Having defeated the aboleth Sgothga and its aberrant minions, the crew unfolded their magic boat and set anchor just off the coast of the rocky island known as Landgrave's Folly. They spent the night sleeping on the boat while Alot and Cai'luin slept underwater. Cai'luin was still afflicted by the aboleth's touch and his skin began to flake whenever he spent more than ten minutes out of the water. Corvid prayed for a miracle to cure his disease but to no avail.
The next morning, the party felt renewed and refreshed. Patriarch Craig prayed for healing and was able to cure Cai'luin of his affliction. Together they rowed their magic boat back to Poniard.
CHAPTER 77
"A PARTY IN PONIARD"
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.
- Patriarch 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.
A New Day Dawns
The crew rowed the large boat into the docks of the Styes in Poniard. To their surprise they saw people picking up trash and debris, making improvements to their shops and homes, and helping each other. There was life, activity, and friendly comradery - a sharp contrast to the hostile slum they left the day before.
They met Constable Jute out walking the boardwalks greeting the local citizens. The constable was accompanied by a handful of her associates from the garrison. Jute greeted Captain Alot and the others and told them that a remarkable change occurred overnight. It was as if a pall had been lifted from the city. People had energy. They were no longer afraid. They had pride and they showed respect for each other! Even her fellow constables had taken an interest in coming into the Styes along with her.
The Celebration
Aella and Cai'luin spent the next several days continuing to prepare for their reception with the town council of Poniard. What was once a ruse to covertly meet and assess each of council members had become a celebration - an actual party.
Alot, Patriarch Craig, and Corvid spent the days helping the people of the Styes make improvements to their neighborhood - building sturdier bridges, walkways, and new homes. The people of the Styes, for their part, planned their own street celebration.
The reception was a massive success. Madame Sliris and Master Rashlen from the Poniard city council were in attendance. Mistress Thornwell declined. Also in attendance were Aella's wealthy business contacts Audwin and Rai. Aella made sure to invite Constable Jute, Master Refrum, and Eleanor - Jarme's younger sister.
DM- We had some little roleplaying moments between NPCs, no stress, just friendly talking.
Mistress Slirin engaged Patriarch Craig and Corvid in theological discussion. She wanted to know more about the god Tristin and the process by which the souls of the dead are judged. She saw the worship of the holy triumvirate of Tristin, Ogden, and Splug as a possible profit center. Corvid nodded and said, "Let me tell you more about Saint Splug, the Keeper of the Books."
DM- The gods Tristin and Ogden were player characters in our 4th edition campaign many years ago. Splug the Goblin was their loyal-ish servant. At 30th level they achieved godhead. Tristin became god of the dead, taking the title of Raven King after his mother, the Raven Queen, had been slain by Orcus. Ogden the Dwarf became the Judge of Souls. Splug was assigned as the Keeper of the Books who kept the tally of one's deeds in life. The worship of the Raven King has been fleshed out pretty thoroughly by the players in this campaign and there's now a lot of invented lore, dogma, and theology that by now is actually pretty well fleshed out.
When the topic of the crew's adventures came up, Cai'luin was goaded to sing their tale. Cai'luin told the story that the crew wanted the city to hear - that it was Constable Jute who discovered the plot behind the Ghost Lantern Killings and exposed the cult of Tharizdun operating within the Styes. It was Constable Jute who led the crew of the Sea Ghost deep under the Styes to fight an indescribable horror that was psychically controlling the people of Poniard. No direct mention was made of aboleths or krakens - only that they faced an indescribable horror.
The message was clear - Jute was the hero.
Aella, meanwhile, made the case to the other councilors that the position made vacant by Mister Dory should be filled by Constable Jute. Mistress Sliris and Master Rashlen saw the appeal of the idea - Constable Jute was popular in the Styes and she was the hero of the hour - but she was just a low-ranking constable. No, instead they would at least put her in charge of her own unit of constabulary in the Styes, independent of the garrison.
Things were improving in Poniard. They were no longer under the psychic influence of an evil creature from the lowest depths of the sea. Now they had to contend with regular old institutional corruption and crushing poverty like any other city.
Breaking and Entering
It was late. The reception was petering out. Master Refrum was in his cups and had to be escorted back to his home. The entire crew took Master Refrum and young Eleanor back to the shop for the artificer to sleep it off.
At the dock outside his shop, Master Refrum drunkenly bragged about an improvement he had made to the Sea Ghost. He led them out onto the dock to review the ship suspended from massive cranes.
Cai'luin heard a sound coming from Master Refrum's workshop. He saw that the large doors were open. Someone was in the shop. Cai'luin left the group to investigate.
Inside the workshop he found Captain Xendros, the demonspawn proprietress of the Loyal Quartermasters of Iuz in Saltmarsh. She was accompanied by six cambions. They had just opened the rear hatch of the mechanical Apparatus of the Crab that Patriarch Craig had sold to Master Refrum. They were stealing it!
Cai'luin called her out. Captain Xendros closed and dogged the hatch behind the two drivers. She sneered at Cai'luin, saying she was only taking back what should be hers by right. She told him she had no desire to hurt him and asked the sea-elf to let her pass.
Cai'luin refused and was soon joined by Alot and Aella. Xendros picked up a hammer from a nearby workbench and held up a small sack. She said, "Just stand back. In this sack I hold magical clay tokens - one token for each magical item I have ever sold to you. If you don't stand back and let us leave, I will shatter every single one of these tokens, breaking the enchantments on all of your items. I am not bluffing! Now stand aside."
Alot and Cai'luin looked at each other. They were in agreement. Alot said, "No."
Xendros smashed the sack with a hammer, shattering all the magical tokens inside.
Alot's magical flying boots suddenly felt heavy and his magic shield sagged on his arm. Cai'luin's lute lost its glow.
Two of Xendros' cambion goons tried to shove Cai'luin out of they way. They failed to move him. The other two cambion goons engaged Alot.
Cai'luin played a song on his lute. Though it lost its magic, he could still cast a bardic spell using his music. The crab-like Apparatus began to heat and glow red. The two cambion pilots opened the rear hatch and climbed out, patting down their smoking clothing. Xendros waved her hand and dispelled Cai'luin's magic. The Apparatus returned to its normal color and temperature. She pointed and ordered the drivers to get back in. They were covered in burns. They shook their heads in fear.
One of the burly cambions smiled and told Alot to back away. Alot found himself under a spell, unable to attack.
Aella used her sorcerous control over weather to create a blast of wind that shoved Xendros and several of the cambions against the rear wall of the workshop. The walls of the workshop creaked and boards flew off. Tools and papers went flying.
Corvid entered the workshop through a side door and began slapping the burly cambion with the flat of his blade and the pommel of his hilt. The burly cambions fell down unconscious. The two smaller cambions drew cudgels and attacked Corvid and Alot.
Patriarch Craig slowly carried Master Refrum into his house. On his way he paused to miraculously call out, his voice amplified, "Stop where you are! This is the city watch!"
Inside the workshop, the would-be thieves heard Craig and panicked.
Cai'luin played a sharp note on his lute and sang out, "Okay everybody, stop and look at MEEE!"
Xendros and the cambions stopped in their tracks and stared at Cai'luin dumbly. They swayed, smiling, hypnotized by the bard's music.
Cai'luin kept them hypnotized until they could be bound. Eventually the real constables were summoned and Xendros and her accomplices were carried away, bound and gagged and blindfolded, to the dungeons of Hope'ner Asylum.
Craig, meanwhile, carried Refrum up to the artificer's room and put him to bed.
To Be Continued...
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