Ghosts of Saltmarsh (cbaer8) - Campaign Thread

Peri:

"So Xolor, Iuz, Tharizdun, and now Sgothgah. Too many gods lookin to 'devour' us. What makes someone want to follow anyone named 'The Devourer' I'll never know. Can't be the worldly rewards," he says, looking around at the basement. "Nevermind. What do you know about Peleg? He seems to have it in for you, for some reason."

When he notices the bard trying to bribe Boko he shushes him. "We'll get to you in a minute." To the acolyte, "What's your beef with this one? He not a part of your group?"

Dwal takes the tome.

"um..sure" he replies and precedes to look it over.

Arcana: 24

Dwal finds he cannot read the texts in the book either - it appears to be written twice, in two distinct languages, both unknown to him. From the handful of spidery diagrams, Dwal suspects that the book contains some sort of ritual incantations. Beyond that, he can't determine much.

"We hired him to protect us from the likes of you," responds the cards woman to Peri. "He failed. Twice. He is nobody now." 

"Ten thousand..." mouths the prostrate bard, silently, to Boko. He is a bloody, oil-spattered mess.

The priest stands suddenly and stiffly, still tightly bound and balancing against the wall behind him. He begins to shout, thickly, through his gag. "THARIZDUN! Yhai shnak g'llehg s'b'oolg gh'ru ot'e b'aan b'roa, Nug g'nasht s'kree l'bhum-b'o b'ee t'ath-thagg tath! Ph'nglui mglw'nafh n'gha-ghaa naf'lthagn. Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Tharizdun wgah'nagl Styes fhtagn n'gha-ghaa!"

Gerrard:

Shocked that the priest can stand after being bound tightly, Gerrard reacts quickly when he starts chanting the name of his mad god, lunging forward with his readied glowing rapier and stabbing at the bound man twice in alarm as soon as the word Tharizdun leaves his mouth!

Elegant Noble’s Rapier:Attack: 15 Damage: 12

Elegant Noble’s Rapier:Attack: 28 Damage: 12

Roll again in case Advantage applies:

Rapier:  27.   10

Kei 

The chanting spurs Kei into action. Almost in synchronisation with Gerrard's thrusts, he lets loose [Tooltip Not Found] aimed directly at the priests torso. "Speak when spoken to priest!"

Attack: 10 Damage: 10

The priest, whose vital health was marginal after being subdued, is instantly killed, run through by Gerrard's blades.

"Well, I surrender," says the oil-spattered bard from the floor, less quietly now. "What do you need?"

The cards woman remains quiet, shocked at this new turn. The old man is still unconscious.

Gerrard:

Somewhat shocked himself as his blade and Kei's magic abruptly end the cultist's life, Gerrard turns and points his glowing but dripping rapier towards the other prisoners.  Striving to maintain his composure, he says quietly but firmly, "Ozymandius made his choice, calling on the name of his mad god one last time.  Continue answering my companions' questions and consider for yourself if you will make a different choice when I ask you to renounce your devotion to this evil being."

Help to the next person asking questions, if needed.

Peri:

Peri is startled by the sudden violence, but not as much as he once would have been. In fact, after one quick surge of adrenaline, he feels only relief that the decision of the priest's fate had been taken out of their hands. It was probably not an entirely healthy response, but he'd have to wait until his next chance to meditate to examine it. So, with the priest out of the way, that left the unconscious madman, the bitter card player, and the greasy swordsman with the offer of gold. "Okay, let's hear about this gold," he says, then begins dragging the bound bard toward the room just cleared by Kei. To Gerrard, "Keep an eye on those two, headsman. Anybody wants to hear what this one has to say can join us."

Peri drags the swordsman into the other room, under the stone gaze of the looming statues.

"Look," says the oily bard to Peri, still bound, woozy, and clearly in pain from his recent misadventures. "I'm just a hired sword. These guys brought me in a couple of months ago as a training instructor, and then, when the Sea Princes burned the place down, hired me to protect the cellar." He coughs for a bit. "I clearly didn't do so well. But I have no allegiance to these idiots. I'm happy to help you out. I did learn a few things during my time here. Secrets. But we need to come to an agreement, first. Release me, give me my freedom, and I'll tell you where their loot is. These guys don't know what I know." He nods in the direction of the others. "My name's Bayleaf. I'm from the Styes. I don't worship whatever crazy freak thing these people do."

Dwal frowns. "I'm gonna suggest we take the rest of 'em ta Saltmarsh. Let tha council there press them fer information and pass judgment." he says. 

Gerrard:

Answering quietly to Dwal, Gerrard says as an aside to him, “Indeed Brother Fiercehammer, so long as they enact no such treachery as Ozymandus began with his chanting.  Do we have room for both them and Peleg in our boat?”

Kei 

He nods to Gerrard for a job well done. "Didn't think you had that in you my Lord." He watches as Gerrard sets the boundaries for the remaining cultists, but Peri's talk of gold is too tempting for Kei. He follows the halfling an his luggage into the statue room.

"You've seen how we deal with those who oppose us. You would do well to stay in our good graces." He offers the passive aggressive threat to the bound bard. Recognising a line he himself had used before, Kei dismisses the bards words almost instantly. "We shall not simply take your word before setting you free. You give as information and if it pans out then, and only then, will we discuss freedom. Fair?" he proposes.

Would Boko have been able to tell if the priest’s last words were actually chanting in a foul language, or him trying to speak in Common but hard to understand because of the gag?

Perception/insight: 27

The bound bard nods to Kei. "I understand. I understand. But how do I know you won't just rob the place and then kill me? Once I tell you th' secret, what worth am I to you? Why should I tell you anything?"

Boko feels confident that the language the priest was speaking, even gagged, was not Common, nor did the words seem to hold the arcane weave of a spell. Perhaps a ritual employing something closer to Primordial, but neither is it that language.

Peri:

"I don't think you appreciate what a poor hand you're playin here. See, we'd really like that gold, but we don't really need it. You need your head. And that nobleman out there, he's got a real grudge against crazy cultists. I don't much like 'em either, but he's ready to hang the lot of you right here. Now, you say you're not really with that lot -- you tellin us where their treasury is would go a long way toward provin it. Especially if you can tell us where's the item we're lookin for. A glass globe, about yea big. You tell us all you know about this place, and we'll try to convince him to take you back to shore rather than hangin you right here, and maybe he'll even speak on your behalf. He's a pretty fair-minded guy, so long as you really convince him you've renounced this whole cult business."

Gerrard:

”The Gnolls, the Mage, the cultists of Xolor descending on the innocents of Saltmarsh…I recall all too clearly the dead from that day.  If it is within my power to protect the people of Saltmarsh from another such attack, I shall do so,” says Gerrard with a faraway look in his eye.  

More quietly to Dwal, he says, “Merely being associated with an evil cult will be enough to guarantee them the gallows in Saltmarsh after the attack by Xolor cultists…I hope we can come to a more…nuanced…conclusion should the cultists here see fit to abandon their devotion to this mad god.”

"Down with Tharizdun!" Bayleaf clears his throat nervously, glancing around. "How's that? I renounce the whole lot of these madmen. I'm no cultist, I assure you. I just needed a job. I get your point, but I need your assurance you'll let me go if I tell you where their secret treasure is. You seem trustworthy to keep a bargain. You'll never find it, otherwise. Even Ozymandius didn't know where it was."

The cards woman remains silent, with a defeated look. The old man remains unconscious.

Peri:

"I'm convinced, but I'm not the one you gotta sell." He walks out to talk to Gerrard. "The greasy one wants to cut a deal, says he's just hired muscle and didn't have anything to do with the crazies. I'll keep an eye on these two if you wanna talk to him."

To the card player, "So do you know anything about Peleg or not?"

Gerrard:

Perception:  11

”I heard him, Master Fenwader, though I know not why you separated him from the others.  As far as I am concerned, if he truly wishes to abandon the cultists and cause no more trouble here, I would be happy for him to make what reparations we see fit and leave to make better a choice of employment elsewhere…though I would not suggest fashion critic,” responds the young noble, still apparently a bit self-conscious about his clothing.

”What do you think, Brother Fiercehammer?” he asks.

To the card player, "So do you know anything about Peleg or not?"

The cards woman remains silent, staring at the floor. She shrugs, then shakes her head no.