The Loss of The Turkey of the Sea
Previously, The Turkey of the Sea, a captured long ship captained by Aderian and crewed by six dwarves and two men, was separated from The Howl of the Demon during a storm. Jerker was also aboard the smaller ship. It held no provisions save a small keg of ale and a keg of wine. Fortunately, the day after the storm (3/4), land was sighted. The minimal crew anchored offshore and were greeted by a party of elves who rowed out to them. These elves offered a disciplined manner, and they were attended to by several goblins in chains.
The wayward sailors were not invited ashore, but the elves did offer to provide food for a price. The elves dictated the quantity of the provisions: 10 barrels of water and 50 man/weeks of dry rations. They asked for 550gp, which Aderian paid out of his intelligent bag. They set sail, going northward on the assumption that the previous storm had blown the other ship in that direction. Another storm struck on 3/7, driving them northeast at triple normal speed.
The next day (3/8), a giant roc was spotted in the sky. There was little to do against such a terrible foe. Aderian attempted to sooth is with his calm voice, but it only called out in intensifying anger. Jerker, Aderian and two dwarves managed to board a small boat just as the roc lifted the entire ship out of the water and flew away with the rest of the crew. The situation seemed dire, for once again they were without food or water, nor any alcohol. Fortunately, caravel approached the very next day (3/9).
The captain of this merchant ship flew a black flag and called to them belligerently. After the four of them boarded, a fight broke out. The pirates sought to subdue their guests, but Aderian and Jerker were determined to fight to the death. In the end, the entire pirate crew were dead and tossed off the ship.
A survey of the ship found it to be a typical caravel, 55 feet long and 15 feet wide. In the hold 10 full barrels of water, 10 empty water barrels, 45 man/weeks of dry rations, and 33 tons of sugar in 40 barrels. A chest held coins of gold and silver, plus a handful of gems. In all, it was 1,900 sp, 2,400 gp, a chrysoprase (worth 50 gp), a hematite (worth 10 gp), a moonstone (worth 50 gp), an opal (worth 750 gp), and a spinel (worth 500 gp). The sugar was estimated to be worth 60 gp.
Over the balance of the week (3/10 – 3/15), they sailed in search of the other vessel, eventually spotting it on the last day. They pulled into the harbor of The Naked Isle and were greeted by the elves there, none wearing a stitch of clothing, as was their custom. Soon they were reunited with Tienarth, Urgesh and the others in the village.
Return to the Tower
No time was wasted in extended greetings or in rest. The island visitors had been resting for a few days (3/12 – 3/14). They insisted on a return to the mysterious wizard’s tower to the east. They walked through the swamp for two miles and arrived to find the tower undisturbed. Jerker made his own inspection of the lower rooms. He tried tossing a lit torch in the room of black fungus, causing a cloud of spores to lift into the air. The door was immediately shut. Urgesh spent time going over the room with the shrine. He spotted the faint footprint of a large frog before the four-armed shrine.
Presently, they climbed single-file up the stairs in the central shaft of the tower. On the second level, they looked out arrow slits. Along with ruined bows and arrows was a fine spear that Aderian handed to Jerker. It feared a crossbar. Later, Jerker discovered it’s minor magic. Aderian grabbed a bag of coins from among the debris. It held 700 cp, 400 sp, and 400 ep. Jerker and Urgesh both tried to snatch a bone hairbrush with the abstract etching of a frog. Jerker used the brush on the hair of the barbarian.
The stair going up ended in a trap door which led to the roof. Urgesh looked out over swamp and spotted three large shapes. Jerker and Aderian pulled stones from the parapet, and as they did a glowing spear appeared. Through a green haze, they saw a dark scene with vague shapes hanging from a ceiling. They let the strange orb be and indulged in a contest of throwing stones at the black shapes.
As misthrown stones produced loud splashes, the black shapes emerged from the jungle brush to be seen as huge frogs with black skin, perhaps 8 feet tall. After four rounds of throwing, Aderian hit one of the frogs. They all moved away with haste after that.
Next, Urgesh tied a rope around his waist and stepped into the orb while Jerker held the other end. The half-orc felt a moment of unusual movement and then found himself in a dark cave. On the roof of the cave were bat-like creatures, three of which descended to attach themselves to him. He retreated through the portal and the rest of the stirges followed. Their flesh was dark red, perhaps indicating they were well fed. A short battle ensued in which the stirges were all killed.
Returning through the portal, they found impressive treasure covered in a layer of stirge guano. Aderian took it upon himself to gather it all and put it in his pouch. It was 3,000 sp, 2,600 gp, a chrysoberyl (worth 100 gp), a chrysoprase (worth 75 gp), a fire opal (worth 1,000 gp), a garnet (worth 100 gp), a lapis lazuli (worth 10 gp), a moonstone (worth 50 gp), a pearl (worth 1,000 gp), a bracelet (worth 400 gp), a bracelet (worth 900 gp), a brooch (worth 1,500 gp), an earring (worth 1,000 gp), a goblet (worth 600 gp), a goblet (worth 1,000 gp), and a statuette of a frog (worth 800 gp).
Battles Below the Tower
Returning to ground level, they tried the stair going down, with Aderian leading the way. Dripping water shimmered over pink walls. A think layer of muck covered the stairs and the floor of the first room he found, requiring careful movement over the slippery surface. In this first room were four frogs, croaking in excitement. Aderian rushed forward, triggering a hail of darts, one of which finding a tender spot to stab into his flesh. A wave of sickness overcame him, and he collapsed onto the muck-covered floor.
Jerker stepped up and removed his hefty pack. A moment later, he found a vial of anti-toxin which he poured into Aderian’s mouth. Meanwhile, Urgesh made a running leap over the two fighters, landing deftly. The sword Vambier flashed around the frogs. They were cut down without trouble. Urgesh took the time gut them, hoping for gems perhaps, then stowed the bodies at ground level. He explained he planned to bring them back to the village. While this task was completed, Aderian felt much better thanks to the anti-toxin.
The passages in this lower area were narrow, offering just enough room for a one adventurer. In single file, they approached the next room to find two fishmen finishing up a ritual. Up from the muck surged a wave of water that remained as if alive. Tienarth responded with a haste spell. The fighters stepped up, easily cutting down the two fishmen, otherwise recognized as gogglers. The wave was a mightly water elemental that lashed out, one time engulfing Urgesh in briny water. However, it yielded to the blows of magic weapons. In the end, it was banished once more.
More stairs snaked down to an expansive room filled with a pool of saltwater. They retraced steps to try a door. Behind it were four goggler warriors with spears protecting a high priest, recognized by his ornate headdress. Tienarth responded by bringing forth a cloud of killing gas. All of the gogglers perished.
Before the poison gas dissipated, Tienarth gently steered it through the narrow passages to the room with the large pool. Following behind him were the rest of the party except for Jerker and Urgesh who began searching the fallen gogglers. Once in the pool room, Aderian began beating on his shield and shouting. The hope was that a monster would appear to be summarily executed by the poisonous cloud.
Sneak Attack
Suddenly, a secret door flung open, and despite his barbarian reflexes, Urgesh was surprised by four more goggler warriors and another priest who cast a spell on Jerker that fizzled. Urgesh bolted, followed by Jerker who was a step behind. The warriors rushed forward to engage them. The priest cast another spell, this time freezing Jerker in his tracks. Urgesh turned to fight.
One of the warriors took advantage of Jerker’s helpless state, sticking his spear directly through a slit in his helmet’s visor. The spear point pushed into his skull, popping the bone off like a bottlecap and driving into his brain. A torrent of blood gushed out and down the shaft of the spear. As his body crumpled into the muck-soaked floor, the goggler lost his grip.
At this sight, rage filled Urgesh’s breast. He let loose a tremendous roar before lashing out at the unarmed goggler, cutting him down with Vambier. Across the dungeon, and even amidst his own noise-making, Aderian caught the pained cry of the barbarian and urged the others to follow him. They made their way over the slippery floor as fast as they could. A minute later, Hocuspo was bent over Jerker, applying the healing power of Haderax to stave off certain death.
Urgesh continued his slaughter of the goggler warriors, now aided by Aderian and Tienarth, who transformed himself into a cave bear. His most potent spells extinguished, the goggler priest was also killed, and then the party was faced with a well-known problem: a raging barbarian with no one to attack but friends. At first, the half-orc slashed Tienarth, who responded with a slash of his bear claw. Aderian wrapped his arms around Urgesh in a powerful grapple, and with that the barbarian calmed himself.
Jerker, who remained conscious during his entire ordeal, was badly injured. Hocuspo’s magic had stopped the bleeding, but when they removed the helmet, they saw how the top of his skull was only attached by skin at the back. A length of rope was used to keep the bone in place. Over the following days, Jerker would find that his thinking was foggy (loss of INT) and the top of his skull had no feeling. Aderian carried him with ease back to the village to recuperate.
Back at the Village
The villagers were sad to see their new friend so badly injured, and several elf maidens took time to comfort him. Urgesh was given special attention for bringing back frog meat, and he bragged about this valiant slaying of the gogglers. The elves were gladdened over learning that the tower was not actually haunted but instead infested by vile monsters. Now deemed safe, the villagers intended to search the tower for clues of its history as they were likely significant to their culture.
After a few days of rest, and wise assessment by Zhargrave, Jerker’s injury looked like it would heal, but it would take many weeks (7). The numbness and the diminished thinking capacity were permanent, but the old cleric expected that after this long period of rest, his skull would be as hard as it ever was. Lah, the mighty priest of the Anointed One who lived near Slateholm, could certainly restore the the lost thinking ability as well as repair the ugly scare across Jerker’s forehead. But Lah was hundreds of miles away.
Ephor arranged for all water barrels on the captured caravel to be filled. The name of the vessel was unknown, as there was little time to ask the pirate captain before killing him and his entire crew. A new name was not yet chosen.
End Notes
- Days
- 3/4 – 3/5 The Turkey of the Sea resupplies with strange elves
- 3/6 – 3/7 TTotS sails north aided by a strong storm wind
- 3/8 A giant roc attacks, leaving Jerker, Aderian and two dwarves adrift
- 3/9 A pirate crew is slaughtered and their caravel taken
- 3/10 – 3/14 The caravel searches for THotD
- 3/12 – 3/14 The Howl of the Demon crew relaxes on the Naked Isle
- 3/15 The caravel arrives at The Naked Isle and the party returns to the tower
- Treasure:
- Chest from the captured caravel: 1,900 sp, 2,400 gp, a chrysoprase (worth 50 gp), a hematite (worth 10 gp), a moonstone (worth 50 gp), an opal (worth 750 gp), and a spinel (worth 500 gp)
- Bag of coins from tower level 2: 700cp, 400sp, 400ep
- Boar Spear +1
- Bone brush with abstract frog design
- Stirge cave loot: 3,000 sp, 2,600 gp, a chrysoberyl (worth 100 gp), a chrysoprase (worth 75 gp), a fire opal (worth 1,000 gp), a garnet (worth 100 gp), a lapis lazuli (worth 10 gp), a moonstone (worth 50 gp), a pearl (worth 1,000 gp), a bracelet (worth 400 gp), a bracelet (worth 900 gp), a brooch (worth 1,500 gp), an earring (worth 1,000 gp), a goblet (worth 600 gp), a goblet (worth 1,000 gp), and a statuette of a frog (worth 800 gp)
- Combat: 9,696 xp
- 11 Stirges 37 xp each
- 4 Giant Frogs 75 xp each
- 2 Deep Ones 145 xp each
- Water Elemental 3,385 xp
- 2 Deep One Priests 1,150 xp each
- 8 Deep One Warriors 100 xp each
- 2,500 xp “good guy” bonus for clearing the tower
- Characters 1,492 xp each (6.5 shares)
- Aderian (human, fight, strength, lead) 1,686 xp
- Ferris (human, dexterity) 1,656 xp
- Hocuspo (half share) 746 xp
- Jerker (human, fight, strength, lead) 1,686 xp
- Nate (human, fight) 1,656 xp
- Tienarth (outdoors) 1,507 xp
- Urgesh (half-human, action, outdoors, fight, rage) 1,626 xp
- Ships
- The Howl of the Demon
- Crew/Passengers: 86/9
- Cargo: 9 of 210 tons
- Food: about 383 man/weeks
- Water: 1500 gallons
- Caravel
- Crew/Passengers: 2/ 2
- Cargo: 54 of 75 tons
- Food: 45 man/weeks
- Water: 5000 gallons
- 33 tons of sugar in 40 barrels
- The Howl of the Demon