Kael Umal leads the two women out into the drizzle, down from the Broken Shield and into a lane of mud, broken cart wheels, and puddled rainwater. Dawn light washes the war-torn street in pale gold, but the town still feels half-asleep under its scars.
The Innkeeper
Room’s paid, but not forever. Move along before my threshold gets cramped.
The innkeeper stays in the doorway, one boot planted on the frame, while Maisie clutches her cloak tighter and Miles glances into the empty street like it might swallow her whole.
Kael Umal
The town is awake, but not welcoming.
A bell tolls somewhere beyond the rooftops. Through the mist, a low stone chapel stands at the end of the lane, its door half-open and its yard walled against the street.
Maisie
A chapel would at least have a roof. That is a start.
Miles
Anywhere is better than standing here while he stares holes through us.
Kael turns them toward the chapel, and the three of them cross the muddy street together, leaving the tavern behind as the rain hisses on the stones.
✓ Quest Accepted
Captain the Star Streak to deliver goods
“As we make our way towards the chapel there is a notice in the town square for a captain to crew a ship called the Star Streak and deliver goods. Kael is a known captain and will take the offer. The young women will sign on as crew.”
SUCCESS (Mediocre Leadership, rolled +1)
The chapel door gives way to a dim, soot-smelling nave, and the rain is muted at once. Candle stubs gutter along the walls, and the hush inside feels like a held breath.
Near the back wall, a notice board leans under damp parchment. One sheet bears a painted ship and bold ink, the words clear even in the low light, Star Streak, crew sought, goods to port city.
Kael Umal
The posting is fresh.
Kael steps closer, and the chapel’s candlelight catches the black star-flecked edge of his armor as Maisie and Miles follow in his wake.
Maisie
A ship, then. If it is honest work, I can stand a deck.
Miles
And if it is leaving, I am already packed.
A clerk in travel-worn gray looks up from a ledger, sees Kael, then the two women, and slides three wax tablets and a stylus across the table without a word.
Kael names them for the berth, and the clerk stamps all three tablets with the Star Streak seal. Outside, the bell tolls again, but inside the chapel the decision lands cleanly.
“Kael, the new captain, along with his new crew mates head off to the dock to take charge of the Star Streak, where the mysterious cargo is already loaded in the ships hold.”
SUCCESS (Good Agility, rolled +3)