“We need the Sea Ghost,” Kai said.
Kai, Guo Gan, Scomatch, and Kildo stood in front of the captain’s desk on the Emerald Eel. The dwarf captain, with his one good eye looked the paladin up and down. Huffing, Captain Quint Halfbeard said, “We be shorthanded manning two ships. Not one of those fellows that ye be rescuing from the Howling Hatred base be wanting to stay on and earn a respectable living on the sea. So, now what ye be needing the Sea Ghost fer?”
“There is an abbey on Leostone Isle where a cultist of demon worshipers are based. It can not be allowed to stand,” Kai said.
Snorting in annoyance, Captain Halfbeard rose from behind his desk and placed his hands on top of it in a power pose. He then bellowed, “Can not be allowed to stand say ye? Ye can suffer its existence, says I. There always going to be demon cultist out there, another monster to slay, I hear rumor there even be a bunch of worshipers of Tiamat out there. Tiamat!? So, now ye expect me to let me ships chase down every ‘Proud Boy Orc’ we be getting a whisper about?”
“Yes, but-”
“I not be finished,” roared Halfbeard interrupting Kai. “I be a business dwarf, first and foremost-”
Interrupting Captain Halfbeard, Scomatch said, “We’re getting paid 3,000 gold pieces.”
Stopping mid-inhale and taken back at the amount, the dwarven captain smiled and then boomed, “Well, why ye be standing slack-jawed here and not making preparations to leave on the Sea Ghost!?”
“We were hoping you could tell us what you know about Leostone Isle,” Guo Gan said.
“Leostone Isle, ye say?” Halfbeard questioned. He then began to rummage through a pile of rolled up parchments on a multi-tiered shelf in his quarters. After a few moments, he said, “Ah, here we go.” Rolling the map on the desk, he pointed towards a small island northwest of Scarlet Peeks. “There not be much to the island. Rock, cliffs, and more rocks be around it. The only way in by boat be the southern tip. Last I be hearing there isn’t a dock, but a beach landing, with rocks. This abbey ye be talking about, if there be one, would be on top of the cliff.”
* * *
A couple days out from Scarlet Peeks, the sun was starting to set when Chutney Vic, on loan from the Emerald Eel, called out from the crow’s nest, “Land Ho!”
Kai uncapped both ends of the telescope, also on loan from the Emerald Eel, 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 Leostone Isle, which was very small in comparison to Scarlet Peeks. The entire length could be walked in an hour. There were lots of jagged rocks sticking out from the water, like teeth ready to devour any vessel that dared to draw too close. There were several longboat, rowboat, and small craft broken up on the shore, as well as debris in the water. It was difficult to determine if they were destroyed on the beach, broken up by the sharp rocks and washed ashore, or if there was some foul creature of the deep that demolished them from below the waves.
“It’s just like Captain Halfbeard described. It’d be too dangerous for the Sea Ghost to try and get close. I’ll go swim up ahead and see what I can find. The rest will wait here until I report back,” Kai explained securing his equipment on his person tighter.
“Bah, ye not be going alone triton,” Kildo said and knocked on his helm of underwater action. “I ain’t be wearing this thing on me head for me health, or looks.”
Soon, the triton and aqua dwarf were lowered into the water and made their way toward Leostone Isle. Approaching the last fifty yards towards the shore, they began to see more wooden debris and a few bodies under the waves. From the lack of mutilation from local sea critters, it seemed they had only been there for a couple days. Bodies beginning to bloat, lethal wounds from weapons, axes, swords, maces were stretched and more apparent. Little guppies nipped at the fleshy wounds. Their garments were of regular sailors without armor, but more than a few had red cloaks drifting around them. Recalling none of the scavenger hunt teams wore red cloaks, Kildo, after pushing his water logged beard out of the way, unclasped two of the more intact capes.
Motioning him to follow, Kai led straight north onto the southern shore of Leostone Isle. It was a clear and singular, rock-free, and man-made path for a boat. Finding their footing, the two emerged from the waves, with the shorter dwarf rising a moment later, they walked onto the beach. Kildo knocked water from his ears and rinsed the salty sea from his beard. Wooden boat debris littered the area. Examining closer, while there was some rock damage, the vast majority was done by cutting weapons. Most likely axes, but some were possibly swords. However, no respecting warrior would use their sword to chop wood like this. It was then the pungent smell, mixed with a tinge of sickening sweetness invaded their nostrils. Numerous bodies littered the beach, most wearing red cloaks. Ravens, crows, and buzzing insects were feasting on the corpses.
“Always hated them black birds,” Kildo said as he attempted to kick one of the crows, but it flapped out of the way and ‘cawed’ its annoyance at him. These bodies were also sailors killed by various weapon strikes with a few dispatched by arrows. Dropping the water-soaked red cloaks, he unclasped four others that weren’t damaged and only appeared to have been dropped once. He put the fresher ones into his hat of holding in case a disguise might be needed later. The cleric then saw bones, older, but clean and dry. Some had fresher breaks. He picked up a yellowish skull, which was crushed in by a heavy weapon strike. It wasn’t from one of the sailors. Dropping it and spitting, he said, “Be careful, there be something amiss and foul about this beach.”
Kai closed his eyes and meditated for several heartbeats before opening them. “I don’t detect any evil or any malevolent residual energy. But, I agree we must be cautious.”
Advancing up the beach, large sand dunes, like massive waves on the ocean, began to take shape and covered the southern tip of the island. A path of bodies led north around the dunes, like an army was advancing inwards.
Kai bent down and picked up a couple of the mundane weapons, examined them, then laid them back down. “No blood? No signs of any other army? What killed these men?”
Kicking up the sand, Kildo uncovered another skull. Mostly destroyed, like the one he saw earlier, it was clean and dry. There were more bones strewn about. Stepping, a bone crunched under his feet. Using his foot to uncover the object, he realized there were a lot of bones just under the sand.
“Is that a grave?” Kai questioned.
“I be thinking this entire beach be a graveyard,” Kildo replied. “Don’t be repeating this, but I be feeling a little better with our little wizard and his abilities at our disposal.”
“Agreed. I don’t like this either. A terrible journey across a terrible land. Let’s get the others.”
* * *
The sloop’s bow crunched onto the sandy shore. Kai and Kildo pushed it the rest of the way in, as Guo Gan and Scomatch jumped onto the beach. The two new arrivals covered their noses, as Kai and Kildo waded onto shore.
“You weren’t kidding when you said there was a one-sided battle on the beach,” Guo Gan said.
“The bodies go northwards from the beach into the sandy dune area,” Kai said pointing. “I think we should follow the corpse trail.”
“I’ll lead,” Guo Gan said and then smiling knocked on the paladin’s plate armor. “You make enough noise to wake the dead. Follow me.” The monk then made an unusual and deliberately slow walk up the beach. He took two steps, waited, then dragged one foot in front of the other and then glided forward, but to the side. He continued to repeat the process, but mixed it up, as if to walk without rhythm.
“What’s with the sand-walk?” Scomatch asked tilting his head in curiosity.
“Bah, who be knowing the way of elves,” Kildo said and he tightened his grip on his shield and rested his warhammer on his shoulder. “Just ye be watching for anything unnatural.”
The party continued to follow Guo Gan a respectable distance back, as he continued his sand-walk, but it was taking an extraordinary amount of time to make their way through the dunes. After about an hour with no activity and the end of the beach in sight, the monk threw up his hands, likely tired of the sand-shuffle slowness and began walking hard and determined forward.
Ahead, sand started to move. More and more of the grit rolled down. Small dunes then began to bulge. Something was beneath them and rising up. Eight humanoid skeleton creatures, completely devoid of flesh, crawled and emerged from the sand ahead of them. These bony undead were held together by a sickly-green necromantic energy that radiated from their eyes, which only gave the corpse a glimmer of vitality and rudimentary intelligence to attack intruders.
“Ack! Cleric, keep them away from me!” Scomatch yelled and threw a fire bolt. It arched into the sky and then falling, blasted through the eighth skeleton. Its fragments fell into the sand. Surprised on how easily it was destroyed, he continued, “Well, that wasn’t so bad.”
Raising his crossbow, Kai fired, but the bolt sailed harmlessly through the ribs of the skeleton.
Guo Gan began to charge westward to engage three of the creatures, but only succeed in kicking up a trail of sand, as his feet failed to grip the sliding grit.
However, the undead had no hindrance. The seven advanced, but due to their clumsy attacks and substandard weapons, Guo Gan and Kai met them and easily parried their attacks.
Kildo stepped forward gripping his holy ankh of Rigga, the Mother Goddess. “Life is Death. Death is rebirth. Rebirth is life. Be gone!”
A beam of pure white light emanated from between the dwarf’s fingers, but he was gripping it so tight that the rays struck only the first and fifth skeletons. Their necrotic energy dissipated and their bones and joints crumpled to the sandy ground.
“You need to destroy more than two, cleric!” Scomatch yelled as he retreated and wildly threw a fire bolt. It impacted the sand in front of one of the skeletons. The creature stepped over the hole and advanced on the mage.
The wizard was going to be surrounded and in trouble. Kai heaved his glaive high into the air and brought it down executional style from overhead. It cleaved through the seventh skeleton. The blade went deep into the sand. Wrenching it free, he swung at the sixth skeleton, but missed due to a curtain of sand he kicked-up into the air. He moved passed the fourth skeleton, who swiped with a broken longsword. It struck the paladin, but was mostly absorbed by his plate armor. While taking the hit, he was now in a better position to protect the halfling.
On the left flank, Guo Gan swung his quarterstaff downward at the second skeleton. The blow missed and impacted sand. Sweeping upward with the other end, the blunt weapon crunched through it. Bones rained down. The monk then spun, throwing a devastating hook-kick, knocking the skull from the third skeleton. Its remains scattered across the ground.
In retaliation, the sixth skeleton slashed and struck the elf with its short sword. The dullness of the blade failed to draw blood, but would leave a deep bruise. The fourth undead also slashed, but miss the elusive monk.
Kildo barreled towards the last two skeletons. He missed with his warhammer, but bashed into the fourth undead with his shield. The creature was knocked to the ground.
An arching glaive crashed down, smashing the prone creature. Kai then swung with both hands, the heavy blade cleaved through the frail chest cavity of the last skeleton, ending its existence.
Ensuring none of the creatures were regenerating or attempting to rise again, the group examined them closer. Their bones were frail and it was surprising they were able to rise in the beginning. They wore little more than armor scraps and their weapons were substandard.
Quickly bandaging their minor wounds, the party continued northward around the dunes. As they progressed, the number of bodies seemed more dispersed and difficult to determine the direction the red-cloak army had advanced. However, the general consensus was to continue to move north and leave the sand behind.
The last 200 feet of desert lay ahead of them. Beyond was not green pastures, but it did have grass. Tired looking and drooped over, but none-the-less wasn’t a beach.
“I be having enough sand in me boots to have me own sandbox,” Kildo complained. Scoffing he added, “It be even in me beard!”
“One reason not to wear shoes or grow facial hair,” Scomatch cheerfully replied as he intentionally started to kick up more of the grit. “It’s fun playing in it!”
“Quiet!” Kai whispered harshly.
About to scold the halfling, Kildo closed his open mouth.
A low droning sound crossed their ears. Continuing, it was like the humming of insects, but none were around. It came from everywhere and nowhere. A dune in front of them began to ripple down, like water. The sound intensified, like air being pushed through a million-million tumbling sand grains. It was unearthing something massive. A skeletal juggernaut, 15’ tall, but it wasn’t a giant as it comprised of multiple skeletons. Bones as thick as elephants, skulls sprung throughout its body. Its right arm protruded spikes, like a morningstar. It had two left arms, each ending in six fingered claws. Withered grass and moss grew sporadically through its form and heavily concentrated around the joints. A skull with long fangs of some massive creature made up its head. Impact tremors rippled in the sand, as it lurched, in uncalculated steps.
Raising its massive arms into the air, it caused three more areas of disturbances just ahead of it. Winds began to pick up. A multitude of skeletal figures were uncovered throughout the sand. Skulls stared at the party. Not gleaning white, but dirty and yellow with bits of old flesh and fiber hanging from them. The scraps of armor they wore were aged and mismatched. An odor of decay emanated from them. Not all together whole on their own, their bodies moved, driven by a necromantic force. The winds grew stronger and turned into a sandstorm. It began to pick up the carcasses in a vortex of spinning bones. Three in total, the skeletal swarms swirled towards the party with a life of its own.
These four oddities were an abomination to all life. There was no cause for these creatures to exist, other than to crush, kill, and destroy.
“Move back!” Kai shouted readying his glaive.
“We won’t outrun these monstrosities. Prepare for battle,” Guo Gan stated calmly planting his feet and gripping his quarterstaff.
The second swirling mass sailed over the sands and encompassed both Kai and Scomatch. Trails of blood streaked their faces and hands, as the bones cut their skin.
“Get out of there!” Guo Gan shouted as he began whirling his quarterstaff with berserker like fury. His staff continued to knock several chunks of the bones from the swirling cloud. The winds within the second skeletal swarm began to die down, as the rest of its frame dissipated.
A ‘whoosh’ sailed over the party’s head, as a fireball from Scomatch arched into the approaching skeletal juggernaut and the first skeletal swarm on their left flank. The fire’s impact temporally disrupted it, but it began to reform again. The blast, flash burnt the giant. The grass and moss on the creature burned, as it advanced. Acidic, grey smoke trailed in its wake.
Stepping towards the third skeletal swarm, Kai began casting; gust of wind. A line of strong wind blew a deep path of sand away as it blasted the flight of bones, as well as the skeletal juggernaut, slowing their progress towards the party.
“Stay behind me mage and keep casting them fire spells of yours!” Kildo bellowed as he readied his warhammer and planted his shield, protecting the halfling from the flying bone debris.
The third skeletal swarm blew biting grit as it advanced toward Kai. The paladin slashed his blade knocking a few bones away and into the sand. However, it was the whirling dervish of Guo Gan’s quarterstaff coming in and smashing more of the creature until its form disintegrated.
Nodding to the paladin his job here was done, Guo Gan paused to spit sand and charged straight towards the lumbering skeletal juggernaut. He smashed his staff into the giant’s leg, and then shoved it into an open space at its ankle. Using it as leverage, he twisted. The skeletal beast turned towards the monk to claw at him. However, it lost his balance due to the staff wedged into its heel. It crashed hard, falling face first, causing a wave of sand to rush out.
Scomatch commented, “If I didn’t know any better, I think the elf is show-boating.” Then with great fanfare, the halfling weaved his hands and casted. A fire bolt sailed over Kildo’s shield, arching like a comet into the first swirling mass of bones. As it exploded flame within, like a burst of colorful fireworks.
The gust of wind spell of the paladin continued to batter against the first skeletal form pushing it away. It allowed Kai breathing room to address the main adversary, the undead juggernaut. The creature struggled to rise in the ever-moving sand. Taking advantage, he sliced upwards with his heavy glaive causing a massive gash along its side.
“Stay here!” Kildo ordered to Scomatch, as the dwarf charged the prone giant. Bashing with his warhammer, he caused a crack to form in its shoulder, but the beast was far from being put down. Hearing a whirlwind behind him, the cleric turned as the swirling bone storm approached. Kildo threw up his shield, as large, skeletal fragments pelted his defenses. A skull flew past and its jaw bit into the dwarf’s chain mail front. Its mouth began to chew, but only munched on hair. “Not the beard!” Raising his hand, he pimp-smack the grinning skull away.
Seeing the first skeletal swarm try to engulf Kildo, Guo Gan rushed over and began spinning his quarterstaff, knocking numerous skeletal bones out of the spinning twister in an attempt to destroy the menace. A fire bolt then blasted into the vortex from Scomatch, causing the remaining bones to burn, which were flung out and extinguished in the sand, as the undead elemental dissipated.
Behind Guo Gan and Kildo and rising to its full height, the juggernaut slashed its left claws striking the distracted monk.
Charging behind the giant, Kai slid under the creature, slashing one leg and then the other, both of which deflected off the dense bone. He then jammed the butt end of the glaive up and into its moss covered, groin area. Whether the creature still had its member, or there was a memory to when it did have the appendage, it seized up. The creature’s entire form shook and violently collapsed in an avalanche of bones. Guo Gan was immediately engulfed, knocked down, and burried. Throwing up his magical shield, Kildo was able to deflect the landslide. Kai covered his head, as the bulk passed around him with minimal damage.
“Get Guo Gan out! He’s still in there!” Kai bellowed, as he picked up the creature’s fanged skull to toss it out of the way. However, it started to vibrate and shake in his hands. It then yanked itself free from the paladin and flew back into the pile. It was then that all of the bones began a reverse avalanche, as the skeletal juggernaut reformed.
In one motion, the monk sprung to his feet and bashed the restructured giant, cracking bones each time his quarterstaff landed. The lines zigzagged up the length of the bones.
“I got him!” Scomatch yelled as another fire bolt flew straight into its groin. Moss and grass began to smolder and burn.
As if pulling a switch, the skeletal juggernaut began to shake and then immediately collapsed. The sound was deafening. At the last instant, Guo Gan dodged out of the way, but Kildo and Kai were instantly buried by the heavy creature’s bones.
As before, the giant undead began to reform. This time Guo Gan snatched the thing’s fanged head. It seemed to be smiling at him. The elf struggled against the necrotic energy trying to pull the skull away. The juggernaut reformed into its previous massive size, all except the head. “Not this time,” Guo Gan said as he began crushing the object in his hands. The undead screeched in panic, as the monk crushed it to dust.
Parts of the creature began to crumble off. However, they weren’t falling into useless bones. Instead, twelve skeletons now made up the remains of the skeletal juggernaut.
“The skeletons be turning into more skeletons!” Kildo shouted.
“Oh, the nine hells, no!” Scomatch shouted as he began casting; thunderwave. A thunderous force swept out from the mage. Booming in their midst, the vibration instantly destroyed the necromantic energy holding seven of the creatures together.
Kai stood tall in front of the wall of skeletons. Raising his hand towards them, his voice boomed towards the undead, “Get back!”
It appeared the paladin was trying to turn the creatures. However, Kildo had no time to wait to see if it was effective. Lashing out with his warhammer, the cleric’s weapon crushed one before it could take a step. Following his lead, Guo Gan also destroyed two with his quarterstaff.
Two creatures remained. One of the skeletons lashed out with its clawed hands. Its bony nails scratched harmlessly down Kai’s plate armor. Kai dispatched it a moment later. The last turned and started to flee quickly across the sand. Kai and Guo Gan started to pursue, but the lack of traction slowed them down.
“Don’t worry, I got it,” Scomatch said. Eyeing the fleeing skeleton, he put his finger into his mouth to wet it. He then raised a finger into the air.
“Uh, he’s getting away,” Guo Gan said watching the escaping creature almost get out of range.
Holding up his hand for patience, Scomatch wind up, as he sent a fire bolt. It sailed high into the air. It hung there for a few heartbeats, before it fell back to the earth. Striking the skeleton, it exploded as a multitude of bones satisfyingly flew into the air.
* * *
Leaving the beach behind, the party saw a nearby cropping of trees. Further in the distance, there appeared to be a building. Not whole, but a hollow shell, possibly burnt out.
“Let’s rest here,” Kai said pointing and all the members of the party turned that direction.
Picking a spot, Kildo plopped down and took off each of his boots. A steady stream of sand began to pour out from each. He then pulled off his thick socks and flicked them several times, causing sand to fly out. Scoffing in annoyance, the cleric noticed a hole starting to widen at the heels. He began casting; mending. The sock thread thickened and then like a vine, lashed out magically to the other side of the gap and sewed themselves together. Hearing a ‘crunch’, the dwarf looked up and saw Scomatch with two apples in his hands. One with a bite out of it. “Oi! How ye be conjuring up apples?”
“Just reached up and plucked them,” Scomatch replied.
“Don’t ye be stingy now mage with yer magic.”
“Not magic, nature,” Scomatch said as he sat down and pulled out his spell book. “All you have to do is pay a little attention and the world is your oyster or apples in this case.”
“Bah, what ye be babbling about,” Kildo questioned as he then saw Kai and Guo Gan begin to pluck apples from a nearby tree. The dwarf’s eyes went wide in delight. It seemed someone had planted a number of apple, cherry, and peach trees. There were too many to be wild, so while they welcomed a free meal, it also confirmed others lived on the island.
After an hour, and filling their packs with fresh fruit, the party moved towards the smoldering ruins. Unlike the desert, there were no bodies on the inside of the island. However, as they approached the structure, it appeared to be what remained of an abbey, but absent a well. Anything made of wood was burnt and gone, but the frame of walls and arched doorways could be seen. There were signs of conflict in the past few days by numerous footprints, all except a garden, which looked intact. While it did look like something had stomped through it, it had been put back together. Someone was taking care of it.
Searching the immediate area, Kai moved some burned wood and found stone stairs leading to a charred door. Placing his ear next to it, he shook his head, indicating he didn’t hear anything. Guo Gan attempted to open the unlocked door, but it didn’t budge. Kai also tried with similar results. It seemed the wood had expanded and jammed it in the frame tight.
“Here let a dwarf do it,” Kildo said. He went back up a few steps, raised his shield in front of him, and charged. Upon impact, the door groaned in protest as it was knocked open.
The door led into the basement of the abbey. Square shaped, it was 80’ by 50’. To the right side east of the room were three figures, who were previously asleep. Rising, they started to shout an alarm.
Dashing into the room, Guo Gan used the butt end of his quarterstaff to stun the first human cultist with brown hair. A second cultist rose to engage the monk. In blinding speed, Guo Gan struck his chest, rapidly striking around his heart four times. He then struck in the center and twisted.
His heart stopped as he looked up at the monk. “You know the five point palm exploding heart technique?” A moment later, the cultist’s world went dark as he collapsed to the ground.
The third cultist was like no other. He was a Dragonborn and resembled in many ways what their name suggested, a humanoid dragon. Standing over 6’5” he was impressively tall with a heavy frame to match. Bronze in color, his feet ended with three strong talon-like claws with a fourth claw in the back, while his hands were similar with three claws with a thumb replacing the rear claw. His head featured a blunt snout, a strong brow, and reptilian frills on the cheeks and ears. On the back of the head, a crest of hornlike scales formed what resembled a mess of ropy hair. His eyes were a golden hue. It gripped a long spear and a shield. The creature roared in a challenge.
Guo Gan tilted his head to the side at the dragonborn. Thrusting his staff like a lance, the butt end smacked the creature in the nose. Eyes rolling into the back of its head, it fell backwards onto its bunk.
“Be pulling yer punches monk. We be needing one alive to question them,” Kildo explained.
The dragonborn then rose from his bunk, he spat as he said, “You’ll pay for that elf.” He twirled his spear around himself expertly, as if he had done so a thousand times. He had some training. Saluting the monk, the dragonborn readied himself.
“Finally, a real challenge,” Guo Gan said and attacked. He spun his quarter staff in blinding quickness.
The dragonborn parried one attack with the spear tip and brought the other end around and up, deflecting another blow. Chucking at the monk, the dragonborn said, “I’ve fought many an opponent on the sand, elf. Your attacks are too predictable. You’d never make it past being a lowly gladiator initiate. You’re too honorable.”
Guo Gan then snapped kicked. His foot landed squarely into the dragonborn’s groin. Sucking in air at the sudden blow, the gladiator fell to the side, stunned.
Peeking around the corner to the left, Scomatch shouted in panic, “Guys, there’s more of them!”
“Bah, I be taken care of these cultist,” Kildo said haughtily and he passed the halfling to the left side of the room. There was a door to the west, where a well-built human veteran emerged with a long sword. To the north there were two doors. Out of one another strong looking cultist exited also armed with a long sword. Behind him was a better dressed human, which seemed to have some type of musical instrument strapped to his back. As the other northern door opened, a bearded human in dark green robes with a thick, priestly cord around the waist exited. He had a strange tattoo on his forehead.
Charging to the middle of the room, the cleric then began casting; spirit guardians. A low, rhythmic pulsing began to emanate from the ground. White light came from cracks in the stone. Fog rolled out approximately 15’ from the cleric. Small wisps of air arched out. Longer tendrils began to form and immediately blasted into all four cultists.
“That’ll be enough of that,” the priest stated and snapped his fingers. In an instant, the spectral forms vanished, as their magic was dispelled. “Kill them!”
“I’ll kill you!” Scomatch shouted as a fire bolt flew and exploded the front of the priest. He withdrew further back into his room.
The two veteran cultists attacked on either side of Kildo. It was impossible to fend off both, as the dwarf was struck hard three times by their swords. The only thing preventing a killing strike was his chain armor.
Kai moved up to help Kildo, but the dragonborn was recovering from his groin injury. He’d prove a threat to Scomatch. Their cleric would need to hold his ground. The paladin slashed and hit the dragonborn. Its scaly hide absorbed most of the blow.
Likely knowing the dangers of a free-casting mage, the dragonborn thrusted with his spear and struck the halfling in the leg. The gladiator then bashed with his shield knocking him hard to the ground.
Knowing the mage couldn’t absorb the blows, Kai continued attacking the gladiator. He scored two solid hits on the dragonborn.
“Life is death. Death is rebirth. Rebirth is life. Rigga heal us,” Kildo chanted and blue, healing energy coursed through the dwarf and Scomatch 15 feet away.
Realizing the party had stirred a hornet’s nest and everyone was going to get stung, Guo Gan no longer pulled is punches and smashed his quarterstaff into the skull of the first cultist. Killing him instantly. He then moved against the dragonborn. Trying to get his attention, he said, “So, you are the ones who take the knee to demons. You seem the type to like taking a knee.”
Snarling, the gladiator turned towards the monk. An instant later, blue crackling lightning from Scomatch’s witch bolt, began to electrocute the dragonborn. Fighting through the pain, he thrust with his spear stabbing the freshly healed Scomatch and then used the butt end in a surprise strike and hit Guo Gan.
The two cultist veterans pressed their attack on Kildo. They quickly overwhelmed the dwarf’s defenses, as three more powerful sword strikes brought down the cleric.
Seeing the dwarf fall and surrounded by enemies, Kai charged towards Kildo. He heard a ‘whoosh’ behind him, as the neatly dressed, bard cultist appeared from the shadows and just missed stabbing him from behind. Surrounded with multiple threats, they needed to pull back and control the battlefield. Skidding next to the dwarf, he laid his hands on him. Glowing, healing energy passed from the paladin to the cleric. The most grievous of Kildo’s wounds closed.
“Emerald Eels! We are leaving!” Kai shouted in panic.
The dwarf’s eyes snapped open at the dread in the triton’s voice. Kai pulled him to his feet and shoved him to the south. Kildo took in the battle in an instant. The paladin swung his glaive in a figure eight, keeping the two cultist veterans at bay, covering his retreat. The cultist bard was pressing in on Scomatch. Guo Gan and the gladiator where heavily engaged in combat. Each had delivered and received numerous blows, but neither would give up. It was a fight to the death. He had to clear a path. Knowing the dragonborn hadn’t used his breath weapon yet, he immediately casted; spiritual weapon. The spectral hammer appeared next to the dragonborn. It came crashing downward with horrific power. Smashing into the gladiator’s jaw and breaking it. The attack was devastating. The dragonborn succumb to the wound.
Free from the gladiator, Guo Gan rushed over and with two strikes of his quarterstaff, finished off the bard cultist.
Continuing to keep the two cultist veterans at bay with the reach of his glaive, Kai felt his body go stiff, like he had just been wrapped up too tight in a blanket. He couldn’t move! His eyes then locked on the priest in the northern room. He was holding his fist tight, as he grinned at the paladin. He was being held.
The two veterans nudged to each other. They had seen the priest use this spell before on prior victims. One drew a dagger, likely to slit his throat.
The roar of a furnace igniting encompassed the room. Flames, like a snake, slithered around the room, as Scomatch sculpted the fire around the party. The remaining three cultist dodged out of the way, but were singed. However, as the blaze died. All three remained standing. They patted out any smoldering embers on their clothing and advanced on the heavily wounded party.
Kildo limped towards the stairs leading out of the abbey. He felt blood trickling down his leg. Kai was frozen in place. The two veterans were upon him. A knife was at the paladin’s throat. The priest had emerged from the north. Scomatch had scuttled past him and was already on the stairs. Guo Gan, also heavily wounded, was barely able to put one foot in front of the other, and followed the halfling to protect his back. Frantic, maybe he could get in a lucky shot. He commanded his spectral warhammer to attack one of the veterans, but spotting the ghostly weapon, he parried the blow.
The attack failed, Kildo had few choices left and none of them were good. He could retreat up the stairs and hopefully cause a choke point, but Kai would be doomed. He could cast lesser restoration and free Kai from being paralyzed, but that’d only buy him a moment before the two veterans finished him off. Healing was an option, but it wouldn’t be enough. Even partially healed, no one in the group would last the next six seconds in combat. There was little hope. Deciding to do as much damage as possible before falling, he dismissed his spiritual weapon and began casting spirit guardians, one last time.
As the spectral guardians began to form, the priest advanced, unconcerned. He was sure of himself and he had every right to be. The battle was in their favor. The party was weak, its strength all but spent. The priest gave out a heavy sigh and spoke to the group as he began casting, “People have no grasp of what they do. You broke into my abbey to steal my property. Murdered my servants and my dragonborn…and that’s what greaves me the most. You killed my gladiator. Thorgrim is beside himself with grief. He trained that dragonborn from the time it was hatched. Such a pity. You will contemplate this folly on the Beaches of Woe. And then…”
“There is no ‘and then’!” Scomatch shouted as he rounded the corner putting his life at risk for the party.
The world became fire. Massive flames engulfed the room. Weaving around Kildo, the inferno consumed the cultist’s veterans and the priest. They withered in agony as the fireball burned. All air was sucked out and all that remained was heat. The dwarf marveled in wonder. It was like he was standing outside an aquarium and the flames, like water rushed past. In a moment, it was all over. The remaining foes were on the ground, burnt and dead.
Turning towards the halfling, who was breathing heavily and standing in what seemed in disbelief at saving them all. Kildo gave the halfling the slightest nod of dwarven respect.
To the east a door burst open. A fresh tiefling cultist emerged. It retained the physical characteristics derived from their ancestors complete with curved horns, a non-prehensile tail, pointed teeth, and cloven feet. The tiefling skin color extended past normal human color into a reddish hue with hair a dark blue. His eyes were solid orbs of black. This one definitely had fiend blood in his veins, likely a devil as sulfurous odor preceding him.
Readying their weapons, the tiefling bent the knee.
“Don’t shoot! I surrender!”
11/14/2021 – Treasure
- To be determined next session after searching the Abbey.
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