The burglary in the harbour
After our four friends got to know each other in the next bar in the last session, Aldric embarked on a small side quest in which they were to collect potion ingredients for the herbalist Rosvita. To do this, he went to the small oyster farm near the Fichtenstein harbour. Instead of looking for the owner there, he decided to help himself to the freely available oysters. Aldric was very happy with this, but Zetti, the owner of the farm, was anything but. And so, at the end of the last blog, Aldric had to take to his heels before he was out of range of Zetti’s bow.
While Aldric was taking care of the oysters last time, Löwenzahn, Theo, and Kel Tuh Las are meanwhile wandering around the harbor of Fichtenstein. They realize that, although it is already their second day there, they haven’t actually been near the water yet. So, they decide to change that and head to the pier of the small town, which seems quite calm.
There are three ships docked: the “Arsena’s Tail” and the “Selania” from Ullana Nana, and the “Damp Grotto” from Rhatcyl. Our three adventurers aren’t exactly international, so they don’t find the ships or their crews particularly interesting. However, a sailor from Ullana Nana is very interested in them instead and approach them directly. He introduces himself as Eduardo and explains that his friend José has been missing for some time. Their ship is about to depart, and he needs help finding José. Our friends have heard something similar in the harbor tavern before, so they note this obvious side quest in their imaginary notebooks but quickly return to their main objective: the loading terminal.
The terminal is the busiest place, with sailors occasionally coming out or going inside. They quickly find the stairs leading to the first floor of the terminal, where the office of the mysterious lieutenant is located. However, they don’t want to proceed without Aldric, and Theo has an excellent idea on top. He wants to break into the office at night to get an initial look and possibly gather something to use against the lieutenant. So, they leave the terminal and step back onto the small pier, where they meet Aldric, who is jogging towards them in his wet pants.
After our four friends shared all their experiences, they have a few hours to kill before nightfall, and where better to do that than in a rundown harbor tavern? After consuming a few hectoliters of beer, it is time for Theo to begin his breaking and entering mission. Löwenzahn, Kel Tuh Las, and Aldric join him to keep watch, so around 11 PM, the four leave the “Drunken Mermaid” and step into the pitch-dark night. They quickly reach the warehouses and eventually the loading terminal. Although it is locked, Theo make it look easy and opens the door without struggeling.
Inside, the terminal haven’t changed much since their last visit. Theo cautiously sneaks up the stairs to the first floor, while the other three take their positions to keep watch. If anyone unwelcome appears, they are to alert Theo with their agreed-upon warning cry: “Toucan, Toucan.”
The upper floor is smaller than the storage area below, so it doesn’t take Theo long to find the office. There are only a few desks for employees and some crates overflowing with paper. Theo carefully sneaks to the door, which bare a modest, definitely not flashy, solid gold plaque with the name “Kampf.” With deft movements, he quickly picks the lock and enter a large, glass-walled office. The restraint shown at the door decoration continued inside. A massive polished spruce desk (at least he buys locally), an almost royally imposing desk chair, and a red checkered carpet adorn the office. However, Theo is more interested in incriminating documents than interior decoration, so he lets the ostentatious furniture be and starts searching through drawers. Apart from various letters, invoices, and delivery notes, there is not much to be find. The only oddity is a drawer containing a rope and a bottle with a clear liquid. Whether Lieutenant Kampf simply likes drinking vodka while playing rodeo, or if it is something more mysterious, you’ll find out in two weeks on Arkanthia Pen and Paper.
