Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
The Dark Squad in the Secrets of Saltmarsh #136 Into the Mere of the Dead Men.
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Goonalan" data-source="post: 8252572" data-attributes="member: 16069"><p style="text-align: center"><strong>Dark Squad in the Secrets of Saltmarsh</strong></p><p></p><p><strong>Session #043 Chez Dark Squad. </strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Dark Squad (in alphabetical order, no egos here).</strong></p><p><strong>Buggles (played by Stu) Male Wood Elf Fighter Lvl 3/Rogue Lvl 3</strong></p><p><strong>New Tricks (played by Bear) Male Tabaxi Warlock Lvl 6</strong></p><p><strong>Ramshambo (played by Kev) Male Half-Elf Rogue Lvl 6</strong></p><p><strong>Vincenzo (played by Haggis) Male Shifter (Wildhunt) Druid Lvl 6</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>NPCs</strong></p><p><strong>Daktari Male Human Uthgardt Sky Pony Barbarian Lvl 6</strong></p><p><strong><s>Garumn Male Mountain Dwarf Paladin of Moradin Lvl 5 </s>RIP*</strong></p><p><strong>*Trapped in the Land of the Bad Dead Ancestors.</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Buggles’ undead servitor</strong></p><p><strong>Gwen Female Duergar Skeleton, in full-face helm and armour </strong></p><p></p><p>This is session 43, and it didn’t go well, from my POV.</p><p></p><p>But the fighting is over, and we’ve moved on already, and so here’s what went down, and just to say that when we have a bad session (which happens hardly at all) then before I post the write up here, I send my offering to the players first.</p><p></p><p>They get to vet it, make sure I’ve not been too heavy handed.</p><p></p><p>So, they all agreed that this one was good to post, Ben/Newt I think best précised, their feelings best with the following comment-</p><p></p><p>"I mean, it does read a bit like a slow-motion car crash in the making...</p><p>Probably a fair representation of events!"</p><p></p><p>So, the Dark Squad spend a few more hours at Farhill Mine topping up their equipment, selling a few items, and then distributing some of the treasure they found in the chest of holding, back in the watery cavern.</p><p></p><p>Then, Newt persuades (with a little coin) a dwarf with a wagon to give the Squad a lift into Saltmarsh. Their new home.</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]135862[/ATTACH]</p><p><strong>See the house circled in red- yeah, that's the one- it's a bit of a doer-upper, but ideally situated- just across the road is the Bird family farm- plenty of places to hide a body or two there.</strong></p><p></p><p>Once there the Dark Squad pick up their keys for the new house- they organised the rental earlier, with Manistrad Copperlocks helping to make the connections.</p><p></p><p>There then follows a twenty to thirty-minute debate, and then a vote, to decide which of the four potential chez Dark Squad house designs (as contributed by three of the PCs) is to be their new home.</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]135863[/ATTACH]</p><p><strong>The Chez Dark Squad design competition entries, Ram's (Kev) design is the eventual winner (lower middle), although special mention should go to the multi-image Buggles (Stu) entry (lower right cluster). That said if the buggers had just picked Vinnie's (Jim) entry (top middle) then I wouldn't have to draw another bloody map.</strong> </p><p></p><p>Ram’s alfresco design is the eventual winner, although it’s down to a die roll so close is the decision.</p><p></p><p>Ram’s design is, of course, by far the largest of those proffered- it’s certainly a grand house, and with a large great hall. The rogue’s professional standard blueprint has been completed using ink and squaredy-paper, although like all good draughtsmen Kev/Ram has actually ignored the squares and/or lines on the paper, he’s taken a free-hand approach.</p><p></p><p>A full floor plan of chez Dark Squad will (probably) follow later.</p><p></p><p>A name for chez Dark Squad will also evolve, no doubt, in time.</p><p></p><p>Next up the Dark Squad move in and fit out their rooms.</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]135864[/ATTACH]</p><p><strong>The Dark Squad get situated- note, they're all jealous of Vinnie's hot-tub, and they all complain about the state (and smell) of Daktari's room. Barbarians!</strong></p><p></p><p>House done, next- downtime and what to do in Saltmarsh?</p><p></p><p>Let’s have a party.</p><p></p><p>I beg your pardon.</p><p></p><p>So, after less than thirty seconds discussion it is decided- the Dark Squad will throw a party, it’s all round to chez Dark Squad for a shindig.</p><p></p><p>Note, Jim playing Vinnie is not in-game yet, I’ll mark your card when he arrives.</p><p></p><p>A party?</p><p></p><p>But now they’re all on board, and at times giggling like drains.</p><p></p><p>It seems the idea of the party is to gather a bunch of dwarves from Farhill and to get them to mingle with a bunch of folks from Saltmarsh.</p><p></p><p>The DM has worries, who do the Dark Squad know in Saltmarsh?</p><p></p><p>Just to be clear, the Dark Squad have visited Saltmarsh ten times prior to their moving here, each of their visits was between sixty and ninety minutes long, these were the lunch time visitations outlined in sessions 34 and 35. Basically, the time it takes for the wagon to get loaded. The longest conversation any member of the Dark Squad has had with anyone in Saltmarsh at this point is maybe thirty minutes.</p><p></p><p>Also, session 34 didn’t go so well.</p><p></p><p>Who are you inviting to the party, again?</p><p></p><p>The Dark Squad get a list going- it runs to approx. 45 names, and it’s basically everyone they have ever met- and some others that they have only heard, including members of the Town Council, it also includes Blevins. The last time a member of the Dark Squad ‘chatted’ with Blevins it ended in threats, the time before that… oh yeah, threats and violence.</p><p></p><p>Blevins hates the dwarves of Farhill, and the dwarves of Farhill, it seems, are not fond of Blevins either.</p><p></p><p>But the PCs are into it, and on with it.</p><p></p><p>Party!</p><p></p><p>Oh, and the list of folk to invite also includes people that would have to travel from Farhill (Manistrad Copperlocks, Max Damage, Arty Swell (Max and Arty are shopkeepers, just for info) etc.) or else people the Dark Squad have met (very briefly) when they spent a morning (and a lot of gold) in Ashby. That’s an 8-10 hour round journey, just to attend a party with a bunch of adventurers that they’ve met once.</p><p></p><p>I’ll be honest, I’m making a list of these folk as the PCs keep shouting out names, or actually not names but, “that bloke in…”, and I’m struggling.</p><p></p><p>Why would any of these people come to a party at the Dark Squad house?</p><p></p><p>The next question would be why would the Dark Squad invite these people?</p><p></p><p>I’m trying to understand.</p><p></p><p>But hang on, I recognise this plan, this is the same plan- get the two sides together (Farhill dwarves & Saltmarsh folks) as was suggested and then swiftly rejected back in session 34. The idea then was for Dark Squad to arrange a spectacular show (that they would put on) and then invite lots of folks from Farhill and Saltmarsh to attend, and by doing so end the interminable antipathy that exits between the two places.</p><p></p><p>We agreed back in session 34, or else sometime soon after (session 35)- that this project would be a long-term affair, and certainly not a part of the plot that could be resolved overnight, or at a party.</p><p></p><p>The issue is there’s a degree of antipathy between the dwarves of Farhill and the good folk, some of them, of Saltmarsh.</p><p></p><p>Point of fact Ram discovered that it’s mainly the fishing folk that seem to have bad things to say about the dwarves of Farhill- mostly.</p><p></p><p>Although in all honesty there’s not been a lot of investigation at all about this, so…</p><p></p><p>There are no fishing folk invited to the party- the PCs don’t know any of them, fisherfolk don’t have shops.</p><p></p><p>So, the Dark Squad’s answer to this is to invite everyone they know- including folk that they know that are violently opposed to the dwarves of Farhill (Blevins), to a party, with some dwarves from Farhill.</p><p></p><p>Let’s just take a moment to let that sink in.</p><p></p><p>Light blue touch paper and retire.</p><p></p><p>Then there’s the folk that they have never met- Eda Oweland, Gellen Primewater- both Saltmarsh council members. Oh, and the last time anyone from the Dark Squad was in the Town Hall, that would be Buggles- he was making threats as I remember and had to be lead away by the Town Guard.</p><p></p><p>Oh, but the head of Saltmarsh Watch is also invited (they’ve never met him), as is the local wizard- Keledek, who the PCs have been warned about repeatedly, Newt has already made several attempts to communicate with this guy. With no answer.</p><p></p><p>So, how do I play this?</p><p></p><p>And keep in mind if all the folk on the list attend the Dark Squad party, and… things go badly- read on, then the Dark Squad are going to be making it even harder for themselves from the get-go.</p><p></p><p>But, it’s a goer- the party; Ram, Buggles and Newt are all convinced.</p><p></p><p>Oh, and this is Buggles’ idea.</p><p></p><p>Did you guess that?</p><p></p><p>Did you?</p><p></p><p>Although, about halfway through what follows and Buggles is starting to express his doubts, and by the end of the session he’s convinced that the party is going to possibly be a very bad thing.</p><p></p><p>But there’s another ninety minutes of this to follow, and I don’t want you to think (dear reader) that I expressed any of the above opinions during this session.</p><p></p><p>I left the Dark Squad to their own devices.</p><p></p><p>I tried to steer them around with a bit of chatter, but that didn’t get me anywhere.</p><p></p><p>So, as well as the party preparations, which accounts for at least 50% of what follows, the Dark Squad are also doing some shopping.</p><p></p><p>So, every time one of them goes to the shop (any shop)- and spends his money then whoever it is that’s selling them tries to help the PCs out, with a bit of chat, and a few questions- so, who are you guys? Have you just moved to Saltmarsh? And plenty of other friendly blather, all the time leaving the way open for the various members of the Dark Squad to ask any other questions that they might have.</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]135865[/ATTACH]</p><p><strong>Buggles buys a tinderbox from Winston's store (he gave his last one to Hgraam the Stone Giant). Winston is very chatty- do you want to come to our party? Buggles asks, Winston would love to- he'll even bring a couple of friends.</strong></p><p></p><p>Here’s the thing, I’ve been setting Saltmarsh up for a while- there is plot here aplenty, and contacts, and employment. I just need one PC to ask…</p><p></p><p>Every PC that the Dark Squad talk to does this because the DM is really trying.</p><p></p><p>But the Dark Squad are all just pointed at the party.</p><p></p><p>Nope, they have no other questions, this is really all they’re doing.</p><p></p><p>They have nothing to ask at all.</p><p></p><p>Except… do you want to come to our party?</p><p></p><p>Meanwhile…</p><p></p><p>Newt sets about trying to learn to fly Gerald (in the basement- don’t ask), his Bat/Giant Bat familiar, he works out very quickly that he’s going to at least need a saddle- he later visits a leatherworker to try to arrange this, and to invite her to the party, of course.</p><p></p><p>Then…</p><p></p><p>The Dark Squad spend a day writing and sending party invitations.</p><p></p><p>Just to say by the time we get around to the 28th of Tarsakh, the day before the party, the Dark Squad have spent over 150gp on the shindig, including… ahem, the hookers.</p><p></p><p>There had to be hookers, and can you guess which member of the Dark Squad went questing for the ladies of the night?</p><p></p><p>But we’ll get to them.</p><p></p><p>Next up, Newt gets together the two wagon loads of wood needed for the finale of the party- a massive conflagration with pyrotechnics and other adventures in flame. Note across the road from the new chez Dark Squad is the Bird farm, with their barn stuffed full of straw. The Dark Squad have invited the Bird family, of course, to the party- they’ve never met them, but come along.</p><p></p><p>So, Newt’s going to have a bonfire, are alarm bells not ringing yet?</p><p></p><p>Ram visits the Whicker Goat and gets a good deal on booze and entertainment (sea shanty singers, and a jig and reel band) for the night- sorted.</p><p></p><p>At this point Jim/Vinnie arrives and gets into the game.</p><p></p><p>After a catch up the druid has the following to say-</p><p></p><p>“I will not be ere for zis partee, I will be swimmin’ a la Vincen G Octopod, the thing yew describe iz a car-crash n’est pas?”</p><p></p><p>Throughout what follows Vinnie has cause to repeat the above statement, or else a version of it, several times.</p><p></p><p>“I sink Newt will ‘ave anuzzer body to ads to iz collection.”</p><p></p><p>This last addendum after Newt decides to head to the docks, although after first asking Hannah, the female owner of the poshest Inn in Saltmarsh, the Snapping Line, how to go about procuring some whores?</p><p></p><p>Again, let’s just take a moment- the Snapping Line Inn, which Newt has been to once or twice previously, is upmarket- the best in town, and family-orientated. So, the warlock seeking hookers asks no-one else in town, just Hannah the owner of the Snapping Line.</p><p></p><p>She’s really not impressed with the tabaxi, but after a bit of persuasion (and RP accompanied by a great check) she eventually shoos him towards the docks, although she is aghast and… just massively uncomfortable.</p><p></p><p>His next question for Hannah, do you want to come to my party?</p><p></p><p>Then to the docks.</p><p></p><p>Newt hires five hookers, although even that proves to be pretty creepy, scratch that- incredibly creepy.</p><p></p><p>The ladies of the night are not for touching, just eye-candy for the party, note this event happens just after the Bird family accept their invitation. The Bird family are devout church goers, they’re like a puritan version of the Vonn Trapp family- they do hymns.</p><p></p><p>So, hookers and the salvation army- check.</p><p></p><p>But it goes on, there’s more of this- lots of this, until the DM is going barmy, but still just playing along and not saying anything.</p><p></p><p>Vinnie eventually comes around to the idea and starts making herbal cocktails for the party.</p><p></p><p>So, the day before the party and the invites are all back (or most of them)- twenty-two folk have confirmed that they will be attending, although the Bird family account for ten of the attendees.</p><p></p><p>Also attending are a pair of dwarves that work at the mining headquarters in Saltmarsh, a pair of Saltmarsh guardsmen (Cannon & Ball) that Ram has been drinking with twice (well done, that worked), Winston- the general store owner (invited by Buggles), and Golf Kindle who just happens to be in town.</p><p></p><p>So, here’s what pissed me off- we’ve done Downtime before. It’s a way for some of the PCs to make a lot of checks- find out info, and not have to a lot of roleplay, which some of the guys don’t care for (at times).</p><p></p><p>I’d kept the Dark Squad out of Saltmarsh for a good long while, until I was absolutely ready for them- NPCs, plot, new quests, all ready to roll.</p><p></p><p>Not one question got asked.</p><p></p><p>Eight skill checks for the entire evening-</p><p>Newt Persuaded a dwarf with a wagon to take them to Saltmarsh.</p><p>Newt used Handle Animal to attempt to ride Gerald.</p><p>Newt Persuaded Hannah to point him towards the hookers.</p><p>Newt Persuaded two hookers to come to the party.</p><p>Newt Persuaded another hooker to come to the party.</p><p>Newt Persuaded another two hookers to come to the party.</p><p>Vinnie made herbal cocktails for the party.</p><p>Newt used Handle Animal to make Gerald stand still while he was measured for his saddle.</p><p></p><p>They never mentioned the plot, or any of the places or people they are looking for.</p><p></p><p>They spoke to nobody.</p><p></p><p>And I was absolutely dying to reveal to them all my hard work.</p><p></p><p>They were making each other laugh, but not me.</p><p></p><p>So, after the session there was a little more discussion about the above.</p><p></p><p>Oh, very last bit- Vinnie, later in the piece started de-coding the VH Campaign Diary that the PCs found inside the chest of holding, back in the Underdark.</p><p></p><p>Here’s what they discovered, note the book this information comes from is sodden- torn in places, stained and otherwise ill-used. It has blood on it. Also, every entry is written in code, these then are the translations-</p><p>[ATTACH=full]135866[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]135867[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]135868[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]135869[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]135870[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]135871[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]135872[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]135873[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]135874[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]135875[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]135876[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]135877[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>The Dark Squad are, obviously, keen to get more of this de-coded.</p><p></p><p>Note, Newt said- they're talking about us at entry 8 above, he was shot down by his comrades immediately.</p><p></p><p>But by the end...</p><p></p><p>Stay safe and well you lovely people.</p><p></p><p>Cheers the Dark Squad and goonalan.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Goonalan, post: 8252572, member: 16069"] [CENTER][B]Dark Squad in the Secrets of Saltmarsh[/B][/CENTER] [B]Session #043 Chez Dark Squad. Dark Squad (in alphabetical order, no egos here). Buggles (played by Stu) Male Wood Elf Fighter Lvl 3/Rogue Lvl 3 New Tricks (played by Bear) Male Tabaxi Warlock Lvl 6 Ramshambo (played by Kev) Male Half-Elf Rogue Lvl 6 Vincenzo (played by Haggis) Male Shifter (Wildhunt) Druid Lvl 6 NPCs Daktari Male Human Uthgardt Sky Pony Barbarian Lvl 6 [S]Garumn Male Mountain Dwarf Paladin of Moradin Lvl 5 [/S]RIP* *Trapped in the Land of the Bad Dead Ancestors. Buggles’ undead servitor Gwen Female Duergar Skeleton, in full-face helm and armour [/B] This is session 43, and it didn’t go well, from my POV. But the fighting is over, and we’ve moved on already, and so here’s what went down, and just to say that when we have a bad session (which happens hardly at all) then before I post the write up here, I send my offering to the players first. They get to vet it, make sure I’ve not been too heavy handed. So, they all agreed that this one was good to post, Ben/Newt I think best précised, their feelings best with the following comment- "I mean, it does read a bit like a slow-motion car crash in the making... Probably a fair representation of events!" So, the Dark Squad spend a few more hours at Farhill Mine topping up their equipment, selling a few items, and then distributing some of the treasure they found in the chest of holding, back in the watery cavern. Then, Newt persuades (with a little coin) a dwarf with a wagon to give the Squad a lift into Saltmarsh. Their new home. [ATTACH type="full"]135862[/ATTACH] [B]See the house circled in red- yeah, that's the one- it's a bit of a doer-upper, but ideally situated- just across the road is the Bird family farm- plenty of places to hide a body or two there.[/B] Once there the Dark Squad pick up their keys for the new house- they organised the rental earlier, with Manistrad Copperlocks helping to make the connections. There then follows a twenty to thirty-minute debate, and then a vote, to decide which of the four potential chez Dark Squad house designs (as contributed by three of the PCs) is to be their new home. [ATTACH type="full"]135863[/ATTACH] [B]The Chez Dark Squad design competition entries, Ram's (Kev) design is the eventual winner (lower middle), although special mention should go to the multi-image Buggles (Stu) entry (lower right cluster). That said if the buggers had just picked Vinnie's (Jim) entry (top middle) then I wouldn't have to draw another bloody map.[/B] Ram’s alfresco design is the eventual winner, although it’s down to a die roll so close is the decision. Ram’s design is, of course, by far the largest of those proffered- it’s certainly a grand house, and with a large great hall. The rogue’s professional standard blueprint has been completed using ink and squaredy-paper, although like all good draughtsmen Kev/Ram has actually ignored the squares and/or lines on the paper, he’s taken a free-hand approach. A full floor plan of chez Dark Squad will (probably) follow later. A name for chez Dark Squad will also evolve, no doubt, in time. Next up the Dark Squad move in and fit out their rooms. [ATTACH type="full"]135864[/ATTACH] [B]The Dark Squad get situated- note, they're all jealous of Vinnie's hot-tub, and they all complain about the state (and smell) of Daktari's room. Barbarians![/B] House done, next- downtime and what to do in Saltmarsh? Let’s have a party. I beg your pardon. So, after less than thirty seconds discussion it is decided- the Dark Squad will throw a party, it’s all round to chez Dark Squad for a shindig. Note, Jim playing Vinnie is not in-game yet, I’ll mark your card when he arrives. A party? But now they’re all on board, and at times giggling like drains. It seems the idea of the party is to gather a bunch of dwarves from Farhill and to get them to mingle with a bunch of folks from Saltmarsh. The DM has worries, who do the Dark Squad know in Saltmarsh? Just to be clear, the Dark Squad have visited Saltmarsh ten times prior to their moving here, each of their visits was between sixty and ninety minutes long, these were the lunch time visitations outlined in sessions 34 and 35. Basically, the time it takes for the wagon to get loaded. The longest conversation any member of the Dark Squad has had with anyone in Saltmarsh at this point is maybe thirty minutes. Also, session 34 didn’t go so well. Who are you inviting to the party, again? The Dark Squad get a list going- it runs to approx. 45 names, and it’s basically everyone they have ever met- and some others that they have only heard, including members of the Town Council, it also includes Blevins. The last time a member of the Dark Squad ‘chatted’ with Blevins it ended in threats, the time before that… oh yeah, threats and violence. Blevins hates the dwarves of Farhill, and the dwarves of Farhill, it seems, are not fond of Blevins either. But the PCs are into it, and on with it. Party! Oh, and the list of folk to invite also includes people that would have to travel from Farhill (Manistrad Copperlocks, Max Damage, Arty Swell (Max and Arty are shopkeepers, just for info) etc.) or else people the Dark Squad have met (very briefly) when they spent a morning (and a lot of gold) in Ashby. That’s an 8-10 hour round journey, just to attend a party with a bunch of adventurers that they’ve met once. I’ll be honest, I’m making a list of these folk as the PCs keep shouting out names, or actually not names but, “that bloke in…”, and I’m struggling. Why would any of these people come to a party at the Dark Squad house? The next question would be why would the Dark Squad invite these people? I’m trying to understand. But hang on, I recognise this plan, this is the same plan- get the two sides together (Farhill dwarves & Saltmarsh folks) as was suggested and then swiftly rejected back in session 34. The idea then was for Dark Squad to arrange a spectacular show (that they would put on) and then invite lots of folks from Farhill and Saltmarsh to attend, and by doing so end the interminable antipathy that exits between the two places. We agreed back in session 34, or else sometime soon after (session 35)- that this project would be a long-term affair, and certainly not a part of the plot that could be resolved overnight, or at a party. The issue is there’s a degree of antipathy between the dwarves of Farhill and the good folk, some of them, of Saltmarsh. Point of fact Ram discovered that it’s mainly the fishing folk that seem to have bad things to say about the dwarves of Farhill- mostly. Although in all honesty there’s not been a lot of investigation at all about this, so… There are no fishing folk invited to the party- the PCs don’t know any of them, fisherfolk don’t have shops. So, the Dark Squad’s answer to this is to invite everyone they know- including folk that they know that are violently opposed to the dwarves of Farhill (Blevins), to a party, with some dwarves from Farhill. Let’s just take a moment to let that sink in. Light blue touch paper and retire. Then there’s the folk that they have never met- Eda Oweland, Gellen Primewater- both Saltmarsh council members. Oh, and the last time anyone from the Dark Squad was in the Town Hall, that would be Buggles- he was making threats as I remember and had to be lead away by the Town Guard. Oh, but the head of Saltmarsh Watch is also invited (they’ve never met him), as is the local wizard- Keledek, who the PCs have been warned about repeatedly, Newt has already made several attempts to communicate with this guy. With no answer. So, how do I play this? And keep in mind if all the folk on the list attend the Dark Squad party, and… things go badly- read on, then the Dark Squad are going to be making it even harder for themselves from the get-go. But, it’s a goer- the party; Ram, Buggles and Newt are all convinced. Oh, and this is Buggles’ idea. Did you guess that? Did you? Although, about halfway through what follows and Buggles is starting to express his doubts, and by the end of the session he’s convinced that the party is going to possibly be a very bad thing. But there’s another ninety minutes of this to follow, and I don’t want you to think (dear reader) that I expressed any of the above opinions during this session. I left the Dark Squad to their own devices. I tried to steer them around with a bit of chatter, but that didn’t get me anywhere. So, as well as the party preparations, which accounts for at least 50% of what follows, the Dark Squad are also doing some shopping. So, every time one of them goes to the shop (any shop)- and spends his money then whoever it is that’s selling them tries to help the PCs out, with a bit of chat, and a few questions- so, who are you guys? Have you just moved to Saltmarsh? And plenty of other friendly blather, all the time leaving the way open for the various members of the Dark Squad to ask any other questions that they might have. [ATTACH type="full"]135865[/ATTACH] [B]Buggles buys a tinderbox from Winston's store (he gave his last one to Hgraam the Stone Giant). Winston is very chatty- do you want to come to our party? Buggles asks, Winston would love to- he'll even bring a couple of friends.[/B] Here’s the thing, I’ve been setting Saltmarsh up for a while- there is plot here aplenty, and contacts, and employment. I just need one PC to ask… Every PC that the Dark Squad talk to does this because the DM is really trying. But the Dark Squad are all just pointed at the party. Nope, they have no other questions, this is really all they’re doing. They have nothing to ask at all. Except… do you want to come to our party? Meanwhile… Newt sets about trying to learn to fly Gerald (in the basement- don’t ask), his Bat/Giant Bat familiar, he works out very quickly that he’s going to at least need a saddle- he later visits a leatherworker to try to arrange this, and to invite her to the party, of course. Then… The Dark Squad spend a day writing and sending party invitations. Just to say by the time we get around to the 28th of Tarsakh, the day before the party, the Dark Squad have spent over 150gp on the shindig, including… ahem, the hookers. There had to be hookers, and can you guess which member of the Dark Squad went questing for the ladies of the night? But we’ll get to them. Next up, Newt gets together the two wagon loads of wood needed for the finale of the party- a massive conflagration with pyrotechnics and other adventures in flame. Note across the road from the new chez Dark Squad is the Bird farm, with their barn stuffed full of straw. The Dark Squad have invited the Bird family, of course, to the party- they’ve never met them, but come along. So, Newt’s going to have a bonfire, are alarm bells not ringing yet? Ram visits the Whicker Goat and gets a good deal on booze and entertainment (sea shanty singers, and a jig and reel band) for the night- sorted. At this point Jim/Vinnie arrives and gets into the game. After a catch up the druid has the following to say- “I will not be ere for zis partee, I will be swimmin’ a la Vincen G Octopod, the thing yew describe iz a car-crash n’est pas?” Throughout what follows Vinnie has cause to repeat the above statement, or else a version of it, several times. “I sink Newt will ‘ave anuzzer body to ads to iz collection.” This last addendum after Newt decides to head to the docks, although after first asking Hannah, the female owner of the poshest Inn in Saltmarsh, the Snapping Line, how to go about procuring some whores? Again, let’s just take a moment- the Snapping Line Inn, which Newt has been to once or twice previously, is upmarket- the best in town, and family-orientated. So, the warlock seeking hookers asks no-one else in town, just Hannah the owner of the Snapping Line. She’s really not impressed with the tabaxi, but after a bit of persuasion (and RP accompanied by a great check) she eventually shoos him towards the docks, although she is aghast and… just massively uncomfortable. His next question for Hannah, do you want to come to my party? Then to the docks. Newt hires five hookers, although even that proves to be pretty creepy, scratch that- incredibly creepy. The ladies of the night are not for touching, just eye-candy for the party, note this event happens just after the Bird family accept their invitation. The Bird family are devout church goers, they’re like a puritan version of the Vonn Trapp family- they do hymns. So, hookers and the salvation army- check. But it goes on, there’s more of this- lots of this, until the DM is going barmy, but still just playing along and not saying anything. Vinnie eventually comes around to the idea and starts making herbal cocktails for the party. So, the day before the party and the invites are all back (or most of them)- twenty-two folk have confirmed that they will be attending, although the Bird family account for ten of the attendees. Also attending are a pair of dwarves that work at the mining headquarters in Saltmarsh, a pair of Saltmarsh guardsmen (Cannon & Ball) that Ram has been drinking with twice (well done, that worked), Winston- the general store owner (invited by Buggles), and Golf Kindle who just happens to be in town. So, here’s what pissed me off- we’ve done Downtime before. It’s a way for some of the PCs to make a lot of checks- find out info, and not have to a lot of roleplay, which some of the guys don’t care for (at times). I’d kept the Dark Squad out of Saltmarsh for a good long while, until I was absolutely ready for them- NPCs, plot, new quests, all ready to roll. Not one question got asked. Eight skill checks for the entire evening- Newt Persuaded a dwarf with a wagon to take them to Saltmarsh. Newt used Handle Animal to attempt to ride Gerald. Newt Persuaded Hannah to point him towards the hookers. Newt Persuaded two hookers to come to the party. Newt Persuaded another hooker to come to the party. Newt Persuaded another two hookers to come to the party. Vinnie made herbal cocktails for the party. Newt used Handle Animal to make Gerald stand still while he was measured for his saddle. They never mentioned the plot, or any of the places or people they are looking for. They spoke to nobody. And I was absolutely dying to reveal to them all my hard work. They were making each other laugh, but not me. So, after the session there was a little more discussion about the above. Oh, very last bit- Vinnie, later in the piece started de-coding the VH Campaign Diary that the PCs found inside the chest of holding, back in the Underdark. Here’s what they discovered, note the book this information comes from is sodden- torn in places, stained and otherwise ill-used. It has blood on it. Also, every entry is written in code, these then are the translations- [ATTACH type="full" width="679px"]135866[/ATTACH] [ATTACH type="full" width="679px"]135867[/ATTACH] [ATTACH type="full" width="679px"]135868[/ATTACH] [ATTACH type="full" width="679px"]135869[/ATTACH] [ATTACH type="full" width="679px"]135870[/ATTACH] [ATTACH type="full" width="679px"]135871[/ATTACH] [ATTACH type="full" width="679px"]135872[/ATTACH] [ATTACH type="full" width="679px"]135873[/ATTACH] [ATTACH type="full" width="679px"]135874[/ATTACH] [ATTACH type="full" width="679px"]135875[/ATTACH] [ATTACH type="full" width="679px"]135876[/ATTACH] [ATTACH type="full" width="679px"]135877[/ATTACH] The Dark Squad are, obviously, keen to get more of this de-coded. Note, Newt said- they're talking about us at entry 8 above, he was shot down by his comrades immediately. But by the end... Stay safe and well you lovely people. Cheers the Dark Squad and goonalan. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
The Dark Squad in the Secrets of Saltmarsh #136 Into the Mere of the Dead Men.
Top