Venn calls out to Tritherion and brings the second vat down upon the bulk of the swarm. The swarm is smashed beneath the metal vat. Then he checks himself over and is horrified to see grubs dig into his upper arm and burrow into his flesh!
Baghotir sees the burrowing and is very displeased. He tries to remember what it might mean and what they should do.
Leaches? No, no, that's not it. Salt? That's for the leaches. Cut it out? Isn't that snake bites? They're burrowing. Grab 'em and pull!
"I think you'll be fine. They're probably all symbiotic and stuff. That or you should cut off your arm to prevent death. I'm not really sure. I sort of nodded off that day."
Baghotir, will continue to flee from his own swarm - disengage.
"Cut off his arm!?" Caelius seems a bit horrified at the thought of having to do it. He raises his shield and smooshes the slugs.
HP 6/12
AC 17 (+2 (19) w/ Shield)
Short Rest Die 0/1
Belwick moves to a better position to see the remaining swarm before weaving the same spell as before. "What works once, works twice!"
Alisanne grabs Venn by the arm and starts administering to the grubs.
Alisanne has heard fo this. Vile creatures called Rot Grubs. If fire isn't applied to the wound right now the grubs will burrow too deep to do anything about. They will burrow and feed until they reach Venn's heart and he will be killed.
On the plus side, they excrete an anesthetic. It's painless.
Venn, we need to get those grubs out NOW, or you're a dead man. Fire'll do it. Hold still. This may hurt.
Alisanne grabs a candle from her backpack and lights it. She grabs Venn's arm and extends it out. She holds the lit candle directly to the skin where the grubs burrowed in.
1. Venn
2. Belwick
3. Caelius
4. Alisanne
5. Baghotir
6. Swarms
Venn kills a swarm and gets infected... Belwick blasts the remaining swarm and nearly obliterates it. Caelius finishes it with a few overhead whacks of his shield.
Alisanne diagnoses the problem and pulls her candle out. She looks around in vain for something to light the candle when Belwick notices her and says, "Oh! Allow me, milady" and he lights the candle with a cantrip. Alisanne uses the candle to burn the wounds and kill the grubs. Venn will not die of rot grubs today. He takes 1 HP worth of damage from the burns, but feels no pain due to the natural anesthetic from the grubs.
Out of initiative. Each party member gains +40 XP.
There are two unconscious brigands--the longbow-woman and the younger of the two crossbowmen. They are unconscious but stable. You are free to explore the barracks room or the wine cellar. You may also take a short rest if you like. You do not know how long the two people will remain unconscious.
Baghotir completes his short rest (previous healing) before questioning. Or at least tries to before they awaken.
Prior to taking his rest, he strips the two of their weapons so we're not immediately in battle as soon as they wake.
Baghotir completes his short rest (previous healing) before questioning. Or at least tries to before they awaken.
Prior to taking his rest, he strips the two of their weapons so we're not immediately in battle as soon as they wake.
Previous roll can stand, but if you wish to re-roll, you may.
"We should tie them up and see how much they know. This way if we have to head back into town then we can before it gets too dark outside." Caelius looks at the unconscious forms slumped across the floor as he begins stripping them of immediate weapons.
"Agreed. I think it wise if we deal with them quickly," Belwick agrees with Caelius. "I would like to hear what they have to say, and then get them back to Saltmarsh. I'd say leave them bound outside, but we already know that will just make them victims to the weasels."
For convenience, Here are the room descriptions for the wine cellar and the barracks again.
Wine Cellar: Shoulder-height wooden bottle racks line the north and west walls here. There appear to be no intact bottles left in the racks and shattered bottles cover the floor.
Against the east wall, at the foot of the stairs, rest two large metal storage bins that appear to be empty.
In the center of the room lies a human corpse clad in plate mail; a longsword lies by the corpse’s right side, and a large shield covers its legs.
Barracks:This torchlit chamber was once a large cellar, but it has since been converted into living quarters. Ten crude beds stand along the south wall, each with a wooden locker at its foot.
A long wooden trestle table ringed by rickety stools dominates the center of the room. Metal cutlery, cups, and dirty plates sit atop the table.
A cookstove is installed near the table, and evidence of recently cooked meals sits in pots atop it. A large ham hangs from a loop of twine near the stove.
A sturdy set of stairs leads to a trapdoor in the ceiling above. There are two wooden doors in the east side of the room.
Of the three people... The Longbowwoman has a longbow, 18 arrows, a short sword. She is wearing leather armor. She is also carrying a small key.
The older crossbowman is dead. He has a scimitar, a light crossbow. 9 Bolts. He is wearing leather armor and has a small key.
The younger crossbowman is alive, but unconscious and stable. He also has a scimitar, a light crossbow, 9 bolts. He is wearing leather armor and has a small key.
I need to know how long you're resting for. Based on the posts, I assume that you've restrained the two unconscious folks.
Any searching?
Oh, and the grubs are obliterated. Any remaining stragglers can be carefully avoided and squished. You are free to claim the following from the corpse:
-Longsword in good condition.
-Shield in good condition.
-Plate Armor that requires minor repairs but is otherwise in good condition.
Beneath the corpse is an Adventurer's Kit, minus the rations and water.
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Belwick takes the keys and begins looking through the wooden lockers, hoping to find something valuable.
Baghotir spends a little time properly bandaging his wound, and drinking a little water. He then reclines on one of the beds and dozes off a bit to rest and recuperate.
Belwick finds that each of the keys unlocks one of the footlockers. Each footlocker has personal effects, and a coin purse. Each purse has 7 gold pieces and 15 silver pieces for a total of 21gp and 45sp so far.
Belwick collects the coins and divvies them out, the amount being:
Alisanne - 4gp, 11sp
Baghotir - 4gp, 11sp
Belwick - 5gp, 1sp
Caelius - 4gp, 11sp
Venn - 4gp, 11sp
"Don't go spending it all on drinks. At least, not without me, hah!"
Those were only the three that you opened. The other 7 remain locked.
With 7 lockers remaining, Belwick comes to a conclusion. "These bandits are not alone. One question we might need to ask is where the others are."
He then idly looks over the foodstuffs and does a mental count of how many stools there are.
Venn spends the rest concentrating, letting the memory burn into him with the same ignition as Alisanne's fire. Damned fool. Damned fool.
"Aye, we need to get a lot of information, and soon. Let us leave no door unopened, no container passed."
After an hour rest, both people are still Unconscious.
There are two doors on the east end of this room.
Caelius gets the woman and young man bound and sitting up in the corner. He pours some water over their faces, giving them a light tap on the cheek. "Wakey, wakey!"
Caelius gets the woman and young man bound and sitting up in the corner. He pours some water over their faces, giving them a light tap on the cheek. "Wakey, wakey!"
They are recovering from trauma and injury. I'm sorry to say that won't cut it. They will either need some magical healing or time.
"Can one of you heal one of them just enough without expending precious resources?"
Not today, I’m afraid.
"Let's make sure that they're tied up and locked in somewhere. Somewhere we've explored. And then let's get back to searching."
"Sounds good, I have no way of healing their injuries." Caelis helps help them to the room with the gutted chairs. "Pretty sure all of the spiders are out of here."
Baghotir nods with the others, "Yes, I too am empty of spells today. If we're all so low on resources, perhaps we should call it a day and return to town with our prisoners?"
"I'd hate to press on and encounter another swarm and be unable to well deal with them. Also, if someone falls, we've no way to bring them to their feet, and we already have to carry these two back."
"Now that said, I'm OK to continue on if the group wishes to. As we say in the guild of masons, stop when you're tired and you'll make fewer mistakes. Well I'm not tired, and my hammer still works. We just have less depth is all."
Because I teased it on slack... As you approach the east end of the barracks:
The door to your left appears normal, but the one ahead has a wooden bar across it, held in brackets on the frame and the door itself. The word “DANGER” is scrawled on that door in the Common tongue using chalk.
The two unconscious people need more time to come around on their own. 1 Point of Healing Magic will awaken them.
-There are 7 locked and unopened footlockers.
-There is a ham strung up by the stove.
I'm here if you want to search or examine anything. Or you can tell me if you have a plan and we can execute it.
It is late morning, nearing midday.
"Short of finding 7 more keys, we aren't getting those lockers open without some force. Venn or Caelius, do either of you happen to have a crowbar? If so, I suggest one of you open those other lockers. I'd like to see what's inside."
In the interest of keeping us moving, we will call this done. There is no danger here except time.
The locks are of middling quality and the lids are easily pried open. The party discovers 7 more purses like the ones you found before. Each purse contains 7gp and 15sp. Total is 49gp and 105sp
This takes only a few minutes for each locker.
+5 XP
Caelius grabs the crowbar and jams it into each locker. Using one of the other chests as leverage he snaps the lids wide open. "Let's head back for some food and drink to make sure these two don't die on our watch. We can get them in a cell and bandaged up to ask them some questions this evening."
"Sounds good," Belwick says, divvying out the remaining coins that they found.
Alisanne - 10gp, 19sp
Baghotir - 10gp, 19sp
Belwick - 9gp, 29sp
Caelius - 10gp, 19sp
Venn - 10gp, 19sp
"Back to Saltmarsh!"
Baghotir does what he can to aid in the transport of their prisoners. He'll carry the heavy side of whichever of the two is heaviest.
When they reach town, he'll talk to the guard at the cells. "We've brought these prisoners to you for questioning. We believe they are pirates. I wonder, do they have prices on their heads by chance? Especially this one," he nudges the woman with his toe, "She seemed the leader."
"Yes, and they are also guilty of assaulting a noble. Namely myself, Baron Belwick Donnamoor."
He shows the appropriate paperwork to provide proof of his station.
"Also, I would like to speak to both of them when they awaken. I have questions that they need to answer."
Baghotir will take a little time that afternoon to check in on his guild. After all, it's where his heart is. He'll see if there's anything he can help with for the afternoon.
Oh, he will stop at the blacksmiths as well, likely on his way to the guildhall. There, if available, he will pick up a Battleaxe (-10gp).
He hefts its weight and takes a few practice swings. "Oh yes, this will do nicely." he mumbles as he makes his purchase. He pays with 30sp and the rest in gold.
Alisanne accompanies the group back to town. Once there, she excuses herself and goes in search of some former associates that can put her in touch with the right person to acquire a proper set of thieves tools. Her embarrassment over being so unprepared gnawed at her.
Once in her possession, Alisanne makes her way over to The Empty Nest and spends some time with drink and song.
Caelius helps haul the pair of pirates into the cell as he explains to the guard on shift what happened. "They are pretty banged up. Can you see that they have a medical aid, a meal and water ready. We are going to try and wake them up for questioning this evening if they come to."
With the pair of pirates secured Caelius heads back to his room to clean the blood out of his armor, wash his face and sharpen his blade. He counts through the gold as he meets the others down for supper. "If they don't come to tonight we can always head back to the Manor in the morning and keep checking back on them each night."
Baghotir, having claimed the plate armor, takes another sidetrack before heading to the guild. He worries, guiltily, that he's shirking his duties there. But after all, he's worked for much time now, and so a bit of a day off is, well, acceptable.
He heads to the blacksmith to see about getting some help refitting and cleaning the armor. He'll accept any reasonable offer from the smith by way of fee. While there, he offers to sell his chain armor, if the smith wants to buy it.
Then he'll go to the guildhall for the rest of the day, joining the others for dinner as Caelius suggests.
"Yes, that is a good plan, for eventually they'll awaken and we may learn something of the house. We should be wary though, for there were a lot of chests with cash. Seems like there are a lot more pirates about."
Despite the initial bad omen of the winds, things picked up and the fishers are just now bringing their catch into dock. It looks like a typical day for the community.
Alisanne, after some consideration you decide to not go right to Kreb for tools, and instead risk a more open purchase from Winston. Winston is a Halfling who keeps Winston's Store, and he outfits adventurers, sailors, and anyone else who wants, "Solid Goods at Honest Prices", as he says. He sees you enter and finishes up selling a map of the marshes to a rough-looking traveller. When the traveller leaves, Winston hops down and goes to a bin next to the door that holds signs. He put one up that says, "Lunch", and smiles wide at you. A minstrel in my humble shop! To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit? Is the minstrel here to see me or is it The Skullfist? There is no insult in his tone. Your instincts are correct, and Winston has a selection of everything an adventurer could need, including specialized tools for... Aspiring locksmiths.
The rest of your evening at the Empty Net is enjoyable. Plenty of ale and some fisticuffs here and there, but nobody stabbed.
Baghotir... You find your way to The Dwarven Anvil, where you expect to find a Dwarf working the forge. The forge is busy, and the hammering is constant. You meet a human woman with dark skin. Her name is Mafera and she may be elderly but if she's slowed down because of age, you can't tell. Her only sign of infirmity is that she allows herself a break long enough to greet you warmly and show you the forge. It is a beautiful anvil, enormous, and clearly made by Dwarves. You supress some indignation and confusion at seeing a very valuable, maybe priceless, Dwarven artifact in a human's possession. She catches a little of this and notices your holy symbol. After giving her journeyman some additional instructions, you catch that they have a very big backlog. Her journeyman definitely is related by blood, going from the resemblance.
She cleans and straightens a small shrine to Moradin that has seen some neglect, and seems embarrassed that a holy man caught her not at her best.
She has the ax you're looking for.
The prisoners are in the jail and are awake as of suppertime. (5PM ish)
The guard think this highly irregular but take your sworn testimony as reason enough to hold the man and the woman until they awaken and can answer the charges. A medic is summoned and determines that they will awake in time. The prisoners possessions are taken and catalogued, and they are provided food and water.
Anyone who wishes to interrogate can do so. You can either interview/interrogate or you can assist someone in doing so. Assisting is no action, but provides advantage to someone's roll.
One roll or assist per person. Describe your approach and I'll resolve. In general terms this is going to be intimidate, persuade or deception.
With nothing better to do, Belwick makes his way to the Empty Net and gets an early meal and a drink in. He spends the time sitting in a quiet corner chronicling his experiences to date. When he's informed that the prisoners are conscious, he makes his way to see them. He flags Alisanne, suggesting she at least come with him.
Once he's at the jail, he asks to see the prisoners forthwith. After a few moments he is led to see them, and says, "Congratulations on being alive still. And I don't mean that as a threat. But I do hope we can perhaps have a more civil conversation now. Clearly, we started off on the wrong foot."
"My name is Baron Belwick Donnamoor. I and my friends were looking to explore the abandoned manse, hoping to learn of the fate of the place and maybe find any riches that remained. I would like to know who you are and why it was you were at the old manse. Good start?"
With the ever-persuasive Alisanne there to help, Belwick hopes to get some information from these pirates.
OR
Belwick can feel the outright contempt coming from the woman. The young man looks indifferent. He just shrugs. Neither offers you much beyond the most basic social niceties.
WISDOM (Insight) Please.
If Alisanne is there to help, I'll permit her a check as well.
She knows who I am. You'd think she'd be friendlier.