Chapter 317. Marowen
[ Side Quest issued - A Sodden Past
Objective: Speak with Roina
Description: Roina has asked you to meet her on the Abandoned Coast in Scosglen to continue tracking down the mysterious creature she calls a 'wight.' ]
Rolling his eyes, he turned to look at the Quest-giver, who was in the process of stepping through a blue portal and vanishing.
Speechless, Michael looked at the trio, who immediately pointed out their next destination was Marowen.
As for Roina, she was less than a kilometer north of the city.
Mentally exhausted, he also realized the other two Side Quests would end up being accepted by the girls, so he bucked up and prepared for a long night.
Passing through the Scourging Ings and wondering what the hell was an 'ing' and having Neyrelle explain that it was the glenfolk's way of referring to marshes, the party reached Marowen almost an hour later on horseback.
To everyone's surprise, the city was incredibly active, with all the shops and stalls open while people were going on about their business.
Taking out his pocket watch to double-check the time, Michael confirmed it was past 9 p.m., but the locals were still active.
Approaching the local Rings & Amulets shop, the group sold their accumulated items while inquiring about Maroven's situation.
Apparently, a ship hauling important cargo just arrived, prompting the late-night frenzy they were witnessing.
Opening his Salvage Cache and retrieving the 2 Veiled Crystals and a Rare one-handed sword, Michael sold everything to clear his inventory, netting him a 100,199 gold coins profit.
Then, silently moving through the bustling city, the party opened their eyes and ears, trying to make sense of what everyone was so hyped about.
[Look at her! She will be a fine boat... after a bit of fixing up, of course.](?)
[Stop dreaming! Don't you see the holes? Also, look at the putrid wood you are using to fix it. It won't float!](?)
A small group of young men and women were surrounding a damaged boat, and the Necromancer couldn't help but agree with the last person to speak.
It would be a miracle if someone could sail on that small, full-of-holes thing without drowning.
[Lost two sailors at sea today. *Sigh* Soon, we'll have more ships than able hands.](?)
[To weather or the sea?](?)
[Both...](?)
Curious about why the 'sea' would be involved in the disappearance of men, Michael approached the sound of the conversation and saw the local Inn come into view.
At its entrance, a woman complaining to one of her friends had a big exclamation mark above her head, indicating her status as a Quest-giver.
Quickly opening the MAP, he saw she was responsible for the Stemming the Tide Quest.
[ Side Quest: Stemming the Tide (Level 55)
Description: Shambling hordes of the drowned threaten Marowne's livelihood. ]
Approaching the woman, Michael wondered how he should open the conversation.
Since everyone was incredibly excited, but this woman looked almost depressed, he decided to take this angle.
"The entire village looks quite lively. How come you are not in a similar mood?"
[Wanderers? *Sigh* Haven't sent the boats out since afore the last full moon. Too many drowned along the coast. We have opened the stores of salted cod, but that's supposed to be for winter.](?)
"Didn't a ship hauling important cargo just arrive?"
[We can't eat those crates. Most of them contain sculptures and artwork for the nobles of this continent. I am Aigidh, by the way.](Aigidh)
"A pleasure to meet you, Aigidh. So this means the drowned are preventing you from sending your ships to fish?"
[That's so. I can tell your group has seen your share of fightin'. If you can cull the drowned, we have coin. I would rather take a loss than starve in the winter.](Aigidh)
Accepting the request, Michael quickly inspected the Quest details.
[ Side Quest issued - Stemming the Tide
Objective: Slay Drowned (0/100)
Description: Drowned are invading the Northshore, landlocking the fishermen. The villagers of Marowen rely on fish to keep themselves fed. If the problem isn't dealt with, they risk starvation.
One fisherman, Aigdh, hired you to hunt Drowned along the Cursed Scarpes. ]
Bidding farewell to the woman after promising a swift resolution, Michael took the trio and entered the Inn.
After ordering some food and drinks - fruit drinks for the girls since they were still considered minors - they quietly ate while listening to the local gossip.
One of the most talkative people was their next Quest-giver.
[Heh, the whale was on us for days. A shadow the length of Cerrigar. Now, when it turned too bold, Benen pulled us alongside the beast, and I rushed in to give it the spear. Realized too late I only had my flask in hand. *Chuckle* You should have seen Benen's face, heh.](?)
Laughter from the nearby tables followed as everyone shook their heads at the storyteller.
It was unknown if it was due to the absurdity of the story or the amusing way it was recounted.
[Benen always had my back, though, you know. Whale or otherwise... *Sigh*](?)
[Cheer up, Fergus! Maybe he'll return any day now.](?)
[Maybe...](Fergus)
Motioning for the trio to stay at the table and continue eating, Michael moved closer to the storyteller, trying to get more details.
Putting a full pint of ale in front of the man, he looked at him curiously.
"What happened to Benen?"
Eyes shining upon seeing the pint, Fergus drained it in a single gulp and gasped for air in a pleased manner.
Looking the Necromancer over once, he shook his head and continued his story.
[He was my best mate. Took to the sea a fortnight ago and... *sigh* hasn't returned. I heard his vessel met the rocks beyond Stormbreak Cove. Tore it to pieces. I... I'd give the coast a look myself, but I... I can't see him like that. Welled up with water, fir to burst.](Fergus)
Seeing tears well up in the man's eyes, Michael raised an eyebrow. This drunk sailor was at least somewhat loyal to his friends.
[Ah, he's like a brother. It's not right. Could... could you see if he's there? He has a tattoo on his neck. A seafarer's spear. You can't miss it.](Fergus)
Nodding, Michael stood up and walked toward the innkeeper, trying to extort more information before leaving.
[ Side Quest issued - A Briny Fate
Objective: Search for Benen at Stormbreak Cove
Description: Fergus's best friend, Benen, has gone missing at sea. Rumors say his vessel crashed along the northern coast.
You should investigate the rocky coast and see if you can find evidence of Benen's fate. ]
Checking the MAP and noticing the Quest's area being close to where they dealt with the Stronghold Event, Michael sighed mentally and approached the innkeeper.
The lady called Mawde was happy to offer information in exchange for ten gold coins.
He started with one of his curiosities after observing the locals.
"Is everyone here a fisherman or sailor?"
[No, I could never be one. I can't stand the smell of fish or the sea's salty air. It will linger on you for days. That's why I don't cook and hired someone who can instead.](Mawde)
"I see. What about the others? What are the locals like?"
[Tough and honest folk. *Scoff* But the fishermen, they will occasionally try and spin rubbish tales about sea monsters.](Mawde)
Seeing the hostess eye Fergus as the main culprit, the Necromancer almost drowned with the ale he was drinking.
She wasn't giving the man any face, exposing his lies like this.
Mentally complaining about how fishermen were the same, whether on Earth or in the Sanctuary, he continued asking more questions, but nothing relevant was revealed.
"Anything exciting happened in town recently?"
[Ha, not likely. The world could end, and this place would stay the same.](Mawde)
He thanked the woman and grabbed another pint of ale before returning to his table, where the girls were still enjoying the local cuisine.
On the way there, he heard two people speak in hushed voices, drawing his attention.
[Traded my last coin for her. This chicken lays a golden egg every year.](?)
[You absolute fool! These are regular eggs!](?)
[Oh, so demons are real, but the idea of magic hens is too ridiculous for you!?](?)
Unable to refute the logic of the 'lucky' buyer, Michael left the duo to their argument.
Watching the three cute hamsters stuff their cheeks with braised fish, he opened the MAP to check Roina's location in case she moved.
"Looks like Roina is standing in place, waiting for us. Let's take a quick look around town and then go meet her. We shouldn't keep her waiting for too long since we accepted her request."
The hamster trio rushed to finish their late dinner, and five minutes later, they were walking around Marowen, trying to learn more about the locals' lifestyle.
To no one's surprise, they found most people working with wood were preparing planks for boats or masts while the rest were talking about their most recent 'fearsome' encounters with the sea.
Probably one of the most interesting things the party saw was a bone altar near a large campfire.
After asking around, both the bonfire and the altar were built in the hopes of protecting those at sea.
[ Bone Altar
A druidic altar of the sea constructed from a whale's bones. A fresh offering rests atop the shrine, hoping to appease the spirits and bring loved ones home safely. ]
The children were running around the bonfire, their energy apparently endless, much to their mother's annoyance.
[A Barbarian could lift a boat with one hand and smash it to pieces!](?)
[That's stupid! They're not real.](?)
[They are!](?)
[*Sigh* Spirits, where did I go wrong raising these two?](?)
Near the docks, the party saw the anchored ship the locals were previously talking about, with a large number of people unloading goods from it.
Not wanting to interrupt or stand in their way, Michael took the ladies further to the southern coast, where they found a fisherman complaining to his friends about the washed-up clams.
[The clams are washing ashore early this year. A bad sign...](?)
[*Sigh* We can't do anything about it, so just grab them. The ship's captain said they still have some ice in their cargo, so they'll buy clams at a high price since they can keep them fresh.](?)
Returning to Marowen's center, everyone registered their energy imprint into the Waypoint, after which left to meet with Roina.
To keep the girls busy, Michael asked them to think about where the Drowned came from and how were they brought back to 'life.'
Surely enough, an argument was sparked, allowing the Necromancer to lead the way through a large number of water-filled zombies while searching for the Quest-giver.
'Fortunately, every Drowned killed counts toward the Quest given by the fisherman woman. And since Quests like this don't have an upper limit, we can get rid of as many as possible to help the locals.'
Twenty minutes later, the group found Roina on the Abandoned Coast, sitting near a dilapidated shack.
Even if it was only a kilometer or two from Marowen's outskirts, the group took a long time to get there since they had plenty of Drowned to get rid of.
"Sorry if we're late."
[No worries. *Sigh* I had some time to reminisce while waiting.](Roina)
"What are we doing here?"
[Hunting, of course. This is an old victim of hers. Must have floated out of her lair.](Roina)
Seeing the woman calmly point at a disgustingly looking dead body shriveled up due to the salty water it was kept in, the Necromancer looked away while waiting for the huntress to continue.
The group watched her as she sprayed some Sacred Fire liquid on the body, and much to their surprise, the body was immediately set aflame.
Since this strange liquid worked only on monsters and demons, it brought into question exactly what happened to this wight victim.
[We must act quickly. Cecil and his grandsons aren't the only ones the wight will hunt down. There should be plenty in the village. She damned near wiped us out the first time.](Roina)
"So, what do we need to do?"
[For now, collect the wight's hair.](Roina)
Seeing her point to a nearby... bush? Michael curiously moved closer to inspect the plants.
The system identified the branches as 'Sodden Growth,' and much to his horror, he saw the shriveled hand of a human through the plants.
Apparently, this was the 'hair' she was talking about.
[ Side Quest update - A Sodden Pact
Objective: Collect hair from the Sodden Growths (0/5)
Description: Roina showed you victims of the wight on the Abandoned Coast, knotted in damp hair. She says the wight will continue to hunt and claim such victims unless we find its lair.
You should collect the wight's hair from its victims. They're your next stop for hunting the fiend. ]
Realizing it wasn't the algae that was the 'hair,' but rather the actual hair of the creature with the drowned corpses should be entangled with, as the Necromancer in the group, Michael took it upon himself not to further ruin the mental sanity of the trio.
Moving the algae aside as if he were looking for berries, the sight of the corpse and the disgusting briny smell punched him in the face.