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Previously on Call from the Deep
Starring:
Gotwald Ironhorn, level 8 minotaur Rune Knight Fighter
Mac, level 8 tortle Drakewarden Ranger/Rogue
Savra Akkedis, level 8 lizardfolk School of Necromancy Wizard
Torrel, level 8 kenku Fathomless Warlock Pact of the Amulet/Fighter
Having infiltrated and fought their way through the warehouse, and the hanging ship, the party surrounds the defeated Councilor Dory.
As a high-ranking member of the Kraken Society, Mr. Dory is no longer human — but he certainly understands fear and intimidation.
He explains that Jaime was indeed the Lantern Ghost killer, but not wittingly. He had been enthralled by another, a recent arrival to the Styes, who claimed to be an emissary of the Fathomless.
A mind flayer named Druskis.
Druskis was on a holy mission: the Fathomless had given birth, and the Styes was to be its nursery.
But the child require sustenance. Sacrifice.
And so the killings began.
When Jaime was caught, Mr. Dory quickly had him executed to cover it up. But Druskis needed more death. The child wasn’t quite ready. Mr. Dory sent out his scions to capture another, but they fought back and had to be killed, explaining a far messier murder the day after the execution.
By the time the party speaks to Mr. Dory, he admits that they were finally successful in capturing another victim for Druskis.
For their part, the Kraken Society members would not be targeted by the killings, and when the child reached its full potential, they would reap the benefits. According to Druskis, anyway.
When the party ask about the child’s location, a terrible psychic pain lances throughout Mr. Dory’s body. Through clenched teeth he gasps out a cryptic phrase: “In the evening shadow of Frother’s Lamp.” Then, he dies, his disfigured body melting into the steaming water.
The party help themselves to some treasure, including pearls, spell scrolls, and a magic amulet that they immediately distrust.
Weakened and tired from their ordeals, the party stumbles out of the ship and warehouse and returns to Dr. Refrum for a long rest.
After catching him up on recent events (“You did WHAT to Councilor Dory!?”), Refrum explains that Frother’s Lamp is the name of the old abandoned lighthouse. Mac realizes that “evening’s shadow” references the position of the shadow cast by the sun, like a sundial.
The party enjoys a nice big brunch, then puts around the rundown harbor district until evening, when they make their way toward the lighthouse.
The shadow casts a particular spot in a deep canyon, where a bridge spans a canal leading to a sunken galley half-buried into a collapsing mess of buildings and apartments.
The Kraken Society temple?
Over a dozen people in non-matching robes bow their heads and mutter phrases on the ruined galley.
While the party deliberates, Savra pulls her hood up and waltzes among them, hissing if they look too close. The easily cowed newbies remark that she must be a higher ranking member to already be transformed!
Gotwald drinks his potion of gaseous form, while Mac uses his hat of disguise to appear as an incognito Mr. Dory.
Savra inspects the large doors leading into the building. They have no keyhole save for an indentation in the shape of a kraken symbol — just like Mr. Dory’s amulet.
As the party mingles, Savra slips the amulet into the slot. Arcane lines begin to etch outward, beginning to open the door. But a thunderous blast sends a shockwave that causes all the cultists to fall to the ground, writhing in pain.
The party can only watch in horror as their body’s begin to melt and congeal, forming two tentacle-humanoid creatures called skum. Roll for initiative!
Torrel evades their tentacles, but their mind-bending touch jolts him with psychic damage. He responds by casting banishment, failing the first time, but succeeding on his next turn, sending one of the skum to another plane.
The other bashes Savra, who throws up a shield spell before Mac can arrive to slice it up with his scimitar of speed.
Meanwhile the Gotwald-cloud is enjoying his misty life. Instead of joining the fight, he slips through the opening door into a dark, rotting hallway, and embiggens.
On the following round, he floats deeper into the hallway, beyond a dark curtain.
An alien voice suddenly cuts through everyone’s minds, speaking to them telepathically. It’s Druskis!
The mind flayer introduces himself as a loyal attendant of Zellix’Phor. The party’s reputation certainly proceeds them, as Druskis lists off their meddling in Gunderlun, Neverwinter, and the Sahuagin Stronghold. He also curses their association with their aboleth patron, who continues to protect Torrel, despite his connection to the Fathomless.
After banishing the skum, Torrel blasts the second through the doors with eldritch blast, and Mac follow up with another flurry of sword strikes. Mac and Savra enter the hallway as Gotwald floats through the curtain, seeing a larger temple room, and witnessing the well-dressed mind flayer for the first time.
An organic brain-bowl grows from the ground, holding a soup of pink slurry, while the latest thrall stands stock-straight, awaiting commands.
Though he’s a cloud, Druskis can sense Gotwald’s mind, and orders the thrall to draw his swords and attack.
Gotwald finally comes out of cloud form and punches Druskis, but he psychically deflects the blow, and it strike the thrall instead.
Druskis then follows-up by casting dominate monster on Gotwald, taking control the minotaur fighter.
To make matters worse, the hallway erupts from below as several large pincers tear out the floor boards! Mac nimbly dodges backwards, but Savra and Cheese fall a few feet into the dark waters below, where a pair of hulking lobster creatures (chuul) await!
MVPC – Gotwald
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