Session 162 - "Red Skies at Night"

General Summary

The Fellowship stumble upon a familiar face and finally make it to Illmarsh.  

 

Fireday, Gozran 29, 4711 AR

Expect cool temperatures with a high of 18. Partly cloudy this evening with a striking gibbous moon.  

Soddentimbers

6.31a

The first chuul still having the Unworthy Soul in its clutches, sinks its mandibles into him. Its tentacles also begin to constrict around him, but to no affect. It also misses with its claws, allowing the Soul to extract himself from it. The second chuul lashes out at X and bludgeons him with its claws, grabbing him in the process. Its tentacles wrap around him, but he is able to fight against the stinging venom seeping from them. It attempts another claw strike, but misses widely. With a word of power, X casts shield followed by enlarge. Neferu casts evolution surge on the Soul, who suddenly becomes huge in size. The chuul becomes off balanced and the Soul slashes a claw at it. Nyrrk surges forth and unleashes a torrent of magic missiles at the first chuul. Chunks of carapace and meat fly from it as each missile slams into it, eventually putting the foul beast down. Kelath lays hands on himself, raises his shield and evangelizes the last chuul, stupefying it.   The creature attempts to claw X, but the attack skitters off his shield. Likewise its poison and follow up attack are ineffective. X draws his large blade and runs it over its armored body, gouging its harden armored. Turning his massive bulk, the Soul reaches past X, grabs its head and twists violently. Unable to repress his rage, Nyrrk continues assaulting the creatures corpses until his influence passes   Neferu begins healing those in the group that require it. Kyrrn puzzles out that the chuuls, or chu'ulothis, were experimented on or created by aboliths. They are mostly associated with subterranean lakes and seas in the Darklands, though do journey to the surface occasionally. Chuuls are ambush predators that prefer prey that walk on land, preferably lizard folk. Intelligent, but become overcome by hunger and a desire to torture and they l to drag their prey to their underwater lairs.  

6.41a

Now recouped, the Fellowship sets off again.  

8.41a

At about two hours from Illmarsh, the land begins to change from forest to more land. Kelath and Velexander realize they do not know much about the underworld element in town, probably due to the Church of Gozreh there, the Recondite Order of the Indomitable Sea.  

9.41a

Kelath eventually finds a site suitable for setting up a camp for the day, the group planning to stay at the Bountiful Catch inn once in town. During X's watch, two large grey snails crawl over his boot as he attempt to use his dragonfire to light the swamp wood.  

12.21p

Kelath takes his watch. He becomes memorizes by dragonflies swooping around him, casting possibly a good omen. He is also sure to offer a prayer to Iomedae and to check on the horses.  

3.01p

Neferu and the Unworthy Soul take their watch next. Neferu reflects on having such a stalwart companion as the Soul. He is suddenly startled by a bubbling in the swamp mud, which passes quickly.  

5.41p

Kyrrn takes the final watch. She begins to hear a crackling sound in the distance, as if someone was stepping on some grass. It sounds to be coming from the south, maybe no more than fifty feet away. Looking that way, she sees a large white bird with long legs gingerly making its way, staring at the grass as it goes, possibly hunting for something. Looks to be possibly something like a blue heron, which is common to this area of Versex.  

10.01p

The rest of the party awakes and sets back out.  

The Lonely Quay

10.31p

The party emerges from the forest and begins traveling along the coast. The body of water is so large it looks to be an ocean. The path becomes easier to tread and they begin making even better time. An old stone pier begins to come into view and they hear some shouting out in the water. The creaking of the ship can be heard and the party can make it out through the water and the wind. Shouts for help reach their ears and a ship is racing towards the pier. X unfurls his wings and flies to the man, plucking him from the deck. Kyrrn also takes flight and uses her telekinetic haul to drop the anchor and turns the wheel of the ship so that it broadsides the pier instead of slamming into it. The old man appears flustered and taken aback, sputtering something about "Isinglass".   The old man jumps down on the ship and can make out large tarps covering something big. He pulls one up and goes under it, beginning to make reassured sounds. Kelath calls down to the man, attempting to calm him. His name is Horace Croon and he is very thankful for their help. He was worried about losing "his baby". He talks about being passionate about his experiments and is not afraid of what he has to do. He goes below, looking for something. Peeking beneath the tarp, Kyrrn sees a large circular piece of metal and glass that appears to have an aquatic nature. She exclaims, "Did you make a submarine?" Croon clarifies that it is a "subaqueous exploration and water research vessel". He comes up with glasses and whiskey. Neferu realizes that Croon is a genius inventor and had attended Professor Lorrimor's funeral. Croon recognizes him as well. Kyrrn begins questioning him about how it works and whether it does or not go under water. "Submarine," Nyrrk replies.   Kyrrn says that they might have use of such a device. Knowing that the Watcher in the Bay is somewhere nearby and recalling her vision at the Stairs of the Moon of fighting a dark young underwater, it's possible at some point they may need to dive the depths.   Neferu asks the inventor if he has a workshop and is able to persuade him to allow the Fellowship to help him. Kyrrn uses her aura sight to assess him. He is becoming increasingly friendly, but his physical health is suffering from some wasting sickness, possibly cancer. Croon says that he will show them how to help them with his ship, The Isin. The party decides that they will ride ahead to Croon's workshop with the horses and then teleport back to the ship. Kyrrn takes in the view of the dock in preparation.  

Soddentimbers

11.31p

The party starts back on the road.  

Starday, Gozran 30, 4711 AR

Illmarsh

1.31a

A few small lights in the distance appear and they enter into an area of the land where they can start to make out buildings off in the distance and where there appears to have been some attempt at agriculture. Areas of the swamp have been cleared out for crops, but the swamp is still ever present within the town. The main town square shows largish, two-story buildings with what appears to be a fisherman statue. The structures themselves are well built and well-kept with the square showing where carts are being set up for the festival. The neighborhood closer to the wharves is older and less taken care of and this is the location where Croon's home and a small barn reside in the northwestern part of town. The spacing between all the buildings is at least 20 feet or more. The back of his place backs up to the swamp, but offers some tree shelter and is not particularly thick. Kelath attends to the horses and makes sure they will be secure for the evening as Kyrrn takes in her surroundings. The group teleports back to the ship.  

6.01a

Croon wakes up the group and begins to make way to Illmarsh. He begins to set everyone up with duties and instruct them what to do. Kelath applies his deductive improvisation and takes to seafaring like a salty dog.  

7.01a

The party takes sail…