Chapter 14: Abbey Island Part 2

We stood at the top of a stone staircase that led down into the ground. This was in the centre of the ruins of the abbey so it was clear that this staircase would’ve originally been inside the building. It was also clear that someone had completely cleared the stairs of the rubble that must have fallen when the building was destroyed. At the bottom of the stairs, our way was blocked by a slightly charred wooden door.

The door seemed to have been distorted by the fire and was stiff. Skarth used his shoulder and shoved it open. Inside was a large room with a paving-stone floor. There was a scattering of discarded items on the floor that made it look quite messy. The room continued around behind the entrance, meaning that the stairs came down in the middle of the room. Several doors led out in different directions. There was a distinct odour in the room which suggested that a number of people had been living in the area without proper ventilation.

About 20 feet in front of the stairs was a crude table made by resting some planks across a row of barrels. Three humans who were sitting at the table looked up with startled expressions on their faces. They were dressed neatly in clean clothes. Two of the men were wearing robes typical of members of some types of cults. The third was a very large man wearing more normal clothes.

The big man introduced himself as Ogmund. He seemed to be very angry. Wrack introduced himself and the rest of us and tried to explain that we had come from Saltmarsh to check for survivors. Ogmund didn’t seem very interested in the explanation but then he was interrupted by a priest who called himself Ozymandias. He appeared to be in charge of the survivors – more of whom were now emerging from the different doors scattered around the large room. Some of the men wore robes that identified them as members of the cult. Others looked and dressed like hired guards. An elf stood at the back and watched the exchange with amusement.

Ozymandias was wearing a large gold disk hanging from a chain around his neck. The disk was covered with symbols that Wrack later told us he recognised. The symbols identified the people as members of an obscure minor cult who worshipped Urgathoa, goddess of disease, gluttony and undeath. She was originally a mortal but had then died and returned as the world’s first undead creature.

Ozymandias and Wrack then had an extended conversation. Ozymandias was asking for us to take a couple of their members to the mainland so that the members could take a message to the main headquarters of their cult. He was wanting to ask for builders and funds to rebuild the abbey. Then Wrack started explaining that the Town Council of Saltmarsh wanted to build a lookout tower on the island and we were here to escort them to land.

The talking went back and forth but without making any progress. But suddenly it became apparent that they were at a stalemate. Ozymandias cast a spell of some kind at Wrack but the roiling green smoke dispersed harmlessly before it reached Wrack. One of the guards ran forward to attack Wrack but Wrack was able to get in a solid blow to his head which left the guard standing there with blood dripping down his face and his eyes out of focus.

I was lining up to send a spell at Ozymandias when Riellian stepped in front of me and fired her bow at the priest. The arrow missed and clattered into the stone wall behind him. Jenny pulled out a small crystalline shape and snapped it in half which created a sound much greater than one would expect. One of the cultists, who’d been standing near Ozymandias, let out a cry and fell to the ground, bleeding in multiple places. Ogmund, who was also standing nearby, staggered and started bleeding from his nose, but only seemed to become more angry. Ozymandias himself seemed injured by the spell but perhaps he was able to shield himself from some of its effects because he appeared to receive less damage than the others.

Ozymandias turned his eyes onto Jenny, realising that it had been her that cast the spell and retaliated with a spell of his own. Greenish smoke poured from his hands which wrapped around Jenny and shrank in to stick to her skin as if she were painted with a strangely glowing greenish paint.

I moved around so that I could get a clear view past Riellian and sang the song of lightning. A bolt of my power seared across the room but the priest saw it coming and was able to duck out of the way. At the same time, I called on my star form and the constellation of the archer emerged on my chest to send an arrow of starlight across the room which struck the priest in his side.

At the same time, Ogmund picked up a spear from the table where it had been lying and ran forward to lunge at Jenny. The point of the spear penetrated into her upper arm and Jenny cried out in pain. She staggered back and took shelter behind the rest of us, bleeding heavily from her wound.

Kelshann roared with rage and her mouth extended into a huge muzzle. She stepped forward with that muzzle wide open and bit into his shoulder. Then she swung her maul into his ribs. His padded armour may have absorbed some of the blow, but it was such a fearsome blow that he was knocked off his feet and went tumbling backwards away from Kelshann.