Baylore returned to the others to the throne room.
Baylore said, "Where did the mist go? He came in here and just disappered."
Alot said, "Maybe he went into that crypt over there."
Baylore and Brenna looked confused. They replied in unison, "What crypt? Wait- What??"
Alot was likewise confused, "The one behind the wall in the corner. And over there is the treasure room. Do you not see that?"
Baylore and Brenna replied, "NO???"
Alot looked at them, "It's right there- ZZZZZZZZKKK!" Alot froze, his last word drawing out in an extended electronic buzz before he went silent. He stood completely still, frozen like a statue.
"Damn it!" said Baylore, "Where was he talking about? Here?" He turned and searched the corner to the right of the altar.
Brenna pondered aloud, "I wonder if the memory wipe they did to him caused some kind of damage."
Baylore found a section of wall that opened, revealing a concealed door and a secret room behind the wall. Within was another large nest made of bamboo, reeds, and mud.
The nest was filled with mist. The mist was coalescing into bone, sinew, and muscle, slowly reconstituting the physical form of the vampiric lizard-king Sakatha.
"Ah-hah!" exclaimed Baylore, "Found the bastard!"
CHAPTER 41
"ESCAPE FROM THE TOMB OF THE LIZARD KING"
The B-Team:- Avastana "Aella" Kádár - Neutral, Half-Elf Outlander and Storm Sorceress from Ket, daughter of the king of the sea elves, Deck Sorceress of the Sea Ghost.
- Alot Aname - Neutral Good Warforged Fighter, ancient sentinel of a wizard's fortress, spent several decades deactivated underwater, Bosun of the Sea Ghost.
- Captain Baylore - Neutral Human Pirate and Pugilist (Monk), Captain of the Sea Ghost.
- Brenna "The Sea Witch" Myrasdottir - Chaotic Good Human Sailor and Divine Soul Sorceress, long-lost daughter of Whaler, First Mate of the Sea Ghost.
- Bordar Graniteshaper - Lawful Good Dwarven Bearer of Grudges (Barbarian), exiled from his clan, Ballast of the Sea Ghost.
- Bruma - Neutral Good Human Swamp Guide (Ranger) for the smuggling cartel known as "the Organization", given a mission to find and kill Sakatha the Lizard King.
Finishing the Deed
Baylore wasted no time in dismantling the nest. He spread the dirt about and ripped the reeds and bamboo to shreds. The half-formed body of Sakatha disintegrated and the mist dissipated.
Meanwhile Brenna searched every inch of the wall behind the altar but found nothing. Baylore returned and said, "I already searched behind the altar. Check that corner."
Moments later the pair had located another secret door. Behind this door was a thirty-foot corridor. The corridor was a dead end. At the far end of the corridor was a tapestry hung on the wall depicting an ancient demon.
"Yeah-" pondered Baylore suspiciously. He picked up Aella's staff and carefully pushed the floor in front of him as he inched forward. Ten feet ahead of the end of the corridor the floor dropped away revealing a twenty-foot deep pit filled with spikes.
Baylore turned to Brenna, "There's got to be another hidden door. Can you reach that tapestry somehow?"
Brenna rubbed her chin, "Wait!" she said, "I have an idea!"
Brenna returned to Aella and took a small cane fishing pole off her backpack. Brenna used the pole to hook the tapestry. She pulled it off the wall but the pair found no secret doors or switches.
A closer inspection of the wall on the right revealed to Baylore another false wall. He removed the false wall and discovered another short corridor and a heavy iron door. He had to leap diagonally over the pit into the concealed corridor. Baylore opened the heavy iron door.
He stepped back, "Brenna," he said, "You better get over here."
Brenna leaped across the pit and joined him. They stood in awe at the site before them - a room piled high with thousands of coins and ancient artifacts!
Alot, still frozen in the throne room, returned to consciousness, "Hey! Where is everybody?"
"In here!"
Alot soon joined them in admiring the treasure.
Rest
Baylore eventually found a means to reset and disable the pit trap, allowing him, along with Brenna and Alot, to drag their unconscious companions Bordar the dwarf and Aella the sorceress, as well as the body of their dead friend Bruma, into the treasure room.
"We'll rest in here," said Baylore, "It's defensible and we can spend the time sorting and counting the coins and studying the artifacts."
There they spent several hours. Alot counted 8000 gold coins and 3000 platinum coins.
Baylore found a javelin of lightning, 23 silk packets of dust of disappearance, a bag of holding, and a crystal ball. Baylore picked up a ring and examined it. It radiated power and potential. Brenna saw him holding it. Baylore said, "Want this?"
Brenna examined it, "That's a ring of wishes! You're giving me a ring of wishes?"
Baylore held up his hand, "I already have a ring. Its only got one wish left. You'll be careful?"
"You got it!" She took the ring.
"That reminds me!" exclaimed Baylore. He left the room to find the body of Patriarch Ul-Lon.
Brenna found a powerful healing potion, and seven scrolls with scribed with holy prayers - "greater restoration", "protection from energy", "find the path", "raise dead", and three scrolls of "cure wound". She also found a spell-book written in a draconic code.
Baylore returned with the smaller ring that matched the one he wore, "Got it."
Brenna read aloud the prayer to raise the dead. Bruma was restored to life. He woke coughing and wheezing. "Did it work? Am I a vampire?" he asked enthusiastically.
"No. You are not a vampire," admonished Brenna.
"Damn!" said Bruma.
Escape
The treasure room was not made for comfort and it was challenging to find rest on the bare floor but the group managed to eventually get some sleep and recuperate.
DM Note-
Whenever the group tries to take a long rest in an uncomfortable location - such as camping or sleeping on the hard floor - I require them to make a survival roll vs. 10. Things such as pillows and tents and cots can give Advantage on the roll. Inclement weather and howling ghosts and the like will give the roll Disadvantage. My players made the case that being unconscious from injury granted Advantage and I allowed it. Everyone succeeded and were able to benefit from the long rest.
While the others rested, Alot expelled the armor that had been previously integrated into his artificial body. The old armor fell to the floor in pieces. He then took the draconic plate armor once worn by Patriarch Ul-Lon and began merging with it. The armor integrated itself into Alot's design. Alot took on a dark black-green hue and parts of him began to resemble leathery dragon wings. The process took several hours.
Baylore, Brenna, and Alot filled the others in on the outcome of the battle when they woke. The team prepared to make their exit from the tomb.
They made their way to the secret dungeon where Sakatha kept over fifty captives chained to the walls in darkness. Brenna was able to calm them down and inform the captives that they were being freed. She also explained that they were deep underground in the middle of the Drowned Forest and that they first would have to escape past an army of lizard-man warriors.
What followed was an exercise in crowd control as Brenna, Baylore, Bordar, Alot, and Aella corralled the throng of people - mostly humans but with a few halflings and even lizard-folk among them - out past the miniature cathedral where they had battled dozens of foes the day previous. The bodies remained where they had been slain save for the two priests who had been knocked unconscious by Baylore and forgotten. They were nowhere to be seen.
The team led the humans up in a long train. They paused in the room of eternal refreshment to allow each of the captives to eat and drink at the service of the mosaic lizard-men. Afterwards Baylore gathered the captives together into three groups. Each group was told to link hands and hold onto a rope that was provided them. Then each group was sprinkled by a packet of dust of disappearance. Each group became invisible.
Bruma scouted ahead outside the mausoleum. He checked on the army of lizard-men camped in the back of the cavern. He saw the two priests attempting to rouse the lizard-men to battle, urging them to rise up and defeat the infidels. The lizard-men could not understand the common speech of the priests so they simply watched them bewildered.
Bruma returned and led the invisible party across the dry river-bed and towards the stairs to the exit. Bruma was careful to disable each of the traps set in the stairs to allow the captives to escape.
The group next gathered in the altar room where the B-Team had fought trolls two days previous. Again Bruma scouted ahead, this time accompanied by Baylore.
The first thing Baylore and Bruma noticed was that the bodies of many of the slain enemies had been dragged away, leaving a trail of dried blood on the floor. The bodies had all been dragged towards the main hall where they had battled the main force of the brigands. Down one corridor Bruma and Baylore saw several wolves eating the body of some brigands. The wolves did not notice the pair as Bruma continued on and Baylore returned to the others.
In the main hall Bruma saw the two trolls who had survived and fled their previous battle feasting on the gathered corpses of the brigands. A large group of at least a dozen bullywugs were picking through the bodies looting weapons, armor, and equipment.
Bruma returned to the main group to report what he had seen.
The team decided to abandon this compound and risk going past the trolls and bullywugs in the hope that neither side wished for a battle.
The captives were once again lined up in a long train and told to hold on to a rope. Bruma, Alot, and Bordar entered the main hall ahead of the train. The trolls and bullywugs paused and looked at them. There was a moment of evaluation.
Bruma said, "You can just keep doing whatever you are doing. We're leaving this place. There's no need for trouble. Do you understand?"
The trolls looked at each other, shrugged, and went back to consuming the flesh of the fallen brigands. The bullywugs paused and watched the train of exiting captives warily but took no offensive action.
The train emerged from the secret entrance on the stone platform outside the lair of Aulicus. It was warm and humid. They were surrounded by miles of dangerous swamp. The captives were instructed not to go near any of the large pools of water, no matter how thirsty they might be.
"Is that understood, Bordar?" Brenna said to the dwarf, pointedly.
"What?" was his defensive reply.
Luckily, the brigands and lizard-men had left a sufficient supply of rafts tied up outside the entrance to accommodate all of the escapees.
Return to Burle
The fleet of rafts bearing the adventurers and escapees made its way through the black waters of the Drowned Forest. The journey too two days and six of the escapees died during the journey, but they eventually returned to dry land, setting foot in the ruins of Waycombe.
From there the caravan made the day-long hike to the fortress-village of Burle. They stood on the far bank of the Janustream river and signaled for a ferry but none crossed. Baylore, Alot, Brenna, and Aella left the escapees with Bordar and Bruma and swam across the river. When they reached the dock on the far side they were met by a contingent of elven guards with weapons ready.
"State your business!"
Baylore explained in his brusque no-nonsense manner that they had returned from their successful mission to kill Sakatha the Lizard King and that they had freed dozens of captives. He reminded them that the ancient treant Wanderoot had approved of their mission.
"How do we that you haven't been mind controlled like the other infiltrators?"
"Because-" Baylore paused, "uh, That's a very good point, actually."
Brenna interceded, pleading on behalf of the freed escapees.
The guards were moved by Brenna's plea so they sent a runner to summon Castellan Kiara Shadowbreaker who had recently returned from her mission into the Dreadwood.
Kiara, wearing full plate armor, approached the party. She recognized Alot and Aella immediately.
She greeted Alot warmly and inquired what happened to his party. The last time she had seen him he had the brain jellies and she was surprised that an automaton could suffer from such an affliction. She questioned him about his previous companions and was sad to learn of the fate of Marlin Whalerson, for whom she had great affection.
Upon hearing Alot's account of recent events she ordered her men to take sufficient supplies across the river to build a temporary shelter for the escapees. She said that the B-Team and the escapees could enter the walls of the town during the day and while accompanied by a guard but that they must leave by sundown and spend the night in the shelter across the river until it can be verified that they were not under the thrall of the lizard king.
The team agreed.
While in Burle the team saw Captain Xendros, the demonspawn merchant from Saltmarsh. She greeted them warmly and inquired as to their current disposition. In turn she told them that she was escorting a shipment up the road to Maidenstone Keep. When asked if she had any magical items for sale, she apologized and explained that she never did business while traveling but that she would return to Saltmarsh in a few days.
The team tried to visit the Tree Maiden Inn but were disappointed to learn it had been burned down by Sakatha's agents.
The team spent the night across the river from Burle. The following morning they left the escapees with the guards of Burle and set off down the road towards Saltmarsh.
The Ballad of the B-Team
The party stopped at the Robin's Breast Inn for lunch. They entered the establishment with weapons drawn ready for battle. The innkeeper William Brightboy and the handful of farmers within suddenly became nervous, "Look now, we want no trouble."
"Oh, sorry." said Aella, "We're just so used to being ambushed here."
They sat down and had a fine lunch meal. The minstrel Pluck was absentmindedly strumming nearby.
"Oy! You! You want a story? I've got a story for you!" said Brenna loudly, "Come here and I'll tell you about how we defeated Sakatha the Lizard King!"
Pluck's eyes widened and he pulled up a chair.
Brenna told him in exquisite detail about their mission, starting with Aella and the A-Team and their battle with Aulicus the Black Dragon and continuing when Aella and Alot recruited the B-Team. The minstrel was transfixed. Brenna told the minstrel how they rescued the Duke of Seaton and were subsequently sent by the duke to kill Sakatha. Pluck began purchasing flagons of ale for the party. She recounted their journey into the Drowned Forest and their battles with brigands and cultists and undead lizard warriors and mosaic lizard-men. The minstrel furiously took notes and asked clarifying questions. Brenna finally reached the climax of her story with the confrontation with the vampire lizard king himself and how they finally defeated the foul creature.
By the time Brenna was done the crowd of farmers had grown to include every wife and child living around the inn. The crowd laughed and cheered and applauded. Brenna's story had lasted into the afternoon. They left late and arrived back at Saltmarsh just before sundown.
They spent the next day in Saltmarsh before returning to Seaton. While in Saltmarsh they learned that Anders Solmore had been awarded the noble rank of baron by the king of Keoland. All the land within the newly formed barony of Saltmarsh now belonged to Baron Solmor.
"Wait a minute!" said Aella incredulously, "Does that mean the house I bought no longer belongs to me?"
"Correct," said Brenna, "You are now a tenant. Welcome to the wonderful world feudalism!"
"Dammit! I just bought that house!"
"And now you owe rent! Hey, aren't you happy you helped make him a baron?"
Baylore's Secret Plan
The team returned to Seaton and reported their success to the duke. The duke paid them their reward of 2,500 gold pieces each.
Once they had finished their report to the duke, Baylore told the others he had to depart to oversee his "project". Before he left, he wanted to know if anyone else wanted to invest in it.
"What is it?" inquired Brenna.
"Okay, I can tell you all about it now. But it's a secret. Bordar, do you understand, IT'S A SECRET!"
Bordar grumbled at the accusation.
Baylore explained, "Right. Well, after we broke up the secret pirate bank or whatever you call it on Leper Island and after we busted Gellan Primewater's little scheme in Seaton, I had an idea. I asked the duke if I could take over the operation on Leper Island, set it up as a haven for smugglers and pirates. In exchange, I would keep him informed on what's going on - you know - feed him information on who's smuggling what for who - who's working for the Sea Princes - that sort of thing.
"He agreed, with a few provisions. Anyway, I'm now ready to hire some workers to start rebuilding the monastery on Leper Island. Its going to be our new base of operations. We've all got a nice bit of coin now. I'm offering you a chance to invest as partners. Who's in?"
"Of course I'm in, captain." said Brenna,
"Perfect. Anybody else?" inquired Baylore.
To be Continued...
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