The Cast of B-Team (Aersalus)
Listens to Ocean aka Osprey (Rory) Halfling Magistrate, mage, healer, priest, historian.
Rhum Kaldalsson (Curtis) Minotaur artist.
Trapper (Chris D) Gremian, artificer, hunter, Armsmaster.
Unit 7 (Brice) A Cog, magical construct golem.
NPC's
Altan ru Chuulaii the tax collector
Raito
Tesseikai Watersinger, healer
Murk the Lurk, spirit crab
We make it back to town and put the loot in the cellar. The team is entitled to 10%, the town another 10%, and the Duke gets the majority 80% as it was found on his lands.
Listens delegates handling the chests to Trapper as he has the most delicate touch and some of those locks look complicated and the contents may be fragile. Altan is likely the best choice for a proper evaluation but Listens does not fully trust him yet. Best to get a list then go into details later.
After morning meditations and appeasement rituals to the spirits Listens heads to the constabulary and checks in on the days plans. He figures the bandits are consuming vital resources and a trial should be done so, both for morale and possibly to reduce their drain on town resources. So sends Unit 7 to go measure them for disposal. Trapper has plenty to do and Rhum has his own things going on as well.
Unit 7 reports back that the quartermaster is short on supplies, a few weeks or a month is all. Doesn't sound urgent but it will take time to gather supplies so Listens goes to get the details. Turns out that the town is getting a large influx of people from those leaving their farms and such and will run out of food in a few days, not weeks.
Immediate threats are the bandits, the powerful spirit Mama Blood, and starvation.
The bandits are probably doable but will take some time to find.
The spirit is likely far too dangerous for us to address directly.
Supplying the town is the easiest and safest option, but only a temporary one as we need to concern ourselves with over foraging.
Listens then talks to Kohana (head town merchant) to check some details and figure out options. Hunters are scared to go out due to the spirit, this is a big contributor to the food shortage. Buying supplies is about a month out due to travel time.
Listens thinks the incoming tribe of water folk may be able to help, give them some money in return for food and supplies but that's still about a week out.
He considers organizing a mass fishing event, at least for a day or two. Some concerns over sea monsters if going too far out. Listens decides to see if he can find the bandits.
Utility of a Shen
Listens casts a spell to summon a local spirit for directions to the bandit camp, going for the leader as he seems well known and distinctive "Dogskull" A spirit possum appears "Snaffles", riddled with fleas and attitude. He knows where Dogskull is but needs something in return. Listens bargains ineffectively then comes up with the idea of ridding Snaffles fleas with a spell. It works and Snuffles offers to show Listens ot the camp but Listens is too slow in physical form so takes his spirit and drags it along for the ride. Listens asks Murk to watch over the body while he travels and seals the deal for him to become a spirit companion.