Tharizdun's Progeny - Ghosts of Saltmarsh, Chapter 76

 

The crew of the Sea Ghost followed the underwater tunnel for nearly a mile out to sea. They emerged forty feet underwater off the coast of a small rocky island. It was early afternoon and the sun shone down through the tropical waters. Nearby was an old cathedral, originally built above the water line but now submerged - the result of the island sinking over fifty feet. The aboleth Sgothga had told them that two of its kindred were located within the structure. Sgothga agreed to leave the city if the crew of the Sea Ghost killed the two aboleth within. 

The crew swam to the top of the bell tower which was the only part of the cathedral that still rose above the water. They climbed into the belfry via a window and descended the stairs of the bell tower into the flooded structure below. 

Patriarch Craig paused. He had contracted the brain jellies - no doubt a consequence of his encounter with a red slaad the previous day. He stayed behind on a landing on the stairs leading down.

At the bottom of the bell tower they found a wide doorway, its doors having rotted away long ago. The massive bronze bell lay amid some debris at the bottom of the bell tower. 

Alot moved towards the doorway to peer within. He peered into the nave of the cathedral. There he saw two aboleths - large sea creatures resembling a cross between catfish and octopi, with three eyes arranged vertically along the top of their heads. They appeared to be conversing, their three eyes flashing as if in silent communication. 

The aboleths paused and turned towards Alot. He had been spotted!

The two aboleths shuddered violently and retreated into corners of the nave, kicking up billowing clouds of mud and debris, reducing visibility to five feet. 

Aella reacted quickly, "I've got this!" She swam through the threshold into the nave. 

There was a sudden burst of electricity!

CHAPTER 76

"THARIZDUN'S PROGENY"

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.
• Patriarch 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-We picked up where we left off last week. The entire session this week was essentially two back-to-back combats! It was a really tough one and the party barely survived! 

The Arcane Trap

Lightning arced throughout the landing of the belfry, catching everyone. 

DM- I said it looked like one of those plasma balls from the 90s - or like a Terminator just traveled through time.

Aella continued into the center of the nave. She brandished a magical dagger. The dagger attuned her senses - she could sense the slightest motion in the water, the beating of a heart, the blinking of eyelids. She scanned the room in an attempt to locate the aboleths in the murk but she sensed nothing. She returned to the belfry landing to report on her attempt.

Alot brandished his sword and shield and forged into the nave ready for battle. There was a moment of silence before Alot could be heard saying, "Got it. You bet. We'll be leaving now."

Alot returned to the belfry landing and told the others, "This was all a big misunderstanding. They explained it to me. We're going to go now. So, out the way we came."

Corvid swam up to Alot, sheathed his sword, and punched the automaton right in his metal face. "Break out of it!"

Alot was shaken, "Dammit! Okay everyone. This time we travel as a group. Stick together. Don't get separated in the murk because you'll get lost. Aella, you're on point. You lead the way."

DM- I quickly devised a kind of "held movement" to better simulate the simultaneous movement of a group - like a held action but for movement. They would get an action on their initiative, but their movement was being delayed to the party member with the lowest initiative. They would all then move together at the same time and at the speed of the slowest party member. Most of them either used a held melee attack action triggered on "an opponent enters melee range" or simply a dodge action. Then they all moved together at the end of the round. It worked really well, actually.

As a precaution, Aella used her storm sorcery to create a storm in the left half of the large room. The spherical storm churned with air bubbles and cavitation. The sphere dissipated the murk in the entire left half of the nave.

DM- Aella's player put down a storm sphere in Roll20. What she didn't realize was that she just perfectly covered up the massive pit in that side of the room. They had no idea the pit was there. It was fantastic! 

Search and Destroy

Aella once again scanned the murky room. She sensed an aboleth hiding in a corner near the ceiling. The party, as a group, swam together towards the ceiling.

The aboleth lashed out with its tentacle!

Aella, Alot, Cai'luin, and Corvid engaged the cornered aboleth in hand-to-hand combat. The second aboleth emerged from the muddy cloud as a dark shape behind and beneath them. They had become flanked! 

Suddenly, as if by a miracle, the water within the submerged cathedral parted! The aboleths fell to the wet floor with a loud slap while Corvid used a prayer to allow the others to drift slowly to the floor unharmed. 

Through the entrance to the bell tower emerged a figure of dwarven stature, bathed in radiant holy light. Patriarch Craig had returned!

DM - Patriarch Craig's player, who has been fighting colon cancer since last year, was back in the hospital with another infection. He had surgery that afternoon and we did not expect him to show up. But at 9pm, he called in on his laptop from his hospital bed, ready to play!

The aboleths were now stranded on relatively dry flagstones of the cathedral floor. The exposed ruined walls of the cathedral showed the vertical walls of water beyond, held at bay by the strength of Patriarch Craig's miracle.

The aboleths fared poorly out of their aquatic element and were soon facing defeat. 

One of the aboleths telepathically chastised Corvid, "You are all fools! You serve a false master! He will betray you! Your actions here will mean your doom!"

Corvid slew the aboleth and the second died soon thereafter.

Cai'luin began to cough. He did not feel well. He looked at his arms which were beginning to peel. His skin had a translucent jelly-fish quality to it. He began to worry that he had contracted something when he was struck by one of the aboleths.

The crew took a short moment to assess the situation before they head a sound telepathically beamed directly to their brains - the sound of slow clapping.

Return of Sgothga

A telepathic voice, deep and gravelly, said, "Excellent. Well done. You have played your part well. And now you will reap your reward."

Five massive crustaceans - the deep sea horrors known as chuuls - appeared through the walls of water separating the ruined cathedral from the sea outside. A massive aboleth appeared in the sunny afternoon sky above. It hovered, descending slowly and deliberately. 

The chuul moved slowly into position. The crew of the Sea Ghost prepared for the next round of battle. 

The spherical storm raging in one half of the cathedral died, its magic dissipated. To everyone's surprise, the storm had concealed a thirty foot wide pit in the floor. The pit was filled with water. 

"Yes! Now you will witness the emergence of the instrument of destruction, the Progeny of the God of Chaos, Rise! Rise, my kraken! Rise and destroy these infidels! Crush these enemies of Tharizdun!"

A tentacle rose out of the water, then another, then others. The water welled up as if pushed out by something large rising from the pit. 

The kraken resembled a cross between a squid and an octopus, though it was larger than an elephant! Its tentacles easy reached twenty feet long. Its thick skin was covered in the scars that told a story of some terrible fight with a giant shark. Burned into its mantle, above two eyes the size of dinner plates, was a glowing symbol - the swirling spirals-within-spirals known as the Mark of Tharizdun!

The kraken's mantle fell back, revealing a giant serrated beak at the center of its tentacles, each the size of a tree trunk! The beak clacked and the kraken roared!

The Chuuls Attack!

The chuuls swarmed in from all sides. 

Patriarch Craig quickly summoned a divine warrior of Tristin. The twenty-foot-tall warrior of death attacked all creatures that came near him. 

Aella reacted quickly with a sorcerous lightning bolt, striking two of the chuuls. They entered the nave and were attacked by the divine warrior of Tristin. 

Two of the chuuls attacked Cai'luin, each grabbing a limb and fighting over him. Thin tentacles darted out from the chuul's mouth, striking Cai'luin and delivering a powerful toxin. Cai'luin became paralyzed! 

Another chuul attacked Corvid, paralyzing him! 

The small pools of water at their feet came alive! Water reached in from the walls like tendrils, moving on its own accord and wrapping around the feet of the crew of the Sea Ghost. The water pulled them closer towards the kraken, drawing them in. 

A tentacle reached out from the kraken and grabbed Aella and Alot. They were held fast! Aella sent another lightning bolt into the kraken, it had no effect!

Alot took to the air. He flew towards the hovering aboleth, piercing it with his magical sword. The aboleth disappeared! 

Alot looked confused. 

Patriarch Craig held up his holy symbol, the silver raven of Tristin, and demanded the kraken be banished! The kraken roared but went nowhere. The banishment had failed!

DM- Banishment is a Charisma saving throw. Charisma is the kraken's worst AND ONLY BAD saving throw. But I rolled well and it saved. Cai'luin wanted to grant his bardic inspiration to Craig to help but lamented that he was paralyzed. I kind of wanted it to work so I told Cai'luin's player to roll a d20. If he rolled 11-20, I'd let him.  He said "Watch me roll a 3." He rolled a 4. Well, I tried. 

A chuul attacked Father Craig, paralyzing him.  The spirit warrior, having finished its mission, knelt in prayer before disappearing.

DM- Constitution is Father Craig's best save. Dwarves even get Advantage on saving throws vs. poison. He rolls poorly - twice. 

The miraculous parting of the water collapsed and the water poured back into the cathedral. 

DM- At this point, things were looking really grim for the group. No enemies had died, three PCs were paralyzed - Cai'luin was making Death Saves and couldn't benefit from any healing, and the only two that could help were immobilized by the kraken - who had not yet taken any damage! But here's where things began to change and the tide of battle turned!

The Tide Turns!

Aella cast a sorcerous spell, surrounding herself with bubbles of air that allowed her to escape the kraken's grasp. She swam next to Alot. She grabbed him. The automaton had just enough time to say, "Wait, what?" when a bolt of lightning and a peal of thunder struck them. They teleported to the far side of the room, safely away from the kraken's grasp. 

Father Craig overcame his paralysis but the kraken wrapped one of his tentacles around him. Father Craig was just able to reach out and stabilize his comrade Cai'luin, who lay on the floor dying. 

Corvid emerged from his own paralysis, stood up, and used his magical manta ray cloak to dart through the water. He exited the cathedral through an open gap in its ruined wall. 

Alot said in astonishment, "Is- did Corvid just leave us?"

Corvid encountered the aboleth Sgothgah outside the cathedral, just as he expected. He plunged his holy sword Faithkeeper into the aboleth. He stabbed the foul creature over and over. Aella left the cathedral to provide assistance. She sent a sorcerous bolt of chaos into the aboleth, killing it. 

Revenge of the Giant Shark

Patriarch Craig had multiple kraken tentacles wrapped around him, dragging him closer to the kraken's maw. He reached out and managed to touch the unconscious body of his comrade in arms, Cai'luin. He said a prayer of restoration.

Corvid rushed back inside the cathedral, darting through the water like a barracuda. He immediately attacked the chuul  menacing Cai'luin, killing it. He pointed a finger at the bard and said a prayer of healing. 

DM- Craig thinks his Lesser Restoration healed Cai'luin but in fact it had been over a minute since he was infected. Only a Heal or spell of 6th level or greater will work. No, once the water returned to the room, Cai'luin could once again benefit from healing spells. He's still infected.

Cai'luin opened his eyes! He stood up and began singing a bardic song of transformation. Using bardic magic, the sea-elf transformed himself into the form of a giant shark! The shark and the kraken - both equals in size - clashed like undersea titans!

Corvid defeated the final chuuls while everyone else targeted their attacks against the kraken. Once the chuuls had been destroyed, Corvid turned Faithkeeper onto the tentacled monstrosity!

Corvid plunged his sword deep into the glowing symbol of Tharizdun, impaling the kraken! He withdrew his sword and slashed at the beast.

DM- Natural 20! Critical Hit! 21 damage plus 45 smite damage! Follow-up strike did 18 damage plus 12 smite damage!

Aella withdrew her magic wand and pointed it at the kraken. She unleashed a mighty barrage of glowing magical arrows that sped across the submerged room and struck the beast. The creature fell backwards, sliding back into the pit but the magic missiles continued firing, arcing over the lip of the pit and following their target as it fell into the void. 

The kraken was dead.

TO BE CONTINUED...

The Cult of Tharizdun - Ghosts of Saltmarsh, Chapter 75

The next morning, the crew prepared themselves to return to the rotting hulk beneath Frother's Lamp. They took a gondola to the ramshackle city built of layer upon layer of shacks and shanties atop pilings and piers. 

It was soon after dawn. The wooden walkways were covered in trash and sleeping drunks. Many inhabitants were starting their daily chores - tossing out trash and night soil, preparing merchant carts, and scurrying around trying to catch dogs and rats for food. 

As the crew made their way through the twisting labyrinthine canyons of the Low Quarter, a thrown bottle crashed near them. Then a crossbow bolt struck a building's wall, narrowly missing them. Suddenly they were under assault from attackers in every nook, cranny, window, and door. 

Cai'luin shielded his face, "Why are these people attacking us?"

Patriarch Craig replied glumly, "Who do you think is in the cult?"

Ahead of them they saw a rope bridge connecting the upper levels of a shanty on one side of the "canyon" to the upper levels of a shanty on the opposite side. The rope bridge was over a hundred foot long and was forty feet above the boardwalk and seventy feet above the water far below. 

Standing on the rope bridge were a group of robed men carrying scimitars. At their center was Constable Jute. Jute was bound and had a noose tied around her neck. The other end of the rope had been tied to the rope bridge. 

One of the robed figures shouted out, "Turn back, outsiders! Turn back or the constable will pay the price for your interference!"

CHAPTER 75

"THE CULT OF THARIZDUN"

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.
• Patriarch 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-
Instead of resolving every attack from every thrown bottle and loosed crossbow bolt, I decided to have the players make a DC 15 Dexterity Saving Throw at the beginning of every round. They took 1d8 damage on a failed save, half damage on a successful save. Alot had an ability that allowed him to use a reaction and take no damage on a successful save. This represented that with dozens of attacks, one or two might actually hit. This worked really well.

Rescue Jute

Cai'luin sprang into action, playing a tune on his magic lute that hypnotized everyone on the rope bridge - including Jute. 

Aella pointed her magical trident at the rope bridge. Patriarch Craig shouted, "What are you doing?" 

Aella replied that she was going to take out the bad guys on the bridge with a tidal wave. Craig said, "Your tidal wave will bring that bridge crashing down! We're trying to save Jute, remember?"

Aella quickly scanned the surrounding area looking for attackers. Craig asked, "What are you doing?"

She replied, "I'm trying to avoid civilian casualties." She found two attackers mixed in with some commoners. With a wave of her magic trident she caused a tidal wave to magically appear, crushing the attacker and commoners alike. 

Corvid said, "I thought you were trying to avoid civilian casualties?"

Aella shrugged, replying, "Okay, I'm trying to MINIMIZE civilian casualties then."

Corvid pointed to a spot on the boardwalk above their destination - the prow of an old galley at the bottom of the artificial canyon below, "Everyone try to get over there. I can cast a feather-fall spell and we can jump off!"

Craig and Aella moved in that direction but were quickly cut off by some robed figures armed with scimitars. Around their necks were amulets bearing the spiral symbol of Tharizdun. 

Alot activated his flying boots and took to the sky to rescue Jute. He was quickly cut off by Corvid who flew in front of him and grabbed the constable. Corvid carried Jute down into the canyon and disappeared from view.

Alot turned around and flew back to help Craig, Aella, and Cai'luin fight off the cultists that had converged upon them. Alot sheathed his sword and let go of the hand grip on his shield in order to wrap his arms around Aella and Craig. He checked on Cai'luin, "Are you going to be okay?"

Cai'luin winked and said, "It's all right. I can fly too."

Alot, carrying Craig and Aella, flew down into the canyon to join Corvid, followed by Cai'luin.

The Galley Pier

Cai'luin hovered above the exposed bow of the half-buried galley. The deck of the bow was covered in deep piles of trash and debris. Cai'luin cast a Depth Charge spell onto the deck. The area exploded with force and sound, blowing away the trash and revealing two humanoids with blubbery jellyfish-like skin. The creatures were armed with tridents and they moved towards the ladder to intercept Alot carrying Craig and Aella. Two more creatures clambered over the side of the rotting hulk onto the mid-deck. 

Corvid deposited Constable Jute in a side passage, safe from the bottles, crossbow bolts, and other debris hailing from above, and rejoined his companions on the mid-deck of the galley. 

A fierce battle ensued. Aella created a tidal wave that washed over the jelly-men on the fore-deck, knocking them over. Alot and Craig engaged with the two that climbed over the side. They were soon joined by Corvid. The four jelly-men were quickly defeated by the five heroes working together.

The Chuul-Haunted Hallway

The bow of the old galley jutted out of ramshackle buildings that had been constructed over it long ago. A wide door was marked with the spiral pattern of Tharizdun. The door refused to budge. Cai'luin simply smiled and played a bardic spell on his magic lute. With a loud sound of cracking wood, the spell keeping the door locked was broken and the door magically popped open. 

The crew carefully made their way into the dark corridor beyond. The floor looked rotten with gaps between the boards wide enough to slip fingers through. They formed up at the door at the end of the hallway. Alot pushed the door open.

Suddenly there was a loud splashing and the sound of bursting wood and massive crustacean claws burst through the floor, causing the entire corridor to collapse. Alot and Aella managed to grab hold of something to prevent their fall but everyone else plunged into the dark waters of a large tank hidden below. Cai'luin had not yet entered the corridor - he remained safe on the galley's deck. 

Four large crustacean shapes swam beneath them. 

Corvid wasted no time. He quickly grabbed Patriarch Craig and flew out of the water, depositing the dwarf in the room beyond. Alot, too, swooped down and grabbed Jute, dropping her off safely in the room at the end of the corridor before retrieving Cai'luin.

The Dark God's Chapel

The crew entered a large room supported by columns constructed from stout wooden beams. At the far wall of the room opposite the entrance was a side-chamber, a kind of apse, with a set of stairs that led down. The stairs were flooded up to the floor boards around it. Hanging above the flooded stairs was the body of a humongous dead shark suspended by old nets. Severed human heads were affixed to the shark like offerings. The heads showed various states of putrefaction ranging from two weeks to several months. 

Alot and Corvid cautiously made their way towards the apse to more closely inspect the shark and the flooded stairs. The floor boards creaked under their weight.

Cai'luin began playing an inspiring tune, invigorating his companions, while Patriarch Craig said a prayer to enhance their fighting spirit.

DM Note-

Cai'luin cast Bravery as a fifth-level spell, granting everyone 6 temporary hit points. In addition, Patriarch Craig cast Aid, increasing the maximum hit points of all his companions by +5 HP. They were JUICED UP!

Suddenly the shark shuddered and broke free from its netting. It thrashed about and turned towards Alot and Corvid. Alot threw up his magic shield but no avail - the shark bit him on the shoulder, sinking its massive teeth into Alot's mechanical body! 

The animated shark continued to tear into Alot. Alot counterattacked with his magic sword with Corvid stabbing at the beast from its flank. Cai'luin protected Jute who screamed in horror and retreated to a corner. Aella took cover behind a wall and sent a powerful lightning bolt into the beast.

The crew continued attacking the beast, striking it easily. In exchange, the shark continued to tear into the normally invulnerable Alot. Corvid slashed at the beast, cutting it to ribbons. To his horror, it simply reformed into a whole shark and continued to attack.

Corvid paused when he saw this. Something didn't look right. He stayed his attack and called out to the others, "I- I don't think the shark is real!"

The others paused to examine the shark. It seemed very real and continued to bite into Alot, thrashing as it did so.  Cai'luin was unconvinced, "It looks real enough!" the sea elf bard said as he played another magical bardic attack song on his magical lute. 

Patriarch Craig walked slowly towards the shark, "No, he's right! Stop!" He reached out to touch the shark. His hand passed through it. The shark vanished.

The True Enemy

The shark was still hanging from the nets over the flooded stairwell. It had never actually come to life. 

A voice whispered into the mind of everyone in the room, a thick syrupy voice, "You have seen through my little game. You have passed the first test of Sgothgah. Let us see if you survive the second."

Long ropy tentacles emerged from the flooded stairwell. The water welled up, spilling over onto the floor as it was pushed up and out of the stairs. The water poured out and was replaced by an upwelling of slime and mucus. A large fish-like body rose out of the mucus. Three baleful red eyes formed a straight row across the top of its wide head. The tentacles revealed themselves to be long coiling prehensile barbs like those of a cat-fish. 

Cai'luin quickly played a dissonant tune on his lute and the fish-beast recoiled in annoyance. It retreated into its watery pit leaving a sloshing watery mess as mucus poured out onto the floor. 

After a quiet moment of anticipation, Sgothgah returned. It was angry. Cai'luin could feel the cold alien touch of its mind as psychic tentacles wrapped around his brain. Cai'luin shut his eyes and shouted, "No!" 

DM Note-

Cai'luin rolled a 3 on his Wisdom Saving Throw, then spent his Inspiration point to re-roll. He rolled a natural-20 on his second attempt. 

Patriarch Craig said a loud prayer and all his companions felt a rush of hope wash over them. 

DM Note-

Beacon of Hope, Advantage to all Wisdom Saving Throws. 

Alot, emboldened, plunged his sword, Defender, deep into the aquatic aberration! He withdrew and stabbed it again before pinning it awkwardly against the wall. 

DM Note-

Natural 20, critical hit, 23 points damage. Second attacks hits for 22 points of damage. Followed by a shield shove. Extra action, another hit for 18 damage, then another hit for 14 damage. 

Aella cast a chaos bolt into the creature. 

Sgothgah once again telepathically sent a message, "Excellent! You will do nicely! You may be able to defeat my brothers and end their apocalyptic scheme!"

Corvid paused to consider the creature. Was it lying? It seemed to be telling the truth.

Corvid twisted his magical sword Faithkeeper in his grip and slapped the flat of the blade down hard onto the creature. It sent a blast of buzzing static indicating its pain. Corvid slapped it again as hard as he could.

Sgothgah telepathically called out, "You have proven your worthiness! I yield! Have mercy!"

Corvid held out his hand to the others. They ceased their attacks. 

DM Note-

Stupid thing didn't last one whole round! But, of course, I forgot about its chuul back-up. They should have crawled out and joined their master. Totally spaced them. 

The Bargain

The telepathic whisper said, "I have a proposal for you. I wish to rid myself of two of my kind who want to return me to their world. I have no desire to return with them. I am called Sgothgah. I hail from the Endless Nadir, the deepest darkest trench in the ocean that reaches into the center of this world. There we worship no gods for there we ARE gods. One day I received a vision - a vision of spiral perfection - a vision of Tharizdun - a being more powerful than I. I learned then what it meant to have fear of and devotion to a divine power. I fled my world and sought shelter. I found myself here, in this place, and hid."

"To my surprise, the people of this place likewise felt as I did about Tharizdun. They, too, felt his power and influence. Like me, they knew what it was to worship in secret. In time they joined me in offering sacrifices to my master."

"Unfortunately, my kindred sent two of my brothers to find me and return me to the Endless Nadir. I have no wish to join them. But if I fear that they will destroy this city in their search for me. I am in need of champions to defeat them - to drive them back to the Endless Nadir! Will you do this for me?"

Alot and Corvid looked at each other and shrugged, nodding. "Yeah, sure, I don't see-"

Patriarch Craig became incensed, "YOU ARE AN ABOMINATION AND YOU WORSHIP A DEVIL FROM HELL! Your very existence is a threat to these people. They only worship your dark god because of your psychic influence! If we defeat these pursuers, will you promise to leave this city and never approach this or any other city ever again?"

Sgothgah considered this, "Yes, this is agreeable."

Sgothgah told his new allies that his kindred are currently residing in an abandoned temple a few miles off-shore. The temple was known as Landgrave's Folly. It had sunk beneath the waves after an Oerthquake caused the entire island to sink several decades ago. 

After giving Jute a magical short sword and a potion of invisibility so that she could return safely to her home they set off down the long underwater tunnel at the bottom of the submerged stairs as Sgothgah directed. 

To Be Continued...

Dory's Warehouse - Ghosts of Saltmarsh, Chapter 73

 

Alot crossed the thick gangplank across the trash-strewn waterway at the bottom of the canyon-like narrows of slums and stacked structures of Jetsam. He approached the bow of an old rotting hulk jutting out from the mass of ramshackle buildings build around and atop it. The deck of the ship was covered in trash.

As he neared the ship the trash shifted. Three figures- vaguely humanoid but with lumpy blubbery translucent skin like that of a disgusting jellyfish - rose from the trash. They lifted cheap javelins which they hurled at Alot. 

Alot nodded and retreated from the bridge. Javelins bounced harmlessly off his thick armor plating. 

"Well, this looks like the place. We should come back at sunset. There's a greater chance more cultists will be here."

The party left and returned to the docks on the outer edge of the slums.

CHAPTER 73

"DORY'S WAREHOUSE"

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.
• Patriarch 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-
We begin the mystery of the Styes in earnest. But first, I needed to back up and give the players some more detail about what happened to them during the week they spent in Poniard.

Hopen'er Asylum

On their way to the docks they ran into Constable Jute whom they had met the previous morning. Jute was cordial but professional. She informed the crew that she and the other constables were barred from further inquiries regarding the Ghost Lantern murders and that she was officially obliged to ask them to end their inquiry. She looked around nervously as if she were being watched. 

When asked who gave the constables that order, she informed them that it was Mister Dory of the city council. Alot nodded sagely.

Before saying goodbye, Jute informed the crew that, the night before he was executed, Jarme drew unusual chaotic patterns on the wall of his cell in Hope'ner asylum and further informed them that the cell was scheduled to be painted over today - again on orders from Council-person Dory.

The crew thanked her and hired a gondola to ferry them to the High Quarter. They disembarked and entered the imposing stone structure of Hope'ner Asylum. 

The building was originally built as a prison and it still resembled one architecturally. Several decades ago it was turned into a hospital filled with patients suffering from chemical burns, blindness, and withered limbs caused by pollution from the Alchemist's Quarter and those suffering debilitating mental illness.   

The hospital was woefully understaffed and the crew were unable to summon the attention of someone from the staff. They were eventually greeted by a peculiar individual - a young man with bulging eyes. 

The young man stood in the middle of the room intently staring at them. When Patriarch Craig asked the young man if he could help them, the man just stared in silence with a strange grin. Eventually the young man blurted, "I am Brey!"

Patriarch Craig struggled to keep his polite composure, "Yes, is there anyone around here in charge of-"

Brey blurted, "You want Doctor Trantor! I'll get her!" Before anyone could respond he spun around and ran off into the crowded hospital.

A few minutes later Brey returned dragging a harried woman of middle age wearing a long white robe. She protested Brey's handling of her. Brey dragged her to the crew and blurted, "Trantor! These are the ones! Just like I said."

Doctor Trantor sighed and said, "Yes, thank you Brey." The woman looked tired and overworked. Her face was a picture of stress and compassion. "Hello, I am Doctor Trantor. I oversee this facility. How can I help you?"

Aella said that they had heard that Jarme, the Ghost Lantern killer, had drawn on his cell wall the night before his execution. He asked if they could study it. She explained that they were a delegation from Saltmarsh and wished to learn more about how someone might become a killer like Jarme.

Trantor said that they'd have to hurry. Council-person Dory had ordered that the cell be cleaned and painted today. Trantor led them down some steps into the underground dungeon. She led them to a long corridor lined with heavy iron cell doors. She explained that they kept the most dangerous subjects in these cells. Jarme didn't seem dangerous but the cell was requested by the city council. 

The smell of sweat and feces and rotting meat was oppressive. Even Trantor held a scented cloth over her nose and mouth. She led them to the last cell. 

The walls of the small cell were covered in smeared drawings and patterns made with charcoal from a burned stick. The drawings were a chaotic mess of swirls and lines and shapes.

Cai'luin knelt down and studied the patterns up close. He said, "Hmmm-"

"What is it?" asked Alot.

"Well, it looks like a mess but its actually three different drawings overlaid on top of each other. See here - these spirals are like flailing arms or tentacles from some octopus with three eyes - or perhaps a fish. Its shackled at the bottom of a deep pit and dragging down these little people. Yes, those are people. These shapes look like buildings, this long one here kind of resembles the old lighthouse, Frother's Lamp - see, these buildings match specific buildings in the Styes - sorry, Poniard. Anyway, over here there are more of those tentacle things and they're destroying the city."

"Aboleths" said Aella.

"What?" said Alot.

"I recognize them. The fish things are called Aboleths."

Rashlen Manor

Outside the hospital, the crew gathered to plan their next move. They decided that they wanted to confront the members of the town council. Aella said, "I think I have an idea on how to do that."

The crew crossed a marble bridge over a canal towards the walled compound belonging to Rashlen, the member of the town council whom Aella had become acquainted with earlier in the week. The villa's ground-level windows had been bricked up so the outer perimeter gave the appearance of a walled fortress. Statues of elven warriors made of terra-cotta stood guard along the roof-line.

It was late morning, towards noon. The elven servant, Cirdaere, answered the door and led Aella and Cai'luin to the sitting room while he summoned Master Rashlen. The rest of Aella's "servants" would have to wait in the servants' area.

Rashlen Manor was once on opulent villa made of fine marble and imported wood. The current state of the manor showed several decades of decay and neglect. It was clear that much of its valuable décor had been long ago sold off leaving a bare almost spartan appearance. It was also clear to those waiting in the servants' area that the villa, once served by a staff of dozens, was reduced to a skeleton crew staff of butler, cook, and scullery maid.

A few moments later, the flamboyant elven aristocrat, Rashlen, burst into the sitting room to greet "Princess" Avastana Kádár and Lord Cai'luin, his "water-breathing elven cousins from Manaan".

Rashlen was friendly and outgoing, lavishing Aella and Cai'luin with personal attention and praise while showing subtle disdain for "the lower classes". He ordered Cirdaere to make tea and finger sandwiches for his guests. Cirdaere sighed and went to the kitchen.

Aella informed Rashlen that she wished to throw a dinner party and hoped Rashlen could host it in his manor. She wanted to invite the wealthy merchants and aristocrats from Poniard and especially wished to invite the members of the city council. 

Rashlen was thrilled at the prospect of hosting a party, especially if he didn't have to pay for it. However, he warned Aella that the other members of the city council would be reticent to attend. Madame Sliris is never seen in the evening, Madame Thornwell detests such frivolities, and Mister Dory, well, he has that skin condition.

Aella and Cai'luin thanked their host for his hospitality and promised to return to see to the party details. Rashlen insisted they take their uneaten sandwiches with them - a suggestion that made the servant Cirdaere subtly wince for he and the remainder of the staff were looking forward to the leftovers - and take a gift bag. Cirdaere reminded Rashlen that they had no gift bags to offer at the moment. Rashlen flashed his servant a stern look of outrage before genially apologizing to his guests. As they were leaving, Aella and Cai'luin were certain that the terra-cotta statues of elven warriors flanking the entrance were not present when they arrived.

Aella and Cai'luin rejoined their "servants" on the street outside the fortified villa. Patriarch Craig eyed the statues on the roofline suspiciously. They huddled in a circle to plan their next move.

Madame Thornwell

Aella told the others about her conversation with Rashlen and the group brainstormed about the best way to contact Madame Thornwell of the city council.

An unfamiliar voice in the circle replied matter-of-factly, "Madame Thornwell has no interest in parties."

There were a startled moment as everyone suddenly realized an unfamiliar woman had joined their huddle. She was a severe woman with slick straight hair. She wore a black and red leather cape over her black and red leather.

The mystery woman's tone became more accusatory, "While you stand here debating and wasting time, Mister Dory is aware of your investigation and is at his warehouse taking steps to obfuscate his corruption and obstruct your inquiries. Instead of standing around planning a party, you should be stopping the destruction of important evidence." 

Alot, Aella, Cai'luin, and Craig exchanged glances. Corvid never took his eyes off the mysterious woman in red leather.

"Um, who are you?" inquired Alot.

She backed away from the huddle, "That is not important. In fact, I was never here. I never spoke to you. Do you understand?" She walked around the corner of Rashlen Manor and vanished.

"Um, was that Madame Thornwell?" asked Alot.

Aella shrugged, "I- I think so."

Mister Dory's Warehouse

The crew quickly made their way over to the Alchemist's Quarter. They paused around the corner and out of sight from Dory's Warehouse and formulated their plan. They decided to go straight to the boat suspended from a giant crane over the muddy lagoon of the Hemlock Pit. Captain Alot sprinkled a packet of magical dust over them and they became invisible. Alot then wrapped his arms around Aella and Cai'luin while Corvid held on to Patriarch Craig. Alot and Corvid then activated their magical flying boots and zoomed through the mustard yellow sky to land on the deck of the suspended boat.

Their landing caused the boat to rock slightly and kick up some powdery yellow dust. The door to the shack located at the base of the crane opened and a humanoid figure wearing a long coat and wielding a spear emerged. The figure had strange rubbery translucent skin and three red eyes. It left the shack and approached the plank leading from the shack to the deck of the boat. It obviously sensed something was off and it studied the deck intently. Two other translucent creatures, each wearing long coats and hats to hide their identities, warily emerged behind the first. 

DM Note-

I had everyone in the crew make Stealth checks with Advantage. Some wore heavy armor so their rolls were normal. There were some real stinkers, well below the Passive Perceptions of the skum guards on watch duty. So I had the skum come out to make an active roll and they rolled incredibly well! 

Aella used her magical storm powers to create a tidal wave that washed over the three mysterious guards, knocking them back and over. Corvid leaped across the gap to land on the platform surrounding the shack at the base of the crane. He impaled one of the skum on his holy sword - "Faith Keeper".

DM Note-

Natural 20 with smite damage! Total of 55 damage in one attack!

Alot likewise leaped across onto the platform and engaged in the strange guards with his magical sword "Defender". 

The translucent humanoids responded by forcing Alot over the railing. Alot was flung into the air. The other translucent humanoids fought with Corvid and Aella. 

Suddenly Alot rose up in mid-air, rising above the railing on the platform. He was suspended by his magical flying boots. He re-engaged the translucent enemy. 

After an intense battle the three translucent humanoids were eventually defeated. Their bodies raplidly disintegrated into liquid leaving nothing but bare human skeletons.

The Pendent Vessel

By this time all members of the party were now visible but their battle atop the crane platform had gone unnoticed.

Patriarch Craig opened the hatch on the side of the boat leading into its super-structure. A burst of hot steam emerged that stung the eyes. The cabin was located near the stern of the boat and was filled with foggy steam. There was a large metal cauldron placed on top of a gas-flame boiler. Water was constantly delivered into the cauldron via a pipe connected to a nearby building that hung over a grate in the ceiling of the cabin. The walls and floor of the cabin were slick with disgusting slime and mold. The slippery floor was treacherous to cross. Craig entered the cabin and made his way towards the door in the back.

Three naked translucent humanoids emerged from the cauldron and attacked Craig with tridents. 

Patriarch Craig summoned forth a spiritual war-pick to attack the creatures while Aella created a magical swarm of snowballs that pummeled the creatures in the back of the cabin.

Cai'luin looked inside the cabin and cast a Shatter spell upon the cauldron. There was a tremendously loud bang as the large metal cauldron split down the side. Hot water began to spray out of the crack and fill the cabin. Corvid immediately took the elven bard to task, "That was too loud! What part of stealth mission do you not understand?!" In response, Cai'luin simply smiled and shrugged. As punishment, Corvid ordered Cai'luin to help him pull the gang-way away from the platform, separating the boat from the warehouse.

Alot made his way into the cabin to help defend Craig. A pitched battle ensued with hot water spraying at high pressure against the wall of the cabin. 

Corvid and Cai'luin soon returned. Corvid created a magical bonfire behind the creatures fighting Alot while Cai'luin sang bardic songs of vicious mockery.

After another long and pitched battle, the three translucent creatures were defeated - their bodies rapidly decaying to liquid and bone. 

The Flooded Hold

Alot opened the door in back of the cabin. Water that had flooded the cabin began to pour into the next section. The deck of this section had been removed revealing an open chasm down to the ship's bilge. The entire bilge was flooded ten feet deep with dark cloudy water. The water from the cabin poured into the water of the flooded bilge. A long plank crossed the chasm and connected the door to another door leading into the aft cabin. Once again the air of the section was foggy with acidic steam.

A human body floated face down in the water in one corner of the section. Dark forms swam menacingly under the water.

DM Note-

I rolled Stealth checks for the skum with Advantage but I rolled miserably.

Aella poked her head into the room and created a magical ice storm that whipped up the water and pummeled the area with heavy hailstones. The frost and hail floated on the surface and made the icy plank treacherous to cross.

Patriarch Craig and Alot carefully made their way out onto the plank towards the aft cabin. Translucent hands reached up and grabbed Craig's ankle, pulling him off the plank and into the cloudy water. Craig and his opponent were little more than dark nebulous colors under the surface. Alot jumped into the water and was soon attacked by another translucent enemy. 

The floating body suddenly sprang to life and attempted to assassinate Alot from behind. The assassin soon found Alot's magical armor impenetrable. 

Alot, would had no problems fighting underwater, engaged his two opponents while Craig, wearing a magical helmet that allowed him to breathe normally underwater, fought valiantly against his lone foe. Aella, standing in the doorway, would pepper the  opponents with small attack spells as she could. 

Alot and Craig soon dispatched the two translucent enemies. The human assassin surrendered and begged for mercy!

The assassin said his name was Harid and that he was sent by his dark lord, the Whisperer in the Dark, Servant of Tharizdun, to spy on Dory. His dark lord lacked confidence in Dory and that he was sent to kill Dory if he proved incompetent or disloyal. Harid was willing to sell out the city council if they allowed him to leave. 

He told them that Dory was in the aft cabin packing up. Dory knew about the investigation and was panicking and preparing to leave the city. He told them that Dory was defended by some kind of automaton made of flesh and that he commanded special abilities granted by their dark lord, but he was no spell-caster in the traditional sense. 

Harid then made an attempt to flee past Cai'luin in the forward cabin. Cai'luin, who had not heard the conversation in the flooded hold, whispered a magical incantation and the assassin retreated back into the hold.

Alot swam up to the assassin and knocked him unconscious.

The crew then gathered together and prepared to  open the door to the aft cabin where Mister Dory was waiting.

To Be Continued...

The Corruption of Skyhorn Lighthouse - Ghosts of Saltmarsh, Chapter 56

 

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...