Swashbuckling in Freeport Returns

Morrow

First Post
Crisis in Freeport and the Ball

I've fallen behind on the Story Hour, and in the interest of catching up and being able to provide some kind of recap for Tavaari's player, who has missed two sessions in a row, this edition of Swashbuckling in Freeport Returns will be provided in bullet point format.

  • The Captain’s Council announced that they were repealing the law of succession which required the Sea Lord to be of the Drac bloodline. Many people perceived this as a blatant power grab, particularly supporters of Drak Sockit, the illegitimate half-orc son of the last Sea Lord.
  • The resulting riots lead to considerable death and destruction, including the death of Xander Williams, the head of the Sea Lord’s Guard. The Cutthroats criminal gang took over the Temple of Shalimyr, God of the Sea. Many clerics were killed before the high priestess, Lorilee, killed or drove off all the gang members. She then predicted that Shalimyr would send a storm to punish Freeport for the death of his chosen followers.
  • The PCs sat out the riot.
  • After the riot the PCs were approached by Marcus Roberts, member of the Captain’s Council and father of Nifur Roberts, a crewmember of the Albers. He explained that Elise Grossette, another member of the Council and a major force behind the repeal of the law of succession, had been kidnapped during the riots. He suspected Drak Sockit (angry about the repeal of the law) and Arias Soderheim (another member of the Council and Grossette’s biggest competition for the position of Sea Lord).
  • The PCs soon determined that the kidnapping had been carried out by Captain Althea Sharpe and the crew of The Knife.
  • Bronson, having met Lady Grossette before, scryed on her. He and Miranda used teleport spells to retrieve Lady Grossette without confronting the crew of The Knife.
  • With evidence that Arias Soderheim had planned the kidnapping in hand, Marcus Robert called a public meeting of the Captain’s Council. Soderheim did not attend. While Marcus Roberts presented the case against Soderheim, it was Marilese Maeorgan who truly took charge and convinced her fellow councilors to order Soderheim’s arrest and trial for his crimes.
  • The PCs saved the council from an attempted assassination carried out by a group of Bodaks, extremely dangerous undead whose gaze means death. While the Council was saved, nearly a hundred people were killed as the Bodaks rampaged through the crowd. Bronson determined that it would take someone very powerful to force the Bodaks to attack during the day since sunlight burns their unholy flesh. The bodies of the fallen were quickly collected and burned by clerics of Mormekar, God of the Dead, to prevent them from rising as Bodaks themselves.
  • The next day the PCs attended a Ball held by the Captain’s Council to honor the Heroes of the Battle of Pramas Deep, those who had served with distinction against the Thonian Navy.
  • On the way to the Ball, Nate and Sully were ambushed by a trio of Chain Devils. While the heroes dispatched the devils fairly easily, they were disturbed when the devils took on the faces of Sully’s lost love, Bonny Bill, who lamented that she had not attempted to return him to life, and Nate’s father, Horatio Blackthorne, who castigated Nate for failing to avenge his death.
  • At the Ball Bronson danced with a young woman named Tora Irontooth. She was interested in his arguments that as oppressed peoples the undead and orcs of Freeport were natural allies. She was so enamored of the cleric that she didn’t even notice when he clumsily stepped on her feet.
  • Nate flirted shamelessly with the young women. In a moment of rare insight he recognized that all of Nifur Robert’s peers had married and had children since she joined the crew of the Albers. Furthermore, while the young women were fascinated by Nifur’s stories of piracy and adventure, they were also afraid of her.
  • Sully danced with Drak Sockit, taking particular care to be seen by her former paramour, Buster Wallace and his young wife, Margaret Roth.
  • Tavaari met Arla Fairwind, another child of Lorrem Erendyl. Arla revealed that Lorrem had illegitimate children scattered across the known world. Tavaari was, in fact, the third half-sibling she had met. Arla further revealed that she and her companions had come to Freeport hunting a group of followers of the Unspeakable One, whom they defeated in a battle at the Freeport Opera House.
  • Buster Wallace announced that the Captain’s Council had chosen a new Sea Lord, Marilese Maeorgan. Further, Lady Marilese announced that the Council had chosen another member to fill the seat vacated by the death of Captain Hector Torian. Henceforth, Drak Sockit would represent the interests of the orcish citizens of Freeport.
  • Marcus Roberts offered Sully the Privateer Seat on the Council, which was due to become vacant in three months when Xavier Gordon stepped down.
  • Roberts also revealed that neither the Sea Lord’s guard, nor the diviners in the Council’s employ could find any sign of Soderheim and he was believed to have fled the city. Divinations had been able to confirm that The Knife was on its way to the island of Haven. He stated that the Council would be very grateful if the PCs should choose to bring Captain Sharpe and her crew to justice.
  • The PCs were honored as Heroes of the Battle of Pramas Deep. Many others were recognized, including: Captan Scarbelly, Drak Sockit, Alra Fairwind, Morgan Baumann, Elina Mere, Tessa Corwyn, and Morgan Erendyl. In addition, the four PCs were singled out for their repeated efforts on behalf of the city of Freeport and named Defenders of Freeport.
  • Following the Ball the PCs joined the public celebration of Swagfest, which happened to be on the same day. There they discovered that their deeds had become public knowledge, raising the profile in the city considerably.
  • The next morning a great storm struck Freeport. For three days the city endured the wrath of the Sea God. The Temple of Aster provided shelter for many people with nowhere else to go.


And when the storm was over…
 
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Morrow

First Post
The Weavers prelude

Sully and Nate had never seen the Temple of Aster so busy. As he lead them to his study Bronson explained that the temple had provided shelter for dozens of people during the storm. That act of charity coupled with temple’s higher profile since the Ball had caused a new wave of interest in Aster’s teachings among the citizens of Freeport. Upon reaching the study the trio began to discuss whether they should follow The Knife to Haven. In addition to the possibility of catching Soderheim, Nate suggested that the trip would provide an opportunity for Bronson to visit his family in Cauldron.

Bronson’s assistant, Elias, entered the room and explained that there was a man at the temple asking for Nate. At first the trio didn’t recognize the man that Elias ushered into the room. His hair and beard were greasy and lifeless and his skin was ashen and pulled tight across the bones of his face. He looked like he hadn’t eaten in a month. “Cobb?” asked Nate, “What happened to you?”

Horatio Blackthorne was a captain in the Thonian Navy before he was framed for piracy and treason. Captain Blackthorne and his crew were hanged and his son, Nate, was sold into slavery. Galen Cobb was one of only two members of Horatio Blackthorne’s crew to escape. Cobb had helped the group before, even helping to rescue them when they were captured by the pirate captain Morgan Bauman, but Nate hadn’t seen him in over a year.

Bronson had Elias bring food and drink for Cobb, but he just pushed it away. “It will only make me sick. Everything tastes like ashes.”

“What do you need, Cobb?” asked Nate.

“For a while now I’ve been working for a man named Antobury. He’s an odd fellow, collects spiders. He has turned his house into a museum. I help him find and purchase specimens. This morning I brought him something that he didn’t like at all, a big red and black spider. A while back I mentioned that I knew you, bragged about it really. He said that we needed your kind of help, that I should find you as fast as I could.”

The trio questioned Cobb, but he didn’t know anything more. They quickly decided to speak to Antobury and, after collecting Miranda and Queg, made their way to the Eastern District.
 
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Morrow

First Post
Nate Black

Nate Black
Male half-elf bard 7/ Freeport Pirate 5
CN medium humanoid
Init +3; Senses Listen -1, Spot -1
Languages Common, Elven, Orc
AC 26, touch 19, flat-footed 17; Dodge
hp 66
Fort +4, Ref +13, Will +4
Speed 30 ft.
Melee “Corsair’s Cutlass” +17/+12 (1d6+2/17-20 +1d6 shock)
Ranged pistols +15/+10 (1d10/x3)
Atk Options Press Gang Thwack, Life is Cheap
Base Atk +10; Grp +11
Combat Gear three potions of cure light wounds, potion of cat’s grace, potion of spider climb, potion of water breathing, wand of cure moderate wounds (27 charges)
Spells Known (CL 7th)
3rd- glibness, major image
2nd- alter self, cat’s grace, detect thoughts
1st- cure light wounds, expeditious retreat, inspirational boost, Tasha’s hideous laughter
0- daze, detect magic, know direction, lullaby, message, read magic
Abilities Str 12, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 7, Cha 20
SQ bardic knowledge (+10), bardic music (countersong, fascinate, inspire competence, inspire courage, suggestion), sea legs, reckless abandon, rope monkey, animal companion, half-elf racial traits.
SA spells, press gang thwack, life is cheap.
Feats Dodge, Greater Weapon Focus (cutlass)B, Leadership, Martial Weapon Proficiency (cutlass), Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (cutlass)
Skills Bluff +10, Climb +6, Concentration +3, Decipher Script +2, Diplomacy +12, Handle Animal +6, Jump +8, Knowledge (nature) +3, Knowledge (history) +6, Perform (stringed instruments) +16, Perform (vocal) +19, Profession (sailor) +12, Sleight of Hand +6, Spellcraft +2, Swim +5, Tumble +16, Use Magic Device +12, Use Rope +11.
Possessions combat gear, bracers of armor +5, amulet of natural armor +2, cape of the mountebank, “Sea Dog’s Fiddle” (+2 circumstance bonus to Perform (stringed instruments), +2 competence bonus on countersong, fascinate, and suggestion, cast animate rope, whispering wind, and jig of the waves each 1/day), “Corsair’s Cutlass” (keen shock cutlass +1, ignores half hardness of objects), "Slave Driver" (whip +1, daze 5/day, +2 circumstance bonus to climb and tumble), earring of the sirens (as pearl of the sirens), lyre of building, deep red sphere ioun stone (+2 Dex), pink and green sphere ioun stone (+2 Cha), two masterwork pistols, powder and shot, traveler’s outfit, dagger, medals (“Order of Drac,” “Hero of the Battle of Pramas Deep,” and “Defender of Freeport”).

Nate Black is an unusually small young man (4’9”, 112 lbs., 24 years old). His slight stature can cause his opponents to underestimate him. He has black hair and brown eyes. He wears no armor and a flamboyant blue cape. A pair of magical gemstones orbit his head, and the small monkey that is often perched on his shoulder bats at them playfully. He is never without his cutlass and a pair of pistols.
 
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Morrow

First Post
Catherine Sullivan

One Eyed Cate Sullivan
Female human fighter 12
CN medium humanoid
Init +3; Senses Listen +0, Spot +0
Languages Common, Halfling
AC 22, touch 14, flat-footed 19; Dodge, Mobility
hp 125
Fort +11, Ref +8, Will +7
Speed 40 ft.; Spring Attack
Melee "Snow on the Mountain" +20/+15/+10 (2d4+9/15-20 +1d6 frost)
Atk Options Cleave, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Great Cleave, Power Attack, Whirlwind Attack
Base Atk +12; Grp +17
Combat Gear two potions of bull’s strength, three potions of cure light wounds, two potions of cure moderate wounds, potion of enlarge person, potion of hide from undead, potion of protection from evil, potion of spider climb, three vials of acid.
Abilities Str 20, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 11, Cha 14
Feats Combat Expertise, Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Great Cleave, Improved Critical (falchion), Iron Will, Leadership, Mobility, Power Attack, Spring Attack, Weapon Focus (falchion), Whirlwind Attack.
Skills Climb +9, Diplomacy +8, Intimidate +6, Jump +17, Profession (sailor) +6, Swim +8, Tumble +10, Use Rope +4.
Possessions combat gear, glamered mithril chain shirt +2, dusty rose prism ioun stone (+1 AC), vest of resistance +1, demontainted ring of protection +2, gauntlets of ogre power, heward’s handy haversack, “Snow on the Mountain” (holy surge frost falchion +2), boots of striding and springing, “Acheron” (folding boat), jade parrot (as figurine of wondrous power – silver raven), amulet of health +2, belt pouch, shark bracelet, extensive wardrobe, medals (“Order of Drac,” “Hero of the Battle of Pramas Deep,” and “Defender of Freeport”).

Catherine Sullivan is a beautiful young woman with blue eyes and brown hair. While only 23, in the six years of her adventuring career she has seen more battles than most veterans ever dream. While not unusually tall (5’5”, 130 lbs.), she towers over her constant companion, Nate Black. She appears to wear no armor, her glamered chain shirt taking on the form of an ever changing array of brightly colored, and often daring, blouses. A single magical gemstone orbits her head, and she is never without her beautifully crafted falchion. Her empty left eye socket is covered by a garishly bejeweled eye patch. Her light hearted and flirtatious manner hides an affinity for command and a thirst for vengeance.
 
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Morrow

First Post
Miranda Swallows

Miranda Swallows
Female human wizard 9
CN medium humanoid
Init +2; Senses Listen +1, Spot +1
Languages Common, Draconic, Abyssal, Elvish, Infernal
AC 18, touch 13, flat-footed 16
hp 38
Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +9
Speed 30 ft.
Melee quarterstaff +5 (1d6+1)
Ranged sling +7 (1d4)
Base Atk +4; Grp +4
Combat Gear three potions of cure light wounds, potion of cat's grace, potion of protection from evil, potion of remove disease, scroll of charm person, scroll of flaming sphere, scroll of rope trick, ring of ram (50 charges), wand of magic missile (12 charges), wand of ray of enfeeblement (20 charges), wand of shield (22 charges), four vials of acid.
Spells Prepared (CL 9th; spell failure 10%)
5th- cone of cold, dominate person
4th- bestow curse, ice storm, shout
3rd- fireball, fly, haste (x2)
2nd- black karma curse, bull's strength, scorching ray (x2), touch of idocy
1st- animate rope, feather fall, magic missile (x2), ray of enfeeblement, shocking grasp
0- detect magic, flare, resistance (x2)
Abilities Str 11, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 20, Wis 13, Cha 12
Feats Improved Familiar, Ship's Mage, Scribe ScrollB, Silent SpellB, Spell Focus (enchantment), Spell Focus (Evocation).
Skills Concentration +13, Decipher Script +14, Knowledge (arcana) +17, Knowledge (history) +10, Profession (prostitute) +4, Profession (sailor) +6, Spellcraft +19, Swim +6, Tumble +6.
Possessions combat gear, mithral chain shirt, quarterstaff +1, sling +1, headband of intellect +2, ring of protection +1, amulet of natural armor +1, cloak of resistance +2, blessed spellbook (as Boccob's Blessed Book), spell component pouch, waterproof scroll case.

Miranda is slight young woman (5'3", 120 lbs, 24 years old). She has dark skin, black hair, and brown haunted eyes. She tends to fade into the background around her more flamboyant companions, at least until she lets loose with a fireball. Miranda never speaks about her past.
 
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Morrow

First Post
Queg

Queg
Male spell stitched bone half-orc ranger 8
N medium undead
Init +5; Senses Listen +1, Spot +12
Languages Abyssal, Common, Orc
AC 22, touch 15, flat-footed 17
hp 73; damage reduction 5/ bludgeoning and magic or silver
Fort +8, Ref +13, Will +5; spell resistance 9, immune to cold
Speed 30 ft.; swift tracker
Melee “Demogorgon's Tooth” +16/+11 (1d6+8/19-20 +1 vile)
or harpoon +15/+10 (1d10+10)
Ranged composite longbow +14/+9 (1d8+7/x3 + 1d6 fire); Rapid Shot
or harpoon +14 (1d10+7)
Atk Options Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot
Base Atk +8; Grp +14
Combat Gear oil of keen edge (x2)
Spells Known (CL 4th)
1st- longstrider
Abilities Str 22, Dex 21, Con -, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8
SQ darkvision, wild empathy, +4 turn resistance, animal companion, woodland stride, swift tracker, spell-like abilities.
SA favored enemy (human +4, magical beast +2).
Spell-like abilities (CL 8th)
2nd- (4/day) false life, melf's acid arrow
1st- (4/day) ray of enfeeblement, obscuring mist
Feats enduranceB, exotic weapon proficiency (harpoon), manyshotB, point blank shot, precise shot, rapid shotB, trackB.
Skills Jump +11, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +5, Knowledge (geography) +11, Knowledge (nature) +10, Move Silently +8, Profession (sailor) +6, Spot +12, Survival +14, Swim +11, Use Rope +7.
Possessions combat gear, studded leather armor +2, harpoon +1, flaming composite longbow +1 (+6 Str), "Demogorgon's Tooth" (vile scimitar +2; weilder can speak Abyssal, casts contagion (Fort DC 14) when striking good creature), golembane scarab, ring of turn resistance +2, mummy wrappings of ogre power, Quall's feather token (bird), quiver of Ehlonna, traveler's clothes, silk rope (100 ft.), grappling hook, sextant, 275 arrows, vestments, platinum ring, spyglass.

Queg is an imposing (6'7") half-orc skeleton. His bones are carved with sailing scenes and arcane glyphs. He often wears cloaks or robes to hide his form from casual observers. He is taciturn and rarely enters conversation. While clever by orc standards, he is no great thinker. He fights who he is told to fight and is content to let Bronson worry about the details.
 

Morrow

First Post
Bronson

Bronson
male human cleric 11/ lich template class 1
N medium humanoid
Init +2; Senses Listen +8, Spot +8
Languages Common, Infernal, +1 more
AC 22, touch 8, flat-footed 17
hp 82
Fort +10, Ref +1, Will +13; resist cold 5, electricity 5
Speed 30 ft.
Melee damaging touch +9/+4 (1d6+5, DC 19 Will save for half; paralysis 1d4 rounds, DC 19 Fort save)
Base Atk +8; Grp +9
Combat Gear two potions of cure moderate wounds, potion of protection from arrows, two potions of remove blindness/ deafness, potion of remove disease, potion of remove paralysis, wand of restoration (6 charges), scroll of resurrection, scroll of revivify, scroll of searing light, dust of dryness.
Spells Prepared (CL 11th; travel and undeath domains)
6th- mass cure moderate wounds, harm, find the path
5th- mass cure light wounds, flame strike, slay living, circle of death
4th- cure critical wounds, dismissal, restoration, summon monster iv, dimension door
3rd- cure serious wounds, prayer, searing light, water breathing, fly
2nd- cure moderate wounds, eagle's splendor, hold person, lesser restoration, shield other, silence, locate object
1st- bless, cure light wounds (x2), divine favor, protection from evil (x2), longstrider
0- cure minor wounds (x2), detect magic (x2), detect poison, read magic
Abilities Str 12, Dex 6, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 22, Cha 19
SQ Freedom of movement (1 rnd/ level), lich skill bonuses
SA turn undead, spells, spontaneously cast inflict spells, damaging touch, paralyzing touch
Feats craft wonderous item, extra turningB, improved initiative, improved turning, quicken turning, undead leadership.
Skills Concentration +17, Diplomacy +7, Heal +8, Knowledge (arcana) +8, Knowledge (religion) +9, Profession (sailing) +7, Spellcraft +16, Survival +7.
Possessions combat gear, mithral chain shirt +2, "Lilith" (mithral heavy shield +2, grants use of Divine Shield feat), ring of protection +2, gauntlets of ogre power, cloak of charisma +2, periapt of wisdom +4, phylactery of undead rebuking, pearl of power (1st level), Heward's handy haversack, nycoptic manuscripts, Quall's feather token (bird), spell component pouch, holy symbol, traveler's clothes, belt pouch, waterskin, flint and steel, vestments, platinum ring, courtier's outfit, 8 blocks of incense (for divination), diamond dust (for restoration), diamond (for raise dead), five black pearls (for circle of death), ointment (for true seeing), medals (“Order of Drac,” “Hero of the Battle of Pramas Deep,” and “Defender of Freeport”).

Bronson is a young black man (28 years old, 6', 165 lbs.). His hair and eyes are brown. A pair of scales, Aster's holy symbol, is tatooed on his forehead.
 
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Morrow

First Post
The Weavers

Antobury proved to be quite the eccentric. His mansion, on the border between Drac’s End and the Eastern District was decorated in a spider motif, from the wrought iron gates to the elaborate stained glass windows. Nearly the entire interior was filled with a combination zoo and museum dedicated to all things arachnid. The party took particular note of the display where a swarm of spiders crawled about a terrarium containing a scale model of Freeport. They were disturbed by the Chwidencha, a large creature which appeared to consist of a multitude of spider legs coming together at a central point, with no discernable body where they met. They were merely bemused by the massive camel-eating spider. The desiccated carcasses of several horses and camels lay strewn about the huge arachnid’s cage. “How did you get that in here?” Sully asked.

“When I purchased that specimen it was the size of a large dog, I merely kept feeding it,” Antobury explained cheerfully.

When the party reached Antobury’s study, he became grim. He showed them the body of a red and black spider the size of a dinner plate, its abdomen cut open to reveal curious hollow within. Antobury quickly explained that the hastendeath spider represented a particularly dangerous underdark menace. The creatures were born pregnant, prepared to reproduce almost immediately after birth. They poisoned their victim, and while the poor soul was unconscious crawled down his throat and laid their eggs in his stomach.

Antobury explained that hastendeaths lived deep underground, sometimes cultivated by spider-like humanoids known as chitins. The were completely unheard of on the surface. However, this one had turned up somehow, and Antobury’s examination revealed that it had died only hours before, but only after laying its eggs. “My friends,” Antobury exclaimed,” Freeport will soon face a terrible scourge. Generations of hastendeaths will be born and lay their eggs within the plentiful and unsuspecting hosts available to them with days. The city would be overrun within weeks.”

The party accepted the task of tracking down the hastendeath’s victim. They would begin their search with Bleary Grimlet, the fence who sold Cobb the dead Hastendeath. Cobb agreed to lead them to Grimlet’s home in the section of Scurvytown known as the Merry Tangle.

* * * * *​


When no one responded to Sully’s knocks, she merely knocked down the door. Grimlet’s home was a stinking hole, the dim light from the smoking fireplace revealing broken furniture, plaster peeling from the walls, and two large quadrapeds with lupine builds, large draconic jaws, stunted wings, and long, thin tails. The pair of drakes moved to attack the intruders, breathing a cloud of gas, the effects of which all combatants were able to resist.

Sully charged to the attack, her heavy blows met with vicious bites. She was dismayed to discover that the drakes’ fangs were poisoned, slowing her reflexes and making her more vulnerable to their attacks. Nate tumbled to her side and Queg skewered the closest drake with his harpoon. The drakes gave as good as they got, and the battle may have proved a stalemate if not for Bronson and Miranda, whose magic drove the drakes back under a barrage of fireballs, magic missiles, and flame strikes.

The battle seemed nearly won when a figure appeared on the stairs leading to the second floor and began peppering the combatants with a hail of crossbow fire. Bleary Grimlet was a shockingly ugly man, hairy, stoop shouldered and club footed. As Nate ran after him, cutlass held high, Grimlet retreated up the stairs. Nate reached the landing at a run, and barely felt the tripwire brush his ankles, but he definitely felt it when a cauldron of acid dumped out of a hidden hollow in the ceiling above, burning away clothes and skin and leaving his body horribly burned. As the rest of the party finished off the drakes Bronson rushed to Nate’s side. After the cleric healed the worst of Nate’s wounds, they to the second floor.

The pair found a cluttered workshop. There was no sign of Grimlet, but no obvious route of escape. They paused and Bronson explained to the empty room their quest to find where the source of the spider. Grimlet, invisible and furious, pressed a knife into the cleric’s back, threatening to kill him in revenge for the death of his pets. The pair, exasperated that Grimlet had chosen to fight rather than talk in the first place explained their situation and inquired if Grimlet felt sick. After much negotiation Grimlet offered that he felt fine, he was fencing the spider for a local crimelord named Hamfist. The spider had died in his care, leaving Grimlet unable to acquire the price Hamfist expected. Grimlet was terrified for his life, seeing assassins sent by his employer in every shadow and whispering that Hamfist was a cannibal.

Hamfist was a chirurgerist and physician operating in the Tangle, and the party had little trouble finding his small shop. They were mistrustful of the somewhat frail, wild eyed old man with the air of power and authority. They respectfully explained their quest and requested the old man’s assistance. Once it became clear that they were not seeking a refund, Hamfist relaxed and, expertly sizing them up, admitted that he had acquired the spider from K’Karsh, the sorcerous leader of the band of kenku bird-men known as the Collectors. When questioned whether the spider might have bitten him, Hamfist replied disdainfully that he had little to fear from such threats.

Unable to fully explain the source of their disquiet, but seeing no reason to disbelieve the old man, the party followed his directions to The Rigg, an old tower at the far eastern end of Scurvytown that housed the Kenku Collectors. The Rigg, once a lighthouse, but now an abandoned tower slowly sinking into the mud of the shoreline had no windows and thick wooden walls. The party climbed the stairs circling the tower, entered the cupola at its head, and examined the trapdoor leading into the interior of the tower. The interior of the cupola was filthy with bird droppings and foul graffiti warning away intruders.

Sully pounded on the trapdoor and was met with birdlike squawking and harsh voices instructing them to go away. She threw open the door and peered down into the tower by the light from Bronson’s holy symbol. The tower was entirely hollow, with only a series of platforms, bridges, to stop a fall from the trapdoor all the way to the water filled base eighty feet below. She could make out several bird faced feathered humanoids, kenku, within. The kenku responded to her intrusion with a hail of crossbow fire.

The party advanced, Sully and Nate swinging and balancing from bridge to platform to draw closer to their attackers, Miranda and Bronson flying, and Queg remaining at the trapdoor, firing flaming arrows down into the darkness. The kenku defended their home fiercely, scampering along ropes strung from one platform to the next, even leaping out over open air to gain better position to fire volley after volley of crossbow bolts against the intruders. However, the outcome was never in doubt. The party had to kill a few of the kenku before the others grudgingly surrendered.

One of the kenku grudgingly answered their question. Yes, their leader, K’Karsh had recently acquired a strange spider in the underdark. Yes, he had subsequently sold it to a fence. Soon thereafter K’Karsh had began to feel ill and had teleported back to where he had found the spider in the hopes of discovering the cause. The kenku further explained that the tunnels K’Karsh had been exploring were beneath the Standing Tombs.

The party quickly left The Rigg and made their way to the docks. Nate had heard of The Standing Tombs. Early in Freeport’s history, before they began cremating their dead, they had buried them in a long tunnel dug into a cliff face a few miles up the coast from the city. In order to save space the bodies had been placed standing up in shallow alcoves. The tombs had been the responsibility of the temple of Mormekar, until a great earthquake had collapsed part of the tunnel and forced the site to be abandoned. After that the clerics of Mormekar had relocated, building a crematorium on an atoll in Freeport harbor.

It was quite late by the time the Albers reached The Standing Tombs. The party slept until morning then took the ship’s boat ashore, landing at an old but still sturdy dock. Cobb only accompanied the party as far as the entrance to the Tombs, a great stone door in the cliff face. They found the door slightly ajar, and Queg found tracks, both leading into the tombs and back out again. Those leading out again headed back toward Freeport.

The party advanced down the long tunnel, in the light from Bronson’s holy symbol they saw cracked walls and floors, and bodies thrown from their alcoves by that long ago earthquake. Bronson pragmatically animated several of the fallen bodies, gathering a force of skeletal minions to accompany the party deeper into the tombs.

They had not advanced far before they came to a great natural cavern formed when a great rift had opened in the earth, completely severing one side of the tunnel from the other. The walls and floors of the chamber were covered in great ropy webs and a funnel shaped web spiraled down into the rift beyond the edge of the light. On the floor of the tunnel on the other side of the rift they saw several human sized web bundles.

The had no time to examine the chamber further a dreadful buzzing began to echo off the chamber walls. It came from all about them, as much the babbling of tongueless madmen as the product of any terrestrial insect. Previously unseen shapes began to move amongst the webs hidely the cavern walls. Queg spotted one of the demons first, a vaguely ant shaped creature the size of a small wolf, yet its numerous spindly legs spread nearly six feet across. Its head is a horrible mash of skull-like shapes melted together in one shapeless blob and studded with more than a dozen black eyes. Vertical mandibles gnash in this face and three pairs of membranous wings sprout from its thorax. Its body trails off into a mass of writhing tails, each tipped with an upward-curving stinger protruding from a distended bulge. The undead ranger barely had time to yell a warning before they leapt into the air, nine insectile demons hovering and lunging, plunging their stingers into their victims and then darting away before returning again from another direction.

Miranda began to shriek, batting at bugs in her hair and clothes that only she could see. Queg fired his bow at one of the darting creatures while the others drew their blades and attempted to defend themselves against their unnatural foes. Each time a stinger struck, moments later the demons victim was retching in nausea and pain as implanted eggs hatched under their skin and ravenous grubs gnawed their way out of their victims flesh, squirming free to land on the stone floor of the cavern.

Queg proved largely immune to the creature’s attacks, but his blows and the blows of his companions had little effect. The warped demon insects proved largely resistant to blade and flame, and any wounds they did sustain quickly healed. One of Bronson’s new skeletal followers did manage to grapple one of the demons, and while still clutching its wildly squirming captive stepped off the ledge and fell down out of sight. And as if the falling figures had been a signal something huge shifted in the darkness of the crevice just beyond the light of Bronson’s holy symbol. It was a great demonic spider, its legs clattering against the stone as it crawled out of the crevice and into the light, its mandibles dripping poison.

“Bebilith! A big one!” called Miranda still trying to cast spells while slapping at unseen insects.

Sully sprang into action, lifting her blade high as she charged the spider even as it climbed over the edge and into the chamber. Her blade bit deep, but she received a vicious bight in return, the Bebilith’s poison pumping into her veins. She felt her muscles weaken, and dodged aside as the demon’s claws attempted to gain purchase on her armor to rip it asunder.

The smaller demons continued their attack, buzzing in amongst the combatants and away again, always staying out of the Bebilith’s reach. Sully and the spider continued to trade blows. Bronson yelled prayers in a strong confident voice calling down columns of divine flame to char his enemies. Nate’s cutlass flashed, and burning arrows streaked from Queg’s bow. Miranda called forth scorching rays and magic missiles. Soon the Bebilith fell, cracking the stones beneath its immense bulk. At that moment, as one, the remaining insect demons came together in a swarm in the center of the cavern and streaked down into the darkness from which the Bebilith had come.
 

Morrow

First Post
Tavaari Knaldren

Tavaari Knaldren
Male half-elf rogue 6/ sorcerer 6
CN medium humanoid
Init +9; Senses Listen +3, Spot +3; low-light vision
Languages Common, Elven, Sylvan
AC 24, touch 16, flat-footed 23
hp 60
Fort +6, Ref +12, Will +8
Speed 30 ft.
Melee “Jenny’s Hatpin” +15/+10 (1d6+4/15-20) or
“Jenny’s Hatpin” +13/+8 (1d6+4/15-20) and
adamantine dagger +11 (1d4+2/ 19-20 x2)
Ranged hand crossbow +13 (1d4+1/19-20 x2)
Atk Options sneak attack +3d6
Base Atk +7; Grp +8
Combat Gear two potions of protection from evil, potion of spider climb, nine potions of cure moderate wounds, three potions of cure light wounds, potion of haste, scroll of Mordenkainen’s private sanctum, scroll of charm person, wand of enlarge person (14 charges), bone wand of shield (10 charges), two pouches dust of tracelessness, ring of ram (23 charges), two vials of oil, two vials of acid
Spells Known (CL 10th)
3rd- fireball
2nd- invisibility, scorching ray
1st- chill touch, grease, mage armor, magic missile, truestrike
0- detect magic, disrupt undead, mage hand, message, open/close, read magic, touch of fatigue
Abilities Str 12, Dex 20, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 17
SQ trapfinding, evasion, trap sense +2, uncanny dodge, familiar (cat), half-elf racial traits.
SA spells, sneak attack +3d6
Feats Improved Initiative, Leadership, Practiced Spellcaster, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse.
Skills Appraise +3, Balance +8, Bluff +10, Climb +9, Concentration +5, Craft (weaponsmith) +3, Decipher Script +3, Diplomacy +8, Disable Device +12, Disguise +8, Escape Artist +16, Forgery +3, Gather Information +10, Hide +14, Intimidate +11, Jump +7, Knowledge (arcana) +9, Knowledge (local) +7, Listen +3, Move Silently +17, Open Lock +23, Perform (act) +4, Profession (sailor) +2, Search +17, Sense Motive +2, Sleight of Hand +9, Spellcraft +10, Spot +3, Swim +2, Tumble +10, Use Magical Device +4 (+6 with scrolls), Use Rope +6 (+8 to bind someone).
Possessions combat gear, “Jenny’s Hatpin” (keen rapier +3), adamantine dagger +1, hand crossbow +1, shadow silent moves mithral chain shirt +2, gloves of dexterity +2, cloak of charisma +2, ring of the monkey, earring of benign transposition, ring of protection +1, vest of escape, stone of alarm, fang of Ashardalon (grants use of draconic breath feat, +1 natural armor), key to the heavenly library (after a minute of meditation grants +5 bonus to knowledge and bardic knowledge checks), masterwork dagger, backpack, trail rations, caltrops, grappling hook, mirror, whetstone, bedroll, waterskin, medals (“Order of Drac,” “Hero of the Battle of Pramas Deep,” and “Defender of Freeport”).

At 27, Tavaari Knaldren is a young half-elf. He stands 5’2” and weighs 130 pounds. His hair is blonde and his eyes have a golden sheen. His skin has a bronzed sheen that is slowly being overtaken by patches of small crimson scales spreading from his arms, legs, neck, and back. His familiar, a small gray cat named Kitty, is never far from his side.
 
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Morrow

First Post
M'ord Sith

M'ord Sith ("Jack Knaldren")
Male serpent folk swashbuckler 7
CN medium monstrous humanoid
Init +2; Senses Listen +2, Spot +4; darkvision
Languages Common, Valossan
AC 20, touch 13, flat-footed 18
hp 63
Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +4
Speed 30 ft.; swim 15 ft.; Spring Attack
Melee rapier +12/+5 (1d6+8/15-20)
Ranged pistol +9 (1d10/x3) or
composite longbow +9/+4 (1d8+3/ x3)
Atk Options acrobatic charge, improved flanking
Base Atk +7; Grp +11
Combat Gear four potions cure moderate wounds, potion of remove disease, potion of cat’s grace
Abilities Str 18, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 16, Wis 15, Cha 14
SQ natural armor +1, minor shape change, grace, dodge bonus +1
SA acrobatic charge, improved flanking
Feats Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Weapon FinesseB
Skills Balance +10, Bluff +7, Climb, +9 (+11 with rope), Diplomacy +12, Disguise +14, Escape Artist +8 (+10 escaping rope bonds), Jump +17, Knowledge (nature) +5, Profession (sailor) +7, Sense Motive +7, Spot +4, Swim +10, Tumble +10, Use Rope +8 (+10 to bind someone).
Possessions combat gear, keen rapier +1, mithral chain shirt +1, ring of protection +1, amulet of natural armor +1, ring of jumping, gauntlets of ogre power, two pistols, powder and shot, composite longbow (+3 str).

In his natural form M’ord Sith is a hulking reptilian figure, 5’10” and 275 lbs. He has a snake-like head and a heavy tail. His entire body is covered with scales. In his persona of Jack Knaldren he appears as a slight human or half-elf.
 

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