Dark Squad in the Secrets of Saltmarsh
Session #078: The Dark Squad Make Enemies.
Dark Squad (in alphabetical order, no egos here).
Daktari (played by Haggis) Male Human Uthgardt Sky Pony Barbarian Lvl 8
New Tricks (played by Bear) Male Tabaxi Warlock Lvl 8
Ramshambo (played by Kev) Male Half-Elf Rogue/Fighter Lvl 7/1
Vincenzo (played by Haggis) Male Shifter (Wildhunt) Druid Lvl 8
NPCs
Inverna Nightbreeze (played by Goonalan) Female Wood Elf Fighter Lvl 8 (Sidekick)
Garumn Male Mountain Dwarf Paladin of Moradin Lvl 5 RIP*
Tarbin Tul (played by goonalan) Male Human Bard RETIRED
Ubmo (played by Goonalan) Supreme Being Lvl 1
*Trapped in the Land of the Bad Dead Ancestors.
Servants/Familiars
Gerald (Bat/Giant Bat) servant/mount of New Tricks
Owly (Owl) Vinnie’s familiar
This is session 78, and another cracker.
But again, this was another pretty straightforward session of D&D, that makes it sound bad, it wasn't. Just no more outrageous revelations by the DM.
Thank heaven.
So, the Dark Squad are guiding giant goats, their favourite type of goat, from the closed (hidden) gnome burrow of Squabblepot to the Falcon's Nest, and in the company of the Gnome Ranger, who is mounted on Trenloe the Magnificent, possibly the lord of all giant goats. Certainly the GTI 'S' version, with spoiler and go-faster stripes.
Alas the journey has not been particularly smooth- first their were the wyverns, and now... a gang of ogres.
Here's where we are at. There's a chain-wielding ogre to the south- being beaten to a pulp, atm, by Daktari, Inverna & the Gnome Ranger (on Trenloe). Ram has climbed up on to the bluff tops to confront the giant crossbow wielding ogre there. While Ubmo, Newt (still mounted) and the Moonboar take on an undead ogre to the north.
Oh, and just to say Daktari, in the last session (I forgot) and this, has become a fanboy of the somewhat surly Gnome Ranger.
Remember, delivered in a cod-Russian accent, and play it dumb.
“You are soooo very tiny, and yet soooo very tough. You are soooo cool, Mr. Ranger, Sir.”
But here's the thing, it takes a little while but my ogres are getting their arses kicked, and so in an effort to increase the difficulty of the encounter a bunch of the giant goats, panicked by events, attempt to flee the scene.
The Dark Squad diversify,- fighting and goat-wrangling at the same time.
The last ogre, the one that's getting stabbed up by Ram, attempts to flee the scene too... alas, that doesn't happen, particularly as Newt (still mounted) is greased lightning after the giant too.
Ram, cuts the last ogre down, although he doesn't kill the brute- it's taken prisoner, and soon after chained up, and using the chains employed in battle by the other ogre, who turns out to be the prisoner's brother, see later.
The giant goat's are then roped together, after a few more skill checks, and the unconscious ogre harnessed to the pack. It takes another thirty or so minutes to drag the prisoner to the Falcon's Nest.
Note, Newt- throughout the goat run has been counselling his colleagues repeatedly about the fragility of their mounts, and the need to keep them safe.
Irony?
Ram, after yet another such lecture from Newt, reminds the tabaxi that the Dark Squad, to date, have only lost two mounts-
Black Death, riding horse, mount of, well... Newt- acid burned and eaten by an ankheg.
Belphegoat, giant goat, mount of, well... again, Newt- Fiery Blasted to death by, again... Newt.
So, we get to the Falcon's Nest, and here it is-
Now that's a beautiful map (thank you Cze and Peku).
The Falcon's happy to let the Dark Squad know that the ogre prisoner that they've brought back (still unconscious) is Bawy Bastard. The Bastard's are a tribe of ogre mercenaries, based- the Falcon thinks, somewhere across the river. In the Mere of the Dead Men.
Furthermore from the PCs description, then the chain-wielding ogre was Bawy's brother, Wodger. The Bastard's are a very clannish ogre mercenary gang, very old skool, very nasty, and with Bawy and Wodger dead- probably, very unhappy. The Dark Squad just made another enemy.
So, the Dark Squad ponder, we need a plan, and here it is-
Bawy (still unconscious) will be dragged out into the wilds, and closer to home, and there allowed to regain his consciousness. Then, fingers-crossed, Bawy will head on back to the Bastard's lair, and with two of the Falcon's rangers tailing him all the way.
Let's see where the Bastard's live, the Dark Squad will add it to their list of places to visit.
Its not a bad plan, I think it was Vinnie that suggested it, or Ram... or it could have been Newt.
The deal is done, the Falcon will let the Dark Squad know what her rangers discover.
Soon after the Gnome Ranger departs, this after paying the Dark Squad for the safe delivery of the giant goats- note throughout this escapade (the goat run) the gnome ranger has said... nothing. Taciturn. He points, he nods, he grunts a little, he smirks whenever he can (and he can), but he has said... nothing, not one word, and several of the PCs have tried to engage the fellow in conversation.
“He is sew Kool!” Daktari declares one final time before the gnome and Trenloe depart.
Then...
Then dinner, and a short rest with more chat time, with the Falcon.
The Dark Squad and the Falcon exchange gossip, the PCs learn that-
There's a lot of goblin activity around the town of Blackedge (near the Dreadwood), this however is to be expected, it's goblin season- the weather's good and all the new come-of-age goblins are out trying to prove their adults/warriors.
More worrying...
There's something very big- smashing its way through the Deep Dreadwood. Note the Deep Dreadwood is how it sounds, a light-less tangle of ancient and terrifying flora, inhabited by equally horrific fauna (with lots of undead, and home to the hag- Nightshade).
One of the Falcon's ranger's discovered a hundred foot wide (at least) trail of smashed trees, snaking in no set direction through the woods for over a mile, but nothing to signify what caused the phenomenon.
Next.
Five days ago a quickling buzzed into the Falcon's Nest, then around for a bit- with guards chasing it, and then departed having dropped a note-
Daktari reads the note, he has been practising his letters.
Question: Who are Ralph & Bobby?
Answer: The Dark Squad are going to find out when they're next in Soltmarch, sorry- Saltmarsh.
Last bit of news.
A local no-good no-mark from Burle (less than ten minutes walk away) has been asking around after the Dark Squad. The no-good in question is called Sar Korn, he's the proprietor of a spit-and-sawdust pub, The Dead Goblin.
The Dark Squad chat a while longer with the Falcon, and then- it's approaching 10 PM already, head off into Burle, they'd like to meet Sar Korn.
Burle, looks a lot like Greenest- shush!
And here's The Dead Goblin.
Although the title on the map is actually Generic Inn Lower, so maybe the Dead Goblin's getting re-branded.
Sar Korn turns out to be a little more pleasant than expected, although this only plays out after Newt has started spreading the cash, and buying rounds (20gp worth of rounds). Note, the Dark Squad's order- five pints of the local Fizzyspit, sets them back 5 silver pieces, and that was very much stranger/outsider prices, so the locals are really putting it away.
Newt is also, mostly, prevented from singing- at least for a while, however the tabaxi cannot be silenced (which is a real shame, ask his friends).
Sar Korn tells the guys that a fellow called Skeel asked him to put the word out, Sar describes Skeel- “tall fur 'uman, well-dreffed, pale- like he wuz sick.”
The chatter goes on for a while, and the Dark Squad settle in to the bar, particularly as Skeel is due to call in soon, he does most evenings just before closing time... but, no show.
Only twenty minutes later a lamplighter/messenger boy arrives with a note for... the Dark Squad.
The note, signed Skeel, directs the Dark Squad (immediately) to a different area of Burle, near a large water trough. The reason for the secret meeting, Skeel (apparently) has information that would be 'of import' to the adventurers.
The Dark Squad smell a trap.
But, they want to know who this Skeel is (they've never heard of him) and who (perhaps) he represents.
So, they drink up and head on out, and it's getting rather later now.
Into the backstreets of Burle.
Vinnie shares a little Pass Without Trace for his companions, which accounts for Ram's stealth checks.
Note, during what follows next Ram makes two stealth checks, the lowest is a '36', no-one sees Ram again for a good long while- not the enemies, not his friends.
Double note, while Ram is on his wandering (in a moment) he makes several active perception checks, there was one high check right at the start (I think) but the rest of them- the highest roll is something like a '4'.
So, Ram goes for a sneak about to see what he can see.
While, Vinnie...
Becomes Vincen-Whooooooo. He's a an owl. Hooooo! The noise that an owl makes, oh please yourself, I thought it was hilarious.
So, both Ram and Vincen-ooooo spot Skeel, hidden in the shadows over the far side of the market place area. Skeel however hasn't seen either of the PCs. Nor has the ghoul lying on a nearby flat-roof, also spotted by the flying Vincen-ooooo.
But then...
The fellows at the back (Newt, Daktari & Inverna) decide to edge a little way forward, to see what they can see- Inverna manages to roll a double '1', and the secret is out.
So, several things happen at once, or else sequentially, and very quickly.
Skeel reveals himself, a cadaverous pale-skinned human, although thickly cloaked against the cold (hang on, what cold- it's May), well-dressed but a little shabby with it.
"My name is Argus Skeel, and you... I presume, call yourself the Dark Squad, how very original."
Skeel is very well spoken.
"I doubt that you can even comprehend how much trouble you are in... The shadow is coming, you know this, but alas you will not be around to see...
But just as Skeel is about to... well, whatever it is he's about to do.
A woman's voice calls out from behind the Dark Squad, from up on a nearby roof, the speaker reveals herself to be an early 30's dark-haired and beautiful woman, wearing dark leathers and seemingly adept at wandering around cantered roofs in the near-dark.
"Not so fast... I don't know who you are nightwalker, but I can smell the grave you crawled out of from here..."
Skeel hisses his displeasure.
But the emboldened woman continues on...
"The Dark Squad, eh! Well, know this- for it will be the last thing you understand. My great Lord, Ashardalon sends his final words. They are..."
At which point Skeel however has had enough, he shouts the next bit as loud as he can, causing the roof-balancing woman to snarl and miss her turn.
"Enough of this, we have the bard and the Dreadnought is coming. My dark master will see you all in hell!”
Note the Dark Squad are stuck in the middle, it's like watching tennis, with the back and forth, also one of the kobolds (see later) has gone early, I revealed the little bugger by mistake.
At which point Skeel, and a bunch of ghouls hidden under various market stalls, or else behind walls- rush the PCs.
The woman on the roof doesn't get to tell the Dark Squad Ashardalon's final words to them, because the fight has already started-
"Arrghh! Kill them all, let none survive!" Is all she adds.
And... it gets nasty.
So, there's Skeel and seven ghouls, and then there's the young lady on the roof and seven armoured kobolds- the latter entering the melee from various alleys.
Remember Ram did some incredible sneaking about prior to this fracas, and yet his perception checks (save one) were terrible.
The ghouls and a few kobolds (they were caught on the hop) rush in, the Dark Squad defend. Vincen-ooooo becomes Vinnie again, he was perched on a roof looking into the alley in which Skeel was hiding.
The druid unleashes his Call Lightning and blasts Skeel, which however reveals his position.
Skeel, who was striding towards the majority of the Dark Squad immediately turns himself around, and runs up the side of the building and onto the roof, he grabs hold of Vinnie (grappled) and bites him even through his thick armour, draining the screaming druid's blood.
What with the blood drain, necrotic damage and the reduction of his hit point total, Vinnie is bloodied in one bite.
The Dark Squad are (briefly) frightened.
“F-Me, Vampire!” That kind of thing.
But the druid is a clever fellow, he Misty Steps straight out of Skeel's embrace, and back to his friends, who at this point are discovering that the ghouls, who they have been targeting (because they paralyse) ain't that tough, but the kobolds (who they've mostly not been targeting) are in fact pretty bloody tough, with high AC, hit points and multiple attacks.
But the ghouls are still having an effect, both Ram and Newt have to spend inspiration points to re-roll saving throws versus the undead's paralysis, both pass second time around.
Note, the beautiful black-leather clad woman on the roof is still taking pot-shots with her crossbow, but her dice are mostly broken. Just her dice, mind.
Newt has an idea, he calls his friends together, and...
Surrounds the Dark Squad with a Wall of Fire.
The Dark Squad huddle up within the flaming circle, but then- bugger me...
One of the tough kobolds rushes through the flames (and takes maybe six points of damage, after making its saving throw- the kobolds, as it turns out, are resistant to fire).
The Dark Squad are getting anxious, and particularly because they're also conscious that Skeel is about to get into action again, and... the woman on the roof keeps on missing, and that can't go on forever.
Although... it pretty much bloody does.
She has the best to hit bonus of all of the enemies present, she fires twice per turn- every turn, and hits just once.
It gets worse.
Skeel rushes through the fire, although- it hurts, a lot, the vampire (according to the Dark Squad) however manages to bite Vinnie again, although at this point the druid is now the Moonboar.
The Dark Squad target Skeel and enough is enough, he flees- back out of the Wall of Flame, and away... the PCs think, although they're not really sure, because they can't see much through the flames.
More kobolds rush through the Wall of Fire, and now everyone is taking hits, and the kobolds are still surviving in there.
It gets worse.
In quick succession Newt gets hit and then fails his concentration check, then the same for Vinnie- the Wall of Fire and the Call Lightning spells come to an abrupt end.
It's so undignified, less of a melee, more of a play-ground style scramble.
Newt fires up his last warlock power- Sickening Radiance, the ghouls within the horrid light get torn apart.
Note, Ram (to the south) is not certain that Skeel has fled the scene, while the crossbow firing woman on the rooftops (she's been moving about- jumping from building to building) also cannot be seen.
But that's nothing new, the sniping woman usually only appears briefly to miss with her crossbow shots before dipping back into the shadows.
However, we're already well over time.
This last fight (so far) has taken a good long while to play out, the players were really having to think about it, and at times, there was a bit of fretting going on.
They figure they've got it beat now, but we'll get to the conclusion in the next one.
The Dark Squad’s to-do list-
- Survive Skeel and the shooter on the roof, who are they?
- Go to the Moon Pool, need to climb to the top of Silverhill and be inside the stone circle there before midnight, and then stay within it until dawn's first light. Then journey down the hill and into the centre of the Silverstand (forest). Meet Wildroot there, and enter the Moon Pool, and then the Treant will set the Dark Squad to their task, that's what Belphegor said.
- Remember, we've got to find the other four Symbols of Ub, one was left in Deepbridge (Duergar fortress in the Underdark). The others need to be found, they belonged to- Rambles 'Shambles' Bowspirit (halfling killer), Antonio De La Crane (posh kid druid alchemist) & Giggles (crazy wood elf). All of these folk lived in the Saltmarsh region, the Dark Squad have found the De La Crane Manse (in the Dreadwood) and the De La Crane Crypt (in Saltmarsh Cemetary).
- Return to Fallowstone Holy, church of Oghma, pick up info (Witch's Tor & Pact of the Flame, although the Dark Squad probably know all about this stuff already). What else do you need to find out about? See above, and below.
- Warn Ashby- the Soggy's (Sahuagin) are coming!
- Vinnie needs to be back for the next Saltmarsh Council meeting on the 1st Kythorn (June).
- Nightshade in the Dreadwood?
- Blackedge and the Goblin Stair?
Stay safe and well you lovely people.
Cheers the Dark Squad and goonalan.
