AD&D Actual Play: Chapter 3, Part 3

Bumps in the Night

Darkness enveloped Blanche like a cloak as she crept slowly down the rugged hillside, toward the stables on the far side of the old mansion. The goblins posted only a small watch: one on a ruined windmill at the side of the mansion, and the other on a large boulder by the cliff to the south. The newly anointed cleric considered murdering the goblins as they lazed, either sleeping or in drunken stupor, but she decided against such a direct approach.

Fate Check (CF5): Are there any goblin sentries on watch? Likely (+1) on 2d10 = 11, yes
Fate Check (CF5): Are the goblin sentries sleeping? 50/50 (+0) on 2d10 = 12, yes
Sentries on Watch on d6 = 2

She moved slowly, carefully picking her way by the light of the full moon, a sliver of which Oë had uncovered to light her acolyte’s path. The cleric crept into the stable, grimacing at the stench and rumbling of the goblin horde’s snores, and moved to the far side where she found two crates of food and a barrel of potable water. 

Blanche rubbed the pearl, which she had been holding in her right hand since being gifted it earlier, and prayed silently to Oë. The pearl warmed in her palm, becoming nearly intolerably warm against her skin as a stream of blue-silver energy flowed from her hand and into the water barrel. The water glowed blue, then turned a putrid green, before returning to clear.¹ 

“Well done, my good and faithful servant. Our vengeance is assured.”

Blanche attempts to Sneak into the stables: d20 vs 14 DEX = 9, success

The cleric retraced her steps, slipping out of the stables and moving as a ghost across the field. As she pushed open the temple’s door, a scream cut through the silence. The cleric rushed through the door and, in the light of the fire, saw a gruesome site that filled her with anguish and terror in equal measure.²

---

Poppy sat up, rubbing her eyes. Blanche had taken the first watch, saying she would use the quiet to commune with the goddess. The shepherd didn’t really know if she believed in gods anymore, and, deep down, questioned her friend’s sanity, but would never say anything to that end—at least not until they were off the island and life was a bit more normal. 

To Poppy’s surprise, Blanche was nowhere to be seen. The fire blazed, as if it had been stoked recently, and Arthur’s body lay undisturbed at the edge of the firelight. The shepherd, her instincts honed by years of sleeping out-of-doors and keeping watch over her flock, immediately sensed something was wrong. The darkness outside the ring of the fire’s glow was impenetrable, but a smell wafted to her on a sudden breeze. It was putrid, like rotting meat, and threatened to make her wretch. 

“Bertram!” she whispered. “Bertram, wake up. Something’s not right.”

The big man stirred slowly, finally dragging himself upright and yawning loudly. The noise startled whatever it was that Poppy sensed, and a low growl rumbled out of the darkness near Arthur’s corpse. 

“Bertram, your sword. Something is out there.”

Poppy moved quickly, rolling to her feet and snatching her dagger from the floor beside her makeshift pallet. The shepherd also scooped a burning brand from the fire, using it to cast light further into the darkened recesses of the temple’s grand hall. Bertram, now armed with his broadsword, moved up beside her. 

“What is it?” Bertram whispered.

“I don’t know. Do you smell it?”

“Smells like death. Are you sure its not Arthur you smell?” 

“No,” Poppy admitted. “But Arthur’s dead. The dead don’t growl.” 

“Where’s the old man?” Bertram asked, looking around. “And Blanche?”

“I don’t know,” Poppy answered, noticing for the first time that the old man was absent. 

A gaunt, almost whip-thin, figure moved into the firelight. Its visage was wrecked beyond identification. Its baleful yellow eyes bulged from decayed eye-sockets, and its maw held dozens of razor sharp teeth. Long arms, with hands tipped with claws, hung limply at the beast’s side. 

“What the hell is that?” Poppy whispered, terrified.

“What were you saying about the dead not growling?” Bertram quipped, trying to ease the shepherd’s tension. 

“Shut up,” she growled. 

The creature began to scream, and loped forward in a dog-like manner and leapt suddenly to attack. It swung its heavy, clawed hands first at Poppy, then at Bertram. The blows never came close to hitting, as the crazed creature snapped its jaws at the big fighter. Bertram returned the creature’s assault with a heavy blow from his broadsword, opening up a bloody gash across its desiccated, gray torso. 

⚔️Round 1⚔️
Initiative
     The Party on d6 = 1
     The Creature on d6 = 5
The Creature attacks (d6 = 3) Poppy with a claw on d20 vs AC10 = 1, critical fail
The Creature attacks (d6 = 4) Bertram with a claw on d20 vs AC7 = 2, miss
The Creature attacks (d6 = 5) Bertram with a bite on d20 vs AC7 = 4, miss
————
Bertram attacks with his broadsword on d20 vs AC6 = 18, hit
     Bertram does 2d4 damage = 4
Poppy attacks with her dagger on d20 vs AC6 = 12, miss

Bertram swung his blade again, hoping to capitalize on his initial success. The ghoul, staggering, managed to narrowly avoid the cutting edge. Poppy, fast and nimble, dodged around behind the creature and drove her dagger up beneath the creature’s protruding rib cage. It howled when she pulled the blade free, green ichor spouting from the wound.³ 

⚔️Round 2⚔️
Initiative
     The Party on d6 = 3
     The Creature = misses turn from critical fail in round 1
Bertram attacks with his broadsword on d20 vs AC6 = 8, miss
Poppy attacks with her dagger on d20 vs AC6 = 19, hit
     Poppy does d4 = 4 damage

Blanche, white faced and holding her staff out before her, raced into the room just as the creature fell to the ground. Poppy threw the ichor-coated dagger away with a look of disgust, and plunged the burning brand she still held into the creature’s back, igniting the husk instantly.

“Where were you?” Poppy demanded.⁴

Blanche looked up to the statue of the goddess, who appeared to her to be smiling, before she answered. “My lady had a task for me to accomplish, and I have. The goblins will not be a threat to us any longer.”

“You left us here while you were meant to be on watch!” Poppy yelled, the adrenaline surging in her chest. “If I hadn’t woken when I did, we’d both be this horrid thing’s next meal.”

“I am sorry, truly,” Blanche replied. “I didn’t think there was anything to fear in the temple. Keestake said as much.”

“Clearly we can’t trust that old bastard,” Poppy growled. “He’s gone too.” 

“I haven’t seen him. He was sleeping when I…when I left.”

“Never mind that,” Bertram said, stepping between the two women. “What’s done is done, and there’s no changing it. If we do not work together, we will not escape this island. Argue about this when we’re safely away.”⁵

Poppy glowered at the big man but nodded her acquiescence after a moment. Blanche looked apologetically at the both of them before turning her attention to Arthur. Though there were red marks on Arthur’s palid skin, he was otherwise undisturbed. 

“We should bury him,” Blanche said quietly. “He doesn’t deserve to rot out here.”

“To that end,” Keestake called out, “I’ve prepared a grave for your husband.”

“You could have told us there was some undead thing in this temple,” Poppy rounded on the old man. “It could have killed us!”

“I see you killed it, instead. Well done. The old master deserved a proper end after all these years of torment. I thank you, my friends.” 

“You mean to say this thing is—was—the sea king?” Blanche asked.

“Aye, I do. My lord Viledel became something unnatural after the island fell. It is much to my relief that you managed to put his suffering to an end. I apologize, however, for not telling you of his presence. I have not seen him in many, many years, and so assumed he had moved away from the temple.”

Melisana, her pale skin covered in dirt, smiled at the group before speaking, “Keestake and I worked rather hard over the last hour to prepare a place for Arthur. Now is as good a time as any to lay him to rest.”

“I agree,” Bertram replied. “We won’t be getting any more sleep tonight.” 

The big man slid his sword into its scabbard and lifted Arthur easily. 

“Lead the way, old man,” he said, gruffly, to Keestake. 

The old man led them down a corridor and into a large courtyard. Once, the courtyard would have been a beautiful garden, but now it was overgrown and full of weeds. A pile of dirt beneath the lone tree in the midst of the garden indicated the spot where Keestake and Melisana had prepared Arthur’s grave.

Bertram gently lowered his friend into the loamy soil and stood back, letting Blanche close for one last farewell. The woman’s eyes brimmed with tears as she looked down at the palid face of her beloved. She held out her hand and began to murmur to herself. A warm blue glow began to emanate from within her hand until the tree, grave, and all of her companions were suffused in its warm glow. 

“It is done. Farewell, my beloved. May we meet again upon the Soul Sea,” the cleric said quietly. When she had finished speaking, the light waned until it disappeared entirely. 

“Well done, my good and faithful servant,” a sonorous voice said from behind them. 

Blanche turned and knelt before the towering form of Oë. Her companions stared blankly up at the goddess, unable to move. Keestake gained his wits before the others, throwing himself prostrate before the goddess. One after the other, the remaining three companions bowed as Blanche had.

“I would return to you your beloved, but, alas, even my great power has limits. I will, as you requested, see that his spirit finds rest upon the Soul Sea to await you in due time. It is but a fitting reward for the task you have carried out for me. Even now, the goblin horde are retching up their insides and will soon be dead. I warn you once more, my faithful servant, that I will bring forth my wrath against this island at sunrise on the morrow. I cannot offer you safe passage from here, but I do know someone who can. Keestake, seneschal to Viledel, rise and heed my words.”

The goddess waited for the old man to slowly gain his feet before continuing. “You will direct my servant and her allies to Viledel’s boat beneath the earth. You will do so with haste, and, if you are wise, will depart with them to safety. There will be no stone left upon another when my wrath against these defilers have been spent. The sea does not see friend nor foe, as you well know.” 

“Yes, milady, I will lead them there at dawn, as you command.” The old man bowed again, keeping his eyes turned to the ground. 

“See you do, Keestake. See that you do. As for you, my acolyte, so long as you have the sacred pearl, you will be able to call upon my power. Prove yourself faithful, and, in time, more of my might will be at your disposal. Hurry now, bury your beloved and be off to the mansion before time runs out.”

With that, the vision of the goddess faded from view. The party stood and gazed in wonder at Blanche. Melisana broke the silence, suggesting they quickly fill in the grave and prepare for their foray into the mansion. Keestake, who was stunned into silence, said nothing as Bertram began to shovel the dirt on top of Arthur. 

“I’m sorry for doubting you, Blanche,” Poppy said, stepping close to the other woman.

“I don’t blame you. I’d have doubted myself, too.”

“Where do you think this boat is? And why is it the first we’ve heard about it?” Poppy asked, staring hard at the still stunned old man. “What do you have to say, Keestake?”

The old man shook himself, and smiled his gap-toothed smile. “I was not sure you would risk infiltrating the mansion. It did no good to speak of something you would not do.”

Poppy and Blanche both glared at the old man. “You are a liar. If not for the goddess’s word you would never have revealed it to us.”

“That is untrue, I assure you,” the old man replied. “I was going to ask you for your help in defending my master’s treasures from the vile orcs and goblins. But it appears that the goddess has plans of her own, and my master’s treasures will be swallowed up by the sea very soon. Knowing that, I would that you all, and myself, should escape this place just as Oë said.”

“Know, old man, that we do not trust you. Lead us astray, or into danger again, and I will personally end you,” Poppy said, growling out the last words.

“As you say,” the old man said, bowing his head in acknowledgment.

Sometime later, the companions returned to the fire and sat to rest for the last few hours before sunrise. Poppy, at the behest of Blanche, took the dagger Arthur had been carrying as hers was corroded with ichor. All that remained of the creature that attacked them was a pile of ash on the floor. The five survivors gave the space a wide berth, not wanting to get the ash or the drying ichor on their skin. 

As the sun peeked over the hills to the east, Keestake led the companions from the temple and into the valley where the old king’s mansion—and their only hope of survival—sat.

1. Blanche prayed for the reverse of the 1st level Cleric spell Purify Food & Drink, poisoning the goblins’ water supply.

2. I realized, belatedly, that I should have used a Move Silently roll for this situation. Instead, I roll a d20 against Blanche’s DEX of 14 to determine whether she was quiet enough to not be heard.

3. The creature is a Ghoul [AC6, HP7, 3 attacks: d3x2 claw, d6 bite].

DM NOTE: I figured that the PCs, who’ve rarely if ever been away from their village of Broadcove, would not know what the creature is, nor what danger it could have posed them.

4. Poppy gains 1st level and takes on the Ranger class [AC10, HP6, STR12, DEX13, CON12, INT11, WIS17, CHA13; AL CN] .

5. Bertram gains 1st level and takes on the Fighter class [AC13, HP6, STR14, DEX10, CON7, INT11, WIS10, CHA15; AL CN].