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Previously on Call from the Deep
Starring:
Gotwald Ironhorn, level 7 minotaur Rune Knight Fighter
Mac, level 7 tortle Drakewarden Ranger
Savra Akkedis, level 7 lizardfolk School of Necromancy Wizard
Torrel, level 7 kenku Fathomless Warlock Pact of the Amulet/Fighter
With the full party reunited, Mac and Savra tell the others about their newly “acquired” tower base, and help themselves to some loot the gangster left behind, including several hundred gold worth of gems, some potions, and a chime of opening. Not to mention Savra’s cube of force!
With their tasks around Neverwinter complete (and a level up to 7!), it’s time to tackle another major quest.
Sea King Tentrix’s lair is in Nelanther Isles, but that’s super far to the South.
The aboleth mentioned a mind flayer in a city in Orlumbor near the Sword Coast, also pretty far south.
That leaves the Sahuagin Stronghold.
The party speaks with their triton ally, Harley Finn, whom they had rescued when they attacked the Sea Ghost many sessions ago.
Harley fully recalls her story: she and her partner Kysh was sent by Gillian, a triton leader, to scout the recent sahuagin activity.
They tracked the main sahuagin force to Red Rocks, a series of tiny isles and rocks off the coast near the Mere of Dead Men swamp.
They witnessed a large army attack and conquer a lizardfolk lair in one of the islands, forcing the survivors to flee onto the mainland. Kysh was captured, but Harley was able to escape. At least until she was then captured by the crew of the Sea Ghost before meeting the party.
She suggests visiting the nearby castle of Thornhold to get some updated intel on the sahuagin.
With their freshly repaired ship, the party departs the city of Neverwinter.
Thankfully the route south is directly along the coast, a heavily trafficked, relatively safe shipping lane.
Gotwald notes the oddity of not seeing a single ship while they travel, however. Though happy to be back on the water, Torrel continues to feel anxious and uneasy about his connection to the Fathomless after what the aboleth said. He also still feels the aboleth in his mind, protecting him from the corruption that has overtaken his patron.
After four days of weirdly uneventful travel, the party nears their destination when they spot debris, shattered planks, and a few dead bodies floating in the water.
They slow to investigate, but the entire ship lurches, and half a dozen sahuagin pull themselves over the railing to attack!
The sahuagin strike force is organized and deadly, striking down their poor cleric-in-training ally Shandri, and critically wounding Savra.
Savra tries to cast a fear spell, but all three targets make the save, and she receives another critical hit that blasts through her shield spell.
Torrel has better luck, nailing three critical hits in a row on his tentacle arm, taking down a sahuagin and wounding their champion leader. But over the other side of the ship he spots several sahuagin in the water, striking at the ship with chitinous fists, trying to break through.
Surprising everyone, Torrel responds by leaping off the ship, landing in the water beside them. He uses his new Oceanic Soul feature to converse with the sahuagin, telling them to back off. He’s not threatening, however. He implores them as a fellow disciple of the Fathomless.
The conversation stymies the sahuagin in the water, and even the nearby shark gives Torrel a wide berth.
Harley is left on the deck facing the boss, and she takes several vicious blows, forcing her to retreat and dive into the water with Torrel. The irony when it’s safer in the water than on the ship!
The champion responds by cutting down poor Savra just as Mac reaches her.
Meanwhile Gotwald has two sahuagin wrapped up in various wrestling moves, grabbing, pinning, and punching. They get in several strikes, but he shrugs them off.
Mac launches a flurry of sword strikes at the Champion, and the leader is finally forced to retreat by leaping back into the water.
With more assertive prodding from Torrel, the sahuagin coral smashers finally break off their ship-breaking and fall back, worriedly needing to consult with their leaders about this renegade Fathomless follower.
Mac leaps into the water to chase down the retreating champion. He’s not blood thirsty or angry, but doesn’t want him to warn his superiors (Mac is unaware of the coral smashers already retreating). He swiftly kills the champion, and leaves his body for the shark.
Gotwald cleans up the final sahuagin on the ship, and Mac returns to heal Savra with his new cure wounds spell, as they haul Torrel and Harley back onto the ship.
In the distance, they spot more sahuagin heading this way. The party quickly steers the ship toward the coastal fortress of Thornhold.
The beach and docks are completely devoid of activity, and some of the piers have been badly damaged. but, no sahuagin, and their pursuers do not follow them that close to the mainland.
They spot people on the castle walls who watch them warily — also not sahuagin, so that’s good!
Harley remains on the ship as the party says a few words for the slain Shandri. Then, Savra raises her and a sahuagin as zombies.
Read your employee handbooks, people!
The wounded party trudges up a road toward the castle. The gates are guarded but open. Through the gates they spot a standard castle layout with stables, smithy, and a large open area for caravans.
A banner dominates the keep depicting Thornhold as the ancestral home of famous adventurer Miri Greycastle.
MVPC – Torrel
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