thesaltmarshsleuth

[thesaltmarshsleuth]

The Runestone Kids and the Phantom Manor

Dear journal,

Today was quite the eventful day! To start, it turns out that my great uncle has hired a local dragonborn shipwright he knows to be my bodyguard. I’m not quite sure how a shipwright has the credentials to be hired for such a position, but I trust Gruncle Gellan’s judgement. To his credit, Jaxton (that’s his name) is—at the very least—a nice guy. He even helped me get my familiar, Salem, from out of a tree after the little scamp had clambered up it and refused to come down. I had to stand on his shoulders in order to reach the naughty boy, but he was able to hold me up without issue! Afterwards, we went to the Salty Sea Hag tavern for refreshments. Salem really had us work up a sweat! I will need to make sure to give him a stern talking to later. . . At any rate, this is when things started to take a turn for the bizarre.

We overheard patrons discussing how a woman’s body had washed up on shore and that, from what whoever found her had observed, she had most likely drowned while attempting to make her way to land. They also noted that she looked to have been tied up at some point. Pretty unsettling stuff. I don’t want to think about what that must have been like. . . Once we had our drinks, Jaxton spotted some acquaintances of his and we made our way over to their table. They had also been discussing the tragic fate of this mystery woman and were trying to figure out who she could be. This group consisted of Twidget, a halfling woman (not child, sorry!) with a fondness for spirits; Eirnal, a half-elf shipwright and Finn, a local fisher boy. They all seemed relatively nice. Well, most of them. 

Not long after we had sat down with them, Gruncle Gellan came into the tavern with an unfamiliar, surly looking dwarven woman. He then proceeded to  proclaim that the town council was offering a 200 gold reward to anyone who could solve the mystery of the death of Tamara Runestone and the disappearance of her brother, James. That doesn’t seem like much gold, but I suppose it is better than nothing! Not finding the miniscule amount of information we had gathered adequate, we decided to split up and ask around the tavern to hopefully find out more about these unfortunate incidences. Twidget, Finn and I went to speak with Gruncle Gellan and the dwarven woman while Jaxton and Eirnal questioned a few of the local off-duty guards. 

Gruncle Gellan and the dwarven woman, Manistrad Copperlocks, did not seem to get on well. It makes sense, I suppose, seeing as how Miss Copperlocks is firmly in the Loyalist camp and Gruncle Gellan is pro-Traditionalists. I should really look into having a chat with her sometime. . . So! After speaking with the two of them, we found out that Tamara and James Runestone—sibling adventurers of some renown with a focus on lost treasures and interesting rumors—had come to Saltmarsh in order to investigate an allegedly haunted manor north of Saltmarsh. The only reason the siblings would have any inclination to investigate the manor would be because of the unsubstantiated rumor that an alchemist had found a way to turn lead into gold and had hidden their spoils within. I am unsure if it was just the gold that was claimed to have been hidden away, or if it was the formula that was. Perhaps both? Regardless, I have never heard of anyone turning lead to gold. Or any other metal to gold for that matter. Satisfied with this newfound knowledge, we touched base with Jaxton and Eirnal and took a stroll about town to compare notes away from prying ears and eyes.

Sadly, the two shipwrights were not quite as fortunate as us. There was a drunken older gentleman who went on about how the manor was infested with bats, rats and a vampire. I do not know much about vampires, but I cannot imagine one making its residence in a backWATER—thank you for the correction, FINN— village such as Saltmarsh. They did at least discover that everyone found it odd that someone of Tamara’s martial prowess was supposedly bested and bound. Whoever the culprit(s) is(are), they are clearly not your run-of-the-mill ne’er-do-well(s). 

As we were walking, Jaxton had spotted a cloaked figure trailing us. He politely asked the individual to reveal themselves to the rest of us and they complied. The figure turned out to be an aasimar woman named Sarala who had overheard our conversation in the tavern and wanted to accompany us. The five of us agreed to let her come along and decided to meet up with one another tomorrow to begin our investigation. As unfortunate as the circumstances are, I have to admit I am a bit excited to do some sleuthing. It will also be nice to give the villagers some peace of mind regarding this tragic event.

Which leads me to an important part of any investigation: the to-do list! What would an investigator be without their trusty list!?

Aiden’s To-Do Agenda

Visit locations the siblings may have frequented and question anyone they may have had contact with and potentially let slip about their plans regarding the manor to. Also ask about the day they left. The local goods store, the blacksmith, other taverns, etc.

Find out if they were staying anywhere in the village and, if so, search the location for clues that may give insight into what they were specifically looking for/trying to do at the manor. 

Find out where the manor is located. “To the north” is somewhat vague. Is it by the sea? Closer inland? Near any wooded area or forest? This may help in discerning why her body was found in the sea and will also make it easier to find when we inevitably make our way there. 

I am sure my companions will have more to add, but I feel that is a good starting point. I hope I can get some sleep tonight! 

P.S.,

I completely forgot to mention that Gruncle Gellan said he wanted to speak with me later this evening! He has yet to return home, but I hope it’s nothing bad. I guess I’ll find out soon enough!

[thesaltmarshsleuth]

Little Town. . . It’s A Quiet (Fishing) Village

Dear journal,

I reached the village—not town—of Saltmarsh earlier today and it is. . . not what I expected. The journey here was relatively uneventful, although I did have an escort made up of elves and Keoish soldiers while traveling through the Dreadwood. They said the forest was home to all manner of “evil creatures,” but refused to answer my inquiries on the subject. Ugh.

When I arrived in Saltmarsh, I was greeted not only by Gruncle Gellan, but also by quite a few stares from its inhabitants. I guess I do stand out a bit compared to your average citizen here, but Gruncle Gellan is fairly well off and seems to dress well, so I cannot look THAT out of place, can I? Based on his interactions with the villagers and what I overheard on our way to his home, he seems to be quite popular. Throwing feasts and providing entertainment like festivals and plays for these people seems to have put him in their good graces. I do wonder how he is able to fund these events as I cannot picture someone making that much gold from any trade or service located in the village.

One more curious thing about Gruncle Gellan is that he seems to side with the Traditionalists. Which leads me to question why he would take me in knowing full-well I am here to help out the Loyalists. And while we are on that subject, why would my parents think I would be of any use to these people regarding this conflict? I think they just sent me here as punishment for my alleged “teenage rebellious streak.” Whatever. I hope I am at least able to meet some villagers close to my age. As nice as Gruncle Gellan is, he seems to try a little too hard to be, for lack of a better word, cool.   

[thesaltmarshsleuth]

And So It Begins. . .

Dear journal,

Hi! It’s me, Aiden. Which I guess is obvious since you belong to me and no one else should be writing in you. . . Anyway! Today is the day I leave the City of Greyhawk for the town of Saltmarsh down in southern Keoland where my great uncle—or as I like to say, gruncle—Gellan resides. I am being sent to stay with him for a time so that I might help the local Loyalists there turn Saltmarsh into an asset for the crown. One would think it’s already an asset given that it’s a port town. And while normally I enjoy the idea of helping others, this visit was not at my behest. It is so unfair!

After graduating early from the University of Magical Arts, my parents wanted me to partake in the family business of creating and selling of magical goods and items. However, I wanted to use my knowledge to aid those in need. So, they gave me an ultimatum: since I was so keen on helping others, I was to go to Keoland and help my relatives with the Saltmarsh problem or else I would be cut off from my family’s vast funds. Not cool. At all.

I suppose I should be somewhat grateful, though, as this at least gives me a chance to see the world firsthand instead of through a textbook. I have never been to a place like Saltmarsh before, but I imagine it is just like in the stories I have read. A bustling port full of colorful characters and ships flying myriad flags of the various nations they hail from. I guess I picture it as a sort of microcosm of Greyhawk in a way. It cannot be too different from home if it is full of traders and merchants peddling their wares brought in from across the sea, right?