The Tower of Zenopus for Ghosts of Saltmarsh

The Tower of Zenopus was originally written by J. Eric Holmes and appeared in the 1977 edition of the world’s most popular role-playing game. This version was edited and re-written by Christian Conkle for the fifth edition of the world’s most popular role-playing game and modified to fit within the Ghosts of Saltmarsh campaign.

This adventure is designed for first level characters.

The wizard Zenopus once dwelled in this tower located on the moors overlooking the Janustream river near the town of Saltmarsh. He built his lair next to the remains of an ancient graveyard rumored to be haunted. One night, the tower was engulfed in a fiery green aura visible four miles away and across the Janustream estuary in Saltmarsh. A few brave folks from town investigated the tower and found it abandoned. The door at the base of the cellar stairs was covered with strange symbols and wrapped in silver chains. An explorer tried to open the door but a jolt of lightning from the doors runes nearly killed her. Shortly afterward, strange spirits and capering fey were seen atop the tower. After a few travelers went missing nearby. The town council asked a Keoish galleon to bombard the structure with catapult fire until it was battered into rubble.

Since then, the ruins have been largely forgotten. The exception is Keledek the Unspoken, a wizard from Ket now residing in nearby Saltmarsh, who used magic to open the cellar door and has claimed the interior of the tower as his personal retreat. He later found that passages beneath the tower led to a hidden sea cave. He has allowed smugglers from Saltmarsh to use the cave as a secret meeting point. He has recruited several goblins to keep watch over the place, along with a trained giant constrictor snake he raised from a hatchling.

The goblins barricaded several passages leading deeper into the dungeons after losing several of their number to ghouls and giant rats that emerged from the depths.

Keledek is loath to tell anyone about his secret stronghold, but he can't shake the idea of following the deeper passages for the chance of unearthing Zenopus's lost secrets. If the characters earn his trust, he might take them into his confidence. The details of the deep dungeons are left to the DM's invention.

Blue map by Tim Hartin

http://paratime.ca/images/fantasy/zenopus-dungeon-b.jpg

Dungeon Features

Corridors: All corridors in this dungeon are 10 feet wide and 10 feet high. The magic­ user's secret corridor (S to F) is 5 feet by 5 feet.

Doors: Unless otherwise noted, all doors are five feet wide and made of wood (AC 15, 15 hit points). They are unlocked.

Wandering Monsters: Check every 30 minutes. A Wandering Monster occurs on a 6 on 1d6.

1.       3d4 (8) Kobolds

2.       2d4 (5) Goblins

3.       1d3 (2) Human Guards and 1d2 (2) Human Mages

4.       1d4+4 (7) Orcs 

5.       1d6 (4) Skeletons + 1d4 (3) Zombies

6.       1d4+4 (7) Thugs 

7.       1d4 (3) Human Berserkers

8.       1d4+1 (4) Stirges

9.       1d4 (3) Human Bandits and 1 Human Bandit Captain

10.   1d4+1 (4) Dwarven Guards

11.   1d6 (4) Elven Scouts

12.   1 Gelatinous Cube

Dungeon Key

A     Goblin Barracks

You enter a large room, 120 feet by I00 feet. There are doors in the east, west, and south walls. The room is furnished with rough tables and benches and as many beds as there are occupants. The occupants are goblins. There are 3 goblins for every 2 player characters.

The goblins wear leather armor and carry swords and daggers. If half their number is killed, the others will try to escape through one of the doors or surrender.If surrender is accepted the goblins will offer to lead the party to treasure but will try to guide them to one of the dangerous trap rooms and then run.

There are small wooden chests under each bed and several leather socks hanging on pegs along the wall. Most of the socks contain junk, dirty clothes, old bones. etc., but two contain coins, 500 silver pieces each. There are several cloaks hanging on pegs and in a pocket of one cloak there is a magical potion of growth in a glass vial. One of the chests is booby-trapped. Opening the chest releases a cloud of sleeping gas filling an area 5 x 5 x 5 feet. Anyone within this area who fails a DC 10 Constitution saving throw falls deeply asleep for 1d6 x 10 (40) minutes. The chest contains 2000 copper pieces.

B     Ancient Crypt

You find what appears to be an ancient crypt. The room is 50 feet by 50 feet room with a door on the northern wall and an open door on the southern wall – busted and hanging on one hinge. The room is totally dark, and the floor is covered with an inch of undisturbed dust. Four deep niches in the walls can be seen from the north doorway but they are covered with cobwebs. Nothing can be seen within them.

Within each of the four niches is an inanimate skeleton. If anyone advances ten feet or more into the room, the skeletons come to life, emerge from their niches, and attack the intruder until destroyed or turned away. If turned, they run out the door farthest from the cleric.

There is no treasure in this room.

C     Empty Corridor

An empty corridor stretches before you.

Remember to check for wandering monsters every 30 minutes.

D     The Statue

The door to this room is made of heavy iron, AC 20, 25HP, DC 20 Strength (Athletics) check to break.   The door opens outward into the hallway. Within is an empty room, 80 feet by 50 feet. There are identical iron doors in the middle of each wall: north, south, east, and west. The only feature within this room is a six-foot-tall stone statue in the center. The statue is facing the door by which the party just entered. Once opened, the door starts to slowly shut, activated by a powerful spring in the hinges. The door will stop closing if anyone blocks the door or prevents it from closing.

From inside the room all doors are firmly held shut except the one the statue is facing - that door can be easily opened, closed, and re-opened. The statue turns easily to face each of the four doors. To open any other door, the statue must be rotated on its base until it faces that door. Then the door opens easily. Doors cannot be forced open, they are held by the equivalent of an Arcane Lock spell, AC 30, 35 HP, DC 30 Strength (Athletics) check to break.

E      Empty Room

You find an empty room. The size of the rooms and the number of doors is variable, as shown on the Dungeon Master's map.

F      Keledek the Wizard

This is the conference room of Keledek the wizard. Keledek is a Ketan mage who has made special arrangements with the smugglers of Saltmarsh. The smugglers use the cave in Room M to make their secret rendezvous in exchange for bringing Keledek special items or spell components.

The room is 50 feet by 60 feet. There is a large wooden door in the south wall and a smaller lead door in the north wall that appears to be unused. There is a work table in the southwest corner and three odd-looking statues of human men placed along the east wall.

Keledek is standing behind the work table in the southwest corner. Near him is the leader of the smugglers (bandit captain). The characters have interrupted a meeting between the two. 

Keledek carries a scroll of levitation. When caught in this room Keledek will immediately direct the smuggler captain to attack. Keledek will then immediately exit through the secret door behind him, leaving the captain to his fate. There is a 50% chance that Keledek will drop the magic scroll as he escapes.

The smuggler captain will not fight to the death and will surrender once he has lost half his maximum hit points. He wears a stolen jeweled belt with rubies worth 1000 gold pieces.

If Keledek escapes, he will cast an Arcane Lock spell on the door run to Room S - AC 30, 35 HP, DC 30 Strength (Athletics) check to break. He will then run up the stairs to his tower.

The three stone statues are men who were turned to stone by Keledek special wand which he has in his tower (see Room S2).

G     Collapsed Ceiling

You enter a gloomy room, 30 feet by 50 feet, whose ceiling has collapsed creating a pile of rocks and debris four feet high that covers the entire floor. The loose debris is considered difficult terrain. There is a door in the center of the east and west walls and a corridor in the center of the south wall.

There are 2d4 (5) giant rats hiding in the shadows of the corners and in the cracks of the debris on the floor.  They will attack with if the room is entered. The rats may attempt a Dexterity (Stealth) check (2+1d20) with Advantage vs. the passive Perception of the characters to determine which characters are surprised.

The rats have no treasure. Digging through the rubble of the collapsed ceiling for no less than ten minutes will reveal a mass of old bones, chewed leather straps and bits of armor along with a belt with a silver dagger in a sheath worth 50 gold pieces and a bag containing 50 electrum pieces.

H     Water-Filled Channel

You enter a room, 80 feet by 50 feet, with doors in the north and south walls. The walls are fitted granite blocks with a 20-foot-high ceiling. A 30-foot-wide water-filled channel bisects the room, entering through a hole in the east wall and exiting through a hole in the west wall. There is less than a foot of air-space between the water and the ceilings of the holes. There is a 15-foot bare stone bank on either side of the channel and the drop into the channel is sheer and requires a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check to climb.

The channel is 10 feet deep and the current is swift. Anyone entering the water with a Strength of 14 or less will be swept away through the hold in the west wall. In addition to being swept away, anyone wearing metal armor will sink immediately to the bottom of the channel. See PHB page 146 for rules on removing armor. See also PHB page 183 for rules on suffocating and drowning. Characters with a bladed weapon may cut the straps of their armor in one minute but their armor is lost. 

I       The Magic Mask

You enter a long room, 40 feet by 90 feet, with doors in the north, south and east walls. In the center of the room is a bronze sundial on a low pedestal. Set Into the stone of the west wall is a bronze mask, about the size of a man­hole cover. The eyes and mouth a mask are shut. Below the mask, in common language, is an inscription: "I'll answer questions, one, no more. I never speak til it be four."

The magic is activated by shining the light of a single torch, lantern, etc. on the sundial so the shadow of the gnomon falls on the Roman numeral IV. The bronze mask then opens its eyes and says "Speak, I'll answer." It will give a reasonable answer to any brief pertinent question and then say, "I've answered one, now go away. I will not speak again today."

Since the shadow must be held on IV, there is little chance of triggering the magic accidentally, even by walking around the sundial with a light.  

J       Giant Spider
You enter room, 60 feet by 50 feet. The ceiling is lost in darkness but large spider webs are visible in the corners of the room. There are doors in the middle of all 4 walls. A giant spider lurks in the darkness of the roof, thirty-five feet above. The spider may attempt a Dexterity (Stealth) check (7+1d20) with Advantage vs. the passive Perception of the characters to determine which characters are surprised. The spider will attack with Advantage any character it has surprised. If the spider’s surprise attack is a hit, the target is knocked Prone and Grappled with the spider on top of them.

There is no treasure in this room, but a +1 dagger is imbedded in the spider's body - evidently a souvenir from some previous battle; it can be found only if the beast is cut open. 

K     Cavern

You find a cavern, about 10 feet high, irregularly shaped but approximately 60 feet wide by 120 feet long. A 30-foot-wide river runs through it, bisecting the cave. There is a shallow beach on the far side of the cave where flotsam from the river is deposited. There is an exit to the west. The cave is completely dark, characters without light or darkvision will have to feel their way out.

L      Giant Crab

You find a cave bisected by a 30-foot-wide river. There is phosphorescent fungus growing on the rocks, so anyone can see without lights. There are east and west entrances on both sides of the river to the sandy beach. The river is only three to four feet deep at the center of the channel and can be forded.

There is a giant crab concealed under the sand on the south beach. It will attack anything that moves on either beach.

M    Sea Cave

You enter a large sea cave with entrances to the north and south. There is a sandy beach, on which are drawn up two row boats. The entrance to the sea is to the west about 500 feet. If it is day up above, the cove will be dimly illuminated by sunlight coming through the tunnel. If it is night, a lantern located in one of the boats sheds a dim glow.

The cove is used by smugglers and smugglers. The cave is presently occupied by four smugglers (bandits) sitting in one of the boats, talking.  Each smuggler carries 2d6 (7) gold pieces in his purse. The smugglers use the cave to hide treasure and contraband. The boat contains two chests filled with treasure. One chest contains 2000 silver pieces, the other 1000 electrum pieces and 12 gems each worth 100 gold pieces. The boat also contains a bucket of large fish.

Every ten minutes there is a 25% chance of another boatload of 1d4+1 (3) smugglers (bandits) rowing in from the west.

A prisoner is bound, gagged, and lying prone in the bottom of the second boat. The prisoner Lemundo the Lovely. Her father is the powerful Duke Marik Feldren of Seaton. Lemundo is a good fighter in her own right (treat as a Scout) and carries a concealed dagger in her girdle.  Her wealthy father would be very grateful for her safe return.

A giant octopus on the bottom of the sea cave will attack any boat unless it is thrown a large fish or other piece of meat.

The octopus will attempt to grapple any character it attacks. On its subsequent turn, the octopus will drag the character overboard. See PHB page 195 for rules on grappling and moving a grappled creature.

Any character dragged overboard will be further pulled underwater. See also PHB page 183 for rules on suffocating and drowning. Any character wearing heavy armor will immediately sink to the bottom. See PHB page 146 for rules on removing armor. Characters with a bladed weapon may cut the straps of their armor in one minute but their armor is lost. 

Exit from the underground can be made by rowing out to the sea, although there is a possibility of meeting another boat coming in.

N     Catacombs

You enter a large room, 120 feet by 70 feet, that was once part of the catacombs beneath the tower. The north wall has caved in creating a debris field of difficult terrain within ten feet of the north wall. 

When the party enters the room there is a 50% chance a giant rat will burst through the loose dirt at the north end of the room and attack. Ever ten minutes spent in the room there is another 50% chance that a rat will enter from the tunnels. The rats will not, however, leave room N except to go back to the runnels.

There are doors on the east and west walls. Ten stone sarcophagi are scattered about. They were once arrayed in two rows, but the wall collapse has displaced them from their original locations. The sarcophagus lids are heavy. A combined Strength score of 40 from no more than six characters is required to lift them off. One character with a Strength of at least 10 can spent ten minutes to slide the lid off the sarcophagus. Two such characters may complete the task in five minutes, three in three, four in two, five in one, and six in half a minute. Thus, in the time required to remove all the lids, there’s a good chance one or more rats will appear.

The lids of four of the sarcophagi have been removed and their contents long ago plundered, leaving empty vessels. Six, however, remain closed. Each sarcophagus contains one of the following:

#1 contains only moldering bones but releases a cloud of noxious gas which renders unconscious for ten to sixty (1d6 x 10) minutes anyone within 5 feet unless they make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw against poison.

#2 contains a partially clothed skeleton which holds a cursed jeweled dagger in the bony hands folded across its chest. If the dagger is removed it will flash away into the air, turn and attack the character who touched it. The dagger’s makes an attack against the triggering character. The dancing dagger has a +3 attack bonus and deals 4 (1d6) damage on a hit. The dagger will continue to attack until it draws blood, or the triggering character exits the room. It will then return to the coffin with its owner. The dancing dagger has an AC of 17. If hit it falls to the floor and remains motionless for 3 melee rounds and then takes up the attack again! Putting it back in the sarcophagus will stop the attacks of course.

#3 skeletal form wears rings and a coronet worth 300 gold pieces.

#4 skeletal form wears jewelry worth 900 gold pieces!

#5 contains an animated skeleton armed with a curved scimitar. It will attack as soon as the lid is removed.

#6 skeletal form in chainmail holds a magic sword +1. Any warrior-type drawing it from the scabbard will feel the surge of magical power it gives.

P     Ghouls

This room is 50 by 80 feet and has doors in all four walls. In the center of the room are two smashed coffins in which two ghouls have made their lair.

The coffins contain, in addition to indescribable odds and ends, 50 platinum pieces and 5 gems each worth 10 gold pieces.

The east door leads to a short dirt tunnel whose ceiling has collapsed. Excavating this tunnel would take days but may lead to further mysteries.

RT   Rat tunnels

These 3-foot diameter tunnels were dug through the soft earth by giant rats. A medium sized creature could crawl through them, but all attacks and skill checks would be made at Disadvantage. A small creature such as a halfling or dwarf would be at no disadvantage. Every 100 feet there is a 50% chance of meeting a rat, every 200 feet a 50% chance of coming on 5 gold pieces. The tunnels form an endless maze and there is no end to the rats. The tunnels intersect the dungeons at the northernmost corridor and at room N.

S  Tower, Basement

You enter a round room, 40 feet in diameter with a 25-foot ceiling. There are two visible doors at ground level – one on the north wall and one on the south wall. 

A spiral staircase begins at floor level on the north wall and winds around the wall of the room to the ceiling making 1 full turn. The stair ends in a closed trap door in the ceiling, leading up to room Sl. 

In the center of the room is a giant constrictor snake. 

There is a secret door under the stairs, opened by pressing a hidden catch. Any character searching the room must succeed at a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) attribute check to find the secret door and catch. 

S1   Tower, Ground Floor

You emerge through a trap door in the floor to find a round room, 40 feet in diameter with a 25-foot ceiling. This is the base of the ruined tower visible on the surface. There is a door to the north and a spiral stair leading up, just like the one in Room S, ending in a trap door in the ceiling. The door leads to the ruins on surface but is protected from entry from the outside by an Arcane Lock spell.

The room appears to be a well-appointed living chamber with a fireplace, cooking utensils and a few comfortable chairs. The floors and walls are decorated with Ketan tapestries. The room is unoccupied. The trap door above leads to room S2.

S2   Tower, Upper Floor

This room is identical to S and S1 below it, a circular room 40 feet in diameter with a 25-foot ceiling. This is the second floor of the tower on the surface. A spiral stair leads to a trap door in the ceiling. Other than the trap doors in the floor and ceiling, there are no doors.  Tall windows, each no wider than two feet, are located face north, south, east, and west. This is the wizard's study, and here he has his two giant volumes of magic spells, table, lamps, chemicals, skulls, loose pages of parchment, mystic designs on the floor, etc.

Against the south wall there is an ape in an iron cage. The key is in the lock of the cage door. The ape hates his captivity and seeks revenge. He will attack as soon as he is released. If Keledek opens the cage there is a 25% chance the ape will attack him. If anyone else opens the cage, the ape will attack a random victim in the room and then try to escape by squeezing through a window, down the side of the tower and across the moors.

Keledek the wizard keeps his wand of petrification hidden in a secret compartment of the table. A character searching the table must pass a DC20 Wisdom (Perception) check to find the compartment.  Hidden among the undecipherable parchment notes on the table is a scroll which reverses the petrification effect of the wizard’s wand. The scroll crumbles to dust after one use.

Keledek himself is described in room F. If he is not in room F he will be found here.

Wand of Petrification

This wand has 7 Charges. While holding it, you can use an action to expend 1 of its Charges to attempt to turn one creature that you can see within 60 feet of you into stone. If the Target’s body is made of flesh, the creature must make a Constitution saving throw vs. 15. If the saving throw fails by 5 or more, the target is instantly petrified. On any other failed save, the target is restrained and begins to turn to stone. While restrained in this way, the target must repeat the saving throw at the end of its next turn, becoming petrified on a failure or ending the effect on a success. The petrification lasts until the target is freed by the greater restoration spell or similar magic.

The wand regains 1d6 + 1 expended Charges daily at dawn. If you expend the wand's last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the wand crumbles into ashes and is destroyed.

Wand of Petrification

adventuring gear (wand)Category: Items
Item Rarity: Rare
Weight: 1

Epilogue

By the time the adventurers have worked their way through this, the Dungeon Master will probably have lots of ideas of his or her own to try out. Design your own dungeon or dig new passages and levels in this one. What lies in the (undiscovered) deeper levels where Zenopus met his doom? Do the smugglers have other treasure troves hidden in the sea coves? What inhuman rites are practiced deep in the ghoul haunted passages beneath the graveyard? What are the townspeople going to do when they discover that our friends are tampering with Things Better Left Alone?

The Duke of Seaton - Ghosts of Saltmarsh, Chapter 19

The dragon egg was the size of a watermelon. It sat in a creche on a lacquered work table in the laboratory of the Ketan wizard named Keledek who had abandoned the egg in fear for his life. The recently slain four-armed albino simian beast lay dead on the floor.

The four members of the A-Team looked at the egg. They were covered in the blood of their slain enemies. The three lizard-men who accompanied them on their mission to recover the dragon egg stood nearby. The reptilian warriors eyed their warm-blooded allies-of-convenience warily.

Auric gritted his teeth and cast his narrowed eyes towards the lizard-men warriors. He could sense the tightening of their grips on their weapons, the silent glances they exchanged, the subtle signs of imminent betrayal. He looked around to make sure his friend Annor wasn't in the room. The scrupulous warrior would not approve of what was coming next. He knew it was a matter of time before the lizard-men made their move. Better to preemptively deal with it here and now. He looked at his companions, pointed towards the lizard-folk, and casually gave the order: "Kill them."

CHAPTER 19

"THE DUKE OF SEATON"

The A-Team:

• Avastana "Aella" Kádár - Neutral, Half-Elf  Outlander and Sorceress from Ket. 
• Annor Whalerson - Lawful Good, Human Marine and Fighter from Saltmarsh. 
• Marlin Whalerson - Chaotic Good,  Human Seeker and Rogue.
• Auric Ravenson - Neutral Good, Aasimar Shipwright and Cleric of the Raven King.

Special Guest Star:

• Alot Aname - Neutral Warforged Fighter.

Curse Your Sudden Yet Inevitable Betrayal
DM Note- I didn't even bother with the fight vs. the lizard-men. The outcome of that fight was a foregone conclusion. I am pretty sure turning on your allies and murdering them because you are pretty sure they were planning on doing the same to you is a little out of character for ostensibly "Good" aligned characters.  Because I didn't want to start an argument about the philosophy of the D&D Alignment system, I told the players that they interrupted the lizard-men in mid-betrayal, so it was technically self-defense. Auric's player said, "Doesn't matter."

After preemptively eliminating the lizard-men, Marlin put the dragon egg in his bag of holding and threw the bag over his shoulder. Aella carried the unconscious Captain Vile while Auric carried the the unconscious and badly injured Duke of Seaton. The party left the wizard's laboratory and made their way through the room with the magical sundial and into the sandy grotto bisected by the river.

Marlin said, "Wait, weren't there still skeletons in this room?"

Auric shrugged, "Eh, they're just skeletons! Who cares?"

As the entered the sandy cavern, the loose bones scattered in the sand came together in a hulking animated mass, forming a roughly humanoid shape composed of various pieces of skeleton. The humanoid shape rose up like an ogre before them.

Auric replied, "Oh. Huh. Interesting."

The Skeletal Swarm
The skeletal mass crashed like a wave onto the party, knocking several of them to the ground. The bones quickly reformed into a vaguely humanoid shape. The automaton fighter Alot regained his footing and charged the mass while Aella cast a witch bolt, creating a sustained bolt of lightning that blew many of the bones to splinters. Auric quickly said a prayer to prevent the duke from dying.

The skeletal mass formed bony claws and attacked Auric while Aella's witch bolt continued to blast away at the bones. As the party attacked the skeletal swarm, it appeared that bones began to fall off - as if the mass was beginning to lose cohesion.

The mass once more reared up and crashed down on the party, sending them once more to the floor. Aella's witch bolt finally blasted the mass into smithereens, sending bone shards flying. Before anyone could recover or breathe a sigh of relief the scattered bones reformed into twelve smaller skeletons around the cavern!

Aella cast a spell that created a massive wind gust. She directed the hurricane force winds against the skeletons, blowing them back away from the party.

Alot charged into the center of the skeletons and was quickly surrounded.

Aella maintained the stream of wind to keep the skeletons at bay. The skeletons pushed against the wind to advanced against Alot who stood at the edge of the river. Marlin moved up behind the Alot and used Warforged Warrior as a shield, darting out to stab at a skeleton before ducking back behind cover.

Eventually all the skeletons were once again defeated and the party continued to the boat landing in the large grotto.

Lemundo the Lovely
They boarded their boat with their two prisoners, leaving the previously captured smuggler locked in the cage. Marlin grabbed a bucket of chum before they shoved off.

They soon encountered Lemundo the Lovely in the narrow confines of the passage brandishing an oar and fighting off two octopi trying to overturn her rowboat. Marlin threw the chum into the water and the party invited Lemundo to join them in their escape.

Lemundo crossed over onto their larger boat and the party escaped the smuggler caves and emerged into the early dawn sky.

Marlin quickly blindfolded and gagged their prisoners, bound their ears, and covered their heads with burlap sacks.

Lemundo asked them what was happening. Auric, Marlin, Aella, and Alot did their best to explain that they had just rescued the duke, whom they thought was her father, and captured the pirate responsible for her imprisonment.

Lemundo exclaimed, "He's not my father!"

Lemundo explained that the duke was her uncle, but since the supposed death of her father he tells people he's her adoptive father! Her actual father is the duke's older brother, Obertus.

Auric and Marlin both understood that Obertus Feldren died a few years ago from an illness. Lemundo said that that was her understanding too. But she had recently discovered that her father was, in fact, still alive!

Her uncle, Marik Feldren, had faked the death of his brother and had hidden him away in a secret prison cell on an island somewhere - she didn't know where. She had learned that Duke Marik had been making secret trips to the island to see his brother. When she learned that her father was alive, she stowed away on the ship, hoping to find her father's hiding place, expose Duke Marik's secret, and restore her father as the rightful duke.

Unfortunately, the ship's captain, Captain Horatio Vile, apparently betrayed Duke Marik and brought him here instead. She was discovered and put in a cage. Captain Vile's crew hadn't yet decided what to do with her.

She was no friend of Duke Marik and likewise Marik would likely have her imprisoned after this to help keep his secret hidden.

Marlin offered to kill the duke but Lemundo declined. He was a pretender but he was still her uncle. Also, he might be needed to help find and free her father. And finally, the penalty for murdering a noble was severe! No, Duke Marik needed to be rescued. She would remain hidden but would try to follow him again someday to find where he's keeping her father.

Aella offered to let Lemundo hide in her house as long as she needed and the team vowed to help Lemundo in any way possible. They would equip her and do what they could to help her free her father.

They returned to Saltmarsh in mid-morning. They gave Lemundo a hooded cloak to wear and quickly carried Duke Marik and Captain Vile to the House of Whaler. Aella took Lemundo to her house and gave her a place to sleep and hide as well as a sword with which to protect herself.

DM Note-
The players asked what Lemundo wanted to do - Join them? Become an adventurer? Stay in town? I told them that they had complete narrative control over that decision and storyline. "You tell me." I like giving players decisions over stuff like that. Its their narrative and their story. Its up to them if they want an NPC sidekick or not. They ultimately decided to let her do her own thing for now. They  might help her in the future.

Reunion
Annor Whalerson was preparing to leave the house when Marlin, Auric, and Alot burst in, dirty, covered in blood and sand, and carrying the semi-conscious Duke Marik Feldren, still with a gruesome wound on his face and neck, and a sea captain whose identity was unknown to him.

DM Note- Annor's player finally showed up this week after an absence of over a month. He had to sit on his hands all night as I tried to get the group back into Saltmarsh. The second the group was about to enter the door, he had to take an important phone call and stepped away from the table. ARGH! We had to wait for him to come back. 

"Where have you been? It's been three days! Did you rescue my goatherd? Wait, is that the duke of Seaton??"

Marlin was about to explain everything to his brother but stopped. He realized it only takes an hour for a wizard to re-summon his familiar. He explained that Keledek might be listening in. He leaned over and whispered a run-down of the past two nights in his brother's ear.

Marlin then explained that he needed Annor to accompany them to the gaol so that they could transfer their "guests" to Eliander and the town guard.

Annor agreed and the group put the two groggy captives in a cart and hauled them to the gaol - conveniently less than a hundred feet from the House of Whaler.

Briefing Eliander
Eliander Fireborn, captain of the guard of Saltmarsh and veteran of many campaigns against the Sea Princes, gave a warm welcome to his fellow veteran Annor while casting a cold glance towards Annor's brother, Marlin. Captain Fireborn inquired about the two captives.

Annor explained that they had rescued the Duke of Seaton from captivity at the hands of the unscrupulous Captain Vile. Annor requested special accommodation for the duke.

Eliander sputtered as he realized the the duke himself lay blindfolded, gagged, bound, and trussed on a cart outside his gaol. He quickly ordered his men to carry the duke to his office and place Captain Vile in a cell.

In the privacy of Eliander's office, they removed the duke's hood, blindfold, and gag. The duke's face was horribly wounded by the lizard-men's teeth and claws and he was covered in blood and sand. The duke stared vacantly and did not respond when addressed. The duke had difficulty remembering his name or where he was and seemed incapable of focusing on anyone or verbally interacting. He was not delirious - he was vacant and blank.

Eliander declared that the duke would be taken to the town's chiurgeon immediately and that the priests of the Temple of Procan would called to pray for his well being.

Marlin told Eliander that Captain Vile was working with the guild of smugglers called "The Organization". He pulled up Captain Vile's shirt, performed a quick search of his body, and located the secret tattoo marking his membership. He also mentioned that Captain Vile was working at the behest of Gellan Primewater and the Ketan wizard Keledek and that the duke was kidnapped as part of some unknown plot.

No one mentioned Lemundo or the possibility of the duke's brother being alive.

Eliander said that he had his suspicions but that Primewater's position on the town council made it difficult to act upon. He asked Marlin and Annor if they had any proof of Gellan Primewater's involvement.

They admitted they did not.

Marlin then warned Eliander about the wizard's familiar and urged discretion. He said he'd work to obtain evidence and expose the plot. Eliander derisively dismissed Marlin's promise and Marlin was suitably insulted.

The A-Team then left the gaol and returned to the House of Whaler to rest. It was noon and everyone was exhausted. It had been a long night.

All Hands on Deck
Late that night the bell above the council hall rang out an alarm. A building was on fire!

The team woke and rushed outside. They could see down the hill towards the Kingfisher river and the docks. Primewater mansion was ablaze!

Annor, Auric, Aella, Alot, and Marlin joined the town's response. Water was pumped from the river with a portable lever-pump and used to combat the fire but it was too late. Over the course of several hours the mansion collapsed and burned to the ground. Luckily the house staff was able to escape. Only Gellan Primewater himself was unaccounted for.

DM Note- 
Marlin asked Aella, "Can't you manipulate water? Can you put out the fire?" 

Aella replied, "I'm a storm sorcerer. I make gusts of winds. I can make the fire hotter if you want. Or- I can cast a prestidigitation spell but the ability to instantaneously snuff out a candle, a torch, or a small campfire probably won't help much here."

Marlin returned to the charred remains of the house the next day. Looking around he determined that the fire started as a firebomb in Gellan's bedroom. He closed his eyes to sense the presence of magic. This was the result of a fireball spell - TWO fireballs in fact - one in the bedroom and one in Gellan's office. This was an assassination attempt. Further investigation revealed a secret escape hatch in the floor of Gellan's bedroom. The hatch revealed a tunnel that led to the river a few dozen feet away. The hatch was open.

Gellan had survived and escaped.

An Audience with the Duke
The A-Team regrouped and went to check in on the duke. They learned that he had spent the night in comfortable accommodation in Anders Solmor's house - recuperating and tended by healers and priests of Procan.

They paid a visit to the house and asked to see the Duke. Eliander brought them inside and led to the guest room where the duke was recuperating.

The duke of Seaton was sitting in a comfortable chair wearing loose-fitting velvet robes and brocade. His face and neck was scarred but otherwise miraculously healed.

With him in the room were Anders Solmor and Manistrad Copperlocks. The duke seemed more interactive today. He was smiling and talking with his hosts and showed little of the vacant amnesia he displayed the previous day.

As they were led into the room, they caught the tail end of a conversation in which Anders had raised the issue of the king's promissory notes and the possibility of the duke suggesting to the king that Anders might forgive the debt in exchange for being granted a patent of nobility.

The duke seemed to dismiss the idea as absurd which visibly frustrated Anders.

Eliander interrupted the conversation to introduce the party to the duke, explaining that they had saved him from Captain Vile who had kidnapped him.

The duke thanked them and asked if their band had a name and affiliation. Alot answered that they were called "The A-Team" and that they had no official affiliation.

Eliander said that the abduction was the result of increased smuggling and piracy and made the case that greater representation of the king's navy in Saltmarsh would help deter such activity.

The duke dismissed Eliander's suggestion, saying that Saltmarsh had done fine for decades on its own. The duke even went so far as to propose a redeployment of the naval forces in Seaton.

Such a proposal from the historically militant and bellicose duke was a shock to Eliander, Anders, and Manistrad. They immediately began to talk over each other in pleading the duke to reconsider this idea.

Meanwhile, Marlin stood in the back of the room and surreptitiously cast a spell to detect any  magical spell cast on the duke. He could sense an enchantment magic. Careful observation noticed that the magic emanated from a ring on the duke's hand.

The duke was being mind-controlled, and the ring was the focus!

Auric, alerted by Marlin, stood in the back of the room and prayed that the duke might be freed from any magical effect. Marlin confirmed that the prayer had no effect on the ring.

Marlin waited for an opportune moment and approached the duke. He thanked the duke for his audience and reached out to shake his hand - hoping for an opportunity to palm the ring.

The duke glared at Marlin incredulously. There was an awkward silence. Anders cleared his throat and finally said, "It is not customary for a member of the nobility to physically interact with a commoner."

Marlin apologized and withdrew his hand. With that, the party took their leave of the duke.

Return to Ringcurrent Island

The team spent the rest of the day prepping to return to Ringcurrent Island. That night they sailed out of Saltmarsh and navigated their pinnace up the Janustream upriver. Alot merged the Mariner's helm into his body armor and was able to see in the dark of night. This allowed him to navigate the river in the dark.

After several hours of rowing and sailing, they arrived at the ringcurrent just before dawn. The treacherous currents swirled around the island creating multiple whirlpools and eddies.

Alot navigated the current towards the island at its center. He dodged several large floating logs and rocks in the river though one rock smashed into the boat causing some minor damage.

DM Note-
I had Alot's player make five Dextierty skill checks and add his proficiency bonus vs. a target of 10. Each failure would cause 20% damage to the boat. He failed the first check but made the rest. A pinnace probably has 50hp so I figure it took 10 damage and has a leak.

Their approach was spotted by lizard-men lookouts on the shore. A group of lizard-men warriors led by a shaman waited on them as they approached.

To Be Continued...

DM Note- 
Obviously, I have been doing a lot of expansion on the political conflicts in Saltmarsh, including introducing some Seaton politics into the mix.

After the game, I asked my players how they felt about all the intrigue and the feedback I got was a little disappointing.

Marlin's player really enjoyed the intrigue, which I expected from that player, but Auric's player and Alot's player said they didn't really care for intrigue-based storylines.

They want simpler more direct "we know what to do and it's the right thing to do" motivations with no moral ambiguity or hard decisions to make. They want to know who their good guys are and who the bad guys are.

I appreciate their feedback and will try to incorporate it. I need to dial down the ambiguity of "If we help the loyalists, Saltmarsh will become a police state. If we help the traditionalists, Saltmarsh will become a haven for pirates and smugglers of the Sea Princes. If we help Anders, we are helping the Crimson Brotherhood."

In the coming weeks I'll pivot away from intrigue and focus on eliminating the army of the evil immortal lizard king Sakatha in "Tomb of the Lizard King".

Or we'll take a break and play some Deadlands. We'll see.

The Crab Necromancer - Ghosts of Saltmarsh, Chapter 18

The party followed a corridor to the right. The long corridor turned right and ended in an empty room with a door on the opposite wall and a door on the wall to the right. Marlin knelt down to fiddle with the lock and managed to open it with his picks. They checked to make sure their burlap sacks made into makeshift masks concealed their faces before quietly opening the door an inch.

The door opened to reveal a comfortably appointed study. The floor was covered in fine rugs. Ketan tapestries hung upon the wall. The room was illuminated by jars of liquid that emitted a warm yellow light. Within the room was a large desk or table covered in the books, notes, and apparatuses of a wizard. Strange curios were placed upon pedestals and shelves or hung suspended from the ceiling. A brazier burned exotic incense.

A strange little creature the size of a toddler sat impatiently on a large pedestal. It had red skin and large bat-like wings. On its triangular head were short devilish horns. It bore the legs of a grasshopper and clawed forelimbs. Its spiked scorpion tail lashed with anxiety.

Standing in the room were four men. One stood by the door as if on guard. The other three were in hushed deliberations near the desk.

The men were:

1. An unknown ship's captain, grizzled and salty,
2. Keledek the Wizard,
3. Gellan Primewater,
4. and the man standing guard by the door was Duke Marik Feldren of Seaton!

CHAPTER 18

"THE CRAB NECROMANCER"

The A-Team:

• Avastana "Aella" Kádár - Neutral, Half-Elf  Outlander and Sorceress from Ket. 
• Marlin Whalerson - Chaotic Good,  Human Seeker and Rogue.
• Auric Ravenson - Neutral Good, Aasimar Shipwright and Cleric of the Raven King.

Special Guest Star:

• Alot Aname - Warforged Fighter.

A Bit of Discretion
No one in the room noticed Marlin's covert surveillance. Marlin could see no dragon egg in the room. He quietly inched away and softly closed the door. He turned and held his finger up to his mouth to warn the others to remain quiet.

He brought Auric and Aella close for a hushed conference.

He told them what he saw and informed them that the dragon egg they sought was not present.

Auric rubbed his chin, "I'm curious about the Duke of Seaton but I don't think we want to confront all of them now without our fighters if there's no egg. Let's keep looking. If we don't find the egg, we'll come back."

They quietly opened the remaining door and exited into the long corridor.

The Magic Sundial
A door at the end of the corridor opened to a wide room with exits on the left and right walls. In the center of the room was a bronze sundial on a low pedestal.

DM Note- The players immediately groaned, "Augh! A puzzle room! Just kill me!" Upon mention of the sundial, Auric's player said, "A sundial? You probably have to shine a light at a certain time to activate whatever."  I rolled my eyes and sighed.

Set Into the stone of the west wall was a bronze mask, about three feet in diameter. The eyes and mouth of the mask were shut. There was an ancient inscription carved into the bronze encircling the mask. A piece of parchment had been affixed to the wall nearby. On it was written the phrase, "I'll answer questions, one, no more. I never speak til it be four."

DM Note- Auric's player said, "Called it!"

With a smug grin, Aella held out her hand palm out as if to say "Stand back, I got this." She unrolled a scroll and began reading aloud a spell to create sunlight.

Auric and Marlin immediately interrupted her, "Whoah whoah whoah! Let's start with a simple light spell. Let's save Sunlight for destroying vampires!"

Aella blushed, "Oh, right. Got it." and rolled up her scroll. She added sheepishly, "I can't cast a light spell."

Auric dismissed her, "Stand back." He said a small prayer to Tristin and created a small sphere of light above the sundial. The light cast a shadow onto the dial. Auric moved the light so that the shadow pointed to fourth hour.

The bronze mask opened its eyes and came to life saying, "Speak, I'll answer."

Marlin jumped in, "Where is the dragon egg we are looking for?"

The bronze mask replied, "In the wizard's laboratory."

Marlin, slightly annoyed, asked, "Where's that?"

The bronze mask barked, "I've answered one, now go away! I will not speak again today!"

Shining a light onto the sundial had no effect.

Auric glared at Marlin and quipped, "Well, that was useful."

Marlin, still fidgeting with the bronze mask, said, "Let's camp here until tomorrow and try again!"

Auric replied, "How about we keep going."

The party checked the door on the right wall. It opened onto the far wall of the room bisected by a channel of water they explored earlier. The door on the left wall was stuck slightly and opened to a cave-like passage. The sound of ocean surf echoed from the darkness.

Aella checked her map, "This probably reconnects to that other passage in the grotto where we came in."

Auric said, "Let's check back with the boat and go from there."

The Crab Necromancer
The A-Team explored the rough passage until it opened into a grotto. The grotto floor was covered in deep sand and a fast-moving river bisected the cave. The water of the river was about waist deep. There were no footprints in the sand. Another passage exited the cave on the other side of the river.

Before they could decide what to do next, they saw movement in the far passage. It was Alot Aname, the warforged sentinel!  Alot had been left on the boat while he suffered the "brain jellies".

"Beep-Boop! Over here!" called Marlin.

Alot sighed his annoyance at the use of the nick-name and replied, "I'll be right there."

Alot crossed the sandy floor and waded into the small river. Suddenly a giant crab the size of a man rose from its hiding place beneath the sand and grabbed Alot's arm! Simultaneously, a man-sized lobster sprung from the sand and attacked Marlin on the far bank.

The giant crab's claws had little effect on Alot's armored exoskeleton. In return, Alot skewered the crab with his short sword, killing it with a single deft stroke.

The giant lobster was likewise soon dispatched by Marlin.

A moment later, there was a movement under the sand. The discarded bones of those who had been devoured by the crustaceans manifested, reformed, and took the shape of animated skeletons! As the skeletons lumbered towards the party, Auric brandished the ankh, the holy symbol of the Tristan, and banished them in the name of the the Raven King! All but one of the skeletons fled across the river. The remaining foe was soon destroyed.

DM Note- Auric's player asked "Why are there skeletons?" and Marlin's player suggested, "Maybe the crab was a necromancer!" Thus "the crab necromancer" became a thing. We even suggested a movie title: "The Crab Necromancer vs. the Dinosaur Wizard Tyrannosaurus Hex!" It writes itself! 

Reunited with Aname, the party decided to rest for an hour in the sundial room before returning to the meeting room.

Captain Vile and the Duke of Seaton
Marlin hushed the others and admonished them to remain away from the door while he peeked within. His magical elven boots made no noise as he tiptoed up to the door. He reached out to quietly open the door but momentarily stayed his hand.

Marlin took a step back and laid down the floor face up, his head towards the door. He folded his body in half like a contortionist and pointed his legs in the air so that his knees were over his chest and his feet were above his face. He used his feet to gently and quietly open the door an inch or two. From his vantage on the floor he could look up into the room within.

DM Note- I asked Marlin's player, "How are you rolling with Advantage to quietly open the door?"

He answered, "My elven boots give me Advantage on Stealth checks."

I narrowed my eyes a bit, "Check the wording. I'm pretty sure they only give Advantage on moving silently."

A quick check later, Marlin replied, "Okay, you're right. I don't get Advantage to open the door. Okay, so what if I open the door with MY FEET?"

I giggled a bit, "I love it. You got it. But you have to make an Acrobatics check vs. 10 first! And you'll be prone if anything starts."

Marlin's player beamed, "You bet!"

The wizard Keledek and the merchant Gellan Primewater could not be seen. Instead, he saw the Duke of Seaton standing near the doorway and the ship's captain surreptitiously going through some of the loose papers on the wizard's table, as if trying to sneak a peak while he was waiting for someone to return.

Marlin kicked the door open and the lizard-men warriors accompanying them rushed in, attacking the Duke of Seaton and the ship's captain with their obsidian-tipped clubs and biting at their throats with their reptilian teeth.

The sea captain was a flamboyant larger-than-life figure who spun to face the charging lizard-men, declaring, "What is this? An ambush? Well, foul fiends, you'll have trouble defeating the likes of CAPTAIN HORATIO VILE!"

The duke, for his part, defended himself but said nothing. In fact, he was oddly silent as he fought.

Marlin flipped over onto his feet and moved to engage the Duke while Alot rushed in and did battle with the ship's captain. To his shock, the small demonic figure appeared from thin air and began clawing at his legs. Marlin left the captain to the lizard-men and thrust his magical short sword into the devilish imp, causing it to vanish with a sulfurous poof!

Suddenly, three suits of armor that decorated sconces on the wall to the right magically sprang to life and advanced on the party - two on Alot and one on Aella.

Auric called for the party to take the pair alive for questioning but the lizard-men paid little heed, tearing out the throats of the duke. Alot smashed the pommel of his short sword onto the head of Captain Vile, knocking him unconscious. He turned his attention to the suits of armor.

Auric redirected the lizard-men to attack the suits of armor while he quickly prayed for the survival of the Duke.

Aella, Alot, and the lizard-men soon dismantled the suits of armor, leaving loose pieces scattered around the floor of the room.

Auric checked on their prisoners. The Duke of Seaton was unconscious, covered in blood, and still seriously injured but was no longer dying. Captain Vile was unconscious. Captain Vile was bound and gagged.

Marlin searched the books and papers on the desk. They were of a mundane nature, no scrolls or spellbooks. However, he did find a book of observances made about the town of Saltmarsh. These observances were of a personal and private nature, filled with things said and done in private - things Keledek could not possibly have personally witnessed. Many of the observances were written in the form of "Zivmal informs me that..." or "Zivmal reports...". From this, Marlin and Auric deduced that Zivmal was the devilish creature that disappeared when stabbed, and that it was the wizard's familiar which was used to invisibly spy on the townsfolk.

Additionally there was correspondence between Keledek and Gellan making arrangements for the use of the cave as a smuggling rendezvous in exchange for the delivery of the egg stolen from dragon Aulicus who lairs within the Drowned Forest.

Also found were notes on the secret comings and goings of the Duke of Seaton, along with his daughter Lemundo, on a ship belonging to Captain Horatio Vile. They were secret trips to Leper Island along with correspondence with Captain Vile to pay for the abduction of the Duke and his daughter.

Alot noticed that after a few minutes the various pieces of the armor began to slowly reassemble. At that news Marlin ceased his perusal of the notes and went to open the door behind the wizard's desk, given that the only other door in the room was dusty and unused.

The door was locked and the locks of the door magically shifted and rearranged under Marlin's picks.

Marlin stood back and allowed the lizard-folk to begin smashing the door to kindling with their clubs.

The Savage Gorillon
After ten minutes of smashing, the door crumbled and Alot pushed his way through. He was suddenly attacked by a massive white-furred simian beast blocking the doorway! The monster was an albino gorilla with four arms - a deadly gorillon imported from the southern jungles! The door to its cage lay open across the room to the right - the wizard having let the beast free in preparation for this intrusion.

Keledek the wizard stood at the base of a set of spiral stairs on the opposite side of the room. He brandished a magical wand and cast several spells at Alot but none struck their mark.

The gorillon smashed at Alot's armor but could not damage the resilient mechanical man. Alot counterattacked, stabbing the beast with his short sword until it died.

The wizard, sensing danger, fled up the stairs.

The team moved into the room - a magical laboratory of some sort where Keledek devised his spells.

Sitting on a nearby dais was the dragon's egg - the Heir of Aulicus.

To Be Continued...

The Tower of Zenopus - Ghosts of Saltmarsh, Chapter 17

The A-Team sailed their small single-masted boat upriver towards the larger of the Ringcurrent islands. The larger island was Y-shaped with a makeshift palisade of sharpened stakes forming a circular camp in the center of the island. Smaller makeshift camps composed of thatch lean-tos were located on each of the three bars of the island. Human prisoners were tied to stakes on each of the three bars, exposed to the elements. It was late morning and the sky was clear so the team's approach was noticed by the dozen or so lizard-folk visible on the island. 

A line of wary lizard-folk warriors armed with wooden clubs and primitive javelins stood on the shore in an intimidating display. Their green scales were painted with dried mud in garish patterns. A leader with red scaled strode to the front of the group and pointed his javelin at the approaching party.

CHAPTER 17

"THE TOWER OF ZENOPUS"

The A-Team:

• Avastana "Aella" Kádár - Neutral, Half-Elf  Outlander and Sorceress from Ket. 
• Marlin Whalerson - Chaotic Good,  Human Seeker and Rogue.
• Auric Ravenson - Neutral Good, Aasimar Shipwright and Cleric of the Raven King.

DM Note-

I had planned to make navigating the swirling current of the Janustream river a thing but the only player with seamanship skills was not present. Instead of wrecking their boat or ending the story, I decided to skip it.

Auric stood up in the boat and held his hands out to show that they came in peace. He called to them in the draconic language of the lizard-folk and requested parley. Auric told the leader that they came to talk about the return of the "heir of Aulicus". The leader allowed them to approach. 

They landed on the shore and met the lizard-folk in peaceful parley. The leader introduced himself as "Marsh Spider", which was the Lizard-folk word for an octopus. Auric negotiated for the release of the human captives. Marsh Spider was defiant and demanded the immediate return of the heir of Aulicus - their name for the black dragon egg stolen from their tribe.

Marlin had received the egg as an unmarked crate from some bandits and smuggled it into Saltmarsh a few weeks ago, unaware of the crate's contents or origin. The last time he saw it, it had been delivered to the wizard Keledek via the secret smuggling cave beneath the ruins of the Tower of Zenopus.

Auric said that they did not have the egg but knew where it was located. Auric asked, if they retrieved it, would they release the captives?

Marsh Spider consulted with his tribe's shaman and ultimately agreed to the offer.

Auric further requested help from the lizard-folk in the form of capable warriors. These warriors could also verify Auric's story and ensure that no deception was taking place.

Marsh Spider accepted these terms and demanded to accompany them himself. In addition, he would take two warriors. He consulted with a lizard-man haruspex who rolled some knuckle bones and consulted the spirits. The haruspex nominated two lizard-men warriors.

The three lizard-men joined the party on their boat and set said downriver towards the mouth of the Janustream where sat the Tower of Zenopus. 

The Secret Grotto
The party waited upriver for darkness and a low tide before sailing into the treacherous labyrinth of boulders that shielded the entrance of the smuggler's cave. The sound of the crashing surf outside echoed loudly in the dark winding tunnel, drowning out all other sounds. The party disassembled their mast and rowed their way in, following Marlin's instructions. The lizard-men were instructed to exit the boat and hold onto the sides. This way they would remain unseen in case they were spotted.

The party rowed their boat into the tunnel for several hundred feet. Suddenly, Marlin noticed that one of the lizard-men had disappeared. There was a brief struggle and the lizard-man warrior was pulled under. Almost simultaneously, the other lizard-man was attacked. The warrior managed to hold onto the boat and fight back, revealing the coiling writhing arms of an octopus the size of a horse!

Marsh Spider climbed into the boat and helped the party fight off the octopus attacking the remaining lizard-man. Marlin donned the magic helm of the mariner and dove into the water to help the other. The water was opaque with ink and Marlin could see nothing. He reached blindly searching for either the lizard-man or octopus. He grabbed an octopus tentacle with his free hand and stabbed with his other hand.

There was a vicious struggle but eventually one octopus was killed while the other released its quarry and withdrew to safety. Aella and Auric provided healing potions to the injured lizard-man warriors.

The Guards
The tunnel widened into a large cavern. The cavern was lit by a single lantern. Marlin cast an illusion spell in front of the boat to mask its approach.

Four unsavory men were playing a card game at a table on the sandy beach at the far side of the cavern. Marlin recognized two of the men from town. The other two were strangers. Two rowboats were drawn up onto the beach. Near one rowboat was a cage containing a prisoner - a human woman bound and gagged!  There were two visible exits from the cave.

The party's boat slid silently up onto the beach, their approach unseen and unnoticed. Auric held his finger to his lips indicating a stealthy approach.Marlin quietly said, "Look, I know some of these guys. They're not evil, they're just smugglers. Lets try to knock them out and take them prisoner, okay?" All three nodded in agreement.

The planning was disrupted as the three lizard-men screamed and charged up the small sandy beach, surprising the men playing cards at the table. The lizard-men tore into the throats of the unsuspecting men with their sharpened teeth, ripping their necks open and spilling blood onto the sand.

Marlin rolled his eyes, "So much for THAT plan!"

Marlin, Aella, and Auric joined the fray and did their best to subdue their targets before the lizard-men could kill them. Ultimately, three of the men were killed and one was captured but unconscious.

Within the cage they found a young woman no more than twenty years of age. She was gagged, bound, and chained. The party opened the cage and removed her bindings. She immediately withdrew a dagger that was hidden within her girdle. Auric assured her they  meant her no harm.

They soon learned that her name was Lemundo. She was the daughter of the Duke Marik Feldren of Seaton - her father would pay a handsome reward for her safe return! Auric instructed Lemundo to wait in the boat. They had other business and would return. At that time they would help her escape to safety. If she didn't feel like waiting, she was free to take one of the two rowboats on shore.

The Puzzle Room
There were two passages leading out of the grotto. The A-Team followed the path with the most, meaning any, footprints in the sand to the passage on the left.

The rough hewed passage became a reinforced stone corridor. The corridor took a left turn with a door located on the right wall. Marlin asked everyone to pause while he checked the door for locks and traps. Finding none, he opened the door. The door led to an empty room with another door on the opposite wall. The far door was likewise unlocked and not trapped.

The passage beyond turned left. There was a door at the end of the corridor and another door halfway down the corridor on the right. Marlin listened to the door and heard the sound of rushing water.

They room within was bisected diagonally by a channel filled with fast-moving water. The running water flowed at least ten feet beneath the edge of the channel. The channel itself was fast moving and at least twenty feet across. The team decided to leave this room and continue to the end of the corridor.

The door at the end of the corridor was made of metal. It opened outward. There was an iron statue of the wizard Keledek in the center of the room. The statue rotated to face the open door as it was opened. The door remained open as if held by some hidden mechanism. After about a minute, the door closed automatically. It was not locked. The door easily reopened and automatically closed again after about a minute.

After much paranoid inspection and experimentation with the door the party moved cautiously into the room. There were three other doors in the room, one in the center of each wall. The doors were locked and no amount of force could open them.

After some more cautious experimentation, the party finally deduced that they could turn the statue towards each of the four doors. When turned towards a particular door, that door opened with ease. They turned the statue towards the door on the opposite wall and exited the room.

The Skeleton Guardians
The door at the end of the long corridor was closed and locked. As Marlin tried to pick the door's lock, he noticed that the tumblers moved magically as he tried to release them. He rubbed the back of his head and explained that the door was magically sealed.

Marsh Spider stepped up with his club and bashed the door. Although it was loud and took over ten minutes, he was eventually able to smash the door down.

The room beyond was dark and filled with eight animated human skeletons - four armed with scimitars and four with bows! The skeletal archers loosed a volley of arrows at those who stood in the doorway. The other skeletons armed with scimitars charged the doorway and attacked.

Auric held aloft the ankh, holy symbol of Tristin the Ravenson, and called upon the power of his god to banish the animated skeletons. About half of the skeletons turned and fled down a dusty corridor to the left. The remaining skeletons continued to fight but were soon destroyed by the lizard-men warriors.

After the consumption of a few healing potions, the party readied themselves for the next fight. They prepared themselves for the return of the skeletons and quickly dispatched them.

A quick inspection of the room into which they fled showed it to be an ancient catacomb containing eight niches that until recently contained the remains of the skeletal guardians. Above each niche was inscribed a magical symbol that bound their service to an arcane overlord - Keledek!

The room they were guarding contained two additional doors. The lock of the door to the right was protected by a spell so they decided to explore the passage opposite the way they entered.

The Ghost in the Rubble
The ceiling of the room had collapsed several years ago and the floor was covered in rubble. There was an exit on the opposite wall and another on the wall to the right. The old remains of some long-dead human explorer could be seen beneath the rubble. As they crossed the rubble to the exit to the right an ethereal ghostly presence became visible. It was the ghost of a teenager - one of the many young adventurers from Saltmarsh who had ignored the warnings of their parents to stay away from this cursed place. After an unsuccessful attempt to possess Aella the apparition became angry and lashed out at the wizard.

Aella counterattacked with magical spells while Marlin slashed through the ghost using a magic dagger and Auric said prayers for the ghost. The ghost was soon eliminated.

The team recovered the body crushed by the debris and found a silver dagger and a bag of coins.

A Stunning Surprise
The party followed a corridor to the right. The long corridor turned right and ended in an empty room with a door on the opposite wall and a door on the wall to the right. Marlin knelt down to fiddle with the lock and managed to open it with his picks.

The door opened to reveal a comfortably appointed study. The floor was covered in fine rugs. Ketan tapestries hung upon the wall. The room was illuminated by jars of liquid that emitted a warm yellow light. Within the room was a large desk or table covered in the books, notes, and apparatuses of a wizard. Strange curios were placed upon pedestals and shelves or hung suspended from the ceiling. A brazier burned exotic incense.

A strange little creature the size of a toddler sat impatiently on a large pedestal. It had red skin and large bat-like wings. On its triangular head were short devilish horns. It bore the legs of a grasshopper and clawed forelimbs. Its spiked scorpion tail lashed with anxiety.

Standing in the room were four men. One stood by the door as if on guard. The other three were in hushed deliberations near the desk.

The men were:

1. An unknown ship's captain, grizzled and salty,
2. Keledek the Wizard,
3. Gellan Primewater,
4. and the man standing guard by the door was Duke Marik Feldren of Seaton!

To be continued...!