The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh - Swords and Wizardry
Game Master FabesMinis

Puzzled, Gabra shows the others the parchment sheet. "What is the other language?"

"I know how to read Cornish and Waelish. Let me have a look."

Gabra hands over the parchment and examines the book on mesmerism. It seems as though this is either a significant or useful find. Possibly both.

While the others look through the books, Byggvir moves over to the northeast corner and looks in the wooden cupboard.

Cunorix does not recognise the other language. Byggvir finds nothing in the cupboard except an oilskin coat.

Finding nothing of real interest in the cupboard Byggvir moves to the table and grabs the small wooden box and checks out its contents, if any.

The wooden box under the table contains 3 flasks of oil, a tinderbox with flint and steel, 8 new candles and a piece of parchment with some curious marks upon it. I will upload an image.

The parchment.

"Hmmm... Ghindor, Gabra, Cunorix, take a look at this parchment."

"A code?"

Gavyn hangs around, looking green at the gills.

Gabra observes Gavyn's nauseous expression with some concern.

"Ghindor, I have herbs that will quell stomach sickness, would they help?" she whispers.

"Ah, nah." he says dismissively, "Look, boss..." he says to Ghindor, "Where's the loot?"

Carefully folding up the parchment and placing it in his pocket Byggvir moves over to the stairs in the previous room.

"Well, if we are going to ignore that door that says Danger perhaps it is time to see where these stairs lead? Then again, my curiosity is piqued at what could be hidden behind that Danger door. Perhaps the Danger sign is merely a ruse to get us to bypass any treasures that may lay hidden within this domicile..."

"We will cook no parsnips standing here. I say we take the books and follow Byggvir's advice."

"We will cook no parsnips standing here. I say we take the books and follow Byggvir's advice."

She moves to the door and opens it.

This room is dark. Light from the large room behind you spills faintly to show that the room is only about 12' across, but to your left there is only darkness. What little you can see is dingy and dirty.

Gabra, please roll a d6.

1d6 ⇒ 2

That can't be good.

1d6 ⇒ 5

To Gabra's horror, what seem to be walking skeletons lurch slowly out of the darkness, swords ready to stab!

1d20 ⇒ 20

1d20 ⇒ 15

Only two of them can face you at a time. And only two of you can face them if you are armed with stabbing weapons. They go first, attacking Gabra.

1d6 ⇒ 2

1d6 ⇒ 2

The skeletons stab at the godi!

Gabra has taken 4 damage. It is now the party's turn.

Ouch. Please let me not be looking pc death in the eye twice in two days. Can she try and turn them? If so, how?

S&W Core Rules p21. Basically, roll a d20 and get 10 or higher for skellies. If you do, you will turn all the skeletons. (There are more than 2 here). They will cower away from you.

Thanks. I knew the mechanic, but wasn't sure what I was trying to hit as a number.

1d20 ⇒ 1

Gabra stretches out a hand and invokes Hel. "Take them back to their long home, great goddess," she gasps, realising as she speaks that her fear is too great to be of any use.

Byggvir seeing Gabra in trouble draws his bow and takes a shot at one of the skeletons.

1d20 ⇒ 19

1d4 ⇒ 3

One skeleton destroyed.

Gabra's invocation goes unheard, as an arrow flies past her ear and splinters a skeleton's skull. It falls to the ground, now truly dead.

Anyone else?

Could you please NPC Cunorix for a while? I am hugely busy at the moment, sorry

Cunorix steps forward and cries, "Begone!"

1d20 ⇒ 2

He too is shaken by the appearance of the undead and cannot muster his faith.

Ghindor's busy, so I'll run him.

1d20 ⇒ 10
1d8 ⇒ 7

Ghindor steps up to defend Gabra, "Watcha out, girl!" he says.

The skeleton parries, and Ghindor's blow finds sword instead of bone.

OK, I've been checking the rules and interestingly, if you wish to cast spells, you need to declare it before initiative is rolled! Very cool. So, if anyone of you wish to cast spells... which would be Byggvir then, please declare now. Apologies for the slow pace so far.

Cool to know. With Byggvir's low health though he won't be casting anymore spells today if he can help it.

OK, cool. Please would 1 of you roll 1d6 for Init.My monsters' init is...

1d6 ⇒ 2

1d6 ⇒ 6

Eyes wide with horror, Gabra nods and takes Ghindor's advice. She steps aside, calling desperately on Hel once again. This time she is sure her prayers will have more effect.

1d20 ⇒ 13

Excellent.

The skeletons retreat before Gabra's invocations to the gods. They remain at the back of the small room as far away as possible.

"Right impressive..." Gavyn says fearfully. "Happen we close t'door now?"

"No, Gavyn. They are here for a purpose."

Gabra looks around the room, to see if there is another way out - or if the small chamber contains anything other than the living dead.

What little light you have shows that there is nought but the skeletons.

"Yer as mad as they say, woman." the fisherman says with disgust.

"That may be," replies Gabra calmly. Gavyn's comment is common enough to her ears.

"All the same, a wrong has been done here. The dead should not walk, and they do. Hel's kingdom is abused and it my business to care for such things."

Apologies, health issues have held me up.

Gavyn shoves forward and bars the door, "They can bloody stay there." he mutters.

"What now?" he asks sullenly.

I've lost track a little of which other doors there are. Hunting for the map again.

Found it. It looks as though we've been through all the available doors here. Down the stairs then?

Down the stairs sounds good to me.

That would be stairs going up to the ground floor.

OK. Whichever set of stairs we haven't explored then :D There seemed to be two on the map, but you know I'm notoriously rubbish at those.

Sorry, sorry, sorry. Trouble concentrating at moment. Apologies. I am also trying to recruit more adventurers for your band.

Heading up the stairs, you discover they end in a trapdoor in the cellar 'ceiling'.

Byggvir opens the trapdoor cautiously.

Byggvir feels it open easily enough but it's dark above. He realises that the trapdoor is covered by a rug in the room above. As he opens it, a voice from above calls out, "Welcome fools! Welcome to your death!". A chilling laugh follows.

"Byggvir, be careful. That does not sound like a friend."

Whispering to Gabra, "I shall."

Byggvir places one hand on his sword and leaps out of the trapdoor. Quickly his eyes scan for the speaker and any others who might pose a threat.