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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Goonalan" data-source="post: 9266749" data-attributes="member: 16069">Dark Squad in the Secrets of SaltmarshSession #126: The Summoner.Dark Squad (in alphabetical order, no egos here).Daktari/Dak (played by Haggis) Male Human Uthgardt Sky Pony Barbarian Lvl 9Fellowyn Silverstream (played by George) Male Eladrin Wizard Bladesinger Lvl 9New Tricks/Newt (played by Bear) Male Tabaxi Warlock Lvl 9Ramshambo/Ram (played by Kev) Male Half-Elf Rogue/Fighter Lvl 7/2Vincenzo/Vinnie (played by Haggis) Male Shifter (Wildhunt) Druid Lvl 9DEAD PCs<s>Nicholai Barbaros Kostyiev/Nicky (played by George) Male Dhampir Cleric of Twilight Lvl 8 </s>RIPNPCs<s>Inverna Nightbreeze (played by George) Female Wood Elf Fighter Lvl 8 (Sidekick) </s>RETIRED<s>Garumn Male Mountain Dwarf Paladin of Moradin Lvl 5 </s>RIP*<s>Tarbin Tul (played by goonalan) Male Human Bard </s>RETIRED<s>Ubmo (played by Goonalan) Supreme Being Lvl 1</s> EXPLODEDUbdug (played by Goonalan) Supreme Being Lvl 2 (When we remember)*Trapped in the Land of the Bad Dead Ancestors.Servants/FamiliarsGerald (Bat/Giant Bat) servant/mount of New TricksOwly (Owl) Vinnie’s familiarThe Dark Squad’s to-do list-<ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">An extraordinary meeting of the Saltmarsh Town Council, the Dark Squad are going to get hired to end the smuggling menace (see below), scheduled for 10th Flamerule.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">The smuggler's ship will be turning up sometime between the 14th and 17th of Flamerule, the Dark Squad (and particularly Ram) are keen to meet the vessel, particularly Ram- why, because as the rogue said- “I'm getting a boat.”</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">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 from Lowhill), 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 Cemetery).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Nightshade is in the Deep Dreadwood- except she's not there anymore, but a big red dragon is?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Blackedge and the Goblin Stair?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">To join the Pact of the Wild Flame prepare the Witch's Tor for the coming of the starfall, the Witch's Tor is in the Drowned Forest, in the Mere of the Dead Men.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">To join the Pact of the Wild Flame track down the last member of the Pact, a wild elf adventurer called Giggles- and finally put her spirit to rest, and also recover her maze button. Location unknown. SEE 2. ABOVE.</li> </ol>This is session 126, and this is probs (again) going to be a short-ish write up, maybe a few more pictures in this one, but… it’s a slugfest, and level 9- with high level spells, is proving to be tough/slow going.It doesn’t help, of course, that the dang DM gone and pumped up the bad guys some more also, again. We had a chat about this at the end of the session- was it too much? The players thought not, they liked the added challenge, even though it slowed things down a notch or two.Just for info I am now completely ignoring HD ranges for the bad guys, at least with regard to hit points- they all have more these days- some, much more. Likewise, ACs, attacks, and to hit & damage have all been ‘improved’, for all of the bad guys.The Dark Squad are still proving to be up to the job, but there are no (very few) easy kills these days, or so it seems- so far.Oh, and during the shopping extravaganza a few sessions back Fellowyn, being very poor- no gold, had to borrow money from Daktari.Daktari has easily got 2,000gp (possibly more) just doing nothing, his major/only expense is hair products- he wants for nothing else. So, the pair negotiated a deal- the deal being, Fellowyn can have an interest free loan if he guarantees, from this point on, to put some ‘bloody’ pants on (Ram says this, quite a lot).So, here’s the new Fellowyn-[ATTACH=full]346231[/ATTACH]He’s lot buffer than I expected. Note Fellowyn’s token has changed, as depicted above, to reflect the new dynamic.But, back to it…[ATTACH=full]346232[/ATTACH]Here we are again, the Moonboar is being ganged up upon- but he has his Fire Shield running, and so the two water horses (water elementals in equine form) and the Dark Tide Knight are suffering- they’re not at all happy. There’s also another archer on the roof plugging away at the wildshaped druid.Meantime Daktari has cornered an archer, and was steadily- to this point, beating her (a female heavily tattooed half-orc) down when another mounted Dark Tide Knight came clattering down the lane and lanced him in the back, the barbarian is suffering.Ram and Newt are the artillery, Ubdug has just re-assembled after falling out of the Town Hall window last session (it’s three stories down).[ATTACH=full]346234[/ATTACH]And here’s the new buff Fellowyn (top of the above image), the half-orc archer on the roof over from the ancient wizard is only just hanging on- it’s a two storey fall for her if she lets go. Fellowyn therefore casts a Suggestion spell upon the dangling enemy- she must ‘report to the nearest Watch Station, hand yourself in, and explain your role in the fracas in the market’. The half-orc archer fails her save spectacularly (with a ‘1’), she therefore clambers down from the roof and rushes off to surrender.Fellowyn is getting much better/smarter.[ATTACH=full]346235[/ATTACH]The water horses either expire, or else flee the fiery druid, as do many of the other enemies- the fight is done.But here’s the thing, while the fighting was going on (about 7-8 turns in total) the PCs have been making Perception checks- one/turn each, free of charge, and I’ve been sending some of them (the ones with very high rolls) whispers… there’s a strange deep, monotonous (and loud) gargling noise on the breeze, it’s coming from the docks.And so, the Dark Squad race to the docks, glugging a few potions of healing along the way, and en route (mostly) Newt and the Moonboar explain- the voice/sound/noise that can be heard every now and then, coming on the wind, is a mixture of the Primordial, Infernal and, maybe a couple of other languages- there’s some Aquan, perhaps, in there somewhere.Newt however is certain- it’s a summoning spell, or else ritual, that is being invoked.But, when the Squad get to the docks, they find… there’s nothing much going on there, or else the docks are at full capacity, there are at least fifty or sixty citizens of Saltmarsh present, all of them stood statue- they have all stopped what they were doing to try to make out whatever is being said.The words are… mesmerising? Is that the word?To make clear the various dock workers et al have not been charmed, they just can’t pin down where the sound is coming from- the often gargling/glottal speech seems to come from out to sea, then from up above, and at times from down below, or from the water in the docks, else from the alleys that lead there. It is… all encompassing.Not even the Dark Squad can detect where the sound is coming from.This goes on for a little while, until the DM relents and allows the PCs to make an Insight check or two. Success.My clue, where does the Dark Squad know on the docks? Which building hereabouts have they been to before?And eventually, after a short while spent racing through the various dockside alleys, the Dark Squad do indeed recognise a building on the docks.Warehouse #3, the Blevins Warehouse, the Squad with the help of the dwarven Slagg’s did some deliveries too and from this place, back when they first arrived in Saltmarsh, and at the behest of the Farhill Mine dwarves. Blevins turned out to be a not very nice fellow, although the Dark Squad back then were not too friendly either (at times). Later still the Squad found Blevins (and his family) dead- all of them murdered, the former sacrificed. Blevins, the Dark Squad have learned, was some sort of cultist- possibly a death cultist, but this has not been investigated thus far.Anyway, here’s the Blevin’s warehouse-[ATTACH=full]346236[/ATTACH]Newt is on his Broom of Flying; he’s spotted more surly looking half-orcs in the warehouse yard below (he however has not been spotted). Meantime Ram and Daktari have just burst into the warehouse, through one of the double loading doors that leads out onto the docks.The half-orc berserkers within the warehouse are furious about being disturbed.The sound, the summoning spell- is very definitely coming from in here.[ATTACH=full]346237[/ATTACH]Ubdug unleashes some sort of lightning storm spell, the Squad’s respect for the (annoyingly) loud Modron goes up a notch.[ATTACH=full]346238[/ATTACH]Ubdug joins Daktari in combat. He really is a hero!The Supreme Being to the rescue.[ATTACH=full]346239[/ATTACH]Ubdug is smashed to pieces seconds later, his remains land in the skiff tied to the dock hereby, the Modron’s lightning/storm thing goes away.Everyone has a bad word to say about Ubdug.Oh, and Daktari is surrounded, and these tattooed half-orcs- like the previous lot (the archers) are tough buggers, and my dice are on fire- I just keep hitting, not for a lot of damage, of course, but there are a lot of hits.They’re pesky, that’s what they are.I’ll settle for pesky right now.[ATTACH=full]346240[/ATTACH]Here we are some more, over on the (top) right of this image are a set of stairs that lead up to a door- more tattooed hollering half-orcs come rushing out the door and down the stairs, the Dark Squad are surrounded (sorta).Note Newt is still on his broom, flinging Belphegor’s Fiery Blasts et al.[ATTACH=full]346241[/ATTACH]Then the source of the noise (the summoning spell) turns up and interrupts his ritual to fling some death magic of his own at the Squad, alas Fellowyn successfully Counterspells my guy instantly.This guy is a six-foot-something fishy/human fellow, with tentacle appendages either side of his face, he looks tough and mean, and certainly he’s in charge here.A turn or so later and the evil fish-dude summons a lightning storm overhead, and then… Vincenzo (the Moonboar is gone), seconds later, dispels the storm.The PCs won’t let me play. Buggers![ATTACH=full]346242[/ATTACH]I think that’s Newt’s Synaptic Static (or some such) that’s going on now.Note Daktari is dishing it out, but slowly, he’s helped by the fact that many of the half-orc berserkers are glowing like Christmas trees thanks to Vinnie’s Faerie Fire. Ubdug is back alive again- nobody cheer, while Fellowyn is (almost) taking a beating- he’s positioned himself between the warehouse wall and a dockside crane, blocking the way to his buddies, and he’s Dodging as much as he can.The Dark Squad are doing this, but… it’s defo another step up.Not as easy as previous.Pat on the back for me.And that’s what we got up to.But just to say, Monster Knowledge checks, maybe an idea for next time fellers.Stay safe and well you lovely people.Cheers the Dark Squad and goonalan.</blockquote>

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