Session 64: The Ghosts of Saltmarsh

General Summary

Shan'-tie and Hool's Coyote talk in a communal place in Smit'aq's Ko-pa. Shan'-tie and Menace meet. Shan'-tie and Menace meet, having no idea who one another are. They are trying to negotiate passage to Saltmarsh.

"She could not force us to do anything we do not want to do."

Shan'-tie gets passage on the Sea Prince smuggling ship--they smuggle food to Maria Primewater.

Menace: "So why the hell are you going to Saltmarsh?"

"Unfinished buisness. Old friends I need to see."

"Old friends? Who?"

"A very strange, one-legged man."

"Strange is a very... apt word to describe Captain Fireborn."

"Oh you've met Mr. Fireborn?"

"We've... converesed. You probably shouldn't mention me."

"Oh I won't."

"Oh, well you better not mention anyone."

"Of course."

"...you wouldn't happen to be... nevermind."

"Good choice. Half-and-half keeps telling me not to kill my enemies."

"Well I won't be your enemy."

Shan'-tie leaves, and Menace feels like they aren't being friendly.

Black Axe gives Mystan and Virion news, and also gives them the mission of retreiving the spirit conduit.

Virion and Mystan plan to enter Saltmarsh at night, picking teleporting from a nearby cliff to Hoolwatch Tower. Mystan can then drop Silence onto the tower. And Virion gives Mystan the old repeating musket with 14 shot and powder-it takes 7 at a time.

On the 13th of Clan Time, Virion--now Motana--and Mystan begin their infiltration--and Shan'-tie and Menace arrive as well.

In the evening beforehand, Shan'-tie casts Dream to Zyg "Foof". Shan'-tie tells Zyg what she's up to, and Zyg gives Shan'-tie one last bit of advice; check the tunnels. Neither Shan'-tie nor Menace knows what the hell that means.

Menace & Half-and-Half unload the goods to Maria Primewater. The Sas'quets and Shan'-tie sneak off with ease. Shan'-tie asks for Menace's help, luring them in with a promise of a flaming sword. Menace and Half-and-Half talks, and Half-and-Half thinks Menace helping is a good idea.

Menace gets the low-down from Shan'-tie. They agree not to interact with Fireborn.

Saltmarsh has begun to fortify: Bellend's Grove has been cut down, turned into a wooden pallisade surrounding the town. Virion suggests changing the plan to sneaking in through the Kingfisher River, then getting atp the hill to teleport in.

Mystan uses Scrying. Captain Fireborn has the spirit conduit, alone in his office. He's talking to someone via Sending Stone--it's Serrano who has captured new labor and food, and reports no sign of Virion or Mystan.

Shan'-tie and Menace land on the roof via Chester the owl, sneaks past the guard, and gets through a mouse hole into the office.

Shan'-tie drops concentration on Polymorph, drops Wildshape, and casts Eyebite.

"This is going to feel good."

"What!?"

Fireborn falls unconcious for one minute. The room goes silent as Mystan and Motana teleport onto the surface. The guard is surprised and Mystan casts Silent. Menace and Shan'-tie have no idea what's going on.

In the office, a Shield Guardian teleports into the area and punches Menace and Shan'-tie once each. On the roof, Mystan bum rushes the guard and shoves him off the roof. He shouts and dies with a sickening crunch. That was Private Goncolo

Menace circles around the defender, grabs the Spirit Conduit, and flees to the other side of the room, and casts Misty Step to get onto the other roof. Menace then casts Eldritch Blast at the Shield Guardian.

One eldritch bast breaks part of the Guardian's chassy. Shan'tie follows with another Misty Step away. She then shouts "Chester over here!". Mystan hears and looks over the edge, seeing the two of them, and hears Shan'-tie say "That's a loyalist, we need to get out of here."

"So fire or no fire?"

"Fire."
"That's not in the cards Melody."

"Wait, Melody!?" Menace says.

"Does that name mean something to you?"

"Yes!"

"Fishcod!?"

"I haven't used that name in a long time."

"Execution isn't in the cards, Melody. Or Faeryn."

"Look, we need to get out of here!" Melody says, "Fireborn's unconcious and will wake up any second now!"

Virion looks over, and Melody says, "Virion!? You look like shit!"

"Shut up, get up here!"

"No! We're not getting up there!"

The Shield Guardian punches the window, and Mystan sees that. "Oh no."

Virion asks Shan'-tie if they have the Conduit, and Shan'tie confirms despite Faeryn's protests. The two groups escape the way they each came. Between flying and teleportation, they get away, agreeing to use Sending later to reconvene.

Captain Fireborn wakes up to the Shield Guardian having punched a hole in the wall. Guards from the lower levels confirm to him the names they heard: Melody, Fishcod, Virion, and Mystan.

Menace and Shan'-tie meet back at the docks, and Menace asks Shan'-tie to say she mistook their identity. Shan'-tie then confronts Menace about... everything, and Menace says "I know I did really bad shit and I fucked up but I am trying to do better. Have you ever been in a really dark place and spiraling and thinking the entire world was against you and then someone comes and tells you that they can make those feelings useful and you do a bunch of bad things, until your sibling betrays their entire country to save you?"

"Yeah, actually, I do know that feeling."

Shan'-tie accepts Menace is trying to make things better, but doesn't forgive them. She says that if they want to make this better, they need to come with Shan'-tie to Virion and Mystan to stop this empire.

They swap tragic backstories, Shan'-tie expresses frustration at the spirits, and they agree to help Virion and Mystan.

They also agree to lie to Virion and Mystan about Menace--Faeryn--'s identity.

Menace gives the Spirit Conduit to Shan'-tie.

Virion and Mystan, meanwhile, Dimension Door back to the horses and ride the fuck away from here. Virion and Mystan decide to cast Sending to Melody and agree to meet at the... can't be the Silverstand... can't be the Alchemist... the Lizardfolk Lair!

Mystan sends to Shan'-tie, "Meet us at the Lizardfolks' cave. We need to figure out what to do to stop the Empire. Also what the fuck is going on!?"

"Will meet you there, a lot is going on but don't worry, it's not Fishcod, I just can't distinguish between Drow, because I'm racist."

Mystan and Virion immediately think that this is a cover for Faeryn's identity. To them, the Conduit is the most important thing; an enemy of my enemy is my friend. But they should approach with caution.

Mystan confirms with Virion; Peace until Proven Otherwise. Mystan sends to Melody again, "We know that that's Fishcod with you. We will not do anything averse unless provoked. The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Shan'-tie conveys that to Menace, and Menace grits out, "Fine."

"Well I'm glad it's not an issue because that's not Fishcod."

Shan'-tie and Menace ask Half-and-Half and Elmo to drop them off at the Lizarfolk Lair.

Half-and-half asks what's going on, and Menace says they have to atone. And get a Flametongue.

Lizardfolk greet both parties, by land and by sea, and ask what they're up too. Faeryn explains that they are meeting with some people and needed a neutral third party. Mystan explains the same, and the Lizardfolks scamper off after the four meet on land. Shan'-tie introduces themself with their new name.

Shan'-tie explains that she and Menace broke in to steal the Spirit Conduit to stop the empire from attacking the spirit world. She asks what they were doing there.

Mystan says "You actually beat us to the punch."

"What? Since when were you against the empire?"

"Since they went against my entire order."

"About half a month ago" - Virion

"Oh, and this is Menace." Shan'-tie says.

"Hi Fishcod," says Virion.

"It's Menace."

"Faeryn."

"Look, I can vouch for them. They've done bad things but since they hurt my people the most, I assure you they are doing better."

Virion introduces his proper name, Montana, in Elvish and explains that they have a place that Faeryn... Menace... may have been before. Mystan is mostly very confused.

They iron out what they need: a next step, a base, a name. Motana takes control of the conversation again, explaining there's a sanctified place that's warded against detextion. It used to be the seat of power for Zuggtmoy. Menace freezes, and Motana explains that Menace has almost certainly been there before.

Menace's takeaway is "so you stole my house." Apparently, Menace had a painting up that was from a bad time in their life but that is important to them. It was made with spores and mushrooms that were squished onto a canvas, very textural and impressionistic. It was mostly reds and oranges with a dark background. They called it Sunny Day. Virion did indeed leave it up, thought at a distance because the spores give you the ability to understand all things.

The newly reformed party, name pending, now decides on a next move. Virion wants an action, but Shan'-tie wants a name to inspire people that the empire whispers in fear.

Menace wants to simply not be known. But Shan'-tie declares "The Ghosts of Saltmarsh" as a name, asking what happened to the Sea Ghost. Virion says a Genie stole it.

The party's next actionable plan is that they need to deal with Captain Serrano, Captain Eliander Fireborn, Commander Ana Fireborn, & Castellan Shadowbreaker. Senior Talon Delmirev is imprisoned in Castle Feldren.

Menace explains that their sibling broke them out of Castle Feldren before, including a few others like Muertio--Mystan and Virion balk--and they discuss that polymorph is their best friend for breaking into the dungeons.

Virion mentions that Muertio nearly killed them but it's fine.

Their top priority, now, is to free Talon Delmirev. Dealing with imperials can wait.

Shan'-tie casts Dream and Mystan enters Delmirev's dreams. Delmirev is atop a dragon, being overrun by ships and evil dragons being controlled by the Empire.

Mystan manipulates the dream with a flash of lightning, and when it disappears its Castle Raan.

Delmirev is confused, "Mystan, is that you!?"

"I'm dreaming!?"

"Yes, but I am not part of the dream. Or, I've entered it? I'm not a figment of your imagination."

"It's really you?"

"Do I need to smack you to make you believe it?"

"No no, that's not necessary."

"I've been here so long..."

"I'm so sorry it took so long. But Sylvenne and I are going to get you out of here."

"How?"

"Sylvenne is going to infiltrate the caslte with the help of a Littlefolk, while I and another provide support from the outside. They're going to use magic to try and break you out. Once you're outside the fortress I can get you somewhere safe. I will be the first to admit, it's a longshot."

Delmirev thanks him, but warns him; these cells all have Private Sanctum and since the break in last year, they were warded with Glyphs of Warding. He imagines that there are more glyphs, including alarms. There's a piece of paper the warden has which has a list of names of those authorized. If it's destroyed nobody is authorized. The warden used to be Serrano, but it may be somene else now.