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"Second Son of a Second Son" - An Aquerra Story Hour (*finally* Updated 04/19)
- Thread starter el-remmen
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el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
SPOILER WARNING!
Just a warning to all you readers, that starting with the next installment there is the possibility of spoilers for Dungeon's Savage Tide Adventure Path (starting with Bullywug's Gambit from issue #140), and while the implementation and outcome (and even who is behind it and what the term "savage tide" even means) will be VERY different and I will not be running all the adventures in the path, NPCs names and specific scenes may still be the same.
The Savage Tide aspects will be included intermittently, so it is not as if reading regularly will give you regular opportunities to be spoiled, and I will post warning when one of the adventures (however highly adapted) from the A.P. is coming up.
Just a warning to all you readers, that starting with the next installment there is the possibility of spoilers for Dungeon's Savage Tide Adventure Path (starting with Bullywug's Gambit from issue #140), and while the implementation and outcome (and even who is behind it and what the term "savage tide" even means) will be VERY different and I will not be running all the adventures in the path, NPCs names and specific scenes may still be the same.
The Savage Tide aspects will be included intermittently, so it is not as if reading regularly will give you regular opportunities to be spoiled, and I will post warning when one of the adventures (however highly adapted) from the A.P. is coming up.
Last edited:
el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
The Savage Tide Begins. . .
Session #6 – “Smuggler’s Gambit” (part 1 of 3)
Anulem, the 21st of Sek – 566 H.E. (637 M.Y.)
The signers of the Charter of Schiereiland made their way to the harbor in the dark hours before dawn. Among them they carried a large wooden crate with their spare gear and weapons crammed inside, hoping to get it on the beach where they could access it later. Timotheus Smith of House Briareus wore a suit of studded leather he had purchased late the day before when it was decided that a breastplate might look out of place for a sailor or marine, Victoria wore the same.
The gates through the outer wall that led to the enclosed port were just opening as they arrived, and they were relieved they would not have to explain themselves to any townguards. Soon, they found the sloop called Desiree, and saw Crumb giving orders as three sailors prepared the ship, as a half-dozen young men wrapped in woolen cloaks against the morning cold went down into the hold. Some other workers were carrying in what appeared to be casks of spirits.
Boris E. Crumb III walked over to greet them, introducing himself happily. He asked each of them their names.
“Albert,” said Markos.
“Argus,” said Timotheus.
“Olivia,” said Victoria.
“Torsten,” said Bleys.
“Call me ‘V’,” said Laarus.
Crumb turned to the ship and called, “Cokie! Coh-Kee! Come over here! The passengers have arrived.”
One the sailors came over and the young nobles were surprised to see the small figure was a human girl of about 12 summers. Her straw-like brown hair was tied behind her head with brown yarn, and freckles marked her jaundiced skin.
“Cokie, go inspect the crate and make sure it is okay to be stored,” Crumb told the girl. He turned to Telie. “Johann, go help her…”
“Huh?” Telémahkos hesitated.
“Just go,” said Crumb shoving him gently. “I want to check over your companion’s gear and dress and makes sure it hits the mark.” He gave the young Briareus a wink.
The girl looked up at Telie and smiled and he winced when he saw her rotting teeth and gums all along the right side of her mouth. She led him over to where the crate had been placed.
As Telie and Cokie looked over the crate, she turned to him and said, “I am to give you this from our mutual acquaintance…” She handed him folded piece of parchment. “This is your target.”
Telémahkos looked at the paper and saw the name ‘Harliss Javell’ written in an elegant hand.
“So this is the person I am supposed to contact in there?” he asked.
“I don’t know about that…” Cokie said. “This is just you know… When our mutual acquaintance asked that you go to the Cove and do something… She is what you are supposed to do.” The girl began to walk away.
“Wait, what do you mean?” Telémahkos’ voice betrayed the growing anxiety of his realization. “You make it sound like I am supposed to…”
“Look,” Cokie turned around, her demeanor nothing like any twelve-year old girl Telie had ever met before. “I don’t want to have to tell you your business, but you know… You are supposed to help, and make sure she never leaves Kraken’s Cove again…”
“Wait! Why? I never agreed to be an assassin!” Telémahkos hissed.
Cokie rolled her eyes. “Well, you are going to be expected to do whatever it is you are expected to do, and you aren’t going to like the consequences if you don’t… But anyway, you are supposed to be helping the trumpet-bearers, and she’s a Red Lantern… (1) Her influence needs to be gotten rid of, and everyone knows it…”
“The Red Lanterns! Ugh!” Telémahkos buried his face in his hands. He looked back up. “But won’t that help the Barrel-makers? That doesn’t make sense.”
“Ours is not to ask why,” Cokie said, turning and walking back towards the sloop. “Now stop your crying and come on, Crumb’s gonna wanna be shoving off…”
Unlike the other cargo, the party’s crate was strapped down to the deck near the prow, while they joined the others down in the cramped hold. Soon the Desiree was heading southwest, fleeing the growing glow of Ra’s Glory in the east.
Timotheus and Markos started up a game of cards down in the hold, and invited Victoria to play, while Laarus kneeled facing east and praying to Ra to replenish his spells. Bleys the Aubergine looked over his spellbook in his own corner of the hold, while not far away Tymon checked and re-checked his bag nervously. Telémahkos was up on deck, remaining out of the way of the crew, breathing in the salt air. The sea was rough and the sky was a roiling steel gray down to the horizon. Every now and then it would spit a hard cold rain that would stop as suddenly as it had started.
As the card game continued, Timotheus and Markos started up on complaining about Laarus of Ra. Tim retold his interaction with the priest of Ra in the market, and his tone of voice made it clear he was still offended by what he considered the impugning of his character.
Markos laughed. “He sees things as black and white, and yet is still willing to go along with the ruse.”
“I do not see why you’d criticize Brother Laarus for being concerned about the moral implication of our actions and our adopted roles,” Victoria said, her voice growing angry.
“Because he’s a f*cking hypocrite!” Timotheus said a little too loudly. “That’s why!”
“No, I’m criticizing him because he’s f*cking stupid,” Markos corrected Tim, laughter in his voice.
“I think you should show some respect for the priest of Ra,” Victoria said, sternly.
“I respect his faith, but his unyielding nature? That’s just stupid,” Markos replied.
“Excuse me!” Victoria left the card game.
[sblock]All was black for Laarus as he felt the sickening sway of the ship beneath him, jerk more roughly than it should have given the current state of the sea. He looked up and saw himself on the deck of a ship once again, and there was a cask of something bouncing across the deck towards the liferail. He could see the ‘Q’ branded on the side. As the cask smashed against the gunwale, it exploded, enveloping the front of the ship in a veil of sticky fire. Suddenly, a burning figure in a toga stumbled out of the flames. The figure gave Laarus the impression it was Telémahkos, but the toga and skin was peeling off in the flames wreathing his soon to be corpse. There was another explosion and suddenly Laarus found himself on the deck of sloop that had pulled along side a cliff face that led right down into the sea. . .and then all was white…[/sblock]
Victoria was moving to get up to the deck and get some air, when Laarus suddenly stood from his kneeling position where he had been praying an hour and ran up on to the deck. He threw himself down at the edge and vomited up a stream of clear bile.
“That’s really getting tiresome,” Telémahkos said when he saw the priest lying there panting for a moment. He went back below deck to avoid the sick priest, but as soon as Laarus was back on his feet and had wiped his mouth clean, he called down.
“Telémahkos? Telémahkos, I want to talk to you…” Laarus croaked, looking as paler than usual, as he always did after these episodes.
“Anybody named Telémahkos down here?” Telie asked aloud, looking to his companions and the other young would-be sailors.
“No!” Timotheus said, smiling.
“Never heard of him,” Markos added with exaggerated seriousness.
“Sorry! Nobody down here named that, V!” he called back up to the priest. He sneered as Laarus came down and made his way past the cramped occupants towards the rear of the hold where a net held down a pile of casks and crates. Telémahkos frowned and went over, when he noticed the priest’s eager searching.
“What are you doing? What are you looking for?”
“Tell me, are you familiar with why a letter might be branded into the side of a cask? Does it identify the owner? The destination? The source?” Laarus asked.
“It could be any of those things,” Telémahkos replied. “It could be what’s in it, too… Though usually my guess would be place of origin… Why?”
“I was looking for the letter ‘Q’,” Laarus replied. “I thought there might be casks here marked as such…”
“Q? That’s Quillton, I’d bet,” Telémahkos guessed. “But again, why?”
“I think such casks are being shipped and have something in them that might explode,” Laarus explained.
“That sounds like Red God Fire,” Telie’s eyes widened. He went over to the cargo and began to search it carefully, shoving his hands deep into nooks to see if he could feel the brand on the hidden sides of casks, but found no such thing.
“What makes you think that such a thing would be here?” Telémahkos asked, when he went back over to Laarus.
“I just have a feeling,” the priest replied.
“You know, Laarus… It is not encouraging me to be open and honest with you when you are obviously hiding things from me,” Telémahkos said, and he went back up on deck.
Meanwhile, Markos and Timotheus had drawn Tymon and Bleys into their card game, and they told the watch-mage to be ready to interrupt Laarus if it sounded like he might give up their cover.
“My knucklehead cousin can’t be trusted to lie,” Markos said.
“Your lack of respect does you no credit,” replied Bleys. “I shall endeavor to makes sure cool heads prevail, but it would not be my place to interrupt a priest of Ra so rudely.”
“All I am saying is to keep you sword loose and ready, because it is only a matter of time before Laarus blows the whole thing and we’re going be neck deep in pirates,” Timotheus said, his voice thick with disdain.
They changed the subject, and soon the topic was the destructive capacity of Bleys’ magics. “I am a diviner,” he said, to explain his lack of substantial evocation.
Three hours later, The Desiree was making its way southward as the hilly coast of the Island of the Six Kingdoms rose out of the mist off the starboard side. Soon they were within sight of bright green bluffs sparkling in the clearing dawn as they plummeted right down to the water. The sloop was making good time, as the wind was strong and favorable, and Bleys, Laarus and Telie made their way on the narrow deck to feel the warmth on their face and a bit of fresh air.
In the distance, boom…
Only a few onboard heard the distant echo, among them Bleys and Laarus, and they looked to where the sound came from. Ahead and to the right the bluff swelled out into the sea like a fist rising out the water, and they could see a plume of black smoke rising from behind it. The commotion aboard the sloop increased as more and more people noticed plume as it grew blacker and thicker, swirling and fanning out to darken the clearing sky.
Victoria, Markos and Timotheus came up top to see what was going on, and soon the plume of smoke was pointed out to them. Telie, having already seen it, approached Crumb to ask his opinion on it, but the fat man was too busy giving orders to the crew. Without losing speed the sloop began to cut to port to bend wide around the rock protrusion and get a look at what was causing not only the smoke, but not the occasional blast of fire evaporating into the clouds.
“If we are attacked, should we be below deck or above?” Victoria asked Markos. “I am unused to battle at sea…”
“You do whatever the captain tells you to do,” Markos replied.
As the The Desiree came around the outcropping they could see that just past it the bluff receded to create a sheltered cove, not more than ninety or one hundred feet across. Two ships were tangled together as fire leapt freely back and forth from their immolated masts and sides. They were floating together listlessly towards a third smaller ship, a cog, and bits of fire had already begun leaping onto it. There were also large burning slicks of a black viscous substance on the surface of the water, blocking any entrance or exit. A fourth much smaller ship, a sloop a lot like the The Desiree was run aground, but far from the flames. On the beach they saw the tiny figures of people running back and forth. There was no hearing if they might be fighting over the roar of the flames.
It was Kraken’s Cove. And just as quickly as they had come upon this scene the sloop left it behind, as confused voices rose up from all quarters.
“I guess that cancels that trip!” Crumb swore, but Cokie hurried over to him and grabbing him by the ear, pulled him down to whisper shrilly into it. The fat recruiter’s shoulders sagged and he gave the order for less sail, slowing the ship down. The young sailor girl ran over to where Telémahkos stood at the stern of the sloop, still looking at the plume of smoke and gave him an overly familiar slap on the arm.
“Get your friends together, get that crate open and get your gear on,” she told him. “You’re going in there.”
“Huh? Whu-what?” Telémahkos looked back and forth unsure how to respond. He finally stammered, “How are we supposed to do that?”
“Don’t you worry about that part,” Cokie replied. “We’ll get you in there, just get your people ready to go. It looks like someone else might have made a move, but regardless you still have a job to do… Now, I have things I need to do to get you there…” The girl turned to go back to her duties, but Telémahkos grabbed her arm. She turned and yanked free shooting daggers at him with her eyes.
“If you actually expect to convince me to go in there we’re going to have to have a conversation,” Telie said to her angrily.
“I don’t have to convince you of anything,” She spat back. “You aren’t talking to me, you’re talkin’ to our mutual acquaintance… And you can do or not do whatever you like, but I can tell you, he’s not gonna like it.”
“Are you just gonna sail us in there?” Telémahkos asked, incredulously.
“No! It’s all on fire!” Cokie said with obvious exasperation. “We’re bringing you to a place you can get in from. Once there you can go in or not for all I care, but someone else will care, you can bet on that…”
Telie noticed Markos walking over and Timotheus, Bleys and Laarus watched him get berated by a twelve-year old girl.
“Johan, there will be a ship for us to return on, right?” Markos asked Telie, having stood nearby listening in on the conversation with Cokie.
“I don’t know…” Telémahkos replied, annoyed.
Cokie had walked away, and Markos walked after her calling, “Little girl! Little girl!”
“Albert! Keep your voice down,” Telémahkos admonished.
“I am calling after the girl, I need to raise my voice,” Markos replied. Telie walked away, making his way to the front of the sloop near the crate, but Markos followed, along with Victoria and Timotheus.
“Are we just supposed to go in there and fight and not know what it is we are supposed to be doing?” Victoria asked Telie.
“Who says we have to fight?” Telémahkos asked with mock ignorance.
“There are a couple of ships on fire, of course we’re gonna fight,” Timotheus said with an eager smile. “Someone help me with my armor…”
“What’s the problem?” Bleys asked walking over. “We go in, see what’s happening and if there’s a problem we go out the back way…”
“Exactly,” Telémahkos said, trapped between his cowardice and his unwillingness to appear wrong about following this lead. He looked right at Markos. “We don’t need to be asking about a ship…”
“Hey dickhead,” Markos spat back. “Don’t you think we’re better off knowing that a ship is coming to get us or not?”
“You just keep bashing your head against a situation you don’t like thinking your are going to get somewhere and you aren’t going to get sh*t,” Telémahkos replied, pointing into Markos’ face.
“I’m just asking a question, bloodrag,” Markos replied. “I hope you f*cking drown!”
Telémahkos slammed his fist into the side of Markos’ neck. The wizard’s knees buckled and he stumbled across the deck and turned. Boris Crumb stepped between the two young noble grabbing each by the shoulder. “If you start fighting here I will throw both overboard myself,” he growled in a voice very much unlike his usual jocularity.
The Desiree slowed way down as it approached the bluff not far beyond the entrance to the cove. Here there was a natural nook in the face and eighty feet above there was a large rock overhang that curved into the cove. The crew used poles to keep the jagged wall at bay, as Crumb pointed out a series of hand and footholds. Telémahkos squinted and looked again and then let out an ‘ah’ of realization. The niches were cleverly concealed, but Crumb had pointed out the pattern that if known by the climber made it not all that difficult. Cokie handed Telie two big coils of rope.
“What is going on here?” Victoria asked. “What are we supposed to accomplish by going in there?”
“Don’t ask questions, Telie might punch you,” Markos said sarcastically, as he helped his cousin with his scale mail.
“Let’s just get out of here,” Telémahkos said to Crumb. “Let’s sail back.”
“We are sailing back, but I thought you wanted to go in there,” Crumb replied, puzzled.
“Let’s just go in,” Timotheus said, airing his frustration.
“I agree,” Bleys said. “We are here and something is obviously happening. It behooves us to investigate.”
Laarus nodded his own agreement.
“Have you seen that climb?” Telie asked, pointing up.
“I’ll take my armor off,” Timotheus said.
“Just climb first and drop the rope, that’s what I gave it to you for,” Cokie rolled her eyes. “It is not a bad climb at all.”
Despite her protestations, Telémahkos took the time to strap on his climbing boots to really feel safe about it. He leapt deftly over to the narrow strip of rock below and taking a moment to reacquaint himself with the pattern of the handholds, he began the climb. Cokie had been right. It wasn’t so bad. In no time at all he hauled himself over a lip of rock, entering some kind of natural outlook that looked out over the water of Devil’s Grasp, and a view of the Drie-Hoek South Narrows. He noticed that a narrow wooden walkway led steeply down a tunnel that was parallel to cove’s southern wall. Sunlight was muted by puffs of smoke coming through gaps in the right side of the tunnel that were open to the burning debris-churning waters below.
Telémahkos secured the rope around the narrowest outcropping of rock he could find and dropped it down to the others. Timotheus came up next, struggling with the weight and awkwardness of his breastplate, but he made it up and readied himself to help haul up the others and their gear.
“I think I may kill Markos,” Telémahkos said to his cousin.
“Either that or get a room,” Timotheus replied, grunting as he held the rope to help Bleys make his way up.
“I’m serious,” Telie said.
“Well don’t…” Tim looked right at his cousin, his big smile melting, and then blooming again. “Because then I’d have to kill Laarus to keep him from killing you and we definitely don’t want that…”
One by one the signers of the Charter of Schiereiland made their way up, some climbed and others were pulled up, and all along, Markos complained that entering Kraken’s Cove under these conditions was a bad idea. But still, he was pulled up soon after the remaining equipment, and Tymon who called up and waved his arms, fearing he had been forgotten, was pulled up last.
From in the cove they heard the protestation of the burning collapsing husks of the ships. There were several screams of horror that echoed up to them, which ended abruptly.
. . .to be continued…
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Notes:
(1) The Red Lanterns are a criminal organization that have their base in Haffar’s Port, greatly feared for their cruelty, fearlessness and guile, they are always looking to expand their influence. “Trumper-bearers” is code for the Herald’s Guild of Thricia.
Session #6 – “Smuggler’s Gambit” (part 1 of 3)
Anulem, the 21st of Sek – 566 H.E. (637 M.Y.)
The signers of the Charter of Schiereiland made their way to the harbor in the dark hours before dawn. Among them they carried a large wooden crate with their spare gear and weapons crammed inside, hoping to get it on the beach where they could access it later. Timotheus Smith of House Briareus wore a suit of studded leather he had purchased late the day before when it was decided that a breastplate might look out of place for a sailor or marine, Victoria wore the same.
The gates through the outer wall that led to the enclosed port were just opening as they arrived, and they were relieved they would not have to explain themselves to any townguards. Soon, they found the sloop called Desiree, and saw Crumb giving orders as three sailors prepared the ship, as a half-dozen young men wrapped in woolen cloaks against the morning cold went down into the hold. Some other workers were carrying in what appeared to be casks of spirits.
Boris E. Crumb III walked over to greet them, introducing himself happily. He asked each of them their names.
“Albert,” said Markos.
“Argus,” said Timotheus.
“Olivia,” said Victoria.
“Torsten,” said Bleys.
“Call me ‘V’,” said Laarus.
Crumb turned to the ship and called, “Cokie! Coh-Kee! Come over here! The passengers have arrived.”
One the sailors came over and the young nobles were surprised to see the small figure was a human girl of about 12 summers. Her straw-like brown hair was tied behind her head with brown yarn, and freckles marked her jaundiced skin.
“Cokie, go inspect the crate and make sure it is okay to be stored,” Crumb told the girl. He turned to Telie. “Johann, go help her…”
“Huh?” Telémahkos hesitated.
“Just go,” said Crumb shoving him gently. “I want to check over your companion’s gear and dress and makes sure it hits the mark.” He gave the young Briareus a wink.
The girl looked up at Telie and smiled and he winced when he saw her rotting teeth and gums all along the right side of her mouth. She led him over to where the crate had been placed.
As Telie and Cokie looked over the crate, she turned to him and said, “I am to give you this from our mutual acquaintance…” She handed him folded piece of parchment. “This is your target.”
Telémahkos looked at the paper and saw the name ‘Harliss Javell’ written in an elegant hand.
“So this is the person I am supposed to contact in there?” he asked.
“I don’t know about that…” Cokie said. “This is just you know… When our mutual acquaintance asked that you go to the Cove and do something… She is what you are supposed to do.” The girl began to walk away.
“Wait, what do you mean?” Telémahkos’ voice betrayed the growing anxiety of his realization. “You make it sound like I am supposed to…”
“Look,” Cokie turned around, her demeanor nothing like any twelve-year old girl Telie had ever met before. “I don’t want to have to tell you your business, but you know… You are supposed to help, and make sure she never leaves Kraken’s Cove again…”
“Wait! Why? I never agreed to be an assassin!” Telémahkos hissed.
Cokie rolled her eyes. “Well, you are going to be expected to do whatever it is you are expected to do, and you aren’t going to like the consequences if you don’t… But anyway, you are supposed to be helping the trumpet-bearers, and she’s a Red Lantern… (1) Her influence needs to be gotten rid of, and everyone knows it…”
“The Red Lanterns! Ugh!” Telémahkos buried his face in his hands. He looked back up. “But won’t that help the Barrel-makers? That doesn’t make sense.”
“Ours is not to ask why,” Cokie said, turning and walking back towards the sloop. “Now stop your crying and come on, Crumb’s gonna wanna be shoving off…”
Unlike the other cargo, the party’s crate was strapped down to the deck near the prow, while they joined the others down in the cramped hold. Soon the Desiree was heading southwest, fleeing the growing glow of Ra’s Glory in the east.
Timotheus and Markos started up a game of cards down in the hold, and invited Victoria to play, while Laarus kneeled facing east and praying to Ra to replenish his spells. Bleys the Aubergine looked over his spellbook in his own corner of the hold, while not far away Tymon checked and re-checked his bag nervously. Telémahkos was up on deck, remaining out of the way of the crew, breathing in the salt air. The sea was rough and the sky was a roiling steel gray down to the horizon. Every now and then it would spit a hard cold rain that would stop as suddenly as it had started.
As the card game continued, Timotheus and Markos started up on complaining about Laarus of Ra. Tim retold his interaction with the priest of Ra in the market, and his tone of voice made it clear he was still offended by what he considered the impugning of his character.
Markos laughed. “He sees things as black and white, and yet is still willing to go along with the ruse.”
“I do not see why you’d criticize Brother Laarus for being concerned about the moral implication of our actions and our adopted roles,” Victoria said, her voice growing angry.
“Because he’s a f*cking hypocrite!” Timotheus said a little too loudly. “That’s why!”
“No, I’m criticizing him because he’s f*cking stupid,” Markos corrected Tim, laughter in his voice.
“I think you should show some respect for the priest of Ra,” Victoria said, sternly.
“I respect his faith, but his unyielding nature? That’s just stupid,” Markos replied.
“Excuse me!” Victoria left the card game.
[sblock]All was black for Laarus as he felt the sickening sway of the ship beneath him, jerk more roughly than it should have given the current state of the sea. He looked up and saw himself on the deck of a ship once again, and there was a cask of something bouncing across the deck towards the liferail. He could see the ‘Q’ branded on the side. As the cask smashed against the gunwale, it exploded, enveloping the front of the ship in a veil of sticky fire. Suddenly, a burning figure in a toga stumbled out of the flames. The figure gave Laarus the impression it was Telémahkos, but the toga and skin was peeling off in the flames wreathing his soon to be corpse. There was another explosion and suddenly Laarus found himself on the deck of sloop that had pulled along side a cliff face that led right down into the sea. . .and then all was white…[/sblock]
Victoria was moving to get up to the deck and get some air, when Laarus suddenly stood from his kneeling position where he had been praying an hour and ran up on to the deck. He threw himself down at the edge and vomited up a stream of clear bile.
“That’s really getting tiresome,” Telémahkos said when he saw the priest lying there panting for a moment. He went back below deck to avoid the sick priest, but as soon as Laarus was back on his feet and had wiped his mouth clean, he called down.
“Telémahkos? Telémahkos, I want to talk to you…” Laarus croaked, looking as paler than usual, as he always did after these episodes.
“Anybody named Telémahkos down here?” Telie asked aloud, looking to his companions and the other young would-be sailors.
“No!” Timotheus said, smiling.
“Never heard of him,” Markos added with exaggerated seriousness.
“Sorry! Nobody down here named that, V!” he called back up to the priest. He sneered as Laarus came down and made his way past the cramped occupants towards the rear of the hold where a net held down a pile of casks and crates. Telémahkos frowned and went over, when he noticed the priest’s eager searching.
“What are you doing? What are you looking for?”
“Tell me, are you familiar with why a letter might be branded into the side of a cask? Does it identify the owner? The destination? The source?” Laarus asked.
“It could be any of those things,” Telémahkos replied. “It could be what’s in it, too… Though usually my guess would be place of origin… Why?”
“I was looking for the letter ‘Q’,” Laarus replied. “I thought there might be casks here marked as such…”
“Q? That’s Quillton, I’d bet,” Telémahkos guessed. “But again, why?”
“I think such casks are being shipped and have something in them that might explode,” Laarus explained.
“That sounds like Red God Fire,” Telie’s eyes widened. He went over to the cargo and began to search it carefully, shoving his hands deep into nooks to see if he could feel the brand on the hidden sides of casks, but found no such thing.
“What makes you think that such a thing would be here?” Telémahkos asked, when he went back over to Laarus.
“I just have a feeling,” the priest replied.
“You know, Laarus… It is not encouraging me to be open and honest with you when you are obviously hiding things from me,” Telémahkos said, and he went back up on deck.
Meanwhile, Markos and Timotheus had drawn Tymon and Bleys into their card game, and they told the watch-mage to be ready to interrupt Laarus if it sounded like he might give up their cover.
“My knucklehead cousin can’t be trusted to lie,” Markos said.
“Your lack of respect does you no credit,” replied Bleys. “I shall endeavor to makes sure cool heads prevail, but it would not be my place to interrupt a priest of Ra so rudely.”
“All I am saying is to keep you sword loose and ready, because it is only a matter of time before Laarus blows the whole thing and we’re going be neck deep in pirates,” Timotheus said, his voice thick with disdain.
They changed the subject, and soon the topic was the destructive capacity of Bleys’ magics. “I am a diviner,” he said, to explain his lack of substantial evocation.
Three hours later, The Desiree was making its way southward as the hilly coast of the Island of the Six Kingdoms rose out of the mist off the starboard side. Soon they were within sight of bright green bluffs sparkling in the clearing dawn as they plummeted right down to the water. The sloop was making good time, as the wind was strong and favorable, and Bleys, Laarus and Telie made their way on the narrow deck to feel the warmth on their face and a bit of fresh air.
In the distance, boom…
Only a few onboard heard the distant echo, among them Bleys and Laarus, and they looked to where the sound came from. Ahead and to the right the bluff swelled out into the sea like a fist rising out the water, and they could see a plume of black smoke rising from behind it. The commotion aboard the sloop increased as more and more people noticed plume as it grew blacker and thicker, swirling and fanning out to darken the clearing sky.
Victoria, Markos and Timotheus came up top to see what was going on, and soon the plume of smoke was pointed out to them. Telie, having already seen it, approached Crumb to ask his opinion on it, but the fat man was too busy giving orders to the crew. Without losing speed the sloop began to cut to port to bend wide around the rock protrusion and get a look at what was causing not only the smoke, but not the occasional blast of fire evaporating into the clouds.
“If we are attacked, should we be below deck or above?” Victoria asked Markos. “I am unused to battle at sea…”
“You do whatever the captain tells you to do,” Markos replied.
As the The Desiree came around the outcropping they could see that just past it the bluff receded to create a sheltered cove, not more than ninety or one hundred feet across. Two ships were tangled together as fire leapt freely back and forth from their immolated masts and sides. They were floating together listlessly towards a third smaller ship, a cog, and bits of fire had already begun leaping onto it. There were also large burning slicks of a black viscous substance on the surface of the water, blocking any entrance or exit. A fourth much smaller ship, a sloop a lot like the The Desiree was run aground, but far from the flames. On the beach they saw the tiny figures of people running back and forth. There was no hearing if they might be fighting over the roar of the flames.
It was Kraken’s Cove. And just as quickly as they had come upon this scene the sloop left it behind, as confused voices rose up from all quarters.
“I guess that cancels that trip!” Crumb swore, but Cokie hurried over to him and grabbing him by the ear, pulled him down to whisper shrilly into it. The fat recruiter’s shoulders sagged and he gave the order for less sail, slowing the ship down. The young sailor girl ran over to where Telémahkos stood at the stern of the sloop, still looking at the plume of smoke and gave him an overly familiar slap on the arm.
“Get your friends together, get that crate open and get your gear on,” she told him. “You’re going in there.”
“Huh? Whu-what?” Telémahkos looked back and forth unsure how to respond. He finally stammered, “How are we supposed to do that?”
“Don’t you worry about that part,” Cokie replied. “We’ll get you in there, just get your people ready to go. It looks like someone else might have made a move, but regardless you still have a job to do… Now, I have things I need to do to get you there…” The girl turned to go back to her duties, but Telémahkos grabbed her arm. She turned and yanked free shooting daggers at him with her eyes.
“If you actually expect to convince me to go in there we’re going to have to have a conversation,” Telie said to her angrily.
“I don’t have to convince you of anything,” She spat back. “You aren’t talking to me, you’re talkin’ to our mutual acquaintance… And you can do or not do whatever you like, but I can tell you, he’s not gonna like it.”
“Are you just gonna sail us in there?” Telémahkos asked, incredulously.
“No! It’s all on fire!” Cokie said with obvious exasperation. “We’re bringing you to a place you can get in from. Once there you can go in or not for all I care, but someone else will care, you can bet on that…”
Telie noticed Markos walking over and Timotheus, Bleys and Laarus watched him get berated by a twelve-year old girl.
“Johan, there will be a ship for us to return on, right?” Markos asked Telie, having stood nearby listening in on the conversation with Cokie.
“I don’t know…” Telémahkos replied, annoyed.
Cokie had walked away, and Markos walked after her calling, “Little girl! Little girl!”
“Albert! Keep your voice down,” Telémahkos admonished.
“I am calling after the girl, I need to raise my voice,” Markos replied. Telie walked away, making his way to the front of the sloop near the crate, but Markos followed, along with Victoria and Timotheus.
“Are we just supposed to go in there and fight and not know what it is we are supposed to be doing?” Victoria asked Telie.
“Who says we have to fight?” Telémahkos asked with mock ignorance.
“There are a couple of ships on fire, of course we’re gonna fight,” Timotheus said with an eager smile. “Someone help me with my armor…”
“What’s the problem?” Bleys asked walking over. “We go in, see what’s happening and if there’s a problem we go out the back way…”
“Exactly,” Telémahkos said, trapped between his cowardice and his unwillingness to appear wrong about following this lead. He looked right at Markos. “We don’t need to be asking about a ship…”
“Hey dickhead,” Markos spat back. “Don’t you think we’re better off knowing that a ship is coming to get us or not?”
“You just keep bashing your head against a situation you don’t like thinking your are going to get somewhere and you aren’t going to get sh*t,” Telémahkos replied, pointing into Markos’ face.
“I’m just asking a question, bloodrag,” Markos replied. “I hope you f*cking drown!”
Telémahkos slammed his fist into the side of Markos’ neck. The wizard’s knees buckled and he stumbled across the deck and turned. Boris Crumb stepped between the two young noble grabbing each by the shoulder. “If you start fighting here I will throw both overboard myself,” he growled in a voice very much unlike his usual jocularity.
The Desiree slowed way down as it approached the bluff not far beyond the entrance to the cove. Here there was a natural nook in the face and eighty feet above there was a large rock overhang that curved into the cove. The crew used poles to keep the jagged wall at bay, as Crumb pointed out a series of hand and footholds. Telémahkos squinted and looked again and then let out an ‘ah’ of realization. The niches were cleverly concealed, but Crumb had pointed out the pattern that if known by the climber made it not all that difficult. Cokie handed Telie two big coils of rope.
“What is going on here?” Victoria asked. “What are we supposed to accomplish by going in there?”
“Don’t ask questions, Telie might punch you,” Markos said sarcastically, as he helped his cousin with his scale mail.
“Let’s just get out of here,” Telémahkos said to Crumb. “Let’s sail back.”
“We are sailing back, but I thought you wanted to go in there,” Crumb replied, puzzled.
“Let’s just go in,” Timotheus said, airing his frustration.
“I agree,” Bleys said. “We are here and something is obviously happening. It behooves us to investigate.”
Laarus nodded his own agreement.
“Have you seen that climb?” Telie asked, pointing up.
“I’ll take my armor off,” Timotheus said.
“Just climb first and drop the rope, that’s what I gave it to you for,” Cokie rolled her eyes. “It is not a bad climb at all.”
Despite her protestations, Telémahkos took the time to strap on his climbing boots to really feel safe about it. He leapt deftly over to the narrow strip of rock below and taking a moment to reacquaint himself with the pattern of the handholds, he began the climb. Cokie had been right. It wasn’t so bad. In no time at all he hauled himself over a lip of rock, entering some kind of natural outlook that looked out over the water of Devil’s Grasp, and a view of the Drie-Hoek South Narrows. He noticed that a narrow wooden walkway led steeply down a tunnel that was parallel to cove’s southern wall. Sunlight was muted by puffs of smoke coming through gaps in the right side of the tunnel that were open to the burning debris-churning waters below.
Telémahkos secured the rope around the narrowest outcropping of rock he could find and dropped it down to the others. Timotheus came up next, struggling with the weight and awkwardness of his breastplate, but he made it up and readied himself to help haul up the others and their gear.
“I think I may kill Markos,” Telémahkos said to his cousin.
“Either that or get a room,” Timotheus replied, grunting as he held the rope to help Bleys make his way up.
“I’m serious,” Telie said.
“Well don’t…” Tim looked right at his cousin, his big smile melting, and then blooming again. “Because then I’d have to kill Laarus to keep him from killing you and we definitely don’t want that…”
One by one the signers of the Charter of Schiereiland made their way up, some climbed and others were pulled up, and all along, Markos complained that entering Kraken’s Cove under these conditions was a bad idea. But still, he was pulled up soon after the remaining equipment, and Tymon who called up and waved his arms, fearing he had been forgotten, was pulled up last.
From in the cove they heard the protestation of the burning collapsing husks of the ships. There were several screams of horror that echoed up to them, which ended abruptly.
. . .to be continued…
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Notes:
(1) The Red Lanterns are a criminal organization that have their base in Haffar’s Port, greatly feared for their cruelty, fearlessness and guile, they are always looking to expand their influence. “Trumper-bearers” is code for the Herald’s Guild of Thricia.
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el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
One More Note About Spoilers. . .
I also ask that readers who comment in the thread not talk about elements of the adventure path (or individual adventure) beyond what has been posted in terms of the story as to avoid spoiling the players who are also reading this. . .
Thanks.
I also ask that readers who comment in the thread not talk about elements of the adventure path (or individual adventure) beyond what has been posted in terms of the story as to avoid spoiling the players who are also reading this. . .
Thanks.
el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
monboesen said:
Well, I grabbed the influence and reputation rules I am using from the AGoT d20 RPG (with some tweaks), and my version of the Aristocrat class is based on that game's noble class, among other things.
The Houses themselves are not based on G.R.R. Martin's they are probably more like the wizarding families of "old blood" in the Harry Potter books, though with Martin's dark politics in some cases.
Anyway, this site: http://www.towerofthehand.com/ has a ton of information on Song of Ice & Fire stuff and I have used it as a source when preparing actual AGoT one-shots.
Thanks for reading.
handforged
First Post
Well, I was able to catch up finally, and I am quite happy with where things are. Although the bickering is somewhat annoying, at least it is clever. I am pretty excited about where this is going.
~hf
~hf
el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
Me too!handforged said:
These were some really fun sessions (6 thru 8), and I think if any of my players ever posted here they would agree (Well, maybe not Rastfar/Bleys about #8 - but you'll see why. . .)
Sometimes. . .handforged said:
- Only in the truncated edited form. Being present for it is often no fun - but luckily once the action started the bickering was reduced to a more than tolerable level. I threatened to send wave after wave of ninjas after them if they kept bickering half the session. Me too! And I am not even sure where that is. . .handforged said:
el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
Session #6 – “Smuggler’s Gambit” (part 2 of 3)
Timotheus led the way. The wooden walkway was a ramp in some places, and narrow uneven and steep steps in others. It appeared that the salt air devoured this wood frequently, as many of the boards seemed like they had been haphazardly changed with whatever was available. In some places the walkway was no wider than three and a half feet, but in many others it was barely two feet wide. They made their way down as quickly as they dared, using the close walls and ceiling of the stone tunnel to maintain their balance. Laarus, in his scale armor and steel shield strapped to his arm, was having a hard time of it, stopping often, and having to throw his shoulder into the bluff side a few times to keep from falling.
Markos and Telémahkos arguing over who should take up the rear delayed them for a moment.
“Will you two crate it already!” Victoria admonished them. Telie got his way, and they continued. “This is a really bad idea,” he murmured as they made their way down.
“Then let’s just turn around and go back right now,” Markos replied. “I hate to admit it, but I agree with you…”
“It’s too late,” Telie sighed. “We’re outvoted. Now that everything is f*cked up, now they all want to go in there… It makes no sense…”
Ahead they could see a gap in the tunnel on the right side, with sunlight streaming through the roiling plumes of smoke making its way in. As Timotheus approached, he could see they were close to sixty feet above the water below, the burning slicks making even the perfect dive into a deadly proposition. Passing the gap was even more difficult as the wall on the left was curved away and jagged and the walkway was narrow here. It was more difficult to support oneself.
Timotheus hurried across, hoping speed would make do where balance might fail him. Bleys deftly made it across, looking down and ahead at the walkway, not out the chaos of the cove below them to the right. Laarus of Ra, however, was not so sure of foot. He stepped carefully and then stopped as his armored form swayed back and forth. Suddenly, he threw his body to the walkway, feeling that he was about to tip over. He slid to the right, and he had to grasp on for dear life, his legs hanging over the side.
“Laarus!” Timotheus cried as the priest of Ra dangled there, desperately trying to pull himself up. He had just managed to get his legs up and was on his hands and knees and Telémahkos made his way to the front of the rear group, clutching Victoria’s long spear. Laarus tried to get back on his feet, but again he slid down. Telie leaned out and called to Tim to grab the other end of the spear, and they used it to support Laarus as he made his way safely to the other side. Using the spear, the rest of the group was able to make it across, and Telémahkos went last, having no problem keeping his balance.
About twenty feet further down as another gap on the right, though shorter, and here smoke swirled with more strength.
“Nephthys!” Timotheus cried as he crossed. A sudden breeze cleared the smoke enough for most of them to notice that the third burning ship had broken free of the other two and was floating towards the bluff wall, and thus their walkway. It seemed its burning mast had a good chance of slamming into the exposed walkway another forty feet or so down, where it hung thirty feet over the water. “We need to hurry!”
But hurrying brought its dangers as well. Laarus lost his footing again and tumbled painfully down the walkway slamming into Bleys, all bruised. The watch-mage helped his companion to his feet; glad he was not knocked down as well.
Timotheus made it across the longer gap and turned to aid Bleys as he made it across. Laarus stepped aside to let Victoria and Tymon past. The burning ship was very close now. A smoldering rope snapped causing a burning portion of sail to come floating into the gap, catching both the militant of Anhur and the hireling. They reached the relative safety of the other side, but were both singed for their trouble. They continued down at Timotheus’ direction, followed by Bleys, as when the ship slammed into the walkway, no place on it would likely be safe.
Telémahkos still had Victoria’s spear and he used it to aid Laarus once again. He turned and reached the spear out to Markos, and when the small wizard grabbed onto it, the young Briareus yanked it hard towards him. Markos stumbled, but kept his feet as there was a crunching and yawning of wood as the burning ship’s mast slammed into the walkway. The shockwave sent Markos flying onto his face, and he shrieked as he realized his backside was on fire. He leapt back to his feet and smothered his back against the wall. They all ran the best they could, as the walkway was wider down here, feeling it shake beneath their feet. A blast of smoke and debris followed them out onto the strip of beach, as they hurried down the last exposed bit of it only a few feet over the water.
The beach was a strip of black sand over eighty feet long and fifty feet deep, leading to an uneven rock wall with a cavern entrance just south of center. There was a metal rail bridge over an inlet dividing the north end of the beach from another cavern entrance. Large pieces of burning debris from the ships were washed up at the end of the beach, but there was a sloop run aground not far from where the walkway let out. It had a metal plate etched with the name ‘Sea Wyvern’. It appeared abandoned. A pile of goods was near the center of this side of the beach, mostly smashed crates and barrels. The smell of the great burning slicks filled the air, and it was clear to Markos that no escape would be possible on the sloop until those fires died down.
“Whale oil,” he said to the others.
The entire beach was littered with bones and pieces of corpses that appeared to have been ripped apart with great strength. Other pieces appeared to have been chewed. There were several spots where the sand was made into a steaming puddle of muck. One of them seemed to be some kind of dark frogman beast. Bleys approached it, kneeling to look closer at the bubbling pustules and flicking tendrils on the thing’s back. He had just noticed that it was wearing the ragged remains of what appeared to be typical sailor garb when it suddenly exploded!
Bleys grunted and fell back as he was splattered with the caustic remains of the thing, brushing at it with his hands. His crimson shirt steamed as he stood, and he winced at the pain of the burns beneath the tiny perforations in it.
“Stay away from the dead frog-things,” Bleys said. “But… It looked like… I only go to see it close for a minute, but it looked like it might have once been a man… Its frog-like foot had burst out of the leather of his boot…”
“Were-frogs?” Victoria asked.
“Whatever killed these men tore the very flesh from their bones,” Markos said. He turned to Telémahkos, who was examining a rough map of the cove Tymon had drawn based on Crumb’s description the day before.
“Where is the secret way out?”
Telie pointed to the wooden walkway they had come down. “That was it…”
“Let’s get on this sloop and see if we can get out of here…” Markos said.
“We are here, we might as well see what happened,” Tim replied.
“We can stay if you want, but I think we should get the hell out of here,” Markos reiterated.
“I agree that we should be ready to leave if we need to,” Telémahkos said. “Secure the beach while Markos and I load our extra gear and whatever we can salvage from the goods here onto the boat, and make sure it is seaworthy…”
“We may not be able to get out of the cove, but we can at least sail away from the shore and whatever did this to those men,” Markos said.
“Unless whatever it is can fly,” Timotheus said. “In that case, we may be stuck on the boat with nowhere to go…”
“Or if it can swim…” Bleys said. He and Laarus were looking at the pile of goods for possible clues, but Telie came over and noticed a crate of expensive dishware that while opened seemed untouched. He and Tymon carried it over to the sloop, on which Markos was already aboard, inspecting it, and removing the chunks of corpses on the deck; a deck awash with blood.
Timotheus went over and stood about ten feet from the cavern entrance, keeping a lookout, while Laarus moved to help lift things onto the sloop, and Victoria moved towards the north end of the beach, long spear in hand, trying to listen for any approach over the roar of flames and the lapping of the surf.
Laarus was walking beneath the prow of the ship as Markos was at the top of it to reach down and help his cousin up onto the boat when movement further up the beach caught their eyes. From behind a pile of smashed crates popped up a misshapen froglike head sticking out of the tattered remains of sailor’s clothing. It hopped up straighter with a strange gait, noticing the party for the first time. It croaked angrily as it leapt over the corner of the crates and continued its awkward bow-legged approach, on amphibian feet splayed out from the remains of boots. The frog-head had an oversized slavering mouth with shining jagged teeth, and its back was an undulating mess of bursting boils and sweating green and yellow tendrils of raw flesh.
“Timotheus!” Markos called out to gain everyone’s attention, and then with a couple of arcane words, a bolt of force, translucent blue and dripping as if made of water flew from his fingers and slammed into the creature. (1)
“What are those things?!” Tymon cried out as everyone else looked up in time to see the man turned frog-thing leap over twice it height, springing way up into the air to come down with a worrying bite on Laarus’ neck and shoulder. The priest of Ra knocked it back with heavy blow that bounced off its rubbery hide. The savage frog-thing just shrieked and bit him again with greater anger, and Laarus crumpled to the ground.
“Down foul beast!” Victoria of Anhur cried, charging to the aid of her fellow priest. She gritted her teeth as she shoved the point of her longspear into the thing’s neck. She looked in time to see that a second of the things was leaping down at her and she pulled her spear back and pointed it up, catching the monster as it came down. It jerked on the spear point, sending a cascade of steaming green and yellow ichor into the black sand. It landed on the beach still out of the area she threatened so proficiently with her spear.
“Surround them! Take them down!” Timotheus cried, charging down the beach to meet the approach of another coming out from behind the crates before it could leap to the attack. The sand beneath his boots sent the swing of his heavy flail off balance, and the felt the jagged teeth rip at his arm.
“Bast protect me!” Telémahkos prayed as he picked up his heavy crossbow with shaking hands. As he leaned over to pick up a box of bolts, both came falling out hands and bolts spilled over the deck. Markos got down on his hands and knees and picked them up too anxious to make a comment. He began to load the crossbow.
Timotheus swore as a bolt from Tymon’s crossbow came too close for comfort, and he ducked to avoid the bite of the savage frog-thing attacking him.
“Everyone get on the boat!” Victoria cried. “Anhur! Fill me with your strength and vigor so that I might protect my companions and lay low these foul creatures!” She was filled with the righteous fury of her god, and taking a half-step back she drove the end of her spear into one of the two creatures biting at her. The head of the spear burst through the thing’s side, but it did not fall. It howled out a resounding croak and redoubled its efforts to get at her, but her armor protected her from both.
“Our companions are falling,” Markos said to Telémahkos who cringed momentarily in the prow of the boat. The wizard aimed the crossbow and fired at one of the things attacking Victoria, but all it bit was sand. Telie drew his rapier and peeked out at the scene of the melee.
“I’ve just been playing with you,” Timotheus said to the mindless savage thing he fought, and his heavy flail landed on its head. He heard the sickening crunch of the thing’s skull and one of its eyes melted down its misshapen rubbery face, but it did not fall. Instead, it screeched and shook and flicked stinging ichor that oozed from its pores. It bit down on Tim’s shoulder, hard.
As Victoria of Anhur struggled with her two foes, Bleys the Aubergine crept behind her and drew one of her short spears from her back and moved away again to get an angle to throw it. He let it go and it fell short. Suddenly Telémahkos came tumbling off the ship, rapier in hand. He landed in the sand and crouched low, making sure none of the creatures were noticing him. Telie hopped onto the other side of the first of the frogmen, and getting in a flanking position, caught the thing unaware. The rapier slipped through the thing’s flesh easily. Telémahkos’ stomach quivered as he felt organs burst within the thing’s body at the sword’s fine touch. It croaked out dolefully and then suddenly reached backward, nearly twisting itself in half and bit at him. Telémahkos leapt back, pulling the rapier out, and the thing collapsed, apparently finally dead.
“Tim! Don’t go too far away!” Telémahkos called to his cousin. “Get back here!”
“He’s right!” Markos called, re-loading the heavy crossbow. “We need to concentrate our efforts!”
But Timotheus was too deeply involved in his fight with the raging frog-thing before him; at least thirty-five feet away from the rest of the group. Bleys grabbed another of Victoria’s spears and stepped back just as the frog-man that Telémahkos had slain exploded! The many boils and shaking tendrils on its body burst violently and the whole corpse disintegrated sending caustic ichor in a shower that burned Telie and Laarus’ unmoving form. (2)
Bleys let loose with the spear, but at that same moment Victoria sidestepped and her own spear slammed against her back. Thankfully, her armor absorbed the blow. (3) Cursing, Telémahkos moved cautiously over and stabbed the other of the frog-things, but it would not fall.
“Get ‘em, boss!” Tymon encouraged, firing and missing again.
Timotheus managed to knock his foe from his feet, as Bleys, having run out of spears to grab from Victoria’s back, pulled his saber and joined the melee. Now he and Telémahkos and Victoria were surrounding the same one; Victoria fought in grim silence, seemingly never blinking. Telémahkos winced as once of his blows extracted a piece of the thing’s liver, but it did not fall. However, as it turned with it savage rage, Victoria was able to shove her spear through its torso. It croaked and turned back to face her, pulling itself up the shaft of the spear with excruciating effort, trying to bite her before collapsing, but it could not reach. Victoria pulled her spear free and without hesitation ran to aid Timotheus.
The frog-thing on the ground exploded, and once again Bleys felt the burning ichor splatter on his face and body. Tymon let another bolt loose and this one lodged itself through the remaining creature’s eye. Timotheus turned and pushed the charging Victoria back, as that one exploded as well; keeping them out of the radius of the blast.
Victoria of Anhur let out a long low breath as the fury of her god slipped from her mind and body, leaving a deep fatigue in its place. (4) She walked over to Laarus of Ra’s unconscious form and checked on him. He was not bleeding out. With a touch and a word to Anhur, the priest’s wounds began to close and his bruises faded and he stirred. (5) It broke the spell of momentary awe from the rest of the group as they considered the fighting prowess the militant had just displayed.
“Let’s get out of here,” Telémahkos said, as Laarus stood and then walked over to Bleys to close some of the watch-mage’s wounds with Ra’s help.
“Cousin, what are you doing?” Markos asked, leaping off the sloop. “Bleys will not be fighting in the front rank… If you choose to endanger us all by healing him instead of Tim, who is seriously wounded… Well, just be aware that that is what you’re doing…” Sensing that another argument was about to begin, Bleys the Aubergine began to wander around the beach looking for a recoverable bow or light crossbow from among the dead. Laarus ignored his cousin, healing himself further, and Victoria saw to Timotheus’ wounds. Telémahkos went down into the Sea Wyvern’s hold to see if there were any dangers down there, including any casks branded with the letter ‘Q’; there were none. Anything that had been on the ship had already been unloaded. Telie came back up and repeated his suggestion, “Let’s get out of here…”
“We need to figure out what happened here,” Victoria said.
“It seems these creatures were once men,” Bleys said, walking back over, not having found what he was looking for. “If there is some disease or infection that caused this we may already be exposed… We should not leave until we know more…”
“We can get on the ship and sail out a bit and try to figure out what happened from there,” Markos suggested.
Everyone else but Telémahkos disagreed. “We can’t get very far out because of the fires,” Tim said. “You said so your self…”
“So, we are we not leaving?” Telémahkos asked.
“It does not look that way,” Markos replied with a sigh of resignation.
“We need to look around more and figure out what is going on,” Timotheus echoed Bleys and Victoria’s sentiments. “Everybody keep your weapons ready, and load your crossbows…”
“This has all been a mistake,” Telémahkos sighed. “I was set up… It turns out the real reason my source wanted us to come here was to assassinate someone…” He pulled the square of paper Cokie had given him from his belt.
. . .to be continued…
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Notes:
(1) This is just a magic missile, but I allow for players to come up with their own visual effects for spells as long as it remains consistent. These effects are just for flavor and have no in-game benefit or drawback.
(2) While according to the unaltered savage template in the adventure, the creature explodes right away, I changed it to the next action to slightly weaken the creatures for a lower level group, but also because it then created a potential for tactical situations in how to battle them and escape from the range after they are defeated.
(3) If you fire a missile weapon into melee and someone is giving the target cover and you miss by an amount equal to or less than the amount of the cover, then the missile strikes the cover (i.e. the other person fighting) as long as the hit is good enough to hit their armor class anyway. In this case, the spear struck Victoria, but the attack roll was not enough to get through her armor.
(4) When a militant’s righteous fury is done, they are fatigued until they rest for a number of minutes equal to the number of rounds of fury. Barbarian rage works similarly in Aquerra.
(5) Laarus had taken non-lethal damage in the harrowing escape from the walkway, and so he was unconscious, but not mortally wounded (i.e. not at negative hit points).
Timotheus led the way. The wooden walkway was a ramp in some places, and narrow uneven and steep steps in others. It appeared that the salt air devoured this wood frequently, as many of the boards seemed like they had been haphazardly changed with whatever was available. In some places the walkway was no wider than three and a half feet, but in many others it was barely two feet wide. They made their way down as quickly as they dared, using the close walls and ceiling of the stone tunnel to maintain their balance. Laarus, in his scale armor and steel shield strapped to his arm, was having a hard time of it, stopping often, and having to throw his shoulder into the bluff side a few times to keep from falling.
Markos and Telémahkos arguing over who should take up the rear delayed them for a moment.
“Will you two crate it already!” Victoria admonished them. Telie got his way, and they continued. “This is a really bad idea,” he murmured as they made their way down.
“Then let’s just turn around and go back right now,” Markos replied. “I hate to admit it, but I agree with you…”
“It’s too late,” Telie sighed. “We’re outvoted. Now that everything is f*cked up, now they all want to go in there… It makes no sense…”
Ahead they could see a gap in the tunnel on the right side, with sunlight streaming through the roiling plumes of smoke making its way in. As Timotheus approached, he could see they were close to sixty feet above the water below, the burning slicks making even the perfect dive into a deadly proposition. Passing the gap was even more difficult as the wall on the left was curved away and jagged and the walkway was narrow here. It was more difficult to support oneself.
Timotheus hurried across, hoping speed would make do where balance might fail him. Bleys deftly made it across, looking down and ahead at the walkway, not out the chaos of the cove below them to the right. Laarus of Ra, however, was not so sure of foot. He stepped carefully and then stopped as his armored form swayed back and forth. Suddenly, he threw his body to the walkway, feeling that he was about to tip over. He slid to the right, and he had to grasp on for dear life, his legs hanging over the side.
“Laarus!” Timotheus cried as the priest of Ra dangled there, desperately trying to pull himself up. He had just managed to get his legs up and was on his hands and knees and Telémahkos made his way to the front of the rear group, clutching Victoria’s long spear. Laarus tried to get back on his feet, but again he slid down. Telie leaned out and called to Tim to grab the other end of the spear, and they used it to support Laarus as he made his way safely to the other side. Using the spear, the rest of the group was able to make it across, and Telémahkos went last, having no problem keeping his balance.
About twenty feet further down as another gap on the right, though shorter, and here smoke swirled with more strength.
“Nephthys!” Timotheus cried as he crossed. A sudden breeze cleared the smoke enough for most of them to notice that the third burning ship had broken free of the other two and was floating towards the bluff wall, and thus their walkway. It seemed its burning mast had a good chance of slamming into the exposed walkway another forty feet or so down, where it hung thirty feet over the water. “We need to hurry!”
But hurrying brought its dangers as well. Laarus lost his footing again and tumbled painfully down the walkway slamming into Bleys, all bruised. The watch-mage helped his companion to his feet; glad he was not knocked down as well.
Timotheus made it across the longer gap and turned to aid Bleys as he made it across. Laarus stepped aside to let Victoria and Tymon past. The burning ship was very close now. A smoldering rope snapped causing a burning portion of sail to come floating into the gap, catching both the militant of Anhur and the hireling. They reached the relative safety of the other side, but were both singed for their trouble. They continued down at Timotheus’ direction, followed by Bleys, as when the ship slammed into the walkway, no place on it would likely be safe.
Telémahkos still had Victoria’s spear and he used it to aid Laarus once again. He turned and reached the spear out to Markos, and when the small wizard grabbed onto it, the young Briareus yanked it hard towards him. Markos stumbled, but kept his feet as there was a crunching and yawning of wood as the burning ship’s mast slammed into the walkway. The shockwave sent Markos flying onto his face, and he shrieked as he realized his backside was on fire. He leapt back to his feet and smothered his back against the wall. They all ran the best they could, as the walkway was wider down here, feeling it shake beneath their feet. A blast of smoke and debris followed them out onto the strip of beach, as they hurried down the last exposed bit of it only a few feet over the water.
The beach was a strip of black sand over eighty feet long and fifty feet deep, leading to an uneven rock wall with a cavern entrance just south of center. There was a metal rail bridge over an inlet dividing the north end of the beach from another cavern entrance. Large pieces of burning debris from the ships were washed up at the end of the beach, but there was a sloop run aground not far from where the walkway let out. It had a metal plate etched with the name ‘Sea Wyvern’. It appeared abandoned. A pile of goods was near the center of this side of the beach, mostly smashed crates and barrels. The smell of the great burning slicks filled the air, and it was clear to Markos that no escape would be possible on the sloop until those fires died down.
“Whale oil,” he said to the others.
The entire beach was littered with bones and pieces of corpses that appeared to have been ripped apart with great strength. Other pieces appeared to have been chewed. There were several spots where the sand was made into a steaming puddle of muck. One of them seemed to be some kind of dark frogman beast. Bleys approached it, kneeling to look closer at the bubbling pustules and flicking tendrils on the thing’s back. He had just noticed that it was wearing the ragged remains of what appeared to be typical sailor garb when it suddenly exploded!
Bleys grunted and fell back as he was splattered with the caustic remains of the thing, brushing at it with his hands. His crimson shirt steamed as he stood, and he winced at the pain of the burns beneath the tiny perforations in it.
“Stay away from the dead frog-things,” Bleys said. “But… It looked like… I only go to see it close for a minute, but it looked like it might have once been a man… Its frog-like foot had burst out of the leather of his boot…”
“Were-frogs?” Victoria asked.
“Whatever killed these men tore the very flesh from their bones,” Markos said. He turned to Telémahkos, who was examining a rough map of the cove Tymon had drawn based on Crumb’s description the day before.
“Where is the secret way out?”
Telie pointed to the wooden walkway they had come down. “That was it…”
“Let’s get on this sloop and see if we can get out of here…” Markos said.
“We are here, we might as well see what happened,” Tim replied.
“We can stay if you want, but I think we should get the hell out of here,” Markos reiterated.
“I agree that we should be ready to leave if we need to,” Telémahkos said. “Secure the beach while Markos and I load our extra gear and whatever we can salvage from the goods here onto the boat, and make sure it is seaworthy…”
“We may not be able to get out of the cove, but we can at least sail away from the shore and whatever did this to those men,” Markos said.
“Unless whatever it is can fly,” Timotheus said. “In that case, we may be stuck on the boat with nowhere to go…”
“Or if it can swim…” Bleys said. He and Laarus were looking at the pile of goods for possible clues, but Telie came over and noticed a crate of expensive dishware that while opened seemed untouched. He and Tymon carried it over to the sloop, on which Markos was already aboard, inspecting it, and removing the chunks of corpses on the deck; a deck awash with blood.
Timotheus went over and stood about ten feet from the cavern entrance, keeping a lookout, while Laarus moved to help lift things onto the sloop, and Victoria moved towards the north end of the beach, long spear in hand, trying to listen for any approach over the roar of flames and the lapping of the surf.
Laarus was walking beneath the prow of the ship as Markos was at the top of it to reach down and help his cousin up onto the boat when movement further up the beach caught their eyes. From behind a pile of smashed crates popped up a misshapen froglike head sticking out of the tattered remains of sailor’s clothing. It hopped up straighter with a strange gait, noticing the party for the first time. It croaked angrily as it leapt over the corner of the crates and continued its awkward bow-legged approach, on amphibian feet splayed out from the remains of boots. The frog-head had an oversized slavering mouth with shining jagged teeth, and its back was an undulating mess of bursting boils and sweating green and yellow tendrils of raw flesh.
“Timotheus!” Markos called out to gain everyone’s attention, and then with a couple of arcane words, a bolt of force, translucent blue and dripping as if made of water flew from his fingers and slammed into the creature. (1)
“What are those things?!” Tymon cried out as everyone else looked up in time to see the man turned frog-thing leap over twice it height, springing way up into the air to come down with a worrying bite on Laarus’ neck and shoulder. The priest of Ra knocked it back with heavy blow that bounced off its rubbery hide. The savage frog-thing just shrieked and bit him again with greater anger, and Laarus crumpled to the ground.
“Down foul beast!” Victoria of Anhur cried, charging to the aid of her fellow priest. She gritted her teeth as she shoved the point of her longspear into the thing’s neck. She looked in time to see that a second of the things was leaping down at her and she pulled her spear back and pointed it up, catching the monster as it came down. It jerked on the spear point, sending a cascade of steaming green and yellow ichor into the black sand. It landed on the beach still out of the area she threatened so proficiently with her spear.
“Surround them! Take them down!” Timotheus cried, charging down the beach to meet the approach of another coming out from behind the crates before it could leap to the attack. The sand beneath his boots sent the swing of his heavy flail off balance, and the felt the jagged teeth rip at his arm.
“Bast protect me!” Telémahkos prayed as he picked up his heavy crossbow with shaking hands. As he leaned over to pick up a box of bolts, both came falling out hands and bolts spilled over the deck. Markos got down on his hands and knees and picked them up too anxious to make a comment. He began to load the crossbow.
Timotheus swore as a bolt from Tymon’s crossbow came too close for comfort, and he ducked to avoid the bite of the savage frog-thing attacking him.
“Everyone get on the boat!” Victoria cried. “Anhur! Fill me with your strength and vigor so that I might protect my companions and lay low these foul creatures!” She was filled with the righteous fury of her god, and taking a half-step back she drove the end of her spear into one of the two creatures biting at her. The head of the spear burst through the thing’s side, but it did not fall. It howled out a resounding croak and redoubled its efforts to get at her, but her armor protected her from both.
“Our companions are falling,” Markos said to Telémahkos who cringed momentarily in the prow of the boat. The wizard aimed the crossbow and fired at one of the things attacking Victoria, but all it bit was sand. Telie drew his rapier and peeked out at the scene of the melee.
“I’ve just been playing with you,” Timotheus said to the mindless savage thing he fought, and his heavy flail landed on its head. He heard the sickening crunch of the thing’s skull and one of its eyes melted down its misshapen rubbery face, but it did not fall. Instead, it screeched and shook and flicked stinging ichor that oozed from its pores. It bit down on Tim’s shoulder, hard.
As Victoria of Anhur struggled with her two foes, Bleys the Aubergine crept behind her and drew one of her short spears from her back and moved away again to get an angle to throw it. He let it go and it fell short. Suddenly Telémahkos came tumbling off the ship, rapier in hand. He landed in the sand and crouched low, making sure none of the creatures were noticing him. Telie hopped onto the other side of the first of the frogmen, and getting in a flanking position, caught the thing unaware. The rapier slipped through the thing’s flesh easily. Telémahkos’ stomach quivered as he felt organs burst within the thing’s body at the sword’s fine touch. It croaked out dolefully and then suddenly reached backward, nearly twisting itself in half and bit at him. Telémahkos leapt back, pulling the rapier out, and the thing collapsed, apparently finally dead.
“Tim! Don’t go too far away!” Telémahkos called to his cousin. “Get back here!”
“He’s right!” Markos called, re-loading the heavy crossbow. “We need to concentrate our efforts!”
But Timotheus was too deeply involved in his fight with the raging frog-thing before him; at least thirty-five feet away from the rest of the group. Bleys grabbed another of Victoria’s spears and stepped back just as the frog-man that Telémahkos had slain exploded! The many boils and shaking tendrils on its body burst violently and the whole corpse disintegrated sending caustic ichor in a shower that burned Telie and Laarus’ unmoving form. (2)
Bleys let loose with the spear, but at that same moment Victoria sidestepped and her own spear slammed against her back. Thankfully, her armor absorbed the blow. (3) Cursing, Telémahkos moved cautiously over and stabbed the other of the frog-things, but it would not fall.
“Get ‘em, boss!” Tymon encouraged, firing and missing again.
Timotheus managed to knock his foe from his feet, as Bleys, having run out of spears to grab from Victoria’s back, pulled his saber and joined the melee. Now he and Telémahkos and Victoria were surrounding the same one; Victoria fought in grim silence, seemingly never blinking. Telémahkos winced as once of his blows extracted a piece of the thing’s liver, but it did not fall. However, as it turned with it savage rage, Victoria was able to shove her spear through its torso. It croaked and turned back to face her, pulling itself up the shaft of the spear with excruciating effort, trying to bite her before collapsing, but it could not reach. Victoria pulled her spear free and without hesitation ran to aid Timotheus.
The frog-thing on the ground exploded, and once again Bleys felt the burning ichor splatter on his face and body. Tymon let another bolt loose and this one lodged itself through the remaining creature’s eye. Timotheus turned and pushed the charging Victoria back, as that one exploded as well; keeping them out of the radius of the blast.
Victoria of Anhur let out a long low breath as the fury of her god slipped from her mind and body, leaving a deep fatigue in its place. (4) She walked over to Laarus of Ra’s unconscious form and checked on him. He was not bleeding out. With a touch and a word to Anhur, the priest’s wounds began to close and his bruises faded and he stirred. (5) It broke the spell of momentary awe from the rest of the group as they considered the fighting prowess the militant had just displayed.
“Let’s get out of here,” Telémahkos said, as Laarus stood and then walked over to Bleys to close some of the watch-mage’s wounds with Ra’s help.
“Cousin, what are you doing?” Markos asked, leaping off the sloop. “Bleys will not be fighting in the front rank… If you choose to endanger us all by healing him instead of Tim, who is seriously wounded… Well, just be aware that that is what you’re doing…” Sensing that another argument was about to begin, Bleys the Aubergine began to wander around the beach looking for a recoverable bow or light crossbow from among the dead. Laarus ignored his cousin, healing himself further, and Victoria saw to Timotheus’ wounds. Telémahkos went down into the Sea Wyvern’s hold to see if there were any dangers down there, including any casks branded with the letter ‘Q’; there were none. Anything that had been on the ship had already been unloaded. Telie came back up and repeated his suggestion, “Let’s get out of here…”
“We need to figure out what happened here,” Victoria said.
“It seems these creatures were once men,” Bleys said, walking back over, not having found what he was looking for. “If there is some disease or infection that caused this we may already be exposed… We should not leave until we know more…”
“We can get on the ship and sail out a bit and try to figure out what happened from there,” Markos suggested.
Everyone else but Telémahkos disagreed. “We can’t get very far out because of the fires,” Tim said. “You said so your self…”
“So, we are we not leaving?” Telémahkos asked.
“It does not look that way,” Markos replied with a sigh of resignation.
“We need to look around more and figure out what is going on,” Timotheus echoed Bleys and Victoria’s sentiments. “Everybody keep your weapons ready, and load your crossbows…”
“This has all been a mistake,” Telémahkos sighed. “I was set up… It turns out the real reason my source wanted us to come here was to assassinate someone…” He pulled the square of paper Cokie had given him from his belt.
. . .to be continued…
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Notes:
(1) This is just a magic missile, but I allow for players to come up with their own visual effects for spells as long as it remains consistent. These effects are just for flavor and have no in-game benefit or drawback.
(2) While according to the unaltered savage template in the adventure, the creature explodes right away, I changed it to the next action to slightly weaken the creatures for a lower level group, but also because it then created a potential for tactical situations in how to battle them and escape from the range after they are defeated.
(3) If you fire a missile weapon into melee and someone is giving the target cover and you miss by an amount equal to or less than the amount of the cover, then the missile strikes the cover (i.e. the other person fighting) as long as the hit is good enough to hit their armor class anyway. In this case, the spear struck Victoria, but the attack roll was not enough to get through her armor.
(4) When a militant’s righteous fury is done, they are fatigued until they rest for a number of minutes equal to the number of rounds of fury. Barbarian rage works similarly in Aquerra.
(5) Laarus had taken non-lethal damage in the harrowing escape from the walkway, and so he was unconscious, but not mortally wounded (i.e. not at negative hit points).
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