The Chaos Phage - Ghosts of Saltmarsh, Chapter 29

The sky was blue and the sea was calm as the small single-masted sailboat sailed from Leper Island to Saltmarsh. The boat was filled to the brim with passengers. Bordar the dwarf stared ruefully at the swollen red sting on his arm. It pulsated and glowed. Tendrils snaked outward from the center like little roots.

Baylore sat nearby. He said, "That big blue frog monster injected you with something. If you let that go you probably won't survive the night."

Bordar asked, "What should I do?"

Baylore shrugged, "I dunno. See a priest or something?"

Bordar said, "Where will I find a priest?"

The elderly abbot sitting in the boat with them said, "I once oversaw the hospital on Leper Island. I'm an ordained priest of Procan trained to perform healing miracles. Let me take a look at it."

Abbot Castellan inspected the wound and pursed his lips in contemplation, "This is no poison. It's a disease."

Bordar replied sullenly, "And you can't cure disease."

Abbot Castellan said, "Of course I can!"

Bordar showed renewed hope, "But.. I mean.. I didn't think..."

Abbot Castellan laid his hand on the dwarf's shoulder, Lets get you to the temple of Procan in Saltmarsh - assuming its still there. I was trapped in a magic mirror for eleven years! I can perform the ritual there."

"You can?" said Baylore.

"Yes. But we'll need to get something first."

"What is it?" gasped Bordar.

"We'll need a goat." said the abbot.

CHAPTER 29

"THE CHAOS PHAGE"

The B-Team:

• Baylore - Neutral Human Pirate and Pugilist (Monk). 
• Bordar Graniteshaper - Lawful Good Dwarven Bearer of Grudges (Barbarian), on a quest to rescue the son of the leader of his clan.
• Avastana "Aella" Kádár - Neutral, Half-Elf  Outlander and Storm Sorceress from Ket. 

Brain Jellies:

• Alot Aname - Neutral Good Warforged Fighter, ancient sentinel of a wizard's fortress, spent several decades deactivated underwater.
• Brenna - Chaotic Good Human Sailor and Divine Soul Sorceress, long-lost daughter of Whaler. 

DM Note-

Last week, Bordar's player desperately read through the spells in the Player's Handbook looking for a Cure Disease spell. There isn't one. Baylore's player suggested Lesser Restoration or Greater Restoration. Bordar's player read those but gave up, "They only eliminate one condition!" he said. 

This week, when the abbot said he could do it, Bordar's player said, "How?"

I said, "He knows Lesser Restoration."

Bordar's player and Baylore's player both objected, "No, I checked that. it says it only removes one condition."

I had looked it up previously. I said, "Does it? Read it out loud."

Bordar's player read the spell,  "You touch a creature and can end either one disease or one condition afflicting it. The condition can be Blinded, Deafened, Paralyzed, or Poisoned."

Bordar's player said, "Well I'll be damned!"

Baylore's player struck Bordar's player several times with a long pepperoni stick.

However, just having a priest cast "Lesser Restoration" was too easy. I wanted them to earn it. 

The Temple of Procan

They moored the boat to a dock near Crabber's Cove. The team bade farewell to the Lizard-man King Kosj who was going to swim to his daughter's stronghold down the coast to the west. That left Duke Oberun Feldren of Seaton, his daughter Lemundo Feldren, Abbot Ando Castellan, and the crazy pirate as the remaining prisoners of the magic mirror. The duke and his daughter donned the robes of monks of Procan so that they could travel incognito. They joined the B-Team as they made their way up the hill towards the temple of Procan at the top of the bluff overlooking Crabber's Cove. On the way, Bordar overpaid for a goat for use in the ritual.

They could see in the distance that the town was celebrating. It had been a good catch and the people of Saltmarsh were in good spirits. As a result most of the priests and acolytes were in town and the temple was currently unoccupied. The temple was an octagonal transept with a long nave leading to the entrance porch. A statue of Procan stood at the center of the transept. Four side chapels were located in each corner of the transept. The domed ceiling of the transept was supported by sixteen columns. Behind the statue was a wide pool of water used for rituals. Behind the pool was a corridor leading to the room of mysteries where the priests performed the secret rites. 

Abbot Castellan led Bordar and the goat into the water. The water rose to the abbot's waist and to the dwarf's chest. The goat protested at first but was calmed into obedience by the priest's touch.  The others stood reverently around the nave and observed. Shafts of light shone in from the windows high in the dome. 

The abbot said "I shall draw the disease out of you and transplant it into this goat. If you are ready we shall begin." 

He grabbed Bordar's infected arm and began to wash it with the holy water, drawing the disease out of Bordar. Bordar grit his teeth as the swollen center bulged like an egg. The swollen red center eventually separated from Bordar's arm, but the long tendrils remained staunchly rooted in the flesh. The abbot grabbed the bulbous center and pulled like one would pull a weed with deep routs out of the ground. The tendrils stretched as the disease was pulled from Bordar's body. 

The abbot gave a final pull and the disease was freed from Bordar. Bordar fell back into the water. The abbot held the pulsating center in his clenched fist at the end of his outstretched arm. The tendrils thrashed about violently as the disease sought a new host. 

Bordar stood up and staggered backward up the steps and out of the shallow pool. 

The abbot reached toward the goat but the tendrils wrapped around his arm. The abbot struggled to transfer the disease to the goat. The tendrils lengthened and wrapped around the abbot's neck and body. The tendrils then tightened, drawing the abbots fist holding the core of the disease towards the abbot's chest. 

The abbot screamed. Before anyone could rush to his aid the abbot fell into the water. The goat bleated and ran away. The water of the pool frothed and boiled. Bright flashes erupted beneath the churning foam. Those observing stood awestruck.

Suddenly the water exploded outward. Standing in the pool was a ten foot tall bipedal red frog monster with long claws. Its skin was covered in bony nodules and calciferous warts. 

The frog-thing smiled, revealing a mouth filled with sharp shark-like teeth. It said, "Ah! Happy Birthday! It's good to be alive!" It glared at Bordar, "Dear old daddy! Come here! I have a need to breed!" 

Chaos in the Temple

Bordar staggered backwards to get as far away from the red frog-monster as possible. The red creature smiled and exited the pool. Duke Feldren stepped forward and engaged in battle with the creature. The others attacked it with ranged attack spells, crossbows, and arrows. Even the sacrificial goat tried to head-butt it. The crazy pirate, for his part, ran towards the side of the nave and tried to climb a column. Having regained his composure Bordar charged the monster with his magical axes.

The red frog-creature was no match for the combined efforts of the B-Team. It soon fell before their coordinated assault. It exploded into bits of red flesh.

The B-Team stuck around and helped the acolytes of the temple clean up the mess.

Payment Interrupted
Later that afternoon, once the temple had been cleaned, the B-Team joined Lemundo at the Empty Net tavern, an establishment favored by smugglers and pirates, to receive their payment for rescuing her father.

The Empty Net was an old two-story structure built atop pilings above the water. The B-Team, along with Duke Feldren still wearing the robes of a monk of Procan, sat at a table and ordered drinks while Lemundo went to her room to find the sack of two thousand gold coins she had hidden for their payment.

While she was looking a group of rough looking sailors climbed the stairs to join them on the upper level. Baylore knew at a glance that these sailors worked for the Sea Princes. A moment later more sailors came upstairs. Soon there were at least six sailors congregating by Lemundo's door with at least five more coming up the stairs.

Baylore got up and moved towards Lemundo's room while the duke moved towards the stairs. Bordar ensured the safety of his clan leader's son.

Lemundo opened the door but was stopped by the leader of the ruffians. He said, "Well hello there, Lemony. We've been sent to retrieve what you took from us and to teach you a lesson. Nobody steals from the Organization!"

With that, Baylore stepped into a shadow and mysteriously emerged from another shadow across the room near Lemundo's opponent. He punched the ruffian in the face.

The ruffian, confused, shouted, "What?" and a melee ensued.

Baylore and Lemundo engaged the ruffians by her door while Duke Feldren did his best to keep additional ruffians from running up the stairs. Aella cast a spell that created a gust of wind, forcing the bandits back into a corner. Bordar moved his charge into a nearby room before turning and assisting Baylore and Lemundo.

Baylore hit the leader of the ruffians with a stunning attack which allowed Lemundo and Bordar. The leader was knocked unconscious and thrown over the side of the mezzanine.

One of the ruffians smashed a cudgel over Aella's head and she staggered. Her wind spell ceased. Bordar moved to defend her. Aella cast a Witch Bolt spell, creating a continuous arc of lightning on one target. He screamed and jumped out the nearby window in order to clamber atop the roof of the porch below.

The B-Team proceeded to engage with the ruffians in hand-to-hand combat, throwing them over the side of the mezzanine to crash into the tables of the tavern floor below. Eventually the way was cleared for the remaining ruffians to climb the stairs followed by a hulking brute brandishing a massive axe.

It was soon apparent that the hulking brute's attacks were devastating. Even when he missed, he destroyed nearby walls and tables. The B-Team concentrated their attacks on the hulking brute. Not even Baylore's stunning strikes could slow the massive pit fighter.

Eventually the brute had taken enough of a beating that he called for the retreat of the remaining ruffians. "You win this time! But you better watch yer back! Nobody steals from the Organization!"

Once they had fled, Lemundo picked up the sack of money she had thrown back into her room when the fight started. She gave it to Baylore, "Here you go. Two thousand gold coins, as promised. Don't ask where I got it."

To Be Continued...

Next Time-
To Seaton to confront the False Duke! Assuming we can get together. In-person gaming has been cancelled. I'm trying to get the group together via Roll20. We'll see if we can pull this off.

DM Note-
Aella's player had an upset stomach (too much sugar) so we called it a night earlier than normal.