Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Rocket your D&D 5E and Level Up: Advanced 5E games into space! Alpha Star Magazine Is Launching... Right Now!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Knightfall" data-source="post: 324381" data-attributes="member: 2012">Travelers' Met (cont.)From the Journal of Bactra Redwind, son of MinonusThe Shipwreck:The next morning came early enough, as Dabuk got everyone up just after dawn. He wanted to see the shipwreck almost as much as Mesik did. All of the fish had been eaten the previous night and everyone was still full. Even I had my fair share. It hadn't been as horrible as I thought it would have been. Kind of tasty actually......Salisan lead the way as we traveled further north along the coast. He kept to the water as much as possible but didn't stray out too far. Everyone followed the reef giant eagerly and I couldn't help but think what I would have said two days ago if someone told me I would come to know a reef giant.Near midday we stopped for a bite to eat. My cousin broke out the rations while Salisan caught a few crabs for himself. He was hungry again while everyone else only nibbled on some hard biscuits and dried beef. Wanting to reach the wreck before nightfall we had continued on......We reached the wreck just as the sun was turning the sky red. Twilight wouldn't come for many more hours. Like Salisan had told us, it was only partially submerged tilting towards the stern slightly. The ship had been attacked by fire and was barely holding together. It didn't look safe to explore but we had already guessed it would be somewhat treacherous.Bits of rope hung from everywhere and surprisingly parts of the ship's sail were still visible. It was definitely an eyesore…"What a mess." Jeddar picked up a piece of wood that had been broken off from the ship. Dozens of similar pieces covered the sandy beach for dozens of feet north and south of the ship."I don't think there's going to be any treasure in there." Mesik had been bouncing up and down the whole way to the ship. Now, after seeing it, he was dragging his heels looking very sullen."Aye." Dvalin looked just as disappointed."Not so fast," Dabuk walked towards the ship, which was a good fifty feet from shore. "Sure it's been here a while. But ask yourself, who else besides us, the desert elves, and Salisan knows about it? The desert elves won't go near it and Salisan hasn't explored it.""True." Salisan nodded in agreement keeping his voice level with the rest of us. The large reef giant was sitting on the shore letting the water wash over his feet."Ok then," Bactra stepped up to where Dabuk was standing. "Time to get wet."Dabuk and Salisan led the way out to the ship, while Dvalin and Rikin took up the rear. Salisan carried Thessa on one shoulder while Mesik, Jeddar and Bactra stuck to the middle. It wasn't very deep but soon Mesik was up to his torso."Well, here goes." Mesik dove into the water swimming out past Dabuk and Salisan."Mesik, wait!" Dabuk shook his head in frustration. He hadn't taken off his leather before going into the water and was waterlogged from the waist down."You should have taken that off." Bactra reminded."It's too late now. Besides, if the deck is still solid enough to hold us then I'm going to want my armor, just in case."Mesik had swum all the way to the edge of the ship. He pulled himself up looking in a huge hole in the ship’s hull. He let go splashing back into the water bobbing up and down like a cork."Belch, it stinks in there!" Mesik didn't see the arm reaching for him through a large crack in the hull."Mesik, look out!" Bactra watched as a second arm reached out from behind the rotting wood grabbing Mesik's tunic from behind."Yikes!" Mesik struggled out of his shirt leaving it to whatever had tried to grab him.Salisan left Thessa behind helping her down off his shoulder. Just as she splashed down into the water and Mesik started swimming back towards them, something burst out of the rotting hull."Ghoul!" Bactra knew it once it cleared the ship. "Swim faster, Mesik!""Oh damn," Mesik stroked through the water while trying to pull his dagger from his belt. "There's more than one!"Dabuk was trying to strip off his armor but it would take time. He was cursing out loud for not thinking of taking it off earlier. Thessa wrapped her fingers around her holy symbol preparing to call down the power of her God upon them.Bactra moved past Dabuk holding his staff up above the water. There were at least two of them. They moved through the water quicker then undead should. Then Bactra realized they weren't just ghouls, they were lacedons. He immediately started preparing his mind to cast burning hands."Faster Mesik," Bactra yelled out again looking back towards Dabuk and the others. Dvalin and Rikin had moved up near Thessa. Dabuk had most of his upper armor off but was having some difficulty with the rest of it. "They're lacedons, aquatic ghouls. They can swim, fast.""So I see," Mesik had his dagger out stabbing one of the undead creatures as it swam towards to him. "And there's more than two of them. I count four.""Don't let them touch you." Bactra was nearly off his feet in the water but needed to get closer. "Their touch can paralyze you."The lacedons moved through the water as fluid as fish. The one Mesik stabbed hissed at him ready to sink his claws and teeth into my friend's flesh."OH NO YOU DON’T FOUL THING!" Salisan brought his trident down on the lacedon, skewering it. He lifted his trident with the undead monster still embedded on it flinging it into another one closing in on Bactra.The elven wizard was floating on his back on the surface keeping his hands above the water. Arcane words echoed through his mind and out his mouth, as he concentrated on completing the spell before the lacedons could attack. He could smell them coming just as he finished his incantation twisting in the water towards them, his outspread hands flashing with magical fire. The lacedons howled as the magical fire consumes their upper torsos. The water steams where the magical fire touches it. Then it in a blink of an eye the fiery burst ends.Exhausted Bactra tries to keep his head above water hoping the other lacedons are attacking someone else."Bactra," Mesik's voice rings out but the elf can't see him through the magically induced steam. "Are you all right?""Fine. What happened to the other lacedons?" Mesik was somewhere to the left of him, wherever that was."Dabuk and Jeddar were fighting them from what I could tell." He appeared out of the steam grabbing a hold of Bactra’s arm. "Let's get back to shore.""Sounds like a good idea."They swam back towards what they thought the shore was. Soon the ship was looming over them."Oh, oh." Mesik spun around looking for more lacedons. "Damn, I got turned around in that spell effect of yours. What did you do?""Burning hands spell, it’s very effective against water-based creatures and the undead. Though I'll have to remember not to cast it while standing in water. I think my skin is peeling off."The steam was lifting and they could see shapes appearing through the haze."Please let that be Salisan." Bactra was floating on his back again. He could barely move. "Mesik, I think one of them scratched me. I'm having trouble moving.""Bactra! Mesik!" It was Dabuk's voice the elven wizard heard just before everything went black.*                                        *                                        *Bactra woke up on the beach with Thessa standing over him. She looked worried. He didn't know why until he tried to move."Don't even think about it." She was dabbing something on his shoulder. "You're lucky you didn't cook yourself. What were you thinking casting that spell near so much water?""It seemed like a good idea at the time." Bactra’s sight was less blurry and he could see Dabuk and Mesik standing over him. "Hi cousin, what happened to the other lacedons?""Jeddar and I destroyed them with some help from our expert healer here. You should have seen it. We had to back off from the fight after Salisan got hurt. No, don't worry. He's fine. They paralyzed him and he fell over in the water causing them to wash towards the shore. Dvalin and Rikin were there to protect Thessa but she hardly needed it. She cast some sort of spell and turned them to dust. Pretty impressive really.""Actually, I was channeling Baervan's essence through me. Not casting a spell. I believe the term humans use is turning.""Whatever," Mesik was looking at Thessa like a lovesick puppy. "It was really amazing!""I'm sorry I missed it." Bactra would have to break it to Mesik that Thessa was interested in someone else. It was something that slipped back into his mind during the ritual.The gnome priestess was blushing from all the attention, however. "I-it's really not that big a deal. Most clerics can turn the undead.""She's being modest again, is she." Dvalin appeared right above Bactra looking down at his burns and scars. The elven wizard was too tired to move let alone be startled by the dwarf’s sudden appearance. "Don't you believe a word of it, lad. She saved your life and probably Salisan's as well."I looked at Thessa who was now bright crimson. She was trying not to look at Dvalin."So what now? Are we going to explore the ship?""Sorry cousin, we already did that. There wasn't anything in the hold or in any of the cabins." Dabuk looked disappointed.Bactra couldn't help but be disappointed as well. "Nothing?""Nothing," Dvalin sighed shaking his head. "Not even a copper to be found.""Salisan's tearing the ship apart as we speak." Dabuk motioned towards the water. Indeed Salisan was stripping away old rotting boards from the ship. It looked like the skeleton of some huge dead sea-beast.Then something caught Bactra’s eye as it shimmered in the light of the setting sun. "Ok, what is that then?""What is what?" Dvalin peered out towards the water. "I don't see anything.""Up there," Bactra pointed to the object, which was embedded into the top of the mast near the crow's nest. "It looks like something made of metal is sticking out of the mast.""I'll be Larea's lapdog, he's right!" Mesik pointed to it as well."It looks like some sort of spear." Dabuk stepped toward the shore just as Salisan stripped away the last of the hull's boards."Oh, oh." Jeddar had been standing next to Dvalin all this time but I hadn't noticed him. "Salisan said he was going to collapse the ship once he stripped it.""Salisan!" Mesik ran towards the water yelling out to the reef giant. "Don't collapse it yet.""WHAT?" The reef giant's voice boomed across the water."Don't collapse it yet!" They all yelled it in unison."YES, I'm going to collapse it right now.""No!" Everyone screamed.Salisan scratched his head confused. He came closer to shore where the water barely reached his knees."All right," He didn't look happy. "What by Aegir's Beard are you all screaming about?""Look up there!" Dabuk pointed at the spear."Oh-""Can you get me up there?" Dabuk asked."Not a problem, friend Dabuk."Salisan carried Dabuk over the water towards the ship. He steadied himself so that Dabuk could climb onto the upper deck, which still had most of its floorboards. Soon Dabuk was pulling himself up the mast towards the spear. He reached it with some difficulty and began trying to pull it out of the wood. It didn't look like it wanted to budge."It doesn't like him." Mesik was grinning like a cat."Give him a minute." Jeddar shaded his eyes from the setting sun trying to see if Dabuk was making any progress. "It's obviously been stuck there a very long time.""Indeed." Dvalin stood next to his friend trying to see the half-elven ranger as well. The wind was picking up, which didn't seem to be helping the situation any. The air was becoming chilled and several storm clouds could be seen on the horizon. "He better hurry up. It's going to get nasty out here in a minute.""Oh damn," Bactra could have smacked himself for not thinking of it earlier. "What if that thing is stuck there for some reason? Tell him to stop!""What," Mesik put his hand on my forehead. "Are you sure you’re right? It could be magical.""Exactly," Bactra had seen storms appear out of nowhere before. It didn't happen like this one was. The thunderclouds were already on them but there hadn't been any thunderclaps or lightning in the distance. There also wasn't any rain. "Tell him to stop. This storm isn't natural.""Too late," Rikin pointed as Dabuk pulled the spear from the mast nearly falling.The ground began to shake violently and the water churned crashing against the shore. Red-tinged lightning streaked through the sky from thunderhead to thunderhead. The clouds seemed to glow with internal fire."Ok, I'm beginning to believe you." Dvalin stared at the sky in horror. "What have we done?"Dabuk and Salisan were still out in the water. Salisan was trying to keep the ship upright, while Dabuk fought his way down the mast. A lightning bolt streaked down from the sky shattering the mast sending Dabuk into the water below."DABUK!" Salisan searched for the half-elf in the churning water for what felt like hours. Then he submerged himself completely for several minutes coming back up with Dabuk in his arms.The spear was still in the ranger’s hand.Salisan waded back toward the shore just as another magical lightning strike turned the shipwreck into ashes. Then the ground exploded around them. A huge crater showed the remains of a large meteorite five feet to the left of the group. Bactra looked up, the sky was filled with them.“Oh crap,” Mesik cursed their luck.The next meteorite landed right in front of him knocking him backward through the air. They all started scrambling out of the way, as dozens more impacted the earth and the water off shore. The sound was deafening.Magical lightning continued to strike where Salisan had been standing only a moment before. Bactra motioned for Dabuk to throw the spear away but he couldn't hear him.Mesik pulled himself off the ground staggering towards the water. Jeddar sprinted towards him, pulling the halfling out of the way just before another meteorite would have crushed him.Then they heard the voice."I AM THE SERVANT OF THE GOD OF SLAUGHTER. HEAR MY CURSE UPON THEE. YOU HAVE DEFILED MY RESTING PLACE AND A HOLY RELIC OF ERYTHNUL. YOU SHALL PAY FOR YOU'RE MISDEEDS. ERYTHNUL SHALL SMITE THEE."Bactra had never been more afraid in his life, as he was at that moment.They ran for their lives. They ran for hours through the darkness, as the sun set. They didn't stop running until the storms dissipated and all was quiet. All collapsed in exhaustion as the waters of the Karmine Sea finally calmed to a shear glass.*                                        *                                        *Below is a brief description of three new NPCs that the characters end up traveling with on occasion.Rikin Stonefossil (NPC, Dwarf Warrior) - Despite my best efforts to get the players to stick around Minar, in order for them to be there when the ogres started to attack, they decided to go south.  Instead of forcing them to stay in the north, I came up with this NPC who would be sent to find Dvalin after the attack on his homeland occurred.  Rikin is one of Dvalin's oldest friends.  In fact, they grew up together.  Rikin's clan was wiped out during the Second Ogre War, leaving Rikin in the care of the dwarven kingdom.  Brekk, the father of an only child, brought Rikin into the Thunderstone clan as his adopted son.  And while he brought the boy up in the Thunderstone clan caverns, his clan name remained unchanged.  Dvalin and Rikin are closer than most real brothers, as they pretty much raised themselves due to their father's duties.  (Dvalin's mother had died during Dvalin's birth.)  Rikin is more of a homebody than Dvalin is but does like to go traveling once in a while.Salisan Marg (NPC, Reef Giant) - If Hougwarth is a rarity on Harqual then Salisan Marg is definitely unique to the continent.  Salisan is originally from a remote chain of islands hundreds of miles south of the continent.  He never speaks of his family except to say that there isn't anything for him to go back for.  He is happy living off the eastern coast near the Great Expanse and has more than enough fish and sea kelp to live off of.  Salisan is a bit of an adventurer at heart and would like to see more of the world.  He is glad to have met Bactra, Dabuk, Jeddar and their friends.Thessa Simmial (NPC, Gnome Cleric of Baervan) - Thessa is a rockwood gnome from the gnome community of Mt. Rockwood.  She is a devoted priestess of the Wanderer God, Baervan.  She is very quiet and reserved most of the time.  She normally wouldn't take up with strangers just like that but something about these northerners intrigued her.  It had been her mission to learn about the north and she felt that the strangers are a good mix of what she will find there.  She is extremely curious to learn more about Dvalin and his people.  Her own people have stories about northern dwarves but the only dwarves she ever met were Torin dwarves from the savannas around forested mountain home.[Up next... what to do about that spear?  And the journey home.]</blockquote>

Verification