Bordar stood at the prow of the small boat. He was a dwarf on a quest. The son of the leader of his clan had never returned from his trade mission to Keoland. Bordar had been sent to find the wayward son and bring him home. Since then, Bordar learned that the son had somehow offended the Duke of Seaton and had been imprisoned.
During his investigation, he learned from his sources that the duke sometimes keeps special prisoners in a secret dungeon beneath the abbey on Leper Island. Ostensibly, the abbey was occupied by an order of monks who tended to the health and well-being of lepers. In reality, the priests were corrupt and served as kind of treasury for pirates and raiders - as well as wardens of a secret prison, apparently.
So Bordar hired a small boat and a crew of rowers to take him to Leper Island. It was a clear night and the moon shone brightly overhead. Bordar winced as the boat heaved in the surf and the salty wind lashed his long hair.
The crew refused to come ashore for obvious reasons. They let Bordar off on the southern tip of the island where the sea washed against vast sand dunes.
Bordar noticed another boat drawn up onto the beach as well as the remains of a wrecked pinnace buried in the sand.
Bordar went ashore and climbed the steep undulating dunes. He could see that a handful of people had climbed these dunes before him. He found evidence of a great battle against a horde of now disassembled skeletons.
Many of those same skeletons now reformed into animated guardians and attacked him!
After dealing with these skeletons, Bordar continued up the hill towards the center of the island.
He neared the site of the abbey. Even in the moonlight he could see that the abbey appeared to be in ruins. A tower had burned and toppled. The refectory and hospital had been razed.
He saw five humans and a halfling standing or sitting in the ruins. They were talking among themselves. Bordar crouched behind some bushes and quietly crept nearer so he could better hear.
CHAPTER 26
"THE ISLE OF THE ABBEY"
The B-Team:- Baylore - Neutral Human Pirate and Pugilist (Monk).
- Brenna Whalersdottir - Chaotic Good Human Sailor and Divine Soul Sorceress, long-lost daughter of Whaler.
Introducing:
- Bordar Graniteshaper - Lawful Good Dwarven Bearer of Grudges (Barbarian), on a quest to rescue the son of the leader of his clan.
Brain Jellies:
- Avastana "Aella" Kádár - Neutral, Half-Elf Outlander and Storm Sorceress from Ket.
- Alot Aname - Neutral Good Warforged Fighter, ancient sentinel of a wizard's fortress, spent several decades deactivated underwater.
New Allies
Brenna and Baylore were discussing whether or not Lemundo the Lovely should join them as they descended the stairs into the abbey's cellar.
Lemundo argued, "I can fight! I can handle myself!"
Brenna countered, "You were useless against the skeletons on the dunes!"
Lemundo said, "That's not my fault! The Dungeon Master kept forgetting about me! I'm actually fairly competent! Really!"
Brenna crossed her arms, "Okay then, what do you bring to the table?"
Lemundo puffed out her chest and declared, "I'll have you know I'm considered a Scout! I have an armor class of thirteen! I have sixteen hit points and plus four to hit!"
Brenna inhaled sharply through clenched teeth to signal her disapproval. Baylore said, "Yeah, No offense. You'll be staying up here with the two jelly babies over there."
DM Note-
I try to give the players as much narrative control over their situation as possible. They asked me if Lemundo would be joining them and I turned it around and asked, "Do you WANT Lemundo to join you? That's totally your decision!" After a few assessment questions, they decided it would be safer for her to stay upstairs.
Suddenly, a squat dwarf emerged from the bushes. He wore a traveling cloak and carried two deadly looking battle axes - one in each hand. His arrival took Brenna, Baylore, and Lemundo completely by surprise! They leaped to the feet, weapons and wands drawn. Lemundo shouted, "Who goes there?"
The dwarf introduced himself as Bordar. He said he had come to this abbey searching for a prisoner whom he believed to be kept in a secret dungeon.
Lemundo introduced herself as her alias, Lemony Butterscotch, and said that they too were seeking to free a prisoner from the abbey's secret dungeon. Lemundo asked Bordar if he was familiar with the Duke of Seaton.
Once it became clear that the newcomer had no interest in local politics, Lemundo revealed her true identity as well as her mission to free her father, the true Duke of Seaton, from his betrayal at the hands of his twin brother.
Given that their goals aligned, the dwarf agreed to accompany the B-Team in their exploration of the abbey's cellar.
The Guardians of the Cellar
Baylore and Bordar led the way as they opened the cellar door and descended the stairs underground.
Lantern light filled a large room ahead. On the left side of the room three men played a dice game around an old table. The sound of the descending intruders caused them to leap to their feet and grab nearby weapons. Each of the men wore the robes of monks and acolytes of Procan.
One of the men, a big burly bald fellow holding a spear and a shield, took one look at Baylore and Brenna and shouted, "The pirates have returned! You bastards! I'll kill you for what you did!"
Baylore and Brenna looked at their clothes and manner, for both were indeed sailors and pirates by trade and appearance. They shrugged. Baylore said, "Well, you're not wrong about the pirate part, but we're not with those other guys".
Baylore ran up to the priest and acolyte. He was able to easily dispatch them with a single bare-knuckle punch to each. He then moved around the table to the burly priest. Bordar's bloodlust took over. The dwarf charged the burly man with a battleaxe in each hand.
The man shouted, "Liars! Alarm! Alarm!"
There were eight doors along the outer walls of the room. Two each on the left and right walls and four on the wall behind the stairs. At the burly man's alarm the doors began to fly open one by one.
One door opened only for the priest to curse loudly and immediately close it again.
A second door opened and a priest emerged, ready to defend the cellar, along with a bodyguard who appeared to be a mercenary. "What is it, Ormund?" demanded the priest.
The burly man replied, "The raiders have returned, Ozymandias! We are under attack!"
Ozymandias cried out towards another door, "Bayleaf! We need your assistance!" He looked towards the door of the priest who cursed and retreated back into his room, "Odium! I know you're in there! Get out here and help!"
Several additional combatants joined the fray. And well-dressed elf and a mercenary emerged together from a different room. The elf quipped, "I don't think we're paid enough for this."
Ozymandias said, "We'll double your pay, Bayleaf, just defend us!"
The mercenary with Bayleaf took cover behind the stairs and loosed several crossbow bolts towards Bordar. Bayleaf, for his part, stayed away from battle and instead hurled insults at Brenna. Much to Brenna's surprise, she found that his words cut deep. She took them far more personally than she would like and it struck at her morale, affecting her ability to fight.
Ozymandias invoked the name of Procan and created a spiritual trident that hovered in the air behind Bordar. The trident struck at the dwarf and moved where he moved.
An acolyte emerged from another door and summoned a spiritual scimitar that harassed Baylore.
The cowardly priest Odium would occasionally open his door and pray for some miracle but few such attempts were successful.
Ormund fought like a devil against two opponents. He kept trying to knock Baylore over with his shield while thrusting his spear at Bordar. Eventually the pair proved too much for the robust warrior and Ormund fell.
Bordar darted across the room and attacked the mercenary Bayleaf. It didn't take long for Bayleaf to fall to Bordar's twin axes and Brenna's magic spells.
Ozymandias became worried. He said a quick prayer and was instantly surrounded by a rotating vortex of celestial barracudas. Bordar and Brenna were caught within the swirling vortex and became worried. They knew this of this miracle and knew of its defensive capability.
Baylore countered by pointing at the priest. A thin ray of fire struck the priest and caused him to lose his concentration. The swirling vortex disappeared!
Bordar and Baylore descended upon Ozymandias who crumpled under their combined attack.
Another previously unseen mercenary came running out one of the rooms and joined the fray. Odium cowered in his doorway and shouted to the mercenaries, "Earn your keep, you fools! Kill the them!" The two surviving mercenaries fought valiantly but ultimately fell before Bordar and Baylore.
Brenna directed her attention towards the cowardly Odium. Odium defended himself but sensing his inevitable defeat he surrendered to the intruders.
The Secret Cellar
Baylore tied Odium to a chair. Odium was forthcoming with information. He revealed that the monks of the abbey were secretly in league with the Sea Princes to the southwest. The abbey served as a warehouse of sorts for pirate plunder on its way to the Sea Princes. Odium was an accountant sent to the abbey to audit the operation's ledgers.
He happened to be present during when the pirates turned on the monks and attacked the abbey two weeks ago. He doesn't know why the pirates chose to attack. He thought they had a good working relationship.
The pirates sacked the tower and killed most of the monks. Unable to find any treasure, they burned the tower to the ground. Odium, Ozymandias, Ormund, Bayleaf, and a handful of acolytes managed to survive. When the pirates left, they were stranded. There were no boats with which they might leave.
When asked about a secret prison, Odium said Ozymandias might have known but Odium was just visiting and didn't know anything about that.
Odium then identified each of the doors and listed the original purpose of each room and who had been using it.
A Thorough Search
The B-Team checked each door and room in turn.
A quick search of the fallen opponents revealed nothing useful, though Ozymandias wore a gold medallion around his neck. The medallion was decorated with complex geometric designs.
They checked Odium's room and found many glazed clay figurines and marble statues, some obviously rescued from the abbey garden. Underneath a loose flagstone they found a scroll case with several scrolls and book of dark rituals to Olhydra - evil prince of the water elementals.
The next room revealed some bookshelves and a scribe's desk. Several books dedicated to the lore of the evil elemental princes lined the bookshelf. No one could open the desk to Bordar hacked it to flinders with his axes. The resulting destruction ruined the spell scrolls hidden within.
The kitchen revealed a scroll case containing several recipies.
Ogmund's quarters was once a wine cellar. The bottles and casks were all empty but they did find a suit of leather armor adorned with leather studs and a fine dagger with a fancy scabbard decorated with scrimshaw.
Bayleaf's quarters were located in the former armory. A pair of boots were placed at the foot of Bayleaf's bedroll. A loose stone revealed a hidden cache of scrolls and a pair of ruby earrings with a note revealing their intent as a gift to Bayleaf's love.
Ozymandias' quarters were in the storeroom. The room was filled with miscellaneous mundane equipment.
The room that housed the mercenaries contained only the sleeping pallets, a kettle filled with warm coals, and a handful of weapons.
The final room was ostensibly used for meditation and devotion to Olhydra. The room was adorned with blue curtains. A table served as a makeshift altar. A bowl of seawater sat on the table.
In the corner of the room was an acolyte holding a scrubbing brush as a weapon. A bucket of cleaning water sat nearby. The acolyte appeared nervous and was afraid for his life.
Bordar ignored the acolyte and began removing the curtains. The acolyte took great offense and charged the dwarf, attacking him with the brush. Bordar punched the acolyte in the face but failed to knock him unconscious. The acolyte hammered Bordar with the brush again while Baylore watched and laughed, "Did that kid just hit you with a BRUSH? Good for him!"A second punch sent the acolyte to the floor.
Bordar continued to tear down the curtains, revealing a concealed door.
"Well, this must be what we're looking for!" said Bordar.
Brenna said, "We should probably rest first before heading in there."
Baylore nodded, "Good idea. Rest first. Tomorrow- dungeon."
The Guardians of the Cellar
Baylore and Bordar led the way as they opened the cellar door and descended the stairs underground.
Lantern light filled a large room ahead. On the left side of the room three men played a dice game around an old table. The sound of the descending intruders caused them to leap to their feet and grab nearby weapons. Each of the men wore the robes of monks and acolytes of Procan.
One of the men, a big burly bald fellow holding a spear and a shield, took one look at Baylore and Brenna and shouted, "The pirates have returned! You bastards! I'll kill you for what you did!"
Baylore and Brenna looked at their clothes and manner, for both were indeed sailors and pirates by trade and appearance. They shrugged. Baylore said, "Well, you're not wrong about the pirate part, but we're not with those other guys".
Baylore ran up to the priest and acolyte. He was able to easily dispatch them with a single bare-knuckle punch to each. He then moved around the table to the burly priest. Bordar's bloodlust took over. The dwarf charged the burly man with a battleaxe in each hand.
The man shouted, "Liars! Alarm! Alarm!"
There were eight doors along the outer walls of the room. Two each on the left and right walls and four on the wall behind the stairs. At the burly man's alarm the doors began to fly open one by one.
One door opened only for the priest to curse loudly and immediately close it again.
A second door opened and a priest emerged, ready to defend the cellar, along with a bodyguard who appeared to be a mercenary. "What is it, Ormund?" demanded the priest.
The burly man replied, "The raiders have returned, Ozymandias! We are under attack!"
Ozymandias cried out towards another door, "Bayleaf! We need your assistance!" He looked towards the door of the priest who cursed and retreated back into his room, "Odium! I know you're in there! Get out here and help!"
Several additional combatants joined the fray. And well-dressed elf and a mercenary emerged together from a different room. The elf quipped, "I don't think we're paid enough for this."
Ozymandias said, "We'll double your pay, Bayleaf, just defend us!"
The mercenary with Bayleaf took cover behind the stairs and loosed several crossbow bolts towards Bordar. Bayleaf, for his part, stayed away from battle and instead hurled insults at Brenna. Much to Brenna's surprise, she found that his words cut deep. She took them far more personally than she would like and it struck at her morale, affecting her ability to fight.
Ozymandias invoked the name of Procan and created a spiritual trident that hovered in the air behind Bordar. The trident struck at the dwarf and moved where he moved.
An acolyte emerged from another door and summoned a spiritual scimitar that harassed Baylore.
The cowardly priest Odium would occasionally open his door and pray for some miracle but few such attempts were successful.
Ormund fought like a devil against two opponents. He kept trying to knock Baylore over with his shield while thrusting his spear at Bordar. Eventually the pair proved too much for the robust warrior and Ormund fell.
Bordar darted across the room and attacked the mercenary Bayleaf. It didn't take long for Bayleaf to fall to Bordar's twin axes and Brenna's magic spells.
Ozymandias became worried. He said a quick prayer and was instantly surrounded by a rotating vortex of celestial barracudas. Bordar and Brenna were caught within the swirling vortex and became worried. They knew this of this miracle and knew of its defensive capability.
Baylore countered by pointing at the priest. A thin ray of fire struck the priest and caused him to lose his concentration. The swirling vortex disappeared!
Bordar and Baylore descended upon Ozymandias who crumpled under their combined attack.
Another previously unseen mercenary came running out one of the rooms and joined the fray. Odium cowered in his doorway and shouted to the mercenaries, "Earn your keep, you fools! Kill the them!" The two surviving mercenaries fought valiantly but ultimately fell before Bordar and Baylore.
Brenna directed her attention towards the cowardly Odium. Odium defended himself but sensing his inevitable defeat he surrendered to the intruders.
The Secret Cellar
Baylore tied Odium to a chair. Odium was forthcoming with information. He revealed that the monks of the abbey were secretly in league with the Sea Princes to the southwest. The abbey served as a warehouse of sorts for pirate plunder on its way to the Sea Princes. Odium was an accountant sent to the abbey to audit the operation's ledgers.
He happened to be present during when the pirates turned on the monks and attacked the abbey two weeks ago. He doesn't know why the pirates chose to attack. He thought they had a good working relationship.
The pirates sacked the tower and killed most of the monks. Unable to find any treasure, they burned the tower to the ground. Odium, Ozymandias, Ormund, Bayleaf, and a handful of acolytes managed to survive. When the pirates left, they were stranded. There were no boats with which they might leave.
When asked about a secret prison, Odium said Ozymandias might have known but Odium was just visiting and didn't know anything about that.
Odium then identified each of the doors and listed the original purpose of each room and who had been using it.
A Thorough Search
The B-Team checked each door and room in turn.
A quick search of the fallen opponents revealed nothing useful, though Ozymandias wore a gold medallion around his neck. The medallion was decorated with complex geometric designs.
They checked Odium's room and found many glazed clay figurines and marble statues, some obviously rescued from the abbey garden. Underneath a loose flagstone they found a scroll case with several scrolls and book of dark rituals to Olhydra - evil prince of the water elementals.
The next room revealed some bookshelves and a scribe's desk. Several books dedicated to the lore of the evil elemental princes lined the bookshelf. No one could open the desk to Bordar hacked it to flinders with his axes. The resulting destruction ruined the spell scrolls hidden within.
The kitchen revealed a scroll case containing several recipies.
Ogmund's quarters was once a wine cellar. The bottles and casks were all empty but they did find a suit of leather armor adorned with leather studs and a fine dagger with a fancy scabbard decorated with scrimshaw.
Bayleaf's quarters were located in the former armory. A pair of boots were placed at the foot of Bayleaf's bedroll. A loose stone revealed a hidden cache of scrolls and a pair of ruby earrings with a note revealing their intent as a gift to Bayleaf's love.
Ozymandias' quarters were in the storeroom. The room was filled with miscellaneous mundane equipment.
The room that housed the mercenaries contained only the sleeping pallets, a kettle filled with warm coals, and a handful of weapons.
The final room was ostensibly used for meditation and devotion to Olhydra. The room was adorned with blue curtains. A table served as a makeshift altar. A bowl of seawater sat on the table.
In the corner of the room was an acolyte holding a scrubbing brush as a weapon. A bucket of cleaning water sat nearby. The acolyte appeared nervous and was afraid for his life.
Bordar ignored the acolyte and began removing the curtains. The acolyte took great offense and charged the dwarf, attacking him with the brush. Bordar punched the acolyte in the face but failed to knock him unconscious. The acolyte hammered Bordar with the brush again while Baylore watched and laughed, "Did that kid just hit you with a BRUSH? Good for him!"A second punch sent the acolyte to the floor.
Bordar continued to tear down the curtains, revealing a concealed door.
"Well, this must be what we're looking for!" said Bordar.
Brenna said, "We should probably rest first before heading in there."
Baylore nodded, "Good idea. Rest first. Tomorrow- dungeon."
To Be Continued...
DM Notes-
I really like the detail they put into each NPC hiding in the cellar. They're not just faceless bad guys to kill. They each had a story and a perspective and a motivation. I tried to communicate their story by having them shout at each other, give each other commands, and complain about the other during the fight. It made them feel much more real.
I was hoping the players would pick up on this and try to interact with them more. But no dice. They were corrupt priests so they had to die, no questions asked.
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