Black Tom's Serpent Skull

Game Master Black Tom

"Magical or not it's still just a dagger. Noting like a good old fashioned war-hammer to crush skulls... and about what to do with those things... I think Aerys suggestion to be sensible. We don't need any more bad luck than what we already have"

Torch:

Gelik almost chokes. "Are you suggesting that we throw these valuable items into the sea? That's what you're suggesting, right?" He looks at Aerys. "Am I missing something?" He looks around the group like he suspects everyone might be going insane. "That's an awful idea! What good are a magical weapon and a potentially sellable locket going to do on the bottom of the sea? Why would you do such a thing?" The little gnome works himself into a red-faced fervor of confusion and frustration, then manages to calm himself a bit.

"All right, as an alternative suggestion, why don't we keep the booty - am I using the term correctly - booty? We keep the booty, and we sell it when we get back to civilization, then split the proceeds. Anyone who wants to fling their share into the sea at that point has my blessing. Is this acceptable? If so, I'd rather carry the locket than the dagger. I think I've established that I'm almost entirely useless in melee, and the locket appears to be a thing of beauty that will lighten my spirits."

Gelik checks out the locket. Untrained appraise 1d20 ⇒ 4

....Aerys scratches her chin, but maybe the master won't miss the dagger, perhaps he'd enjoy it being put to good use by another. She takes the dagger, feeling its weight and balance. Hmmm....nice.

Aerys takes the dagger.

"That's the spirit!"

Torch closes the last of the books he's been skimming with a faraway expression. "I think... I need to talk to someone," he says finally, stowing the paperwork in his pack. He doesn't seem to take much notice of the debate over claiming the rest of the loot, though he is visibly less respectful of the corpse than he was before he started reading.

Hrakar throws his arms to the sky and roars:"Fine! Let's do it your way gnome! But remember, the gods see us, and they judge us! Now, if we are finished looting corpses we should go..."

Gelik is watching Torch put the logbooks away with a quizzical head-tilt when Hrakar starts yelling at him.

In a rare display of restraint, he neither pesters Torch to tell him what he found in the papers, nor does he offer a sarcastic quip to the angered dwarf.

He simply says, "Well then, since that's settled, I suppose we should be on our way." With that, he slips the locket into a belt pouch and makes his way carefully off the ship and down to the beach. From there, he's ready to continue along the coast.

According to Gelik the locket is a cheap trinket, worth about 5 gp. Inside it is a tiny, incredibly detailed portrait of a beautiful, red-haired half-elf woman, identified along the bottom edge of the portrait as “Aeshamara.”

From here it is actually closer to go straight ahead to the designated spot. Or do you want to continue scouring the beach?

Hrakar will push for going the fastest way possible

"Let's go people, we don't have all day, remember! Or mybe we do... but that's besides the point!"

Ralf agrees amiably.

Surprisingly, Torch also agrees to head directly to the map's metaphorical X.

Excepting one of those tropical squalls that forces you to seek refuge under some trees you arrive unscathed at the site that the map indicates.

The crown of this hill is one of the few areas on the Shiv that’s not jungle — the entire hilltop is an open area of tall grass overlooking the island’s eastern shoreline.

You'll need to wait for the first light of dawn to find the exact spot, though and it is now only early afternoon, so maybe you should set up some kind of camp.

We'll get on that, then. Survival check, if needed: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21

Aerys helps Torch as much as she can.

Survival 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11 to aid another

"So... this is it? What do we do now? look at the sunset?"

Gelik mumbles through most of the hike, trying to come up with some words that rhyme with Aeshamara. "Candelabra? No, that's awful."

He looks up at Hrakar. "Your attitude might improve if you watched a few sunsets, Mr. Grumpy." He pauses. "I'll see you tomorra? No, that's even worse than candelabra."

Half-hearted effort to aid another on Survival 1d20 ⇒ 15

The little gnome fusses around, looking for a comfortable place to bed down. "I'm going to need some beauty sleep if we're looking for treasure at dawn. So, if nobody minds, I'll hit the sack first. Wake me when my watch turn begins." If undisturbed, he's asleep within a few minutes.

Hrakar answers Gelik's jest with his usual, amiable, tone:"You know what would improve my attitude dramatically, gnome? To bring Torag's justice down on those who betrayed us, or if they are dead already, to find a way to get out of this island... but if I can't have any of those maybe I could settle for a couple of hits of my warhammer on your head..."

As you are fussing about your camp, make a Perception check.

Perception 20:

Perception:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18

Aerys is intent on building a fire to prepare and cook the food, ignoring her surroundings. "Gelik, more firewood if you please."

Aerys cannot make the perception DC.

"Say, buddy," Ralf says to Torch. "Do you mind if I take a look at that book you picked up earlier? I always like a mite o' reading before I go to sleep."

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15

Gelik frowns at Hrakar's violent proposal, finding a sleeping area widely seperated from the dwarf.

At Aerys' request, he smiles widely. "Certainly. I'll need assistance, of course. Otherwise, I'm likely to be eaten by some toothy creature walking past."

Gelik will not go into the woods alone.

perception 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

Aerys accompanies Gelik to the edge of the clearing, "There's plenty of dry wood here, we don't need to go tramping off through the woods. Besides its probably not that safe." Her longsword in its scabbard, makes bending over and picking up the logs uncomfortable and awkward. Sweat appears on her brow with the effort.

As you go about your business you suddenly hear Ishirou cursing. A large black snack has bitten him in the foot.

Roll for initiative.

init 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

Torch frowns at Ralf for a moment, then nods. Mouthing the words somewhat grotesquely, he replies, "BE. CAREFUL. WITH. IT. IT'S. IMPORTANT. TO. SOMEONE."

Perception 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17

Initiative 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

Init: 1d20 - 6 ⇒ (20) - 6 = 14

"Eh? What's that boy dancing around for?"

Initiative check:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 = 19

Hrakar scoffs seeing Ishirou dance around and readies his war hammer

Aerys draws her sword, looking amazed at Ishirou's dance. Realizing too late the cause of the gig and his cries for help. She charges over, swiping wildly at the slithering creature.

Initiative 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
Longsword power attack 1d20 + 4 - 1 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 4 - 1 + 2 = 16 includes +2 for charging.
Longsword power damage 1d8 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 + 2 = 10

Hrakar goes first, then the snake and then the rest of you.

For simplicity's sake let's assume that you'll get to him in a single move.

"Just what I needed! Something to hit on the head!"

Hrakar reaches the serpent and takes his warhammer crushing down on the head of the snake

Attack roll:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17
Damage roll:1d8 ⇒ 5

The snake bites Ishirou again and he looks quite the worse for wear, but then your combined efforts destroy it. You get 67 xp each for the snake.

Maybe someone would like to look at Ishirou's wound before it gets worse?

Torch looks helplessly at Ralf and Halgor.

Gelik walks up slowly, peering at the serpent to ensure that it's dead. He pulls out a potion, a concerned look on his face.

Gelik has a potion of lesser restoration. I can't think of any other way to keep the poison from killing Ishirou. Unless someone else steps in first, he'll pour it down Ishirou's throat.

lesser restoration 1d4 ⇒ 2

"Let me take a look-see at that foot there..." Ralf examines the wound to see if he can help clean it up.

Heal check: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6, +4 if it's after dark

Dang, I should have took 10. :-)

"Hey, you, let me see to those bites", Hrakar loses no time in examining Ishirou's wounds

Heal check:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12

After she has cleaned her sword from the dead snake, Aerys watches as the others pander to Ishirou's needs and crowd round him offering advice on the wound and poison. Shrugging her shoulders, she looks around in case they have disturbed a nest of snakes, but seeing nothing shouts once more to Gelik, "The excitements all over Gelik, come on and get some more wood." She looks carefully as she resumes her duties.

Perception 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (5) - 1 = 4 for any other threats.

Gelik mutters to himself, something about slavery being illegal.

He'll give Ishirou the potion. See above for details.

Thanks to the potion Ishirou is fine again. Nothing else bothers you until nightfall, so what are your sleeping arrangements?

There are six of us, including Ishirou, yes? Ralf's not worth much on guard, though. We can arrange at least one decent Perception score and a minimum of low-light (if not atual darkvision) on each watch? When my dice aren't trying to kill me, Torch has a decent spot check and low-light...

Gelik's perception is mediocre, but he has low-light vision. He's already offered to take last watch.

It is on Torch's watch, around midnight, that it happens.

A malignant shape suddenly coalesces out of the smoke from the campfire, taking the insubstantial shape of the nearly skeletal form of an undead captain, its bare bones picked clean by the fish and crabs, yet he still wearing its dripping coat and tricorn hat. One of his hands is a gleaming metal hook, and his whole insubstantial form constantly drips with cold, brackish seawater.

He addresses you in a croaking whisper: "Thieves and scoundrels," he hisses, "bring me back my beloved Aeshamara!"

Torch rises immediately, his blade in hand, but the name is familiar. "Gelik!" he shouts. "Wake up and get me that locket from the ship!" Not attacking, but in a defensive stance between the undead and the rest of the group. Also, your dice hate me again.

"Ooooh... one can't even have a decent sleep 'round here??? WHAT'S THAT??? A GHOST??? WHAT DID YOU DO THIS TIME MC QUARRY?!?!?!?"

Hrakar doesn't seem pleased about the apparition disturbing his sleep...

Aerys dreams of riding the high seas, the salty wind blowing in her hair. Looking up she discovers she's not in charge of the ship, but an altogether different captain stands there, thin and gaunt, his bones looking bleached white under his skin. He nods his blue tricorn hat at her, she implicitly to know the request. "Aye Aye captain, you'll soon have your Aeshamara back. She barks an order to the crew to set sail at run at full speed to search for Aeshamara." Then a mist rises from the sea, and she sinks into it, into the comfortable blackness of sleep.

All her companions in camp hear are the occasional snore and the word, "Aeshamara". as Aerys continues to sleep.

Assuming Gelik wakes up:

"Aaaaaaaaahhh!" Gelik shrieks in a tone more befitting a little girl than a grown male. It takes him a few seconds to work out Torch's request, then he scrambles for his belt pouch.

"Your beloved isn't here! Go away!" Gelik shouts as he flings the locket to Torch. He begins to take slow steps backward, away from the skeletal figure, his face white with fear.

Torch snatches the locket out of the air, then holds it out toward the ghost as though attempting to turn it with this "holy symbol."

The ghost stops in its tracks and stares at the locket, fascinated. "Aeshamara?" he hisses, hesitantly.

Torch opens the locket, somewhat awkwardly since he's still holding his scimitar, but turns the face toward the ghost. "It is she," he tells the apparition, offering the locket for it to take. (He leaves lots of chain, though, just in case.)