Page 117 - ghosts-of-saltmarsh

' ' F ORTRESS L EVEL 1
A rock outcropping thrusts up from the sea to form an
island here, just offshore. It reckons to be five hundred The following locations are identified on map 6.1. Mod-
feet in diameter and is separated from the shoreline by a I ify the read-aloud text as necessary to account for the
l l. NORTH ENTRANCE AND GUARD POST
1 span of about two hundred feet. movement of the sahuagin around the fortress.

The guards who are rowing or sailing the keelboat won't
come anywhere within several hundred feet of the is- ' You stand on a rock ledge about thirty feet wide. Ahead,
land. They prefer to drop off the characters (in their row-
set into the vertical rock surface, is a pair of large stone
boats) on the eastern edge of the area, but if the char-
doors, each ten feet high and five feet wide. The surface
acters ask. they will sail around the south side of the
island- always giving it a wide berth-so the characters of the doors is featureless, with no visible handles, ex·
can disembark somewhere else along the perimeter. cept for a rectangular aperture six inches wide by four
After the characters take to their boats, they can de- inches high cut in the center of the left-hand door, about
cide to come ashore on the mainland and approach the
six feet above ground level. A flat metal plate covers this
fortress on foot, or they might row around the island to
1 aperture from the inside.
look for clues about what lies inside. When the charac-
ters come close enough to the island to see details of the
exterior or the causeway, read: During the day, the doors are barred on the inside. At
night. the doors are unbarred, since sahuagin use the
' doors to access the causeway and enter the marsh. The
The island is bare of vegetation other than mosses,
sahuagin guards in area 1 are overconfident; they don't
lichens, seaweed, and the occasional clump of coarse
keep a close eye on the causeway.
grass. No wildlife appears present, but for a few clouds As long as the characters approach the doors quietly,
of insects and small mollusks. In stark contrast to other they do not alert the guards beyond. Tampering with the
sites along the coast, no seabirds can be seen near doors will alert the guards, who demand (in Sahuagin)
to know who is trying to enter.
the island.
The guards can be tricked into opening the doors, but
As reported by the scouts, a long stone causeway leads
since sahuagin intelligence is high. this will not be an
southward from the marshy coastline, crossing the entire
easy task. A character who can communicate with the
span just above the waterline. By looking south from the sahuagin, and who makes a successful DC 18 Charisma
coast, you can see that it ends at a ledge with a set of (Deception or Persuasion) check. convinces the guards
! The doors are not magically locked and can be opened
large stone doors just beyond. to open the doors for the party.
with appropriate spells or enough brawn. The doors (AC
Allow the characters to plan and execute their approach, 16, 45 hit points. damage threshold 12) can be forced
using the following information. open by a character who makes a successful DC 18
Strength (Athletics) check.
ENTRANCES Once the characters are inside, read the following:
The fortress has three entrances. though only one is vis-
ible from the surface. The first is a set of double doors •
at the end of the causeway that leads southward to area You see a bare, spartan room. Ahead, a short corridor off
l. The second is a small cave 80 feet below the double the room ends in a closed bronze gate. To your left, a sin-
doors that leads to area 61. The third is a wide opening gle stone bench runs along the east wall. To your right on
on the south side of the island, 80 feet below the sur-
the opposite wall hangs a large metal gong; a short metal
face, that leads to area 60.
bar leans against the wall below it.
Deeper than 20 feet below the surface, the water is
heavily obscured without the aid of a light source. Several sahuagin glare at you as they move to attack.
ROCKY EXTERIOR
Six sahuagin, two sahuagin coral smashers (see ap-
The island fortress's rocky exterior features many hand-
holds. Characters who want to climb the exterior can do pendix C), and one sahuagin champion (see appendix
so with no difficulty. Such activity attracts no attention C) guard the entrance. If the door is forced open, one of
from within, nor does it produce any useful results. the sahuagin immediately moves toward the west wall
to ring the gong. while the remaining guards defend the
THE CAUSEWAY entrance. If this creature is slain or otherwise prevented
The stone causeway extends for 190 feet from the coast from ringing the gong, no other defender takes its place.
to the ledge of area 1. It is 10 feet wide and 10 to 15 feet A sahuagin can use its action to ring the gong. If the
thick, allowing it to safely bear the weight of the charac- gong is rung three times, the sahuagin in areas 2 and
ters if they choose to walk on it. 12 recognize the alert signal and rush to the scene as
quickly as possible. The gong cannot be heard on any
other level of the fortress.

TH!'.; I I"\ ·\ l F "\ F \I Y
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