September 23rd, 2019
Players
- Maardaar the Warlock (Matt)
- Morgana the Druid (Liz)
- Ender the Rogue (Steven)
- Kif the Ranger (Irving)
SHIPWRECKED
Our heroes watch the evil, wounded druid escape into the sea, and they also notice on the horizon a dinghy floating aimlessly with someone inside.
As they rush downstairs to investigate, Kif the Ranger fires his bow from the boat with his rope, and pulls himself in. They greet the newcomer, and ask for his assistance keeping the sharks away as Ender explores the wreckage of the other ships. Maardaar goes shark fishing with some magic bait.
They find the Wounded Lion – the merchant ship that Benji Frogwater the halfling was looking for. In it’s wreckage, Ender discovers a cold storage area below deck, full of now rotten food. In a locked case, he uncovers two scrolls of Ice Knife.
They also find the Jade Pearl – the ship that our dwarven friend Mary Horn was aboard before it too came up on the rocky shore. There is no sign of any survivors – no signs of bodies at all.
Dragging the dead bodies of the eelfolk out of the first level of the lighthouse, they fortify themselves inside to pass the night and rest. Morgana studies her trident, and the party also discovers a hidden grate in the floor, leading down below into a watery cavern.
THE CAVERN
The party manages to squeeze through the hidden grate to a sand bar in the middle of a flooded, dark cave. To the west they see the faintest hint of sunlight leading out of the cave, but to the east they see a dilapidated dock leading to dry land.
Sharks begins to circle the party, and they attempt to maneuver to the dock without getting injured.
Safe on land, they find a wooden door set into the stone wall of the cavern. Listening carefully, Maardaar translates the wet screeching of the eelfolk: they appear to be yelling at hostages.
FUCKIN’ EELS
The party decides to attempt to draw the eels out of the room and ambush them. Ender sneaks in successfully using the Cloak of Elvenkind and they see there are several of the eelfolk they met previously, but also a larger and more evolved eel guard brandishing a wicked javelin.
Their misdirection works, the eelfolk rush out of the room to investigate the sounds and everyone takes their opportunity attack on the surprised eelfolk as Kif wails away with his bow from a distance. One of the eels is so disoriented it runs to the dock, where a hungry shark takes a bite of it. Ender rushes out of his hiding spot inside the room, but is unable to attack the guard before he murders one of the hostages. Ender realizes this eel is much more dangerous, and takes heavy damage.
The element of surprise though quickly turns the tables in the parties favor, and the eelfolk hunter, seeing his compadres dead on the floor, realizes he is overmatched. Kif’s intimidation is successful, & Maardaar again translates: the eel’s master is in the next room “beginning the ritual”.
They search the room and find a store closet full of goods… some of them stamped with the logo of Barthen’s Provisions in Phandalin.
THE DRUID’S RITUAL
The party forces the eel ahead of them through the door, and again their misdirection gains them the element of surprise. As they enter the room they see ancient stairs leading up to a large drain pipe. The druid stands before an altar, with a bowl on the table before him. He takes out a vial of blood, and drops a few drops in. Sea water flows in from the pipe and drips into the bowl: magic green smoke begins to emanate from the bowl. The druid chants.
The two eelfolk hunter guards are attacked, and the druid hurries the ritual along. As the party slays the eel guards, their bodies explode with electric energy. Despite taking so much lightning damage, they are able to interrupt the druid’s concentration, and the smoke coming from the bowl stops. The ritual has been interrupted, and they take the wounded druid captive.