The crew quietly nodded at your commands and picked up the items. Johnathan stamped out his tindertwig and picked up the crate of pitch while you and Kulee grabbed the ingots. Derrick peeked outside of the door and made sure the coast was clear. He spotted no guards or patrols, so he opened the door for the group to leave. Nyx would meet up with you and warn you that it looks like there's a patrol on it's way from the docks, just two guardsmen making their rounds. It's unlikely that they knew what just happened by they couldn't head straight to the docks right now because of the guardsmen, unless the captain thinks he can quick talk his way pass them. Considering how late it is and their immediate cargo, it may be difficult for them to convince the guardsmen their goods are legal.

"Ms. Orocho, you're with me." Talogan said after putting down the crate of steel he and Kulee were carrying. "The rest of you keep out of sight, but be ready in the event we need help." With that said, Talogan pulled out his coin purse and walked out of the alleyway with Nyx at his side. As they approached the guards, Talogan shook his coin purse, allowing the enticing jingle of 85 gold pieces to make all necessary introductions. "Good evening, guardsmen." Talogan said as he pulled 30 gold pieces from the coin purse. "It might please you to know that you may relax on this stretch of your patrol. A reliable source tells me that this area of Red Shard is a place of honesty and integrity. So you needn't concern yourself with any goings on you catch sight of here. Wouldn't you agree Ms. Orocho?"

The guards looked to you with a stern glare. One of them even seems offended until he accepts your coin. "Tis a quiet night eh chum?" The other guard looks through the bag of coins and counts it up. "Aye, it is. Let's carry on then eh?" The guards continue onward, away from the docks and giving you and your crew a clear path to the docks and your ship. Nyx still stays on the look out but you and your men otherwise have no issues returning to the Kraken. Knowing protocol about these things, your men are quick to take the booty below deck and stash it away in case the authorities have to do any searching. Once the coast was clear Nyx approaches you. "Seems like we're managed to make it out without a pip, captain. Though I'm curious what those orcs were up to. Heard rumors of a warband nearby, you think they might be related?"

Talogan maintained his usual expression of cold stoicism as he was met with stern glares and offended looks from the guards. Talogan knew a non-hobgoblin's attempt at saving face when he saw one though. The captain nodded to the duo as they took his offered coin and made to continue. Once the transaction was complete, Talogan signaled for his crew to move and led the way back to the ship. Once they made it safely to the deck of Maglubiyet's Kraken, Talogan supervised the stashing of the loot, making sure the stolen goods were properly hidden so that only the most dedicated snooping would be able to find it without help from the crew. With that done, Talogan made for his quarters to retire for the night, but stopped when he saw Nyx approaching him. "Seems like we're managed to make it out without a pip, captain." Nyx said to her captain. "Though I'm curious what those orcs were up to. Heard rumors of a warband nearby, you think they might be related?"
"I think not." Talogan said with a shake of his head. "Subterfuge is a tool seldom used by warband orcs. After all, why would a warband send a small group to ransack a single warehouse when they could instead come in force to pillage the entire town for a larger pile of loot and favor from their gods? No. More likely, they were a trio of thieves on a job from the local guild."

Nyx rubs her chin at the idea. "Suppose that's true. But what did they take then? Took a peek at our loot and all we have is some ingots and sap. Dead drop maybe?" She yawns as she asks this question before walking away. "Well, suppose we'll find out eventually if we meet the Thieves Guild. I think I'm going to go sleep for the night captain. See you in the morning." With that, you were alone on the deck of the ship. Even Hurrik wasn't present, having his own spot on the crows nest where he normally sleeps regardless of the conditions. If there was nothing else left for you to do, it would be a thankfully quiet night, without much in the way of disturbances whether in the form of dreams or unwanted guests.

Once he was alone, Talogan lingered on deck a while longer as he looked out over Red Shard for a time. He considered for a moment the validity of Nyx's theory. While it might not have been likely that the orcs were from a warband, it wasn't impossible. Sometimes, if they were out of options, the children of Gruumsh would turn instead to Shargaas for an approach that usually got the job done, even if Gruumsh didn't look kindly on those methods. If such was the case in this situation and an orc warband was indeed responsible for the theft, Talogan hoped the orcs didn't have more violent or destructive plans for Red Shard. It would be very inconvenient if a safe haven for himself and his crew was lost to the orcs. After a time, Talogan turned away from Red Shard and looked instead southward down the coastline. Somewhere in that direction was a shipwreck that Maglubiyet himself had ordered Talogan to investigate. The Mighty One had decided not to reveal the reasoning behind sending such a message though. However, Talogan wasn't going to complain about that. If Maglubiyet hid his agenda from Talogan, it was for a good reason.

Stifling a yawn, the captain of Maglubiyet's Kraken finally retired to his quarters for the night. Before going to bed, Talogan took 30 gold pieces from the treasury to reimburse himself for the bribes he paid to the guards that night and wrote down the sea shanty he and his crew sang that night. Once he put the lyrics away with the rest of his shanties, Talogan when to bed and dreamed of the day he would pass on in glory to the Infinite Battlefield of Acheron. Of the day he would arrive in Clangor and walk the halls Grashmog. Of the day he'd take his place in the front lines at Nishrek and fight the Eternal War against the forces of Gruumsh. Of the day he could finally see her again...

Talogan awoke the next day and performed his morning ritual. First, he washed and cleaned himself with all the necessary sundries he kept in a corner of his quarters and dressed himself for the day. Next, he thoroughly inspected his weapons and gear to ensure they were fit for a servant of the Mighty One. Finally, once he was certain he was as presentable as he could make himself, he knelt before the shrine to his gods and prayed. The shrine was actually a weapon wrack that held the weapons used by his gods as holy symbols. At the top of the wrack was a large headsman's axe. The symbol of Maglubiyet, chief god of the goblinoid pantheon, who Talogan prayed to for the might of a conqueror and a chance to prove himself worthy of joining the immortal host. Below the axe was a longsword and a handaxe crossed to form the symbol of Nomog-Geaya, the hobgoblin god of leadership and authority, to whom Talogan prayed for continued proficiency in commanding his crew. And below the weapons of Nomog-Geaya, lay the white headed flail of Bargrivyek, the hobgoblin god of duty and discipline, to who Talogan prayed that his crew remained loyal and competent for another day. Once all of this was done, Talogan left his quarters and emerged on deck, ready for the day.

Talogan woke up bright and early, as did some of his crew. Since they were on shore and don't expect too much work to be done, some such as Kulee, Hurrik, and Nyx slept in. Derrick and Johnathan were up though and seemed to be eating some sort of fish pie, and on the docks you can already see various sailors and workers going about early morning business. There was even an old woman with a portable oven selling fish pies, which likely explains where Johnathan and Derrick got theirs. Coming down the street looking somewhat haggard was Tayang, Hector, and Oliver. From the scruff on their armor and Oliver holding his arm, it looks like they ran into some trouble. Upon reaching you, Tayang told you what happened.

"Morning captain. As ya told the lads last night, we scouted out for that shipwreck down south. We found the ship wreck sure enough, beached along some jagged rocks below the cliffs. We tried climbing down a bit but well... Footing isn't the most stable there. And that's not the worse of it captain. Me and the lads found a large horde of drowned." Stories of the drowned were common among sailors and pirates: the poor and pitiful folk who die at sea without a proper send off. Basically, zombies, but with an uncanny ability to float and climb aboard ships. "We counted at least twenty of em. Twas a good thing we spotted em before they spotted us, because when they did they all came chasing. One managed to catch Oliver and cut em with a rusty knife." Oliver was getting patched up by Derrick, who had to use his own hot knife to disinfect and clean his wound. "And to make matters worse, there might be a Siren or something there too. Those drowned didn't spot us until we heard some sort of singing from the shipwreck. Didn't see what caused it but I'd bet my wages it controls the drowned."

Talogan ascended to the bridge and surveyed his surroundings as he took in the morning air. He'd passed the crew quarters on his way topside and saw that everyone on the ship save for Kulee, Hurrik, and Nyx was also awake. Derrick and Johnathan were even sharing a breakfast of fish pie bought from a dockside vendor. Talogan had already had breakfast, having eaten a few bites of coimas bread and washed it down with a few gulps from his waterskin, as he had done for the past few mornings since obtaining the bread from the elven merchants. Though he'd have to find something else to eat for breakfast tomorrow, as he had eaten the last of the loaf that morning. Just then, Talogan noticed the members of his crew that had slept ashore that night arriving back at the ship. To the captain's surprise, Oliver was wounded. "Dr. Boulder! You are needed!" Talogan called out as he quickly descended from the bridge to speak with his first mate.

"Morning captain." Tayang said as Talogan approached.
"Good morning, Mr. Iron Guts." Talogan replied before inclining his head meaningfully towards Oliver.
"As ya told the lads last night, we scouted out for that shipwreck down south." Tayang continued.
"Did you find the wreck?" Talogan asked.
"We found the ship wreck sure enough, beached along some jagged rocks below the cliffs." Tayang answered. "We tried climbing down a bit but well... Footing isn't the most stable there. And that's not the worse of it captain. Me and the lads found a large horde of drowned."
"I think I can see where this is going." Talogan said, knowing all too well of that particular type of undead. "How many were there?"
"We counted at least twenty of em. Twas a good thing we spotted em before they spotted us, because when they did they all came chasing. One managed to catch Oliver and cut em with a rusty knife." Tayang replied. "And to make matters worse, there might be a Siren or something there too. Those drowned didn't spot us until we heard some sort of singing from the shipwreck. Didn't see what caused it but I'd bet my wages it controls the drowned."
Talogan thought on what he had just learned for a time, asking Tayang the occasional question to confirm things he was unsure of. Once he had confirmed what he needed to know, Talogan went to check on Oliver to see how he was doing while the captain allowed the trains of thought in his head to reach their destinations. If Oliver had suffered any injuries or ill effects from the rusty blade that Derrick's mundane healing couldn't immediately fix, Talogan would use his own healing magic to bring him back to full health. Once he was done with Oliver, Talogan turned back to Tayang. "Did your scouting reveal anything else I should know about?" Talogan asked.

Fortunately, Derrick seemed to have used his earnings to get more medical supplies, so he was able to treat Oliver's wounds and any possible infection without relying on your magical resources. It was just a scratch after all, and Oliver certainly has felt worse, so he should be able to recover in short order. Once that was dealt with Tayang taped his chin. "The path down is too treacherous for all of us. Just us three were soon killed by the fall than the drowned. Speaking of, while most of them looked human, there were at least three dead orcs as part of the drowned. They look pretty fresh too, considering I could plainly see their features. Don't know how long they were dead but I'd estimate it was at least recently since they aren't as bloated and still have most of their skin. There was also one dwarf who must've died recently, an unfortunate lass. Of the drowned she was the only one with a proper looking weapon, a black battleaxe. She was at the ship when the drowned woke up, and I only noticed her because of that axe."

By now most of your crew was getting to the deck, stretching, grabbing breakfast, and generally ready for work. Nyx appears to have obtained a new spell by the parrot on her shoulder. Hurrik had a new set of armor and Kulee came up with what appears to be a small anchor on his back. Though it's more of a stylized maul than a literal anchor. Still looks hefty. Hurrik walks up to you, in full regalia. "Morning captain. I spoke with Nyx just a short while ago, I'm told we might be needing to scout soon? I'll gladly volunteer for such a job." He says, having just missed Tayang's report.

Talogan listened as Tayang continued to report what had been discovered during the scouting expedition at the wreck. Aside from the obvious statement of the cliffs being too dangerous to climb down, there was some information about the composition of the drowned horde as well. They knew now for certain that they'd be approaching a dangerous situation, but Talogan already knew that. By now, the rest of the crew had woken up. Talogan raised an eyebrow when he noticed something new about them. Nyx had apparently learned the Find Familiar spell and used it to summon a parrot. Hurrik had purchased new armor, a set similar to the armored coat Talogan wore, but was an actual suit of armor rather than a coat. For a moment Talogan was slightly worried that Kulee had stolen an anchor from a ship to use as a weapon. But on closer inspection, the captain realized that he helmsman had simply procured a stylized maul from town.

"Morning captain." Hurrik said as he approached the captain.
"Good morning, Mr. Balannor." Talogan replied.
"I spoke with Nyx just a short while ago, I'm told we might be needing to scout soon?" The dwarven scout said. "I'll gladly volunteer for such a job."
On the surface, Talogan had the same look of cold stoicism on his face that he usually wore. On the inside however, he was kicking himself. 'I HAVE A SCOUT WORKING FOR ME!' Talogan thought to himself. 'AND WHEN I NEEDED A PLACE SCOUTED, I DIDN'T SEND THE SCOUT?! WHAT THE NINE BLOODY HELLS WAS I THINKING?!' Talogan quickly pulled himself together though and spoke in response to Hurrik's words. "Of course, Mr. Balannor." Talogan said, quickly thinking up an excuse for why he didn't send Hurrik with the scouting party. "Last night I ordered some initial light scouting to be performed at dawn to learn the broad strokes so that you could focus on the details when I sent you in for the serious scouting. You'll be doing that now. I'll be coming with you to see the wreck for myself. So will Ms. Orocho, her new familiar will allow us to closely view the ship without putting ourselves in danger. Mr. Hector was was with the initial scouting party, so he will be showing us the way. Mr. Johnathon, you will be coming with us also. Ready yourselves for departure. The rest of you, stand by for further orders. I will return shortly."

With that said, Talogan descended below deck to his quarters once more. In his quarters, Talogan opened his secret treasure compartment and procured a bag of 160 gold pieces. Once he'd done that, Talogan closed the compartment and went up topside again. "Take this gold." Talogan said as he handed the coin to Tayang. Purchase two rowboats and use the rest to buy better gear for the men who aren't joining the secondary scouting expedition. I'll also be paying the four of you a little extra at the end of every month from now on so you can afford a higher standard of maintenance for your gear."

Most of the crew seems to accept your reasoning, with Hurrik especially eager to be off the ship so he can go exploring. Hector finished eating Derrick's fish pie as Johnathan went back below deck to grab his gear. "Aye aye captain. I'll make sure the lads are in fighting shape soon enough." Tayang says as he pockets the money. "Ya heard the captain! You salty dogs are getting a promotion, and that means yer gunna have to carry your weight! Get off your duffs, we got work to do." Before long Tayang, Kulee, Derrick, and Oliver leave the ship to go buy those boats and upgrade their skills and gear. Once Johnathan came back up, your group was effectively ready to go. Hector adjusted his armor as he turned to you. "Aight, suppose I ought to lead the team back to the cliff, yeah Captain? It'll be a bit of a walk, about an hour south. Frankly I'm surprised Tayang woke us up first, considering all the noise he made into the twilight, but that's Tayang for ya..."

Once all preparations were made, the group would head south. Sure enough it was a bit of a trek: there was a road that lead south but than turned off towards the east, and the path Hector knew required them to go off the road and into a forest. “What takes the longest to reach that cliff is going through the woods. Neither me nor the others found a good path through that was easy or quick, so enjoy walking in the dirt road while you can.” Hector said as they walked out from the South Gate.

"I have a feeling it will be easier this time around." Talogan said when Hector mentioned the difficulty they encountered going through the woods. "If I recall correctly, Mr. Balannor has experience in navigating unsteady terrain. So I believe we can expect to avoid the worst of it." As they left town, Talogan noticed Nyx's familiar take to the air and remembered how three of his crew members had shown up on deck that morning with something new to show off. "It did not escape my notice this morning that the two of you and Mr. Fishbones each had something new about you." Talogan commented to Nyx and Hurrik. "I noticed Mr. Fishbones' new maul, although I will admit that its unique appearance led me to wonder if I should expect someone complaining about a stolen anchor until I realized what It really was. And I see you've bought new armor, Mr. Balannor. Studded leather. Much like my own. Good choice." Talogan then looked towards Nyx. "And you have that familiar of yours, Ms. Orocho." The captain said as he gestured up to the parrot flying overhead to ensure a safe route. "I wasn't aware that you knew the Find Familiar spell. What type of spirit did you choose? A fiendish one? A spirit of the Feywild?"

Just as Talogan said, Hurrik had no issues finding safe and stable passage for them. Taking out his sword, he'd chop through any brush and obstruction to give them a clear path. Nyx struggled to keep up a bit due to her tiny legs and having to climb over things that the other, taller crew members could easily just walk over. Thus her responses to you were between breaths. "Whew. Yeah, after you finished your business yesterday, went to a little magic shop. Found a scroll and spent a good part of my day copying it down, and summoning it. I decided to go fey since that's the one I found first. Very colorful you know?" Hector would hang back a bit to help Nyx as they walked. "So hey captain, what do you think we'll be finding over at that ship wreck anyways? Don't imagine the drowned have a lotta good loot on em aside from that one with the axe."

"Colorful indeed." Talogan said in response to Nyx's words. "And also capable of mimicking speech. We'll be making good use of that particular ability." As Hector hung back to help Nyx progress forward, Talogan picked up the pace to reach Hurrik. "Mind how fast you're going, Mr. Balannor." Talogan ordered. "Ms. Orocho is having trouble keeping up with the current pace. I don't want her tired out." Talogan then rejoined those who had hung back and Hector spoke up shortly after.
"So hey captain, what do you think we'll be finding over at that ship wreck anyways?" Hector said. "Don't imagine the drowned have a lotta good loot on 'em aside from that one with the axe."
"The drowned may have a few odds and ends we might find value in." Talogan replied. "But ultimately, they're just obstacles that we will have to overcome. The true prize will be with the siren. They are attracted to uniqueness and beauty, so there's a good chance she will be adorned with fine jewelry. That also makes it rather odd that she's controlling a mob of undead, the complete opposite of both those qualities."

"Really? Growing up, I've always heard that Siren's use their magic to bewitch men into their slaves. I just figured those drowned were the same men who fell for her song, serving her after death or something. Makes sense to me at least." Hector said, proposing his theory. Nyx, who was moving a bit faster thanks to his help, suggested a different hypothesis. "Frankly sea creatures who sing to lure men are vast and many. Sirens are the most common of course, but I don't know any siren that cares enough about pretty things to learn necromancy. I think it's a sea hag. A shipwreck would make a fine lair for it, and those vile witches certainly would be the type to craft undead minions." Hurrik, who was slowing down for the group but still at the front, added his thoughts to the conversation. "Whatever it is, we'll be going into it's lair. It'll have the advantage of terrain over the lot of us. If we weren't looking to plunder it, I'd recommend just setting the wreck aflame. Once in the open, we can simply shoot it to death with bows and magic. The undead aren't known for their abilities with a bow after all." In the distance the group could hear the ocean's wave. Just a bit longer and they'll be out of the forest and getting closer to the coast. "Wow, we're moving fast captain!" Hector said in amazement.

Talogan pondered to himself as the crew discussed the possible foes they would potentially encounter on the wreck. Any sort of hag controlling the drowned would be a more likely possibility than a siren. Hags were known for seeing beauty where others saw only abomination. Perhaps the singing that the first scouting party heard was some sort of weird magic the hag used to command the mob. Talogan hoped they would only need to deal with one hag if that was the case. If he recalled correctly, trios of hags would sometimes band together and form covens which made them even more dangerous and gives them access powerful magics they wouldn't normally have by themselves. The sound of the sea pulled Talogan from his thoughts. "It seems we will be out of the forest soon." Talogan commented.
"Wow, we're moving fast captain!" Hector said in amazement.
"Indeed we are." Talogan replied. "Likely due to us having Mr. Balannor at the head of our number."

It was only a short walk before the scouting party would reach a cliff looking over the shipwreck. Sure enough, there was barely a path leading down to the narrow strip of sand and rock in which the ship was against. Treacherous crags and steep drops were the only visible way down, and it was a miracle that the previous group managed to even get up. Hurrik looked to you with his observations. "From what I can tell, we'll need at least twenty pitons to secure a stable rope ladder. Erosion from the sea winds makes that rock side much more fragile than it looks, and frankly speaking a good storm could shave off a couple inches of rock wall, which could lead to a landslide. Fortunately the northside would likely be the most stable since winds blow southwards, which I'd guess is the path the others used." However as Hector looked down, he seemed nervous. "Uh... Alright captain, I just want to make sure you know, we really did see those drowned down there. Even if... They aren't here right now..." Sure enough, the ship and beach seems devoid of any creatures, living or dead. Nothing but rocks and wreckage. By this point Nyx's familiar flew down to her hand as she looked to you. "That's definitely further than 100 feet, so if I send Nox down there I'll lose communication with him. However I should still be able to see and hear through his senses. I'll make sure he stays a safe distance away from the wreck in case anything tries to come out. Am I clear to go?"

When they arrived at the cliff, Talogan stood near the edge and looked down at the shipwreck below. He couldn't really discern much about the distant wreck from where he was standing though. He silently cursed the Keratian economy for deciding spyglasses should cost 1000 gold pieces. "From what I can tell, we'll need at least twenty pitons to secure a stable rope ladder." Hurrik said as he drew level with Talogan. "Erosion from the sea winds makes that rock side much more fragile than it looks, and frankly speaking a good storm could shave off a couple inches of rock wall, which could lead to a landslide. Fortunately the north side would likely be the most stable since winds blow southwards, which I'd guess is the path the others used."
"Good to know." Talogan said with an appreciative nod. "Keep an eye open for anything else that could be help or hinder us.

"Uh... Alright captain, I just want to make sure you know, we really did see those drowned down there." Hector said nervously when he saw none of the drowned were readily visible. "Even if... They aren't here right now..."
"I do not doubt your words, Mr. Hector." Talogan said as he looked back at the wreck. "The drowned have probably gone into hiding. Waiting to ambush unwary scavengers I'll wager. We may need to find a way to draw them out if that's still the case when we return for the attack."

"That's definitely further than 100 feet, so if I send Nox down there I'll lose communication with him." Nyx said as her familiar came in for a landing. "However I should still be able to see and hear through his senses. I'll make sure he stays a safe distance away from the wreck in case anything tries to come out. Am I clear to go?"
"Send him down, Ms. Orocho." Talogan said with a nod of agreement. "Survey the wreck and surrounding area as best you can."

Nyx closed her eyes and began to channel her senses through Nox, sending him down to the ship to look around. Hector made sure to keep an eye on the surroundings while Hurrik was trying to get more of an idea of how to approach the beach strip. "It'll be a good thing we'll have those smaller boats. They can maneuver past the rocks so long as the waters are fairly calm. Anything bigger will crash against the stones, followed by anyone who falls into the ocean. A double-edge sword, captain: it'll be a death sentence of any of us if we capsize in those waters, but that also means the drowned won't likely survive there either. They'll either need to be beyond the rocks or near the ship itself, which incidentally makes the stones a safe place against them."

As Hurrik explained his thoughts, Nyx spoke. While she wouldn't be able to hear anyone's response, she continued to feed information she could see from Nox in real time. "From what I can plainly see the ship itself is on top of the rocks. No way it's ever going back to see unless it floods. Not only that but the keel is broken in three places, wouldn't even survive more than a minute floating. Lots of wood rot, the mast and ropes are bug eaten, and the only window has been broken. From the window it looks like water got inside the ship at some point too. We could enter through the cracks in the keel and work our way up, or try climbing to the deck and go our way down. Looks smaller than our ship, I don't expect it to have more than one level below deck. Troubling thing though is I don't see where the drowned are. They must still be in the water or ship itself. I don't see any other signs of sirens or whatever else might be controlling the drowned however."

Talogan watched Nox as the parrot flew about the shipwreck while also listening to what the other members of his crew had to say. The captain sifted through each piece of newfound information, taking the most useful items of intelligence and using them to aid in crafting his strategy. Once Nyx had finished speaking, Talogan tapped her on the shoulder to call her senses back to her body. Once Nyx was back, Talogan spoke. "Once you've reestablished communications with Nox, have him try and enter the ship." Talogan ordered. "Make sure he knows to be stealthy about it, and to leave if he encounters any of the drowned."