With a flick of his wrist, there was a flurry of bubbles in the center of the room. The bubbles dissipated to reveal Father Craig, the dwarven priest of Tristin. Father Craig's eyes bulged in confusion and he inhaled a big gulp of seawater. He began to choke.
"Oops! Just a moment!" With another flick of his wrist a bubble of air appeared around Father Craig's head. Father Craig took some deep breaths, "There, that should do him for about an hour. Anyway, this is my gift to you, my way of saying thanks for disabling the barrier that kept me a prisoner in these chambers."
Captain Alot blurted, "Wait! What about-"
The emir smiled and said, "Ta ta!" and with a flick of his piscine wrists, he disappeared into a burst of tiny bubbles.
Father Craig stared around the room in bewildered shock, "Uh, what just happened?"
CHAPTER 57
"THE WELLSPRING"
The Crew of the Sea Ghost:
- Alot Aname - Neutral Good Warforged Fighter, ancient sentinel of a wizard's fortress, spent several decades deactivated underwater, Captain of the Sea Ghost.
- Avastana "Aella" Kádár - Neutral, Half-Elf Outlander and Storm Sorceress from Ket, daughter of the king of the sea elves, deck sorceress and first mate of the Sea Ghost.
- Craig "Blunderbuss" Oxworth - Lawful Good Dwarven Priest of St. Ogden (Cleric), sailor and shipwright, bosun of the Sea Ghost.
- Cai'luin Manaan - Chaotic Good Sea-Elf Bard, member of the royal family of the tribe of Manaan. Cook of the Sea Ghost.
- Corvid Ravenson - Neutral Good Fallen Aasimar Paladin of Vengeance and Divine Soul Sorcerer, sent to Oerth to avenge those who wronged his angelic "brother", Auric Ravenson. Second mate of the Sea Ghost.
DM Note-
Still filling in the 8th level gap between the end of the Final Enemy and the beginning of Tammeraut's Fate with small mini-adventures. I gave my players the option of which storyline they wanted to follow and they chose the story that led to the Corruption of Skyhorn Lighthouse. It seems to me that my players always have more fun with these smaller adventures.
Father Craig's player had missed the last two sessions because he was, oh, you know, FIGHTING CANCER! So when he felt better and wanted to play I was faced with a challenge - how to include Father Craig. Father Craig was back on the ship and Father Craig is the only member of the party without a means to adventure underwater. I, of course, had no wish to exclude him but I didn't know how to INCLUDE him either. So I hand-waved it - literally by having the marid wave his hand - and said a genie did it!
The Wellspring
A fifteen foot wide corridor stretched before them. Visibility was limited at the far end by overlapping blades of kelp. Captain Alot and Corvid pushed through the kelp into the chamber beyond.
They found a wide marble room adorned with statues of mermaids. Shoals of small bioluminescent fish swam lazily throughout the room giving it a strange bluish-green glow. A large sphere of swirling elemental energy hovered above the floor on the far wall. At the center of the sphere, occupying it like a bird in a nest, was a mass of black writhing tentacles with a single glowing red eye at its center. The floor beneath the swirling energy and mass of black tentacles was a spiraling distortion. Black tendrils of tar separated from the tentacled thing only to disappear down into the distortion like being sucked down into a drain.
This was the Wellspring the sea-genie spoke of- the source of elemental energy that powered the lighthouse keeper's chalice. Some dark being had infested the Wellspring and was using its energy to magically disrupt weather around the lighthouse.
Four slack-jawed drowned sailors stood guard over the tentacled thing. They drew their cutlasses and advanced!
Aella cast a Witch Bolt spell and a streak of lightning struck the tentacled mass. To her surprise, her spell destroyed it!
The thralls continued to advance, however, and engaged Corvid and Alot in hand-to-hand combat. One of the four moved through the kelp to attack Aella and Father Craig on the group's flank.
A small tiny mass of tentacles began to reform within the center of the elemental vortex. Corvid's supernatural senses detected a dark shape moving behind the kelp. He informed the others.
Sensing that its ruse had been discovered, the Corruption abandoned its illusion and moved through the kelp. It extended dark elastic tentacles that wrapped around and bound Aella and Father Craig. One of the tentacles began to drain Father Craig of his life energy. The Corruption seemed to feed off it like a psychic vampire.
Father Craig prayed to Saint Ogden and summoned forth a spiritual hammer which crushed the skull of the thrall attacking him. Father Craig then trained the magical hammer to attack the Corruption.
Cai'luin moved to the left side of the corridor and cast a bardic spell into the kelp. The spell exploded with thunderous force, clearing away the kelp and revealing the full form of the Corruption.
DM Note-
Cai'luin's "fireball" spell is called "Depth Charge" and does force damage instead of fire damage.
The Corruption lashed out another tentacle which wrapped around Cai'luin. In response, Bess crawled past Father Craig and grabbed the Corruption in her pincers.
Alot dispatched the thrall and moved to attack the Corruption. Corvid had more difficulty and continued to hold off the thralls on his flank. Corvid eventually defeated the final thrall and moved to assist Alot.
Between Corvid's magical sword, Alot's magical dragon-hammer, Aella's magical trident, and Father Craig's holy hammers, the team soon had the tentacled horror on the defensive. Father Craig prayed and summoned forth a massive maelstrom of spiritual hammers which swarmed the mass and pummeled it into oblivion.
The Corruption was destroyed and the dark disruption beneath the Wellspring disappeared. The Wellspring once again glowed with pure elemental energy.
The Guardian of the Well
The crew exited the chamber of the Wellspring and returned to the foyer. As they were preparing to leave, Captain Alot paused and took a look at the well filled with treasure.
He raised his three-fingered mechanical hand and said, "Everybody hold up a second." He stared at the well in contemplation.
An inscription on the well in Aquan read, "Pay tribute to your master, Shah Javad Khorasani, Eye of the Tempest and Lords of the Thousand and One Bright Pearls". The well was filled to the brim in jewels and platinum.
He turned to the others, "How does everyone feel about taking all that treasure? I mean, its just sitting there."
Corvid replied dryly, "You have to know its some kind of trap."
Alot dismissed the thought with a wave, "Yes, yes, but we can handle it."
Corvid shrugged, "Alright."
Corvid, Father Craig, and Alot positioned themselves near the well. Father Craig summoned forth a swirling vortex of hammers and positioned a spiritual hammer near the well.
Alot reached in and took out a handful of gems.
Suddenly the gems rose out of the well, suspended within a whirlpool. The mass of coins and gems formed a roughly humanoid shape.
Cai'luin began hurling well-craft insults. Corvid struck at the treasure with his magical sword. The animated treasure took a pummeling from Father Craig's maelstrom of hammers. Aella pointed her trident at the animated treasure and cast a lightning bolt spell.
The swirling animated mass of treasure enveloped Alot. Alot resisted and was shoved backward against the wall.
Corvid stepped back, raised his magical sword, and prepared to strike. He threw himself forward and plunged the magic sword into the center of the elemental guardian. The guardian shuddered.
DM Note-
Corvid rolled a critical hit. 19 damage. Plus smite for another 29 damage. Yowch!
Father Craig followed up by smashing the elemental guardian with his war-pick "Dwarven Blood Bond".
Aella created a magical bonfire beneath the creature. The bonfire, fueled by pure magic, was able to burn despite being completely underwater, though its effect was lessened by being submerged. Additionally, its effect on the guardian created from the elemental plane of water was further reduced.
Alot, who had initially drawn the ire of the guardian, finished it off with his magical dragon-headed warhammer.
The Apparatus of Kwalish
The elemental was defeated and the coins and gems exploded throughout the room. It was going to take a while to gather up all the treasure.
Father Craig, worried about the duration of the emir's magical air bubble, said he would return to the surface while the others cleaned up. Alot told him the exit was through that hole in the floor and a straight shot out. Bess said, "Don't worry, Cappum. I'll show him the way out!"
Father Craig eyed the giant crab with suspicion. Bess led Father Craig down the hole in the floor and into the coral caves. There she said, "Well, So long! Don't come back!" and she re-entered the passage and left Craig alone in the caves.
DM Note-
I moved Father Craig's character onto the coral cave map and said "Where do you go?" Father Craig's player had no idea. "Straight Shot" indeed.
As he navigated and explored the coral caves looking for an exit, Father Craig ran into a mermaid carrying some crates in her arms. When he called out to her she dropped the crates and prepared to flee.
Father Craig said that he meant her no harm. He only needed to know how to exit the caves.
The mermaid paused and said she'd show him in exchange for the silver raven amulet he wore around his neck - the symbol of his faith in the Raven King. Father Craig declined but offered instead a potion of invisibility. The mermaid agreed!
The mermaid introduced herself as Silvana of the Orca clan and led him towards the exit. Once they reached the wrecked ship, she returned bade him farewell and returned to her legitimate salvage.
Father Craig swam up onto the deck of the sunken ship where he saw the strange iron cylinder with crab-like mechanical legs and mechanical pincers. Its rear hatch was open.
Captain Alot had mentioned this machine. Craig entered the cylinder and used his ability to control water to create a pocket of air within the cockpit. He closed the hatch.
Before him were ten levers. He began testing levers. This one opened and closed window shutters. This one extended and retracted the claws. This one opened the hatch and allowed water to flood the compartment!
After closing and resealing the hatch, Craig discovered which levers caused the vehicle to ascend and swim. He returned to the surface.
Exonerating the Lighthouse Keeper
Father Craig's apparatus bobbed on the surface a few hundred feet from the rocky shore from Skyhorn Island. Father Craig directed the apparatus to swim to shore where it navigated the rocks using its crab-like feet.
A few minutes later he was joined by Alot, Corvid, Aella, Cai'luin, and Bess. Aella sent a fire-bolt spell into the sky as a signal flare to summon the Sea Ghost.
The signal also summoned the attention of the tritons guarding the island. The triton guards, along with Argos, the triton who had earlier helped the Sea Ghost, asked Alot if they were successful.
Alot said that they were and that they had obtained evidence that exonerated the lighthouse keeper.
The tritons brought Alot and the crew into the lighthouse to make his case before the synod.
There Alot produced Captain Hadad's book and cutlass. He explained that Captain Hadad had tapped into a source of elemental energy beneath the island. He said that Captain Hadad had been mind-controlled by some dark Corruption. Captain Hadad believed he was resurrecting his dead wife when in fact he was allowing the Corruption to harness the elemental energy and spread chaos.
DM Note-
I asked Alot's player how much he planned to tell the magistrate.
Alot's player said, "I tell them EVERYTHING!" He paused a beat and quickly added, "-wait!"
I laughed so hard at that.
Alot chose not to mention the marid that was imprisoned beneath the island and left out the part where the team had freed the marid from its imprisonment. He likewise chose to omit that the magical chalice that the Lucien lighthouse keeper believed allowed him to control the seas and weather was just a conduit for the elemental energy node beneath the lighthouse that was given as a wedding gift to the Lucien's ancestor upon his marriage to the daughter of a marid lord.
The synod found the evidence and testimony compelling and exonerated Lucien the lighthouse keeper of any transgression. For their role in this business, the synod awarded the crew of the Sea Ghost with the title of Honorary Triton Inquisitors along with badges.
Eventually the Sea Ghost, having seen the signal flare, returned to the island and moored at the sole dock. The crew spent the night there and prepared to sail home to Saltmarsh the next day.
Return to Saltmarsh
The Sea Ghost returned to Saltmarsh the following day, arriving in the late afternoon. Father Craig spent several hours studying the apparatus. He determined that it was badly damaged and would require repair.
As the ship arrived in Saltmarsh, they were met on the dock by Captain Xendros - the devil-spawn trader from Iuz and secret dealer in magical artifacts. Xendros had in the past repeatedly told the team that she was very interested in obtaining a mechanical vehicle known as the Apparatus of Kwalish. How she knew that they now had one was a mystery.
"She's scrying on us," concluded Corvid.
"Obviously," agreed Alot.
Captain Xendros greeted them warmly and immediately asked if the team had found an Apparatus of Kwalish. Captain Alot deferred to Father Craig.
Craig hesitated but finally admitted that, yes, they had found one.
Captain Xendros reiterated her offer - in exchange for the Apparatus she would offer the crew up to five lesser magical items or one greater magical item.
Craig asked what she had to offer.
Xendros narrowed her eyes and replied with a grin, "What do you want?"
Craig became impatient, "No, tell me what you have."
DM Note-
Now it was MY turn to become impatient. My players didn't know what to ask for so they wanted me to just give them a list. I didn't HAVE a list. Corvid's player said, "Just roll randomly."
I became frustrated, "There isn't a random table for Very Rare items. Magic items are listed by rarity."
I soon found a list of all Very Rare items but it was too much to pick from. But my players were wheedling me about it so I pasted the list to an Excel spreadsheet and threw a numbered list next to it. There were 75 items.
I typed "/r d75" in Roll20 and got a result.
Craig's player said no.
I tried again. Craig's player said no again.
I was starting to become more annoyed and a little angry.
Xendros gritted her teeth, "Fine. how about an Ioun Stone of Absoption?"
Craig said, "Pass. What else?"
Xendros narrowed her eyes, "A magic belt that gives you the strength of a frost giant?"
Craig still said no.
"How about a cloak of the Manta Ray, you've always said you wanted one of those!"
Craig replied, "You said you couldn't get those."
Xendros said, "Give me the Apparatus and I'll find one for you."
Craig thought about it, "No. Never mind. The apparatus is not for sale." He turned and left to find the alchemist. He had
Xendros stood on the dock, fuming.
The Sunken City
The Sea Ghost did not tarry in Saltmarsh long. Father Craig got the local dwarven blacksmith to inspect the Apparatus. The blacksmith said that the repair of such a device was beyond his ability. Craig needed a master artificer. He estimated it would probably cost three thousand gold coins to repair.
Afterwards, Craig visited Angela and Rosalee's Herbs, Potions, and Teas to procure some potions of water breathing.
On the next morning the ship and its crew set sail for the royal castle of King Pelagius of Manaan.
DM Note-
My players asked "How far away is Manaan?"
I pointed on the local Saltmarsh map, "It's right there."
They replied, incredulously, "Seriously? That's like barely twenty miles away! We thought it was weeks of sailing!"
I said, "Nope, If it were an island, you could see it from Saltmarsh."
They sailed within a few miles of the underwater castle. Once they were near, but not too near, Alot, Aella, Corvid, Craig, and Cai'luin jumped overboard. Bess was ordered to stay on the ship. Father Craig piloted the Apparatus. He would save his potions for an emergency. The Sea Ghost would sail in a wide circle and await their signal to return.
Manaan was a castle built at the center of a coral atoll. The atoll had grown atop the ruins of an ancient Suloise city. The sea elves of the castle maintained a kelp forest for several miles around the atoll.
The crew descended through the depths to the sea floor. They trudged across the sea floor for several hours until they reached the kelp forest.
After navigating through the forest they found the ruins of the sunken city outside the wall of coral that formed the atoll. They eventually located the ruined temple and found the warped stick which, when turned, revealed a secret entrance.
To their dismay, what they thought would be a straight shot under the coral was the entrance to a labyrinth.
The Labyrinth
Alot and Aella led the way, choosing a passage to the right. The passage turned a corner to the left, then left again, then to the right.
As they proceeded down a straight corridor, Aella and Alot blundered into an invisible gelatinous mass! Aella managed to jump back but Alot became trapped within the transparent gelatin.
Corvid stepped forward and thrust his magical sword into the gelatinous cube. The cube burst, spilling its acidic contents onto the floor along with Alot.
DM Note-
Critical hit! 20 points slashing plus 35 points of smite!
Grey Oozes
After a few more twists and turns and dead ends, the party entered a chamber with a pile of coins and treasures in the center of the room. Alot strode forth and the grey stone floor came alive and attacked him with a viscous pseudopod. In addition, psychic waves emanated from the floor attacking the minds of those nearby.
Corvid and Alot began stabbing and pummeling the writhing floor while Aella cast magical rays of frost, coating the submerged floor with small icicles.
Eventually the putty-like floor was killed and the party was able to collect a few thousand copper and silver pices, 110 gp, an Iron Chime worth 25 gp, Leather Boots with Fine Steel Buckles worth 25 gp, a Rabbit Fur Mask worth 25 gp, a Rabbit Fur Pouch worth 25 gp, and a Potion of Healing.
Another Cube
The party continued their exploration of the labyrinth. Aella held her trident out in front of her as she advanced down the long straight hallway. She came into contact with some invisible force. It formed a clear pseudopod and attacked!
To be Continued...
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