. Perhaps we could go there and look around, ask a few questions?
So we decided to leave and before locking up, Ned took out a long strip of leather and unrolled it – the item already treated with many pins sticking straight up through it, and placed it just on the inside portion of the floor where the secret door was – just in case someone tried to come in while we were gone.
We hit the street and made our way to the town square, the village green having gone to pot. Most of the grasses were in poor shape and overgrown with weeds, a few citizens were either slumped on the ground drunk or leaning on the few bits of statuary in the area and drinking. There were no boards, no heralds, no nothing. We turned to the main street and made our way south. Many of the businesses were closed and boarded up, a few were still open, and a few more were just burned shells. But as we made our way towards the ringing hammers Magnus wanted us to stop in front of the Traders.
He stepped in to the shop, the place was about half stocked. An elder dwarven woman was behind the counter, missing two fingers on her left hand and had a nasty scar running down her right cheek just under her eye. Two burly looking younger dwarves, most likely relatives, were standing nearby, truncheons and crossbows at the ready.
Magnus admitted that he was looking for some clothes to better fit in and the shopkeeper came out to help, asking her son, Ron, to give a hand. Up close Magnus could see that Ron had the bearing of a skilled fighter but also had the numerous scars and pits in his arms and chest that a blacksmith would have. He was questioned about his armor; there was some suspicion that he was a member of the Order of Knights, which the paladin did not comment on either way.
They got to talking and learned that the dwarven woman had interrupted some thieves and arsons about 6 months ago and held them off for some time, losing 2 fingers and almost an eye. Her sons, Ron and Fred, left their jobs at Trilla’s Metalworks to keep the shoppe running and guard their mother. She hopes that at some point law will return to Dunwater as its been her home her entire life and she has no interest in moving.
Magnus ended up with some peasant’s clothes and Ron stacked the paladin’s armor within his breastplate and helped him bind it to his backpack so it was less obvious. With a slouch cap he now appeared to be nothing more than a local and less likely to draw attention to himself and the group. Coming out of the Tradegoods the party was happy to see his change and the party continued on their way down the block.
About half a block from the Blacksmith quarter, Deja had the group stop as she looked the area over. It appeared that three or four smaller smithies had been combined to the current larger smithy, and there were 8 anvils working at this time. The smiths and their apprentices all appeared to be in good health, dressed well, and did not have that sallow look the rest of Dunwater seemed to have. However, standing a good 30 feet away from the shop there were 6 guards stations around the smithy and watching the craftsmen carefully.
After looking it over, Deja had the group walk away from Trilla’s and once safely out of eye and ear shot, let us know that the entire situation bothered her. If we went up there, any of the Marshall’s 6 deputies would spot us and report. The Smiths appeared to be in good health and spirits. The guards were also NOT watching the street – but the smiths and the smithy. Were they protecting the smithy? Or watching it with care for another reason? We didn’t know enough to risk making contact for now and decided to shelve this conversation with Trilla for another time.
It was then that Magnus let the group know that the Tradegood shop keep’s sons appeared to have been smiths at some point in their recent past. We could do worse than by going to speak with them. The party agreed and were back at the Tradegoods at a bit after 4.
We spent some money and bent the ear of the three dwarves a bit more. During the back and forth banter and shopping, we did manage to share some of our actual status and jobs, which had the Shopkeeper very excited. It seems that before the Mayor’s house had caught on fire that night, he had his manservant deliver a sealed bounty bundle to her to be added to the next postal rider heading for Cymbarton. During the fire and the subsequent issues with the Sheriff, the postal rider to Cymbarton had been placed on hold and the missives had been taken by the Marshall. However, the Bounty Bundle was not in that pile and the Shopkeeper never released it because she never trusted the Marshall, and her duty as postmistress was to ensure any packages in her care were delivered to the right person.
With Talion as an ordained bounty hunter and related ranger, HE actually has the authority to review any bounties as issued by any government official at any time. And with Magnus as a suspected knight of the order, it added credence to Talion’s authority. The three dwarves were feeling pretty good at the party: a dissimilar cross sampling of races (3 humans, surface elf, sea elf, half orc, and a Halfling), visiting the town and looking around, not beholden to the Marshall, and a ranger and paladin in the mix – it was a promising group.
She gave the still sealed bundle to Talion who used his knife to open the seal. He unfurled the document and read what Mayor Isvar of Dunwater was concerned about 8 month ago. It seems that a group of slavers and smugglers known as the Red Crow Guild were working at the behest of the Order of the Kraken to arrange smuggled soft goods to be sold at various markets around Dunwater, undercutting normal business operations and funneling a large amount of money to persons unknown for the Order. The Red Crow Guild were growing continuously bold and brazen, actually challenging the Mayor and his bannermen at one point. Feeling no choice in the matter, Mayor Isvar had commanded a bounty on Ogan Yardbury and his 7 compatriots of the Red Crow Guild to be taken in for smuggling, fomenting dissent, crimes against the crown, and threats against the crown. The suggested bounty was 500 nobles dead, 1000 alive, with 110 nobles offered for each of the lesser members.
Talion read the paper to the group who was stunned at the knowledge. It was on the second read that we noticed the name, Ogan. Which had the party think on the original leader of the Order of the Kraken, Grabbi Ogansdottr. The Daughter of Ogan. Crap, connected. It had to be.
Mayor Isvar had tried to command the arrest of Grabbi’s daughter 8 months ago and then he and his family were burned in their home that night. And all the other issues that befell Dunwater followed.
We took the bounty, thanked the shopkeeper, and assured her that we were working on setting things right with Dunwater at some point; even if that wasn’t the reason we were here at this time. We then made our way to back to the warehouse district, convinced that we needed to talk to Dru’uz Thorson and do it soon. Of the three warehouse blocks, two had been burned but one was still standing. It had been quartered and according to the Tradegood dwarves, Dru’uz was a supervisor at one of them, the one with the black eastern wall.
We scoped the place out for a bit from across the street in the ruins of the second block of warehouses. It was a good 30’ to the front door, the warehouse was pretty big, 50’ by 90’, and was at the eastern corner of the block, about 75’ from the waterline. We guessed there were 5 or 6 people within and it was decided that Magnus and Talion would go in, try to talk to Dru’uz, and if things got hairy, would call for us as loud as they could.
The two of them went over and entered. There were neatly stacked pallets of goods in three large rows around the place, each of them further protected by a tarpaulin covering. A short look showed 4 humans and a gnome in here working, and eventually Dru’uz who was called out to meet us once we were noticed.
Dru’uz was wide for a dwarf and sported a forked beard that he kept oiled and weighted with a couple brass cylinders. He gave us a rough look over and assumed we were someone else. We followed him to a rear office that smelled of old ham and had a seat. We said that we were here to talk about the Order of the Kraken and he immediately launched into why Captain Siggurd wasn’t here. We had spotted some brandy and silk boles out in the warehouse so knew we were on the right track.
We tried to tell him that Captain Siggurd was not going to be able to make it and that they were here instead. Dru’uz was looking for more product as he has been forced to see his own private cut as of late and he didn’t want to keep doing so. It was at this point that Magnus changed his tone and let Dru’uz know that they weren’t from the Order. And that he was in big trouble.
At this point all hell broke loose as Dru’uz was yelling out for “Jerdrimm, get in here now!” and the party was yelling their heads off to signal the rest of the group. Hearing them call, the party started charging across the street while the warehouse working just inside the door saw us coming. He was shouting out for help while the gnome, Jerdrimm, was shouting for him to shut the door, as he drew a knife and charged to the office. Inside the office Dru’uz was forced to step back and defend himself with a hastily drawn club while Talion and Magnus each whipped out their swords and laid into the dwarf.
As the warehouse guy was trying to slam the door closed, Valerie put on a massive burst of speed and tried to slam her shield and body into the quickly closing opening. She misjudged though and while she was jumping and diving, the door slammed closed and she smashed into it, bouncing off and causing it to BOOM with a deafening clang. As she was on the floor trying to clear her head, Ned, Oceanus, and Veldryn hit the door and pulled as hard as they could, forcing it open before it could be locked on the other side. Through the narrow gap, Deja let fly a couple of daggers at the struggling warehouseman, hitting him and causing him to slip on the door a bit more.
Talion and Magnus each assaulted Dru’uz hard, hitting the dwarf a few times and causing him to stagger back but not fall. He returned the favor by clocking the two fighters until Jerdrimm charged in and tried to bury his long knife in Talion’s side, cutting him but that was it. There were three other warehouse workers and they were running through the building hoping to make it to the front door.
It was at this time that Valerie pulled herself to her knees, pulled on her holy symbol, and called on Lord Frey to summon a nature’s alley to help out. And with a loud BAMPF, a 350 lb. black bear appeared by the warehouse worker and MAULED him. Biting him, knocking him about, tearing into him, and then finishing him off with a massive hug that had his back torn open and blood spilling about the room. The group slipped in to the partially opened doorway while Deja slammed it closed to keep anyone on the street from seeing or hopefully hearing us.
We drew up into battle lines as a nearby worker was assaulted by Ned and the Bear, Valerie standing near, and Oceanus and Deja took shots down between an alley made by large pallets at an approaching thug with a crowbar.
The fight with Dru’uz was dragging on too long and Magnus shifted his blows from him hammer pick to just the hammer side, trying to knock the dwarf out. Talion was not exercising the same restraint and was doing his damndest to beat the gnome to death, broadsword flashing.
Meanwhile on the floor of the warehouse the battle was joined as scythe and crossbow hit crowbar and fire axe. One by one the warehouse workers fell to the party’s blows, a few of us getting knocked around in return, but nothing debilitating. Jerdrimm was finally cut down by Talion’s blow and with a final swing of his hammer, Magnus smashed Dru’uz in the head and the dwarf fell over with a groan, knocked unconscious.
The party was quick to reconnect and the first call was to tie up Dru’uz and then get rid of the bodies. For that, Oceanus took point and taking out his knife, slit open the belly of the nearest warehouse worker and started sweeping gravel and rocks from the warehouse floor into the bleeding cavity. Upon asking him what he was doing, the sea elf replied in his broken Common, “Fill, make heavy, floor of the ocean and then fertilize the kelp. Help me fill.” He then pointed at another warehouse worker and indicated the group should aid in filling him with rocks.
Ned managed to get a tarp for Oceanus and the elven ranger snapped it open and rolled the first body on it. He then rolled it up and flicked it over his shoulder and made his way to the door. After seeing if the coast was clear, he casually walked out of the door and down the long slope of the shore to the water. And with that, he just walked forward until he was gone from sight and under the water.
Oceanus loaded a second body laden with rocks in its gut and inside a tarp, pressing the party to get the next one ready. He then once more hoisted the wrapped bundle up and made his way out the door and towards the water. As he disappeared beneath the waves, we noted three longshoremen had arrived at that part of the beach, harpoons in their hands and angrily pointing at the water. They waded in up to their knees and were staring at the dark water.
The party snuck out of the warehouse and made their way to the corner and when one of them hurled his harpoon into the water, it caused the group to gasp, thinking Oceanus was just struck. As the longshoreman was pulling the cable back towards him, a quarrel shot out of the water and struck the man in the chest. From our side, arrows and daggers flew and a second longshoreman hit the water. We did note that a blue tinged arm reached out of the water and dragged one of the gasping dock workers deeper and under the waves.
It was here that Valerie called on Frey and a swarm of bats burst from every burned out building nearby and harried the last longshoreman away from the water and back up the beach. This attracted the attention of others milling about…and gave Oceanus a chance to run out of the water, tarp under his arm, and back towards the party and the warehouse. We all went back inside and shut the door, waiting quietly to hear if anyone was coming to investigate, but with the bats and the other distractions, we were in the clear.
As for the questioning of Dru’uz, we learned a bit more about the smuggling operation. He was the warehouse man and arranged the sale between Siggurd and the Order of the Kraken and Ogan Yardbury and the Red Crow Guild. His fee for “not seeing or saying anything” was typically 5% of the smuggled cargo which he kept or sold at a premium. As for the money the Red Crows earned from selling their goods elsewhere (not done here in Dunwater), all he knows is that some of it went to pay for iron and weapons from Trilla Ironarms of Trilla’s Metalworks.
The group meanwhile were hiding the bodies throughout the warehouse but parking them under the tarps and in boxes. To further mask anyone finding them, Oceanus snuck back into the water and emerged with a few large fish which he placed under the tarps and in the boxes – the smell of the rotting fish should mask the smell of the dead warehouse workers.
We them covered our bases by sweeping the floors, raking the gravel, soaking everything down and slowly covering our tracks. At the door we left, shut it behind us, and made our way back towards the Tradegoods. We learned what we could from Dru’uz, but did not know where Ogan or the Red Crows kept their hideout. But we assumed since they had dealings with the Lizardman tribes that were supposedly near here, and we were tasked with resolving that threat, it made sense that we needed to find them next and avoid being in town when someone discovered Dru’uz and the other warehouse workers – and the Marshall would most likely want to ask us some questions on it.
At the Tradeworks we were not able to get any direct information but we were able to get the idea that a skilled trapper (and there were many that worked around here) might have an idea on where the lizardman lair could be. The best choice was trapper named Hrodd and might find him, when he was in town, at the Blue Dolphin Alehouse.
As it was already after 6 and we were exhausted, we decided to head back to the Leaky Tub, grab a meal, and rest before trying to find Hrodd tomorrow and getting out of Dunwater. The Common Room at the Leaky Tub was packed and we picked our way upstairs anxious to change out of our clothes when we noticed the secret door between the rooms was ajar, the pin strip Ned had put on the floor was disturbed and blood was on many of the needles.
We carefully looked in and saw a woman, late teens, somewhat attractive, lying unconscious; her moccasined right foot was bleeding. We bound her, Ned assured us the poison he used was knockout for a couple hours, and then Veldryn cast Cure Minor on the woman’s foot. Once secured Valerie called on Frey and cast Dawn, waking the women who looked around, saw us all staring at her, and then sagged in her bonds and smiled, “I guess you’ve got me then.”
Through a variety of conversation, we learned that she was a freelance bounty hunter who had picked up a job at Saltmarsh, sponsored from the Lyceum Slaver’s Guild to bring in Talion. They offered 50 nobles upfront for his location and then 500 nobles to bring him to Dilabria for questioning. Her name was Melunan and she had gotten a lucky break seeing the group loading on the ship to come to Dunwater a few days ago as she was disembarking. She bribed the wharfmaster to find out where our ship was going and then paid fare for another ship to take her here. Having been at Dunwater already a few times before she canvassed the area and had a chance to look at the log book here at the Leaky Tavern where she saw Veldryn’s name, a known member of the Talion’s adventuring group, the Tides of Valhalla.
So she snuck in here to see which would be the best place to administer a sleeping poison to Talion when she missed the pin strip and got caught instead.
She would be the first of what would soon be other bounty hunters who might try their hand against Talion and another reason we should finish out business here in Dunwater and get out of town. As for Melunan, Valerie and Veldryn seemed to like her and she was honest in her thoughts. There was some conversation about the jobs Talion had done before and that she was going to take some time off as she was lucky now and had gotten caught – other marks might not be so forgiving and she didn’t want to spoil Hermod’s blessing by assuming she would be this lucky in the future.
As for the evening, she and Talion spent it in her room where they got to know one another carnally and worked their aggressions out with one another.
We awoke the next morn, Spiritmonth the 7th, and broke our fast. After eating a mix of porridge and gruel from the Common Room, we decided to head to the Blue Dolphin and see if we might get lucky and find Hrodd the trapper there. The proprietor was not very helpful, refusing to answer many questions for us for a while until Veldryn had Hel bless her with a sparkling personality and amplified charisma – which had the taciturn barkeep suddenly change his tune. Hrodd was sleeping off last night’s excessive drinking in one of the cheap rooms upstairs. Still feeling Hel’s blessing bolstering her, Veldryn went upstairs in order to meet with and awaken Hrodd and try to get the trapper to come with the party into the Fens and help find the lizardman lair.
No comments:
Post a Comment