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Secrets of Kreshire DM's page
64 posts. Alias of Aeosianna.
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Bzaaaaap! CLEAR! Lets resusitate this thing.
The group decides to spend the night at Berem, meanwhile Jeremiah has taken off to the local temple of Nodens in town, he let Pursuit keep his notes. It was already dusk by the time you arrived at the Inn. And many people were also heading to the Inn as well.
The streets were deserted.
Everyone knew, that shortly after the sun's last light hit upon the sky, bones would rattle the streets.
If you dared to look out the window of your room, you probably would see a few out there. If the Inn were closer to the graveyard, you might hear the mass rattling of rotten flesh and bone trying to do daily activities crampt in a small space.
You might also catch a glimpse of some of the local clerics going about trying to remedy the situation. If the undead have been doing this for quite some time, you'd think the cleric's work be done long ago. Yet it seems no prayer, no god can let these undead go rest unless their remains be shattered to nought.
There inevitably is time to pass before you sleep.
What do you do?
"I-i-i don't know! I-i-i....maybe the temple! Yes! The temple can protect me. Thank you, you all, may the good gods help you wherever they may be. We can only hope they are still around." Jeremiah stammers, he wipes some tears from his eyes.
Jeremiah shudders and stands up, still shaking.
"Demons....demons....demons....they have demons on their side!"
Unfortunately for the nothic, it's attempt to evade Pursuit fails. The spectral hand grab's it's throat and squeezes the life out of it. It plops to the ground dying and unconscious.
XP gained:
2,500 + 450(2) = 3,200
3,200/4 = 800 xp gained individually
Unfortunately, the nothic still has enough fight to dodge Shaani's attacks.
The nothic recieves 27 damage
The remaining nothic is seriously wounded and bleeding, it does not have much life left. Yet it still driven by the madness to kill.
The prone nothic is beaten unconscious and is now dying.
The remaining nothic scowls at Slashiir.
Lady Slashiir must make a DC 12 Constitution save or receive the following damage:
rotting gaze damage: 3d6 ⇒ (6, 1, 1) = 8
The eldritch blast hits the nothic on the ground!
Nothic A recieves 9 damage and is knocked 10 ft away from Pursuit.
Unfortunately, the second blast misses.
Slashiir's turn is next. I'm going to let her make a Wisdom save vs. 13 to wake up.
Shaani's first attack hits, Nothic A recieves 15 damage.
Nothic dex save: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5
Nothic A has been tripped and is now prone.
The nothic is slashed, and then trips, falling to the floor.
Nothic B has been hit and recieves 16 damage.
Nothic wisdom save: 1d20 ⇒ 5
Shaani's goading attack maneuver suceeds!
Robin Avers wrote:
Robin advances, blades drawn to assault the errant beast!
The rapier bends at the giant bug's carapace, but not the scimitar!
The chasme suffers 38 damage.
It has been reduced to 0 hp and is now knocked out and dying.
This would be the end of the encounter, but suddenly from the remains if the broken window, two hideous creatures emerge. These creatures look like twisted, hard-skinned and spined humanoid bodies. They have claws and feet more at home with a dragon or dinosaur, and they have one large, hideous eye.
Two nothics appear!
Nothic A pounces and slashes at Shaani.
Multiattack claws: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16
claw damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7
Multiattack claws: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13
claw damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
Meanwhile Nothic B uses it's Weird Insight to gather information from Jeremiah.
Jeremiah's charisma: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15
The nothic's wisdom: 1d20 ⇒ 18
Jeremiah huddles in the safety of a corner the entire time. The Nothic has managed to gather from him a few bits of information that are still pretty vague but slightly useful. Jeremiah can feel it and shudders.
Is Robin going to waste his turn? If then Shaani can take her regular turn. Also unconscious victims can only be awoken if hit or splashed with holy water in this specific cause of unconsciousness.
Shaani wrote:
Seeing her companions assaulted by the fiend shaani raises her shield and crashes into the creature: "Pick on someone your own size!"
Unfortunately, the chasme manages to get our of Shaani's way before she can use her longsword against it.
Pursuit wrote: Pursuit quickly gets up and fires an eldritch blast at the creature The chasme gets hit by both eldritch blasts, it gets slammed into a wall.
getting slammed into a wall damage: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 3) = 8
The chasme gets 21 damage and is already pretty beaten up.
Monster turn:
The fiend becomes enraged at being slammed and hammered. Rather than getting up to attack however, it begins buzzing it's foul wings!
Everyone make a Constitution save vs. DC 12. Any who fail the save become unconscious for 10 minutes, this is not the same as sleep. Due to fiendish ancestry, Pursuit gets advantage on this.
Shaani wrote: Can I make reactions before it is my first turn? if so I would impose disadvantage to any of the monster's attacks against anyone adjacent to me that isn't me. Sure!
Lady Slashiir's attacks hit! The Chasme gets 25 damage!
Shaani wrote:
It's okay if you roll for everyone's initiative. PbP GMs routinely do that, to save between one and several days when starting a battle. great idea!
The place where you are seems pretty quiet and safe. Jeremiah continues to pour through his notes.
That is, until...
Something huge crashes through the window!
It is big, dark, with a carapace and wings. It also has a huge, sharp probiscus!.
If you know about demons you would identify the creature as a chasme, a type of demon.
The horrid giant fly goes straight for the person closest to it, it goes to Robin!
melee attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19
piercing damage: 4d6 + 2 ⇒ (5, 4, 6, 4) + 2 = 21
necrotic damage: 7d6 ⇒ (5, 3, 1, 1, 4, 1, 2) = 17
Robin suffers 38 damage, his max HP has been reduced to 17 until a long rest or restoration spell.
Also initiative order will go:
Slashiir
Pursuit
Monster
Robin
Shaani
Pursuit wrote: "Whatever is chosen is fine." Pursuit looks at Jeremiah and "speaks" {May I keep these notes?} Jeremiah nods solemly at Pursuit.
Everyone roll initiative. I'll have it that we split it into "before monster" and "after monster".
Shaani wrote: "That must be a horrific fate... perhaps it explains the strange behavior."
What is the time of day at the moment?
It's about 4:30 p.m-ish.
"Indeed it is." He sighs.
"What do you suppose we do about it?"
Slashiir and Shaani have purchased inn rooms, don't forget that!
Pursuit finds an unnerving pattern to the curses. She recals a mad rambling by another seeker of What Lies Beyond who spoke of a great maw that would devour the continent.
Jeremiah shudders and continues."Sometimes at night there are also undead appearing around town. Everyone gets nervous as the sun starts to set. They are mostly harmless if unprovoked, but people still find it very unsettling. The magical signature of these undead shows the typical signs of necromatic magic, except for one disturbing thing. You see, this type of undead activity normally does not have the soul of the deseased person, despite many superstitions about it. These walking corpses however...do have a hapless soul of the former occupant inside...but unresponsive."
Jeremiah shows Pursuit some notes taken from interviewing traders from other parts of the continent and the larger world. He also has sketches of places far away from Berem, and it is written on these sketches that these are actually visions from scyring all over. The results are disturbing.
In the town of Toruga, North of Berem, the sea water near the coast has been covered in a thick, black, icky sludge that never seems to go away. Half of the livestock has died of illness. This town was once prosperious and known for pirates as well but has since been abandoned.
In the South, Bakolin is normally warm this time of the year, but every few days or so, a cold snap seems to hit overnight. Crops and livestock freeze to death and the air becomes even drier than it usually is. The town has mobilized to growing indoors but the populace cannot support it's people with what can be grown indoors. Magical means to prevent the death of livestock and crops have failed so far. As a result, people are emigrating rapidly.
Orokham seems relatively intact, except that it seems nothing can cross planes here. As a result, divine magic does not work, prayers are unheard, healing must be done manually, and even arcane magic suffers here. Even the dead cannot cross, the town is accumulating a population of ghosts now.
Dullsmarsh has experienced cursed rain lately. At first it rained frogs, then it rained locusts, which devoured crops, then it rained fly eggs, which hatched into a swarm as people cleared the streets. Then the week after it rained something damnably odiferous, and reeked all that it touched. Then a few days after it rained tiny pebbles which took a death toll, then it was disease-ridden water, salt-water, and more recently, slime.
Mrak suffers from one of the most bewildering curses. A massive blight has plagued crops and surrounding forests. This blight first manifested as a region of very robust plant growth. Then the plants grew faster and faster and bigger. After a month these plants seemed to live and die overnight, and fruit rotted on trees and even wild animals are aging faster, time can only tell if it begins infecting people and livestock.
And then there was the town of Auchendale, in which the sky is covered in pitch darkness. The sun hasn't risen here for months, and winter has come early. This seems to also be occurring in the other Northern towns, people must travel long distances to escape whatever seems to be blocking the sunlight.
Meanwhile cities that the curse either hasn't reached yet or do not have such a relatively impactful curse are being called to aid, dealing with refugees, and in the case of Hyperborea, whom has suffered great economic decline due to their precious mines collapsing and being infested with monsters, the people there have grown jealous and hostile about the currently unaffected Malfuné City, and hungering to plunder and incite war as the only means of survival.
It seems like the end is near, and the curse's effects aggravate tension among leaders everywhere.
Jeremiah sighs,"Carcosa should be a day or two away on foot or so. If you have mounts or vehicles it would be faster of course."
"Yes, yes I agree. However night is coming and with these fish people around, it might be dangerous out there. But you all look like a group that can handle them. You, wee lady, I'm surprised you never heard of the undead."
Jeremiah takes out a large scroll and lays it out. It is the map of the continent.
A map of the continent
"I shaded in the areas that from my research the curse has touched. Hyades is very close by fortunately, just South of us. The Queen lives over there in the city of Carcosa. I still find the pattern of encroachment very odd.
Lady Slashiir wrote: She shudders at the thought, "T-the dead walk? How could something like that happen?" "You've never seen undead? Have you? Sometimes they naturally occur due to cirmunstances of the person, sometimes it's some necromamcer, sometimes it's an omen of things to come."
Shaani wrote: "There seems to be more going on in this town, Jeremiah. I think it would still be good if we could talk to the Queen, but there are other questions bothering me as well, what is going on with the graveyard?" Shaani cuts right to the chase. "I agree about the Queen...the same day that Alhazred contacted his mysterious informant, I believe the curse touched here and since has touched. At night the dead rise from their graves...but they don't attack anyone...they just seem to mindlessly do things they did in life..."
Jeremiah trails off and begins to lay out his notes.
Let's fast forward. Please PLEASE let me know when you are stuck!
The police arive at the scene and see the hideous scene. They rule out the party and Jeremiah rather quickly by looking at the giant trident stab wound and one of the detectives noted the fishy odor in poor Alhazred's fingernails. They tell the party that sahuagin and kutoa have been spotted more frequently in the area, and wondered if they attacked your party earlier to distract you, because the estimated time of death was approximately at the time of your arrival!
Alhazred's body is currently preserved for more forensic study but actually because the community grave yard is "out of order" so to speak. Nobody seems to want to talk about the details on this matter.
It is now mid afternoon, the sun is beginning it's descent. People everywhere wre beginning to rush their pace a little faster, eyeing the clock towers, pocket watches, sundials, and other available time pieces.
Jeremiah calms down and has invited you all to the tavern to speak, in a private room upstairs of course. He brings with him a briefcase that be has set aside on a table, and starts shuffling through the papers.
Shaani wrote: "Shaani Hareem. Do you think it would be possible for us to have an audience with the Queen?" Shaani continues to speak with the halfling in a calming tone and puts her hands on his shoulders kneeling in front of him: "We are trying to help. We may be able to retrieve your master's book and put an end to whatever is going on here." "Thank you, Thank you so much Ms. Hareem! All of you! I must run off to alert the authorities now!"
Jeremiah wipes the tears from his face and starts heading out.
"The...the informant and the Queen are two diff-different people, ma'm. The informant, I...I don't know...he seemed to want to remain as anonymous as possible, but he always gave me the willies. I don't trust him, somehow he managed to communicate by projecting images into the crystal ball, and that's what the notes are! It was a recent development, this past week. I wonder if he's a fiend or celestial of some sort...most likely a fiend! He just showed up last week! But he was right, the Queen of Carcosa did respond that she had some information regarding the events, and....oh my gods! I remember now! She told Alhazred not to trust the mysterious informant! Oh nooooo!!!"
The halfling catches his breath again.
"Sorry I haven't introduced myself! My name is Jeremiah Peaslee."
I want to know more about when people here have the time to post, so I can estimate bettee the progression kf this rp.
Pursuit wrote: At his words Pursuit steps forward to 'speak' to him. The halfling will hear a voice in his mind. Pursuit tries to make it as obvious as possible that she is the source of this voice. {A big break? On what? You must tell me! Can you help me make sense of the notes I found?} "AAAAAHHH!!!! PSYCHIC!!!!AHHH!!!" The boy screams, he is now shaking.
"He...he doesn't say a lot of details to...to...me. Even he...he...isn't exactly sure...what...what is going on...was...ahhh! Those? Those notes? They are from his...his...contact with....an...informant...but this informant only speaks in...confusing riddles! The informant was...was contacted...by that...crystal...ball. He then...then was just corresponding to..to..the queen of..of Hyaedes be-because informant said they know something...but even he wouldn't tell me exactly what they said. But...but..the catacylsm....has recently touched the capitol...Carcosa...AAAAAAHHH oh nooo they...they took HIS BOOOK!!"
The halfling points at the empty pedestal.
"M-m-m-MURDER?" The boy stammers again.
"I am...was...his assistant. I saw the door open and wondered what was...going on. Oh no oh no. He was onto a big break! But I always knew he was in some kind of danger but we were hoping to lay low here. Oh nooooooo, I shall alert the authorities!
Thorin:
The boy being pretty honest here it seems, he is sweating and seems like he is about to faint.
Robin Avers wrote: Robin decides to unsheathe his weapons and point them threateningly at the door. "Halt! Who has business with this man? Come to return to the scene of the crime, eh?!" "D-d-don't hurt me si-sir!"
Before you stands a young, male, blond and beige-skinned halfling in the plainest fashions of townsfolk. He is sweating bullets and backing away from this crazy pirate accusing him of something!
"C-c-crime? Oh my gods!"
As you are all invesitgating the various paraphenelia around you, you hear a knock on the door, even though it's open.
"Hello? What is the matter? Is he alright?" Shouted a young, male voice coming from outside.
Shaani:
Shaani wrote: [dice=Insight]1d20 + 2 It occurs to you that these stab wounds are very much like a trident. A trident... just like the sahuagin whom you fought earlier! Could they be connected perhaps?
-----
Robin:
The seal on the envelope is a royal crest you may have seen around as coinage or as a brand on some goods. Whom could Alhazred have been corresponding to?.
-----
Slashiir:
The sight is quite nasty of course. As an adventurer you do however, have to get used to making these types of wounds, at least one in your class. If you catch sight of the royal crest on the envelope you would recognize the seal. It is from the royal family of the once great nation of Hyades, the capital of that country, Carcosa is just South of Berem.
------
Pursuit:
From what you gather around you, yes this is the unfortunate corpse of the prophet Alhazred. Perhaps he knew too much. You see a crystal ball on the table used for diviniation spells and rituals. There is a notepad next to it with some vague but interesting rambles:
"A man who knows too much, his hand cannot bear it, and thus his hand gouge his heart out to cease it all."
"When the mother is gone, the world beccomes his plaything."
"He fills a pool of blood then offers it to the most vile maw I have ever seen."
You see the form of a Southern man slumped forward, motionless, dead. His dark skin turned a gray tone, his drying eyes are open and have frozen in them a look of pure terror, rotting mouth agape. On his chest are three large stab woulds horizontally spaced evenly together; the center one has gored his heart and the two others have done the same to his lungs. Blood has flowed out of these wounds for some time. There are scratches all over his arms and face. This ornate white and gold robes have been heavily stained with blood. His fingernails are also dirty with blood and flesh.
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Those of you who rolled 16 or higher on perception:
You notice there was rack of empty glass bottles under the window that is facing the man's corpse. Most of the bottles are destroyed however. The window consists of a pair of wooden doors and they are closed at the moment, but not locked.
The rest of the room seems remarkably intact, no books from the book shelf are missing. There is a large pedestal for a book here that has nothing on it.
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Those of you who rolled 16 or higher on investigation:
You notice the documents and books themselves around. The books are various guides on astronomy, history, journals, religion, and magic. You notice a blank space on the desk in front of where this poor man would have been facing, next to it an empty envelope. Next to that is another envelope, made of fine materials and torn.
There is a seal on it, the wax is colored with golden particles suspended within. But it is also empty.
The symbol on it may or may not be familiar to you
Make a history check.
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For Pursuit specifically, regardless of roll:
You find a piece of paper on his desk with some last and hurried scrawlings. It appears to be a poem? It has this written in common:
"Eons ago the old gods vanished, people rejoiced in turn.
Yet some feared that it would not be long.
It is said when the stars are right the old gods will return.
Yet I find that the stars are never wrong."
-----
Everyone make an insight check.
There is no answer, only silence.
The door creaks open.
You see a very small plain room, there are very modest furnishings here. Only a rug on the floor and a few chairs. There is a large chest on the floor spilling with old maps and documents. The sun rays flow out of the windows and reveal unsettled dust floating around.
There is a broken glass bottle on the stone floor to right of the room. It seemed to not contain anything in it.
Looking toward the right you see the room extending to another sub-room divided by an arch. In this room is a large table completely covered by a chaotic mess of bottles, maps, books, models, charts, and crystals. Glass marbles spill on the floor and glass shards are present around the table.
You see a large, old, brown leather swivel chair facing away from you, but you can see the figure of a man peeking slightly, but slumped. His hand hangs limply over the arm rest.
The smell of blood is heavy around here.
Especially coming from that pool of blood beneath the chair that stretches around the table.
Everyone make perception AND investigation checks.
Hey, should I post whats in the house now?
You and your companions bid the innkeeper farewell and thanks for the directions.
The map leads you on a yellow brick road around some more houses and shops. They look fairly quaint just like the rest of town.
You pass by a small graveyard. It has high iron fencing, and caltrops within the peremiter. Heavy amounts of spiked chain weaves throughout the iron fence bars. These chains in turn, have many locks around. It is so heavily guarded the only indication that this is a graveyard at all was the sign posted on the fence that reads "Graveyard, keep out, do not go near at night time- Bishop Dan".
As you reach around a corner, the houses get smaller and begin to be very basic, almost identical cottages. Those that reside around and in them vary a lot, single folks, travelers, refugees, and impoverished folk. These plain neighborhoods have managed to add embellishment to their facing walls however in the form of wind chimes, good luck talismans, and symbols for warding evil scrawled hastily with chalk, soot, blood and paint.
You finally reach your destination: another quant house, but with no embellishments around. The walls are plain brown, the roof is made of straw, the surrounding plants are dead, and if you look carefully,
Anyone with a passive perception above 14 would notice the door is a little open ajar.
It is very quiet around here.
Should we skip to the prophet's house?
"No, sorry sir, he's actually pretty late. Usually he's here at high noon sharp. Lately they say he has been absent on other things, maybe he is on the verge of a great breakthrough? I heard from him that long ago the new gods predicted that the old gods may return when the stars are right, he says it's a prophecy known mostly to clerics but not mentioned to common folk mostly because we'd freak out. He says that there is something...off about the prophecy. Last night he was pouring over star charts of various ages and comparing them. He also mentioned that the disasters are linked, but he isn't sure exactly how since the prophecy makes no mention of them. I once asked him why the new gods are seemingly powerless, and all he said was, 'They are here alright'. I hope none of what he's gotten into is right."
She then starts scrawling a crude town map on a scrap piece of paper. A single house has been circled.
"Maybe you ought to find him yourselves if you are all eager."
The barkeep has handed the party a small map of the town with directions to Alhazred's house.
Thorin may or may not be familiar with the prophecy.
Thorin Thunderstriker wrote: Any Idea where e' would be ifn' e' wasn't at that tavern lad? Thorin asks the guard. "I have no idea, but I think the people at the Salty Whale ought to know where he lives."
The other guard sheepishly added, Uh, sir, so you are Thorin Thunderstriker? The dwarf privateer?"
Meanwhile, the town continues to be quaint. Humans, halflings, and elves populate the place. There is noticeable variation among them, their skin tones usually ranging from light olive to tan, and some darker, among elves you see some of the more bronze-skinned wood elves and one drow. The diversity of course reflects that this town once traded far and wide, it's heyday is long gone but many have stayed behind.
Yet, despite this diversity, tieflings prove to still be a curiosity. As the sight of Pursuit without her hood tends to get some strange looks.
People around town are currently relaxed, yet a few start to anxiously check their pocket watches, sundials, and clocks. Some cease relaxing and get back to work quickly.
Shaani, Pursuit, and Lady Slashiir arrive at the Salty Whale Tavern.
Shaani wrote: Shaani hands the woman two gold coins: "Thank you. My horse does not have any special needs."
She turns back to Slashiir "So I suppose we should see the Tavern."
"Yes, there are signs around town, you shouldn't miss it."
A stableboy goes out to fetch Shaani's horse for boarding.
Meanwhile the Salty Whale Tavern is quite spacious this time of the day. It is currently some time past high noon. People are still doing their business about town. A few people here are eating lunch and only one other guy is at the bar. The tavernkeeper is tastetesting a new batch of grog. Robin catches her attention.
"Oh! Sir! You frightened me! Alhazred? Oh yes, him. He's usually here for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, tips generously. However I haven't seen him since this morning. He came in for breakfast, unusually silent this time. That's the last I ever saw him. He usually says stuff about the old gods being here and all but it's hard to piece it together well. I think I have an idea what he may be onto, and with these recent events all over the world one cannot help but believe him.
Shaani wrote: "I will meet you inside, once I put the animal in the stables." Shaani says to the others.
Once the horse is safely stabled, she enters the Inn: "A room and stabling for one horse for the night please." once she is close enough to the Innkeeper she continues with a lowered voice: "We are here to investigate some rumours. Do you know of the location of a man by the name Alhazred?"
The Innkeeper drones,"That'll be 10 sp ma'm. We hope you feel at home here at the Riverside Inn. Please let us know if your horse has any medical conditions or dietary restrictions."
She tenses up at Shaani's question, then begins to scratch her own head.
"Oh, him. He comes here once in awhile, he hasn't shown up here in the past five days. He sometimes scares guests with his rambles and last time he was here I threw him out for it. He is most likely found sulking at the Salty Whale Tavern North of here. They say he rented a small cot around here for the past three, or five, or so months. He looks like a man from South of the continent, very tanned skin, wears glasses, wears some pretty fancy clothing like maybe he used to be well off before stumbling into things he shouldn't have and then go mad from it. Some say he used to be a very skilled wizard in divination and still is. Why he's here, I'm not sure."
Meanwhile outside the Inn, a modest-looking halfling man walks past Pursuit, he immediately catches sight of her horns and tenses up before moving along his way. A human man also walks by but is oblivious to Pursuit.
Shaani wrote: "Thank you." Shaani smiles and goes on her way, leading the way towards the inn. The inn is a walk to the Southern part of town. You pass by many houses, and see the temple of Nodens, with it's exterior decorated with motifs of the sea and fishing; seahorses, shells, and bas reliefs of the great divine man of the sea himself. The temple rises an area with many merchants peddling goods. There seems to be a lot of open space amongst the merchants, as if today is either slow or this town has seen more prosperous days. You also pass by the town hall that is tall enough to be glimpsed at the shore. The buildings are quaint and well-kept, they have their usual coastal town charm from this area of the continent. Humans and halflings can be seen doing their daily business.
After the moderate walk through town, you finally reach the Riverside Inn. Just as the name suggests, it is beside a thin river from deeper within the land that empties into the ocean. Despite it's small width, the water is concentrated enough that is babbles it's way over the rocks quickly as it rushes to the sea. Toward the West you can see a moderately-sized waterfall that dumps the water from the surrounding mountains. This town seems to be full of the sound of water moving.
Exterior of Riverside Inn
Inside Riverside Inn
Shaani wrote: Shaani tugs the horse's rains lightly to set it into motion. She grins at Thorin's display but largely ignores it. Instead she turns to a nearby local.
"Excuse me, could you point the way to the inn?" she asks warmly.
A human woman pauses her path for Shaani.
"Oh? The Inn? Yes it's South of here beside the river. It's called Riverside Inn. There should be some signs around in case you are lost."
Thorin Thunderstriker wrote: Thorin grunts, then flips a gold coin to the merchant.
Aye, Was the fastest way O' gettin' attention I figured. I'm lookin' for a Prophet Alhazred. Ye be knowin' O him?
What merchant?
"Oh, him. He's been here this past month, usually he traveled from place to place speaking of doom and monsters. Yet with these occurrences even I start to wonder about those things. He has settled here for the time being, everyone is either tired or indifferent to him by now. He usually hangs out at the Salty Whale tavern but he hasn't gone there in the past two days."
Two human gaurds, clad in heavy armor notice Thorin's ruckus.
"Hey hey hey! What's the matter over here."
The second gaurd seems pensive for a moment, then speaks.
"Hey, are you that known privateer? What in Lobona's hallowed ground are you doing here and doing...this?"
Meanwhile, Robin manages to find a tavern a bit past the large fancy manor in town. Despite being a large manor it does not occupy much land space. The tavern has a nice, exterior, it is two-storied and carries the usual charm of your average tavern. It is called the "Salty Whale Tavern".
Tavern map and exterior. Ignore the name on the pic.
Meanwhile there is also an inn here of course, there is a sign near the harbor but a bit of a walk where any of you are, pointing south that reads "Riverside Inn".
The town of Berem is quaint, relatively peaceful. The curses have not touched this part of the continent just yet. A white layer of marine clouds covers the sky from the sun, seagulls scream and wail all over the docks. You see many other ships parked here. There are small trading posts and gaurds near the docks, watching for any would-be invaders. If you look farther, you can see a tall seaside mansion, a large temple at the distance, a great, stone monastary overlooks the bay from the mountains, and near it a tall, thin tower. You can see windmils, fields, and a town hall on the south side of town.
Here you see mostly humans and halflings about, you do see a couple of elves.
It'll be awhile before you can definately find the prophet Alhazred in this place, but not too long, perhaps people here already know him. Word about him was usually passed in temples, taverns, and by oracles.
Town map
Robin Avers wrote: Robin cleans the blood from his scimitar and sheathes his blades. "A-HA! Fortune has not smiled upon you today, my aquatic acquaintance! However..." He then takes a moment to check if the sahuagin has anything interesting or valuable on his person before chucking the monster overboard. You find 190 SP and 80 GP.
You also find a trident and breastplate armor.
Also a peculiar detail about this sahuagin: it has four arms, something you may or may not have missed when attacking..
If you are experienced in sea fighting or in bestiaries then you may recognize this creature as a sahuagin baron. Roll an insight or investigation check(whichever your stat is greater in) against 12 to recognize this detail.
The chuul rises above and is hungry for vengence. Pursuit blasts it twice but misses, the enigmatic black and yellow energy fading past it. Shaani swings her sword at the monster and hits it badly, she swings again but misses. Lady Slashiir rages at it, her hammer smacks it twice on the face! Shaani then uses her shield to push it back into the water and succeeds.
Chuul A has taken 33 damage and has been knocked back into the water.
The chuuls can be vaguely made out from above the water. They gather together on one side of the boat, then stop. They seems to make their way toward the boat for a bit but then stop, and turn around. They swim away.
1 sahuagin baron(1,800 XP) and 3 chuuls (1,100 XP) have been defeated.
1,800 + 3(1,100) = 5,100
5,100/7 = 728.57
Each party member gets 730 XP
There is a bloody corpse of a sahuagin on deck and some icky chuul blood here and there. You all notice that the boat is already on the pier, the sea floor already vaguely visible from above, hence why you could see the chuul vaguely underwater as they left.
The town of Berem is just right up ahead
Shaani's sword plunges into the chuul's carapace.
Chuul B takes 10 damage.
Chuul saving throw: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10
And she gives a mighty thrust that shoves the monster off the deck!
Chuul B gets knocked into the water!
Meanwhile, chuul A quickly scrambles up the deck!
Eldon Scheppen wrote: Dm, the saving throw for lightning bolt is dex, and a successful save only blocks half damage. Fixed! Thanks
Who still needs to attack before the chuul attack?
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