The Saltmarsh of Crete: Part two and three
Investigation of Sharkfin Bridge (2/4)
On the way back to their residence, the group decided to follow-up on another mysterious loose end that had been nagging at them. Every time they crossed the old bridge leading south of town, Rain felt a strange feeling. They speculated that it was some kind of enchantment or perhaps the architecture had some connection to elves, which only Rain could sense, being half-elven. After poking around by moonlight they found some ancient elvish script on the bridge. Rain knowing both elvish and sylvan was able to piece together some of the translation. Gestion did some magical investigation. This bridge had some kind of ancient curse on it, and it was against the sea elves. Kozak culled his memory from childhood growing up around the sea elves. Collectively they pieced together a vision of sea elves fleeing or forced out of this area. With little more to go on, Gestion suggested they talk to some of the more knowledgeable members of the town, like the half-orc gravedigger, who might know more legends and lost lore.
Calling it a night at about 3 AM, the party holed up in their residence for some rest. Rain using the little remaining magic he had left to conjure some more magical healing berries, not knowing what the following day might hold. Gestion set up an alarm system of magical mouths to alert us if any pirates, assassins, or harmless animals approached our doors.
Cat and Mouse (3/4)
After a fitful night’s rest, the party of weary adventurers decided that they needed to get to the bottom of their security problems and began debating various schemes of deep-cover investigations. Rain raised the issue that someone in Salt Marsh had to be working with the pirates, otherwise, they wouldn’t have gone straight to their residence looking for their loot (presumably the electrum bars?). Furthermore, Anders had done two suspicious things in the last fortnight. He had sent them on the first mission to investigate the Sea Ghost, without telling them there was another pirate ship at sea that night called, The Broken Concubine. This had to be more than an oversight. Secondly, when they confided in Anders about the discovery of the Lizard Folk in the marshes, he didn’t hesitate to share this information with the entire council, putting them in a sticky spot with their own crew. Even if he had the best of intentions, something seemed off. Also, the entire group had bad premonitions about his odd butler, Skeren, who definitely seemed to be more than he appeared, and who had an oversized control over Anders’ life. After a solid meal, two plans were put into action. Rain and Kozak would investigate Anders and Gestion would head down to the council hall and ensure that the planning efforts into the swamp went according to our liking.
Rain began by finding an old wheelbarrow with a shovel and some rocks. Using his magic of disguise illusion, he cloaked himself as an average looking, human laborer. Kozak, using his nature magic, also transformed into an everyday cat and hopped up into the wheelbarrow. They rolled their way up to the highland neighborhood near Anders’ house. Rain stopped the barrow a few hundred paces from the house and plunked himself down on the far side of the path with his pipe, taking a load off before preparing to look busy with his shovel in the ditch, if anyone happened by. They had agreed that the emergency code for Rain to come help, was if Kozak would screech loudly in his present cat voice. Kozak wandered off to the residence and noticed the maid working in the yard. He sneaked around while she did the laundry toward the back of the house. At some point, she noticed him and scooped him up in her arms affectionately and began petting him. Kozak the cat purred and acted like the kind of cat to be petted and taken care of, so the maid took him right through the back door and inside the kitchen, plunking him down in front of a bowl of fresh cream. He diligently lapped it up for some time, while listening to the maid chit chat with Anders’ horse-groom and coach master. “It’s not the same as it used to be when the lady was here,” she said. Kozak rambled around the house for a few moments doing some reconnaissance, and even Ander looked up from his maps and papers to greet him kindly, before looking back down to work. He had to hide and recast his transformation again so that it would last. He wandered back into the kitchen, when Skeren, the butler, rushed in the very same back door and began scolding the two, “be ready to show him in through this door to my room. Don’t let him be seen by the master.” He nearly kicked the cat in anger, not appearing to like cats at all. The maid scooped Kozak up again and threw him again out into the back yard. Just near the end of the yard there, within ten paces, was the sea cliff edge. And there were two large wooden spikes from which hung a rope ladder. Kozak scurried behind some grass as a dark figure rose up over the edge, dressed in a black, hooded cloak. The man strode briskly to the door and opened it. Kozak attempted to follow behind him back into the house. Though he did slip in, he was unfortunately spotted by the maid again and tossed back out. He rushed around to the window of the house he knew would be Skeren’s room and perched upon the sill, hoping to hear something of what would transpire. He could not hear much, but he heard a strong conversation and someone being struck violently, then the door opened and slammed again. Kozak rushed around the back and watched in stealth as the pirate climbed back down the rope ladder. After a minute, Skeren emerged and tossed the rope ladder back down into the sea. He wiped a bloody mouth and stomped back into the house. At this point, Kozak had to act or the trail would run cold. He waited for the pirate to reach a small rowboat and saw him start to row out to sea. With a low growl, he quickly sloughed off his feline form, growing quickly back to himself, and jumped off the cliff into the water in the chase. He swam like a dolphin beneath the waves and tracked the small boat as it headed out to sea. He dodged fishing nets, nearly getting trapped once, nearly losing his quarry. Things were getting confusing because there were several other boats, so he risked popping his head above the water to find his man again. Eventually, he tracked it coming up alongside a large ship. It was, in fact, The Broken Concubine, sister ship to The Sea Dog and reputed to be captained by the long-dead, Bloody Bogle! With this confirmation, he headed back with all haste, climbed up the cliff to reunite with Rain. While Kozak had been gone, Anders had passed by in his coach with Skeren, heading to town. So, Rain got impatient and wandered over to check on the house with the pretext of searching for his lost cat. The maid had shown him around, even looking through the stables. He noticed the place where the empty rope ladder had fallen into the sea. Without causing a major scene, Rain was forced to act nonchalant, wait, and hope that Kozak would return. And eventually, after lots of fake digging and pipe smoking for Rain, Kozak did return. They both hustled back to their residence to layout their discoveries to each other and Gestion, while planning their next move.
Chronicles of the World of DaoTyr 
Leave a comment