Baron Mhelkar’s court wizard, Kolas, sits comfortably on a soft couch in a large chamber. Several baronial guards stand at his side. He takes a drink from his fine goblet, sits up and addresses the adventurers in front of him. “Ah, my friends welcome back to my humble office.”
Kolas continues, “Coral, the sahuagin girl, knows of a lizardfolk base. It is an old sahuagin burial ground and temple complex. She says there is magical treasure there. If the lizardfolk find the treasure, they could become a greater threat. I want you to search this facility, eliminate any hostile creatures and bring back the treasure for the Baron. For your help, the Baron will split the loot with you. Coral has agreed to guide you to the location but she won’t enter it. It is sacred ground and taboo for her people to enter without a proper religious escort.”
Chalándril approaches, “Dost thou think it is wise for us to continue the desecration?”
“Lady Chalándril, it only matters that you do as you are told. Tactically, it is advantageous to us. If you are successful, it will be a blow to the lizardfolk and help diplomatically with the sahuagin. The Baron hopes to forge an alliance with the sahuagin to defend against the lizardfolk incursion. Chances are the lizardfolk will assume the sahuagin attempted to regain their graveyard and strike back at them. On the outside chance that the lizards trace the attack to you, it will create a two-front war between us and the sahuagin. Chances are the lizards don’t want that.”
Gûltar interrupts, “Kolas, if thou wants us to go kill things just point the way. I don’t need any thinker-talk to add confusion to a clear objective.” Chalándril glares at the dwarf with a frown and wrinkled nose.
“Please, borrow the magical water-breathing helms. They will be provided at the Quartermaster’s building. Good luck.”
Bandric whispers to Gûltar, “Shouldn’t we ask more questions about the mission?”
“Have any questions Bandric?”
“Er, no. I can’t think of any right now. I’m just saying that someone might have a good question to ask.” Bandric adds.
“Meh” scoffs Gûltar.
-
The Baron provided a much larger boat and two oarsmen to the Dungeon Knights. After rowing out to the approximate location recommended by Coral, the oarsmen steady the craft while the heroes get ready. The heroes dive into the sea with their underwater gear and spears. Merimonwë has a light spell on her staff providing visibility in the dark waters. They don’t swim far before a very large bony fish arrives to investigate the unusual light.
Bandric taps Merimonwë on the shoulder to point out the incoming fish. She in turns taps Gûltar and points. As the fish approaches, they all realize that it is very large, perhaps the size of a shark. It also doesn’t appear to be very timid, swimming quickly towards Kotyka who is out in back away from the main clump. The fish’s large teeth appear as the fish opens its mouth. In a flash, the fish bites Kotyka’s arm. Blood cloud streams away as the fish begins to flee with its victim.
Before the fish can swim out of reach, Bandric reacts by swimming towards the fish and spearing its side. Kotyka, not enjoying her situation as a morsel of food, pulls out her dagger and begins madly stabbing the fish in the face. The bony fish stops swimming away and turns to face its opponent. Seeing more than one opponent in aggressive postures it darts below the clump of heroes. Little Gûltar with his little limbs swims slower than the others and finds himself lagging behind. A point not missed by the large bony fish, which opens its jaws wide and approaches Gûltar.
“Ah fek”, shouts Gûltar in his underwater helmet. The dwarf barely has time to set his spear for the incoming fish. Gûltar shoves the spear tip deep into the mouth of the fish. A cloud of blood billows out of the open jaw as the lifeless fish floats down to the sea floor with a trail of blood.
“I am not fish food, thou water-soaked varmint!”
-
The Dungeon Knights continue swimming deeper following the directions provided by their fish-woman informant. The six heroes arrive at an organically shaped large coral and stone structure. One large hole in the building appears to be an entrance and shines with a phosphorous green glow. Several other holes along the structure look like windows or alternate entrances. Large schools of fish swim by in random directions as the team decides what to do.
Bandric says, “Perhaps the glowing entrance will work better. We won’t have to rely on Merimonwë’s staff to see.”
Tolok adds, “Besides, we have a limited amount of time on these breathing items. Let us not tarry with decision making and act swiftly.”
The others nod. They arrive in a small glowing chamber caused by light emitting fungi. The chamber is an egg-shaped hollow with tubular passages leading out in various directions. The walls and floors (if there is a difference in the cylinder passageway) are rough coral and jagged, natural stone. Carefully, the Dungeon Knights swim through one of the coral-encrusted passage tunnels.
A distance away, a lone sahuagin treads water. Coral the fish woman looks at the heroes entering the complex. Then she swims away.
Inside the building, the Dungeon Knights explore the passage tunnels and rooms. Inside the various water-filled rooms are seaweed wrapped bodies of dead sahuagin. The bodies are anchored onto the floor. The bodies are in various stages of decay and water bloat. Tiny fish nibble at the decomposing bodies.
In two of the rooms, the heroes discover zombie and animated skeletons of sahuagin. The combats prove difficult since the Dungeon Knights are all swimming and these particular forms of undead are vulnerable to slashing and bashing weapons. In the water, piercing weapons work best. In the end, the heroes are able to continue their exploration of the tomb complex.
The green glowing fungi and coral are increasingly peppered with a yellow fungus that emits bubbles instead of light. Bandric decides to follow the bubbles in the ascending passage. A bit further, the amount of strange yellow fungi and bubbles increases until they emerge from the water into an air-filled chamber. This chamber is much darker due to the sparse distribution of glowing fungi.
Bandric takes off his helmet and breathes deeply. His nose crinkles. “It is breathable air, stinky air, but breathable.”
The others follow his lead. They cover their noses too. Gûltar sputters, “It’ll take weeks for me to get this smell out of my beard.”
Tolok notices the fungus on the wall. “I believe this is aerfungi. It produces a smelly yet breathable form of air. Perhaps this is why the sahuagin do not come in this chamber to entomb their dead. The air in this tunnel makes it difficult for them to remain for long periods of time.”
Merimonwë asks, “Shouldn’t we leave the helmets on in case something happens suddenly and we’re flooded with water or worse.”
“I’m just glad I can walk instead of swimming. My feet like being on firm ground.” Gûltar says. “We’ll deal with the emergencies when they actually happen.”
Chalándril responds, “Let’s keep the helmets off for a bit, but keep them ready. If circumstances change, we may decide to put them on later. Let’s start searching around for those magical items and weapons Coral mentioned. We wouldn’t want to disappoint the Baron.”
The Dungeon Knights search the chamber for several minutes. Chalándril summons them all together. “Alright, what have we found so far both here and from the burial rooms?”
Kotyka opens the bag and says, “There are carved coral statues, a weird idol, and shell crafts all over the place, beaded necklaces, bone weapons, and not much else. I wish they made gold and silver coins. I’d even settle for copper at this point.”
“Thou needest fire to forge those things. I don’t think they make anything with fire down here under the water.” offers Gûltar.
Bandric tosses a sahuagin skull back into the room as the others continue down the corridor. The tunnel approaches an opening filled with strange floating lights. The party makes their way through the tunnel to find a strange resident, the deep-spawn sea hag. Her eyes are large and bulbous. Her head is oval shaped with moist green skin. The hag’s body is adorned with bones, shells, and coral trinkets.
Bandric wonders aloud, “Is that a frog lady?”
“So you’ve invaded Bwalap’s home have you?”
Merimonwë asks, “We did not know this was thy home. We thought it was a lizardfolk lair.”
Bwalap replies, “And a sahaugin graveyard before that.”
“I am Merimonwë. What is thy name, madam?”
“I am called Bwalap.”
Merimonwë and Chalándril look around the chamber’s ceiling. Hanging from large, wicked hooks are rotting remains of mostly lizardfolk and a few sahuagin. Over in the corner, a small hearth fire burns on embers. Several piles of fleshy bones lie in a pile. Chalándril turns to Bwalap, “It seems thou enjoyest eating the lizardfolk and sahuagin. I take it that thou hast cleared out most of this graveyard thyself.”
“Clever thou art elf maid. Bwalap enjoys the fishy flesh of those creatures. The question is does Bwalap enjoy the flesh of elves and elfkin?”
Tolok gulps audibly. Bwalap continues, “Why are you here disturbing my home? Why shouldn’t I just kill you like the others?”
Merimonwë says, “We seek weapons to fight the lizardfolk and sahuagin.”
“Ha, neither is your true enemy. It is the monstrous Supreme One you should truly seek. A weapon against it you should find. Not for the trifling scaly ones. Its ambitions pale in comparison with the fishy men or you elfkin. It seeks the Stone. The Stone it may already have. Dangerous and powerful is the Stone. But now it is time you serve me. You shall be my defense against this Supreme One’s special power.”
Bwalap gives the evil eye to Merimonwë and bewitches her. “Stay there, my pretty. Old Bwalap doesn’t need thy magic whilst I deal with thy nasty friends.”
Merimonwë is dazed, standing there staring off at the side of the wall. Bandric shouts, “Damn, don’t mess with our elf, sea hag! Attack!”
Tolok replies, “I’m already on it.” Summoned badgers appear behind the sea hag. They attack with savage bites, gnashing at the frog lady’s flesh and robes.
She casts an unusual spell causing a swarm of amphibious worm fish to appear among the badgers. They begin to devour the poor creatures by boring into the flesh and eating the insides first. In seconds, the deflated, lifeless husks of the badgers fall to the floor.
Tolok is shocked at the sight of the desiccated bodies of his summoned creatures. They vanish into the ether. “Gods!”
Bandric shoots arrows at the hag while Gûltar charges. The sea hag Bwalap gives Gûltar the evil eye but he resists her vile magic. Gûltar cuts into her with his mighty ax.
Gûltar shouts, “Thou wilt have to do better than that!”
Chalándril says, “Wait, we should spare her life. She is a potential ally. She knows who is behind the lizardfolk rise.”
“Going soft on Old Bwalap, eh Half-blood? No matter, I tire of your company.” Bwalap snaps her finger and turns into a pile of ooze. The ooze vaporizes into air and vanishes.
Bandric says, “It’s too late now. Besides she attacked us first...right?”
“What do we do with Merimonwë? She was bewitched by the hag and won’t snap out of her daze.”
Chalándril steps forward, “Let me break the hag’s curse with help from the Goddess.” The half-elf begins her spell. Merimonwë shakes off the evil eye’s effects and breathes a sigh of relief.
Kotyka walks over to Chalándril. “I was searching through her stuff. Look what we have here.” She pulls out a magical blade. “It has runes and everything. It definitely seems magical.”
Tolok looks it over. “The runes call the blade Mindsplinter. It seems to work with or protect against mind magic. I am not sure which at this time. This could be very useful in future combats with those blue lizardfolk.”
-
Donning their magical helmets the six adventurers reverse their path back into the flooded regions of the tomb. Then the Dungeon Knights towards the underwater exit and out of the tomb. A squad of armed sahuagin swims over the seafloor hill. Leading the assault squad is a familiar face, Coral.
“Since you’re alive, I assume you dealt with the sea hag. Thank you for clearing out that menace and the remaining lizardfolk from our tribal tomb. For your efforts, I grant you safe passage this once through our domain. The next time I see you, I will be forced to slay you, surface-dwellers.”
Merimonwë asks, her voice muffled by the magic helmet, “How can thou betray us after we helped thee?”
“Betrayal? I am loyal to our elders and follow their commands. You were my mission, using surface dwellers to combat the lizard tribe, to regain our ancestral tomb, and to evict the sea hag. We have no need of your services. You are now expendable.”
Coral’s mind begins to throb as sling spears impale her bodyguard’s chest.
Coral screams, “Ugh! The pain…is unbearable!”
Lizardfolk gilled leader yells, “Vi mortigis niajn gevirojn. Vi kaj via sorcerino mortos je ĉi tago. Do ordonas la Supremo Uno!” The sahuagin and lizardfolk charge each other.
The sahuagin ready their coral and bone spiked spears. The two forces swim-charge into each other. Clouds of blood appear all over the battlefield. Little fishes swim by to eat the fresh chum in the water. The muffled sounds of weapons hitting each other create a cacophony amidst the melee chaos.
Tolok raises his finger and speaks. “By my calculations, our magical breathing helms will cease to function shortly. My advice is we seek the surface and our ship while these two forces are distracted.”
Chalándril says, “Agreed. Let’s move out, team.”
In the distance, Bandric sees several sharks circling towards the combat.
-
The bottom of the boat is in sight along with the anchor chain. Gûltar swims down to get the anchor and finds it locked into the coral. He takes out his ax and chops at the coral until the anchor is free. He swims up to the surface. A wet Gûltar holds onto the side of the boat.
Gûltar announces, “The anchor was sabotaged. I fixed it, we can leave now.” The others help him into the boat. One of the oarsmen offers the Knights dry towels and resumes his position on the oar. With rhythmic strokes, the boat glides back to the safety of the fishing village’s harbor.
-
In the shadows of the half-submerged cavern, the deep-spawn aboleth speaks telepathically to his minions. This most unusual creature is very large and vaguely fish shaped. Its tentacle arms writhe back and forth on the rocks and in the pools of water beneath it. Its long, vertical shaped eyes—all three—stare emotionlessly at the obedient lizardfolk. Large slightly opaque pods with lizardfolk bodies encased in a fluid bubble in the background. A bas-relief of a cephalopod-headed being stands menacingly behind the tentacle aboleth.
“By thy command Supreme One.” The lizardfolk minions bow and scurry off to obey its commands.
A strange creature phases into existence. Its bloodshot eyes ooze a strange liquid. Oddly placed pseudo-pods undulate along its body. Sounding like whistles and clicks, the creature speaks. “How goes thy project?”
The Supreme One answers in its bubbly, baritone voice, “On schedule Emissary, stone is mine.”
“Excellent m’lord. Our leader will be pleased.”
“Require more incubating vats. Specimen numbers diminished by unforeseen irritation.”
The Emissary spews out strange sounds. “Unfortunate. The vats will be provided, as thou command.”
The unnatural creature phases out of existence. A lizardfolk brute drags a sahuagin prisoner to the Supreme One. The brute throws the sahuagin down onto the ground. Its horizontal eyes scan the sahuagin. The sahuagin called Coral gets up and begins to flee. Her eyes roll back and she becomes motionless. The aboleth’s tentacles slither out of the dank pool and surround the Coral’s bleeding body. Slowly her body is dragged towards the Supreme One. She is eaten quickly by the terrible beast. Fresh blood fills the foul puddles under the aboleth.
The Supreme One looks at the brute. “Bring more. I hunger.”
What are the mysterious plans of the Supreme One? Who is the Emissary? Find out next issue, maybe.
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Location: Under the sea
Dungeon Knight Roster:
Bandric (Human Ranger 7)
Chalándril (Half-human Cleric 7)
Gûltar (Dwarf Fighter 7)
Kotyka (Half-orc Rogue 7)
Merimonwë (Elf Sorcerer 7)
Tolok (Gnome Wizard/Conjurist 7)
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“At least we know why they don’t cremate their dead. They live underwater.” – Bandric
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