What We Found in the Cove

At the end of the battle, there were five of our sailors down. One had died, but Salidar was able to aid the other four. The sailors dropped the burning sails on the pirate vessels and let them burn themselves out while the rest of us began searching the caves and the ships.

In the back of the eastern cave, Salidar finds a pile of corpses 8 feet under the surface of the water. I left the others to the grisly task of examining that find and turned my attention to the ships. Neither I nor the gnome Bartlebee was able to find any logs or records of any type, just navigational maps. I used a detect magic in my search. The ships themselves radiated magic, and I also found two obsedian spheres in the captain's cabin of two of the ships. I have wrapped them each in a scarf and placed them in my pack for further future examination. Perhaps this was what the captains were using to communicate with whoever commissioned these ships, but I do not have the skills to determine this. We will have to wait for the mages in Balon to determine the nature and use of the spheres. A pity, for I would love to keep one for myself if it is a scrying device of some sort.

We then turned our attention to the exploration of the tunnel connecting the two caves and found other tunnels which led to barracks rooms. We found a total of 48 bunks in the barracks rooms. The gnomes opened and examined foot lockers, but found them all to be sparse in contents. The barracks and the foot lockers closely resembled a military style operation.

The two huts outside appeared little more than guard outposts. There was spots for fires to be built, but overall, little else. They were built for concealment.

The weapons and equipment was removed from the pirates and from their leaders. It is fairly identical in issue, though the leaders were better equipped.

Meanwhile, the captain and Salidar rigged a pole with a hook and brought up a corpse to examine. The corpse had been killed from various sword wounds. The captain lowered his continual light lantern into the water and 45 corpses could be seen. The ones that are visible all appear to be human males. The one we brought up was wearing the nondescript garb of a laborer. A debate began as to why the corpses would be brought here. Salidar questions if there is a village nearby. Bartlebee things these were sailors who fell victim to pirate attack. Though, I did not see why they would bring the corpses back here, and yet not scuttle the ships they attacked. Bartlebee pointed out that the lack of corpses near the scene of the crimes fed into the rumors of a 'ghost ship'.

Notably absent in our search is any treasure or cargo of any sort (other than general provisions for food). There must be either a separate place where they are stashing the cargo they have stolen or more ships involved in this operation who have carted the stolen goods away.

Kua searches the ground near the eastern most stretch of dock and finds a trail leading away from the cove. But, it has begun to blizzard now, and we shall have to wait till later, and hope to find it again after the storm. Both naval vessels have moved into the cove to find shelter from the fierce winter winds. We shall wait out the blizzard here, and continue our investigations at its end. No chance of sending another messenger pigeon to Balon until after the blizzard either.

T

hey that had fought so well
Came thro' the jaws of Death
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.