Ghosts of Saltmarsh (cbaer8) - Campaign Thread

"What they look like, these sparks?" demands the burly guard of Peri. "How do they kill?"

The guard captain, nodding to Gerrard with tense acknowledgment and presenting a forced smile, quickly joins her comrades inside the station. Only the burly guard remains in the lane, carefully watching Dwal, Peri and Alfred.

Gerrard and Pockets turn to leave, heading back toward the main street. "I dunno," Pockets replies. "We just heard something killed the whole squad but one here. Some kinda lights."

What is the rest of the party doing?

Boko, still at a loss for words, follows in Gerrard’s wake and will help with the excavation and rescue efforts. She feels responsible and also she doesn’t quite know what the story is vs what is being said, so she doesn’t trust herself to speak. She does give a brief friendly wave to the other three, relieved to see they are alive and well, if perhaps detained?

Boko, Gerrard, and Pockets turn and begin to head toward the main street. Kei remains at the collapse site.

Peri, Dwal, and Alfred are being watched carefully by this burly swordsman guard. ("Detained" is definitely a good word for the impression you're getting.)

What are Peri and Dwal doing next?

"What they look like, these sparks?" demands the burly guard of Peri. "How do they kill?"

"What do they --? They look like sparks! Like little floatin' lights! They shoot out lightning at whoever's closest! I saw 'em kill the boy -- shot him with their lightning and left him burnt and smokin'! Blasted me a coupla times too -- see these burn marks here? But the worst was when that bloody Hong dumped a load of hailstones all over the cell. Didn't seem to slow the sparks down, but darned near killed me! They woulda too, but Hong pulled me outta there through a pipe. Speakin' of, you never answered about Hong. Is he some kinda secret the guard's been keepin', usin' him to get rid of the undesirables?" Peri watches the guard to see if he's evading the subject. Insight 17

((Peri's hoping to clear things up so he's not fleeing a murder charge. So he's going to comply with the guards, at least for now.))

Dwal is silent, listening to what is going on and forming a plan if things go south.

Gerrard and Boko, accompanied by Pockets the Guard, make their way back to the main street, past the temple, around the corner to the tavern, and up the alley, to rejoin Kei at the collapse site.

Meanwhile, Kei has noticed that Los and a contingent from the temple have arrived and quietly taken charge of the rescue efforts. With a half dozen acolytes of both the arcane and of brute strength, they have begun to systematically detect, unearth, and rescue the remaining survivors (which, according to their arcane detections, number only two - a pair of human sisters trapped under a collapsed wall.) While their magical probing can't quite reach the very bottom of the pile, they feel confident that no more survivors remain unless they are underground - a realm that the Temple of Procan is uninterested in probing. With Kei's help, they manage to free the trapped women just as the trio arrives. At the sight of a city guardsman, many of the locals melt back into the shadows of the snowy alley complex. The temple crew prepares to leave.

Peri, Dwal, and the old barber wait in the cold as the guard crew explore the interior of the substation. Their burly keeper appears to genuinely not know who this "Hong" is. He treats Peri with patronizing assurance, as though dealing with a madman prisoner. "Secret pipes, yep." At this point, the guard seems more interested in monitoring the alley for danger than conversing with his charges.

Finally, the captain and her team emerge from the building. They have clearly found nothing but death. She tears the spear out of Alfred's hand and begins to grill you, going over your story again. (Any details of your story you want to emphasize, embellish, or hide?) She also asks your names, residence, and local contacts. "...And what did Master Feldren mean about you being 'companions' of his?"

Peri answers the captain's questions to the best of his ability, leaving out nothing but the recovery of his gems and the vial of poison. When he tells of their time in the basement he professes ignorance of precisely what the others were doing there. "I still don't exactly understand what led 'em to that door. Somethin' about the blue one -- she's new to the group, I only just met her in the basement. We got into a battle with some bad folks down there. A hugely fat mage and an old woman assassin who used poison on her weapons. Reminds me: this here's the knife she dropped; should have some poison left on it, if you need to look at it." He offers the poisoned blade to the captain.

"I'm not sure what brought the building down. We were fightin' a whole slew of kuo-toa and then we got jumped by some ratmen, then there was a loud crack and the whole thing came down on top of us. Hong found me in the rubble and piped me out, and I asked him to pull some others out too. He pushed the barber there out." He leans in closer to the captain and says quietly, "I don't trust that one. Says he's a simple barber who didn't know anything at all about the goin's on down below, but that's hard to believe. And he went into the armory, past the dead guards, to grab a spear, and then ran as soon as he saw you comin'. I think he's in it, which is why I tripped him up for you."

Gerrard:

With the soldiers getting involved in the heavy lifting, Gerrard waves Kei over and moves to Los, saying quietly, "Brother Los, this was the building the cultists were working out of--Kuo Toa and some Rat Men.  Master Kei here took one of the unconscious Kuo Toa cultists to the temple, hoping you might get some information out of him once he regains consciousness."

Looking sadly at the demolished building, he adds, "I fear our investigation has hit a dismal dead end, at least for the moment.  They attacked us from all sides and the decrepit building could not take the vigorous battle.  Please save whom you can.  We cannot tarry here long, as the Sahuagin threat draws rapidly nearer."

Once things are at least somewhat settled, Gerrard says, "Come, Master Kei, we can do no more good here.  Let us go and rejoin our -- thankfully alive -- companions and see about getting some rest tonight before hopefully heading out in the morning to take care of our other urgent matters."

Boko pipes up, and speaks to Los. "You were able to find survivors. Can you find tunnel openings under the pile? They came from a back room, but there was slime all over and I have to assume they came up from below. We are all in danger while this threat remains."

The guard captain nods quietly at Peri's explanations. She takes the poisoned blade gingerly with just her fingertips and hands it to one of her associates, who examines it.

Then she takes the spear she took from Alfred and swings it at him, twice:
Spear Attack #1: 16  Hit: 6 piercing damage
Spear Attack #2: 17  Hit: 4 piercing damage  

 (Crit damage: +5)

The old barber goes down in a pool of blood. 

"I don't care about assassins in basements nor ratmen nor pipes," she says coolly to Peri, cleaning her bloody spear in the fresh snow on the lane. "I want to find the things that killed these guards. The only thing protecting you two right now is Master Feldren's comments. Now: where are these lights that killed my guards?" 

Los, preparing to depart, shakes his head at Boko. 

"Procan’s domain is the sea, and whatever the oceans touch, he bears witness to. When the sea reaches its limit at the shore, so too does Procan’s power. We care little for what happens beyond his waters. The earth is not our domain. If you wish to go scurrying into the rat holes, that is your business. We have no interest in socializing with worms and rats and their friends. We are here only as good neighbors – some of the people who died here were friends of Procan. Master Feldren is wise: The city and the temple will both need you in the war against the sahuagin. That threat is real. The kuo-toa are not a threat right now, even as the thought of them performing the bidding of the deep ones discomforts me."

The temple contingent departs, leaving you alone in the dark, rubble-filled alley. Everyone has departed. The silent scope of the disaster are is humbling. It is, perhaps, midnight, although you have lost track of time.

Gerrard:

Sighing and shaking his head, Gerrard suppresses a chuckle at being called ‘wise’.  Nodding his thanks to Brother Los as he departs, he looks at Kei and Boko, saying, “Let’s go back to the others and see if we can help out there.”

As he starts walking, he explains to Kei, “Unfortunately, there is more death visited upon us this evening.  Brother Fiercehammer and Master Fenwader made their way out through some kind of pipes, I think, but they happened upon a scene of sparkling lights murdering guards.”

”I know, it doesn’t make much sense to me either,” he adds with another shake of his head, “but not much had made sense to me this night, I must admit.”

Seeing the human go down, Dwal will check if he is still alive.
Medicine: 18

If the Captain tries to interfere Dwal will say: "I am a Healer and a Doctor. a dead prisoner will give you no answers."

If the downed man is alive, Dwal will do nothing. If he is on the threshold of Death, Dwal will cast Spare the Dying to make sure the man lives. 

Once done Dwal turns his attentions to the Captain.
"Tha lad here," Dwal motions to Peri, "has told ya all we know. Threaten and acts of violence will get ya nothing more. I feel fer yer lose of yer guards but there has been alot of life lost this night an' tha more ya keep harpin' on what we don't know, the more lives that are lost this night. Tha Kou-toa an them wererats are a threat ta not only tha common folks but ta everyone in Seaton. Me an' my friend here are here at tha request an' guidance of Master Feldren an' if you'd allow us we'd request ta return to the young lords service." 

Persuasion: 11

Dwal finds that the old barber is quite dead, and beyond saving. (16 hp was far too much for his old body.)

"Gnolly," the captain gestures to one of her companions – an overweight, pasty man of about 50. He grunts.

"Gnolly, here, will accompany you to your hotel. Until these lights are found and destroyed, you are under royal supervision, as we will have many more questions for you. You may go." She waves you off, dismissively, then returns to the station doorway.

Peri and Dwal are free to leave, or at least return to the hotel with Gnolly.

"These rat holes go right to the sea, they have water in them, and the things that infect them come from the sea, you..." and she stops talking, both to spare Los from an insult, and because he has already departed. She falls in behind Gerrard and Kei, walking back to the group. "I did not catch the story with thee others. Sparks and dead guards. What else will this night visit upon us. I could really use a rest, and we could really use a plan. I fear that what took me and involved me in its designs has larger plans, and also that it is not the only player. I need to get the various threads woven together in my tired head. Sahaugin, kuo-toa, xolor, murderous sparks, and then a town in crisis. My instinct is to leave the city and find refuge in the wilds, or out on the water. That is what I would normally do. Work on fixing problems out there. But I suspect those problems would follow me. So I will remain here. And help fix them. Can we get the others to refuge so we can all rest, perhaps within Dwal's dome? I do not trust the night, especially without seeing that assassin's body."

It's probably the most you've seen Boko speak. It clearly took effort.

Dwal will just nod and move out to the hotel. Upon arrival he will find time to clean up, do his nightly study and prayer then get some rest.

Peri:

Peri instinctively snatches up his spear upon seeing the guard captain brutally murder the unarmed barber. With an effort of will he restrains his hand, and with even more effort manages to hold his tongue. Damned stupid guards! Are they all this stupid? I thought the Saltmarsh Guard was incompetent, killin' Sanbalet after he surrendered but before he could talk! But apparently that's just how things're done in this blighted kingdom of fools!  With little grace he growls out, "Fine. You know where to find us. C'mon,Gnolly. I need some food, a drink, and a bed." He stomps off toward the Seaton Hotel, seething and muttering under his breath. Dwal and Gnolly can just catch a few phrases if they're listening. "Seems fishy, I says, so she runs him through... how they ever learn anything... Hard to feel sorry for 'em, buncha murderin' thievin' tosspots... Hafta apologize to Farbern -- seems his boys aren't any worse than these idjits..."

Peri enters the Seaton Hotel in a full-on sulk, but perks up at the thought of a warm bath and a nightcap. "Whaddya say, Fiercehammer? Think we can round up the others and compare notes? I've gotta tell you all about my night, and you've gotta bring me up to speed on this Xolor thing."

Gerrard:

Returning to the guard station, Gerrard finds Peri and Dwal gone, and their suspicious companion dead and cold on the street.  Taking the development in stride, Gerrard asks, “Is there anything else I can do here to help, Captain?  Have you discovered how the guards died?  Did you free my companions?”

Once he learns where his friends have been escorted, Gerrard adds carefully, “I had planned to set sail in the morning to further our campaign against the Sahuagin, but with the mysterious death of the guards and the attendant investigation, we should be able to stay in town for a short while to answer your questions.  Have you found any tracks or other clues?”

Although it seems logically evident enough that what runs out of the land threatens the sea, but this line of reasoning from Boko seems to fall on deaf ears. Los nods and departs.

Dwal and Peri arrive at the hotel first, accompanied by the sour guard. The hotel manager, Mr. Bowler, looking very tired and pale, and nursing a bandaged hand, is clearly waiting for them. He stands up quickly to greet them in the lobby. "Good evening, sirs. May I offer you some tea or something to eat? We have some fine fruit I've saved for a snowy night like tonight." He looks over their shoulders. You can see the sweat beading on his brow. "Is Master Feldren with you? There's a little problem I need to speak with him about. Do you mind joining me here in the lobby until he arrives?"

"I'm afraid not, sir," reports the guard captain to Gerrard, with nervous deference. "These lights have vanished. Five dead in total. I sent a runner back to the citadel to report and learn of any other attacks or sightings from other parts of the city. We will keep guard here tonight unless there are new developments. I sent an escort to accompany your dwarf and halfling associates safely back to the Seaton Hotel. Rest assured we have this under control. You don't need to worry about us, Master Feldren."