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NOW LIVE! Into the Woods--new character species, eerie monsters, and haunting villains to populate the woodlands of your D&D games.
In Hextor's Name (Completed 22 Oct 2004)
- Thread starter Capellan
- Start date
Capellan
Explorer
Kull's 2nd Report - Part 4
My new minions made short work of the cowering skeletons. With that done, I moved in and inspected the room in which they had been trapped. This investigation quickly revealed yet another secret door: this ruin seems to be full of them.
Beyond the door was an ancient laboratory, obviously intended for alchemical studies. The remains of the alchemist himself were still here. An odd place to die, but perhaps one of his experiments caught up with him.
Naturally, it took only moments for the others to begin turning the room upside down in search of treasure, while I attended to the corpse of the alchemist. Unlike the skeletons that no shadowed my steps, these bones were not animate, though they still clutched a book, and a small leather back. I snapped away the finger bones and prised both items free. The book - though damaged - appeared to be a spell tome, and would possibly be of use to Zalich, once he recovered from his clumsiness. Given that we had also found the tome from the wizard we had fought, it seemed the Halfling would profit from our investigation, despite his absence.
The leather bag contained a stone, strangely carved, with an almost oily texture. I tested it for magic and discovered that it was indeed enchanted with a transmutation effect, but could not determine any more. I had planned to send it to the Church for investigation, but - as subsequent events were to show - it appears to have attuned itself to me, and cannot be taken by any other. No doubt the only reason I was able to claim it was the death of the previous owner.
I have, however, hired a local artist to make sketches of the stone for your inspection. These are enclosed with this missive.
In the meantime, the others had located several precious items under the layer of dust and cobwebs in the room. It appeared the long dead alchemist had a passion for gold ornaments, and they were well pleased with this haul.
Given that most of the group had been injured in our fights, and that the hour was drawing late, I resolved that we should return to the village of Saltmarsh. The items we had discovered could be traded for better equipment, and in a day or so it would be likely that Zalich would be able to accompany us in any further inspection of the ruins. His knowledge of arcane lore might be useful in the alchemist's laboratory.
More important, however, was the fact that a meeting of the village council was scheduled to be held in just a few hours. News of these smugglers must be presented to the authorities immediately, so that the proper steps could be taken to end their activities. Thus, I ordered the two skeletons to stand guard on the panel through which the last smuggler had fled, then led the way back to town.
The news I brought to the council meeting caused a great deal of commotion, and it was some time before the Mayor got proceedings under control. It was a disgraceful display of panic: were any real danger to threaten these people, they would collapse into abject terror, I am sure.
At last, the Mayor asserted enough control to disband the clamouring townsfolk, leaving only the council members to hear the details of what had been learned. I explained the full details of what had been discovered, and presented the smugglers' documents as evidence of the operation's activities. Presented with such a clear indication of the sheriff's incompetence, their first step should have been to choose a more vigorous appointee. Naturally, this did not occur to them.
Instead, they offered a substantial reward if we were to undertake the Sheriff's job for him. By this time, I was not surprised by this open acknowledgement of the man's cowardice and ineptitude, but I was surprised by the council's apparent acceptance of it. It rapidly became obvious to me that they desperately needed the guiding hand of Hextor, if their community was ever to survive. Thus, I accepted out of necessity what the others more rapidly accepted out of greed, and undertook to put an end to the smugglers' operation.
My new minions made short work of the cowering skeletons. With that done, I moved in and inspected the room in which they had been trapped. This investigation quickly revealed yet another secret door: this ruin seems to be full of them.
Beyond the door was an ancient laboratory, obviously intended for alchemical studies. The remains of the alchemist himself were still here. An odd place to die, but perhaps one of his experiments caught up with him.
Naturally, it took only moments for the others to begin turning the room upside down in search of treasure, while I attended to the corpse of the alchemist. Unlike the skeletons that no shadowed my steps, these bones were not animate, though they still clutched a book, and a small leather back. I snapped away the finger bones and prised both items free. The book - though damaged - appeared to be a spell tome, and would possibly be of use to Zalich, once he recovered from his clumsiness. Given that we had also found the tome from the wizard we had fought, it seemed the Halfling would profit from our investigation, despite his absence.
The leather bag contained a stone, strangely carved, with an almost oily texture. I tested it for magic and discovered that it was indeed enchanted with a transmutation effect, but could not determine any more. I had planned to send it to the Church for investigation, but - as subsequent events were to show - it appears to have attuned itself to me, and cannot be taken by any other. No doubt the only reason I was able to claim it was the death of the previous owner.
I have, however, hired a local artist to make sketches of the stone for your inspection. These are enclosed with this missive.
In the meantime, the others had located several precious items under the layer of dust and cobwebs in the room. It appeared the long dead alchemist had a passion for gold ornaments, and they were well pleased with this haul.
Given that most of the group had been injured in our fights, and that the hour was drawing late, I resolved that we should return to the village of Saltmarsh. The items we had discovered could be traded for better equipment, and in a day or so it would be likely that Zalich would be able to accompany us in any further inspection of the ruins. His knowledge of arcane lore might be useful in the alchemist's laboratory.
More important, however, was the fact that a meeting of the village council was scheduled to be held in just a few hours. News of these smugglers must be presented to the authorities immediately, so that the proper steps could be taken to end their activities. Thus, I ordered the two skeletons to stand guard on the panel through which the last smuggler had fled, then led the way back to town.
The news I brought to the council meeting caused a great deal of commotion, and it was some time before the Mayor got proceedings under control. It was a disgraceful display of panic: were any real danger to threaten these people, they would collapse into abject terror, I am sure.
At last, the Mayor asserted enough control to disband the clamouring townsfolk, leaving only the council members to hear the details of what had been learned. I explained the full details of what had been discovered, and presented the smugglers' documents as evidence of the operation's activities. Presented with such a clear indication of the sheriff's incompetence, their first step should have been to choose a more vigorous appointee. Naturally, this did not occur to them.
Instead, they offered a substantial reward if we were to undertake the Sheriff's job for him. By this time, I was not surprised by this open acknowledgement of the man's cowardice and ineptitude, but I was surprised by the council's apparent acceptance of it. It rapidly became obvious to me that they desperately needed the guiding hand of Hextor, if their community was ever to survive. Thus, I accepted out of necessity what the others more rapidly accepted out of greed, and undertook to put an end to the smugglers' operation.
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Capellan
Explorer
Kull's 2nd Report - Part 5
After the meeting with the council, I arranged for a local merchant to identify the magical items we had recovered. This included the strange stone from the alchemist's lab, but this proved impossible, as the stone returned to my possession when I tried to leave it with the man. I would attempt to send it with this message, but there is no reason to expect that the same thing will not occur.
After this was arranged, I returned to the inn to plan our next operation. Zalich was much recovered from his accident and his skills would probably be available to us within a day: two, at most. Brodnak, on the other hand, appeared to have sequestered himself with a local camp follower. I was not unduly concerned: the barbarian had been unconscious throughout most of the battle in the cellar, but his absence had little affected our performance.
The smugglers would need a full moon for light, so I knew their ship would not return for seven days. When they did, we would need to be in the house on the cliffs, ready to respond to their signal. There was also the matter of the warrior who had escaped: might he return with allies, or perhaps attempt to warn his colleagues? With these matters in mind, it was clear to me that I must lead another expedition to clear out the rest of the house, and discover where the last warrior had fled. Only once the area was secure could we be ready to deal with the rest of the smugglers.
Thus, two days later I returned to the ruin, with most of the others. Brodnak had still not reappeared from his dalliance, but I saw no reason to delay on that account - a judgement which proved correct. There was little of any danger in what remained of the house, beyond a few rotten floorboards and a corrosive green slime that dripped onto the druid. Both of these dangers were overcome without great difficulty.
There was also a prisoner, bound and gagged in one of the upstairs rooms. He purported to be a simple traveller who had sheltered in the house from rain and been captured by the smugglers. However, he seemed of very dubious character to me and I made it clear that he would not be welcome in Saltmarsh if he had any intent to cause a disturbance.
Apart from the upper storey of the house, which was decrepit and unsafe, we also explored the area into which the last smuggler had fled. This proved to be a small complex of caves, leading down to a concealed cave at sea-level, complete with a boat that was doubtless used for bringing smuggled items ashore. There was no sign of the fleeing smuggler: either there had been a second boat which he had use to flee, or - and this seemed more likely - he had fallen foul of the green slime in his panicked flight.
In any case, both the building and the caves below it have now been secured, and I am able to turn my attention toward the task of capturing the smugglers' vessel. I shall report again once this objective has been achieved.
In Hextor's Name,
Kull Redfist
After the meeting with the council, I arranged for a local merchant to identify the magical items we had recovered. This included the strange stone from the alchemist's lab, but this proved impossible, as the stone returned to my possession when I tried to leave it with the man. I would attempt to send it with this message, but there is no reason to expect that the same thing will not occur.
After this was arranged, I returned to the inn to plan our next operation. Zalich was much recovered from his accident and his skills would probably be available to us within a day: two, at most. Brodnak, on the other hand, appeared to have sequestered himself with a local camp follower. I was not unduly concerned: the barbarian had been unconscious throughout most of the battle in the cellar, but his absence had little affected our performance.
The smugglers would need a full moon for light, so I knew their ship would not return for seven days. When they did, we would need to be in the house on the cliffs, ready to respond to their signal. There was also the matter of the warrior who had escaped: might he return with allies, or perhaps attempt to warn his colleagues? With these matters in mind, it was clear to me that I must lead another expedition to clear out the rest of the house, and discover where the last warrior had fled. Only once the area was secure could we be ready to deal with the rest of the smugglers.
Thus, two days later I returned to the ruin, with most of the others. Brodnak had still not reappeared from his dalliance, but I saw no reason to delay on that account - a judgement which proved correct. There was little of any danger in what remained of the house, beyond a few rotten floorboards and a corrosive green slime that dripped onto the druid. Both of these dangers were overcome without great difficulty.
There was also a prisoner, bound and gagged in one of the upstairs rooms. He purported to be a simple traveller who had sheltered in the house from rain and been captured by the smugglers. However, he seemed of very dubious character to me and I made it clear that he would not be welcome in Saltmarsh if he had any intent to cause a disturbance.
Apart from the upper storey of the house, which was decrepit and unsafe, we also explored the area into which the last smuggler had fled. This proved to be a small complex of caves, leading down to a concealed cave at sea-level, complete with a boat that was doubtless used for bringing smuggled items ashore. There was no sign of the fleeing smuggler: either there had been a second boat which he had use to flee, or - and this seemed more likely - he had fallen foul of the green slime in his panicked flight.
In any case, both the building and the caves below it have now been secured, and I am able to turn my attention toward the task of capturing the smugglers' vessel. I shall report again once this objective has been achieved.
In Hextor's Name,
Kull Redfist
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Lela
First Post
Talix said:Not much longer, I'm thinking.Except that by the time he's eliminated these threats, there will be bigger and better things to do in Hextor's name than herding the dull sheep that inhabit this town.
Which may trigger an "Occupation" force from the church of Hextor. I'm sure they do that kind of thing all the time. For the protection of the townsfolk of course.
Capellan
Explorer
Kull's 3rd Report - Part 1
Saltmarsh
New Year
To: Bishop-General Kartrak Visehart
Report from Kull Redfist
Sir,
The smuggling operation has been crushed, but a greater danger threatens Saltmarsh: a threat which, no doubt, would have remained completely unknown had it not been for my arrival. It is quite clear that the current authorities of the township have neither the ability nor the inclination to administer it in a manner that will provide proper security. Clearly there needs to be much greater discipline established.
In our most recent meeting with the council, I made clear my contempt for their inept sheriff, and my belief that their lax behaviour has led them to the brink of destruction. Faced with the evidence that had been found on the smugglers' vessel, they finally seem sufficiently shaken to listen to sound advice.
But I should present the events as they occurred, rather than leap to the conclusion.
As expected, the smugglers' vessel returned with the full moon, the time when they would have the most natural light available with which to work. They signalled the house in the manner described by the documents found in the cellar, and I responded in kind. Promptly, the vessel flashed the signal to approach, in order for the unloading of smuggled goods to begin.
My strategy for the operation - constrained as I was by the limited support available - was simple. We would approach as close as possible to the vessel in a longboat we had found in the caves. Then, once we were within range of the ship, the druid would invoke an obscuring mist, so that we could attempt to board without enduring a hail of arrows. I did not like to trust so much to the druid's tricks, but my own magic would be needed for the fight itself.
The gravest threat to the success of the mission was lack of numbers. Brodnak, apparently sulking that we had gone 'adventuring' without him, remained ensconced with his camp follower, and refused to emerge. The village - whom we were acting to assist - could offer us only two excisemen as assistance. A mission that required soldiers - or at least the sheriff - and they offered us tax collectors.
Having no desire to be encumbered with two non-combatants, I had directed the excisemen to stand away with their ship, observing the fight from a distance. They would be signalled once the battle was over.
It took some time to row out to the smugglers' vessel: I freely admit that I am no trained seaman, and my skill with oars is lacking. As we drew close, one of the men on deck called out to us, and I whispered the command for the druid to act.
I must confess, he completed this task with commendable skill: a blanket of mist dropped swiftly across both us and the near side of the ship, allowing us to row on until our boat scraped against the other vessel's hull. Above, I could hear the cries of alarm as the smugglers readied themselves: evidently the druid had not acted quite quickly enough, and they had recognised that we were not their companions.
As if seeking to redeem his failure, the druid was the first to clamber up the side of the enemy ship, disappearing into the mists above. It proved an ill-fated move: within seconds, he cried out, and there was a heavy thud as his body struck the deck.
Zalich, evidently deciding the druid's route was not safe, cast a spell and then ran along the side of the boat, his bare feet somehow clinging to the wood. For myself, I quickly climbed onto the vessel, driving back the smuggler who had felled the druid. Troilan - why is it always her? - joined me, with Julianne not far behind.
There was a brief lull; a few arrows fell near me, as the smugglers fired blindly into the mist, but nothing more. I ignored them and bent to heal the druid's wounds. I have no liking for him or his foolish faith, but he would at least distract one or two of the smugglers for a time, once the battle was properly joined.
One of the smugglers cast a spell into the mist, felling Troilan and Julianne, but it was nothing more than a sleeping charm, and I soon shook them both awake. Meanwhile, Zalich had run back along the rail of the ship to find us. Hearing from him that the enemy were lined along the far railing, I readied a spell, directing Zalich to move forward under its protection, and unleash one of his waves of flame against the smugglers.
The plan was interrupted, however, when a cry rose from the smugglers' leader: "Charge!".
Saltmarsh
New Year
To: Bishop-General Kartrak Visehart
Report from Kull Redfist
Sir,
The smuggling operation has been crushed, but a greater danger threatens Saltmarsh: a threat which, no doubt, would have remained completely unknown had it not been for my arrival. It is quite clear that the current authorities of the township have neither the ability nor the inclination to administer it in a manner that will provide proper security. Clearly there needs to be much greater discipline established.
In our most recent meeting with the council, I made clear my contempt for their inept sheriff, and my belief that their lax behaviour has led them to the brink of destruction. Faced with the evidence that had been found on the smugglers' vessel, they finally seem sufficiently shaken to listen to sound advice.
But I should present the events as they occurred, rather than leap to the conclusion.
As expected, the smugglers' vessel returned with the full moon, the time when they would have the most natural light available with which to work. They signalled the house in the manner described by the documents found in the cellar, and I responded in kind. Promptly, the vessel flashed the signal to approach, in order for the unloading of smuggled goods to begin.
My strategy for the operation - constrained as I was by the limited support available - was simple. We would approach as close as possible to the vessel in a longboat we had found in the caves. Then, once we were within range of the ship, the druid would invoke an obscuring mist, so that we could attempt to board without enduring a hail of arrows. I did not like to trust so much to the druid's tricks, but my own magic would be needed for the fight itself.
The gravest threat to the success of the mission was lack of numbers. Brodnak, apparently sulking that we had gone 'adventuring' without him, remained ensconced with his camp follower, and refused to emerge. The village - whom we were acting to assist - could offer us only two excisemen as assistance. A mission that required soldiers - or at least the sheriff - and they offered us tax collectors.
Having no desire to be encumbered with two non-combatants, I had directed the excisemen to stand away with their ship, observing the fight from a distance. They would be signalled once the battle was over.
It took some time to row out to the smugglers' vessel: I freely admit that I am no trained seaman, and my skill with oars is lacking. As we drew close, one of the men on deck called out to us, and I whispered the command for the druid to act.
I must confess, he completed this task with commendable skill: a blanket of mist dropped swiftly across both us and the near side of the ship, allowing us to row on until our boat scraped against the other vessel's hull. Above, I could hear the cries of alarm as the smugglers readied themselves: evidently the druid had not acted quite quickly enough, and they had recognised that we were not their companions.
As if seeking to redeem his failure, the druid was the first to clamber up the side of the enemy ship, disappearing into the mists above. It proved an ill-fated move: within seconds, he cried out, and there was a heavy thud as his body struck the deck.
Zalich, evidently deciding the druid's route was not safe, cast a spell and then ran along the side of the boat, his bare feet somehow clinging to the wood. For myself, I quickly climbed onto the vessel, driving back the smuggler who had felled the druid. Troilan - why is it always her? - joined me, with Julianne not far behind.
There was a brief lull; a few arrows fell near me, as the smugglers fired blindly into the mist, but nothing more. I ignored them and bent to heal the druid's wounds. I have no liking for him or his foolish faith, but he would at least distract one or two of the smugglers for a time, once the battle was properly joined.
One of the smugglers cast a spell into the mist, felling Troilan and Julianne, but it was nothing more than a sleeping charm, and I soon shook them both awake. Meanwhile, Zalich had run back along the rail of the ship to find us. Hearing from him that the enemy were lined along the far railing, I readied a spell, directing Zalich to move forward under its protection, and unleash one of his waves of flame against the smugglers.
The plan was interrupted, however, when a cry rose from the smugglers' leader: "Charge!".
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