“There’s a floater in the water!”
“Arg, where it be at!” Captain Halfbeard shouted up to Chutney Vic in the crow’s nest.
“Off the port bow!”
Kildo, along with Kai, Guo Gan, and Scomatch rushed to the left side railing. Out to sea was a male figure clinging to a piece of floating wood, which was heavily waterlogged. His clothes were tattered and hard to tell if he was alive or not.
As the ship steered towards him, the crew gathered large fishing nets, secured them to the deck, and started to hand them out to the members at the rail.
“Spread out!” Halfbeard bellowed, “Listen well! We ain’t be having a rowboat. So, we be only getting one chance to snag that fellow out there. If we be missing him, the ship’s wake will draw him under and there be no way to turn back before he be surely doomed.
“He’s coming up! Get ready!” Chutney Vic called out. “Now! Port side!”
Kildo’s net went sailing. It splashed. It went too far out. The cleric missed. “Blast it!”
Kai threw. It went short. The net was pulled under the boat. The castaway went right over.
Guo Gan sent his flying over. It landed and snagged on the wood. The drift board started to turn in the net. The person slid off and into the water. He was going under.
“Scomatch! Get him!” Kildo bellowed at the halfling.
The mage struggled, but the net’s weight was too much. In desperation, he just pushed it over the railing. If fell short in front of the sinking man. Both went under the waves. However, his leg and an arm became caught in the net.
“He’s tangled! Scomatch got him! Heave up!” Chutney Vic bellowed.
“Love those little people’s luck,” Halfbeard said as he tasseled the halfling’s hair.
“Hey, I’m a wizard, mind you,” Scomatch scolded.
“Only after ye be trained up a bit,” Halfbeard riposted and winked.
The crew of the Emerald Eel reached hand-over-hand across the rough net. They strained pulling their catch up the side.
“Get yer hands on him!” Kildo shouted leaning over trying to grab, but failed with his shorter reach.
Kai and Guo Gan grasped the limp form and pulled him onto the deck. They turned him over. He had a sloping forehead, a jutting jaw with prominent teeth with a bulky build. His head and body were heavily beaten, bruised, and had a grayish pigmentation, but not of death.
“It’s an orc!” Kai yelled. “He’s alive!”
The crew rushed in.
“Woit!? I can’t see! I can’t see! Is it the orc from the Emperor of the Waves?” Kildo asked excitedly jumping up trying to peer over.
“By the nine hells, that be CragEar from the Sea Ghost,” Halfbeard exclaimed.
“Where am I?” CragEar weakly said shielding the sun with one hand.
“The Emerald Eel. It seems ye been out at sea for many days,” Halfbeard explained.
“What tales do you have to tell,” Kai asked.
CragEar turned over and began coughing. He spat up more than a mouthful of the sea and rubbed his temple. “Ugh, dat water iz so salty an oh, ma head.” He then mumbled, “If Ohtaril kould see me now.”
“What happened?” Guo Gan asked.
After several moments, he moved to sit on the deck. “Afta leav'n Scarlet Peeks ta run interference, ‘da Sea Ghost was chased down by ‘da Howl'n Hatred. Dere ship was so fast. Dey swarmed onboard. Der was noth'n we kould do. We were outnumbered five ta one, at lease. Dey took us kaptive an’ drew us down 'n da hold. I don’t know how much time passed. Hours? days? All I know iz we were tak'n ta some keep on a large island. I heard one of 'da Howl'n Hatred’s boyz said it was kalled Rilandria. I was able ta escape, but got kaught. Dey smash me up real bad, but I got one of dem gud. Dey’ll be call'n 'em One-Ear from now on,” CragEar chuckled to himself. His brow furrowed, as he spat more of the sea. “Gunna be a while tast'n dat salt.”
“How did you escape Rilandria?” Guo Gan asked.
“I fink dey thought dey kilt me an' dumped me. I awoke an found myself ‘n a small waterway. I followed it an' it led ta a bay. I used a piece of discarded timba an’ floated out da water gate at night. Right unda dere noses,” CragEar snorted. “I was gunna circle back an' try an' rescue ‘da rest of ‘da sea ghost boyz, but ‘da kurrent was too strong an' ma kondition too weak.”
“No worries, lad. Ye be safe now,” Captain Halfbeard said.
“Captain, do we return to Scarlet Peeks to turn in the blue box and get help, or do we go rescue the crew of the Sea Horse?” Kildo asked.
“There be no timeline on turning in that blue box. We be getting our crew.”
* * *
“Land ahoy!” Chutney Vic shouted down.
“Bring me my scope!” Captain Halfbeard bellowed. Johnny One-Bags rushed to the captain’s quarters and emerged a moment later. He uncapped both ends of the scope, extended it to its full length, and peered through. The scope made it appear as if he had traveled right over the sea. He could see Rilandria, which was about six times bigger than Scarlet Peeks. “Be keeping us here right over the horizon til nightfall. We don’t need to be spotted. I be wanting the away team in the situation room with CragEar.”
Kai, Guo Gan, Scomatch, and Kildo joined Captain Halfbeard and CragEar. Inside, there was a long wooden table with six chairs and a few port holes letting in sun light. After resting, the orc had regained some of his greyish color. One arm was in a makeshift sling.
“What can you tell us about the Howling Hatred’s base?” Kai asked.
“Dere base 'n on ‘da south side of ‘da island. It’s a small keep wit' a sea wall enclosing da area. A heavy chain iz raised or lowered ta allow ships 'n or out; mostly out. However, da bay iz small. Only a coupla boats kould be brought 'n. Dat’s where I exited. However, within iz a small channel dat leads ta ‘da interior of ‘da keep. Dat’s where I escaped from an' a way for ya ta get 'n without be'n seen. Den once inside, you’ll be surrounded by ‘da Howl'n Hatred’s boyz,” CragEar explained.
As the sun set that night, the Emerald Eel sailed towards Rilandria. They approached the west side of the island and well away from any prying eyes in the south. It was nearing midnight when the four members of the away team dropped into the water and swam the short distance to shore. The water was a little cooler in the nighttime air, but manageable. Arriving on shore and traveling they found a road that led south. They made good time and soon saw lights in the distance.
They came across a stone fortification consisting of a keep with a water gatehouse. A windowless, stone walkway connected four towers, which did have windows. A direct assault would be out of the question. However, it did have a weakness. A heavy chain linking between two towers sealed off a small port and dock within. While a ship would not be able to enter with the chain up, four individuals could easily swim under it.
At the water’s edge, the smell of algae and fish were strong. However, it was also an indication of a thriving food source. The water lapped rhythmically against the shore and one could see several feet down to the bottom. It was surprisingly clean and refreshed often by the current.
“The waterway is our way in,” Kai said whispering. “Kildo, since you and I can breathe underwater, I’ll take Guo Gan and you take Scomatch.”
Quietly entering the water near the southernmost tower, they followed it around until they could see the chain and entrance to the interior bay. Getting close, they saw a guard on the opposite side holding a torch. However, his attention was directed outwards towards the sea and not downward.
Motioning, Kai and Guo Gan went underwater to swim under the chain. Kildo followed suit with the halfling on his back. The water was calm and there was no current to push against them. Emerging in the middle of the interior bay, they saw two craft. A small sloop was tied to the docks and a merchant ship sat just north of the entrance along the eastern wall with the name Sea Ghost on its side. There was no activity on the vessel.
Kai motioned to Kildo to head towards another inlet waterway inside to the northeast. It was also closed off by smaller chains, but easily bypassed going underwater. Surfacing on the other side, the cave like waterway went about 100 feet and opened into a small bay. A dock made of stone stairs rose out of the water. Two row boats were tied to one of four pegs hammered into stone. The waterway continued to the west and traveled northwards, but seemed to narrow. A whiff of an unpleasant stench also emanated from that way. The air was not as nice.
“If you see anything floating, don’t touch it,” Guo Gan said.
Scomatch looked towards something long and floating his way. His brows raised in concern, as he hurried out of the water and onto the stairs.
“Oi! Something moved past me feet,” Kildo exclaimed.
“Out of the water!” Kai ordered in a hushed, but controlled tone to remain quiet.
The sounds of ‘gurgling’ water resonated just to their west. Six emaciated, roughly humanoid creatures with an almost-hairless, decaying hide that stretched tight over their bones exploded from the water. Each had sharp teeth of a carnivore and sunken eyes that burned as if they were hot coals from a furnace, in their sunken sockets. They flexed long, filthy claws and fangs. The stench decaying and rotting meat lingered around their clearly undead forms. It was strong enough to immediately cause nausea to churn in the party’s stomachs. These were ghouls.
Taking one of the tied rowboats, he pushed it towards the six ghouls to block their advance. The second one slashed its claws striking the paladin, but only caused a minor wound as it struck armor. The other four missed, blocked by the boat, as the party rushed out of the water.
Scomatch turned and hurled a fire bolt, but it missed. It splashed into the water and sizzled.
Kai slashed with his longsword, but the ghoul on the other side of the boat was just out of reach.
However, Guo Gan’s quarterstaff was just long enough. It bashed into the second ghoul’s head, smashing it into pulp. Black ichor flew. Its body slumped into the water and was quickly swallowed.
“Life is death. Death is rebirth. Rebirth is life. Get back!” Kildo held his holy ankh of Rigga the Earthmother. Light reflected out from the symbol and struck the first, third, and sixth ghoul. They went into a panic and dove into the water and swam towards the waterway to the northwest towards a small, but natural cave. The fourth and fifth ghouls swiped their claws over the rowboat, which acted as a shield and missed.
Another fire bolt from Scomatch flew from the mage and struck the fifth ghoul.
With a longer reach, Kai thrusted with his longsword over the boat and pierced the rotten flesh of the fourth ghoul.
Guo Gan bashed with his quarter staff, smashing the skull of the fourth undead and using the other end as a spear thrusted it into the mouth and out of the back of the fifth one. Dead, both creatures sank into the water.
Deciding not to follow the fleeing undead back through the tunnel and into their lair, they made their way up the port’s steps. They saw a stone, spiral staircase that led up. Following, it ended in a wall. Examining it closer, Guo Gan spotted a false, secret door. Pressing his ear to it, the monk motioned for the rest of the party to remain quiet.
“There are noises on the other side,” Guo Gan whispered. “It’s likely after midnight, so I’m concerned they aren’t going anywhere.”
“This is make it or break it. We have to take the room and be quiet about it,” Kai whispered.
“I be getting this,” Kildo said and began casting. “Open the door.”
Guo Gan flipped a latch and pulled it open. Stone grinded in protest, indicating it wasn’t used frequently
The secret door opened into a grand hall two stories high. There were a set of heavy, double doors directly opposite from them to the east. Two sets of stone stairs, one to the north and the other south led to an upper level with a balcony overlooking the room. There were also two more doors on the west wall to the north and south of the secret door. The walls were painted green and blue and tapestries in tatters with nautical designs. In the room were a smaller table and a wooden chair designed to seat someone important. In addition, there was a long table littered with plates and mugs. At it were two female Crushing Wave Reavers sitting across from each other. Both had their dark hair pulled back tight in corn-rows with decorative shells woven in. Unarmored, they wore short, simple tops with a black mesh covering, along with leather pants and high boots. Their bellies were bare, but scarred, indicating they were skilled fighters.
“So much for disguising Kildo as a reaver,” Scomatch snorted looking at the dwarf’s broad chest.
Seeing the party, they rose at once. The women drew vicious-looking longswords fitted with shark teeth that ran the length of their blades. They each grabbed a blue-tinted round shield for protection and breathed in deeply to raise an alarm.
A gigantic, clear bubble passed into and encompassed room. The cleric spell took effect; Silence.
Before they could understand what was happening, Guo Gan rushed in and swiped with his quarterstaff, striking the second pirate. He also gave her a swift kick. His foot crunched into her side. While pain was evident on her face, there was no sound as she cried out.
Standing inside the secret door’s room, Scomatch’s casting of Snilloc’s Snowball Swarm was clearly audible. A flurry of hardened ice snowballs magically appeared and pummeled both female pirates. The second one went down hard. The first stayed up, but was beaten by several of the ice balls. They also crashed into the table and stone floor in silence.
The Crushing Wave Reaver swung with her shark tooth longsword. The blade bit deep into Guo Gan. His cry also silenced. Kai rushed in to engage her. However, seeing she was severely outnumbered, she dashed for the double door. She flung them open and made it a foot outside, before being struck down by the monk’s quarterstaff.
Guo Gan quickly dragged her body back in by her legs and closed the double door. After a quick search of the two, they didn’t have anything of value other than their swords. The party dragged both bodies into the secret room area and closed the door.
Kai began speaking, but nothing came out. Huffing and then pointing northward, while the party couldn’t hear him, the meaning was clear. Head up the stone stairs to the second level.
They made their way up. At the top, the balcony looked over the grand hall below. There were two windows to the north and south. It was still dead of night with overcast skies. They were 100 feet or more away from the shore. Fresh, cool air blew through the openings. To the west was a long hallway with a door at the far end and two more doors to the north and south.
Guo Gan headed to the north door and unlocked, slowly opened it. Inside was a single bedroom with a large, blue-skinned, male humanoid. Bald on top with black mutton chops, he had snake-like tattoos on his left arm. He was snoring soundly. A wicket-looking dagger was on a bed rest next to where he slept. As the party crept in and closed the door, the monk suddenly batted murderously at his foe with his quarterstaff. It was a devastating attack.
Scomatch followed up and casted a fire bolt that blasted into his face. The blue-skinned humanoid fell back into his pillow dead.
“Why did you do that!?” Kai harshly whispered to Guo Gan.
“What? He’s a pirate,” Guo Gan replied. “May I remind you, these are the guys that captured the Sea Ghost and likely tortured them. Do I need to remind you what they did to CragEar?”
“We murdered…that person in his sleep,” Kai reposted.
“Fat Homer,” Kildo read pointing to a name tag in a pair of thick, leather boots at the end of the bed.
“I believe it’s pronounced ‘Fathomer’. Three syllables,” Scomatch explained.
“This place would be a great lair for us. Now’s the time to take it. The Howling Hatred is out to sea, so it’s likely lightly defended,” Guo Gan stated.
“No more murdering people. We give them a chance to surrender,” Kai ordered.
Waiving off the paladin, Guo Gan, Scomatch, and Kildo searched the room. An old bookshelf was empty. Fathomer’s single bunk sat under a window. There was also a wooden chair, desk and chest. Upon opening the chest there was rolled pieces of paper, about a hundred silver and gold coins along with gems worth twice as much as the coins.
Gathering them, there was also a tube, which Scomatch took. Pulling the end off, he pulled it out and magical dust floated off it. “Ah, a scroll of Haste. I could use that.” The halfling then tucked it into his belt.
The party crept to the southern door in the hallway. Opening it up, there were four more female Crushing Wave Reavers asleep.
Guo Gan quietly went into the room, and either didn’t see or ignored Kai’s waiving command to stop. The monk went to the third bunk. He jabbed murderously at his foe with the tip of his quarterstaff. It smashed into her nose. She died immediately.
Scomatch launched a fire bolt into the room, but it blasted harmless on the fourth pirate’s headboard.
Kildo looked down at the first female pirate. Asleep, her bunk was right next to the door. She was at his mercy, helpless. Something didn’t feel right in his stomach. A familiar sounding voice, his voice, whispered in his head. ‘You have the jump on her. Kill her now. She’d do the same to you.’ He recognized the voice as his brother, Dildo.
‘No.’
‘No? Ye be remembering that wasp nest by the well when we be young?’ the voice said.
‘Yes.’
‘Father wanted you to be getting rid of them wasps, but you be wanting to spare them,’ Dildo recalled.
‘They be eating other pests. They have a use and be worth saving.’
‘Worth saving? What that be getting you?’ Dildo asked.
‘Stings.’
‘Yeah, stings. Then father had to be the one taking out their nest and he be stung too. This here be a nest and these pirates da wasps. Be killing her now, before she be stinging ye and yer fellows.’
‘I can’t. She’s at my mercy.’
‘Ah, I be seeing now. Ye be making sense. Good, my brother. We be the same. Knock her out. Capture her. Put her in chains. Be putting her to work on the ship. I be proud of ye,’ Dildo voice exclaimed in pride.
“No!” Kildo said out loud.
The pirate’s eyes flung open. They went wide seeing him. There was a pause. Growling, she reached for a shark toothed longsword. The cleric reacted and brought his warhammer down crunching into her shoulder. She dropped the weapon and yelped in pain.
“Surrender! I want all of you to stand back and stand by!” Kai bellowed from outside of the women’s quarters.
The far west door at the end of the hallway flew open. What appeared to be a cross between a man, a bear, and a pig emerged; a wereboar. He had a hunchbacked frame, so his head extended forward on a shorter neck. His body was stocky, muscular and about 5’6” tall with short stiff fur. The wereboar, like a boar, had two razor-sharp, but short tusks coming out of his mouth. His hide was covered in black hair as stiff as wire bristles. Feet bare and were hooves. He wore simple clothes, which were partially ripped. He was one ugly creature. In his hands he wielded a large maul. Etched along the weapon’s shaft was the wording: ‘Half-Man, Half-Boar, All Bastard!’
“Anyone who stands back and stands by will die at the hands of Jolliver Grimjaw!”
Behind the wereboar and where he exited was a large bedroom. Emerging behind Grimjaw was a man in a simple loin cloth, who was loading a crossbow.
Kai charged the creature and thrusted with his glaive. He struck Grimjaw right in the stomach, but the blade failed to penetrate the wiry bristles.
“Ha, ha, ha! Another stupid triton.”
Radiant light burst from the glaive’s end, blinding Grimjaw and scorching his hair. “Stupid triton!”
Kildo moved into the hallway with the wereboar and planted his kite shield. The point cracked the stone. Grimjaw smashed his maul downward, but the dwarf deflected the blunt of the blow. The lycanthrope’s strength was immense. His left forearm stung and muscles tightened from the impact. A moment later, an audible ‘click’ followed a bolt from the pirate male. It ricocheted off the shield harmless and felt like someone had rammed a spear as hard as they could against it.
Three magic missiles sailed from the northern quarters of Fathomer and darted around Kai and Kildo into the southern room. The bolts slammed into the second female pirate. Like a rag doll, she was blasted as she rose. Her body’s convulsed as she fell back into her bed lifeless.
Taking command of the southern room, Guo Gan swung with his quarterstaff, striking the fourth female pirate. She doubled over from the blow.
The wereboar continued to hammer at Kildo’s shield, but the stubborn dwarf didn’t give any ground and stayed tucked behind it. The cleric held onto his leather shield straps with both arms as he casted; Spiritual weapon. A blue, spectral warhammer materialized behind Grimjaw. The ghost-like weapon crashed downward with horrific power. It crunched into the back of the wereboar. He reeled in pain. The spell affected it.
Understanding magical means were needed to hurt the lycanthrope, Kai dropped his glaive and pulled his longsword, which glowed with light. He lunged and the tip pierced through Grimjaw’s thick hide. The weapon’s tip burst with radiant light burning and damaging the beast. It was a devastating attack.
Grimjaw had not known such pain since becoming a child of the moon. Angered, he charged the triton and gored him with is razor-sharp tusks. It penetrated the armor. Blood was seen dripping from underneath.
“It burns!” Kai called out in pain attempting to grab the wound, but it was covered by armor.
The pirate behind Grimjaw fired his crossbow. The bolt struck Kildo’s shield harmlessly.
The first female pirate drew a long sword, also covered with shark teeth. Seeing the triton was distracted she slashed and it smashed into his back. The weapon failed to penetrate the plate deeply, as several shark teeth were broken off and sent flying by the thick armor. Glancing down at her damaged weapon, she failed to see three magical darts from Scomatch blast into her unarmored body. She stood a moment before collapsing dead to the stone floor.
The fourth female Crushing Wave Reaver also pulled a shark infused longsword and slashed at Guo Gan, but the monk dodged out of the way. Riposting, Guo Gan brought his quarterstaff around and bashed her skull. She fell limp to the ground.
The spectral blue warhammer slammed again into Grimjaw. However, while effective, Kildo was in a precarious position. His spiritual weapon could harm Grimjaw, but from observation, his normal warhammer wouldn’t. He could cast Toll the Dead, but the cantrip was weak and unreliable on the best of days. Seeing Kai’s wound continue to bleed, he was now concerned the triton could have been infected with lycanthropy. Something he couldn’t cure. His best course of action was to stay between Grimjaw and the rest of the party, keep anyone else from being attacked and infected, and try to absorb attacks as his spiritual weapon and Kai’s longsword finished off the wereboar. Another crossbow bolt ‘pinged’ off the cleric’s shield. At least, that was one attack not aimed at his fellows.
Slashing with his magical longsword, Kai opened a deep cut across Grimjaw’s chest.
Howling in rage, the wereboar smashed his maul into Kai and charged in, slashing the paladin again with his tusks, drawing more blood.
“Good! Bleed! I shall turn you all into wereboars. You all shall grow stronger with the blessing of the moon,” Grimjaw said. “You all shall stand next to the Crushing Wave Reavers by my side.”
Scomatch walked into the hallway. His face covered by his robe’s hood and hidden in shadow. “No, you will fail Jolliver Grimjaw. I am a wizard, like my father before me. You will not turn us. You will be destroyed.” The mage raised his hands and a beam of crackling, blue energy lanced out from behind Kildo and Kai. It struck the wereboar. The lycanthrope seized up as the electricity coursed up and down his body.
There was a rush of air, as the flying form of Guo Gan used his quarterstaff to pole vault over Kildo. The monk’s leg smashed outward, kicking with tremendous force. It stuck Grimjaw in the chest, knocking him hard to the stony ground.
Kai slashed with his longsword, but missed as his opponent fell backwards out of reach.
Taking advantage, Kildo’s spiritual hammer smashed into the downed beast. He then sent a wave of healing energy towards Kai. The bleeding from being ripped by Grimjaw’s tusks stopped.
A look of determination spread across the wereboar’s face. He shook his head back-and-forth, as if flinging off the effects of the party’s blows. It was as if he was immune to pain. He rose and rung his two hands around the maul’s handle. He swung mightily. The weapon ‘whooshed’ over Kildo’s head. Curving snake-like, Kai unbelievably dodged the blow. The maul smashed into the stone wall, cracking it, as fault lines went in several directions. He missed.
“Bring him down! Bring him down! Bring him down!” Kai yelled.
Scomatch extended his hands and focused his witch bolt, as more blue electricity coursed into the wereboar. Kildo’s spiritual hammer slammed into the creature. However, Kai throwing caution aside rushed Grimjaw. He thrusted his longsword through the wereboar. Radiant light exploded out the back of the lycanthrope. Blood, intestines, and gore spilled and splashed to the ground. Jolliver Grimjaw’s eyes rolled into the back of his head, as he fell lifeless to the stone floor.
The male pirate in the loin cloth with a crossbow yelled, “Jolly, no!” He then haphazardly launched a bolt at the dwarf. It went wide. He ran towards Grimjaw, as if he had just given up on life.
“Really?” Scomatch said as he began casting; Snilloc’s Snowball Swarm. Gigantic ice balls pummeled the pirate. He fell under the magical onslaught. He pitifully crawled, as he was struck, through Grimjaw’s intestines and slippery blood. Reaching out his hand, he lightly caressed the wereboar’s fur, before an ice ball smashed into the back of his head. It exploded as his skull and brains became a bloody pulp.
“Ewww!” the group groaned. “That’s not right!”
As the party recovered, the lycanthrope’s boar form began to change, as he reverted and shrunk back into a small, skinny man. Several lethal blows, where any one could easily kill a normal man, were strewn across his body. The peril of Jolliver Grimjaw was no more.
10/02/2021 – Treasure
Fat Homer
· 30 gp
· 80 sp
· 4 gems – 70 gp each = Total 280 gp
· Scroll of Haste
Jolliver Grimjaw
· 150 gp
· 600 sp
· 450 ep
Party Split:
· 460 gp / 4 = 115 gp
· 680 sp / 4 = 170 sp
· 450 ep / 4 = 112 ep
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