Page 104 - ghosts-of-saltmarsh

Bayleaf is an excellent swordsman and an above-aver- Once combat begins. the survivors fight to the death
age tactician in small skirmishes. Ozymandias placed except for Bayleaf. He fights hard. but as the lone nonbe-
him in charge of defending the cellars. If Bayleaf is cap- liever he is not ready to die for his employer.
tured, kiUed, or bribed, defense of the cellars becomes a Ogmund, the acolyte, and the cultist call for help and
hectic, haphazard affair. attempt to delay the PCs.
The rest of the cultists rush to attack. They all rush
0 GMUND forward, open the door to their chambers, and join
Ogmund (CE male human gladiator) is a huge, stupid. in the fray.
mean-spirited fighter. In battle he is awesome. wielding The cultists try to attack the characters from multiple
his spear untiringly. During the battle with the pirates. directions. The acolytes and cultists throw themselves
a blow from a warhammer knocked him unconscious. into the fight without regard for their safety. All of the
He was left for dead and later dragged to safety by cler- cultists target clerics, wizards, and other casters in the
ics retreating to the cellars. He is embarrassed that group first, since they know weU that a spell or two can
he did not die in the battle and will not make that mis- offset their numerical advantage.
take twice. Ozymandius and Odium try to remain in their rooms
There is no negotiating with Ogmund. His demands while casting spells through the doorway. Odium uses
are simple: surrender or fight. As a tactician, Ogmund hold person to shut down potent warriors, while Ozy-
is wholly wanting. He is likely to overlook the simplest mandius relies on spirit guardians and spiritual weapon
of ambush opportunities, and his only offensive tactic is to wear down the characters.
a headlong frontal attack. Ogrnund believes he should The veterans try to keep Ozymandius safe. possibly by
oversee the defense of the island and resents Bayleaf's standing in the doorway to his chamber. Odium shrinks
presence. He gladly leaves the elf in the lurch if the back in his room, trying to stay clear of the fight. The
chance to do so arises. rest of the cultists don't particularly like him, and none
rush to defend him. If a character moves into his room,
DISCIPLES however, the cultists might try to corner that character.
The remnants of the abbey's faithful (two acolytes and Bayleaf cares only about survival. He uses his short-
two cultists) are not a particularly spirited lot. After the bow to fire from his room, and employs his magic and
devastating loss to the pirates, they are not eager to join abilities to hinder the characters. He keeps one 2nd-
battle with anyone. These low-level clerks and helpers level slot in reserve for invisibility to disappear from
survived the battle and the burning of the abbey by hid- view as the fight winds down. Once invisible, he sneaks
ing in the cellars. Although the heat, smoke, and lack of away if the characters seem treacherous, or offers tone-
fresh air might have killed the disciples in a well-sealed gotiate if they seem honorable and willing to uphold any
room, the cellars of the abbey are riddled with small bargains they make with him.
rat passages and ventilation shafts that pulled air in
from the outside, keeping the heat and smoke radiating CONVERSATIONAL
upward and permitting the disciples and their guards to Parleying with the survivors is difficult, because Og-
survive the flames. mund is one of the fi rst occupants the characters meet.
The disciples perform only the functions needed for He is spoiling for a fight. but might be willing to talk as a
the survival of the group. They fight only if necessary delaying tactic while the other survivors mobilize.
and surrender at the first opportunity if any fight turns Ogmund keeps the characters talking until the rest
against them. If questioned, they know very little about of the survivors enter the room. He then attacks. unless
the island and the abbey. Ozymandius orders him to stand down.
Ozymandius is the first named NPC to arrive, fol-
GUARDS
lowed by the veterans from areas 5, 7, and 8, and the ac-
These three disciplined warriors (veterans) are the olyte from area 6. 1 f the characters appear to offer a way
last of the abbey guards. All were dying of their wounds of getting off the island, Ozymandius orders Ogmund to
when they were found and healed by the clerics. Ozy- keep his hands off his weapons.
mandias has ordered them to obey Bayleaf, but the Odium, Bayleaf, and the cultist from area 10 arrive
guards prefer Ogmund as their leader because he is one next. Odium begs the characters to take him with them,
of them and not ah ired sword. They will fight to the even offering to join them in battle against the charac-
death to save the clerics. ters. Bayleaf keeps an eye on the situation. If the party
appears powerful and confident, he turns invisible as
THE SURVIVORS' RESPONSE
soon as he can and slips away to escape.
The survivors in the abbey provide many potential social Ozymandius drives the negotiation. He settles for
interactions and combat encounters. Use the following nothing less than passage to the mainland for him and
guidelines to decide how the survivors react to the char- two of the veterans so that he can get help to fortify the
acters' actions. island and rebuild. He offers the characters a place of
honor in the cult.
HOSTILE The characters might try to trick the survivors into
If the characters enter the abbey with swords drawn and splitting their numbers. Ozymandius refuses to aban-
spells blazing, the survivors believe the pirates have re- don the island, because doing so is deserving of a death
turned and mount a solid defense. sentence in the eyes of bis superiors. The rest of the

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