The Return of the Crab-omancer - Ghosts of Saltmarsh, Chapter 67

 

Alot broke open the seal and removed the chains. He opened the cellar doors and descended the steps.

The cellar beneath the house was flooded and covered in algae. It smelled like rotting crab meat and dead fish. A pile of rubble lay at the bottom of the stairs. 

A pile of heavy stones were piled against the wall opposite the stairs. 

Alot reached the bottom of the stairs followed by Cai'luin, Corvid, and Father Craig. They spread out through the small cellar. The water was knee-deep. Alot moved to inspect the pile of stones against the wall. 

Suddenly the water erupted as over a dozen giant crab, each easily the same size as a man, burst out of their hiding places beneath the scum. Only they weren't ordinary giant crab - these crab were the tattered and decaying remains of long-dead crab animated by some unnamable power!

CHAPTER 67

"THE RETURN OF THE CRAB-OMANCER"

The Crew of the Sea Ghost:

• Alot Aname - Neutral Good Warforged Fighter, ancient sentinel of a wizard's fortress, spent several decades deactivated underwater, Captain of the Sea Ghost.
• Avastana "Aella" Kádár - Neutral, Half-Elf Outlander and Storm Sorceress from Ket, daughter of the king of the sea elves, deck sorceress and first mate of the Sea Ghost.
• Patriarch Craig "Blunderbuss" Oxworth - Lawful Good Dwarven Priest of St. Ogden (Cleric), sailor and shipwright, bosun of the Sea Ghost.
• Cai'luin Manaan - Chaotic Good Sea-Elf Bard, member of the royal family of the tribe of Manaan. Cook of the Sea Ghost.
• Corvid Ravenson - Neutral Good Fallen Aasimar Paladin of Vengeance and Divine Soul Sorcerer, sent to Oerth to avenge those who wronged his angelic "brother", Auric Ravenson. Second mate of the Sea Ghost.

DM Note-
There is a big adventure gap between the end of Tammeraut's Fate (level 9) and the beginning of the Styes (level 11) so I'm filling it with short adventures and side-treks and player's choice. This week, it's a player's choice adventure as the crew sails back to Saltmarsh and investigate the mysterious abandoned house in Crabber's Cove.

Also, this week I downloaded and installed Clownfish Voice Changer application which allows me to modify my voice using various electronic effects and add sound effects to Discord to enhance the NPC experience. It worked great for the Crab-omancer and got great reviews from the players.

The horrid crab-things clicked their claws and began to hiss. Then, to everyone's shock and horror, the hissing became a voice - a voice shared among all the crabs.

DM Note-

I pre-prepared several paragraphs of dialog for the crabs based on anticipated questions. I can't capture word-for-word what was said back and forth in the game but I can describe the gist of it.

"Visitors! It has been so long since I felt the presence of living souls so near! Tell me, visitors, have you come to free me from my eternal prison? Have you come to right the wrong inflicted upon poor Zenopus so long ago?"

The crew of the Sea Ghost looked at each other in confusion. Corvid finally glared at Alot as if to insinuate, "Okay - you're the captain!"

Alot introduced himself and his companions and asked the voice to identify itself.

"(click)(click) I am the wizard, Zenopus. I lived in the tower built upon the hill across the Janustream. I was imprisoned here via the treachery of that fiend, Keledek! Keledek! My own apprentice! Now I seek only to escape! Escape so that I may impart my vengeance upon that traitorous Ketan!" (click)(click)" 

Alot asked, "Where are you?"

The crabs replied, "(click)(click) "I am at this time imprisoned in the chamber beyond. Bound here by a curse." (click)(click) "I seek your aid, brave heroes. Your assistance can free me of this baleful imprecation. Have you any interest in providing aid to a victim of insidious malfeseance? "

Alot looked to his companions for advice. Corvid replied, "Hey, I am all about the vengeance. So count me in!"

Cai'luin looked aghast, "You can't seriously be thinking of setting him free?"

Alot looked to the priest, "Patriarch Craig?"

Patriarch Craig replied, "Well, we don't like Keledek."

Cai'luin interrupted, "Okay, sure, we set this guy free and he kills Keledek. Then what? He'll be worse!"

The crabs interjected, "(click)(click) If my freedom alone is insufficient cause to help me, if my vengeance against the loathsome wizard does not persuade you to my cause, then I offer this further inducement. In my lonely imprisonment here I hear the comings and goings of those in the domicile above me. I sense their presence. I hear them through my servants. I know of the Scarlet Brotherhood and their agent the Serpent's Tooth. I am privy to all his clandestine encounters. Free me and I will tell you anything you want to know of his cunning schemes and machinations (click)(click) (click)(click) "

Corvid closed his eyes and tried to detect the presence of the undead, demons, or devils. The crabs around him were undead but that was all he could sense. 

Corvid told the others, "The crabs are obviously undead. I can't get a sense for anything behind the wall."

DM Note-

Divine Sense

Class: Paladin

The presence of strong evil registers on your senses like a noxious odor, and powerful good rings like heavenly music in your ears. As an action, you can open your awareness to detect such forces. Until the end of your next turn, you know the location of any celestia⁠l, fiend, or undead within 60 feet of you that is not behind total cover. You know the type (celestial, fiend, or undead) of any being whose presence you sense, but not its identity (the vampi⁠re Count Strahd von Zarovich, for instance). Within the same radius, you also detect the presence of any place or object that has been consecrated or desecrated, as with the hallow spell.

The key part there - THAT IS NOT BEHIND TOTAL COVER. So Corvid could not use Divine Sense on anything behind a wall.

So I told Corvid's player, "You are surrounded by undead crab, but the chamber beyond would be behind total cover and not visible by your sense."

The crabs replied in unison, "(click)(click) These wretches? These are but my loyal homunculi. I created them, you see, to protect and defend me in case Keledek ever returned! They serve me. But like me they are bound to this place." 

Alot asked, "So, how would we get you out?"

"(click)(click) The stones. The stones imprison me in this wretched cell. Remove the stones so that I may become free once more."

Alot once more looked at the others. Corvid and Craig shrugged. Cai'luin sighed and resigned himself to releasing the elder evil.

Alot and Corvid moved aside the stones revealing a plain door. It was unlocked.

They opened the door and found a small room, flooded like the rest of the cellar. In the center of the room was a square stone slab. On top of the slab was a crab - bleached white but otherwise ordinary.

The crabs in the previous room became excited. "(click)(click) Excellent. See that crab there? The pale crab sitting upon the stone slab? That is I! I am confined to this pitiable form! Slay me! Crush me with your hammer! Stab me with your sword! Break me in half like the pitiable crab I am! End my life so that the spell might be broken and I LIVE AGAIN! I will be free to wreak my terrible vengeance upon those who have wronged me!" 

 

"No", said Alot, "We have freed you. First you'll tell us about the Scarlet Brotherhood."

The crabs then spoke, "Of course."

Zenopus, speaking through the crabs, told the crew everything he had overheard in the abandoned house above. He told them that the agent of the Scarlet Brotherhood in Saltmarsh was known as the Serpent's Tooth and this his true identity was Skerrin Wavechaser, butler to Anders Solmor. He told them that the Scarlet Brotherhood wished to destabilize the monarchy in Keoland and sow discord in order to mount strikes against several coastal fortresses - including Seaton - just like they did in Monmurg. 

They also wished to cause disruption to the undersea nations. To that end the Serpent's Tooth orchestrated a failed assassination attempt against King Pelagius of the sea-elf kingdom of Manaan in an effort to turn the sea elves against the surface kingdoms. 

He also told them that Skerrin had accompanied Baron Solmor to the capital city of Niole Dra to attend the royal court for the summer - where he planned to poison the royal family and blame it on agents of Iuz. 

"Now, strike me down! Free me!"

"Wait!" said Cai'luin, "First you have to promise - you have to swear on something you hold dear that you will cause no harm, directly or indirectly to any resident of Saltmarsh - other than Keledek, and that you will allow no harm to be done to a resident of Saltmarsh by any being or creature you create or control."

"Fine! I promise by my darkest magics!"

Cai'luin, satisfied, allowed Alot to proceed.

Zenopus became even more excited, "Yes! Do it! Kill me! Free me! Hurry! Kill me now! Crush me! Destroy me!"

DM Note-

I really thought that would give them more pause, but apparently not.

"Wait!" said Patriarch Craig. The priest said a prayer and a brilliant light radiated from his shield, bathing the dank chamber in the light of day.

Zenopus faltered, "Wait! What?"

Alot crushed the crab with his hammer.

The crab disappeared in a puff of magical smoke, reappearing as a naked muscular man with pale wet green skin, covered in kelp. He had long stringy hair and a greasy unkempt beard. He bared his teeth and recoiled from Craig's miraculous daylight, "Agh! Put it away!" He held out his bony clawed hand towards Alot, "You! Do as I command!"

For a moment, Alot felt like helping the wizard, but he shook off the sensation and said, "No."

Zenopus hissed his displeasure.

Cai'luin played a strum on his lute and Zenopus recoiled in horror into the farthest corner. Alot smashed him with his hammer as he fled.

Zenopus became enraged, "This is treachery! You will all pay!" He darted towards Cai'luin. Alot gave chase, smashing him repeatedly with his magical hammer. Craig swung his dwarven war-pick into Zenopus. The wizard collapsed, disappearing into a puff of green mist. The green mist, in turn, began to sparkle and dissipate under the daylight. It soon vanished and was gone. 

DM Note-

ONE ROUND!

They defeated my tough vampire encounter in ONE STINKING ROUND! Stupid Daylight spell. 

In truth, this entire encounter was built to allow them to use the Scrolls of Daylight they got a million years ago. Unfortunately, Aella's player had to miss this session and she carried the scrolls. Of course, Patriarch Craig is tenth level and he can cast that now. 

If it hadn't have been for Daylight, that would have been a MUCH different encounter!

In retrospect, I should have just let Zenopus peacefully leave and get his revenge on Keledek and have the player characters face him later. 

"Huh" said Alot, "Who knew he was a vampire?"

Corvid raised his hand.

The giant crabs in the cellar quickly retreated from Patriarch Craig's daylight. Continuous exposure caused them to shrink and wither and eventually crumble. The crew exited the cellar of the abandoned house in Crabber's Cove. The crabs that swarmed the house, that once moved in unison, were now ordinary crabs. 

After they left, Corvid used a mending orison to repair the seal of Saint Cuthbert so that no one would know of their entry into the cellar. This might be useful for spying on the agents of the Crimson Brotherhood in the future.

Shah Javad Khorasani, Eye of the Tempest and Lord of the Thousand and One Bright Pearls

The next day was a cool and sunny spring morning - a sharp contrast to the late season chill of the previous day. The crew of the Sea Ghost were down at the docks making preparations to sail to Niole Dra. 

There was a sudden commotion as a great swelling of water approached the docks from the sea. It was as if a low hill of water was pushing its way towards the docks. The sailors, longshoremen, stevedores, and fishers fled from their boats to shore as the mass of water split off two smaller masses.

The mass of water in the center rose higher and higher until it was twenty feet high and forty feet across. It engulfed the end of the center dock while the two smaller masses covered the ends of the docks to the left and right. The ships and boats tied to the docks rocked under the swell. 

The three masses of water drained away, leaving behind several humanoid figures. In the center group stood a lavender humanoid, twenty feet tall, wearing fabulous jewelry and adornments. The giant wore a living sea snake around his neck as a necklace and a living sea snake around his right wrist as a bracelet. He carried a trisula - a kind of curved trident. He looked regal and imperious. He was accompanied by two armored water elementals. Before him stood four tritons. The flanking groups consisted of an armored water elemental and two tritons each. 

The invaders surveyed their surroundings. They did not appear to be openly hostile yet they also did not seem to be particularly friendly.

The giant spoke in a voice that shook the sea, "Citizens of Oerth! I am Shah Javad Khorasani, Eye of the Tempest and Lord of the Thousand and One Bright Pearls, Ruler of the City of Glass. I come seeking the miscreants that did deprive me of my prisoner, the marid known as Emir Farzad the Most Pearlescent and Opulent, from his cell beneath the Skyhorn Lighthouse. Come! Show yourself so that I might demand my retribution!"

Alot stepped forward, "Yes, we did that."

Corvid asked surreptitiously, "We did?"

Alot waved him back, "Yeah, I think so."

The Shah Javad Khorasani looked down at Alot, "I demand the return of my prisoner and the return of the treasure taken from my fountain - a value equal to five thousand and five hundred of your gold coins! In addition to this, once the previous demands are met, I demand as punishment that you be executed for your crimes!"

The head triton turned to look at the Shah, "You magnificence, we are here to adjudicate your claim and to negotiate a fair settlement. We will now hear from the defendants."

The triton approached Alot. Alot and the others showed the triton their badges indicating their status as honorary triton inquisitors. The triton accepted these badges. He had met them during the incident at Skyhhorn Lighthouse several months previous.

"What say you to these charges?"

Alot replied, "We did free - (pause) - that person you said. We also took your treasure. At the time we had assumed it had been abandoned. We apologize for the error. We will return to you your prisoner and your treasure - but we will not accept our execution."

The head triton turned to the Shah. The Shah considered this, "Fine! I find your counter-offer acceptable. Return to me my prisoner and my treasure within a full cycle of your primary moon and I will be satisfied. However, if by that time I do not have my prisoner and my treasure, I will destroy you and will raze this village and this entire coast!"

The triton inquisitor grimaced at the Shah. "You can raze this village! Not the entire coast!"

The Shah rolled his great eyes, "FINE! This village then!"

Alot said, "Agreed. Where is this prisoner now?"

The triton inquisitor shrugged, "If we knew that, he'd be in custody."

Patriarch Craig said, "Don't worry, I know how to find him."

Alot nodded, "Okay, how do we catch him? Won't he just teleport away?"

The Shah took the snake from around his arm and transformed them into a pair of golden manacles, "Take this. Bind his arms in these manacles and he will be unable to use his powers and so that you can return him to me."

"Got it!" said Alot.

The Shah said, "I leave you now! I will return in one fully cycle of your primary moon! BEWARE MY RETURN!"

The triton inquisitor ordered his fellow tritons to follow the Shah and his armored elemental warriors back into the sea. Before the inquisitor dove off the dock, he turned and gave a friendly salute to Alot and the crew, as if to say, "See you later!" He returned to the sea and disappeared.

The Deck of Many Things

That night, Captain Alot went into the bow of the Sea Ghost to consult with the magical mirror of Saint Cuthbert - a holy relic that had been salvaged from the Wreck of the Marshall. He gave the proper honors to Saint Cuthbert and asked the mirror to show him  the current location of Emir Farzad the Most Pearlescent and Opulent. 

Captain Alot saw the marid in a cramped stone holding cell, underwater, behind bars. His hands were bound by golden manacles. He was being addressed by a koalinth wizard from outside the cell. The wizard told the marid that he was to remain a prisoner of the koalinth for a year - at which point the only way to gain his freedom would be to grant the wizard a wish. There was no point in trying to escape, the magical manacles bound him and prevented his escape. Only he, Zrunkuc The Red, 

Archmage of the Koalinth, could grant him his freedom! The marid looked sad. Zrunkuc smiled and turned away, leaving the marid to stew in his loneliness. 

Captain Alot returned to the others and told them what he saw. They were sitting around a table at a local inn and talking about a deck of cards that Cai'luin always carried with him. 

No one knew where the koalinth prison might be. Captain Alot said, "I know who might - Princess Orthokent. They invited the koalinth to join their coalition. She must know how to contact them. We'll consult with Princess Orthokent. Wait. What are you doing?"

"We're trying to decide what to do with this deck of cards." said Cai'luin.

"Yes, and-?" said Alot.

"It's not just any deck. This is a magical deck. It's called the Deck of Many Things. Drawing a card from this deck can bring fabulous wealth."

"Or it can kill you and erase any evidence that you ever existed." grumbled Corvid.

Alot joined the lively debate about whether to use the Deck of Many Things. 

DM Note-

No, seriously. The players have been debating this since they got the deck back at Skyhorn Lighthouse. Tonight they debated it for a full forty minutes. They'd commit to using it, only to back away at the last minute. We've drawn from the deck in other campaigns. The results had a habit of ending campaigns. People got too rich. People died suddenly. People lost all their wealth. 

I tried making a rollable table in Roll20 to simulate drawing from the deck. It made them interested. But it didn't have the tactile effect I wanted. 

So I quickly purchased a pre-made Deck of Many Things from the Roll20 Marketplace for $7.99. 

Once the actual deck was on the virtual table, once they could see an actual thing to draw cards from, the players were hooked. 

Cai'luin finally said, "Enough talk! I draw!"

He drew the Star. He suddenly felt even MORE charismatic and likable!

DM Note- +2 to one stat.

Corvid said, "Fine! Me too!" He drew Ruin and Jester. 

DM Note- Corvid lost all his non-magical belongings. Jester grants you +10,000 XP. We're not tracking XP so I just let him level up. 

Patriarch Craig drew the Euryale and the Moon. 

DM Note- Craig now suffers -2 to all Saving Throws but got 1 Wish. 

Alot said, "No. I won't." Then, after a long pause, he drew the Star and the Key. A gleaming magical long-sword appeared on the table.

"What is that?" asked Craig.

"Don't know." said Alot. I'll tell you tomorrow.

DM Note- Alot got +2 to one stat and a random rare or better magical weapon. Alot's player doesn't know what it is yet - because I hadn't decided until just now. I'll tell the player at tomorrow's game so you all will just have to wait until next week to find out.

Corvid said, "Well, that could have been worse."

The Citadel of Princess Orthokent

The Sea Ghost set sail the next day. They sailed west towards the citadel of the Princess Orthokent. They were met by sea-sentries as they approached. They immediately recognized Alot as an honorary member of the Marshwater tribe. They called him by his Lizard-folk name Aryte Litrix and welcomed him home.

The ship was allowed to anchor near the entrance to the citadel. Alot was allowed to enter but the others would have to stay with the ship.

Princess Orthokent was busy so Alot was unable to speak with her directly. He was, however, able to consult with Sauriv, the lizard-man scholar. Alot asked Sauriv about the koalinth and where he might find them - specifically Zrunkuc The Red, Archmage of the Koalinth.

Sauriv told Alot where he might find the Koalinth Archmage. It was inside a sea-mount to the south, just northeast of the city of Monmurg. He warned Alot not to share this information with any sea elves and that he should blindfold Cai'luin to prevent his knowledge of the location. If the sea-elves were to learn of the location of the koalinth stronghold, it would mean war.

In addition, Sauriv said that the koalinth would not allow any surface ships near their sea-mount. They needed to approach by stealth or in a small boat. 

Alot thanked the learned lizard-man and returned to his ship.

Alot set a course south towards the location indicated by Sauriv. Late that night, Alot produced a small box that magically unfolded into a medium-sized boat. He and the other officers boarded the magical boat and left the Sea Ghost behind with orders to sail away and return the following day. 

Alot and his companions rowed the magical boat for several hours through the late night waters. 

Cai'luin, blindfolded, asked, "Are we close?"

Alot looked around at the endless expanse of sea, "Honestly, I'm not sure."

DM Note- Alot failed his navigation check.

A few more hours later, there was a loud thump as something large bumped against the hull of their boat. There was another bump. Several goblinoids covered in sea-weed and barnacles popped their heads out of the water.

"Hyoo-mans! You are not welcome in this waters! You will leave!""

Alot said, "We wish to speak with Zrunkuc The Red, Archmage of the Koalinth to negotiate the release of a prisoner."

"No! You will leave or you will be our prisoners!"

Corvid, Craig, and Alot leaned in to huddle. Corvid said, "Hey, aren't we trying to break into their prison anyway? They'll take us right to him."

Alot said, "I'm still hoping we can negotiate or something. I say we go with them."

With nodding heads, they agreed. Alot told the koalinth, "We surrender! Take us to your leader!"

The koalinth was confused for a moment. This wasn't supposed to happen.

"Surrender all your weapons! We take you prisoner!"

Alot shrugged, "Okay."

Cai'luin, still blindfolded, said, "What's happening?"

To be Continued...