The Coral Caves
Beneath the wreck of the Argent Blade, Alot found the entrance into a cave. "Clever," he said, "they sunk the ship to conceal this cave." He led the way into the cave with the others not far behind.
The passage opened into a wide cavern that branched left and right. The cloudy water became clearer while the long tendrils of oily black tar snaked past in more cohesive strands. Blue and green bioluminescent polyps provided dim illumination within the cave.
To the left, the cave was littered with debris and trash from the sunken ship - including the bloated and translucent bodies of two crewmembers. Small crabs roved over the corpses picking at their flesh. A large bed of kelp obscured the cave from floor to ceiling ahead and to the left. A wide passage branched to the right.
Alot moved forward ahead of the others. He thought he heard a noise. He turned to his right to look down a side passage and saw a group of sailors, all with dead translucent flesh and milky white eyes, sorting salvaged cargo from the ship. The sailors spotted Alot and dropped whatever they held. The various objects drifted slowly to the floor in the underwater grotto. They picked up their cutlasses and moved to attack the armored sentinel.
CHAPTER 56
"THE CORRUPTION OF SKYHORN LIGHTHOUSE"
The Crew of the Sea Ghost:
- Alot Aname - Neutral Good Warforged Fighter, ancient sentinel of a wizard's fortress, spent several decades deactivated underwater, Captain of the Sea Ghost.
- Avastana "Aella" Kádár - Neutral, Half-Elf Outlander and Storm Sorceress from Ket, daughter of the king of the sea elves, deck sorceress and first mate of the Sea Ghost.
- Craig "Blunderbuss" Oxworth - Lawful Good Dwarven Priest of St. Ogden (Cleric), sailor and shipwright, bosun of the Sea Ghost.
- Cai'luin Manaan - Chaotic Good Sea-Elf Bard, member of the royal family of the tribe of Manaan. Cook of the Sea Ghost.
- Corvid Ravenson - Neutral Good Fallen Aasimar Paladin of Vengeance and Divine Soul Sorcerer, sent to Oerth to avenge those who wronged his angelic "brother", Auric Ravenson. Second mate of the Sea Ghost.
DM Note-
Still filling in the 8th level gap between the end of the Final Enemy and the beginning of Tammeraut's Fate with small mini-adventures. I gave my players the option of which storyline they wanted to follow and they chose the story that led to the Corruption of Skyhorn Lighthouse. It seems to me that my players always have more fun with these smaller adventures.
The Thralls
The slack-jawed sailors with slime-covered translucent skin rushed Alot. Corvid spread the "wings" of his magical manta ray cloak and sped through the water to fight alongside the automaton sentinel.
Aella waved her arms and a powerful underwater current slammed into the thralls. Cai'luin and his giant crab friend Bess moved to a nearby rock and hurled biting insults at the mind-controlled creatures.
The four heroes, and Bess, soon made short work of the aquatic thralls. Alot, Cai'luin, and Bess began searching through the crates and barrels at the back of the cave while Corvid stood watch.
Silvara the Mermaid
Corvid thought he saw someone hiding in the nearby kelp beds. He called out to them.
A woman's head popped out of the kelp. She swam into view - it was a mermaid. On her arms she bore the tattoo of an orca whale. She spoke Aquan but soon switched to Common when it became clear Corvid could not understand her. She introduced herself as Silvara and spoke with a thick Aquan accent.
She explained that she snuck past the mechanical guardian and entered these caves in search of any treasure the thralls might be hoarding. She had been hiding in the kelp for several hours, biding her time. She thanked Corvid for eliminating the obstacles to her search and asked him to step aside to allow her to complete her mission and search for treasure.
Corvid blocked her way. He told her she could search the cave after his team was finished with it.
Not being the sort to risk a fight, Silvara sighed, crossed her arms, and pouted but agreed to wait.
Corvid took the opportunity to tell her about the god Tristin, the Raven King. Silvara interrupted him and asked him if this would take long.
Corvid said, "Look, if I give you a sapphire will you listen to my pitch?"
Silvara enthusiastically agreed.
Corvid gave her a sapphire from his belt pouch and began, "First there was the Raven Queen - defender of the gateway to-"
Before he could even finish his first sentence, Silvara took the sapphire and disappeared out the nearest exit.
Captain Hadad
After having determined that the crates and barrels were filled with nothing more than salted fish, fresh water, and other supplies, Captain Alot led the team further into the coral caves and around a large rock.
At the back of the coral grotto was a black pit in the floor. Dark emanations emerged from the pit and drifted outward.
DM Note-
I described it as more like an exhaust pipe than a portal or passage.
There Alot beheld a man who had been transformed into a thrall like the others. He wore a tricorn hat and a large coat - Alot recognized him as Hadad, captain of the Argent Blade. Next to Hadad was another thrall as well as a massive crustacean, like a crayfish the size of an elephant - a chuul!
Captain Hadad pointed at Alot and uttered an arcane syllable. Alot froze in place, unable to move or act. A twisted crown of black jagged iron grew out of Alot's head. The thrall and the chuul charged past Alot unabated and attacked Aella.
Corvid rushed to Aella's aid. Aella was able to use her magic to swim back amid a cloud of air bubbles. She swam up over the large rock and hovered in the water near the ceiling. She used her power to create a swarm of ice and snow that smashed into Captain Hadad.
A second chuul that had been hiding in the kelp bed emerged from behind the party to attack their flank. Cai'luin and Bess moved to intercept the creature.
A third chuul emerged from the black muck. Alot threw off the charm and the crown crumbled.
Captain Hadad called upon his dark lord and manifested black tentacles under Alot's feet. Cai'luin interrupted the spell, dismissing it with a bardic counter-spell.
Aella used her storm power to create a spherical storm in the back of the chamber, engulfing Captain Hadad and the newly emerged chuul. The chuul pushed its way out of the storm and into the kelp bed while Captain Hadad stayed close to the far wall of the chamber. Meanwhile, arcs of lightning flashed out of the storm to strike the chuul and Captain Hadad.
Alot eventually defeated the first chuul and the thrall and moved to confront Captain Hadad.
Bess, using only her crab claws, fought bravely to protect Cai'luin from the chuul at the flank. Cai'luin did what he could to help but it was Corvid who swam in and destroyed the creature. Once the flank was open, Corvid swam back over the large rock and through the kelp bed to fight Captain Hadad.
The third chuul emerged from the kelp bed to threaten Alot and Cai'luin. Cai'luin responded by using his bardic magic to polymorph the monstrosity into a sea snail. He picked up the sea snail and put it in his pocket.
Aella withdrew a magic wand from her robe and pointed it at Captain Hadad. Magical arrows streaked out of the wand, striking Captain Hadad down with deadly accuracy.
The Foyer
After the battle was over, Alot noted that the dark corruption was still emanating from the murky patch in the floor. Captain Hadad was not the cause. Whatever was creating the corruption was still lurking somewhere.
Corvid noticed a marble tunnel in the ceiling. Alot swam into the tunnel followed by the rest of the crew.
They stood in a marble foyer. On the far end of the foyer was a low circular marble wall, creating a well. The well was filled with gems, platinum, and other riches. Aella translated the Aquan words inscribed on the outside of the well, "Pay tribute to your master, Shah Javad Khorasani, Eye of the Tempest and Lords of the Thousand and One Bright Pearls". The water in the foyer was clear and free of the dark corruption that emanated from the tar-pit below.
On the left and right walls were portals made of shimmering mercury. Aella speculated, "We probably have to make a donation to open the portal." She tossed five gold coins into the well. The curtains of mercury did not disappear. Captain Alot stepped through the portal to the left.
The Portals
Alot was grabbed as if by thick mud. He pushed his way through and out to the corridor on the other side. Aella followed soon after. She was grabbed and slammed into the walls as if she was caught in heavily turbulent water. She was trapped, unable to escape the curtain of mercury. Corvid reached in and pushed her through to the other side but was himself caught in the portal. Neither Aella or Cai'luin could pull Corvid through or out of the barrier. Alot traded placed with Aella and was able to drag Corvid out of the barrier and into the corridor beyond.
DM Note-
The doors out of the foyer are magical barriers - make a Strength Save vs. 15 or take 2d10 damage and be grappled. Repeat each round until you escape or are pulled out.
Cai'luin likewise became stuck as he tried to pass through the shimmering portal and once again Alot had to drag him through.
The crew explored the corridor beyond, turning a corner to the right. There they found an undersea kitchen manned by three invisible figures wearing long hooded robes. The robes bore the mark of a green conch shell. The figures were preparing a meal. Bubbles of boiling water rose from a hot rock, atop which boiled a lobster. The other figures were preparing spices and side dishes.
One of the figures seemed to notice the intrusion of the outsiders. It paused to evaluate them then silently shooed them away.
The Chamber of the Emir
The crew once again passed through the painful portal into the foyer. It was decided that Captain Alot, being the strongest, would explore the rest of the chambers alone.
Alot passed through the portal to the right. He entered a comfortable room, richly appointed with cushions and a large bed. It was shaped like a hemisphere with a domed ceiling. To the right was a window into a kind of aquarium - if one could call it such since the room itself was underwater - filled with rare starfish. To the right was a bookshelf filled with rare tomes written on waterproof vellum. On the far side of the room was a canopied bed. To the immediate right was a desk and chair for writing. The bookshelves, desk, chair, and bed all seemed to be built for a giant twice the size of a man.
A voice called from within the canopied bed, "Finally! Just leave the lobster on the desk and begone!"
Captain Alot made the mechanical equivalent of clearing his throat and introduced himself.
Emir Farzad the Most Pearlescent and Opulent
The figure within the canopied bed emerged. He was a corpulent figure with a fish-like face, a fat torso with thick arms and webbed fingers, and a lower torso with no legs or feet that simply trailed away into bubbles.
"Oh! Visitors! I apologize, I was not expecting you!"
DM Note-
I took Alot's player into a private chat so the other players had no idea what was going on.
The strange creature introduced himself as Emir Farzad, the Most Pearlescent and Opulent. The emir was polite and loquacious. After some friendly chit chat in which Captain Alot played the role of a most obedient guest while obsequiously complimenting the emir on his taste and hospitality.
The emir asked Alot what he was doing in the chambers of the shah and Alot explained his mission to stop whatever was corrupting the blah-blah-blah. It became clear that the emir didn't care and was looking past Alot.
The emir interrupted him with, "Yes, yes, corruption. Where is that lobster? I've been waiting for DAYS!"
Alot once again complimented the emir on his taste and imagination and asked if there was a way to remove the barriers to allow his companions through. This time the emir looked annoyed, "Yes. You've already complimented me. I'm bored with that now. Of course I cannot disable the barrier. If I could, would I be trapped here? However, there is a way to temporarily disable the barrier from the outside - which I obviously cannot reach. But that's not important. What I REALLY want is my dinner!" It was clear that the emir was more interested in his food than in helping Alot.
Alot offered to retrieve the emir's meal. "If I get your lobster will you tell me how to disable the barrier?"
"Yes, yes, whatever." Farzad dismissively waved Alot away with a webbed hand.
The Deadly Challenge of the Lobster Dinner
Alot left the way he came in. However, on his exit he became trapped within the barrier. The barrier repeatedly slammed the automaton into the wall.
DM Note-
On previous passages, Alot's player rolled really well. Suddenly he could not roll double digits to save his life! Alot got so beat-up by the wall he had to pause and take a second-wind to recover some hit points. It was the most damage Alot had taken in the entire campaign.
Alot finally made it into the foyer and informed the others what he had learned. For their part, the others had tried giving the well more money, but no amount would disable the portals.
No one dared remove anything from the well.
Alot passed through the second portal and entered the kitchen. Once again he was shooed away.
Alot observed the invisible chefs to get a sense of how near they were to finishing the meal. They were nearly finished. He waited - this would be easy.
As they finished, the invisible chefs examined their meal and, through some unknowable set of criteria, deemed it unworthy of their immortal lord. They dumped the lobster in a nearby trash bin and started over.
To his dismay, Alot noticed that the trash bin was filled with dozens of previous attempts. The emir was not exaggerating. He had been waiting for literally days for this meal.
Alot briefly considered salvaging the meal from the trash and presenting it to the emir. Then he thought - if it didn't pass the muster of the invisible chefs, what would the emir think of it?
Alot tried to move into the kitchen to prepare the meal himself. The invisible chefs became agitated and tried to force Alot out. Alot responded by shoving one of the chefs. The chef disappeared into a cloud of air bubbles. Its robe drifted to the floor.
The other two chefs continued to try to physically move Alot out of the kitchen. Alot simply poofed them into air-bubbles as well.
Alot continued the meal prep, cooking a lobster on an underwater stove as best he could.
Once the meal was plated, Alot was faced with another dilemma - how to transport the plate through the water-barrier? The force would destroy the food.
He briefly considered placing the food into his magical bag of holding.
DM Note-
I asked Alot's player - "Okay, imaging putting a plate into a huge bag. How confident are you that the food will remain on the plate?" the player said, "Hmm. Good point."
Alot looked around the kitchen for alternatives. He spotted a brick fitted into the marble wall. He pressed the brick and the wall slide aside to reveal a secret passage.
At the end of the secret passage was a lever. The lever caused the bookshelves in the emir's chambers to slide aside. Alot presented the lobster dinner with side dishes and garnish to the emir.
The emir was pleased and sat down to eat his meal.
During dinner, the emir opened up to Alot with what he know.
Alot learned the following:
- The Emir was banished from the Elemental Plane of Water for granting a mortal a wish and must now serve one hundred years of penance trapped in these chambers. He finds his exile terribly boring.
- The chambers were constructed by the Emir's superior, the Shah Javad Khorasani.
- The chambers were constructed to house something called the "Wellspring", a source of magic that taps into the power of the Elemental Plane of Water.
- The Wellspring allows its master to control the weather.
- The Wellspring was a wedding gift to his daughter who married the ancestor of the lighthouse keeper many centuries ago.
- The key to controlling the Wellspring was a magical bowl. The current lighthouse keeper, the descendant of the original, is not aware of the link between the bowl and the Wellspring. He believes the bowl itself allows him to control the weather.
- Some other human learned to magically control the Wellspring without the bowl and has used it to summon some abomination from the Elemental plane of Water.
- The Wellspring was located down a passage beyond that door.
- The portals can be temporarily disabled by paying tribute to the Shah. A minimum tribute worth no less than five hundred gold coins would disable the portals for several hours.
Alot returned to the foyer and, once again, his passage was difficult and painful. Once reunited with his crew, he told them what he had learned. They paid the requisite tribute. The portals did not disappear.
Aella took a deep breath and stepped through. Nothing happened and she was in the chamber of the emir.
The others soon joined her.
The Passage
The emir greeted them all. He pointed them towards the door leading to the Wellspring.
Alot opened the door to reveal the dark corridor beyond. The end of the corridor was filled with glowing minnows and the end was obscured by kelp.
To be Continued...
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