The Mystics of Trollskull Manor now possessed a flameskull trapped in a piece of luggage and a tincture filled with the blood of the last living magi of the Netherese. Now, in order to restore the flameskull to its full power, they had to take the flameskull to someplace called the Lost Grotto of the Netherese where the flameskulls were first created.
They were told to seek the wisdom of a fish-man, a kuo-toa hermit who dwelled alone in a cave on the River Sargauth across from Skull Island.
Their challenge - to cross the river without passing through the fortress on Skull Island ruled by Xanathar's Guild. There was a bounty offered for their death and they had already blown their current disguises.
They returned to their safe house located in the Keel Hall and rested. There the party members debated their options - a magic spell to breathe water? Visibility in the water was poor and who knew what dangers lurked beneath the surface? A magic spell to walk upon the surface of the water? Surely they would be spotted by the soldiers on the fortress walls overlooking the subterranean river. Take their chances with a new disguise? Was it worth the trouble?
After several hours of rest, the team prepared themselves for action. They approached the bluff above which Skullport overlooked the river. It was a forty foot drop to the river below. Tempus performed a magic ritual while Kem said a prayer to Gond. A few minutes later, the party stepped over the side of the bluff. They gently drifted down to the river below.
All, that is, save Randall and Bearbite who fell. Bearbite reacted quickly, casting the same spell onto Randall and himself. His quick thinking saved them from splashing into the water.
The party regrouped, walking upon the surface of the sluggish river as if it were solid ground, and moved quickly along the cavern wall of the massive underground chamber. They clung to shadows as best they could.
Their leap had been seen by the soldiers in the fortress. Bullseye lanterns were lit and their beams directed around the water, searching for those from whom no splash was heard.
The party managed to avoid the searching beams of light and crossed the River Sargauth. As they neared the cave where dwelled the fish-man hermit, they could hear songs echoing off the cavern walls.
"Hello my baby, hello my honey, Hello my ragtime, summertime gal! Send me a kiss by wire, Baby, my heart's on fire!"
CHAPTER 18
"RETURN OF THE THIRTEEN"
The Mystics of Trollskull Manor:
- Winterfrost of House Silverspear - Chaotic Good Moon Elf Noble and Fighter. The daughter of elven diplomats, raised among dwarves.
- Etlenda, aka "Exile" - Neutral Good Eladrin Outlander and Paladin. Exiled from the Feywild and raised by wolves. While exploring the Feydark he crossed over into the Underdark and emerged into the Mortal World.
- Tempus Vegvisir - Lawful Good Human Trade Sheriff and Cleric of Helm. Husband and Father.
- Push-ta "Bearbite" Tok - Neutral Half-Orc Former Smuggler and Rogue, secret member of the Zhentarim.
- Kem Hearthfire - Chaotic Good Half-Orc Former Gladiator Priestess of Gond.
- Randall - Chaotic Good Human Scout and Smuggler. The child of minor nobles slain by Manshoon - or one of his duplicates, he now leads smugglers down the River Sargauth to Skullport.
- Glom the Wretched, aka "Hu-Man Patty Johnson" - Chaotic Neutral Goblin NPC, former thief and guide to the Arcane Chambers.
DM - I asked the group, "Okay, what's the plan? Where do you go next?"
Tempus' player said, "I believe Nightshade said we should go ask the singing fish-man in the cave across from Skull Island where to find the Grotto of the Netherese."
I laughed, "I don't think I said ANYTHING about a SINGING fish-man, but why not? He for sure is one now!"
Hlool the Singing Fish-Man
The party stepped off the river's surface and onto the dock in front of the cave. They introduced themselves to the singing fish-man. The fish-man politely introduced himself as Hlool.
They told Hlool their story and asked him if he knew where they might find the Grotto of the Netherese. Hlool approved of their plan to overthrow Xanathar's Guild. They taunted him and did not appreciate his singing. He gave them directions to follow the nearby subterranean tributary up-stream to its source - the grotto.
He asked them how they planned to take the flameskull to the grotto.
"Why is that?" asked Etlenda.
"He is a flameskull. You are carrying him in a leaky suit case. Much of the tributary is completely underwater. When you are submerged, you will douse his flames and he will die."
The party looked at each other uncertainly.
"I will tell you what," said Hlool, "Take this cloak." He took off the tattered cloak made of manta ray skin he wore. "Wrap it around the skull. It will protect it during the underwater portion of your journey."
They thanked Hlool and gave an offering to his shrine to his goddess Blipdoolpoop.
Grotto of the Netherese
Kem's miracle of water breathing protected the party as they navigated up the narrow tributary completely underwater. After about an hour they emerged into a cave that opened into a half-submerged ancient room. A sinkhole dominated the center wall of the room, from which water emerged from a spring - the source of the tributary.
On the other side of the room was a raised dais with three statues - each representing a Netherese magi - arranged around a central pedestal the size of a skull. Two of the magi pointed their staves towards the pedestal while the third reached for the heavens.
The ceiling of the room was a darkened dome decorated with thousands of glittering illuminated gemstones, giving the appearance of the night sky.
An ancient Netherese phrase was carved into the base of the dais.
The party spread out and explored the room while Tempus performed a magic ritual that would allow him to read the phrase.
Minutes later, Tempus was ready. He withdrew the skull from the suitcase.
The skull made a frantic break for freedom! It zipped up into the air and out of reach.
Tempus quickly cast a spell and the skull was momentarily frozen in time! It dropped into Winterfrost's waiting hands and she placed it gently on the pedestal.
DM - New spell! Momentary Stasis!
Class: Cronurgy Wizard 6th lvl
When you reach 6th level, as an action, you can magically force a Large or smaller creature you can see within 60 feet of you to make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. Unless the saving throw is a success, the creature is encased in a field of magical energy until the end of your next turn or until the creature takes any damage. While encased in this way, the creature is incapacitated and has a speed of 0.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Tempus then said the words inscribed on the dais: "Rise, ye spirit, as guardian and counselor. Now and forever."
The skull began to glow and float above the pedestal. Its eyes flared with incandescent light. It appeared to be recharging, regenerating, becoming whole.
Suddenly the party heard an eerie song coming from the flooded cave of the outflowing tributary.
The Hags
The party turned to see a dark green crone covered in mussels and long stringy wet hair rising from the water. She had horrid yellow eyes and crooked teeth. She sang a song of sorrow and loss.
She said, "The Netherese drowned eons ago and so shall their legacy remain below the waves. Today, you join them."
Eight blind pot-bellied humanoids with clammy gray skin and gills emerged from the water. These were accompanied by three of the aquatic crones crouched on the backs of large crabs.
Randall and Winterfrost sprang into action! They converged on the closest hag. Winterfrost's final stroke appeared to have missed and the hag smiled in response. Suddenly, she realized that Winterfrost's attack had, in actuality, found its mark and the hag fell over dead!
DM - Dang it! The players know that three hags are bad news! They did focused damage to the one hag as quickly as possible. When Winterfrost's final attack missed, I was excited for some hag nastiness. But Tempus jumped in with a Chronal Shift and she re-rolled her attack, scoring a hit!
The room swarmed with aquatic grimlocks, giant crab, and the remaining two hags.
DM - My players called the aquatic grimlocks "gill-locks".
A pitched battle ensued, with Randall and Winterfrost on one side of the room and Kem, Etlenda, and Bearbite on the other. Tempus maintained vigil in front of the dais while Hu-Man Patty Johnson remained in the rear of the room.
Kem said a prayer and was surrounded by flying silver hammers. Confident that the hammers woudl eradicate the gill-locks, Etlenda and Bearbite abandoned her to aid the others. However, their optimism was un-earned as she was surrounded and attacked. By the time they returned, the hammers had done their job. They both apologized to the clerk profusely.
The hags, gill-locks, and crab were ultimately defeated.
The Flameskull Returns
Moments after the last enemy lay dead, the flameskull reached the peak of its brilliance. It flashed and rose above the statue into the air beneath the dome. It burned ten times brighter and hotter than it had before.
The skull loudly declared, "I am returned! For too long have I wandered enfeebled! I am whole once more!"
It scanned the room and saw the party staring up at it. "Who was it that returned me to my place of birth?"
"Hi. We're the Mystics of Trollskull Manor." said Tempus.
"Your efforts will be rewarded. But first, there must be vengeance!"
The skull flared and shot upwards into the domed ceiling, disappearing into the wall with a lick of green flame.
Back to Skull Island
Having found nothing of value to scavenge from the long-abandoned grotto, the party returned down the underground tributary to Hlool's cave. They once again thanked Hlool and made plans for their return to Skullport.
The only means of entry into Skullport lay through the docks on Skull Island - the docks controlled by Xanathar's Guild.
They decided to once again cast a spell of water walking and simply stride right up to the dock.
Their approach was monitored and their disguises long ago ruined. They were clearly the Mystics of Trollskull Manor, walking on top of the River Sargauth, approaching the docks defended by the fortress on Skull Island
The ballistae and flame projectors on top of the walls were turned towards them but they were allowed to enter past the walls and towards the docks. A greeting party of human warriors, bugbears, and giant-sized duergar were waiting for them.
The others waited at the threshold while Bearbite strode confidently closer. Crossbow bolts loosed from the docks slipped harmlessly into the water around him.
Suddenly he heard a screech echo from one of the passages in the inner wall. From the passage emerged a great winged reptilian beast - a wyvern! Riding on the back of the wyvern was an armored demi-ogre, ten feet tall and wielding a sword of prodigious length.
Sundeth the Demi-Ogre
The demi-ogre paused to address Bearbite by his half-orc name, "Push-ta Tok! You are a fool for coming here! You are an agent of the Zhentarim and an enemy of the Guild! Xanathar sees all and today he will bear witness as I slay you and your companions and claim the bounty! This I say to you! Today you will die at the hands of Sundeth, chosen of Xanathar and commander of Skull Island!"
Bearbite winced and replied, "Boy, you're a talker, aren't you?"
Sundeth spurred his wyvern into the air. The beast flapped to gain altitude then dove at Bearbite, standing atop the water in the center of the marina. Sundeth slashed Bearbite multiple times as he flew past. The wyvern clutched onto the side of a nearby bastion while Sundeth clung to its back. The wyvern screamed its pleasure as Sundeth smiled.
Bearbite was seriously injured and began to question his choices. He turned back to his companions, "Uh, help?"
Kem Hearthfire said a prayer and pointed at Sundeth. The half-ogre's plate armor began to glow red hot. The wyvern began to twitch with discomfort. Sundeth's grin turned quickly to grimace.
Tempus then cast a spell onto Winterfrost and Etlenda. They took flight, shooting directly as Sundeth.
Emerald Death
A bright green glow appeared from the cavern wall above the River Sargauth. It was the flameskull, as bright as a green sun! It flew over the walls of the fortress and surveyed the battle below. Its voice echoed across the entire cavern, ""Ancient days have come again! We shall never die!"
Its eyes flashed and emerald fireballs exploded around the marina, engulfing the humans, bugbears, and duergar with green fire and reducing them to smoldering ash. The sound of the explosion was was deafening.
Sundeth attacked his aerial opponents but much to the half-ogre's surprise, Winterfrost and Etlenda directed their attacks against the wyvern, killing it quickly and causing him to crash to the ground.
The flameskull saw this and spun around, glaring at the half-ogre. "No! "Leave him! He is mine. He shall be the last to die in the screaming oven that this fortress will become, after watching his men burn, feeling the flames of his reckoning growing ever warmer!" He addressed the others, "You may go now!"
Sundeth clambered to his feet but was plucked off the ground by a green energy. He shuddered in pain, immobilized.
The party escaped over the bridge to Skullport.
Over the following hours, the citizens of Skullport watched as the fortress of Skull Island burned with righteous emerald flames.
One thing was evident - the rule of Xanathar's Guild was over.
To be Continued...
DM - I used one of Dyson Logos' maps for the Lost Grotto of the Netherese. I removed the pillars in the room and placed the dais and statues in the upper center.
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