Salts of Ghostmarsh, the story so far
Dramatis personae
Xilseris (as played by James Smith Jr.): born to a future of magical and deadly dances, x'ilseris finds herself thrust into the real world to be tempered for a lifetime of war against an ancient enemy. like the magic she wields she is bright, naive, proud, and pure - too much so, perhaps, to withstand a world so dark...
Effie (as played by Catherine Aronson): like the fires of her soul, effie is effervescent, fanciful, and light - but while her joyful latern flame might light the party's way, does it burn brightly enough to survive a drowning in the marshes?
Caleb (as played by Cary Enlow): like the rolling waves of the sea, within caleb lies a relentless strength and a constant drive or curiosity. but like the sea, something otherwordly pulls him with its own will - what moon decides the tides of caleb's heart, and what becomes of his friends should the waters rise too high?
Malcolm (as played by Chris Keathley): like a blade blackened for nightwork, malcolm is sharp and dark, but under the obscuring surface is something terribly strong, willing to do anything to protect his chosen family - so long as he doesn't break first...
and Other Characters (as played by Matt Enlow)
Introduction
Our story began with two pairs of companions having just become an unlikely party of four. Having passed a month in Saltmarsh, a precipitous event occurs.
The body on the shoreline & The Alchemist's Manor (Sessions 1-4)
Malcolm and Effie are at the morning's market when the body of an elf washes ashore.
The corpse was one half of a walkabout duo from Silverstand, Lae'tian and Corium.
Silverstand, through the Saltmarsh council, asks the party to investigate the old alchemist's manor, a decrepit manor rumored to be haunted.
There, the party discovers a group of smugglers and pirates using the rumors of hauntings to keep others out. They recover the corpse of Corium, and dispatch the pirates, taking their loot and a jolly boat named "The Second Chance" towards Saltmarsh.
On the way home, the party has their first encounter with the demons of the sea - the Sahuagin.
In Saltmarsh, Malcolm offloads the smuggled goods while Effie is .. possessed by the moon? Ferrin Kastilar, druid of ObadHai, interprets Effie's trance and sends frantic word to Wellgar Brinehande, priest of Procan, and Eliander Fireborn, head of town guard - the Dreadwood is sending a force, and abominations rise from the sea.
The Sea Ghost (Sessions 5-7)
His forces committed to protecting against the Dreadwood incursion, Eliander asks the party to return to the smugglers den and dispatch whatever vessel must be supplying the place.
On the way back to the manor, the party encounters terrifying abominations in the sea. The steering of the jolly is broken in the fray, but the party survives and makes it to the manor. There, they raid the Sea Ghost, the smuggler's ship, in a dramatic melee. While both Malcolm and Effie went down in the fray, the tides turned and all but two of the crew were defeated or went overboard. One - a dwarf male - is mute, but the other - a human male - identifies himself as "Sulu" and his surviving compatriot as "Peggy". "The Second Chance" burned and is swamped as the ship's mage attempts to make an escape on it.
On board the Sea Ghost the party finds a gang of lizardmen. The party manages to divine that the lizardmen had a contract with the smugglers for weapons, which they needed in a war against the Sahuagin who had taken their home from them. Also onboard was an imprisoned Sea Elf named Oceanus, who had been keeping an eye on the Sea Ghost on behalf of his people.
Upon returning to Saltmarsh, Malcolm convinces Eliander to register The Sea Ghost out of Seaton to the party - he is Captain Blackstrand in truth now.
Xilseris and Effie met Keledek, an enthusiastic if enigmatic mage with a small tower in the nicer part of town. Keledek mentions a wizard's tower in the area once belonging to "Zenopus", and asks if the Xilseris and Effie might not investigate for him.
Eliander, fluent in draconic, converses with the lizardfolk and asks the party to go be ambassadors to the lizardfolks queen on behalf of Saltmarsh, seeking an alliance against the Sahuagin.
The Lizardfolk Parlay (Sessions 8-14 / May - October 2022)
Casting Off
The party barely survives an nighttime assassination attempt asleep on the Sea Ghost. A party of ghost-knife wielding assassins retreats from the ship only to lure the group into an ambush from Hobgoblins.
Prompted by the attempted assassination, Malcolm digs into the former owners of the Sea Ghost. Kreb has gone underground after taking the hot items the crew delivered from the alchemists mansion, but Malcolm ferrets him out. Kreb reveals the name of the former owner - Sanbalet, one Malcolm had already gotten from Sulu - and that Kreb's bosses were likewise curious who Sanbalet was running with. It wasn't the Sea princes... though Sulu asserted otherwise.
The party hires a crew for their ship and readies for departure.
As they cast off, a paper crane flies to Xilseris and deposits itself in her hand. It unfolds itself to reveal a map to the Tower of Zenopus, located where an unnamed tributary meets the Azure Sea.
The Hool Marshes
Aboard the Sea Ghost, en route to the lizardfolks lair, the party barely manages to keep save Caleb from being carried to the depths of the seas by an opportunistic sea predator. The crew is inspired and filled with pride to see their captain dive after a lost crewmember without thought for his own safety; one of their umber, a Dave, reveals a divine spark and resuscitates his halfling employer.
Hewing close to the coast line on a misty day, Malcolm's keen eye spots occluded figures moving along the coastline. Effie confirms the sighting, and further notices a giant black bird take off in the distance. Prompted by their three lizardfolk passengers that the figures are likely their kin, the party goes ashore with The Third Chance, the Sea Ghost's jolly.
Unfortunately, the figures were the reanimated corpses of a lizardfolk raiding party. The party puts them to permanent rest and continues its journey, unsure of the source of this dark magic.
The Lizardfolks Lair
The party makes it to a jutting escarpement that hides narrow, cliff-hemmed inlets. They anchor the ship and are guided by the lizardfolk to their peoples new home. Along the way they see ambassadors from other aquatic races, including Locathah mounting giant eels and a group of threatening Koalinth.
Xilseris, having magicked her own mind to understand the lizardfolks' tongue, overhears the Queen Orthokent speaking regrettably of a failure to form an alliance with the Koalinth, noting that their invitation to the alliance had meant not inviting the sea elves.
The party is introduced to the queen, and after strong and impassioned arguments, convince her to give her land-living neighbors a chance. She asks them to take on a task to prove the intent behind their words, but tells them she herself cannot say what it is. She hands them to her minister Sauriv.
Sauriv's reveals a task that shocks the party: he asks the party to kill the lizardfolks' god, Xars'thros'phiesix. He reveals that when the Sahuagin conquered the lizardfolks home they not only killed the god (a young dragon) of the lizardfolk, but further desecrated its corpse with a dark reanimation ritual. They then sent this mockery of Xars'thros'phiesix it to plague the lizardfolk in their new lair.
The lizardfolk are unable to fend off its depredations as they see this as a rightful divine punishment for their failure to protect Xars'thros'phiesix and their home. Outsiders, however, could free them from their penance...
With a good idea where to begin their search for the dragon - the place they encountered the reanimated lizardfolk - the party sets out.
Xars'thros'phiesix, The Unliving Once Vessel of Semuanya
The party backtrack the zombies and find dragon tracks, but lose the trail. From the top of a tree Effie sees what looks to be a destroyed caravan, with dead horses at the reins half decayed.
Heading towards the ruined remains, the party's path crosses with a tribe of strange frog people. The ensuing showdown is, perhaps, too ridiculous to be recounted here, although it is worth mentioning that Malcolm flirts yet again with death, valuing his own life less than any others' in his party. The bullywugs give way to the party, and let them approach the caravan.
Investigation of the caravan makes it clear that the dragon ruined it, though it's hard to reason what the caravan could have been doing out here. The grounds are littered with corpses - many dwarves and a few humans seemed to hvae been attacked by goblinkin. Xilseris recognizes a dark, grimy residue stuck to the wood of the wagons as Shadowfell Ethereal Phlegm.
Finally, the party comes across a dryer patch where armaments, gems, and wealth are piled high. Clearly a dragon's horde. It's at this point that the party realizes all color has left the world, and a deep, dark fog has surrounded them, as though they world were no larger than the thirty feet they can see. A shadow falls over the land, pierced only by a brilliantly shining full moon... a full moon which then shines black. The party is overcome with despair, only to find that with the darkness came the dragon.
Even having defeated the dragon, the party may have been stuck in its pocket of the shadowfell forever were it not for the rallying pulse of the frogfolks beating chests and throats. Pulled back to the real world, the party loots what they can from the dragon's horde. Each took an item warped by its time in the dark mirror of the material plane.
For Effie, a cloak that had taken on the decomposing powers of the swamp. To Malcolm, an unusual blade that pierce both ways between life and death. For Caleb, a ring set with five diamonds that glowed darkly. And to Xilseris, a broach which holds still the motion of her heart. Beyond these powerful artifacts the party also took a smattering of relics whose powers they've yet to understand.
Finally, Caleb cuts loose the one remaining pristine black scale from the once glorious creature as proof of their deed.
An Alliance Considered
Back on The Third Chance en route to the lizardfolk's lair the party is passed by two sea elves astride sharks.
Within the lair the party encounters a squadron of the sea elves, though no sign of their old acquaintance Oceanus. Malcolm's unerring eye detects the shimmer of a glamour over these elves, but he keeps what he sees to himself.
Not long after, the party encounters a second group of sea elves, having arrived not long behind the first. They claim to be the ambassadors to the Queen Orthokent. Smelling foul play, the party rushes to the throne room and confront the first group of elves. A fight breaks out, and Malcolm moves first. He swiftly dispatches a member of the party and breaks the glamour, revealing the group to be Sahuagin assassins!
Xilseris's enthusiastic magic unintentionally puts lizardfolk guards to sleep, but Effie steps into the picture and freezes the most powerful of the assassins and his mage assistant in place. Dispatching his guards, the party binds the assassin. The sea elf ambassador identifies the assassin as a Malenti, a mutant assassin Sahuagin spawn.
In honor of their deeds, the queen names the party allies of the clan Xars'Thros, no matter how the negotiations with Saltmarsh should play out.
Two of the queen's guards, Garurt and Vythe, join the party on the Sea Ghost as ambassadors to the peoples of Saltmarsh.
Origins & Interludes (Session 13 / Dec 2022 / Timeriacon)
The Origin
Captain Sirgurd is a name feared across the Azure Sea. It's a name that haunts Malcolm to this day. His memories of that man flash in his mind like dark thoughts illuminated only by the lightning flashes of a tempest.
Flash. A dock. Flash. A man standing before him. Flash. Caleb at eye level, standing on a box nearby. Flash, the man's entrails draped over Caleb like the legs of a squid pulling in its prey.
Lost in this unending nightmare, Malcolm is surprised to find himself awake one day. Or rather, still in the nightmare - so if not awake, then at least lucidly dreaming. An agent of his own mind once again. Seizing his opportunity, he strikes at Sirgurd. As the man bleeds Caleb also becomes conscious for the first time in a long time. Caleb attempts to help his friend, but is easily handled. Malcolm in turn tries to save Caleb from Sirgurd, and is stabbed through and thrown overboard for his efforts.
Caleb faces Sirgurd for a moment, then leaves overboard to try to save the unconscious Malcolm. Bleeding out himself, Caleb's world is turning dark as he frantically tries to pull the body of his friend to the surface. The last thing he sees is an enormous glowing eye, rising at him from the depths.
The Hool Marshes aren't a typical place to have a lunch picnic, nor is it typical to say "lunch picnic" and mean "thirteen days of bushwhacking", but Xilseris loves her sister despite her idiosyncrasies. Arriving at last at the beach, Effie and Xilseris find two pale bodies washing ashore. Seeing the spark of life left in them still, Effie attempts to save them.
Malcolm opens his eye only long enough to ask "Am I dead?"
"No," Effie responds.
"Dammit."
A Well Deserved Rest in Saltmarsh
Back in Saltmarsh, the party takes some well deserved rest. Malcolm hears rumors that if the newly-struck mine fails the dwarves contractually receive the town of saltmarsh in compensation.
Effie makes a name for herself with dragons teeth at the Snapping Line, while it's Caleb's turn to meet Keledek - who says he's in the market for emeralds - on an errand with Xilseris, who is stocking up on spells and spellgoods.
The party met Anders Solmor, a young scion and member of the council, and Kerrin Wavechaser, whose polite smile rings false to the group. Solmor quickly warms to the charismatic Captain Blackstrand and invites the party to, well, a party at his manor.
At this party the Captain gets facetime with more council notables, including Eda Oweland and Manistrad Copperlocks. Losing himself on the way to the privey, he lets himself into what he believes to be the butlers study. There, in the ashes of the fireplace he finds a burned scrap, its only legible characters saying "...let brother..."
After a few days of rest, adventure once more calls to our heroes, and they decide to strike out for the Tower of Zenopus.
The Tower of Zenopus (Sessions 15-19)
The party follows Keledek's map to a small sandbar with some rubble on it at the mouth of a medium-sized river. Upon disembarking from The Third Chance to the small "island", the parties senses warp and sudden the island they are is enormous, dunes stretching nearly to the horizon. They make their way through the dunes under constant assault from skeletal warriors, culminating in a running battle with a massive skeleton made of dozens of bodies. Our heroes perservere and arrive at the ruins of a multiple-storied tower, fallen on its side.
The only structure of note is the base of the tower, where a seemingly still maintained trapdoor leads into the underground. Making their way carefully through the dark, the party overhears voices. It doesn't take long to ascertain that the speakers are ne'er-do-wells - they speak of dark rituals, undead, the "Elder Elemental Eye" and having sought refuge here after the destruction of some temple near "Hommlet".
Having dispatched the cultists - though one did manage to escape, invisible - the party searches the cellar they've made a home, turning up interesting dark writings and journals - not to mention more than a few interesting relics and magic items.
In one room the party finds a door secreted behind a tapestry, and begins to explore a maze of death traps haunted by spectres and other unspeakables, presumably employed the tower's recently deceased occupants.
In a terrifying confrontation with a Bodak and spectres, Malcolm's soul is seemingly sucked from his body - when suddenly spirits burst from his blade from the dragon's horde, restoring him to life and striking at his enemies.
The party decides to retreat from the deathmaze (Xilseris decodes one journal enough to find that the culsists refer to the maze as "The Winding Way"), blockade the door, and rest. Nothing pursues them into the cellar, and they pass eight hours peaceably.
Proceeding through the Winding Way, past the room occupied by the defeated Bodak, the party encounters more traps and defenders. This time, the defenders have arcane, elemental, and construct backgrounds - surely they were placed here by the tower's original occupant. Fighting a golem of ice and an elemental of water, the party is ambushed by the surviving spectres. As the tides are turning (ha), Malcolm's rapier punctures the water elemental - and suddenly the room is completely engulfed in a flood, as a portal to the elemntal plane gushes through the defeated monster! Against all odds the party manages to defeat the surviving monsters, open a door, and drain the room.
Finally, the party arrives at the heart of the Winding Way. Guarding it are the most powerful automatons yet.
The party wilts beneath their relentless assault, with both Effie and Caleb falling to surely mortal wounds. With the ability to save only one, Xilseris revives effie, certain her sister can then save Caleb in turn. Alas, Effie is too weak from her brush with death, and, ultimately, Caleb dies.
Staggered by the loss of their friend, the three survivors haltingly enter the heart. Within, they are seemingly transported to another world. An eruption of plants and colors surround them, as though they are deep in a vibrant fey forest. At the heart of this "room" lies a small chest, its lid open, light riotously cascading over it as though the air itself were made of a waterfall of diamonds. Against a tree lies a skeleton, and near it a scattering of implements.
A voice speaks. "Ah. Sisters. So you have come at last to return what I stole. What took you so long?" No speaker is evident.
In response to the bewilderment of Xilseris and Effie, the voice changes tact, its wearied tone changing to one of desperation and madness. "Please," it says "please! Set me free. Release me."
Wary of loosing something they don't understand, the party inquires after more information. The spirit tells a tale of a ritual gone wrong, of being trapped in its own machine, its body withering away while its spirit was stuck here for millenia. Eventually, Xilseris is convinced, and with a rub on her Lucky Stone taken from the Alchemist's Manor, manages to weave the arcane energies running rampant in the room and through the small chest enough that she closes the chest and ends whatever ritual it was powering.
For a moment, everything turns black, and then explodes into white.
This shunting, or freeing, no, this undamming of an entire river of magic pulls each member of the party with it.
Each experiences a vision, and comes out changed by the magicks. Both Effie and Xilseris are brimming with power - Effie rushes to Caleb's corpse, holds a diamond above his heart and impossibly crushes it to dust in her fist. Opening her hand, she blows the dust onto his form, but it falls through Caleb's clothing and disappears.
Caleb's eyes open, and he breathes for the first time in nearly a minute.
Outside the ruins, the party sees a man being torn apart by manticores flying away into the distance. The island is now the small sand bar they saw from the Sea Ghost; no threat of undead remains.