A heavily-loaded barge of dark wood with bronze fittings wrought to resemble insect wings and mandibled heads bobs down the river, the crew workinging with renewed enthusiasm now that their destination is finally in sight. A few armed guards with bows and long spears keep a wary eye on the shoreline and water near the ship, ready to shout an alert if they see a flicker of naga scales or possible bandit ambush.
It is on this vessel that our adventure begins. Captain Munin's barge Streamstinger stood out from the other options when the party were looking for a means of transit down to Artume. The owner has a full alchemist's workshop set up in his lab and just laughed when Yellow mentioned dumping failed poisonmaking experiments overboard. It seemed to support Captain Munin's reputation for easy tolerance of eccentrics who can still get their jobs done.
Sailing into Artume called for some extra security, and Munin was happy to sign on Artume-bound adventurers to provide it. A motley crew drawn together for mutual support as they look for opportunity in the restless state, the party has been on heightened alert for the last few days. As the tithes demanded by Regent Waike's templars increase and people emigrate to neighboring states, the possibility of famine from an unproductive planting seasons looms larger. Streamstinger is primarily loaded with grain from Sevenarches to alleviate this, though there are a crates of other "stuff" Munin has been reluctant to discuss with the party. Apparently, his clients paid for discretion. The captain is a man of few words when it doesn't involve his religion or Gralton politics.
Fortunately, the going is surprisingly clear. There are a few other boats on the way, and none of them have reported seeing nagas all morning. Artume's harbor comes into view, and Streamstinger glides past the artificial earthwork barriers that shelter the vessels within from Sellen's current. Munin rolls out a map for anyone who wants to see the town layout, mentioning that he heard a fire wiped out a significant number of abandoned houses in the south end of town not too long ago. (Reve senses magic in the map.)
As the ship settles into a dock near some warehouses on the eastern side of the harbor, Munin directs the crew to start unloading, excepting a few who are to run messages to some people in town. He thanks the party for their assistance, but seems pretty preoccupied with the ship's business right now.
However, there seems to be some kind of disturbance one dock over, that has drawn a small crowd. On one side, a squad of soldiers in Regent Waike's colors has boarded a docked vessel. Most have bright surcoats over scale mail but the leader stands out. His gear is worn, but well-cared for, and only his shield has the color scheme of the uniforms worn by the other soldiers.
