(January 27th & Feb. 2nd)
“Arrest them!” yells King Krog as Mama Zerk looks on. The divine spell casters prepare for a fight, but eventually, the party surrenders to Krog’s army.
The party sits shackled in cells until Malevictus returns and tells Knolan Alvaar Altimus to free the other party members to stop the impostors who replaced Krog & Zerk. Thanks to a simple yet effective distraction by Richard Chelton, the party is able to escape.
“Stop that Krog!” yells Krog, or at least Knolan described as Krog. Some firepower reveals the other impostors to be an Intellect Devourer and Astral Construct.
The impostors plow through the guards in an attempt to get to Klorphax in his magical prison. A crowded battle, with Krog’s guards attempting to get shots in, ensues in the hallway. The creatures are defeated before busting in, and the door is shut before the Great Wyrm decides to fry the hall…
Malevictus informs the party that they must rescue Krog. He has arranged transport to the last known spot of Krog and his bride: the resort island of Inn-is-mouth.
The party boards the ship captained by “Definitely Not a Pirate” Captain Cloudreaver, who reveals a piece of Ceridan De’Arunsel’s past. Getting close to the island, the ship is attacked by a ferocious Dragon Turtle. Using dragon-fighting weapons, a trained water elemental, and some shell-surfing skills, the beast is cut down.
The party investigates the island and the Merry Otter resort, run by Sahuagin and Kuo-Toa. Dulin and Zorgin pose as newlyweds and investigate the Honeymoon Suite to get a lead on Krog, while the rest investigate around. The caretakers of the island seem to live in one central structure. But the party decides to rest and recuperate after the savage Dragon Turtle attack.
In the middle of the night, Dulin and Zorgin are abducted by a Mind Flayer and powerful Sahuagin bodyguards. Dulin’s empathic link with her familiar enables her to signal trouble to Knolan. They leap into action, but are momentarily fooled by an Illithid illusion.
A lucky arrow shot nearly destroys the Mind Flayer, but he is able to teleport away before the killing blow can be delivered. A fight ensues with the psychic warrior Sahuagin, and the two “newlyweds” are rescued.
The next day, the party does a bit more investigating. They hear of “The Creator” who took the inhabitants of the island and combined them with aquatic creatures to survive, and told them to take care of the island (and left forever.)
Herb Silverleaf, used scroll salesmen, meets Knolan, and Knolan realizes that Herb’s memory has been tampered with. Strange doings are afoot! Resort-goers are being abducted bu the fish-men… but for what purpose?
Meanwhile, Zorgin has an “encounter” with Praxis Hillton, Dwarven Socialite.
Eventually, while the resort’s caretakers work on throwing a big bash at the waterfall, the group infiltrates the central compound. Knolan disguises himself as a Sahuagin, Richard Chelton goes invisible, and everyone else piles into a laundry cart.
In the basement, they come across dread happenings: abductees are being sacrificed so as to bring back The Creator into the world.
Battle ensues! But enough blood is spilled on the summoning circle to bring forth a creature from… somewhere else. A strange creature of tentacles and heads charges into the midst of the group, intent on spilling as much blood as possible.
It takes an all-out effort to defeat the Mind Flayer and the strange summoned creature. At last, the island and the prisoners are saved.
Epilogue
The creature shrieks an inhuman scream and contorts into nothingness, leaving only splattered demon blood as evidence it was ever there. The party works to free the prisoners and bring them above ground. On the way out, the party “liberates” some of the ill-gotten gains of the resort and makes their way to the rendezvous with Cloudreaver. An eerie calm has come over the island… the remaining Kuo-Toa and Sahuagin slink back into the deep. Whether they are finally free or just plotting revenge, you cannot be sure.
The coast is filled with the merchant ships that have made their living ferrying back and forth passengers to the resort island, and were horrified to discover that so many of the families they had carried had been separated thanks to the mind-altering talents of a horrid Illithid. The journey to reunite them won’t be easy, but for the captains, the joy of seeing forcefully-forgotten loved ones reunited will be thanks enough. You yourselves experience this when Herb Silverleaf has his wife and daughter returned to him.
You board Cloudreaver’s ship, and set sail back to Krogland. You continue to try to rouse Krog, who responds only with a slight gleam in his eye and grin. You are sure that with some time (and maybe a bit of magic) he’ll be fit to rule again.
The sun sets on the island of Inn-is-mouth and the tainted resort the Merry Otter. The threat has been stopped for now.
But under the island, a door has been opened, one not easily shut. The Creator gazes through at the world that banished him. The door is still too small for him to return, but in time, he will find his way back. When he does, he will exact vengeance… but on whom?
Comments