“It’s 2am and all be well,” Kildo whispered. “Other than us being surrounded by them reavers.” The party held up in the Crushing Waves Reaver’s women’s quarters and tended their wounds. Guo Gan and Kai rested, Scomatch read his spell book, as Kildo sat on a chair next to the door listening for movement outside and maintained watch. They moved the bodies of Jolliver Grimjaw and the four women reavers into his quarters, which was the largest and seemed like maybe the boss, so it’d be less likely for someone to disturb him in the middle of the night, if all was well.
“Wait? How do you know it’s 2am?” Guo Gan asked.
“A dwarf be knowing. Can’t ye be feeling the earth move through the stone?” Kildo replied.
“No.”
“Well then, how ye be telling what time it is? The trees be telling ya?”
“The sun.”
“Bah, that’s no good. The sun’s not up now, is it?”
“Enough. We need to find the Sea Ghost crew,” Kai said as the party stirred and prepared to leave the room. “The next fellow we meet, we need to capture them and interrogate for information.”
Heading back down to the first floor, where they first encountered the two Crushing Waves Reavers, there were three unexplored areas. Double doors led to the courtyard and a north and south door.
Heading to the northern entrance, Guo Gan pressed his ear. “I can’t hear anything.”
“Bah, let me be trying,” Kildo said and removing his helm, pressed the side of his head against the door. He listened for several heartbeats.
“Anything?” Guo Gan asked placing his hands on his hips.
Scoffing, at the monk, Kildo pulled back and said, “Nothing, but ye be seeing this be wood. Now, if this would be stone, then I be hearing a pin drop on the other side.”
“Of course.” Guo Gan said with a hint of doubt. He then moved in and placed his hands on the door’s latch. Slowly raising it, he pushed it open with a slight creak.
“Yes, master?” came a sleepy voice within.
Rushing in, Guo Gan quickly faced the sole person inside. Human in clothing a step or two above rags, he had platinum blond hair and pale skin, like he hasn’t been exposed to sunlight for some time.
“Not in the face! Not in the face!” He cowered as the monk advanced.
The rest of the party entered and gently closed the door. They were in a kitchen area with two long tables and food stuff and supplies in crates, barrels, and bowls. Pots and pans were stationed throughout.
Moving up and surrounding the human, Kildo asked, “What be yer name lad?”
“Oric”
Kai asked, “Where is the crew of the Sea Ghost, Oric?”
“I don’t know.”
“Let me clarify and let’s say your life depends on answering that question. Where are they,” Kai probed.
“Lord Grimjaw would be who decided where to put prisoners. I just cook, clean, and serve food. I don’t get out of the castle. They let me sleep by the fire, because all the beds are full,” Oric explained.
“Why are all the beds full,” Kai asked.
“There are only six servant beds in the room to the south,” Oric explained. “Hey, you guys aren’t part of the cult. Can you take us with you?”
“What happened to you,” Guo Gan asked.
“They captured me. I was part of an elite group, called Eric’s Clerics and--”
Kai interrupted Oric, “Wait, the pirates are all part of a cult?”
“Yes, their chapel is across the way. It’s scary.”
“I want you to scratch out what you know of the area and if it turns out that you haven’t lied to us, then things will go great for you,” Kai explained.
“Do you have a scratchy thing?” Oric inquired.
The group looked at each other. Kildo’s glaze then fell on Scomatch.
“Oi, give Oric your quill and spell book to scratch out the area.
“No, no way,” Scomatch held his spell book tight.
“Here,” Oric said as he started to pour out some flour on a table. He then began to sketch out the keep. Drawing the rough outline of the four towers and the bay, the cook also drew in two buildings. He then explained, “To the east is the chapel and to the south is the barracks.”
“What’s inside?” Guo Gan asked.
“I haven’t been in the towers and they don’t tell me about the other buildings. I just cook their food,” Oric explained.
“How many people do ye be cooking for?” Kildo asked.
“Maybe two dozen?”
“Alright, get ready to wake the other servants,” Kai said.
Guo Gan then added, “If anyone wakes up, tell them to stay here.”
“Yes, and if any pirates come by, don’t let them know about us. We’ll give you the signal. Then you all leave and come towards us,” Kai said.
“What’ll be the signal?
“You’ll know.”
The party moved out from the kitchen towards the double doors in the main entrance. Opening them, the darkness of night greeted them. It led to a courtyard with a rough path with sparse grass surround it. A set of stairs went up to the wall to the north with a building right across the way not more than 20 feet. A single, solid door led inside the chapel.
Moving, Guo Gan pressed his ear and listened for several heartbeats. He shook his head indicating there was nothing. Kai moved over to join him.
Seeing the doors made of wood, Kildo decided not to listen.
The monk slightly opened the door and then a moment later, flung them wide. “Mephits!”
“I don’t see any muppets?” Scomatch said trying to peer around the wide form of Kildo.
“Mephits, not muppets,” Kai explained and rushed in.
Inside, the chapel extended 40’ x 30’ with five pairs of wooden pews down the length. A set of double doors were at the far eastern end and on the western side where the party entered was a simple alter without any idols on it. There were what appeared to be four large icicles, but they began to transform. A nearly see-through creature, like a cross between a small, winged imp with the head of a mosquito with a long thin proboscis, all sculpted out of two elements, air and water. They were ice mephits. Next to the altar was a humanoid, whose skin color was aqua, like the sea. His black hair was braided in cornrows with shells woven in. Barnacles, like warts, were growing out across his bare-chested form. He had a long skirt made entirely of strips of seaweed with a conch shell tied to a thick, leather belt, which had a blue crystal in the center appearing like a kraken eye. Webbed hands held a long staff with an ornate, brass head.
“How dare you!”
“How dare you!?” Scomatch mimicked as the mage scampered in. He weaved his tiny hands and casted; color spray. A dazzling array of flashing, colored lights sprang from his fingertips. They struck two of the flying ice mephits in the northern section of the room. The light seemed to bounce around inside their reflective forms. Twisting in discomfort, they screamed, “My icy eyes!” as the light blinded them. The first two flew around haphazardly and crashed into each other in mid-air.
“Halfling, don’t be charging in there like that!” Kildo scolded. “Ye think ye a barbarian?!” The dwarf swung with his warhammer, missing the Crushing Wave’s priest. However, the cleric backhanded with is shield knocking him hard to the ground.
Rising up, he began casting. The humanoid’s body became blurred, shifting and wavering. It was difficult to tell his exact location.
The third ice mephit slightly inside the room breathed out a blast of withering cold. Kai was struck, but the cold didn’t seem to affect him much. Kildo hid behind his magical shield blocking the damage, as tiny icicles grew, forming along the edge.
The fourth mephit at the door where they entered also breathed. Its chilling air encompassed Kai, Guo Gan and Scomatch.
In return, Kai slashed his longsword striking the fourth mephit twice. Radiant light blasted the ice creature, as he was smoted by the paladin. Its wing and left side were heavily damaged.
Wounded and partially melted, Guo Gan batted at the flying nuisance with his quarter staff. The mephit made of air and ice exploded. Shards of its needle-like remains flew and pelted Kildo and Kai, like hail.
The pellets melted, as they felt heat as a fire bolt sailed over Kildo’s head and arched into the third mephit in the chest. “Ahhh, I’m melting!” A portion of his front liquefied and flashed frozen again.
The blurry form of the priest was in front of Kildo. It was hard to tell where he really was, as the spell played tricks on his eyes. He swung horizontally and clipped a portion of the seaweed skirt, as it went flying off. He attempted to follow up and bash with his shield, but missed passing through the blurry image. Blast it, he was just there a moment before!
The Crushing Wave’s priest exclaimed, “Fools! You will die for violating the sanctity of this sanctum.” A frigid beam of blue-white light streaked from his finger and toward Kildo. Raising it up at the last moment, it struck the dwarf’s shield.
The third mephit flew over the battle and towards the entrance. Guo Gan reached out and swung with his quarterstaff. He knocked the ice creature out of the air to the ground. He leapt on it and it shattered. The monk was struck, as ice pellets bounced harmless off Kildo’s chain armor.
“Bah, don’t ye be forgetting monk them bugs be exploding when they be dying,” Kildo scolded.
The first mephit finished rubbing its eyes and regained its sight. Eyes narrowing on the distracted elven monk, darted and flew by, slashing Guo Gan with its sharp, icy claws.
The second mephit followed the first and nose-dived at Kildo. The dwarf threw up his shield and the ice imp’s claws bounced off.
Joining Kildo, Kai slashed at the blurred form of the priest, but struck nothing but air.
Bashing at the second ice mephit, Guo Gan clipped the flying creature with his staff. Following up with a spinning, hook-kick, it struck it in mid-air. It exploded into more ice shards.
Scomatch’s head peeked into the room long enough for him to throw a fire bolt underhand. It curved into the first and remaining mephit. A hole melted clean through its chest. The ice imp shrieked in panic unable to stop itself from liquefying.
Unsure of the exact position of the Crushing Wave’s priest, Kildo then began casting; Toll the Dead. The sound of a dolorous bell filled the air around the webbed humanoid.
“Ha, your goddess is weak, follower of Rigga the dirt mother!”
Angered at mocking his patron, the dwarf swiped with his shield, but missed.
The holey mephit, blasted frost from its mouth. Kildo hid behind his shield, as Guo Gan and Kai were encompassed in the cold cloud. They shrugged off the main effects of the icy blast.
“There is nowhere you can hide. Block this,” the priest said as he began casting; magic missile. Three glowing darts of magical force flew from his palms and weaved around Kildo’s shield and blasted into his chain armor.
“Dodge this,” Kai said as he thrusted his longsword clipping the Crushing Wave’s priest. The blade shot out radiant light, as the paladin smited the cultist, who howled in pain.
“Get back here, you flying insect,” Guo Gan called out and bashed the last mephit out of the air. It detonated into shards, striking both Guo Gan and Kai, as well as the priest. Then using his quarterstaff, he used it to vault into the blurred form of the Crushing Wave’s priest. His flying leg struck square in the center of the image. The cultist went down hard.
Growling as he began to rise, Scomatch rushed into the room.
“Ah, ha!” A fire bolt flew from the mage and detonated striking the priest. His blurred image slowed down and returned to normal, as he gasped and died.
Examining the room and occupants, there was nothing of value. Several straw pallets were also found present where people could sleep. There was no golden idol on the alter or anything special about the wooden pews.
Kai examined the wounds suffered by Guo Gan and laid his hands on the elven monk. Healing energy passed between the two as the most grievous wounds sealed. Recovering from the battle, the party opened the eastern double doors in the chapel. It opened to another dirt pathway. They were right next to the northeastern tower. A path also led a short distance to the south, which overlooked the bay. The Sea Ghost was still anchored against the eastern wall.
Creeping to the northeast tower door, Guo Gan again listened. Upon hearing nothing, he quietly opened the latch and peeked in. Inside were five orcs. They had stooped postures, low foreheads, and piggish faces with prominent lower canines that resembled tusks. They all had bluish pigmentation, jutting jaws, and if standing a towering build. Their black hair was sparse and mainly bald. Three were slumbering in beds with two others slumped against a wall, likely guards that had fallen asleep.
Backing out carefully, he closed the door, but there was a slight ‘click’. Cringing, there was no sound of movement inside.
Moving south towards the docks, they looked over the bay.
“I’m going to check to see if the crew might actually be on the Sea Ghost,” Kai said as he began to unstrap his plate armor. Helping him, it was several minutes later, as the triton carefully slid down the embankment and into the water. A half an hour passed before he returned. The party knew they weren’t aboard by the shaking of his head.
As Kai donned his armor back on, Guo Gan said, “We really should take out those orcs while they are asleep. We don’t want them at our backs if the alarm is raised.”
The group all nodded and returned back to the northeast tower. With Guo Gan leading, he opened the latch and in front of him were the five orcs. They wore a patch-work of armor secured by straps on their shoulders, chest, groin, and shins. The rest was bare. They each held a thick, but crude battle axe in their hands. Their eyebrows were raised in surprise at seeing Guo Gan and the rest of the group.
Reacting, Kai pushed in and slashed the second orc on his bare shoulder. Knocking him out of the way to allow his friends in, another orc took a swing at the moving paladin, but missed.
A fire bolt flew in striking the fourth orc in his armored chest.
“Oi, I am gunna eat ya halfl'n. I have ma own special BBQ sauce for dose tasty legs,” the orc threatened.
Guo Gan flew in and swept his quarterstaff in a tremendous bone-crushing arc. It smashed into the neck of the second orc, snapping its neck. He then side-kicked the fourth, halfling-hungry orc and knocked him to the ground.
“No one be eating halfling today,” Kildo informed and brought his warhammer crashing downward with horrific power. The prone orc squealed as his face was caved in by the dwarf’s weapon.
The fifth orc swung with his battle axe and missed Kai, as did the first orc as Kildo’s shield deflected the blow. However, Guo Gan wasn’t as lucky, as the third orcs axe sliced the monk’s side.
Retaliating, Kai thrusted his longsword under the groin’s protection of the fifth orc. Radiant damage burst out, destroying the creature’s member. His eyes crossed as he fell over dead with a heavy thud.
“For the shire!” Scomatch called out running into the chaos of the fray. He drew the attention of the first orc. He made a malevolent attack with his gleaming battle axe. The halfling was struck in the back. Wincing in pain, the mage hurled a bubble of sizzling acid and it splashed on two of the creatures.
“Why ye be bringing acid to a battle axe fight?” Kildo called out as he swung with his warhammer and attempted to bash the first orc in front of him. He failed as he was stopped cold by a wall of muscle.
Scoffing at the failed attempt of the dwarf, he brought his axe crashing downward. The cleric moved as the blade landed and cracked stone. The third orc moved to finish off the hurt elven monk. Sure that he was helpless and done for, the creature was surprised when he incredibly dodged out of the way.
Racial hatred brewed between the dwarf and the orc. They focused on each other as they circled one another. Raising his axe to strike, a longsword pierced through the back of the orc and out the front. It glowed with radiant damage as blood and ichor exploded out and almost sprayed the dwarf, who threw up his shield. The massive orc slumped dead, as Kai stood behind him and nodded at Kildo.
The third and last orc remained. Seeing his fellow die in front of the dwarf, the creature changed targets and lashed out at the cleric, but missed as he backed away.
A beam of crackling, blue energy sailed over Kildo’s head. The dwarf could feel his red hairs stand on end from the electricity. The last orc seized up from the pain.
Kai slashed at the helpless orc, but his sword bounced off its thick, chest armor.
Blinded by the light, Kildo also swung and missed the convulsing orc.
More electricity coursed through the orc who was withering in pain.
Guo Gan calmly walked up to the orc and with a mighty swing, bashed the creature’s head in. It slumped to the ground.
Scomatch continued to electrocute the dead orc. Its body muscles convulsed and spasmed.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Kai called out toward Scomatch. “Nice shooting, Tex.”
The mage stopped and sank to the ground, he checked out the wound caused from an orc as he ran through the mass melee. “I need another breather.”
“I be knowing what you all need,” Kildo said as he touched his holy symbol of Rigga. His hands began to glow with healing energy.
“Right, there is no time to rest,” Kai said placing his hand on the halfling. “We need to heal up, find the crew of the Sea Ghost, and sail out before the light of day touches the horizon.
10/16/2021 – Treasure
· After a two week hiatus, the boys are back.
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