The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh
Date: Wednesday November 17th 1999
Adventurers:
* Nialis: high elf, enchanter, Mage 4, LN
* Shadowblade, human, male, Thief, 4, CN
* Rodan the Billet, human, male, Priest (of St Cuthbert), 4, LG
* Ulthran, half elf, male, bard 4, NG
Freeday, Coldeven 14th, 581
The adventure began in the city of Gradsul in Keoland. The party
were kicking back in a local tavern after having completed their
latest job escorting a caravan from Niole Dra to Gradsul. One of
the group, Shadowblade, is approached by a scribe and, after
confirming his identity, is taken to a local law office where he
is informed that his uncle has recently died leaving him his
estate, a property called Milthorpe Manor on the outskirts of the
town of Saltmarsh in the Southern Marches (the borderlands
between Dreadwood and the Azure Sea). After returning to his
companions to tell of his windfall the adventurers decided to
head south and check out the manor.
Moonday, Coldeven 17th, 581
The party arrives in Saltmarsh passing the run down manor on
their way into town. After spending the night at the Sea Spray
Tavern, where the bard Ulthran entertains the locals with songs,
poems and tricks, they head back to the manor and begin exploring
the ground floor. After checking out several rooms they locate
the scullery and descend down to the cellars below. In this musty
chamber they discover a recently slain corpse and after searching
the area very thoroughly, locate a secret door leading to a
second cellar. This cellar is obviously inhabited as it contains
several sleeping stretchers, a table, provisions and a couple of
lit lanterns. Just as they enter the room they hear a door close
but find no guards or other inhabitants so begin exploring the
room.
They are examining a couple of side doors when all of a sudden a secret door opens at the far end of the room and two ogres step through. These ferocious humanoids are followed by several pirates. Rodan casts a hold person spell halting three of the pirates in their tracks while Ulthran attacks the nearer of the two ogres. Fortunately for him Nialis casts a ray of enfeeblement on the beastman weakening him.
Behind the pirates lurks their leader, a shadowy figure, who casts a scare spell of Shadowblade who fails his save and is forced to flee. Rodan casts a second hold person spell which halts the last of the pirates and then the party concentrates on the ogres (in a painfully slow battle). The mage is struck by a colour spray cast by Nialis but has disappeared by the time Nialis gets to his location beyond the secret door. Ulthran meanwhileis knocked out by one of the ogres when it manages to get a powerful blow through the tumbling thieves defences. Fortunately, Shadowblade has recovered his wits and returns just in time to backstab the ogreas it is about to end Ulthran's life. He follows this up by backstabbing the other ogre as it is busy trying to pound the badly injured Rogan into pulp, thus ending the battle.
The surviving pirates are tied up and the rest of the catacombs explored. There is no sign of the pirate's spellcasting leader but there are signs that a small boat was recently launched from a sheltered cove at the base of the cliff beneath the manor (the caves lead to this location). Returning to the cellar the party question the pirates who are very uncooperative until Ulthran casts a charm person on one of them and he becomes much more forthcoming. He learns that their leader is called Sanbalet and that he is from the Hold of the Sea Princes. He also learns that the pirates are smuggling arms to a nearby tribe of lizard men in the Hool Marshes. At this point the party decide to retire and head back to Saltmarsh to inform the authorities.
They hand the pirates over to the local sheriff, a halfling called Willy Stoutfoot, who locks them up until he can arrange to send them to Burle for trial. The sheriff asks the characters to investigate the information given to them by the charmed pirate concerning the lizard men and the possible link between the smugglers and the Sea Princes.
Godsday, Coldeven 18th, 581
The partry heads back to Milthorpe Manor where they explore the
upper level of the manor, which is abandoned and decaying, before
returning their attention to the dungeons and cellars beneath the
building. They search the two rooms that they'd previously left
when the pirates attacked. In the first they are attacked by a
ghast that had been imprisoned in the room but the undead
creature falls under a flurry of blows and spells.
The second room turns out to be the smuggler's leaders quarters and contains many of his personal effects and equipment, including 5 potions, several books and 11 pp. after a thorough exploration they are satisfied that the room is empty so once again return to the ghast's prison and search the walls for secret cavities. Nialis is soon rewarded, discovering a door that leads to a long abandoned work room. This room contains the long dead corpses of an alchemist (who was once the owner of the house). The alchemist's treasure includes an expensive (and rare) book, as well as several golden items (a human skull, an apple, a rose and a set of 5 small discs as well as a badly damaged magic users book that still contains several spells and some still usable spell components.
This adventure was based upon adventure U1, The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh ©1981.