Session 38 - The Sinking Island
General Summary
Waterday - 5 Sunsebb - Noon
Earlier today, the
try-hard misfits slunk through the lowest level of this Sahuagin fortress. They fought a few skirmishes, but silent information gathering was their objective. Having mapped the lowest level, the group headed back to the chamber where twisted and bloody shark-like humanoids litter the floor from an earlier battle.
Ready to explore more of this sunken warren, Nar with a glowing pebble held in her mouth swims up the steep stairs. Upon reaching the summit, she sees a hallway that branches at the edge of her light some thirty feet away. The rest of the party follows along as Nar swims to the split heading west. Seeing a door to the south, the party heads there and Kyra slowly cracks the door where she peeks inside seeing roughly eight to twelve shell sharks swimming. Kyra immediately closes the door as she shares, "Nothing to see here. Let's keep heading west."
Passing through double doors at the end of the hallway, the party enters a vast chamber that's thirty feet wide and extends beyond sight. Columns stretch along the south wall while many long tables are set north of the columns. As the party stalks deeper into the banquet hall, they see a niche to along the south wall.
Approaching it, they see a large stone head sitting on the floor. Although battered and disfigured, the party easily identifies the lizardfolk face. Looking northward, the party sees an open doorway with a very large sahuagin sitting atop a throne while holding a trident. Next to him floats a female sahuagin holding a long staff topped with shark jaws and teeth. Before them stand three sahuagin with their backs toward the party. The party studies the scene for a moment as one of the sahuagin pleads before the throne, then the party silently heads back the way they came in.
Returning to the first junction, the party follows the hallway south, then west, then south, then east, before heading south again to the next junction. A door stands closed in front of the party while the hallway runs west beyond their meager darkened vision.
Still assessing the enemy forces, Kyra quietly cracks the door and hears the distinctive grunts and growls common to sahaugin speech. Peeking around the door, she silently steps forward a few feet before seeing roughly two dozen sahuagin donning armor inside the crowded barracks. She carefully ducks back, then gently closes the door urging the party down the hall.
Fearing a patrol, the party hurries to take the first juncture southward that then weaves back and forth before reaching a tee junction where they choose the south passage again and quickly enter a large empty room with double-wide stairs leading upward with hallways heading east and west.
Choosing the hallway to the east, the party follows it east, then south, then east again before arriving at another junction with the hallway continuing south and a door to the north. Opening the door, the party sees an empty thirty by forty foot room with dark green tiles and a seaweed bed in the northeast corner. Nar quickly picks a lone coffer where several harnesses, a locket, and a leather bag rest.
Following the passageway south, the party soon turns westward and then north before ending at a wooden door to the north. Quietly cracking the door, they get a glimpse thirty-odd sahuagin before closing the door and retracing their steps back to the room with the double-wide stairs. Then proceeding down the western passageway, the party turns south and pauses by a door leading west where they can hear raucous sounds from within.
Deciding to surprise the noisemakers, Jane busts through the door and sees four sahuagin wildly celebrating within the forty-by-thirty foot room. Recognizing priestesses and champions, the party immediately attacks surprising the celebrants. Jane, Karia, and Nar along with Kysh, Fysh, and Borgas quickly swim into melee and hack their opponents while Kyra commands her zombies to engage and Adlia chimes her bell for the dead. Mere moments pass before the sahuagin permanently rest on the floor.
As everyone searches the room a roving patrol enters from the hallway attacking on sight. The party trapped within the room engages the sahuagin and coral smasher
as they enter. For a moment, it looks like the patrol might overwhelm the group, but then Jane's axe cleaves open the champion and their moral breaks. As the waters ease, the party completes their search.
Leaving the room behind, the party closes the door and swim south then west before opening a door to the north. Looking upon another empty bedroom, Nar quickly picks the coffer and the party collects harnesses, bag, and silver mirror. They quickly continue along the corridor south, then east, then back north where they inch open a door. Peeking through, they recognize that it is the same room they saw in the eastern corridor with three dozen sauhagin inside. Closing it softly, the party follows the corridor back to the double-wide stairs and then north before turning west and then back north.
Reaching a long hallway, looking east, the party sees an alcove on the northern side. Approaching it, they see two large ornate double-doors. After inspecting them for traps, the party opens the doors as a weird chant washes over their ears. Repeating in that strange guttural language, three suaghin priestesses stand before an altar whose stone base is covered in carved shark eyes that stare outward in all directions. Then, suddenly, the party feels the water pulse against them as they sense movement above the priestesses. Slowly, their eyes drift upward revealing a humongous shark. With flick of its tail, the shark circles above the chanting priestesses.
Awestruck, the party stares. Then, a priestess reaches into the bag within her hands and toss a small round object upward. The shark twists back toward the party as two heads bicker over the offering. This impossible shark has bifurcated heads!
It is then that Adlia feels a divine presence filled with darkness wash over her and she whispers, "This shark should not and cannot exist. It must be imbued with the presence of the god Sekolah. We must stop this evil and destroy their idol."
Karia summons the energies within her as she whispers the arcane script to pass without a trace. The party creeps forward using the columns hiding their approach. Feeling the chant pass over them, the party shivers in fear, but then steel themselves as they position close to each of the priestesses. Jane swims toward the closest priestess cleaving across her body. The party braces for the counter attack, but the priestess keep chanting as the middle priestess lofts another egg toward the gaping maw above. Not waiting for understanding, Nar whips her rapier across the priestess killing her. Adlia shouts, "They're sinking the island!".
As the body settles downward, the giant shark above whips its tail and darts between each member of the party bashing them with its enormous mass. The two remaining priestess continue their guttural chant only breaking off when physically hit. The currents push at the party as the maw circles above, but the last of the priestesses fall as the shark instantly dashes past each person leaving cuts where the shark grazed them. The zombies swim upward, slamming against the maw while shark descends toward Jane, the jaw opening wide with teeth glittering like pearls. Steve, the zombie, ceases swimming and bombs down slamming into the broad back of the shark. Shockwaves reverberate through its body as Adlia slams her mace into the gills. Jane smashes her axe right into the avatar's nose while Karia and Nar snick their swords across its belly. Blood streams out of the Maw's body from dozens of cuts and then it collapses in on itself and disappears with two gold bands that drift slowly to the temple floor.
Rewards Granted
Experience Points:
Monsters:
1,508 xp/player
Quests:
The Shark God Sigil - The Maw of Sekolah: 500
Total xp/player = 2,008
Characters should be at 28,639 Experience Points.
Next Level - Level 8 at 34,000 xp
Treasure:
RM 21:
6 leather harnesses with gold buckles (10gp/ea)
1 leather bag with two cut rubies (100gp/ea)
1 Small Silver Mirror (25 gp)
RM 23:
1 Small leather pouch containing fine set of Thieves' tools with ivory handles (200 gp)
340 sp
1 Silver goblet with the insignia of Prince Monmurg (50 gp)
RM 22:
6 leather harnesses with silver buckles (5 gp/ea)
1 small gold locket on fine chain (50 gp)
1 Leather bag containing 25 gp
RM 37:
2 Pearl-and-Gold Bands from the Maw of Sekolah (125 gp/ea)
1 Key found around the neck of a preistess
Missions/Quests Completed
Quests Completed
Shark God Sigil
I think it's some shark god. Don't know much though.— Karyssa the Tipsy Tankard redheaded bartender
Related Reports
Session 37 - Skirmishes Against the Sahuagin
Session 39 - Escape the Sahuagin Fortress
Incomplete Quests:
Covert Infiltration
We want, correction, need you to infiltrate the fortress and completely explore it. Noting forticifications, routes, and layout of forces and we need this done secretly or the sahuagin will be aware and change their defenses.
The Smuggling Ring in Saltmarsh
I'm positive that there's a huge smuggling operation here in town and I'm convinced that someone on the council runs it.— Capt Eliander Fireborn
Smuggling Ring - Latest Lead
Many threads intertwine. Ah, but yes I see a leader that has smuggled across my domain. Many times this has occurred. Owing land. No that's not right, Oweland is the name within my view.— Osprem
Eda Oweland's Request
Fireborn has been acting weird for months now and I know he's hiding something from me.— Councilor Eda Oweland
Mina's Letter - the four Sigils
I saw three shields waver in front of the council. — Mina Raijin
The Lizardfolk War
War yes, but not with town. We battle Sahuagin who took our home.— Queen Othokent
Notes
Experience Points Calculation:
Experience points 9,400 total / 5 players = 1,508 xp/player
