"Second Son of a Second Son" - An Aquerra Story Hour (*finally* Updated 04/19)
- Thread starter el-remmen
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Telémakhos
First Post
Since I am following this Story Hour much more than OotFP, I see how frustrating it is not to have more people commenting.
Hopefully as things heat up and the poop really hits the fan, more people will pipe up.
BTW, continuing to have a lot of fun and love my character.
Hopefully as things heat up and the poop really hits the fan, more people will pipe up.
BTW, continuing to have a lot of fun and love my character.
el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
Session #6 – “Smuggler’s Gambit” (part 3 of 3)
Telémahkos handed the paper to Bleys.
“What?” Victoria was shocked.
“Then why did you agree?” Laarus asked.
“I did not agree… I was informed by that twelve-year-old girl… She gave me the paper with the name on it and informed me that his person was not to leave the cove,” Telémahkos explained. “By the time it was revealed to me I had no choice… We were already here.”
“And I assume you weren’t planning on going along with that?” Victoria asked with suspicion in her voice.
“No of course not! I said, she just told me… I did not agree to do it…” Telie replied.
“How is it you know this girl was the contact you were supposed to meet?” Bley the Aubergine asked.
“Well, I don’t, officially… The captain of the guard of New Harbinger put me in contact with Crumb and told me that then another of his agents would contact me after… By the way the girl said what I was to do, and her interactions with Crumb, it is safe to assume it was her…” Telémahkos explained. “I mean, it could be possible it is a case of mistaken identity, and there are many agents being sent in and out of the cove covertly… But regardless, I am not going to say anything to anyone because I have no leverage with which to accuse the captain of the guard, and all I would be accomplishing would be getting myself killed…”
There was a long silence as everyone mulled it over, but Telémahkos suddenly smiled broadly. “But lucky for me, we’ve gotten here and everybody is already dead!”
“And this Crumb? Did he know of your mission of assassination?” Bleys asked.
“I don’t know,” Telémahkos replied. “I don’t think so… Not specifically anyway…”
“But he did know this Oberto,” Bleys continued.
“Yes, but I would prefer if you just forgot that name,” Telie said, his smile fading again.
“Oberto? The captain of the New Harbinger guard? Servant of House Swann?” Bleys asked. “How could I forget it?”
“Look! For all we know he is just working against the smugglers the only way he can and is using me as an agent for the law,” Telémahkos tried.
Bleys raised an eyebrow.
“I hope you are not naïve enough to think that these things don’t happen!” Telie huffed.
“Things like what? Assassination?” Bleys said, his tone always flat. Was he mocking? One could never tell.
“Yes.”
“How did Oberto know to contact you?” Bleys continued his questioning.
“I believe it was because of Floris Tenbrook,” Telémahkos explained. “I am… I know some members of the Herald’s Guild, and he gave me a message to bring to the captain of the guard. It was a note. I did not mention it because it seemed a thing of confidence and seemed of no profit or concern to the group as a whole. However, now it seems it has embroiled me in all of this…”
“You do not know the content of the note?” Bleys asked.
“Correct.” Telie replied. “Floris Tenbrook acted very affably towards me and did not directly… Well, now looking back there was some innuendo… I guess he did… He did manipulate me. He sent me to the captain with the note…” He sighed.
“And you know nothing of this person? This, Harliss Javell?” Bleys asked.
“No, the note from the girl was the first I had seen the name.”
“Did you get a physical description?” Victoria asked.
“No.”
From deep within the caves somewhere they heard the echo of deep croaking. Markos looked across the beach and sighed, “I’m ready…”
“I want to finish inspecting the beach,” Bleys said.
“Didn’t you hear that? Why is everyone acting like they didn’t hear that?” Telie asked nervously.
“We heard it,” Timotheus said, losing his patience. “One thing at a time…” He walked over towards the cavern entrance; flail in hand keeping an eye out.
They found an opened case of wine with three bottles still intact. The labels bore silver grapes with purple leaves and read Remoli in red script, with a faux banner reading “wine of the holy grape.” When Tymon declared it a rare Red God wine worth as much as one hundred silver pieces a bottle, the crate was carefully carried onto the boat. They brought along with it a leather ten-pound bag of damp saffron that Markos dried with a quick cantrip.
The signers of the Charter of Schiereiland made ready to explore the closer entrance to the caves beyond. Timotheus took point, and Victoria was close behind with Laarus and then Bleys. Markos took up the rear, with Telémahkos and Tymon trailing to make sure nothing came around by way of the rail bridge to cut off their retreat.
The entrance was barely nine feet high and seven or eight feet wide and not far into it, it branched into two directions, with a hooded lantern hung there at the fork. It illuminated the dark cavern. From within to the left they could all now hear a loud chewing, and the sound of meat being torn from the bone.
“There could be survivors,” Victoria whispered.
“We should just go back to the boat,” Telie hissed up to his companions.
“We should find another way around into the room,” Bleys said, as he grabbed the lantern from the wall and began to withdraw. The others began to follow his lead, not wanting to be left in the dark, with Timotheus delaying, to make sure everyone would make it out. It was then that he saw two dark misshapen silhouettes appear at the entrance to the room marked “mess” on Telie’s crude map.
“There’s only two of them… We can take them!” Timotheus announced, eagerly. Victoria moved over and readied her spear as the two frogmen loped forward, their tall bounds arrested by the relatively low ceiling. Tim tried to wave them off by swinging his flail menacingly, but they fell upon him, worrying him with their jagged teeth, caustic saliva dripping down his side.
“Back up! Let them out so we can surround them!” Telémahkos called up.
“Strike and retreat!” Markos cried, but the battle was cramped chaos. He got a shot in with Telie’s heavy crossbow as Timotheus withdrew some and the bolt buried itself in chest of one of them, but it did not fall. The party slowly retreated drawing the two frogmen to the fork where Telémahkos waited hidden in shadow. He let loose with a dagger, but the weapon bounced around ineffectively, and one of the frogs turned to look at him. But as it stepped in that direction Tim’s flail caved its chest and it collapsed. It croaked and bit at him, but he knocked it away with his weapon as he leapt back to avoid the blast of acidic ichor. The body oozed away to almost nothing.
“Now it’s your turn,” Timotheus quipped as he turned to the other, but as he swung his flail with eager strength, he lost his grip on the thing and it went flying down the corridor towards the mess hall. “Uh… I meant to do that!” (1)
Laarus of Ra stepped in before the thing could take advantage of Tim’s sudden loss of weapon, slamming it in the face with his own flail. Telémahkos moved in to flank, dancing about with his rapier drawn, stabbing and retreating
“T.K. Get out of there!” Timotheus warned, as he drew his sabre. The frog-thing bit at him, but his armor repulsed the blow, but now Victoria moved in, having dropped her long spear; slamming at it with a morningstar. And Tymon, long sword drawn, moved in as well. It was surrounded and a moment later they cried out as it exploded in all directions, burning Tymon, Telémahkos and Laarus who did not get out the way in time.
“Hmmm, I think that went pretty well,” Timotheus said, smiling and taking his helmet off to wipe the sweat from his brow. Blood and dirt were smeared on his face. He was breathing hard, and beneath his dented armor, he was covered in bloody bruises.
“You look like you are going to die,” Telémahkos replied.
“Well, that happens in this business,” Tim said.
“It burns!” Telie said, suddenly wiping at a bit of the frog-ooze that dripped from his hair onto his shoulder.
“Aw! Don’t be such a baby!” Tim admonished playfully.
“Let’s see what they were distracting us from,” Victoria said, leading the way into the chamber the things had emerged from.
Telémahkos rushed into a corner and felt the hard lumps of the morning’s oatmeal come up and out of his mouth when he saw the entrails stretched about the former smuggler’s mess hall. They were twisted and chewed and the contents squeezed out. The chamber was truly a mess, with cracked bones, chipped wooden plates and smashed tables and benches. In one corner was pudgy black iron stove with a flue that went up into a crack in the ceiling.
Markos muttered a question regarding Telémahkos’ manhood, and Victoria glared at him. When he had gotten a hold of himself, Telémahkos, made his way over to the stove to see if anything or anyone was hidden back there, while Timotheus, lantern in one hand and sabre in the other, was led by Victoria down a narrow corridor-like cavern towards another room.
Victoria was startled as he heard a clatter on the darkened rock above her. Timotheus raised the lantern in time to see a long green and black lithe but misshaped reptilian form covered in alternate lizard hide and the rubbery flesh of the frog-things. It had a bulbous frog-head with an immense mouth filled with jagged teeth, but it had the short powerful arms of a lizardfolk, with black dripping claws. It let out a horrifying hiss-croak as it dropped. Biting Victoria deeply on the shoulder as it knocked her back.
“Draw it back into the room!” Victoria said, as she withdrew and Timotheus gave her room by backing up. Bleys hearing the commotion hurried over and waited with heavy crossbow loaded and aimed at the doorway.
“Master!” Tymon called to Telémahkos who was still looking in the deep far corner of the room.
“C’mon, you big slimy frog-f*cker!” Timotheus taunted as he came out into the room. Victoria grunted as her armor absorbed more blows from the thing’s claws and bite, backing into the mess hall as well. Bleys’ bolt cracked as it struck the stone wall above the thing’s head. Tymon fired a bolt that missed as well, but Markos’ hit the mark. Like the other froggish aberrations, this thing seemed oblivious to pain; its only motive force was a savage intent to devour and destroy.
“It must have been a lizardfolk before it was changed into a frog-thing like the smugglers,” Bleys said, starting to load his heavy crossbow again, as Timotheus rushed at the monster. But it leapt, springing on its muscular rear legs to brush the ceiling as it passed over the tall veteran, and land with a devastating bite to poor Tymon. The poor hireling did not even get a chance to look up from reloading his crossbow.
“Tymon!” Telémahkos cried as he came over and placed his lantern the floor away from the melee.
“Sagitta magicus! Markos cast, and a translucent arrow of blue watery light slammed into the lizard-frog.
Timotheus charged into it, allowing Tymon to withdraw, clutching at his many wounds. Tim’s sword slammed against it several times but its hide was warped and scabbing over from constant bursting blisters and green and yellow vibrating tendrils flicking caustic ichor, it was hard to cut. “Nephthys! Guard me!” he grunted a prayer. Laarus came around to flank the thing, and suffered a rending bite for it, even as his flail blows were knocked away by the thing’s sheer ferocity.
Tim gave some ground, and as the creature turned to claw him, it stumbled, twisting its ankle. (2) It limped on, oblivious to the pain. Timotheus set down his lamp and dropped his sword, drawing his flail. “C’mere, ya egg-sucking fiend!” Bleys let off a shot when he got an opening, but missed again, while Telémahkos continued to keep his distance, telling Tymon to do the same.
Victoria finally had room to maneuver and bring her long spear to bear. She stabbed it in the chest, drawing a gush of green blood. She pushed it back as Laarus and Tim bashed at it ineffectually. Suddenly, Telémahkos came tumbling past in front of Victoria, yelling for her not to stab him. He should have been more concerned with the monster. As he rolled up to his feet and thrust his rapier, he over extended himself, allowing the beast to lean over and bite him deeply in the side. A moment later, Telie was bleeding out on the damp sand strewn floor, amid the scattered intestines.
“Fall!” Laarus tried to command the thing in the name of Ra, as he stepped back But if it understood, it did not obey.
“Someone save Master Telémahkos!” Tymon cried out nervously, firing his crossbow and missing.
“Veneficus talum! Bleys chanted an arrow of white translucent light slammed into the beast unerringly.
As Victoria kneeled to close Telie’s wounds with a touch and a quick prayer to Anhur, Markos fired his crossbow again, and this time when the bolt buried itself in the thing’s chest. It drooped forward for a moment as if about to fall, and then suddenly exploded with new ferocity, the hard crests on its lizard back bursting into madly flicking yellow tendrils.
Laarus stepped back in amid the chaos and smashed it in the side of the head.
“If it drops it will explode like the others! Some one get Telémahkos out of the way!” Timotheus warned, stepping forward to smash his flail in the frogman-lizard’s face, as it clawed him.
It wavered, and as it fell, it reached up and ripped at Timotheus’ leg with its teeth, dragging the big warrior down. The pool of blood collecting around him, showed that he would not be getting back up without help. There was a sudden frenzy as the fear of the thing’s explosion into caustic ichor might kill Telémahkos and Tim occurred to them. Victoria bravely leapt upon the dead lizard thing, covering its body with her own, to absorb as much of the explosion herself, even as Tymon covered Telie as well. Markos was able to slam a broken piece of table between the dead thing and Telémahkos and his manservant just as it exploded, feeling some of the burn himself even as he shielded them.
Victoria rolled onto her back panting, the front of her armor scored by the ichor, and dozens of tiny round burns evident on her face and neck. Laarus was the only other one to take significant damage, and he was now unconscious as well. Victoria called to Anhur, “To see that your servants live to serve you another day…” And Laarus was kept from his descent through death’s door, while Bleys began to bind Tim’s wounds. Victoria came over and helped.
They dragged the wounded back to the beach on over-turned tables from the mess hall. They were placed as comfortably as possible down in the hold of the Sea Wyvern, and Markos made the sloop ready for setting sail. Bleys, Victoria and Tymon tried to push the boat off the bank twice, but it would not budge.
“I’m not sure we can do this, Markos,” Victoria said.
“You’re pathetic,” Markos spat back. Bleys frowned, and Victoria just ignored the slight.
The three of them pushed again, and then again, but still the sloop would not move. It was wedged deeply in the black sand.
“Whu… Why don’t…” Tymon swallowed his words.
“Yes, Tymon?” Bleys asked, wiping his brow of sweat.
“Why doesn’t Master Markos jump out and help us push?” The servant said. “If three of us could not do it, perhaps four could…”
“Every little bit helps,” Victoria said, looking up to the sailor-mage.
Markos sighed deeply and jumped off the sloop to help push. It only took one try.
“Told you,” Tymon said, smugly. “It was only a matter of apply the proper force to the mass…”
Markos brought the sloop about thirty feet from the beach and they dropped anchor. Victoria went down below to get some rest and tend to the wounded with Tymon’s help, as Bleys and Markos hunkered down behind the gunwales and kept watch – taking turning looking out beyond the cove and into the beach
The Sea Wyvern bobbed up and down turning this way and that in the swirling currents and eddies of the cove, but was held in place by the dropped anchor. The hull was painted a dull purple and the foresail was a yellow color with a dark purple draconic figure rising out of a stylized wave.
A couple of hours later, Markos hissed to Bleys and pointed out a small bidpedal creature that was stalking the beach. It was vaguely reptilian, with a long tail and powerful rear legs and short foreclaws, but its head was that of a misshapen frog, and its scaly hide was patched here and there with rubbery frog skin.
“Someone brought something here they should not have,” Bleys whispered as they watched the thing, sniff around a pile of crates and then smash through them. It looked powerful despite not being more than four feet tall. The creature hopped over to the walkway the party had entered the cove from and it disappeared up there for a time, but emerged again and went back into the caves.
Hours passed slowly. In the late afternoon Telémahkos and Laarus of Ra awakened achingly.
“So cold… so cold…” Telémahkos complained. “Tell Wilhelmina…”
“Who’s Wilemina?” Tymon asked, draping another blanked over Telie. “You are going to be okay, master…” Tymon explained how Markos had protected Telie and Tim from the exploding lizard-frog-thing with a piece of a table.
“Is there any reason why we should stay?” Markos asked the others.
“To see what caused this,” Bleys replied. “If it is a disease, we may be exposed, and thus we should not return to civilization until we know for certain…”
Victoria agreed.
“I may not even survive the night,” Telémahkos croaked. No one paid his complaints any mind.
Markos brought the Sea Wyvern another forty-five feet away from the beach, and a few hours later Timotheus awoke.
“Hey is everyone alright?” He asked, looking over to where Telémahkos lay in one of the hammocks. “Killer, are you okay?”
Telie just groaned.
“Hey! I killed that thing didn’t I?” Tim said, remembering the battle with the lizard-frog. “I’m great!” He said with a smile.
More rest was needed. The two mages continued their watch, and everyone else went back to sleep after chewing on some rations, and rain began to fill the cove with steam, smothering the remaining burning patches of burning whale oil.
Bleys the Aubergine pulled the hood of his cloak over his head and kept Timotheus’ longbow across his lap, covered from the damp. He sighed and standing, went to the rear of the sloop to relieve himself. As he returned, Markos cried out and pointed into the water in the direction of the beach. Bleys squinted, by portside stern. Two… No, three of the frogmen were reaching up to climb on to the boat.
“Isis, bless us!” With a foot up on the gunwale, Bleys Winter drew an arrow in Timotheus’ longbow and sent an arrow to bury itself in the climbing creature’s shoulder. It fell back into the water flailing, the water around it hissing where its ichor-blood touched it. “We are besieged!”
A bolt from Markos’ crossbow sent another splashing to the water, but it only delayed the creatures. They were soon making for the boat edge again. The third creature made it to the deck, but as it stood, another arrow from Bleys sent it careening off the sloop as well.
Casting mage armor, Markos ran around to the starboard side and called down into a porthole. “Wake the f*ck up!”
“We should draw them into the hold where only one can reach us at a time,” Bleys said. One of the frog-things, looking like green death itself, leapt onto the deck and bit the watch-mage as he dropped the bow and drew his saber.
Below, first to awaken, Victoria of Anhur in her nightshirt and trousers and cloak, came to the steps up to the deck spear in hand. There was confusion in the hold as the others awakened, hearing the commotion above but unable to see in the darkness. Timotheus called for someone to light a lantern as he fumbled around for his sword and shield.
“Tymon! Light a lamp!” Telémahkos echoed his cousin, his voice shrill with terror, as he grabbed his rapier and made his way to the end of the hold furthest from the hatch.
“Down! Down, foul beasts!” Bleys yelled, forgetting his usual cold demeanor in the desperation of battle. “You will find me most indigestible!” He hacked at them as they came in from either side of him, but his blows seemed to do little, as he drew back. Suddenly, Laarus of Ra came bursting out of the hold in his nightshirt and shield, and slammed one in the side of the face. The creature bit at him, and he leapt back. It slammed into the side of the entrance to the hold, and then fell over into the water.
Markos Ackers hurried down into the hold.
“Anhur, since you choose to throw challenges upon me, give me the wherewithal to face them!” Victoria prayed, and suddenly the head of her spear shone as if with torchlight. It was just in time to cast wild shadows as Laarus smashed another one of the things, but his arm was caught and yanked with great violence as the frog-thing made its final bite in its death throes. The priest of Ra collapsed, inches away from death’s door, but still conscious. (3) He crawled back down the steps of the hold to avoid the area of the thing’s ichor explosion, and Bleys followed him, protecting the unarmored priest with the mage armor spell.
The deck hissed as droplets of the caustic ichor splattered everywhere, leaving tiny pockmarks in the wood. Another of the frog-men came around the corner and began the awkward climb down the steps into the hold. Laarus and Bleys made room for Victoria, who thrust her spear through the thing’s swollen neck from a safe distance with the reach of her spear. It exploded, marking the wood around it, but not hurting anyone. She stepped forward, wondering if any were left, when the one that fell overboard appeared at the top of the stairs. She finished it with another spear thrust, and withdrew to let it explode as well.
“Let’s take this opportunity to move the ship further away from the beach… Shall we?” Markos said, hurrying out onto the deck to get things ready. Tymon and Telémahkos moved to help him, while Bleys and the others kept watch.
They sailed an hour to the southwest, leaving the cove far behind in the darkness of night. They lay anchor, and Tymon took the second watch while the young nobles rested.
End of Session #6
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Notes:
(1) Timotheus suffered a critical fumble: Lose Grip on Weapon. Make Dexterity check (DC 20) or drop weapon.
(2) The creature suffered a critical fumble: Twist Ankle. Speed reduced by 10 feet until 10 minutes of rest is taken.
(3) Laarus was at 0 hps.
Telémahkos handed the paper to Bleys.
“What?” Victoria was shocked.
“Then why did you agree?” Laarus asked.
“I did not agree… I was informed by that twelve-year-old girl… She gave me the paper with the name on it and informed me that his person was not to leave the cove,” Telémahkos explained. “By the time it was revealed to me I had no choice… We were already here.”
“And I assume you weren’t planning on going along with that?” Victoria asked with suspicion in her voice.
“No of course not! I said, she just told me… I did not agree to do it…” Telie replied.
“How is it you know this girl was the contact you were supposed to meet?” Bley the Aubergine asked.
“Well, I don’t, officially… The captain of the guard of New Harbinger put me in contact with Crumb and told me that then another of his agents would contact me after… By the way the girl said what I was to do, and her interactions with Crumb, it is safe to assume it was her…” Telémahkos explained. “I mean, it could be possible it is a case of mistaken identity, and there are many agents being sent in and out of the cove covertly… But regardless, I am not going to say anything to anyone because I have no leverage with which to accuse the captain of the guard, and all I would be accomplishing would be getting myself killed…”
There was a long silence as everyone mulled it over, but Telémahkos suddenly smiled broadly. “But lucky for me, we’ve gotten here and everybody is already dead!”
“And this Crumb? Did he know of your mission of assassination?” Bleys asked.
“I don’t know,” Telémahkos replied. “I don’t think so… Not specifically anyway…”
“But he did know this Oberto,” Bleys continued.
“Yes, but I would prefer if you just forgot that name,” Telie said, his smile fading again.
“Oberto? The captain of the New Harbinger guard? Servant of House Swann?” Bleys asked. “How could I forget it?”
“Look! For all we know he is just working against the smugglers the only way he can and is using me as an agent for the law,” Telémahkos tried.
Bleys raised an eyebrow.
“I hope you are not naïve enough to think that these things don’t happen!” Telie huffed.
“Things like what? Assassination?” Bleys said, his tone always flat. Was he mocking? One could never tell.
“Yes.”
“How did Oberto know to contact you?” Bleys continued his questioning.
“I believe it was because of Floris Tenbrook,” Telémahkos explained. “I am… I know some members of the Herald’s Guild, and he gave me a message to bring to the captain of the guard. It was a note. I did not mention it because it seemed a thing of confidence and seemed of no profit or concern to the group as a whole. However, now it seems it has embroiled me in all of this…”
“You do not know the content of the note?” Bleys asked.
“Correct.” Telie replied. “Floris Tenbrook acted very affably towards me and did not directly… Well, now looking back there was some innuendo… I guess he did… He did manipulate me. He sent me to the captain with the note…” He sighed.
“And you know nothing of this person? This, Harliss Javell?” Bleys asked.
“No, the note from the girl was the first I had seen the name.”
“Did you get a physical description?” Victoria asked.
“No.”
From deep within the caves somewhere they heard the echo of deep croaking. Markos looked across the beach and sighed, “I’m ready…”
“I want to finish inspecting the beach,” Bleys said.
“Didn’t you hear that? Why is everyone acting like they didn’t hear that?” Telie asked nervously.
“We heard it,” Timotheus said, losing his patience. “One thing at a time…” He walked over towards the cavern entrance; flail in hand keeping an eye out.
They found an opened case of wine with three bottles still intact. The labels bore silver grapes with purple leaves and read Remoli in red script, with a faux banner reading “wine of the holy grape.” When Tymon declared it a rare Red God wine worth as much as one hundred silver pieces a bottle, the crate was carefully carried onto the boat. They brought along with it a leather ten-pound bag of damp saffron that Markos dried with a quick cantrip.
The signers of the Charter of Schiereiland made ready to explore the closer entrance to the caves beyond. Timotheus took point, and Victoria was close behind with Laarus and then Bleys. Markos took up the rear, with Telémahkos and Tymon trailing to make sure nothing came around by way of the rail bridge to cut off their retreat.
The entrance was barely nine feet high and seven or eight feet wide and not far into it, it branched into two directions, with a hooded lantern hung there at the fork. It illuminated the dark cavern. From within to the left they could all now hear a loud chewing, and the sound of meat being torn from the bone.
“There could be survivors,” Victoria whispered.
“We should just go back to the boat,” Telie hissed up to his companions.
“We should find another way around into the room,” Bleys said, as he grabbed the lantern from the wall and began to withdraw. The others began to follow his lead, not wanting to be left in the dark, with Timotheus delaying, to make sure everyone would make it out. It was then that he saw two dark misshapen silhouettes appear at the entrance to the room marked “mess” on Telie’s crude map.
“There’s only two of them… We can take them!” Timotheus announced, eagerly. Victoria moved over and readied her spear as the two frogmen loped forward, their tall bounds arrested by the relatively low ceiling. Tim tried to wave them off by swinging his flail menacingly, but they fell upon him, worrying him with their jagged teeth, caustic saliva dripping down his side.
“Back up! Let them out so we can surround them!” Telémahkos called up.
“Strike and retreat!” Markos cried, but the battle was cramped chaos. He got a shot in with Telie’s heavy crossbow as Timotheus withdrew some and the bolt buried itself in chest of one of them, but it did not fall. The party slowly retreated drawing the two frogmen to the fork where Telémahkos waited hidden in shadow. He let loose with a dagger, but the weapon bounced around ineffectively, and one of the frogs turned to look at him. But as it stepped in that direction Tim’s flail caved its chest and it collapsed. It croaked and bit at him, but he knocked it away with his weapon as he leapt back to avoid the blast of acidic ichor. The body oozed away to almost nothing.
“Now it’s your turn,” Timotheus quipped as he turned to the other, but as he swung his flail with eager strength, he lost his grip on the thing and it went flying down the corridor towards the mess hall. “Uh… I meant to do that!” (1)
Laarus of Ra stepped in before the thing could take advantage of Tim’s sudden loss of weapon, slamming it in the face with his own flail. Telémahkos moved in to flank, dancing about with his rapier drawn, stabbing and retreating
“T.K. Get out of there!” Timotheus warned, as he drew his sabre. The frog-thing bit at him, but his armor repulsed the blow, but now Victoria moved in, having dropped her long spear; slamming at it with a morningstar. And Tymon, long sword drawn, moved in as well. It was surrounded and a moment later they cried out as it exploded in all directions, burning Tymon, Telémahkos and Laarus who did not get out the way in time.
“Hmmm, I think that went pretty well,” Timotheus said, smiling and taking his helmet off to wipe the sweat from his brow. Blood and dirt were smeared on his face. He was breathing hard, and beneath his dented armor, he was covered in bloody bruises.
“You look like you are going to die,” Telémahkos replied.
“Well, that happens in this business,” Tim said.
“It burns!” Telie said, suddenly wiping at a bit of the frog-ooze that dripped from his hair onto his shoulder.
“Aw! Don’t be such a baby!” Tim admonished playfully.
“Let’s see what they were distracting us from,” Victoria said, leading the way into the chamber the things had emerged from.
Telémahkos rushed into a corner and felt the hard lumps of the morning’s oatmeal come up and out of his mouth when he saw the entrails stretched about the former smuggler’s mess hall. They were twisted and chewed and the contents squeezed out. The chamber was truly a mess, with cracked bones, chipped wooden plates and smashed tables and benches. In one corner was pudgy black iron stove with a flue that went up into a crack in the ceiling.
Markos muttered a question regarding Telémahkos’ manhood, and Victoria glared at him. When he had gotten a hold of himself, Telémahkos, made his way over to the stove to see if anything or anyone was hidden back there, while Timotheus, lantern in one hand and sabre in the other, was led by Victoria down a narrow corridor-like cavern towards another room.
Victoria was startled as he heard a clatter on the darkened rock above her. Timotheus raised the lantern in time to see a long green and black lithe but misshaped reptilian form covered in alternate lizard hide and the rubbery flesh of the frog-things. It had a bulbous frog-head with an immense mouth filled with jagged teeth, but it had the short powerful arms of a lizardfolk, with black dripping claws. It let out a horrifying hiss-croak as it dropped. Biting Victoria deeply on the shoulder as it knocked her back.
“Draw it back into the room!” Victoria said, as she withdrew and Timotheus gave her room by backing up. Bleys hearing the commotion hurried over and waited with heavy crossbow loaded and aimed at the doorway.
“Master!” Tymon called to Telémahkos who was still looking in the deep far corner of the room.
“C’mon, you big slimy frog-f*cker!” Timotheus taunted as he came out into the room. Victoria grunted as her armor absorbed more blows from the thing’s claws and bite, backing into the mess hall as well. Bleys’ bolt cracked as it struck the stone wall above the thing’s head. Tymon fired a bolt that missed as well, but Markos’ hit the mark. Like the other froggish aberrations, this thing seemed oblivious to pain; its only motive force was a savage intent to devour and destroy.
“It must have been a lizardfolk before it was changed into a frog-thing like the smugglers,” Bleys said, starting to load his heavy crossbow again, as Timotheus rushed at the monster. But it leapt, springing on its muscular rear legs to brush the ceiling as it passed over the tall veteran, and land with a devastating bite to poor Tymon. The poor hireling did not even get a chance to look up from reloading his crossbow.
“Tymon!” Telémahkos cried as he came over and placed his lantern the floor away from the melee.
“Sagitta magicus! Markos cast, and a translucent arrow of blue watery light slammed into the lizard-frog.
Timotheus charged into it, allowing Tymon to withdraw, clutching at his many wounds. Tim’s sword slammed against it several times but its hide was warped and scabbing over from constant bursting blisters and green and yellow vibrating tendrils flicking caustic ichor, it was hard to cut. “Nephthys! Guard me!” he grunted a prayer. Laarus came around to flank the thing, and suffered a rending bite for it, even as his flail blows were knocked away by the thing’s sheer ferocity.
Tim gave some ground, and as the creature turned to claw him, it stumbled, twisting its ankle. (2) It limped on, oblivious to the pain. Timotheus set down his lamp and dropped his sword, drawing his flail. “C’mere, ya egg-sucking fiend!” Bleys let off a shot when he got an opening, but missed again, while Telémahkos continued to keep his distance, telling Tymon to do the same.
Victoria finally had room to maneuver and bring her long spear to bear. She stabbed it in the chest, drawing a gush of green blood. She pushed it back as Laarus and Tim bashed at it ineffectually. Suddenly, Telémahkos came tumbling past in front of Victoria, yelling for her not to stab him. He should have been more concerned with the monster. As he rolled up to his feet and thrust his rapier, he over extended himself, allowing the beast to lean over and bite him deeply in the side. A moment later, Telie was bleeding out on the damp sand strewn floor, amid the scattered intestines.
“Fall!” Laarus tried to command the thing in the name of Ra, as he stepped back But if it understood, it did not obey.
“Someone save Master Telémahkos!” Tymon cried out nervously, firing his crossbow and missing.
“Veneficus talum! Bleys chanted an arrow of white translucent light slammed into the beast unerringly.
As Victoria kneeled to close Telie’s wounds with a touch and a quick prayer to Anhur, Markos fired his crossbow again, and this time when the bolt buried itself in the thing’s chest. It drooped forward for a moment as if about to fall, and then suddenly exploded with new ferocity, the hard crests on its lizard back bursting into madly flicking yellow tendrils.
Laarus stepped back in amid the chaos and smashed it in the side of the head.
“If it drops it will explode like the others! Some one get Telémahkos out of the way!” Timotheus warned, stepping forward to smash his flail in the frogman-lizard’s face, as it clawed him.
It wavered, and as it fell, it reached up and ripped at Timotheus’ leg with its teeth, dragging the big warrior down. The pool of blood collecting around him, showed that he would not be getting back up without help. There was a sudden frenzy as the fear of the thing’s explosion into caustic ichor might kill Telémahkos and Tim occurred to them. Victoria bravely leapt upon the dead lizard thing, covering its body with her own, to absorb as much of the explosion herself, even as Tymon covered Telie as well. Markos was able to slam a broken piece of table between the dead thing and Telémahkos and his manservant just as it exploded, feeling some of the burn himself even as he shielded them.
Victoria rolled onto her back panting, the front of her armor scored by the ichor, and dozens of tiny round burns evident on her face and neck. Laarus was the only other one to take significant damage, and he was now unconscious as well. Victoria called to Anhur, “To see that your servants live to serve you another day…” And Laarus was kept from his descent through death’s door, while Bleys began to bind Tim’s wounds. Victoria came over and helped.
They dragged the wounded back to the beach on over-turned tables from the mess hall. They were placed as comfortably as possible down in the hold of the Sea Wyvern, and Markos made the sloop ready for setting sail. Bleys, Victoria and Tymon tried to push the boat off the bank twice, but it would not budge.
“I’m not sure we can do this, Markos,” Victoria said.
“You’re pathetic,” Markos spat back. Bleys frowned, and Victoria just ignored the slight.
The three of them pushed again, and then again, but still the sloop would not move. It was wedged deeply in the black sand.
“Whu… Why don’t…” Tymon swallowed his words.
“Yes, Tymon?” Bleys asked, wiping his brow of sweat.
“Why doesn’t Master Markos jump out and help us push?” The servant said. “If three of us could not do it, perhaps four could…”
“Every little bit helps,” Victoria said, looking up to the sailor-mage.
Markos sighed deeply and jumped off the sloop to help push. It only took one try.
“Told you,” Tymon said, smugly. “It was only a matter of apply the proper force to the mass…”
Markos brought the sloop about thirty feet from the beach and they dropped anchor. Victoria went down below to get some rest and tend to the wounded with Tymon’s help, as Bleys and Markos hunkered down behind the gunwales and kept watch – taking turning looking out beyond the cove and into the beach
The Sea Wyvern bobbed up and down turning this way and that in the swirling currents and eddies of the cove, but was held in place by the dropped anchor. The hull was painted a dull purple and the foresail was a yellow color with a dark purple draconic figure rising out of a stylized wave.
A couple of hours later, Markos hissed to Bleys and pointed out a small bidpedal creature that was stalking the beach. It was vaguely reptilian, with a long tail and powerful rear legs and short foreclaws, but its head was that of a misshapen frog, and its scaly hide was patched here and there with rubbery frog skin.
“Someone brought something here they should not have,” Bleys whispered as they watched the thing, sniff around a pile of crates and then smash through them. It looked powerful despite not being more than four feet tall. The creature hopped over to the walkway the party had entered the cove from and it disappeared up there for a time, but emerged again and went back into the caves.
Hours passed slowly. In the late afternoon Telémahkos and Laarus of Ra awakened achingly.
“So cold… so cold…” Telémahkos complained. “Tell Wilhelmina…”
“Who’s Wilemina?” Tymon asked, draping another blanked over Telie. “You are going to be okay, master…” Tymon explained how Markos had protected Telie and Tim from the exploding lizard-frog-thing with a piece of a table.
“Is there any reason why we should stay?” Markos asked the others.
“To see what caused this,” Bleys replied. “If it is a disease, we may be exposed, and thus we should not return to civilization until we know for certain…”
Victoria agreed.
“I may not even survive the night,” Telémahkos croaked. No one paid his complaints any mind.
Markos brought the Sea Wyvern another forty-five feet away from the beach, and a few hours later Timotheus awoke.
“Hey is everyone alright?” He asked, looking over to where Telémahkos lay in one of the hammocks. “Killer, are you okay?”
Telie just groaned.
“Hey! I killed that thing didn’t I?” Tim said, remembering the battle with the lizard-frog. “I’m great!” He said with a smile.
More rest was needed. The two mages continued their watch, and everyone else went back to sleep after chewing on some rations, and rain began to fill the cove with steam, smothering the remaining burning patches of burning whale oil.
Bleys the Aubergine pulled the hood of his cloak over his head and kept Timotheus’ longbow across his lap, covered from the damp. He sighed and standing, went to the rear of the sloop to relieve himself. As he returned, Markos cried out and pointed into the water in the direction of the beach. Bleys squinted, by portside stern. Two… No, three of the frogmen were reaching up to climb on to the boat.
“Isis, bless us!” With a foot up on the gunwale, Bleys Winter drew an arrow in Timotheus’ longbow and sent an arrow to bury itself in the climbing creature’s shoulder. It fell back into the water flailing, the water around it hissing where its ichor-blood touched it. “We are besieged!”
A bolt from Markos’ crossbow sent another splashing to the water, but it only delayed the creatures. They were soon making for the boat edge again. The third creature made it to the deck, but as it stood, another arrow from Bleys sent it careening off the sloop as well.
Casting mage armor, Markos ran around to the starboard side and called down into a porthole. “Wake the f*ck up!”
“We should draw them into the hold where only one can reach us at a time,” Bleys said. One of the frog-things, looking like green death itself, leapt onto the deck and bit the watch-mage as he dropped the bow and drew his saber.
Below, first to awaken, Victoria of Anhur in her nightshirt and trousers and cloak, came to the steps up to the deck spear in hand. There was confusion in the hold as the others awakened, hearing the commotion above but unable to see in the darkness. Timotheus called for someone to light a lantern as he fumbled around for his sword and shield.
“Tymon! Light a lamp!” Telémahkos echoed his cousin, his voice shrill with terror, as he grabbed his rapier and made his way to the end of the hold furthest from the hatch.
“Down! Down, foul beasts!” Bleys yelled, forgetting his usual cold demeanor in the desperation of battle. “You will find me most indigestible!” He hacked at them as they came in from either side of him, but his blows seemed to do little, as he drew back. Suddenly, Laarus of Ra came bursting out of the hold in his nightshirt and shield, and slammed one in the side of the face. The creature bit at him, and he leapt back. It slammed into the side of the entrance to the hold, and then fell over into the water.
Markos Ackers hurried down into the hold.
“Anhur, since you choose to throw challenges upon me, give me the wherewithal to face them!” Victoria prayed, and suddenly the head of her spear shone as if with torchlight. It was just in time to cast wild shadows as Laarus smashed another one of the things, but his arm was caught and yanked with great violence as the frog-thing made its final bite in its death throes. The priest of Ra collapsed, inches away from death’s door, but still conscious. (3) He crawled back down the steps of the hold to avoid the area of the thing’s ichor explosion, and Bleys followed him, protecting the unarmored priest with the mage armor spell.
The deck hissed as droplets of the caustic ichor splattered everywhere, leaving tiny pockmarks in the wood. Another of the frog-men came around the corner and began the awkward climb down the steps into the hold. Laarus and Bleys made room for Victoria, who thrust her spear through the thing’s swollen neck from a safe distance with the reach of her spear. It exploded, marking the wood around it, but not hurting anyone. She stepped forward, wondering if any were left, when the one that fell overboard appeared at the top of the stairs. She finished it with another spear thrust, and withdrew to let it explode as well.
“Let’s take this opportunity to move the ship further away from the beach… Shall we?” Markos said, hurrying out onto the deck to get things ready. Tymon and Telémahkos moved to help him, while Bleys and the others kept watch.
They sailed an hour to the southwest, leaving the cove far behind in the darkness of night. They lay anchor, and Tymon took the second watch while the young nobles rested.
End of Session #6
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Notes:
(1) Timotheus suffered a critical fumble: Lose Grip on Weapon. Make Dexterity check (DC 20) or drop weapon.
(2) The creature suffered a critical fumble: Twist Ankle. Speed reduced by 10 feet until 10 minutes of rest is taken.
(3) Laarus was at 0 hps.
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Gold Roger
First Post
I really liked the last two updates. The group really shines especially in the last one, maybe because they don't get to bicker so much (though they still do-which is great) and get to kick some great ass against weird frog mutants (especially Victoria comes of as very capable).
Loved the scene when one of the things in the mess is about to expode and desperate measures are taken to save the unconscious members.
I sadly don't own the adventure (The issue is sold out everywhere in germany I've looked so far), though I have the two thereafter and played the first adventure in a PBP.
How likely is it that we'll see the third adventure as well? I thought it read great (I'll definitely try to integrate it in my next campaign) and it would definitely be a hoot with this group.
Loved the scene when one of the things in the mess is about to expode and desperate measures are taken to save the unconscious members.
I sadly don't own the adventure (The issue is sold out everywhere in germany I've looked so far), though I have the two thereafter and played the first adventure in a PBP.
How likely is it that we'll see the third adventure as well? I thought it read great (I'll definitely try to integrate it in my next campaign) and it would definitely be a hoot with this group.
el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
Gold Roger said:
If the opportunity presents itself, then I will run the third adventure (the only other one I own, I think - i might own the fourth one) as it will be appropriate. . . But if so, it will not happen for an other level or two.
Overall, my version of the Savage Tide is based on the outline given in the issue before the first adventure was printed, and what reading that inspired.
Thanks for reading!
Ciaran
First Post
Oh yeah, compliment the priestess, not the fighter. Timotheus gets no respect!Gold Roger said:
Seriously though, she is capable and competent, even if she does tend to be quiet and a bit socially awkward. Anhur smiles upon her. Plus, it's sort of a rule that the less someone talks in general, the more attention you pay when they actually do speak up.
handforged
First Post
I too enjoyed the action in the last two posts. The complications of the exploding corpses is a nice touch to the battles. And the bickering makes more sense when there is actually something going on to bicker about.
Good job Nemm.
~hf
Good job Nemm.
~hf
el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
Session #7 – “Negotiations & Love Songs” (Part 1 of 3) (1)
Ralem, the 22nd of Sek – 566 H.E. (637 M.Y.)
Timotheus stirred and made his way up onto the deck where Victoria was keeping watch. Laarus, always an early riser, was quietly praying to Ra for his spells. The priest of Ra faced east on his knees, arms stretched out before him.
“Hey Victoria! Wanna lay those healing hands on me?” Timotheus asked the militant, sounding lascivious. She scowled at him, but soon curing spells were doled out all the way around, except for Markos who had recovered remarkably well.
Telémahkos and Timotheus praised Ra and Anhur as a way of thanking their priestly companions, and the former gave Laarus a couple of coins to bring to the church in his name.
The priest was surprised.
“Look!” Laarus pointed to the southwest. At the edge of their vision a glint of red became the billow of a sail, and then the distant blurred form turned to the east and hovered for a while like a mirage.
“Are those oars?” Victoria asked.
“I think so,” Markos replied. “That is a big ship… A lot bigger than us… Is it safe to assume we don’t want to be seen if we can avoid it?”
“Can you see their colors? Who do you think they are?” Victoria asked.
“I don’t know,” Markos said.
“Pirates?” Timotheus speculated.
“I don’t know,” Markos said. “They could be anybody…”
“But we should be able to tell who they are by their colors, correct?” Victoria asked.
“I do not know who they are,” Markos said, with exasperation. “We have no way of guessing who they are unless they were closer, but we don’t want them closer. So can we please stop talking about ‘who they are’ and move on to ‘what are we going to do’? And if everybody agrees that we want to avoid contact, I’d like to set sail right away…”
“Can we avoid them?” Victoria asked.
“We can certainly try,” Markos replied with condescension. “Does anybody object…? No? Good.” He set to getting the sloop ready to go.
“But we don’t want to look like we’re running away,” Timotheus complained. “If they’re looking for trouble a sign of weakness will certainly attract them…”
“Don’t worry,” Markos replied, rolling his eyes. “I’ll sail casual…” He turned the sloop north for some time, until the other ship was way out of sight.
As he took down the sail with Tymon’s help, Markos frowned at the gaudy and obvious markings on it, and called to the others. “We’re going to want to change this sail at first opportunity… Uh, it’s of poor quality, and the hull needs some work, so when that is done, might as well repaint it, too.”
“I’m sorry, have we decided what we plan to do with this vessel?” Victoria asked. “Are we keeping it?”
“We’re gonna sell it,” Timotheus said.
“Yes, if we plan to keep it and sell it, then we should probably change the sail and re-paint the hull,” Markos said.
“We can sail it back to Schiereiland and then go fight hobgoblins,” Timotheus suggested with his usual smile.
“At this point, hobgoblins sounds good to me,” Telémahkos sighed.
“That’s two votes for hobgoblins!” Tim cheered.
“This ship may have a rightful owner,” Victoria said. “And if that can be determined then it will need to be returned to them. We should not be premature.”
“It would be impossible to ever determine this ship’s rightful owner, even if there is one,” Markos said.
“Are there not registries for such things?” Victoria asked. Markos sneered, as he’d hoped she might not know of such things because of her unfamiliarity with sea travel. “Ships are costly…” She turned to the priest of Ra, “Brother Laarus, where is your mind on this matter?”
“Well…” Laarus began, but Markos jumped in. “Think about where we found this ship! In a smuggler’s cover and everybody was dead!”
“If we should return to Kraken’s Cove and find the owners dead or pirates, it is within the law for us to claim this as booty,” Laarus of Ra said. “But if we can find out who really owns this sloop then justice will be served one way or another.”
“And like I said, it will be near impossible to determine,” Markos said.
“Jozef Winter is the Harbormaster of Sluetelot,” Bleys the Aubergine said, speaking up on the subject for the first time. “I am certain he would allow me to peruse the registries there…”
Markos Ackers threw his hands up in the air in defeat.
“Should we not be heading back to the Cove to finish our work there?” Bleys asked, changing the subject of the conversation.
As Timotheus Smith was still injured and the priests had used all their daily granted spells to heal the others, it was agreed to wait another full day before returning to the cove, despite Bleys’ desire otherwise. Telémahkos suggested returning to Tribunisport and altogether forgetting the cove, but no one took his suggestion seriously.
“I think at the very least it would be prudent for us to anchor closer to the cove so we might see if any ships arrive, or any that might have arrived in our absence, leave,” Bleys said. Victoria and Laarus agreed, but Markos was against it, fearing that if a ship did come not only would they be able to see it, but it would be able to see them. Telémahkos agreed, but was also curious about the activities of the frog-men themselves.
“Smugliwugs,” Bleys said.
“What?” asked Victoria.
“I heard Timotheus refer to them as smugliwugs,” the watch-mage said, never breaking a smile while saying the silly word.
Markos called for a vote, and the majority went with Bleys. Once again, Markos made ready to move the sloop.
By mid-morning the Sea Wyvern was within sight of the cove entrance, but just north of it. The beach itself was obscured by the shadow of the bluff and the glare of the sun, but if anything of a reasonable size came or went, the signers of the Charter of Schiereiland would be able to see it. Markos did most of the sailing himself, enlisting the aid of Tymon or Timotheus with terse instructions, while Telémahkos and Bleys were down in the hold, the latter having asked the former to talk privately.
Meanwhile, Markos and Timotheus had a long detailed talk about tactics that left the former exasperated. Markos wanted to develop an elaborate method for striking at opponents in a coordinated fashion, but Timotheus was skeptical.
“Battle can be too chaotic for that,” Timotheus said. “Better if we just have a tactical leader that can assess the situation and everybody listens to in those circumstances.”
“True, but we should still have some sort of plan set up,” Markos found ways to disagree even when he agreed, and went on to bore the veteran soldier with the details of how he thought tactics should work. Tim humored him.
Below, Bleys the Aubergine pressed Telémahkos about the origins of his information about the plot against House Wetherwax, and Telie admitted that he might have been too hasty in making the connection between the rumor of the attack and coming from Kraken’s Cove. (2)
“Could the attack on the royal navy come from another venue?” Bleys asked. “Could it not be the result of some political deceits and deceptions? Some internal feud that would be more difficult to entangle than the mere motives of some pirates?”
“It certainly could be,” Telémahkos replied. He went on to explain some of the on-going disagreements, machinations and struggles for power that happened in his own noble house. “But what makes you think that it is…?”
“I warn you, that what you hear from me now, I cannot further corroborate or attest to how I should have come upon its knowledge. These are words shared only between us, but I can confirm reports of just such a threat." Bleys the Aubergine said, taking Telie by surprise.
“On House Wetherwax?” Telie asked, in shock.
“Yes,” said Bleys
“And is it to be perpetrated by one of our member Houses?” Telémahkos asked.
“Not Briareus or Ostrander, nor Raymer have any direct dealings in the matter,” Bleys replied with specificity. “The Houses involved are further removed…”
“Your secret is safe with me,” Telémahkos replied with a wink.
There were raised voices from above and their conversation was interrupted, as the distant red-sailed ship had been spotted again. A faultless bird had landed up on the mast, and Markos climbed up to see if it bore a message, he noticed the glint of growing red. It was coming from the northwest now, cutting in such a way that they could see the change in light along its side as its many oars rose high into the air rhythmically.
Markos had Timotheus raise the sail as he and Tymon, with Laarus’ help, got the sails ready to move the sloop again, to anchor in a position south of the cove entrance.
“Telie and Bleys sure have been down there a long time,” Timotheus commented.
“Maybe they are alleviating their loneliness with Thrician kissing,” Markos laughed. (3)
“That happens at sea,” Tymon said without a hint of irony, which caused Markos and Tim to laugh even harder. Even Laarus cracked a smile, but Victoria did not appreciate the humor.
Telémahkos and Bleys only paused to listen to the commotion above. Since no one called them and there was no sound of danger, they continued.
“You know, talking with you now and thinking back to the times I met you when we were younger, I have to wonder what happened to the boy I knew…” Telémahkos said with growing familiarity. “I just remember you playing at knights with us even though you were a little older… You just seemed carefree back then and full of joy…”
“Do you think I wanted to become a watch-mage?” Bleys asked rhetorically. “You, more than anyone here, should know that I only ever wanted to become the stalwart knight, like warriors of old, in defense of hearth, home and kingdom. Like Hogarth, my older brother, my father before him, and his father, but alas, as it was, my father had other plans for me. And as it is, I know my duty, for we too are ‘Proud to Serve." (4)
“You are a bigger man than me, but we are more alike than you think,” Telie replied with a sigh. “Do you believe that by joining this Charter I am fulfilling my own desires and not the design of my father? I do not know if I have the fortitude to always obey my father’s wishes as you do with yours…"
“And what of your duty to Paulien and her children?” Bleys asked. (5) “That is the most important duty you can fulfill in my eyes…”
“Your sister, niece and nephew will have a place of honor second only to my own wife and children if I establish my own estate," Telémahkos replied.
“She is your sister, they are your niece and nephew as well,” Bleys reminded his companion. “She went to your family and is the widow of your brother…”
Telémahkos nodded his understanding. “And that is why I want to establish my own keep in the Disputed Territories and have my own means. And it for that reason I have to pay the political game and keep aware of the dirt swirling around us…”
“Long I have resisted opening my mind to the machinations of the noble houses and the others that would have power, but it would seem if I am to fulfill my role as watch-mage, I have no choice…”
A little later as Telémahkos came back up onto the deck as they passed the cove entrance seeking a new anchoring spot, they heard a loud hammering echoing from the dark shadows within. It had a quick violent rhythm, and it stopped suddenly, though a few of the young nobles thought they might have heard it more faintly and even more briefly.
“Perhaps it is a survivor, devising a way to leave the cove,” Laarus suggested.
“You think they’re building a ship?” Timotheus said with his typical broad smile and playful wink. He ran his fingers across his cropped red hair, thinking it was growing out of its soldier’s length.
“A raft!” Telémahkos replied.
“Then we should go and deal with it,” Timotheus replied, getting serious. “We don’t want those things sailing away…”
“And get killed on the beach before we have barely gotten off the sloop… Good idea,” Telémahkos replied with obvious sarcasm.
Since the hammering had stopped and they knew they could see anything coming out of the cove they decided to continued to wait and spend their day resting. Afternoon was growing long, as Ra’s Glory disappeared behind the tall bluff of the shore, and the hours stretched out into infinitesimal degrees of darkness that crept in from the east.
Bleys the Aubergine and Telémahkos Briareus took the first watch together, and continued their friendly talk in careful voices that never became the harsh hissing of whispers. Some time in the middle of their watch their heard the echo of the hammering again. It was longer this time, and not too long a silence passed before they heard it again. They waited expectantly for the sound to come again, but it did not, and after a time they continued with their talk, Telémahkos telling Bleys about his ambitious cousins the Ethons. (6)
Hours later as the second watch became the third, they heard some brief hammering that was stopped by a great roaring croak echo out of the cove.
“Has that hammering and roaring been going on all night?” Laarus asked.
“No, they heard the hammering on first watch, but the roar is something new,” Timotheus explained to the priest.
Isilem, the 23rd of Sek – 566 H.E. (637 M.Y.)
Sometime after dawn, the signers of the Charter of Schiereiland made ready to return to the cove. Laarus and Victoria prayed for spells, while Timotheus prepared arrows with strips of cloth he had left steeped in oil overnight, hoping his makeshift incendiary arrows would help against the savage frog-men. After some more healing was doled out, they all heard the croaking roar echo out of the dim cove once again.
“What is that?” Timotheus asked.
“More than likely it is the most lizard-like thing that Markos and I saw when we were standing watch the other night,” Bleys replied. “It was some kind of two-legged reptilian beast, but like the smugliwugs its head was like a bloated savage frog, and its back was covered in the undulating tendrils and bursting boils…”
“When we return we will go back in the way we did the other day,” Timotheus said, as they went over their plan. “I think we should avoid the rail bridge if possible…”
“And I don’t think anyone should assume that this roaring creature operates the same as the… ahem… smugliwugs did,” Victoria said, obviously annoyed with herself for using the silly term Tim had come up with and that Bleys had adopted.
“Do you mean that it may have different abilities?” Tim asked.
“It may be the thing that turned all the others into those frog-creatures,” Markos said. “It may be a cursed creature that broke free…”
“In that case we need to be prepared to kill it as fast as possible without it getting a chance to bite any of us,” Timotheus replied.
“Oh, that’s really smart,” Markos replied sarcastically. “You go first…”
Timotheus smirked with his typical good humor. He continued his tactical planning. “I want the wizards to use all their magics on it right away. Don’t hold back.”
Markos and Bleys nodded.
They drove the Sea Wyvern onto the shore, and it was decided that Telémahkos and Tymon would wait with the sloop to make sure that if anyone did survive they did not steal the ship while the party explored the caverns. Telie stood at the prow of the boat with his heavy crossbow in hand, while Tymon was on the beach itself, ready to push the boat out and jump on if trouble arrived.
The beach seemed even more littered before, and they could see the obvious signs of someone having scavenged, dragged and gathered the largest planks of wood they could find into a pile. A hammer and a sack of nails were beside the incomplete frame of a raft. What appeared to be the most recent plank added was cracked near the middle, but the raft did not look large enough to hold more than two, or perhaps three people. There were some sacks of oats and three large casks of fresh water nearby as well.
Meanwhile Timotheus and Victoria led the way into the cavern, with Laarus right behind, followed by Bleys and Markos. Past the cavern that served as a mess hall (7) they took the dark narrow passage to the right, which opened into a large chamber obviously once used as a place to display and trade wares. Along the southern wall (which was the side they entered on) were wooden racks set with bolts of silk, trailed out and pinned to a lower piece of wood to show the quality of the material. There was somewhere about a dozen thick rolls of silk, but most were splattered with blood and gore, or burned by the acidic ichor of dying frog-men. In one corner was a large set of scales, and across from the silks was a wooden stage reached by three small steps, and three large rugs were piled next to it, though one was unfurled and stained. Near the center of the chamber where several smashed crates and barrels of water, wine and beer, though some looked salvageable. Lanterns hung at various places on the walls, and some were taken to help light the way.
A loud croaking reverberated from a hall across from where they had entered. Out on the beach, Telémahkos heard it emanating in from the enclosed beach on the other side of the rail bridge, and growing scared, he had Tymon push the sloop into the water and hop on. Soon the two were scrambling to keep the boat from spinning slowing out of the cove with a long hooked pole.
The rest of the signers of the Charter of Schiereiland moved towards that stony corridor to makes sure they were not snuck up on by any of the creatures. Markos held everyone up as he noted a crate by the scales there in there corner, where rectangular stains told the tale of something that had been set out to dry there, but had been removed.
“Looks like it was books,” Victoria Ostrander said, as she was covering the group’s rear. She turned to Bleys. “Could they have been spellbooks?”
The watch-mage shrugged his shoulders. They had not gone far down the narrow corridor, when two of the savage frog-men came hopping at them. These looked slightly different than the one they had fought two days before. They were naked, and one of them clearly had been a human woman in her previous life, as she still had one human breast lined with rubbery and blistered frog hide. The other’s twisted human genitalia dripped the caustic ichor that seemed to permeate the flesh of these creatures.
. . .to be continued…
--------------------------------------------------------------
Notes:
(1) This session was played on April 15, 2007.
(2) Telémahkos actually had no reason to believe this was the case except that Lavinia told him her brother might be involved in an attack and later Telie found out that Vanthus had gone to Kraken’s Cove.
(3) ‘Thrician Kissing’ is, of course, tongue-kissing.
(4) ‘Proud to Serve’ are the words of House Devenpeck and are on their coat of arms. Bleys’ branch of the Winter Family serves the Devenpecks.
(5) Paulien is Bleys’ older sister, widow of Telémahkos’ older brother, Jason.
(6) The Ethons are one of the lesser families of House Briareus, and are usually very much involved in mercantile trade.
(7) This is the room where the signers of the Charter of Schiereiland fought the transformed lizardfolk in Session #6.
Ralem, the 22nd of Sek – 566 H.E. (637 M.Y.)
Timotheus stirred and made his way up onto the deck where Victoria was keeping watch. Laarus, always an early riser, was quietly praying to Ra for his spells. The priest of Ra faced east on his knees, arms stretched out before him.
“Hey Victoria! Wanna lay those healing hands on me?” Timotheus asked the militant, sounding lascivious. She scowled at him, but soon curing spells were doled out all the way around, except for Markos who had recovered remarkably well.
Telémahkos and Timotheus praised Ra and Anhur as a way of thanking their priestly companions, and the former gave Laarus a couple of coins to bring to the church in his name.
The priest was surprised.
“Look!” Laarus pointed to the southwest. At the edge of their vision a glint of red became the billow of a sail, and then the distant blurred form turned to the east and hovered for a while like a mirage.
“Are those oars?” Victoria asked.
“I think so,” Markos replied. “That is a big ship… A lot bigger than us… Is it safe to assume we don’t want to be seen if we can avoid it?”
“Can you see their colors? Who do you think they are?” Victoria asked.
“I don’t know,” Markos said.
“Pirates?” Timotheus speculated.
“I don’t know,” Markos said. “They could be anybody…”
“But we should be able to tell who they are by their colors, correct?” Victoria asked.
“I do not know who they are,” Markos said, with exasperation. “We have no way of guessing who they are unless they were closer, but we don’t want them closer. So can we please stop talking about ‘who they are’ and move on to ‘what are we going to do’? And if everybody agrees that we want to avoid contact, I’d like to set sail right away…”
“Can we avoid them?” Victoria asked.
“We can certainly try,” Markos replied with condescension. “Does anybody object…? No? Good.” He set to getting the sloop ready to go.
“But we don’t want to look like we’re running away,” Timotheus complained. “If they’re looking for trouble a sign of weakness will certainly attract them…”
“Don’t worry,” Markos replied, rolling his eyes. “I’ll sail casual…” He turned the sloop north for some time, until the other ship was way out of sight.
As he took down the sail with Tymon’s help, Markos frowned at the gaudy and obvious markings on it, and called to the others. “We’re going to want to change this sail at first opportunity… Uh, it’s of poor quality, and the hull needs some work, so when that is done, might as well repaint it, too.”
“I’m sorry, have we decided what we plan to do with this vessel?” Victoria asked. “Are we keeping it?”
“We’re gonna sell it,” Timotheus said.
“Yes, if we plan to keep it and sell it, then we should probably change the sail and re-paint the hull,” Markos said.
“We can sail it back to Schiereiland and then go fight hobgoblins,” Timotheus suggested with his usual smile.
“At this point, hobgoblins sounds good to me,” Telémahkos sighed.
“That’s two votes for hobgoblins!” Tim cheered.
“This ship may have a rightful owner,” Victoria said. “And if that can be determined then it will need to be returned to them. We should not be premature.”
“It would be impossible to ever determine this ship’s rightful owner, even if there is one,” Markos said.
“Are there not registries for such things?” Victoria asked. Markos sneered, as he’d hoped she might not know of such things because of her unfamiliarity with sea travel. “Ships are costly…” She turned to the priest of Ra, “Brother Laarus, where is your mind on this matter?”
“Well…” Laarus began, but Markos jumped in. “Think about where we found this ship! In a smuggler’s cover and everybody was dead!”
“If we should return to Kraken’s Cove and find the owners dead or pirates, it is within the law for us to claim this as booty,” Laarus of Ra said. “But if we can find out who really owns this sloop then justice will be served one way or another.”
“And like I said, it will be near impossible to determine,” Markos said.
“Jozef Winter is the Harbormaster of Sluetelot,” Bleys the Aubergine said, speaking up on the subject for the first time. “I am certain he would allow me to peruse the registries there…”
Markos Ackers threw his hands up in the air in defeat.
“Should we not be heading back to the Cove to finish our work there?” Bleys asked, changing the subject of the conversation.
As Timotheus Smith was still injured and the priests had used all their daily granted spells to heal the others, it was agreed to wait another full day before returning to the cove, despite Bleys’ desire otherwise. Telémahkos suggested returning to Tribunisport and altogether forgetting the cove, but no one took his suggestion seriously.
“I think at the very least it would be prudent for us to anchor closer to the cove so we might see if any ships arrive, or any that might have arrived in our absence, leave,” Bleys said. Victoria and Laarus agreed, but Markos was against it, fearing that if a ship did come not only would they be able to see it, but it would be able to see them. Telémahkos agreed, but was also curious about the activities of the frog-men themselves.
“Smugliwugs,” Bleys said.
“What?” asked Victoria.
“I heard Timotheus refer to them as smugliwugs,” the watch-mage said, never breaking a smile while saying the silly word.
Markos called for a vote, and the majority went with Bleys. Once again, Markos made ready to move the sloop.
By mid-morning the Sea Wyvern was within sight of the cove entrance, but just north of it. The beach itself was obscured by the shadow of the bluff and the glare of the sun, but if anything of a reasonable size came or went, the signers of the Charter of Schiereiland would be able to see it. Markos did most of the sailing himself, enlisting the aid of Tymon or Timotheus with terse instructions, while Telémahkos and Bleys were down in the hold, the latter having asked the former to talk privately.
Meanwhile, Markos and Timotheus had a long detailed talk about tactics that left the former exasperated. Markos wanted to develop an elaborate method for striking at opponents in a coordinated fashion, but Timotheus was skeptical.
“Battle can be too chaotic for that,” Timotheus said. “Better if we just have a tactical leader that can assess the situation and everybody listens to in those circumstances.”
“True, but we should still have some sort of plan set up,” Markos found ways to disagree even when he agreed, and went on to bore the veteran soldier with the details of how he thought tactics should work. Tim humored him.
Below, Bleys the Aubergine pressed Telémahkos about the origins of his information about the plot against House Wetherwax, and Telie admitted that he might have been too hasty in making the connection between the rumor of the attack and coming from Kraken’s Cove. (2)
“Could the attack on the royal navy come from another venue?” Bleys asked. “Could it not be the result of some political deceits and deceptions? Some internal feud that would be more difficult to entangle than the mere motives of some pirates?”
“It certainly could be,” Telémahkos replied. He went on to explain some of the on-going disagreements, machinations and struggles for power that happened in his own noble house. “But what makes you think that it is…?”
“I warn you, that what you hear from me now, I cannot further corroborate or attest to how I should have come upon its knowledge. These are words shared only between us, but I can confirm reports of just such a threat." Bleys the Aubergine said, taking Telie by surprise.
“On House Wetherwax?” Telie asked, in shock.
“Yes,” said Bleys
“And is it to be perpetrated by one of our member Houses?” Telémahkos asked.
“Not Briareus or Ostrander, nor Raymer have any direct dealings in the matter,” Bleys replied with specificity. “The Houses involved are further removed…”
“Your secret is safe with me,” Telémahkos replied with a wink.
There were raised voices from above and their conversation was interrupted, as the distant red-sailed ship had been spotted again. A faultless bird had landed up on the mast, and Markos climbed up to see if it bore a message, he noticed the glint of growing red. It was coming from the northwest now, cutting in such a way that they could see the change in light along its side as its many oars rose high into the air rhythmically.
Markos had Timotheus raise the sail as he and Tymon, with Laarus’ help, got the sails ready to move the sloop again, to anchor in a position south of the cove entrance.
“Telie and Bleys sure have been down there a long time,” Timotheus commented.
“Maybe they are alleviating their loneliness with Thrician kissing,” Markos laughed. (3)
“That happens at sea,” Tymon said without a hint of irony, which caused Markos and Tim to laugh even harder. Even Laarus cracked a smile, but Victoria did not appreciate the humor.
Telémahkos and Bleys only paused to listen to the commotion above. Since no one called them and there was no sound of danger, they continued.
“You know, talking with you now and thinking back to the times I met you when we were younger, I have to wonder what happened to the boy I knew…” Telémahkos said with growing familiarity. “I just remember you playing at knights with us even though you were a little older… You just seemed carefree back then and full of joy…”
“Do you think I wanted to become a watch-mage?” Bleys asked rhetorically. “You, more than anyone here, should know that I only ever wanted to become the stalwart knight, like warriors of old, in defense of hearth, home and kingdom. Like Hogarth, my older brother, my father before him, and his father, but alas, as it was, my father had other plans for me. And as it is, I know my duty, for we too are ‘Proud to Serve." (4)
“You are a bigger man than me, but we are more alike than you think,” Telie replied with a sigh. “Do you believe that by joining this Charter I am fulfilling my own desires and not the design of my father? I do not know if I have the fortitude to always obey my father’s wishes as you do with yours…"
“And what of your duty to Paulien and her children?” Bleys asked. (5) “That is the most important duty you can fulfill in my eyes…”
“Your sister, niece and nephew will have a place of honor second only to my own wife and children if I establish my own estate," Telémahkos replied.
“She is your sister, they are your niece and nephew as well,” Bleys reminded his companion. “She went to your family and is the widow of your brother…”
Telémahkos nodded his understanding. “And that is why I want to establish my own keep in the Disputed Territories and have my own means. And it for that reason I have to pay the political game and keep aware of the dirt swirling around us…”
“Long I have resisted opening my mind to the machinations of the noble houses and the others that would have power, but it would seem if I am to fulfill my role as watch-mage, I have no choice…”
A little later as Telémahkos came back up onto the deck as they passed the cove entrance seeking a new anchoring spot, they heard a loud hammering echoing from the dark shadows within. It had a quick violent rhythm, and it stopped suddenly, though a few of the young nobles thought they might have heard it more faintly and even more briefly.
“Perhaps it is a survivor, devising a way to leave the cove,” Laarus suggested.
“You think they’re building a ship?” Timotheus said with his typical broad smile and playful wink. He ran his fingers across his cropped red hair, thinking it was growing out of its soldier’s length.
“A raft!” Telémahkos replied.
“Then we should go and deal with it,” Timotheus replied, getting serious. “We don’t want those things sailing away…”
“And get killed on the beach before we have barely gotten off the sloop… Good idea,” Telémahkos replied with obvious sarcasm.
Since the hammering had stopped and they knew they could see anything coming out of the cove they decided to continued to wait and spend their day resting. Afternoon was growing long, as Ra’s Glory disappeared behind the tall bluff of the shore, and the hours stretched out into infinitesimal degrees of darkness that crept in from the east.
Bleys the Aubergine and Telémahkos Briareus took the first watch together, and continued their friendly talk in careful voices that never became the harsh hissing of whispers. Some time in the middle of their watch their heard the echo of the hammering again. It was longer this time, and not too long a silence passed before they heard it again. They waited expectantly for the sound to come again, but it did not, and after a time they continued with their talk, Telémahkos telling Bleys about his ambitious cousins the Ethons. (6)
Hours later as the second watch became the third, they heard some brief hammering that was stopped by a great roaring croak echo out of the cove.
“Has that hammering and roaring been going on all night?” Laarus asked.
“No, they heard the hammering on first watch, but the roar is something new,” Timotheus explained to the priest.
Isilem, the 23rd of Sek – 566 H.E. (637 M.Y.)
Sometime after dawn, the signers of the Charter of Schiereiland made ready to return to the cove. Laarus and Victoria prayed for spells, while Timotheus prepared arrows with strips of cloth he had left steeped in oil overnight, hoping his makeshift incendiary arrows would help against the savage frog-men. After some more healing was doled out, they all heard the croaking roar echo out of the dim cove once again.
“What is that?” Timotheus asked.
“More than likely it is the most lizard-like thing that Markos and I saw when we were standing watch the other night,” Bleys replied. “It was some kind of two-legged reptilian beast, but like the smugliwugs its head was like a bloated savage frog, and its back was covered in the undulating tendrils and bursting boils…”
“When we return we will go back in the way we did the other day,” Timotheus said, as they went over their plan. “I think we should avoid the rail bridge if possible…”
“And I don’t think anyone should assume that this roaring creature operates the same as the… ahem… smugliwugs did,” Victoria said, obviously annoyed with herself for using the silly term Tim had come up with and that Bleys had adopted.
“Do you mean that it may have different abilities?” Tim asked.
“It may be the thing that turned all the others into those frog-creatures,” Markos said. “It may be a cursed creature that broke free…”
“In that case we need to be prepared to kill it as fast as possible without it getting a chance to bite any of us,” Timotheus replied.
“Oh, that’s really smart,” Markos replied sarcastically. “You go first…”
Timotheus smirked with his typical good humor. He continued his tactical planning. “I want the wizards to use all their magics on it right away. Don’t hold back.”
Markos and Bleys nodded.
They drove the Sea Wyvern onto the shore, and it was decided that Telémahkos and Tymon would wait with the sloop to make sure that if anyone did survive they did not steal the ship while the party explored the caverns. Telie stood at the prow of the boat with his heavy crossbow in hand, while Tymon was on the beach itself, ready to push the boat out and jump on if trouble arrived.
The beach seemed even more littered before, and they could see the obvious signs of someone having scavenged, dragged and gathered the largest planks of wood they could find into a pile. A hammer and a sack of nails were beside the incomplete frame of a raft. What appeared to be the most recent plank added was cracked near the middle, but the raft did not look large enough to hold more than two, or perhaps three people. There were some sacks of oats and three large casks of fresh water nearby as well.
Meanwhile Timotheus and Victoria led the way into the cavern, with Laarus right behind, followed by Bleys and Markos. Past the cavern that served as a mess hall (7) they took the dark narrow passage to the right, which opened into a large chamber obviously once used as a place to display and trade wares. Along the southern wall (which was the side they entered on) were wooden racks set with bolts of silk, trailed out and pinned to a lower piece of wood to show the quality of the material. There was somewhere about a dozen thick rolls of silk, but most were splattered with blood and gore, or burned by the acidic ichor of dying frog-men. In one corner was a large set of scales, and across from the silks was a wooden stage reached by three small steps, and three large rugs were piled next to it, though one was unfurled and stained. Near the center of the chamber where several smashed crates and barrels of water, wine and beer, though some looked salvageable. Lanterns hung at various places on the walls, and some were taken to help light the way.
A loud croaking reverberated from a hall across from where they had entered. Out on the beach, Telémahkos heard it emanating in from the enclosed beach on the other side of the rail bridge, and growing scared, he had Tymon push the sloop into the water and hop on. Soon the two were scrambling to keep the boat from spinning slowing out of the cove with a long hooked pole.
The rest of the signers of the Charter of Schiereiland moved towards that stony corridor to makes sure they were not snuck up on by any of the creatures. Markos held everyone up as he noted a crate by the scales there in there corner, where rectangular stains told the tale of something that had been set out to dry there, but had been removed.
“Looks like it was books,” Victoria Ostrander said, as she was covering the group’s rear. She turned to Bleys. “Could they have been spellbooks?”
The watch-mage shrugged his shoulders. They had not gone far down the narrow corridor, when two of the savage frog-men came hopping at them. These looked slightly different than the one they had fought two days before. They were naked, and one of them clearly had been a human woman in her previous life, as she still had one human breast lined with rubbery and blistered frog hide. The other’s twisted human genitalia dripped the caustic ichor that seemed to permeate the flesh of these creatures.
. . .to be continued…
--------------------------------------------------------------
Notes:
(1) This session was played on April 15, 2007.
(2) Telémahkos actually had no reason to believe this was the case except that Lavinia told him her brother might be involved in an attack and later Telie found out that Vanthus had gone to Kraken’s Cove.
(3) ‘Thrician Kissing’ is, of course, tongue-kissing.
(4) ‘Proud to Serve’ are the words of House Devenpeck and are on their coat of arms. Bleys’ branch of the Winter Family serves the Devenpecks.
(5) Paulien is Bleys’ older sister, widow of Telémahkos’ older brother, Jason.
(6) The Ethons are one of the lesser families of House Briareus, and are usually very much involved in mercantile trade.
(7) This is the room where the signers of the Charter of Schiereiland fought the transformed lizardfolk in Session #6.
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Just a quick note to say that I'm following along and caught up after this weekend. I wouldn't want Telie feeling neglected, after all.
One thing about reading nem's campaigns is that they always get me thinking about how I'd try to build my characters for the kind of adversity these characters always seem to face. (And how I'd try to make a character who was agreeable / easy to get along with, like Tim, so as to avoid some of the bickering, but that's another story).
I'm always a huge fan of the amount of emphasis terrain gets in your campaigns, as well. The walkway, the cramped tunnels, etc.
Honestly, with all the emphasis on grittiness, terrain, armor damage, etc., I always think that nem would be an ideal GM for a Riddle of Steel game.
Anyway, thanks for writing this up. I'm enjoying the action so far, and looking forward to more of it.
One thing about reading nem's campaigns is that they always get me thinking about how I'd try to build my characters for the kind of adversity these characters always seem to face. (And how I'd try to make a character who was agreeable / easy to get along with, like Tim, so as to avoid some of the bickering, but that's another story).
I'm always a huge fan of the amount of emphasis terrain gets in your campaigns, as well. The walkway, the cramped tunnels, etc.
Honestly, with all the emphasis on grittiness, terrain, armor damage, etc., I always think that nem would be an ideal GM for a Riddle of Steel game.
Anyway, thanks for writing this up. I'm enjoying the action so far, and looking forward to more of it.
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