Session 5: Securing the Sea Ghost Report

General Summary

Waterday 12 Reaping - Onboard the Sea Ghost Your body protests against standing up, but the midnight bells have just sounded and you still have much to accomplish. Taking a few minutes to gather your strength, you quickly ensure the prisoners are secured. Your party then separates tasks. Mina, Kyra, and Nar move the prisoners up to the lizardfolk cabin along with the bodies of the slain. Meanwhile, Leeroy and Karia lean over the deck railing to bring the captain aboard. Karia also informs the volunteers that the ship has been taken and that they are welcome to store the jolly boat on the ship for a ride back to port. Upon reaching the poop deck, Captain O'Donahue starts barking orders to weigh anchor while pointing to the capstan and to unfurl the mains. Once the ship starts cutting through the waves, you all plop down on the main deck and rest for an hour. After resting, everyone feels much better and you start to search the ship in earnest. You return to the captain's cabin, double-check the letter holders on the desk. Nar quickly unlocks the two drawers where you find some potions and a large key. The second drawer contains a number of professionally prepared maps of various sea and coastal localities. Beneath those realistic maps lies another crudely drawn map that shows a large X on a promontory to the southwest of Saltmarsh. You then head toward the bow entering the lizardfolk cabin where on top of a small wooden table that's been bolted to the deck rests a silver jug containing wine. Leeroy takes a swig proclaiming it good. Beneath one of the hammocks is a iron chest that breaks one of Nar's lockpicks but remains closed. Proceeding forward, you enter a small room pressed against the prow. This store room contains materials used to make regular repairs about the ship. You backtrack to the other rooms on the port side of the ship. The room off the main deck is a ship's galley where the guards are busy preparing a snack of grilled meats and beans. Checking the next room up reveals foodstuffs but nothing more of interest. Continuing your cataloguing efforts, you head down a ladder into the crew's quarters. Searching through here, the chests only contain clothing and miscellaneous items like Grog Hovels, a book describing taverns and inns frequented by pirates. The next room is the ship's main hold that is packed with goods, including the contraband that the council expected. You take note of the goods, then head to the starboard side aft cabins. Opening the door, this cabin occupies half the stern section on this deck. Against a bulkhead along the centerline of the ship, leading up toward the bow, is an enclosed companionway. A single bunk with linen heaped in a pile sets against the hull. At its foot lies a brass-bound wooden sea chest and beneath the bunk rests a brass box. In the center of the cabin, a plain wooden table holds two books, one propped up against the other. Beside the table is a wooden chair and an unlit hooded lantern dangles above it. Just aft of the hook holding the lantern is a hatch that leads to the captain's quarters. The books are about navigation and legalities of privateering. The sea chest merely contains garments that are old but reasonably clean. Searching the room further, a secret hatch opens to reveal a cramped area that is only four feet wide. It contains eight large, irregularly shaped bundles wrapped in oilskin and bound in twine. Lifting one out, you discover quality weapons and a shield that has a lizard with it's forked tongue extended emblazoned upon it. Moving over to the port-side cabin, you open the door seeing a plain wooden table on which stands a pewter flagon and mug. Next to the table sits a wooden chair and an unlit hooded lantern hangs above it. Also hanging from the ceiling is a large cage holding a sleeping parrot. Next to hull underneath a hammock is a brass-bound sea chest. As you approach the parrot squawks "Pieces of Eight! Pieces of Eight!" Intrigued Nar holds forth a coin which the bird gingerly nibbles and then ignores. Nar then feeds a cracker to the parrot and opens the cage. The bird quickly scampers up to her shoulder where the bird comically towers over Nar's head. Kyra opens the chest revealing garments and, hidden within the garments, a locked iron box. Nar quickly picks the lock and opens the chest. It contains a small fortune of coins, a few weapons and the remains of a crossbow. You're certain that another secret cache exists in this mirrored cabin, so Leeroy carefully examines the stern bulkhead, but finds nothing of interest. Nar shakes her head and quickly locates the mechanism revealing another secret hold. The hatch opens into a holding cell. A slim humanoid figure cowers in the far corner, chained to the hull. Mina reaches in to free the humanoid figure when Leeroy holds her back, "We don't know who this person is. They could be locked up for a good reason and might be part of the crew." Mina pushes past him and offers the sea elf a drink from her waterskin. "Thank you!" She gasps after swallowing several large gulps of water. Leeroy asks the stranger, "How long have you been here? Who are you?" "I can't say how long I've been here," she replies. "They've fed four times with what was likely meant for the trash heap. They've also provided disgusting water about ten times. It was always done by a large bully of a person with a hook for his left hand." which indicates Bloody B'jorn the bosun. She continues, "My name's Oceanus and I'm part of the Manaan tribe." Mina intercedes, "See I told you she's a friend" and then unlocks the chains using the key from the captains chamber. "Well how did you come to be locked up" inquires Leeroy. As Oceanus climbs out from the hold, she stretches before you revealing a five foot six sea elf with blond hair and svelte body. "Ahh thank you! It's been a long time since I've been able to fully extend myself," she explains. "The Manaan settled in an undersea area about twenty miles southeast of Saltmarsh. We've noted, from a distance, the voyages of the Sea Ghost at night over the last several months. It's suspicious because it keeps returning to a supposedly deserted coastal area. My chief ordered me on a reconnaissance mission, so the last time the Sea Ghost anchored there i Was able to slip aboard to discover its port of origin. The ship returned to Splitrock, but I don't believe this is their homeport. The dockworkers held different accents compared to the pirates. I saw the goods being loaded and then Wham! Lights out! and I woke up in there." "If you know about Saltmarsh are you attacking their vessels?" asks Mina. Oceanus replies, "We've never had formal contact with Saltmarsh, but we're aware of them. Mostly they don't interfere with our lives and we just keep our distance. We've never attacked their ships. Why do you ask?" "A ship was attacked," continues Mina, "by a large monstrous sea creature where it's tentacles dragged it under." "Hmm," Oceanus ponders, "When I started this mission, we'd not head of any monstrous sea creature attacks. There are rumors of creatures large enough to drag a ship beneath the waves, but we've never seen one." Mina pursues her topic a bit further, "Have you heard of the Emperor of the Waves?" "The Emperor of the Waves?" queries Oceanus, "We don't normally pay much attention to ships unless they become suspicious like the Sea Ghost. No I've not heard of this vessel." Leeroy interjects, "What about the weapons we found on board? We believe this ship was delivering a large cache of weapons to Lizardfolk. Do you know anything about this?" Oceanus expressing shock, "No! I've never seen a lizardfolk, but I've heard tales. And those tales imply that they are great and fierce warriors. From what I've heard, you don't want to be on the wrong side when they battle. If the weapons are for the lizardfolk, then this would represent a danger to all nearby settlements until their intentions are known." Feeling satisfied with answers from Oceanus, you go back into the hold and lift the grate to investigate the bilge. As you shine your light back and forth within the gloom, a speck of yellow glints near the mast. Leeroy boldly jumps down into the bilge followed by Mina. They approach the mast as two swarms of Rot grubs ooze out from a mass of detritus around the wooden pole. Leeroy gets overtaken by one of the swarms as a rot grub attempts to burrow into him. However, Kyra thrusts out her hands and magic missiles fling forth killing the grub on his arm and striking the other swarm as well. You then quickly finish off both swarms and discover two single pieces of gold and nothing else of value within that pile of refuse. Making your way back up to the deck, Capt O'Donahue greets you stating that Saltmarsh is just ahead. Looking toward the bow, you can just make out a few faint flickering lights on the horizon. You're skeptical that this would be Saltmarsh, but as the moments pass you begin to see the gloom of buildings within the shadows. As the ship approaches the docks, a small boat ferries a Dockmaster who then climbs aboard and directs the Captain to an open berth. The ship lightly bounces against the dock as ropes are thrown across securing you to the dock. You then hear a high pitched voice screaming in the dark, "Lady Karia! Lady Karia!!" In the darkness you can just make out a halfling running toward the Sea Ghost waving a piece of paper above his head. As he reaches the dock, you recognize him as the druid from the Sea Grove, Ferrin Kastilar. He yells across as Karia leans across the railing. "Lady Karia! I've heard from the elves of Burle that a large horde of zombies broke out from the depths of the Dreadwood heading toward Saltmarsh. They've managed to engage most of the horde, but there's still a group that'll be here in just a few days! Would you and your friends help? I'm offering a reward like it says here. No one else has responded to the wanted poster. I'm desperate and we can't have these abominations reaching the town." You spend several minutes conferring with Ferrin and learn that there are likely six zombies roughly two days away. It's also important that you engage them quickly so that the town and it's surrounding farms doesn't get impacted with panic from the locals. However, you're concerned because of the prisoners and goods aboard your ship. Ferrin points toward Capt Fireborn coming down the hill. Within minutes he has joined Ferrin on the dock. Capt Fireborn arranges for the jailor, Kraddock Stonehorn, to take charge of your prisoners, including the Lizardfolk. He also agrees to have the city watch posted and the stolen goods transported to a secure warehouse. You then agree to Ferrin's quest and will start out after eight hours of rest. Late morning, your group begins to gather in the tavern of the Snapping Line ready to set forth after the zombies. In the need for speed, you forsake the road out of town and instead head directly into the marsh north of town. As your boots squelch and stick in the mud you can just hear the bells of midday sound echo up from the town. While the marching is quite miserable, the afternoon passes without incident and you find yourself hiking up a low rise as the sun begins to dip in the west. You setup camp and decide on a single person per watch. During Leeroy's shift, he hears a shuffling sound like that of trees walking. He quietly wakes Mina and the whole camp starts to rouse as six twig blights surround your camp. The battle is quickly fought and won. Earthday 13 Reaping - Northeast of Saltmarsh As dawn breaks, Karia directs you toward the northeast. Within the hour you find a small road heading in the right direction and follow it. Around mid-day a farmer is pulling a wagon that holds several possessions along with his wife and child. His defeated mood becomes apparent as he speaks to the troubles of farming in this region. He's heading to Saltmarsh to start again since his farm was ransacked by the undead yesterday. After this brief interchange you continue to head northeast for most of the day. Mina tries to lighten the mood by joking "You know they say it's easier to raise a family when their buried next to each other." Kyra chuckles as the rest of you groan. Several hours after the sun reaching it's zenith, you hear the sounds of undead approaching. Leeroy moves toward the zombies and awaits their approach with Mina following and blessing him with protection from evil and good. The creatures focus on Leeroy sensing his living body. As the first creature engages him, Leeroy swings his halberd over slicing down across the body of the ghoul. The ghoulthen claws at Leeroy, but Mina's spell deflects them aside. The zombies attempt to slam him, but again his stalwart protection prevents harm. Kira tolls her tiny bell calling death upon a zombie, but without noticeable affect while Nar and Karia pepper the zombies. Leeroy slices at the ghoul who knocks the blade aside, then twirls the blade up and whacks the butt against the ground reverberating within his hands. Giving the ghoul time to scrape against the plate armor protecting Leeroy. Mina calls upon Istus's grace calling the sacred flames down upon a zombie. More arrows land solidly into several zombies and it looks like one starts to slump lifeless when it pulls itself back from the brink. Kyra summons her eldritch energies that flings an ice knife at a ghoul. The spell goes wide, but still splashes ice damaging all the surrounding undead which causes one of the undead to slump the eerie non-life slipping away from it. Again Nar and Karia pepper zombies with their arrows and like a horror a zombie begins to slump without life and then strengthens its resolve and straightens. Leeroy again swirls his halberd around striking with both ends as another zombie slumps to the bare earth. Mina brings forth her symbol of Istus, a golden spindle cloak pin, to forsake these unnatural abominations. Only one zombie has the fortitude to withstand the glory of Istus and the others must flee from her divine presence. The remaining zombie tries to slam itself against Leeroy, but he's firmly shielded from its attacks. A ghoul starts racing northward and the other zombie feels eastward. Kira moves northward and uses arcane energies to form an icy hand touching the ghoul who then turns to face you again. Nar moves to a new hiding spot and drops a fleeing zombie holding her breath as it begins to slump and then relaxing as its lifeless body rests upon the ground. Karia drops her bow and heads closes with the remaining zombie severing its undead lifeforce and then Leeroy moves toward the sole remaining ghoul felling it beneath his halberd fury. The sounds of combat fade as you search these fell creatures. You find some frayed and useless gloves, a silver arrow and a smattering of coins. Fortunately a reward awaits you. Having accomplished your quest, you turn back southward and begin the long slow trudge return to Saltmarsh that's over a day away. Starday 15 Reaping - Saltmarsh After another night on the road, you trudge into Saltmarsh just after 12 bells. The townguard approaches to inform you that the council demands your presence this evening at 5 bells.

Rewards Granted

2 Potions of healing
1 dose of Antitoxin
Silver jug [25gp]
A well-used, greasy playing cards that contain two Ace of Spades
Two sets of dice, one set being loaded
A book titled Grog Hovels, which describes taverns and inns along the coastline suitable for patronage by a pireate
50 bolts of silk (50gp ea)
40 casks of brandy (10gp ea)
40 casks of fine wine (7gp ea)
1 large crate of high-quality mining tools (200gp)
Principles of Navigation by Da Korma
Legal Distinctions in Letters of Marque by Tazaar
10 morningstars
10 longswords
10 shields
20 javelins
1 emblazoned shield
200 sp
spear
dagger
2 gp
Frayed gloves
2 gp, 4 sp, and 10 cp
silvered arrow