The Dark Squad in the Secrets of Saltmarsh #143a Three Months More in Castle Argentriver. (2024)

Dark Squad in the Secrets of Saltmarsh​

Session #138: Into the Mere of the Dead Men Part 3.

Dark Squad (in alphabetical order, no egos here).

DEAD PCs

RIP

NPCs

RETIRED

RIP*

RETIRED

EXPLODED
Ubdug (played by Goonalan) Supreme Being Lvl 2 (When we remember)
*Trapped in the Land of the Bad Dead Ancestors.

Servants/Familiars
Gerald (Bat/Giant Bat) servant/mount of New Tricks
Owly (Owl) Vinnie’s familiar
Archimedes (very scruffy & old, Owl) Fellowyn’s familiar.

The Dark Squad’s to-do list-

1. Find the other four Symbols of Ub, one was left in Deepbridge (Duergar fortress in the Underdark). The others need to be found, they belonged to- Rambles 'Shambles' Bowspirit (halfling killer from Lowhill), Antonio De La Crane (posh kid druid alchemist) & Giggles (crazy wood elf). All of these folk lived in the Saltmarsh region, the Dark Squad have found the De La Crane Manse (in the Dreadwood) and the De La Crane Crypt (in Saltmarsh Cemetery).
2. Nightshade is in the Deep Dreadwood- except she's not there anymore, but a big red dragon is?
3. Blackedge and the Goblin Stair?
4. To join the Pact of the Wild Flame prepare the Witch's Tor for the coming of the starfall, the Witch's Tor is in the Drowned Forest, in the Mere of the Dead Men.
5. To join the Pact of the Wild Flame track down the last member of the Pact, a wild elf adventurer called Giggles- and finally put her spirit to rest, and also recover her maze button. Location unknown. SEE 2. ABOVE.

Remember us? We’ve been gaming all the while- we’ve not missed a week, only we’ve been playing the Alt Game, not this one, the simple reason being for the last however many weeks then there’s always been one of the gang that can’t make it. Its Festival Season don’t you know. On the weeks that we are one player light then the agreement is we play the Alt Game- and so it has come to pass. I’ll write up the Alt Game sometime soon, I reckon, just as soon as I get caught up with all the other stuff I need to get done.

Here's a thing though, the next time I have to be in work is… August the 20th, or it might be the week after, the 27th, so- a little time off.

I think I’m going to call the thread for the Alt Game here- Catch the Pidgin.

This is session 138, the Dark Squad are in the Mere… of Dead Men, still- this is there third day, or else it’s now the evening of their third day in the Mere for the Dark Squad.

Here we are. The tower and the clearing have been investigated, in the last session- there’s an avenue leading away from this area, an ancient road- perhaps. But the Dark Squad are not for diversions (they say) and so… onwards.

Just to say the Squad are still making many Skill Checks during their travels, to keep them on course for the Witch’s Tor, and to keep them moving quickly, and as quietly (as possible) and making sure that they spot any dangers before the dangers spot them.

And then another night in the Mere, in Newt’s little hut- and again a whispering voice, the language an ancient version of the elven tongue. The voice is asking for help- repeatedly and imploring the Squad to come to the “castle beyond the birds”.

Although it’s actually only Ram and Newt that hear the whispers, and only the Half-Elf (Ram) that makes sense of it.

What this is all about- no-one is very sure, but Fellowyn thinks he has something to do with things, in a previous whispered message the “Argent River” was mentioned, well… Fellowyn’s surname is Silverstream.

So, more whispering- more of the same, and then rise and shine to day four in the Mere.

Oddly the weather has improved somewhat, or else the mist has lifted a little and there’s much more to see. The much more however is just endless miles of swamp dotted with hummocks of (relatively) drier land, and here and there stands of (mangrove-like) twisted trees.

And the Dark Squad have not been going long when…

There’s an ancient wooden road, or else semi-floating walkway, and it’s heading in the same direction as the Dark Squad.

Odd that.

And in the brackish swamp- further along, in a much deeper pool of standing water is… a semi-submerged carriage, drawn at some point by at least four horses- the skeletons of which are poking out of the Mere, they’ve been picked clean, or else...

The carriage looks like a very upmarket affair, a vehicle employed by a well-to-do family, or… well, it is of course lathered with mud and the debris of the swamp, and broken- here and there. But Newt flies over on his broom- kicking Fellowyn (riding side-saddle) off before heading over.

While the remainder of the Squad either look about for danger, wary-like, or else try to find a way to get over to the island on which Newt now stands and ponders.

The Warlock shifts from enquiry to concern, his investigations have revealed the following- inside the submerged cab of the vehicle are a bunch of hefty looking sacks, the tabaxi spies’ treasure- or else shiny looking things.

Newt likes treasure a lot. Mainly because he spends every gold he gets on the viscera and gewgaws of his grisly life.

Still, a warlock has to have a hobby.

However, Newt is of the opinion that the carriage has been here, well, not very long at all- days, perhaps (he rolled a ‘20’). There are great scratch marks in the roof of the cab. That’s not good. But again, how the hell did it get here?

Several more members of the Squad make it over to join the inspection team.

However,…

It’s at this point that a bunch of Giant Frogs show up, leaping out of their hiding places in the Mere.

But… Giant Frogs, really- these are 9th level PCs.

Here’s a remarkable thing, the Giant Frogs are +3 To Hit, but they tend to get advantage with their initial (from hidden) surprise attacks, and… I almost never miss. My dice are on fire.

It’s only six Giant Frogs though… what could possibly go wrong?

So, in the image above Vinnie and Ubdug fight a pair of Giant Frogs on the bank. Daktari leaps across to the island to join Newt, but then a second later is struck by a leaping Giant Frog and dumped back into the water. The same for Fellowyn, only he quickly manages to stab and kill his attacker. These two however are swimming.

It’s at this point George, who plays Fellowyn, thanks the DM for this encounter- a chance he explains to his fellow players to blast some low-level critters and feel good about themselves.

Giant Frogs are 50 XP each.

Thanks George, but- too soon. You can tell he’s the Noob of the gang.

The other players are much more taciturn.

Jim (Vinnie and Dak) mutters his usual, “I have a bad feeling about this…”, but he’s a milksop.

We go on…

The same for Ram, a Giant Frog slams into the rogue- grabs and partially swallows the half-elf’s right leg, he’s wearing the beast like a boot, and attempts to pull Ram under. Ram however is water walking so, the amphibian struggles in vain.

The same for Newt, but worse. The tabaxi, in the image above, has just been hit in the back by a leaping Giant Frog- Grabbed around the waist, and then dragged down to the depths. He has also failed to take a breath and so is now restrained and drowning on the bottom of the pool here. The Giant Frog that delivered this delight is not shown on the map because it’s way beneath the surface of the water- dragging Newt down, it therefore cannot be targeted.

In point of fact none of the other members of the Dark Squad can see Newt at all.

They saw him go in, but that was ten or so seconds ago.

Also, they have their own concerns.

Here we all are again. This image taken later the same turn. Newt is still beneath the murk- drowning.

Giant Frogs are being slaughtered; more are hopping out the watery murk to join the attack.

And then…

Newt drowns. Reduced to 0 HP. What a shame.

Vinnie has become the Moonboar- it’s getting serious.

Note the rest of the Squad have marked where Newt went down but right now, they really do have problems of their own. I promise you; I think I missed only once with my Giant Frog surprise attacks.

The Giant Frogs don’t do a lot of damage, keep in mind, but what they do is Grapple/Restrain and then, after making contested Strength checks, they hop off (and underwater, when they can) with their captured Squad member.

The Giant Frogs are kicking the Dark Squad’s backsides. I mean… they’re not taking much in the way of damage (save for Newt, of course) but all is chaos.

Oh, and another six more Giant Frogs are in the process of joining the attack.

Fellowyn to the rescue, the athletic (he does a lot of yoga) wizard Misty Steps to the spot Newt went in, and then dives down and slaps Newt (literally) with another Misty Step (an Eladrin power, not a spell) which allows him to teleport Newt out of the water and onto the bank.

Well, that’s fantastic, but- two things.

First, Newt- while being grappled and drowning also activated a power of his own- Belphegor’s Fiery Hide (basically a Fire Shield, once per day- I think he got this after sending 100 souls to his Flaming Master). So, Fellowyn activates the Fire Shield (when he slaps Newt with his spell) and gets burnt for his troubles. Note the Giant Frog grappling Newt went the same way- killed by the Fire Shield, but Newt was sparko (unconscious) at that point.

I figure the spell isn’t concentration and so the effect goes on.

Then, what Fellowyn actually says is something like- ‘I teleport Newt with my Misty Step to ten feet above the bank’, and so that’s what happens- Newt falls ten feet, lands hard- but he’s unconscious, so not a sound he makes.

He does however automatically fail a Death Save.

Go get a lawyer.

The rest of the Dark Squad are having fun with Giant Frogs- I am still 90% plus on my To Hit rolls.

Daktari, in the image above, has three Giant Frogs attached to him, none of the amphibians can get the barbarian to fall over (opposed Strength checks) so that they can drag him off.

Oh, and Ram- well, he helped with the Newt rescue (after taking his Water Walking ring off), only while he was underwater, he was attacked by two more Giant Frogs, bitten repeatedly and grabbed/dragged off into the depths. The rogue however took a breath before he went down looking for Newt, so- he’s doing okay atm, it helps that he’s also wearing Mariner’s Armour.

But it really isn’t going to plan for the Dark Squad.

It’s remarkable, several of the players have observed thus far, how difficult an encounter is when there’s no Newt flying around and blasting stuff. Newt does a lot of the Dark Squad killing, it seems.

Fellowyn and Vinnie are now committed to get to Newt, to get the warlock back up and in the fight.

Vinnie gets to the tabaxi first, but now he’s out of actions. Fellowyn, meantime is helping out with a Thunderwave, or a Shatter- I forget which. Either way Daktari takes a bit more hurt, and a few more Giant Frogs die.

Fellowyn’s damage rolls are usually low.

Ubmo, the Supreme Being, unleashes his Storm Sphere, and again Daktari is in the middle of it.

Respect for the big man, it seems to me- just a humble DM, is at an all-time low atm.

You’ll further note in the above image that Ram- still submerged and holding his breath is still fighting for his life and struggling- he’s bloodied. Answers on a postcard as to the last time anyone saw Ram bloodied.

The Supreme Being’s Storm Sphere lasts maybe four seconds, a Giant Frog smashes into Ubmo and destroys him.

Note, when Ubmo is reduced to 0 HP he explodes (for effect- no damage) raining down nuts and bolts (and bits) in a twenty or so foot radius.

That’s style.

More of the same really, only… it’s getting worse. This was my third wave of Giant Frogs, for big fans of counting I had eighteen of the hopping maniacs in this encounter, three waves of six. That makes for just 900 XP, not much of a reward for all the Squad’s efforts.

You’ll note that Daktari is back to being surrounded again.

You’ll also note that Giant Frogs have leapt out of the water and onto both Vinnie and Fellowyn, the pair are both being grappled/dragged back into the Mere.

Remarkably none of the players seem to be having any fun with this- although there’s a fair amount of laughing at each other, I’m having a ball.

Newt fails a Death Save, that’s his second- one left.

But Vinnie heals him a moment later, and in the process- the Druid/Moonboar stated- ‘I kick Newt awake’, (after healing him). ‘Kick’, sounds like an attack to me- Vinnie is briefly engulfed in flame. Newt’s Fire Shield is still working.

Also, spot who’s in the water, that’s Were-Ram, the lycanthrope just failed a save to keep his cool and… he’s back to his hybrid ratty best.

Note, Ram has not learnt how to control his change, and has no way of changing back until he gets back to his senses (he makes Wis saves every turn).

Further note, Ram needs to learn to be able to control his change before he can take advantage of other Wererat powers.

So, things are going swimmingly, although- Newt’s back!

Love is… Vinnie heals Newt. Newt burns Vinnie.

Normal service is resumed- Newt commences blasting, note he is apoplectic atm, he’s shouting so loud that Bear’s microphone is pretty much cut-out all of the time.

I have no idea what he is saying- but dice are rolling, and Giant Frogs are exploding.

More remarkably the over-sized amphibians flee this onslaught, the fight- more or less as soon as Newt takes to blasting, turns into a mass exodus. The Giant Frogs are out of there.

Newt is delighting in his power to turn the tide.

Too soon.

Hello? The encounter just got spicey.

So, quite a lot happens very quickly, and there are not many pictures here because… well, some folk got a bit panicky.

A tentacle slithers up and around the carriage, and then around the waist of Daktari, and then… Bloop!

The barbarian is gone, he does however manage to take a breath before he’s dragged under.

Under the water, and on the bottom, Daktari can just make out the huge frog-like tentacled beast which has dug a hole beneath the carriage. The carriage is in effect resting on the great beast, if the Dark Squad had gone in earlier and started moving the treasure sacks (that Newt spied) they would have quickly discovered this fact.

The treasure, let’s call it a lure, is on/around/covering the frog beast’s head and gaping maw.

Ubdug and two more slow-moving Giant Frogs suffer similar fates- they’re grabbed by coiling tentacles, only- well, these three are crushed to death by the creepy feelers.

Ubdug had only just rematerialized, as it turns out in the water with Were-Ram, he barely has chance to acknowledge Were-Ram and take in his new surroundings when… the tentacle hits and zoops him away and into the black.

“The Zerooooooooooooeeeee…sssss!

Were-Ram is less fortunate, moments later a three-foot thick, tough as hide, tongue- like a giant constrictor, snakes out and grabs him. A moment later- a rush through the watery black- and he’s gulped down.

Were-Ram has been swallowed by the beast.

Here we all are, or at least some of us. Were-Ram has been swallowed and is now being eaten alive by the creature’s stomach acid, while Dak is just grabbed and holding his breath. He’s also being crushed of course.

There is panic. Vinnie spews out a Cone of Cold, or something similar, but the creature- now identified, it’s a Froghemoth; is submerged and protected somewhat by having a carriage on top of it.

It gets iced however, after failing its save (with a ‘1’), note Daktari is also left shivering.

So, lots more has happened.

Ubdug rematerializes next to Ram, it’s what he does every time he’s destroyed. Ram is in the stomach of the Froghemoth, and therefore so is Ubdug. Still, it’s nice to have company.

Ubdug’s last words are- “The Zeroes Ram, THE ZEROES!”

Moments later the Froghemoth’s stomach acid destroys the Supreme Being, again.

Now, what else- back to the image above.

Three tentacles have been freed up, and swiftly redeployed- the Moonboar, and Fellowyn, and Newt have all been grabbed and dragged under to join their friends at the bottom of the Mere.

They have all managed to catch their breath however, and so none of them are drowning, yet.

Newt has summoned a friend you’ll note (in the image above), Colin’s back, or to give him his full name- “Colin Um Accounts”, he’s a Tanarruk- an extremely violent Orc-type demon.

Colin alas fails to take a breath- and he too is underwater, so he will drown in a couple of turns. Newt seems to be okay with this- Colin, less so.

Newt does a lot of shouting at this point, I don’t know what he says, his mike is very helpful in that respect.

Daktari has been crushed, smashed and… still he fights on.

The Dark Squad are unleashing everything they’ve got.

Newt is down to not many hit points, less than ten.

The Froghemoth however has only a few more than the tabaxi.

It therefore attempts to flee.

And that’s the end of the great swamp beast.

Note, the acid wracked Were-Ram is down to less than five hit points when he emerges from the mouth of the beast.

The Dark Squad eventually make it back to the surface of the Mere.

The encounter is over.

That was the best part of three hours, minus tea and toilet breaks, there was much in the way of hilarity afterwards, I think the players were all a little light-headed. They survived- all of them, for a good long while that didn’t seem to be an option, and that was before the Froghemoth even showed up.

No game next week (11th) because everyone is away somewhere, more Dark Squad on the 18th, and then the Alt Game on the 25th, George is away- I think.

That was a cracker.

Stay safe and well you lovely people.

Cheers the Dark Squad and goonalan.