Ghosts, Gold & Glory: Solving The Sinsister Secret of Saltmarsh!

[Ziona]

Greetings, all!

Friday nights we'll be getting together for a Greyhawk campaign set in Saltmarsh. It's a low-level campaign with me at the helm as DM. You'll know some of the players as Unusual Heroes or the ever-famous Knights, while others are new to the world of the Story Hour.

Here is the run down...

Bael Hallenthorpe, Human Wizard (played by my husband, Xaltar)
Tholm The Ill, Dwarven Cleric (played by Doc Midnight)
Kalli Warmwanderer, Halfling Bard (played by Dartan)
Chione Snowtreader, Arctic Half-Elven Ranger (played by our friend Nemesia)
Toshiro Kakita, Human Samauri (played by our friend John)

We have played three times now and I'm hoping to keep up with the story hour by spending my lunch hour at work writing. As some of you may know, Xaltar & I have a 6-month-old daughter who keeps us busy, but I'm dying to write a story for this campaign, so thanks in advance for checking it out!

So, without further adieu, let the story begin...

 

[Ziona]

A sigh escaped the lips of the half-elf that had entered The Singing Boar Inn as she sat at a table alone. She had been wearing furs, which she found to be far too warm for this area. She took them off and placed them in the chair to her right. She looked about the barroom hoping a serving wench would wait on her soon. Her need for drink was great, her need for food greater. Months at sea had left her longing for solid ground, and now that she was here, she intended to eat heartily. For now, however, she would have to wait and listen to the songs of the halfling on stage and have a look around the bar.

The ship she had arrived on had left port; it’s return to the North of no use to her. She would have to continue her journey on foot perhaps. This new land was quite different from her homeland and would merit some exploration. She sat pondering this when another man, obviously just as different as she, entered the bar. His appearance was far different from anyone else’s in the bar, including her own. From the armor he wore, to the look of his face, it was obvious to all the patrons that night that this man was from afar.

The dwarven serving wench, who had been approaching the eager half-elf stopped to stare at the stranger. Shrugging, she turned to the half-elf.

“What can I getcha, lass?”

The half-elf, still staring at the odd man, barely heard the waitress.

“Food…and drink,” she said absently.

“Okay…well, how about ale? And we have a tasty mutton stew if you please,” said the waitress.

“Yes. That will be fine,” answered the half-elf.

She continued to watch the man as he looked for a table to sit at. Clearly the rest of the patrons in the bar, nervous about the stranger, were giving him the cold shoulder. They weren’t taking a chance by allowing him to sit with them, which was exactly how she had felt when she entered the Inn.

“You may sit here,” she called to him as he looked about for a seat.

“Many thanks to you,” he said with an accent as he pulled up a chair.

“You are new to this place,” she said.

The man looked at her, as though trying to guess what she was thinking.

“I ask only because I am new as well. I don’t know anyone in this town. I’ve only just arrived a short while ago by boat.”

“You travel alone?” he asked. “Is there no one to watch over you?”

“I watch over myself,” she answered. “I am an accomplished hunter.”

“And what is it that you hunt?”

“Those who have taken my home,” she said solemnly.

“I am sorry to hear your home was taken,” said the man. “Do you believe those you hunt are here, in this town?”

At this the half-elf sighed again, her frustration at the loss of her home and family hitting her like the blunt side of a sword.

“I don’t know,” she said. “It would seem unlikely that they reside here. I fear I have lost those I seek.”

The man only nodded. Just then, the serving wench returned.

“Strangers sitting together, eh?” she smiled. “How fittin’. What can I get for you, laddie?”

The man looked at the dwarven woman. She was most unlike any of the women from his home. She sighed as he looked at her.

“I know nothing about your cuisine,” he said simply.

“Hows about I bring you the same thing?” she smiled.

As she walked from the table, she approached the bartender, who happened to be her husband, Gobur.

“An odd lot has shown up at our Inn, Gobur. Watch the two of ‘em.”

Gobur looked at the duo his wife Aldobrya pointed out.

“An odd lot, indeed.”


The Adventure Unfolds…

 

[Ziona]

A man in robes sat in the corner watching the patrons of The Singing Boar. He had been visiting the Inn for several nights since his arrival in Saltmarsh nearly a ten-day prior. He had stopped in at a few of the other taverns in town, but found a more diverse group of people here. Perhaps it was the live entertainment or the quality of the rooms. The food wasn’t bad either, and the ale was pretty potent. But what else would you expect from a dwarven bartender?

He sat listening each night to the halfling bard who was a decent singer, but who seemed to be under appreciated. Occasionally the man eavesdropped on different conversations, but always paid close attention to those patrons who, like him, seemed to hail from areas other than Saltmarsh. The group he was hoping to gather would be best if they knew little about the town.

So, when he noticed the half-elf woman who strolled in wearing furs, his interest was peaked. But when a man with the face of a foreigner in colored armor walked in and sat with her, he was intrigued. He found a seat closer and listened to hear of their adventures (though it was somewhat difficult since they were so close to the stage). It was then that he realized they sat together merely because they had no one else to sit with. They were strangers in a strange town.

Before he could approach the two of them, however, a scuffle seemed to break out between a shady looking man and a kobold in shining armor.

“You toy with wrong kobold, thief!” shouted the proud creature.

“What are you going to do about it, vermin?”

The kobold put on his gleaming helm and reached for his sword when Gobur shouted for them to break it up.

“It not look well for you to have rogues in tavern,” scolded the kobold. “Must be taken to justice! I will see to it!”

The kobold drew his sword, but Gobur caught his hand.

“Now, now,” said Gobur. “Settle down, fella.”

Gobur looked at the elf that had been accused of thievery. His look was smug and it seemed he was ready to bolt out the door.

“Give the fella back what yer took, and then off with ya!” grumbled Gobur.

“I’m no thief,” muttered the elf.

Being at the perfect height, Gobur reached into the pouch of the elf and pulled forward an ornate dagger.

“No thief, eh? Be gone, pickpocket! I don’t want to see yer face here again!”

The rogue looked down at the kobold and then to Gobur.

“You’ll regret this, dwarf! You haven’t seen the last of Malmagor Oreth!”

With that, the feud was over. The kobold went back to his drink and Gobur returned to the bar. His wife continued serving mutton and ale, and the halfling resumed his music, (though he was irritated about being interrupted).

The wizard hesitated a moment more, wondering what sort of skills the kobold possessed. He pondered the possibilities a moment…could this creature really be skilled with a blade? He wore shining armor and had made attempts at valor…perhaps…nah! He chuckled to himself, and then dismissed the thought of a kobold joining his group. Who knew what sort of mischief the creature was really in town to take care of.

He turned his attention back toward the human and half-elf. From what he could hear, she was some sort of hunter, and the man came from a place he had never heard of…Rokugan? Where in the world was that? He had never heard of such a town in all his studies at the Academy, and he was one of the top students. He decided he had heard enough. He would approach them with the offer of adventure and riches and would form the group that would help him in his dilemma.

The Adventure Unfolds…

 

[Dr Midnight]

Tholm the Ill, checking in. Bwoh!!

 

[Dartan]

Nice to see a story hour on the boards again, keep up the great job Ziona!

 

[Ziona]

The halfling sighed as another one of his lilting melodies was interrupted by a noisy barroom brawl. He couldn’t believe he was still here, singing his heart out to a wretched crowd who consumed too much ale and who paid too little to hear his lyrical stories. The innkeeper and his wife were kind enough, and the room he kept was downright comfortable, but he knew this wasn’t the way for a bard to make a name for himself. He would have to find real stories to tell, not just tell those that drunken bar patrons had heard over and over again, (which was why he usually sang songs about his family members. Those were stories bar patrons had never heard).

“There, the kobold dressed as a paladin got his pretty dagger back. Can I continue my song now? Sheesh,” he thought to himself.

He sang about his Uncle Trapspringer and the scars that covered his body. He sang about Weedle Fumblefoot, his clumsy cousin, and about his mother’s delicious corn rolls, but no one seemed to care. In fact, one of the tables of people near the side of the stage talked through his last three songs. The nerve! What could be more interesting than the halfling leaf that his Uncle Rubin grew? He decided it was time for an instrumental. Perhaps the sound of his lute would persuade the rude trio to listen. (And if nothing else, he could listen to what it was the silly robed man was saying that the other two found so interesting!)

He strummed and plucked the strings of his lute while listening intently to the story the man in the robes was weaving for the odd-looking pair whose table he joined. He talked of ghosts, gold, and glory. (Ooh! What a song title that would be!) The foolish mage wanted to infiltrate the haunted mansion of Saltmarsh! The halfling nearly dropped his lute at the thought of the mansion. Apparently the patrons noticed his fumbling fingers since several of them huffed or grunted at the performance. However, the halfling was too busy eyeballing a dwarf that was now joining the trio he was eavesdropping on to notice the guffaws.

“A dwarf! Oh, what an adventure this could turn out to be!” he thought with excitement.

He quickly finished his set and skipped over toward the table. Surely they couldn’t say no to the enchanting entertainment of Kalli Warmwanderer!

The Adventure Unfolds…

 

[Ziona]

I just wanted to add that I know that's a gnome that I used for our halfling bard, but it just seems to fit so well, and since I couldn't find a more suitable pic for Kalli, I decided I'd just go with that one from PHB.

Anyhow, hope you're all enjoying the prelude!

Ziona

 

[JAREK GREY]

PICTURES OF PCs

And mine was of a ninja...oh well. Looks great so far, and Toshiro definitely thinks that the kobold has potential....

 

[Ziona]

And mine was of a ninja...oh well. Looks great so far, and Toshiro definitely thinks that the kobold has potential....

Yes, I know, I know. But it was the best pic I could find. The other one I considered was this one...

or...

But at the time I didn't have a character description, so I did what I could. If you find a pic you like better, just let me know & I can change it.

~ Z

 

[Dartan]

Ziona last night's game was alot fun...can't wait to see where our next adventure takes us or what we may gain. Keep up the great job can't wait to read last night's adventure.