Ghosts of Saltmarsh (cbaer8) - Campaign Thread

Kei 

Talk of the Styes causes Kei's ears to prick up. He stands just out of sight near the door to the kitchen and drops the eaves on Kavanax's story, listening for any names or places that he may recognise that would indicate the truthfulness of her story.

Insight 22

Dwal will remove the gag to the old man so he can breath better, and examine him.'

Medicine: 21

Dwal is trying to discern if the old man is poisoned, diseased, dying of old age or a combination of any or all 3.

Peri:

Peri can hear the old man's labored breathing, but he figures it's easier to breathe with some blankets wrapped around him than with a rope around his neck, which was the alternative. He's surprised the woman has started talking; he'd assumed they'd heard all she had to say. Well, maybe if her story checked out she just might dodge the gallows. Though Saltmarsh being what it is, plus the recent attack, he wouldn't bet on it. "If we're gonna try fightin those things again, we might as well get after it. If you want to regroup in Saltmarsh, we should be able to take these two across with us and deliver 'em to justice'" -- the scorn heavy on the last word -- "and we can leave Barley here 'til we come back. He's got plenty of supplies, and nowhere pressing to be right now. If you can do without your butler for a few more days, Master Fiercehammer."

"Not Saltmarsh, please. Those bastards know no justice," says Kavanax to Gerrard, quietly. "Try me in Uskarn, or the Styes if you must. Or those Procan fools if you have to. But not Saltmarsh, not Seaton, not those royal sadists." 

(Kei Insight reroll: 11. History: 17 ) 

 Kei can't determine Kavanax' motives, although her tone is definitely more measured after a night's sleep. He knows the name Uskarn, though - it's a pretty small coastal town south of the Styes, northeast of Seaton. The Styes' justice system is a bit of a freewheeling, unpredictable mess prone to bribery and chaos; Uskarn probably has pretty little in the way of a justice system.

Dwal figures the old man to be suffering from age, disease, exposure, and poor living - unlikely poison. But death sooner rather than later is definitely a possibility.

Gerrard:

Nodding in agreement with Peri about getting moving, Gerrard starts to turn away from his conversation with Kavanax when she adds that last bit about “royal sadists”…

Turning back to her, Gerrard says with a strange intensity, “Oh really…What would you say to one of those Seaton royal sadists if he were before you right now?”

Looking up from the old man, Dwal says:

"Ya can stop all that Gerrard Feldren. No reason ta bait tha girl like that." he says.

Dwal scratches his chin under his beard.
"I figure tha old man is not long fer this world unless we can find a healer, an I mean a real one, not those Procanites. They saw flesh an bone an charge folks fer it. I can keep 'em stable till we make mainland, I think but if yer set on explorin' this place, I'm pretty sure he'll not make it."
Dwal pauses.
"Boko, do ya mind if'n I give this one, one of tha berries ya gave out?"

Dwal will turn to Peri. 'If that is what is needed then I can abide with that. What do you say Bayleaf?" Dwal asks. 

Boko having given Dwal permission, Dwal will feed the old man a berry.

Boko nods at Dwal. Eyes dart to the ghosts’ abode.

Kavanax becomes slightly ruffled by Gerrard's barb, and begins to walk back her comments "No disrespect if you're a kingsman or into sadism or something. It's just that in Seaton they'd run me through before I got off th' docks."

Dwal feeds the old man a berry. His color begins to look better, and his agitation is lessened.

Bayleaf brightens at Dwal's question. "Yeah, sure! I can run the shop here. Still have a lot of potatoes to cook." 

Gerrard:

”Okay, let us get on with it,” Gerrard says, doing his part to secure the prisoners now that the dome is gone.

….

Once they are at the stone door, he adds, “Shall Mistress Boko and I take the lead as before, or is there another suggestion?  I will open the door once our preparatory magics are in place.”

Kei 

A night's rest obviously hadn't taken the tension away completely. Kei offers up a plan...

"Call me crazy, but I'll come with you two" nodding to Gerrard an Boko, "invisible of course. That way I can help sooner than later. Dwal can take the rear guard and keep me safe. Might stop us all from getting caught at once."

The prisoners secured in the kitchen, the marching order worked out, the curtain opened, and the secret door pulled wide.

"ବନ୍ଦ କର! ପ୍ରବେଶ କରନ୍ତୁ ନାହିଁ |" shrieks the corpselike figure. The skeletal minotaurs turn their heads in unison to stare at you.

The creatures are in the exact positions as yesterday, mouthing the same line, as if time were repeating itself.

(Everyone may have a round to prepare, provided it doesn't involve entering the room or attacking.)

Dwal will cast Bless on the party. (casting at 2nd level so it affects all 4 other members)

Gerrard:

Holding his ground and keeping his weapons in their ready position, Gerrard steels his mind to try and fend off any upcoming assaults from the dead creatures.  All he can really do for now, though, is fall into a defensive position in case the foes come up to attack (Dodge).

Gerrard's Initiative:  14

Boko casts faerie fire on a cube that should get all the foes. DEX 15 saves.

Initiative: 11

"Perhaps we should try hitting them from here and see if they stay put for a while."

Initiative:

Gerrard: 14
Boko: 11
Kei: 20
Dwal: 12
Peri: 7
Skeletal minotaurs: 15
Corpselike figure:  17
Two Apparitions:  17

 They do not stay put. Perhaps it was Boko's spell, or perhaps it was just time, but the undead mob rushes the party.

(Peri and Kei may still have a prep round, if there was something they wanted to do as they enter the tunnels prior to fighting.)

Reordered initiative:

☐ (Peri and Kei prep round)
☐ Corpselike figure 🧟: 21
☐ Two Apparitions 👻👻: 20
☐ Kei: 19
☐ Dwal: 19
☐ Gerrard: 14
☐ Boko: 11
☐ Peri: 8
☐ Skeletal minotaurs 💀💀: 7 

(I'll roll faerie fire saves after we hear from Peri and Kei.)

DEX 15 saves vs Faerie Fire:

Distorted corpselike figure: 16
Ghostly apparition 1: 20
Ghostly apparition 2: 7
Minotaur Skeleton 1: 10
Minotaur Skeleton 2: 4 

..****y the furthest skeleton avoids being enveloped in an eerie violet glow. (Advantage on attacks on all but minotaur skeleton #1 and the corpse figure, for which the eye-averting disadvantage is now neutralized.)

The distorted corpse steps forward, glowing with unworldly violet light. It shrieks with anger and alarm. 

Even as Gerrard avoids looking at it, the foul entity bores its eyes into Gerrard's soul with a withering gaze that seems to eat him from the inside out.
(Gerrard must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, taking 27 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.)

Everyone feels the temperature plummet unnaturally in the room. You can feel the life force being slowly drained out of you. (Everyone must take 5 necrotic damage at the end of your turns, unless you choose to retreat.)

The two apparitions hang back. They silently laugh and mock the living.

Everyone may now act. (Resolved chronologically, and/or Kei - Dwal - Gerrard - Boko - Peri)

Gerrard:

Constitution Save: 23 plus Bless: 2

Shuddering from the corpse's now-familiar attack, Gerrard steps forward a few feet to allow the others a chance to get good angles on the foes (one square further down).  Seeing that the skeletons appear to be on their way into melee, he says through the pain, "Good idea, Mistress Boko.  I will try to keep them off you while you attack from a distance."

Preparing to receive the skeleton's charge, Gerrard has his blades at the ready, aiming to strike at the one that is enveloped by Boko's Faerie Fire even as the cold of the grave eats away at him (5 necrotic damage).