Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh (This is the Game Thread)

[Breila]

Searos, seeing that he can't fire into the melee without risking to hit his allies, decides to retreat towards the mages, covering them all in case more enemies appear.

Of the people in melee, Gunter is the first to act, his blows are powerful, alas, they miss. His opponent is luckier, striking him in the arm, causing a heavily bleeding wound that makes Gunter dizzy.

The gnoll Vee has been fighting with, despite being heavily wounded, strikes at her, but the blow is deflected by her armor. Vee's attack on the man fighting with Brax is successful, however, she hits him in the back of the head.

Searos and the mages get the impression that someone might be moving at the limit of the range of their torchlight, and there might be speech mingled to the sounds of battle, but before they have a chance to tell what that might be, a colorful jet of light springs forth from the darkness, blinding them, and they fall to the floor, unconscious. the torch Kim held topples to the floor, rolling down (south) until it is stopped by the cave wall. Dogmeat is affected as well.

The two humans fighting with Brax and Gunter attempt to hit them, but fail. Brax is luckier, she hits the man, who falls to the floor, unmoving.

Then a voice calls out from the darkness: "Seize them!"

orange circle: torchlight before Kim drops the torch
turquoise triangle: area of effect of Color Spray spell

Basemod2.jpg (77.97 KiB) Viewed 6901 times

Suddenly, the light of a lantern floods the room. Blinking, Gunter, Vee and Brax can see Gudrum the halfling holding the lantern aloft. The badly hurt gnoll Vee had been fighting with retreats along the cavern wall. Next to Gudrum, a tall, ascetic-looking man in faded old robes is standing. Two men pass those two, one has ropes in his hands. The man Gunter had been fighting with joins them. They walk over to where Searos, Echo, Amon and Kim are lying.

"Ladies, I suggest you stop fighting" the mage speaks again, turning to Vee and Brax. "You have killed three of my men now, and my gnolls are not in good shape. However, the rest of my men can just snuff out the lives of your friends and your faithful companion the dog. As for that tall fellow over there, I guess I could just let him bleed to death. So you better lay down your weapons and turn to the wall, hands against it, won't you?"

die rolls:
Gunter: INIT 1, 11 misses, 9 misses, too
Gnoll 2: INIT 5, 15 hits AC 5 for 7 damage

Gnoll 1: INIT 2 ,14 does not hit AC 3
Vee: INIT 5, 17 hits for 4 damage

Sanbalet (enemy mage): INIT 5 +1 casting time, 6 creatures affected within area

Human 1: INIT 8, miss
Human 2: INIT 8, miss

Brax: Init 9, Hit AC 5, 5 damage
Dogmeat: Init 9, (1d20): 16 for (2d4): 3 damage

[Jenara]

Brax thinks for a few moments, before letting her mace fall limply. "Allow me to bind his wounds. We are outnumbered, I see that."

Patting Vee on the shoulder gently she frowns. "Nothing can be served by further fighting, save your strength Little One."

[LittleLuna]

After Braxs advice Vee tries to calm down, but she is shaking from fury when she drops her staff. staring at the mages eyes she whispers: "coward" loud enough that everybody can hear it.

[Breila]

The mage looks at Brax with cold eyes. "Gudrum, set down the lantern and check if our man is still alive" he says. Turning to Vee, he chuckles and adds: "I have heard that, young lady. I must admit that I vastly prefer to be a coward that is rich and alive, and not a hero who is dead."

The three other men bind the unconscious people, starting with Searos and Amon, while the third one threatens to pierce Seaos's neck if Brax, Vee and Gunter don't behave. As soon as they're done with that, all four people who lost consciousness and Dogmeat begin to stir, but this doesn't deter the three men. The one with the sword has now moved to Echo. "None of you moves, or she will be dead" he threatens, while his companions continue to bind her and Kim. They get their hands tightly bound in front of themselves, while the legs are tied more loosely, enabling them to walk if someone helps them get up.

"Hugo still breathes" announces Gudrum after checking on the fallen man.

"Well then," the mage tells Brax, "I am sure that you have picked some of the healing potions I left in the house. Don't deny it to me, you will be searched. So if you administer one of them to Hugo and give one to my gnoll, you can give the third one to your fighter over there."



roll for the duration of the Color Spray spell: 1d4=1, 1 round

[Robbo]

Gunter, bleeding profusely, starts to feel a little lightheaded.

"We should have never trusted the runty bastard," he glares at Gudrum, "when we get out of here, he's mine."

[The_Muffin_Man]

Searos groans a bit and when he realizes he can't move just lies there. "You know, of all the ways I have lost conciousness, this would have to be one of the least fun."

[Jenara]

"I agree Gunter." Brax comments with a frown. "Are you all ok?" She asks the group, all but ignoring those around her. "You will have to join the queue."

Mace still at her side she grins, "What are you going to do with us?" She asks as she places her hand on Vee's shoulder in a calming motion.

[HorizonsDream]

Echo struggles, naturally, as she is being tied up. She certainly isn't going to be an easy person to take prisoner despite not being fully with it after the spell. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure most of the people here don't really care if I'm dead or not," she says with a smirk.

[Jenara]

(ooc: Slight error in my post, Brax asked the GROUP if they were ok, she ignored the people holding them)

"Does it surprise you that I care Miss Echo?" Brax asks with a Grin, the mace loose at her side.

[Breila]

"Those healing potions, Miss Half-Drow? My men still have a blade at your comrade's neck, I am not going to wait any longer."

Indeed, one of the men now holds th blade to Echo's neck, who is staring at him defiantly. He casually lets it follow gravity along the side of the neck, drawing a trickle of blood, then pulls it up again.


(ooc @Jaded: how does Dogmeat react to Amon being bound ?)

[Jenara]

"Alas, the only potion we found is with the young Kim over there." She smiles, looking directly at Kim, "If you had any others, I do not know where they were." She looks into the wizards eyes, "Use it if you wish."

Brax slips in front of Vee, moving closer so that she is blocked from any attack, as she does so she places the dagger she collected earlier into Vee's pocket.

Dex Check: 1d20=9 Pass.

[LittleLuna]

"Be nice to Echo and the others or you'll die a very very slowly painful dead. And don't think I'm not able to do that." Vee looks at Gudrum. "and to you Gudrum" she rises an eyebrow "smallmaster, in my homecountry, liers get cuted out they're thounge."

[JadedDM]

Amon comes to hazily. This was the second time he had been knocked unconscious. The first time it happened, he woke up unharmed, unbound, with all of his gear, in another unguarded room. He wasn't so lucky this time.

Struggling against his bonds, he looks around the room. He deduces that the battle was lost, that the robed man was the one who knocked him out, and that things are quickly progressing from bad to worse.

Seeing Echo being threatened, he says, "Don't touch her! That is Echo Soulstaff, daughter of Daos Soulstaff. And I am Amon Cousland, son of Bryce Cousland. Our parents are on the council, and when we do not return, they will send every able-bodied person available to find us. Your cover is blown. Search parties are probably already on the way."

While he struggles, he tries to retrieve the ring his master gave him from his pocket. If he can slip it back on and send a message...

Dogmeat approaches Amon and stands protectively over him. Should anyone non-friendly approach, he will growl menacingly and attack should they not back off.

[Jenara]

"Indeed they will come soon enough." Brax grins, not taking her eyes off this new mage. "I would not be surprised if they on the way already."

[Breila]

Vee's threats are met with laughter and disdain from the men, the mage doesn't even look at her.

At Amon's claim that he and Echo are children of council members, he draws up his eyebrows. "Gudrum, go tell Andrew and Valery that they are needed here."

"Yes, Master Sanbalet" the halfling says, scurrying away.

"The potion is in my backpack" Kim tells the man standing close.

The man sits Kim up and searches the backpack, finding the potion quickly. He leaves Kim and administers the potion to Hugo, who comes to, but is still very weak.

Brax's comment on the search party being on the way is completely ignored.

Two men arrive on the scene, led by Gudrum. "Andrew, the man down there claims to be the son of a council man, the woman next to him being the daughter of another" Sanbalet says, pointing to Amon and Echo. Andrew looks at them and chuckles. "Looks like we've drawn a prize" he tells his boss. "They are indeed who they claim to be. And both are apprentices to Daos Soulstaff, too."

"Mages..." Sanbalet whistles. "Well then, they need to be gagged as well as bound, then. Charles, Alexandre, you do that" he tells the two men who bound the mages and Searos. "And you, Arthur, move over to the person called Kim with your blade. We need to make sure everybody does as they're told, but Miss Echo is far too precious to hurt, isn't she? I'm sorry we did" he says mockingly, with a little bow.

"Valery, Andrew, you help that big-mouthed young lady to get rid of her backpack, and tie her down. If she doesn't hold still, you may use any force. Plus, Kim's throat will be cut, is that clear? Then do the same with our dark elf. The fighter will probably be glad to rid himself of his backpack and sit down."

Sanbalet seems to enjoy being in control, his eyes dart everywhere, delighting in the discomfort of the party.

"Well, it is night outside now. You will have to accept our hospitality for the time being. We will set a watch outside to look for any search parties. Tomorrow morning, we will go negotiate the terms of your release with the council.

Strip them of everything but their clothes, the bedrolls, food and water, one by one" he tells his men and leaves, by the other exit of the cave, followed by the limping gnolls and Gudrum.

Grinning, Andew and Valery approach Vee to take her backpack off, tie her hands and legs, and search her for any weapons.
Charles and Alexandre take their scarves off and want to tie them around Amon's and Echo's faces, to prevent them from speaking clearly.