The Sea Cave

A few weeks ago during my Swords & Wizardry campaign, I dropped in a quick dungeon adventure to break up what had become a few sessions in the big city of the campaign. I modified “The Emerald Locket” a short adventure published in Dungeon Vault magazine #22. I made changes to fit the Swords & Wizardry rules and for the adventure to fit my campaign. I made some changes to the actual emerald locket which is the goal of the published adventure - but I will detail it in the next post.

This session did give me a chance to roleplay the players accepting a job from one of the "big bads" of the campaign. I made sure to plant the seed of doubt in their minds that he would be true to his word.

Session 109: The Sea Cave

Lakima (human magic-user), Eathwund (human fighter), Alrix (couatl sorcerer), Aldus (human cavalier), Fenris the Filch (human thief NPC), Domago (human cleric NPC).

The members of the Company of the Black Dragon are at a Yule Ball given by Duke Robert at the Palace in Dolmvay. The night is getting late and most of the important guests including the Duke have left.

The members of the company slowly start to come back together – with the exception of Flora who is sitting with a human woman and is in a conversation. About a third of the remaining 40 or so guests are standing in a circle around the table where Dona Maria is seated. The woman is telling one of her famous stories. Lakima turns to his wife Alayna and suggests that the party is pretty much over and they should leave. Alayna looks around for any important guests and not seeing any, she agrees with Lakima. Eathwund and Fenris seem eager to leave as well. They collect Aldus and Domago and start to head for the door. Lakima does stop and lets Flora know that they are leaving. Flora decides to join them. The entire group takes two carriages back to the Black Dragon Inn.

Early the next morning at breakfast, Lakima meets Eathwund. He asks Eathwund to join him in going to the Valenon to deliver Aashdoshan’s Staff. The two take a carriage to the East Gate of the walled city within a city – the Valenon (a sort of Vatican in this world). This is the home of the Church of Law and Order in Valnwall (and the world). At the gate, they find they are expected and they are quickly led to the enormous domed Cathedral of St. Poul. In the cathedral, they are led down into the vaults where they meet Lawlord Ethun Barrigan. Barrigan shows them a metal box in which they plan to store the staff. The box is unfortunately too short for the staff but Lakima is able to unscrew the sections of the staff and place the two femur bones and the eye of the Ghoul King in the box. The Lawlord quickly locks the metal box and gestures at some church guards to take it deeper into the vaults. That task complete, the Lawlord invites them to his quarters. There he asks them to fill in the details of the history of the ghoul king's body parts they found.

After a short meeting with the Lawlord, Lakima and Eathwund leave the Valenon and take a carriage across the river to the Palatial district. They stop at the Emerald Rose Inn where they ask for Earl Uther mor Calwell. They are asked to wait and soon find a nobleman waiting with them. Finally, Earl Uther arrives accompanied by a bodyguard. The Earl tells the pair about the raids that have been occurring in northern Calwell. At first, all that was reported was raids of livestock and food by bugbears who seemed to disappear at will. But the latest reports tell of a flying ship crewed by the bugbears and a pair of cloud giants. The nobleman who has also been waiting is asked to join them and is introduced as Sir Taris of Wolford. He tells of the most recent events reported by his seneschal. Lakima does not discuss a monetary reward – instead, he requests to be able to keep the flying ship should they capture it. The Earl agrees and tells them he will send over a contract. Sir Taris also gives them a letter of introduction to his Seneschal in Wolford. Before the Earl excuses himself, Lakima asks if he can speak to the Earl’s servant Nevain (Lakima’s stepfather). After waiting a few minutes with only the Earl’s bodyguard for company, Nevain does arrive. Lakima asks Nevain how he is and asks about Nevain taking a job in Edgerton. Nevain quickly dissuades Lakima telling him that he is happy in the employ of the Earl. Lakima also asks if Nevain knows the name of a reputable alchemist that Lakima could employ as a teacher in his school. Nevain suggests Lakima ask his daughter.

They say goodbye to Nevain and leave the Inn. Eathwund tells Lakima that Sir Taris is an absentee landowner. He grew up in Wolford and never once did Sir Taris visit. Lakima and Eathwund then take another long carriage ride across town to the Inn of 100 Floods at the Travelers’ gate. This is a very busy Inn. They ask to visit Dona Maria but learn she is not in, having stayed at her patron’s manor the night of the ball. Eathwund and Lakima return to the Black Dragon Inn and meet with the other members of the Company. While relaxing back at the Inn, they learn that the news from the ball that is making the rounds in Dolmvay is about a deadly duel that occurred the night of the ball after they left. Lord Petros was accidentally killed by Lord Varlen in a legal duel.

That afternoon they decide to take a meal at the Wooden Eagle Inn. An Inn that Alayna assures them has excellent food. Alayna, Lakima, Eathwund, Alrix, and Aldus go together. At the Inn, they nod to some guests they recognize from the ball. It seems many of the merchants that were at the ball also frequent this Inn. In particular, they notice one merchant who nervously keeps glancing at their table. The man finally works up the nerve to approach the table and hail Aldus as a friend. Aldus responds that he does not know the gentleman. The merchant insists they spoke at length at the ball and introduces himself as Eamon Carvell. He asks to join them.

Eamon tells them a story of woe. He owes money to a broklaw gang in Baytown and the gangsters kidnapped his son in demand of payment. Aldus dismissively tells him that this is not the sort of thing a knight would deal with. Lakima, however, tells Eamon they will pay his debt in return for taking his son. Eamon is rather shocked by this statement. But Lakima explains he means to apprentice his son. Eamon is unsure and notes that his son, Heinrich, is already an apprentice cooper. After some more persuading, Eamon agrees though he worries about what his wife will say. The group returns to the Black Dragon Inn.

At the Inn, they sit and discuss the best course of action. Fenris has joined them and Lakima suggests that Fenris scout out the situation. Fenris tells them he knows of this gang and tells them that they are one of the most dangerous.

The next morning at breakfast Fenris returns – looking and smelling like he spent the night in a ditch. Domago has also joined them for breakfast. Fenris tells them the bad news. The gang knew that Eamon would not be able to pay them so they sold his boy to Murtha – a witch who has a hovel in Baytown. Word is that this witch took the boy to a sea cave as a sacrifice to a sea god. This sea god is an evil spirit that some sailors and fishermen make small sacrifices of copper and silver to in hopes of avoiding storms. The witch is said to have tied the boy to a rock and left him to drown when the tide rises as night falls.

Lakima shrugs and says that he guesses that is the end of the story. But Domago is aghast.

“We must save that boy!”

Lakima tries to dissuade Domago telling him it is illegal for them to take on an adventure without guild membership. The priest will have none of it. He insists he is going to the cave immediately whether they join him or not. He then looks at Eathwund. Eathwund sighs and says he will join him. With that Aldus, Lakima, Alrix, and Fenris also agree to come.

The group takes a pair of carriages to the Baytown Gate. A gate that leads down to Baytown is usually kept closed. A quick exchange of silver from Fenris to a guard and the gate is swung open. They walk down a stone path to a beach. It is clear from the sand and seaweed on the beach that this area floods at high tide. Fenris leads them to a series of three sea caves.

“That one,” Fenris says pointing at the largest sea cave.

The group enters and finds an enormous cave that has been carved out of the rock 60 feet below the walls of the city. The cave is full of pools of water and debris. It is clear that this entire cave floods at high tide. Near the center of the cave, they see an unmoving young man chained by his ankle to a stone altar. They approach the altar and shake the boy awake. The boy appears a little slow to comprehend the dire situation and he is clearly hungover. Fenris picks the lock on the boys’ ankle while the other members of the group spread out. Alrix places a fancy urn filled with some gems at the base of the altar to placate the sea god who might be angry at losing his sacrifice.

At that moment four crude wood spears are hurled at the group from a ledge 12 feet up on the left wall. One spear strikes Lakima injuring him. Eathwund, Aldus, and Alrix move up into defensive positions. They see a pair of troglodytes up on the ledge readying more spears. Lakima yells at Domago to blow the Silver horn of Valhalla. The horn is blown and four berserkers appear on the ledge and attack the troglodytes. One troglodyte is pushed from the ledge and crashes into the sandy floor of the cave. Eathwund moves up and attacks the troglodytes. More troglodytes appear on the ledge and throw more spears. Some of them leap down and charge Alrix and Aldus. The berserkers are soon all dispelled. Domago uses his sling to fire exploding bullets at those troglodytes still on the ledge. Lakima sits down on the ground and stares into a gem while speaking an incantation. After a few moments, he curses and then tries again. The troglodytes use teeth and claws against Eathwund and Aldus and Eathwund is clawed several times. Slowly they dispatch the troglodytes one by one. Lakima gives up on his possession attempts and throws darts at the creatures. Alrix uses his sword of dancing. That last few troglodytes run away. One runs back from the ledge and another tries to run across the cave but the sword of dancing skewers it.

“Fenris, climb up there and kill that creature, don’t let it get away,” Lakima yells, and Fenris scrambles up the rock wall to the ledge. “And throw down a rope,” Lakima yells as Fenris disappears from sight. Fenris returns a few minutes later and tosses down a rope. He tells them that there is a tunnel here leading up to a maze of tunnels. He saw some wood barriers and then came back.

The group takes notice of the situation. They realize that the boy Heinrich ran away in the confusion. Presumedly home to his parents. Eathwund is bleeding badly so Domago prays and heals some of his wounds. Fenris waits patiently up above. They decide to climb up to join him. The tunnel goes up about 20 feet and joins three other tunnels. Fenris reports that all three tunnels are blocked by crude wood barriers made of simple spears. He saw troglodytes guarding the barriers. Domago casts continual light on a coin so everyone can see. Alrix moves ahead until he can see the barriers with his darkvision. He hurls a fireball spell just over one of the barriers. He explodes and incinerates the barrier and a pair of troglodytes. Eathwund and Aldus rush forward to take advantage of the surprise. Eathwund finishes off a troglodyte lying on the cave floor. They enter a large cave, on the far walls are two ledges, each about 10 feet high. A number of troglodytes wait on the ledges with raised spears. In the center of the cave is a large flat rock covered in dried blood. A few golden idols rest on the floor near the altar rock.

Lakima enters and casts a lightning bolt killing or badly injuring all of the troglodytes on one ledge. This is enough for the remaining troglodytes who pull aside one of the wood barriers and try to flee. In doing so the troglodytes circle behind the group. The entire group runs after the fleeing creatures. They catch them at another wooden barrier. A short fight ensues and Alrix, Aldus, and Eathwund kill all of the creatures who were fleeing. But another pair of uninjured troglodytes appear and attack. One is killed and one is injured and flees into the dark tunnels.

With Domago and Fenris in the lead, they follow the sound of the creatures’ feet slapping on the stone floor. The pursuit leads into a cave with five exits. On one side of the cave is a structure of human origin made of well-fitted stone blocks. Steps lead up to a chamber lit by flickering firelight. The stair is blocked by curtains of cobwebs. On the stair, they see some broken human skeletons. Fenris points to the cave floor and tells everyone he can see a trail of dark blood leading into one of the tunnels. They decide to follow the fresh blood trail. The trail leads to a descending passage where they encounter four more troglodytes. Three of the creatures are killed in the fight – but one gets away. They follow it down a slippery tunnel to a large hole in the cave floor. A dark tunnel leading straight down. Fenris is sent down on a rope but he reports that the hole seems to have no bottom. They drop a stone and after a long wait, they hear a plunk as it hits a pool of water. Fenris tells them that the pit is about 240 feet deep.

The group decides not to try and descend. Instead, they make their way back to the stone stair. Fenris approaches the stair but does not ascend.

“Some of these fellows look like they might have been cut in half,” he says pointing at the skeletons on the stair.