The Last of the Emperor
Contents
About the Saga
The Dark City heroes continue their exploration of the doomed merchant ship The Emperor of the Waves, searching for a long lost treasure belonging to their trader employeer.
Timeframe
- Greyhawk Date: Harvester 7, CY 591
- Real World Date: July 1, 2005
- Read other Dark City Sagas
Cast of Characters
- Absalom, Druid 2 (James), the druid with gills
- Corash, Wizard 3 (Damon), the grey elf
- "Dirty" Salsar, Fighter 3 (Nate), the former aristocrat's henchman
- Gruffudd Castlemaine, Paladin 2 (Jon), the stalwart paladin
- Largo Leftpocket, Rouge 2 (Lance), the halfling rogue
- Prug, Monk 2 (Robert), the altruistic half orc monk
- Thom Silverbow, Bard 2 (Ken), the human bard
Notable Quotes
(Cough, cough) "There's a little extra jet fuel at the bottom." Lance, as he finishes his prescription ginger ale.
"And once, a zombie that came from the sea, tried to eat us all." Thom the Bard, singing to inspire greatness.
"The ogre notices your inherent goodness, Prug -- which would never happen with Absalom." -- Ken the DM, after the druid tried to summon Tharzax.
"Hey Ogre, want to party?" Lance, encouraging Absalom to treat the undead like he once treated a prostitute.
"E.G.I.F. -- Elf Goes In First! Let's use him as a Lacedon shield!" Salsar, with regard to the entering the cargo hold.
"E.G.O.U. -- Elf Goes Out Last!" -- Salsar's corollary to the E.G.I.F. rule.
"Who's that log with the bird on his head?" Ken, speaking of the miniature representing Corash's familiar.
What Has Come Before
The party is commissioned by the merchant Aubrek to recover The Emperor of the Waves, his former ship which was lost with all hands and a precious cargo a decade ago. A 100 gp reward awaits those who find a chest in the cargo hold. It's made of a blue, sparkly metal the initial "A" on it.
The party gets six flasks of alchemists' fire and antitoxin, studded leather armour (which is saved for Gruffudd and Salsar), five coils of rope, 2 potions of cure light, 12 tinder twigs. The trip takes two days, and on Harvester 7, 581 CY, the party finds that the The Emperor has taken on water and will sink in 48 hours. It has been taken over by worshippers of Tharzax, the demon lord of poison.
It is now the afternoon of Harvester 7
This saga is based on the adventure "Salvage Operation" by Mike Mearls, which appeared in Dungeon #123
Loot from Last Time
The party found the captain's log and a rotting sack with ten 100 gp rubies. A crude silver bracelet was found, worth 250 gp. Absalom recovers gold earnings and a necklace. They also find 507 gp and 199 sp. Also, they find a exotic lizard hide armor, a heavy wooden shield, Gust of Wind scroll, 5 potions, and a nice looking cloak, a dagger, and a ring.
The Saga
Harvester 7, CY 591
Opening the Spiked Door
The party finds a door spiked shut in the aft of the ship. Even hearing slow stomping behind the door, Largo decides to open it. They see a shambling undead ogre.
"In the name of Tharzax, STAND DOWN!" shouts Absalom, trying to rebuke undead. Instead the druid is stunned. Making up for this, Gruffudd deals a 16 hp crushing blow with his Big Sword. Prug adds another 9 hp of damage, with some reduction due to the rotting carapace absorbed some of the damage. Salsar adds 11 hp of damage with his bastard sword.
Largo now stabs with his rapier, hitting but causing insignificant damage. The Ogre then delivers a deadly 20 hp blow to Gruffudd's head with a great club, dropping the paladin. The party tries to avenge their fallen comrade, with Corash pricking the ogre with his long sword, and Prug delivering another 16 hp with his flurry of blows.
Largo drags Gruffudd out of danger, while Absalom fails his heal check. The paladin stabilzes at -7 hp. The druid then steps inside the evil summoning circle where Largo was, but finds his quarterstaff completely ineffective against his foe. But Salsar uses his power attack to great effect, slicing the ogre in half.
Lacedons in the Galley
There is a a galley beyond where the ogre once was. Little spiders swarm the aft, their webs concealing the trapdoor leading down.
Before going down, the party explored the rest of the lower decks, finding only an evil skull-shield and non-masterwork spear. Going back to the cargo hold, Prug using his darkvision to look below. He sees two pairs of pale gray eyes and a floating, humanoid face. When chumming the water with fresh meat, the predators don't take the bait. So Prug jumps in and is immediately paralyzed by a pair of lacedons, who drag him off. The rest of the party rolls pitiful initiatives, hoping to save Prug. Tom the bard casts Dancing Lights, while Largo, Salsar, Absalom and Corash jump into the hold. The elf shoots the free lacedon with his longbow, and Salsar finishes it off.
Absalom strikes his sunrod and swims after Prug, who breaks his paralysis and attacks his captor with a flurry of blows, eventually killing it. Corash misses his second shot as Salsar finishes off a second lacedon.
Absalom is pursued by a new ghoul, whom is forced to eat his scimitar. Salsar gets a hat trick by killing this third ghoul.
On the ghouls, Absalom finds 75 gp silver bracelet and a gem-studded bracelet worth 400 gp. Prug finds the blue box, undamaged, just when the water in the hold fills with something dark, like giant squid ink.
Terror of the Deep
Largo is not able to grapple the hole above to help the party escape, but Corash succeeds. Absalom throws his sunrod to the fore of the cargo hold while the party tries to scramble out. Tom, Prug, Largo, Gruffudd and Absalom manage to scramble out. Eventually, Corash's elven ass is hauled out of the hold by Absalom.
Prug and Gruffudd attempt to reach the deck, , in time for the half-orc to get swarmed by itsy bitsy spiders. As the ship heaves to and fro beneath their feet, all by Salsar are knocked prone.
Before the ship is crushed by the giant squid, the party jumps overboard and makes their way back to the Soul of Winter. There, the party returns the box to Aurbeck and find out through evesdropping that it contains Figurines of Wondrous Power. They are paid their reward and return to Obsidian Bay two days later.
Experience
Each character received 1,200 XP for this adventure.
