The bard Cai'luin asked Anapos to stop for a moment. Cai'luin turned to address the rest of his crew, "Okay, look, we're about to meet my uncle - HER father," he said, indicating Aella. He looked directly at Corvid, "Let's please not kill ANYONE! And let me do the talking."
Captain Alot looked defensive, "Hey, I was the one knocking out giant eels just in case, remember?"
Corvid looked sideways and sniffed, "If they attack me first, I make no promises."
CHAPTER 59
"THE TRIDENT OF MANAAN"
The Crew of the Sea Ghost:
- Alot Aname - Neutral Good Warforged Fighter, ancient sentinel of a wizard's fortress, spent several decades deactivated underwater, Captain of the Sea Ghost.
- Avastana "Aella" Kádár - Neutral, Half-Elf Outlander and Storm Sorceress from Ket, daughter of the king of the sea elves, deck sorceress and first mate of the Sea Ghost.
- Craig "Blunderbuss" Oxworth - Lawful Good Dwarven Priest of St. Ogden (Cleric), sailor and shipwright, bosun of the Sea Ghost.
- Cai'luin Manaan - Chaotic Good Sea-Elf Bard, member of the royal family of the tribe of Manaan. Cook of the Sea Ghost.
- Corvid Ravenson - Neutral Good Fallen Aasimar Paladin of Vengeance and Divine Soul Sorcerer, sent to Oerth to avenge those who wronged his angelic "brother", Auric Ravenson. Second mate of the Sea Ghost.
DM Note-
Still filling in the 8th level gap between the end of the Final Enemy and the beginning of Tammeraut's Fate with small mini-adventures. I'm currently running my own home-brew storyline regarding the royal family of the Sea Elf Tribe of Manaan. I'm using map assets from Quick Encounters: Aquatic Ruin Maps and Quick Encounters: Undersea City. It seems to me that my players always have more fun with these smaller adventures.
Minor Ret-Con
Last week I said Anapaos couldn't join them but I changed my mind.
Anapos led them out of the tunnel and into an undersea city built within the confines of a one mile wide circular coral reef. The coral reef formed a kind of city wall reaching nearly to the surface. The city consisted of about a dozen domed structures built atop a foundation of coral and limestone. At the center of the city rose a magnificent four-story domed palace guarded by four domed towers.
Sea-elves swam about conducting their normal business. Many were accompanied by dolphins. A few were carried by dolphins wearing special harnesses.
Anapos took the party to the entrance of the palace where he was challenged by the guard. Anapos ordered them to stand aside so that he could escort these important diplomats to an emergency audience with King Pelagius. The guard complied. As they passed through the entrance Corvid could sense the guard's worry that something important was transpiring.
Anapos led the crew up through each of the levels of the palace to the royal audience chamber. A growing group of servants, commoners, guards, and knights began to fall in behind the party as the rumor spread through the palace of an impending event.
Anapos and the crew of the Sea Ghost emerged through a portal in the floor of the audience chamber and stood before King Pelagius, Princess Nix, and Prince Aegeon. Also within the room were knights of the royal guard, palace guards, servants, and two robed druids.
The room fell silent.
King Pelagius, who had been leaning to his left to speak with Princess Nix from his throne, interrupted his conversation with his daughter to break the silence.
"Anapos, why have you brought these commoners to our royal presence? We were not expecting visitors from the surface world today."
Anapos replied, "My lord, I present Aella of Ket and her companions - Master Cai'luin your nephew, Alot - Captain of the Sea Ghost, Father Craig - Priest of the Raven King, and - ah- Corvid."
Cai'luin stepped forward.
King Pelagius said, "Good nephew. Welcome home. You have been away at the bard's college of the surface world for too long. What brings you brings you before us today in the company of so many- strangers?"
Cai'luin bowed and said, "Your majesty. I present to you Ambassador Aella, Councilwoman of Saltmarsh, and Honorary Inquisitor Captain of the Triton Guard, Slayer of Aulicus, Ancient Black Dragon and Bane of all Living Things."
Pelagius considered his uninvited guests. Princess Nix bolted upright from her chair, "Father! She carries the trident of our esteemed grandfather - Manaan! She is a thief!"
Pelagius glared at Aella, who did indeed carry the fabulous trident of Manaan. His eyes fluttered as he regained his composure, "Calm down, Nix. Aella, that trident is an heirloom of our ancestor, founder of our tribe. It belonged to his ancestors before him back to our original home in the Spindrift. It was lost many centuries ago. How did you come to possess it?"
Aella stepped forward, "Your majesty, it was awarded to me by the people of Saltmarsh as a reward for our assistance in defeating the Sahuagin stronghold. It was found in the treasury of the Sahuagin and given to me as a gift."
King Pelagius stood from his throne, his eyes flashed, "What right have you to bear this relic of my people? It is the rightful property of the royal family and our descendants. It belongs by right to our eldest child, Aegon."
Prince Aegeon interjected, "Father! She is obviously a liar and an imposter! She stands before us bearing my legacy as ill-gotten plunder of a life of piracy! She offers us slander and untruth! I demand that she and her companions be imprisoned and punished for their transgressions!"
Princess Nix added, "I concur. Father, Aella and her companions are allies of the koalinth. Remember how she and her companions defended the koalinth at the games? Where was her fealty to you then? She pollutes our waters with her foul machinations!
King Pelagius said, "Aella, these are bold claims. What defense do you offer?"
The Poison Message
Aella replied, "Your majesty, I will address those accusations momentarily. But first, as a demonstration of my good intentions, I have brought a message for you." Aella produced a cylindrical clay bottle sealed with a cork and wax, "I have brought this from a man known as the Serpent's Tooth."
King Pelagius eased his body language and rubbed his chin, "Yes, I know this Serpent's Tooth. He was the provocateur who informed me that the leader of the koalinth would be attending the lizard man games. Very helpful. Have you read this message?"
Aella shook her haid, "No, your majesty, I have not."
Anapos took the jar and handed it to King Pelagius. Pelagius tore away the wax and removed the cork. A bubble of air escaped and rose to the domed ceiling. Pelagius removed a rolled up piece of parchment from the vase. He unrolled it and read it.
He crumbled the parchment and glared at Aella, "You traitorous fiend! So you are indeed allied with the Koalinth!"
The crumpled vellum began to dissolve in the water - disintegrating into tiny flakes and forming a cloud around the king. The king lurched. He grabbed his gills. His eyes began to bulge. All color drained from his face and dark capillaries became visible against his pallid flesh. His knights and druids rushed to his side. He staggered backwards and began floating limp.
Prince Aegeon pointed at Aella and shouted, "Assassin! Knights, detain these agents of the koalinth! Arrest them immediately!"
DM Note-
Aella's player said, "Well, shit."
Corvid's player said, "Show of hands - who DIDN'T see that coming?"
Aella replied, "Honestly, I didn't until immediately after handing it to him, and I thought 'No- wait!' but it was too late."
A Tight Spot
The crew of the Sea Ghost formed a tight group - back to back. The knights of the royal guard rushed in and tried to grab Aella and her companions. Cai'luin shouted, "Resist, but don't fight back! Don't hurt anybody! I can get us out of this!"
Cai'luin tried to explain to Princess Nix that they had no idea that the message was poisoned and appealed for an opportunity to make things right.
The guards continued to grapple with the crew with Cai'luin and Aella trying to argue their case.
Princess Nix cried, "No! You will never be the king's daughter! You are a charlatan and a pretender!"
Corvid became wreathed in an aura of purple blackfire as the luminous vengeance of the Raven King began to visibly sublimate from his body. His eyes glowed fiercely with holy power and ethereal skeletal raven wings could be seen from his back. He glared at the guards around him and they retreated in fear.
Corvid disappeared, leaving a trace of dark purple cloud in the water. He reappeared next to the dying king. He kneeled and held his hand over the king's body. The poison was drawn out and the king's color regained a healthy purple hue. The druids attending him dragged him away from Corvid in fear and awe.
Cai'luin once more urgently pleaded for an opportunity to make things right while Aella tried to reassure Nix and Aegeon that she had no interest in ruling Manaan or usurping their power.
DM Note-
I started a skill challenge. The party had ten attempts to get six successes using either History, Religion, Performance, or Persuasion - with the final success being Persuasion.
The original difficulty was 15, however the poisoning increased the difficulty to 20.
A Natural-20 would score two successes. A Natural-1 subtracted one success.
Aella got one free success for bearing the Trident of Manaan - which intimidated the guards.
If they succeeded, the prince and princess would call off the guards.
If they failed, the prince and princess would order the guards to fight to kill - a confrontation that the crew would probably win but wished to avoid.
Aella and Cai'luin did most of the talking.
The final score was:
- Trident of Manaan = success
- Cai'luin, Persuasion 16 = fail
- Aella, Persuasion 23 = success
- Ca'luin, Persuasion 26 = success
- Aella, Persuasion 18 = fail
- Corvid used Lesser Restoration on King Pelagius = success
- Cai'luin, Persuasion 25 = success
- Aella, Persuasion 26 = success
King Pelagius rose to his feet but staggered. The druids helped him stand. Pelagius used all his strength to bellow an order for his guards to cease fighting. He turned to his daughter and son and asked, "What was that you said about Aella being my daughter?"
Cai'luin extricated himself from the grasp of the guards around him, "Your majesty, allow me to tell you a story."
Cai'luin recounted the tale of how over twenty years ago the king had been captured by the sahuagin and sold into slavery. He had been sold to the wealthy King of Ket far to the north and held prisoner in an aquatic menagerie. Cai'luin reminded the king that there he met and befriended a human Ketan woman named Mo'om - a servant. Mo'om helped King Pelagius escape and the pair fled.
King Pelagius became pensive, "Yes, I recall. She was a kind soul. We fell in love."
Cai'luin said, "Indeed, sire. What you didn't know was that you fathered a child with Mo'om. She gave birth after you left. That child was Aella."
King Pelagius' eyes became wide with understanding, "Is this true, Aella?"
Aella nodded sagely, "It is true, your majesty. About two years ago I suddenly felt a strange urge to return to the sea, but not any sea - THIS sea. I traveled for many months from Ket until I arrived at Saltmarsh. I knew not why I was drawn to this sea but I have come to learn from our good friend and ally Oceanus the truth - that I am your daughter.
The Final Defiance
Prince Aegeon interrupted, shouting, "Never! I will not allow you to steal my birthright! I will be king!"
Aella replied dismissively, "Fine, I don't even WANT to rule this kingdom."
Aegeon shouted, "And you never will!" before pointing his hand at Aella and directing three eldritch blasts of magical power towards her. Princess Nix drew her rapier.
King Pelagius tried to intervene but his knees buckled and he collapsed into the arms of the nearby druids. The palace guards withdrew in confusion.
Aella responded by sweeping the Trident of Manaan and creating a magical hammer of water that swept over Aegon and Nix.
Corvid drew his magical longsword and engaged Princess Nix in hand-to-hand combat. The two traded blows but Nix was able to bypass Corvid's armor to deliver a deep cut.
Corvid's aura became more luminous and intimidating as he delivered holy wrath against Princess Nix.
Captain Alot swam towards Prince Aegeon and delivered two mighty blows from his magical hammer. Aegeon collapsed and held up his hands to yield.
Princess Nix, seeing her brother's capitulation, likewise surrendered. She let her rapier fall to the ground and lifted her hands in defeat.
The Resolution
After the surrender of Prince Aegeon and Princess Nix, Cai'luin was able to provide magical bardic healing to the king.
The king returned to his throne and addressed Aella. He asked her intentions.
Aella explained that she had no interest in ruling Manaan or becoming involved in the political machinations of the royal family. She only wished to unlock the powers of the Trident of Manaan and that only the druids of Manaan could do this.
The King lamented that she did not wish to return the trident to its people but, as the eldest descendant of Manaan she was its rightful bearer. He said that unlocking its powers meant that she had to undergo a long ritual in the Sacred Coral Grove where she must prove her lineage and worthiness to bear the Trident of Manaan. She had to pass the ordeal of the druids.
He also said that to be his eldest child, to bear the Trident of Manaan, meant that she would inherit the throne upon his death. On that there was no avoidance, no abdication.
She reminded the king that, as a half-elf, the king would likely outlive her by several hundred years and, barring any children of her own or future assassination attempts, Prince Aegeon would still inherit the throne as originally planned.
The king considered this with surprise, "Hmm. Good point."
DM Note-
No, really, that WAS a good point. When the player said that, I was all, "Huh. Yeah. That's a very good point."
The king asked Aella if she planned to live an honorable life and use the trident in defense of the kingdom. Aella assured Pelagius that should would and that she and her crew would be ready to serve and protect the king, royal family, and people of Manaan from all threats.
King Pelagius was satisfied with this and instructed the druids to proceed with the ritual.
The Ordeal of the Druids
The druids led Aella, along with the king and the crew of the Sea Ghost, down into the sacred coral grove far beneath the royal palace.
DM Note-
I told the players that I intentionally didn't define the details of the ritual and asked them to describe the ritual as they envisioned it. Each player provided some interesting ideas.
The sacred grove was the source of the sacred coral polyps used by the druids to create the coral structures and walls of Manaan. It was said that it was here that Manaan shed his own blood to sanctify the original coral when he settled the tribe after their exodus from the Spindrift thousands of years ago.
Aella's hand was cut with a sacred blade, the same blade used by Manaan. She clutched her bleeding hand and thrust it into a hole in the side of the coral. The coral was inhabited by coral snakes. She was to remove her magical gauntlets and hold her bare hand there for several hours. The coral snakes would bite and kill anyone who was not a descendant of Manaan.
Aella held her hand within the coral for several hours. It eventually began to glow and venomous coral snakes began to emerge from the coral walls of the grove. They formed a writhing mass that circled her and enveloped her. Thy did this for several more hours until she herself began to glow.
Eventually the coral snakes retreated to their lairs and the glow faded. The druids gave Aella their blessing and she removed her hand. The cut had healed.
She was, indeed, the descendant of Manaan.
To Be Continued...
DM Note-
With that, the players levelled their characters up to level nine. I told them their characters had three months of downtime during which nothing was scheduled to happen. They returned to Saltmarsh, divvied up their treasure, they did some book-keeping, did some shopping at the Loyal Quartermasters of Iuz, figured out what to do with the Deck of Many Things they got from the Corruption at Skyhorn Lighthouse adventure, etc.
Next up - Player's Choice continues, but Tammeraut's Fate will be coming up soon.
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