Sunday 9 Ready'reat (continued)
Adlia, Nar, and Karia thank
Mafera and head back out to the street. Karia asks, "Do we know where Kyra is? She's been gone for a bit."
Nar responds, "Last I knew she was in her room, perhaps she's still there? We could go find out."
"Guys I still want to tithe
Procan," Adlia chimes in, "I think it's important to honor our gods appropriately."
Karia nods, "You're probably right. Why don't you head up to the temple of Procan while we go gather Kyra from the
The Snapping Line. We can meet there once you're ready."
Adlia agrees and heads up the hill toward the
temple while Nar and Karia head toward the town square.
Karia and Nar find Kyra's room upstairs in the
Snapping Line and loudly rap upon it. "Kyra!" Karia calls out, "Are you okay? We've not seen you in a bit."
Through the door they hear a muffled reply, "Huh? What time is it?"
Karia answers, "Just after midday on Sunday. You've been in there for over a day. What are you doing?"
The door cracks open revealing a disheveled Kyra squinting at them, "Sunday? I've been studying some new spells. What have you been doing?"
Nar pipes up, "We found a new friend and hired a mercenary!"
"I'm sorry what?" Kyra asks trying to catch up.
"We talked to the
Mariners' Guildhall," clarifies Karia, "and they have been trying to build a lighthouse on a nearby island for better maritime navigation around
Saltmarsh, so we agreed to take on that task and hired someone there to assist since Major Ursa believes both pirates and cultists might still be on the island. Plus they keep seeing skeletons roam the beach, weird!"
"Okay," Kyra prompts, "that's the mercenary, but what about this new friend?"
"We found her on the side of the road!" Nar helps.
Karia adds, "She says her god
Ehlonna bade her quest with us so she found us, and then, err, followed us around all day."
Kyra looks blankly at Karia, "Ugh! Alright that's it. I'm just going to stop asking."
Meanwhile, Adlia crests the hill as she approaches the temple. Heading inside, the broad bulk of
Wellgar Brinehand greets her as the doors swing inside. "Ho! How fare thee on this fine day?"
"Good day!" she replies, "Our group will be traveling by ship soon and I want to ensure we don't offend your patron,
Procan."
"Indeed!" Wellgar responds, "Procan's mood changes like the winds, so it's always best to entreat his mercy, sister of nature." Adlia's eyes widen as Wellgar continues, "Aye, I see the sigil of Ehlonna and respect her. We should discuss theology when you have time."
Adlia states, "I'd enjoy such a discussion. Today though, allow me to offer ten gold as a tithe for your god."
Wellgar bows in respect, "Thanks be to you, milady. I'll pray for a safe and fruitful journey."
She then heads back to the Snapping Line where she meets the remaining party and introductions are made all around. After finishing a quick meal, the party heads south onto the docks where they find their ship,
The Sea Ghost, receiving preparations for the journey. "Ho! Sea Ghost" Nar yells out.
Immediately,
Capt O'Donahue calls back, "Ho the shore! Be that me fav'rite little miss? Per'aps with a bit of Claw Wine on her? Do come aboard." Continuing O'Donahue updates the party, "After our chat, I be figurin' that you'd be wanting underway soonest, so I took it upon meself to ready 'er. We're near done now, but the tide needs to be higher ere we set sail. I assume our standard rates be applied here? Assuming yes, let's set it for five days which makes it seventy five gold for the journey." Upon receiving the sum, he nods and continues, "Pleasure to be servin' ye again. We can make way round two in the mornin' if it pleases ye."
Moonday 10 Readyr'eat
After getting a few hours of sleep, the first mate, Jimmie Jr, no relation, wakes the party and they gather on deck for their typical duties while sailing. Unfortunately, a small squall rises up within an hour of sailing and leaves everyone in a bit of a grumpy mood. However, the sun soon breaks the eastern horizon with the
Sea Ghost still on course for the nearby island.
Suddenly, the water begins to froth and the ship rocks to the starboard. Slowly a large shell erupts with waves cascading against the ship. As the creature rises above the waves, it spews a cone of steam across the bow of the ship. Everyone on deck can feel the heat billowing away from this warning shot. A low voice rumbles at the ship, "You sail within the great Kaolo-Tzotl's domain. Show your deference. Please me, and you may yet sail away intact."
Nar pipes up, "We've got gems! Would you like some gems?"
"What would a denizen of the deep do with gems?" grumbles the
dragon turtle."No. I wish to be entertained. Tell me a story or sing me a song. Things like this will please the great and terrible Kaolo-Tzotl!"
Looking puzzled, Nar asks, "What's a denizen?"
The dragon turtle pauses for a moment, then responds, "An inhabitant. A person who lives some place."
"Ahh, well denizen," responds Nar, "let me sing a true story of me." Nar then mournfully sings about waking up on a ship with no memory and no recollection of her family. Armando and Karia provide accompaniment with their pipes. Nar then transitions to finding a new family and glorious adventures as that family fractures and reforms again. As the last mournful note fades, a large salty drop briefly floods the deck as it falls from Kaolo-Tzotl's face.
"Truly touching," rumbles Kaolo-Tzotl, "You have done well by me and I wish you good fortune." The dragon turtle then sinks back beneath the sea causing waves to push the ship to and fro.
Having reached the island, O'Donahue sails the
Sea Ghost around the island looking for easy access for the party. Instead he highlights the towering cliffs that end with a dangerous shoal circling the island. "Aye! I can see why they be wanting a lighthouse here. You see these waves breaking a dozen yards from the cliffs? They be widow makers as shoals and reefs rise to the sea level. I be looking, but try as I might, there is nary a path beside the beach."
The party quickly concurs that the beach is their starting point toward the interior of the island and the Capt has the other crew row the party ashore using a jollyboat. Once there, Karia notices faint tell-tale signs of passage through the dunes. She leads the party on a winding path through most of the dunes before leading the party in an area where nearly a dozen skeletons rise from the sand.
Armando quickly engages a
skeleton and plows through it exploding into dust as others engage with Nar dropping a skeleton and Karia damaging another, then Adlia, shining within the glory of
Ehlonna, raises her holy symbol banishing the offending beings. In a wave, the skeletons disintegrate into dust. As the party recovers, Kyra slips two sets of skeletal remains into her bag of holding.
Karia examines the sand trying to find the pirate's path again but the battle dispersed any possible signs. Looking up toward the grassy hill, she makes a decision to head north west and travels about three hundred feet before another half-dozen skeletons rise from the sandy dunes. The party squares off against these new foes as Kyra reaches into her bag and throws a set of bones upon the dunes. Holding out a small bag of reagents, she invokes the ancient words and traces the arcane symbols before her invoking the energies that imbue the bones at her feet. Slowly, the lifeless pieces assemble together and an animated skeleton moves into the fray. The rest of the party shows a momentary shock at this new spell as Kyra smiles while stating, "What? It's one of the spells I was deciphering in my room." The party quickly bashes the life out of the animated skeletons as the last of the skeletons fall limp to the sand, Nar dashes over to Kyra's animated skeleton and pokes it. Kyra gives a wry smile and commands the animated body, "Hug her." The skeleton wraps it's body arms around Nar and pulls into a surprisingly tender moment. Nar smiles contentedly within the mass. The party then heads northeast and manages to gain the grassy plateau without further incident.
After trudging north for twenty minutes the party reaches a rectangular area of burned and blackened rubble. Looking closer, the party can tell that someone has organized much of the rubble into distinct areas. Within the center of the ruins, a stairwell leads downward. The party quickly heads into the dark with Kyra summoning magic light upon Armando's shield. Heading down the wide stairs, the party reaches a fire scorched door. Armando tries to quietly open the door, but can't open it.
After a brief and quiet discussion, Armando tugs on the door and it opens into a rectangular room with three persons gambling at a makeshift table. The largest of them immediately springs into a fighting stance grabbing a nearby spear while flipping the board serving as a table on to the floor. He calls out, "Who are you? And what is your business?"
Karia explains, "We've been sent by the Mariner's Guild to help them establish a lighthouse on this island."
"Yea, we heard it b'fore. Ain't interested," drawls
Ogmund. "So you'd best just tuck tails and tell them we're not moving."
Karia changes tactics, "We've got a ship and can transport you back to Saltmarsh. Surely that's worth some dialogue."
"I'm done talking. Either leave or you die," gruffs Ogmund.
"I'm sure, we can be," Karia starts before getting interrupted as Ogmund throws a hand axe at her which Armando deflects off his shield. The party engages with Ogmund and his two greasy sidekicks. As swords crash and shields ring, doors surrounding the large chamber begin opening with occupants joining the battle. The
party fragments to face these multiple threats with Adlia heading toward the western door and Kyra and Nar remaining in the stairwell, and Armando, Karia, and Kyra's skeleton keeping focus on Ogmund. They are quickly able to subdue two of these combatants. Armando and Ogmund square off as Kyra's skeleton loses it's arcane animation. Karia presses closer as Ogmund does three rapid thrusts grievously injuring Armando. The battle rages onward as Karia also gets knocked unconscious by Ogmund who then strides toward Kyra and Nar. Kyra blasts a corner of the room with an arcane spell killing several and then threatens the remaining defenders which makes the hired sell-swords decide theirs lives are worth more than coin and retreat into their rooms.
Bayleaf sensing the shifting tide in the battle invokes arcane energies and disappears from sight. Suddenly, Ogmund succumbs to the numerous wounds and Kyra yells out for Bayleaf to surrender. He whispers into her ear, "I'll surrender and provide information about their treasure, if you provide safe passage and my five hundred gold fee."
Kyra whips her tail trying to trap him while stating, "Tell us about the treasure and we'll take you back to Saltmarsh with us. I mean we don't even know your information is worth anything."
The reply comes further up the stairs, "Oh it's worth it. They've got a treasure worth ten thousand gold, do you agree to my terms?"
"No," retorts Kyra as she sends a wave of fire up the stairs. "We're not trusting someone who switches sides in the middle of fight."
After the battle, the sell-swords settle back down at the makeshift table to gamble and drink. The party begins by searching the western rooms and find a concealed door behind curtains that line the southwestern room. Trudging through the other rooms on this western side, the also uncover weapons, drinks, a medallion on the main priest, and some scrolls and fine boots within Bayleaf's room. Within this last room closest to the stairs, the party blocks the door with the bed and settle down to relax and nourish themselves.
