Post by Dead Greyhawk on Sept 24, 2004 12:39:29 GMT -5
The night in Pa's yard passes uneventfully, without disturbances. In the morning, before dawn, Raven and Serrin start off on foot to Saltmarsh, hoping to catch Johannes before he leaves town. Several hours later, Rook and Winthrop awake and discuss the plan for the day. Winthrop has fallen ill, with a severe chest cold, and begins coughing. Rook and Winthrop decide to drive the cart into town, thinking possibly to try to avoid the excise tax. About an hour outside of Saltmarsh, the Constable, accompanied by two of his men, meets Rook and Winthrop on the road. The Constable relates that Pa had summoned him regarding weird comings and goings at the abandoned manor house. The Constable interrogates Rook and Winthrop regarding the events at the manor house. After hearing descriptions of vile creatures, giant spiders, and a gang of smugglers, the Constable sends one of his two men, Tom, back to town to gather two more men and further investigate. Rook strongly recommends a larger group. As a result, the Constable rides into town with them, catching Tom and his troop and assigning several more men to accompany them. Winthrop coughs wetly.
It is marketday in Saltmarsh, and the town is full of local merchants and farmers selling their wares. Both tax stations, one on each road into town, are occupied. The saleable goods in the cart are assessed for their tax value, and a sum of close to five hundred gold eagles is required for their entry into Saltmarsh. Rook and Winthrop are asset rich, but cash poor, and are unable to pay the tax. They drive the cart through town to the excise office, where it will be stabled until they can pay the tax on their goods. The commotion of the laden cart, complete with escort, slowly working its way across the crowded marketplace attracts the attention of most of the shoppers in town. The Constable, sizing up Rook, suggests that perhaps his church can provide the necessary funds to meet the excise tax. Winthrop coughs wetly and wheezes.
Rook and Winthrop encounter Johannes on the way through town. Johannes shows great surprise at the recent events. While Johannes had received Ross' note, he hadn't realized the extent of the party’s activities. Rook asks if Johannes is looking to buy silk, but Johannes states he is in fact looking for sailcloth. Rook would like Johannes to come assess the value of the goods in the cart, and Johannes agrees to come down to the excise house in the mid-afternoon.
Getting directions to the church of Cuthbert is straightforward, and Rook and Winthrop make their way to it. The church is a two-story building with extensive gardens surrounding it. An under-priest meets them as they enter the church grounds, and directs them to a small chamber within the church. After a moment, the under-priest goes and gets his superior, who identifies himself as Tryzen. Tryzen examines Winthrop and inquires whether he came into contact with large amounts of mold recently. Neither Winthrop nor Rook recalls any, but both think it possible. Tryzen gives Winthrop a draught to make him sleep, and explains to Rook that Winthrop is very ill, near death, and will need to stay in the temple at least overnight. Rook tithes a small gold disk to Tryzen and leaves, never raising the question of borrowing funds.
The Constable finds Rook leaving the church. He explains to Rook that there will be a meeting of the town council that night, and that Rook should expect to attend and bring Winthrop with him. After being informed that Winthrop is ill, the Constable assures Rook that Winthrop will arrive, since Tryzen is also a member of the council.
Rook leaves and locates the only moneychanger in town, Chumley Roundbottom, a halfling. Chumley is currently talking the proverbial ear off of an elven woman in the shop. Chumley is able to convert the gold items Rook is carrying into Keoish coin. Serrin, who has been unsuccessful in locating Johannes all morning, tracks Rook down inside Chumley's shop, where a brief, somewhat enlightening conversation is held in front of Chumley and the elf maiden. Rook and Serrin agree to meet at the town council later that night. Serrin is able to recover his new net from Sean, who also happens to have sizeable number of caltrops available. Serrin passes on the caltrops. Rook travels back to the excise house to meet Johannes, but Johannes does not arrive. After waiting until dark, Rook meets Winthrop and Tryzen, and heads off to the Town Council meeting.
The town council meeting, held at the Welcoming Home Inn, is a crowded affair, filled with locals, people from outlying areas who are in town for marketday, and the assorted malcontent. Sudden meetings like this are rare events, and the unfolding story of an organized band of thieves, undead haunts, the activation of off-duty excise men, and the amount of seized goods captured many people's attention. After it was clear that no portentous announcements would be made, the crowd significantly thinned.
During the meeting, Serrin becomes convinced that Johannes' odd behavior implicates him as a member of the smugglers' conspiracy. Serrin asks the excise men to try to recall if anyone with Johannes' description had left town by sea or by either road. Eventually, one excise man recalls a merchant heading out of town with an empty wagon, north toward Burle.
The town council, concerned with the presence of smugglers on the coast, offers the party, and whomever they hire, up to a maximum of eight, five hundred gold eagles each to rid the community of the smuggling ring's sea-based component. Towards this end, the town will provide a seaworthy boat and two volunteers from the excise men to man it. Booty from the smugglers is to be divided amongst those that obtain it.
Serrin spots Ned Shakeshaft amongst the crowd and, over Winthrop's objections, offers him a spot. A wanderer named Remo offers his services to the Constable, who directs him to Rook. Also, the elf maid from earlier, who is called Melar, states she would like to join.
The Constable introduces Tom and Will Stoutly, excise men the party has already met in their meetings with the Constable and his men, as two volunteers for the mission, and leaves them and the party to develop a plan of action. A heated discussion over whether a better plan is to chase down Johannes, or to head back to the manor house brakes out. Tom and Will suspect that the smugglers' ship will arrive on or near the new moon, which begins in three days. The logistics of capturing and returning with Johannes make it unlikely that the ship would be met if the party chased down Johannes on the way to Burle. Consequently, Johannes is allowed to escape, though the excise men promise to take a description of him to the Sheriff's men and state he is wanted for questioning.
At the close of the meeting, Winthrop and Neal, a member of the town council, ink a contract stating Neal will attempt to sell the party’s trade goods for a five percent commission. Neal is confident he can sell them, though it may take some time.
It is marketday in Saltmarsh, and the town is full of local merchants and farmers selling their wares. Both tax stations, one on each road into town, are occupied. The saleable goods in the cart are assessed for their tax value, and a sum of close to five hundred gold eagles is required for their entry into Saltmarsh. Rook and Winthrop are asset rich, but cash poor, and are unable to pay the tax. They drive the cart through town to the excise office, where it will be stabled until they can pay the tax on their goods. The commotion of the laden cart, complete with escort, slowly working its way across the crowded marketplace attracts the attention of most of the shoppers in town. The Constable, sizing up Rook, suggests that perhaps his church can provide the necessary funds to meet the excise tax. Winthrop coughs wetly and wheezes.
Rook and Winthrop encounter Johannes on the way through town. Johannes shows great surprise at the recent events. While Johannes had received Ross' note, he hadn't realized the extent of the party’s activities. Rook asks if Johannes is looking to buy silk, but Johannes states he is in fact looking for sailcloth. Rook would like Johannes to come assess the value of the goods in the cart, and Johannes agrees to come down to the excise house in the mid-afternoon.
Getting directions to the church of Cuthbert is straightforward, and Rook and Winthrop make their way to it. The church is a two-story building with extensive gardens surrounding it. An under-priest meets them as they enter the church grounds, and directs them to a small chamber within the church. After a moment, the under-priest goes and gets his superior, who identifies himself as Tryzen. Tryzen examines Winthrop and inquires whether he came into contact with large amounts of mold recently. Neither Winthrop nor Rook recalls any, but both think it possible. Tryzen gives Winthrop a draught to make him sleep, and explains to Rook that Winthrop is very ill, near death, and will need to stay in the temple at least overnight. Rook tithes a small gold disk to Tryzen and leaves, never raising the question of borrowing funds.
The Constable finds Rook leaving the church. He explains to Rook that there will be a meeting of the town council that night, and that Rook should expect to attend and bring Winthrop with him. After being informed that Winthrop is ill, the Constable assures Rook that Winthrop will arrive, since Tryzen is also a member of the council.
Rook leaves and locates the only moneychanger in town, Chumley Roundbottom, a halfling. Chumley is currently talking the proverbial ear off of an elven woman in the shop. Chumley is able to convert the gold items Rook is carrying into Keoish coin. Serrin, who has been unsuccessful in locating Johannes all morning, tracks Rook down inside Chumley's shop, where a brief, somewhat enlightening conversation is held in front of Chumley and the elf maiden. Rook and Serrin agree to meet at the town council later that night. Serrin is able to recover his new net from Sean, who also happens to have sizeable number of caltrops available. Serrin passes on the caltrops. Rook travels back to the excise house to meet Johannes, but Johannes does not arrive. After waiting until dark, Rook meets Winthrop and Tryzen, and heads off to the Town Council meeting.
The town council meeting, held at the Welcoming Home Inn, is a crowded affair, filled with locals, people from outlying areas who are in town for marketday, and the assorted malcontent. Sudden meetings like this are rare events, and the unfolding story of an organized band of thieves, undead haunts, the activation of off-duty excise men, and the amount of seized goods captured many people's attention. After it was clear that no portentous announcements would be made, the crowd significantly thinned.
During the meeting, Serrin becomes convinced that Johannes' odd behavior implicates him as a member of the smugglers' conspiracy. Serrin asks the excise men to try to recall if anyone with Johannes' description had left town by sea or by either road. Eventually, one excise man recalls a merchant heading out of town with an empty wagon, north toward Burle.
The town council, concerned with the presence of smugglers on the coast, offers the party, and whomever they hire, up to a maximum of eight, five hundred gold eagles each to rid the community of the smuggling ring's sea-based component. Towards this end, the town will provide a seaworthy boat and two volunteers from the excise men to man it. Booty from the smugglers is to be divided amongst those that obtain it.
Serrin spots Ned Shakeshaft amongst the crowd and, over Winthrop's objections, offers him a spot. A wanderer named Remo offers his services to the Constable, who directs him to Rook. Also, the elf maid from earlier, who is called Melar, states she would like to join.
The Constable introduces Tom and Will Stoutly, excise men the party has already met in their meetings with the Constable and his men, as two volunteers for the mission, and leaves them and the party to develop a plan of action. A heated discussion over whether a better plan is to chase down Johannes, or to head back to the manor house brakes out. Tom and Will suspect that the smugglers' ship will arrive on or near the new moon, which begins in three days. The logistics of capturing and returning with Johannes make it unlikely that the ship would be met if the party chased down Johannes on the way to Burle. Consequently, Johannes is allowed to escape, though the excise men promise to take a description of him to the Sheriff's men and state he is wanted for questioning.
At the close of the meeting, Winthrop and Neal, a member of the town council, ink a contract stating Neal will attempt to sell the party’s trade goods for a five percent commission. Neal is confident he can sell them, though it may take some time.