[Dark forces are gathering on Yag Island. This story is here told by Ganbar, Priest of Kelemvor, Head of the Cult of Gravediggers. It has so far dealt with an undead cleric called Salt's Wake.]
DAY 702
The spawn of Umberlee known as Salt's Wake emerged from his cellar as night fell. He only ever went about at night, the better to hide his foul visage.
As always, evil seeks out evil and he met with a Dread Necromancer called Vaelis Crowe. Vaelis knew Wake from when he had been alive, having sailed with him as a pirate several years ago.
As you can imagine, Vaelis had seen Wake in better days. Wake had always been an absolute rotter, but now that was what he literally was also.
Vaelis was of a more usual evil. He was a follower of Belshaloon and liked nothing more that to raise his slain foes as zombies.
Wake did not eat or drink, being an animated corpse, so he sat and watched as Vaelis drank at a local tavern.
'Long time no see, Oswin!' said Vaelis.
'I go by Salt's Wake now,' hissed Wake.
'What are you doing?'
'Catching some of the night life.'
'What happened?' asked Vaelis, gesturing at Wake's general undeadyness.
'My ship went down, did you not hear of it?'
'Yeah...'
Now at this point, my lord, I must inform you of some of the background of Yag Island.
It seems that the Tomb of King Thamas the Demented has been opened and Hallowed.
All to the good.
It has also, for reasons I am yet to fully understand, became a hub for adventurers and the site of a Vanderboren colony. One of the bands of the adventurers was known as the Silver Blades and they were now off on an adventure. They had commissioned a ship, but something had gone wrong - an argument over the fee.
Salty and Vaelis happened over this scene as it played out on the docks. It looked like it was going to get nasty as the Blades argued with a large group of surly pirates. The Blades were good and brave souls, a cleric, a Paladin, a fighter and a druid numbered among them and the pirates had most likely stolen the ship anyway and were now trying to get more money. Weapons had been drawn.
The two evil fellows watched, then started casting spells, almost at random. First Vaelis cast False Life and Ghostly Hand, then Salty cast Desecrate on an area nearby.
In the darkness by the ship they heard the sudden clash of metal as fighting broke out. A large group of pirates moved to block access to the jetty. Vaelis cast Fear, but it failed. They then both attacked the nearest pirates. A group of townsfolk stood on, watching the show.
Vaelis tried Chill Touch several times, but each time his magic failed. He was shot with a crossbow. He managed to hit a pirate with Chill Touch but he was badly hurt, so he ducked into a side street.
Meanwhile, Salty had been fighting, but even though some now lay dead, he was also finding the pirates too tough so he ran away. Seeing this, Vaelis ran also. They met up in the western streets of Tamunzah and then after catching their breath, went back to the fighting.
The pirates they had killed previously were being looted by the townsfolk. Salty tangled with one of them - a short blue-skinned derro, and knocked him out. He then used magic to kill him and Fell Animate to bring him back as a powerful zombie.
No one bothered them as they then took their new friend back to Salty's boat. Once that was done they could see that the Blade's ship was now moving out of the bay.
Salty ran up to the dock and tied the prow of the ship to a post. Salty was astounded, thinking there was no feat of man, nor of the gods, that could move a ship out to sea in the middle of the night. Was it the wind, was it a tender? Impossible!
If he could not see it, with his old rotten undead eyes, then it could not happen!
And yet it was, and his actions had been noticed.
'Unlash that or I'll get you!' shouted the druid from the for' of the ship.
Vaelis had arrived, and he cut the rope. He didn't fancy having to fight a bunch of angry crocodiles.
As the ship of the Silver Blades slipped out into the darkened sea, the two evil
fellows went back to the nearest tavern.
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