The party splits.
Fachtna heads off towards the village with Gnarly Peg. Everyone else goes off path, following the invisible lines that Lorenzo promises only he can see, which purportedly head towards wherever the spoiled seagulls flew off to.
(Note, please let me know if you choose to go with Fachtna and Gnarly Peg instead of with the rest of the group).
The Trackers
You head off trail in the midday sun, the warmth of the sun shining upon your back as you make your way through rolling hills. It's not long before you crest a hill and come upon the majesty of the ocean beyond, nestled in a bay like an amphitheater, surrounded by green hills on all sides. The bay’s waters stretch out in a gentle curve, their surface catching the sunlight and sparkling with an array of colors - azure blues blending into soft greens and silvers. The sea breeze, carrying a tang of salt, greets you warmly, contrasting with the hill’s earthy aroma. Yet, it is mixed with an undercurrent of something else, like a hidden unpleasant odor beneath the briny smell. Each breath you breath in feels heavier, suffocating.
The waters of the bay seem to be in turmoil, waves moving in contrasting directions rather than through the direction of the winds. Frothy whitecaps splash upwards as small waves collide, moving this way and that. Some of the waves seem to shift mid-wave, as if the wave itself decided to move in on its own accord. Or perhaps it was just something beneath the surface of the water moving. From Caranthir and Sigrid's perspective, this is an ocean that looks like its on the verge of a storm, yet there's no sign of a storm in the sky. It's a calm, clear day. The waters do not reflect the weather.
Despite that, the bay is dotted with boats—some anchored in the water, others gliding across the surface. Most are small vessels, meant for clam harvesters to jump off or to explore the depths. Some are visitors coming in for the festival. If you were to stay long enough, keep a sharp enough eye out, or be guided by an expert - you may even see an occasional dolphin or - was that an octopus? Surely it can't be, no octopus is that large, nor do they visit the surface. No, it must have been your imagination.
Off to the right, some distance away, you can see the village of Rock Rump, and the people getting ready for the harvest. Beyond the village, you can see houses that dot the shoreline - likely the families that maintain the harvest or those who simply don't live near the village square. Some of them have docks that have been built out into the waters.
Then you see it. It is almost right in the middle of the bay. A golden spot of water, almost luminous, reflects the sunlight with ambers and golds rather than the emerald reflections of the rest of the waters. This must be the "Golden Tide" that Gnarly Peg spoke of - the strange event that led to an increase in the clam harvest. At first thought, it's a bit odd that something way out there would effect the clam fields, which are closer to the shore, but the two fishermen and the scientist in the party would be able to explain how the currents could move the tide from this spot throughout the entire bay fairly easily. While the spot seems to be stationary on the surface, that's no promise that it didn't move under the surface. In fact, if you look at it just right, you can see that it's not a perfect circle, but actually being slightly pulled away and melding with the blues and greens of the rest of the bay.
A caw from a seagull quickly reminds you why you came out this way. Keeping an eye to the sky, and with great help from the tracking spell, you can spot where the seagulls went. They're circling over an otter scuttling around on the shoreline, seemingly confused, its head without fur.
The Escort
You follow the trail through the hills, making your way towards the fishing village. Soon, you arrive to a small bridge, being guarded by two soldiers.
"Pegs!" one of the soldiers calls out, his voice slightly slurred "Who've you wrangled in thish time?"
"Oi. Don't you start, Johan. This man saved me, he did. Was almost killed by seagulls, I was," Peg protests.
This revelation sends the two guards into a fit of laughter. "Seagulls?!" the second guard says, his voice crisp and clear, "Oh, man, Peg, your stories get crazier every time! Remember the one about the face stealer?"
Face Taker!" Peg insists.
"Whatever. Oi, Mister. Don't you be taken in by our local crazy. He's harmless, but he'll talk your ear off with nonsense if you let him," the second guard says, wiping a tear from his eye as the giggles start to subside.
"What bringsh you way out here?" Johan says, talking to Fachtna, "Here for the clam fesht? Doeshn't shtart until tomorrow, but there'sh a couple of shtands along the road in that are shelling already. Most of them shell the shmaller shtuff that ain't owned by the Big Three. Shtill good, but just what until you try one of the big onesh."
The other guard stops suddenly, with an astonished look upon his face, and turns to the first guard, "You got one of them? You asshole! Why didn't you tell me? Who did you get it from? Ach! I'm still on this shift until sunset!"
The two guards continue like this, bickering with each other and with Peg. You're free to converse with them, but passing by the bridge is a two penny tax.
