Allburn’s docks stand grey and rigid under a flat winter light. The Harbor Master watches cargo hauled in neat, joyless ranks, one paw resting on the seal that has haunted Arnold’s trail.
Captain Arnold Runner
That seal. Who stamps it?
The Harbor Master turns slowly. Around him, clerks freeze mid-count, as if laughter itself has been outlawed by statute.
The Harbor Master
A practical mark. It directs goods to the true buyer, and keeps fools from asking after names.
He opens a ledger beside the seal. A route chain is visible in cramped columns, with Arnold’s recent harbors listed like stepping stones toward a hidden destination.
Captain Arnold Runner
Then point me to the destination, before I grow polite.
The Harbor Master
You are already standing on its trail. The seal is not mine. It belongs to the office above mine, and they buy through intermediaries who dislike being named.
The Harbor Master’s paw tightens on the seal. Now Arnold sees it clearly, the mark is not payment, but a summons leading upward to the powerful hand behind the trap.
✓ Quest Accepted
Get the harbor master to name his superior
“He puts his paw tenderly on the seal's flipper, "That seal didn't do anything to you, be gentle with him! Looks like the poor guy gets stamped enough. Tell me, seal, would you have anything to tell me from the privacy of my quarters?"”
SUCCESS (Legendary Communication: Command, rolled -1)
Arnold’s paw settles on the seal, gentle as a blessing and twice as dangerous. The Harbor Master’s ears flick, and his guarded stare loosens by a fraction.
Captain Arnold Runner
That seal gets stamped enough already. Be gentle with him, and tell me what he knows when he’s in my quarters.
The Harbor Master lets out a short, unwilling breath. His paw stays on the mark, but his posture gives ground.
The Harbor Master
You press the matter like a knife in soft wood. Fine. The office above mine uses the seal, and the buyer is called only through intermediaries.
He tilts the ledger toward Arnold, exposing a cleaner chain than before, all routes and tallies climbing one rung higher than the harbor itself.
The Harbor Master
If you want the truth, you want the harbor commissioner. That is who stands behind this mark.
The Quartermaster scratches it down at once, head bent over the page. The Harbor Master keeps his paw on the seal, but now it looks more like resignation than defense.
Quest Complete
Get the harbor master to name his superior
Quest Complete
Identify the harbor master’s seal’s owner
New Gift: Harbor Master's Trust