The warehouse yawns open in the dim, its front doors still creaking on their hinges. Wukong steps inside and the smell hits him first, damp wood, sour grain, old river mud. Crates stack into the gloom like walls.
A Dock Watchman stands between the piles, iron club half-raised, eyes snapping from Wukong to the cellar door. He is not guarding the room, he is waiting for someone else to arrive.
A Dock Watchman
You should not be here. Turn around, if you know what is wise.
Wukong
I am here for the blue wax seals. Where are they going?
The watchman flinches at the seal's name. His grip tightens on the club, but he does not swing. The cellar door behind him gives a faint, ugly scrape from below.
A Dock Watchman
Too early. Pell said no one would come before the carts.
The answer is enough. This warehouse is not a dead end, it is a relay point, and the hidden cellar below it is tied straight into the conspiracy. Wukong has found the trail's next mouth.
✓ Quest Accepted
Learn where the cellar key is
✓ Quest Accepted
Reach the hidden cellar
“I say "I want access to the lower cellar. Let me in now before any problems arise." while keeping my quarterstaff ready to strike at a moment's notice.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Persuasion, rolled +1)
Wukong
I want access to the lower cellar. Let me in now before any problems arise.
The watchman’s shoulders sag a fraction. He lowers the club just enough to show he is thinking, not striking. The scrape from below stops, leaving the cellar door in a sour silence.
A Dock Watchman
The key is on a cord with the tally clerk, in the office over the yard. He keeps it close because Pell trusts no one with the lower door.
He glances toward the back wall as if expecting the floorboards to answer for him. Dust trembles once, then settles. Wukong’s weapon stays ready while the answer lands cleanly between them.
A Dock Watchman
If I talk fast, maybe he leaves before they notice.
The watchman swallows and keeps his eyes on Wukong, not the cellar. Somewhere deeper in the warehouse, a muted knock sounds through timber, brief and deliberate.
A Dock Watchman
You have the key now. If you go below, go quick. I have not said that twice.
Quest Complete
Learn where the cellar key is