Into the Light
The rocks did not offer much cover as when we rounded the corner we were in the bullfrog dwelling. There were three bullfrogs of various sizes around a glowing pool. One of the bullfrogs had a staff. Wave was no where to be found but we heard some fighting on the other side of the cavern where the big bullfrog went.
The bullfrog with the staff started croaking and waving his arms and spikes appeared all around us. Pinroy tried to sweep them away and the other two bullfrogs attacked Ronyn and me. We saw
Oberon suddenly appear on a ledge above us and he hopped down making his way around the pool toward the magic making frog. As he skirted the edge a wide dog-faced clawed beast rose out of the water and tried to grab him. He dodged the claws.
Sister and I had our hands full attacking the two in front of us with our short swords. Wave came around the corner looking quite bloodied and headed toward us bring the big daddy bullfrog with him. He did a jab to the mage and an elbow to his eye as he past and the spikes disappeared. The mage turned and ran away, the spikes disappearing. Sister was able to stab the one in front of her and Pinroy turned and bit the frog in the leg crying out “I’ll save you my red-crested beauty.” The frog croaked once more and fell to Ronyn’s feet. I jammed my sword up the gullet and through the nostril of the other and it joined it's brethren in death.
The creature from the pool tried to grab the Wave, but he sidestepped it with a florish. It really was the first time I noticed how good looking Wave was, his lithe body easily dodging the claws. If we get out of this, I think we should ask him to join us on the road to earn a bit of coin. He would be a good addition to our act and his good looks will only attract more lugens. The big bullfrog was on Wave before he could move and sliced through his body with his claws and the beautiful water nymph fell in a puddle to the ground. Well, so much for that idea.
Oberon rushed to the other side of the cavern calling out an insult to the big daddy frog. “Your mother is a hamster and your father smells of elderberries.” Apparently that is an insult where he is from and the frog took offense and lumbered toward him.
Sister and I sent our crossbow bolts deep into his back as Pinroy rushed forward to heal the fallen Wave. Wave sat up groggily and downed two more potions. A smaller bullfrog jumped toward Ronyn and then the mage was back croaking out a new spell and I found myself tangled up in vines unable to move. Pinroy whacked them with his broom to no avail. Pinroy’s beloved Belindapoop kept us all safe with the empowered aura that radiated from Pinroy as he continued to attack the vines. I have come to realize without this simple lizard priest we would have all died or been captured a long time ago. This ragtag crew was become more than just slaves we escaped with, they were becoming friends…even the stubborn Oberon.
Oberian ran back toward the mage bring the big guy with him and apparently all this running around was making the frog mad as he slashed out catching Oberon who cried out to Pinroy he needed healing and the lizard man rushed forward pushing aside the mage as he squeezed between the frog and wall to get to his beloved “O-be-wan”.
Although the vines tightened around my waist, I still brought the crossbow up and shot the mage. The vines disappeared. Ronyn dispatched the frog in front of her and we rushed forward to protect Pinroy.
The semi-healed Wave launched himself at the big frog slicing him with his long sword. Sister and I attacked the mage who was barely standing, leaning heavily on his staff. Oberon’s blade gave the killing blow to the big guy who fell with a earth trembling thud and whirled and struck the mage from behind and he fell dead at our feet.
We heard more croaking behind us, and saw one frog disappear in the pool while the other launched itself out the cavern entrance and back into the sewer river. We also heard the dragonborn guards staring down into the cavern. We knew they couldn’t see us yet, but then that damn Kobold turned at us and started shouting that the escaped prisoners were on the other side if the cavern. His betrayal was cut off in midsentence as one of the dragonborn silenced him…good riddance.
Oberon picked up the staff from the mage and handed it to Pinroy who shook his head, “I have my broom.” Oberon suggested we could turn the staff (staff of the Frog Mage) into a broom and Pinroy thought that would be a good idea.
As we rounded the corner we saw a boatful of goblins coming to the otherside and a larger green skinned creature with a club yelling at us from the other side. Wave jumped in the boat and easily dispatched two of the goblins and the others jumped overboard. We all piled in the boat and Sister and I took to the oars to get us moving before the dragonborn were on us. Wave jumped out to distract the big green guy as Oberon pelted him with a sling and Pinroy tried to help us by paddling with his broom…it wasn’t much help. He did let us know the river continued down and he could see a dim light ahead. The way out? Let’s hope.
While trying to avoid arrows, Sister and I pushed us off shore and into the sewer river. We don’t get far before Wave goes down with a heavy blow to his head. The green mooch grabs our boat and pulls us back in as the dragonborn start marching towards us. While Pinroy heals Wave and tries to pull him in the boat, Sister and I let our crossbow bolts fly striking the beast in the chest. Oberon jumps forward, trips on the lip of the boat and lands in the sewage. He manages to keep his footing and hits the green guy between the eyes and down he goes. He then tries to heroically jump back in the boat and lands back in the muck. This one…not as graceful as the monk…maybe he could pass the hat.
With Wave and Oberon pushing and us rowing we are able to finally get out of the cavern. We hear the dragonborn arguing if they should follow but Pinroy sends in a tremor rippling through the sewage and they all quickly decide the chase is over.
As we make our way into the tunnel we see the light that Pinroy described – it is bright as it filters through the tentacles of some huge beast blocking our way his gaping mouth showing off row after row of teeth. His tentacles seem to have rows of eyes in them. “Pull left” I yell to Ronyn as Wave dove into the water. “I’ll distract him,” he called. One of the tentacles grabbed Wave and he struggled to break the grasp. “Shoot him,” Oberon ordered as he climbed into the boat. We loaded our crossbows. Pinroy waved a dead rat and threw it into the tunnel away from us. “A nice juice rat,” he cooed. The creature apparently wanted a nice juicy Wave.
Wave broke free and Pinroy cause the water to churn behind the creature it turned toward the sound and we shot down the left side into a small chamber. We pulled the boat up on shore and while Pinroy tried to ask Belindapoop to heal us, Ronyn and I tried to find a possible hidden way out, but it was a dead end. Wave leaned against the wall his eyes closed, breathing hard. He had cuts and gashes all over his body, oozing the watery bluish blood of his kind. Oberon watched for the creature and it didn’t take long for the tentacle eyes to find us. We steeled ourself for one more battle.
Oberon attack head on and was caught up in a tentacle before we could blink. The creature brought Oberon toward his massive jaws as Oberon sliced helplessly at one of the thick tentacles. We open up with everything we have and finally Oberon breaks free. Before he gains his footing another tentacle snatchings him up and slams him heavily to the ground. He lays limp as the monster begins to pull him toward his maw.
“Ally-oop, Sister,” I say as I run toward her the healing potion in my hand. She launches me up and I grab the tentacle with my one arm and grab Oberon by the hair tilting his head back and get the potion down his throat. Oberon coughs himself awake and slays the beast with his swords.
We rest a bit, Sister and I keeping watch over our friends and then after an hour or so, Wave says he is feeling better and said “I’ll be right back,” and slips into the water. About 15 minutes later he comes back and says the dragonborn have set fire to the goblin stronghold and have staked tents, doesn’t look like they are coming after us. The gate to the outside has a key, all that he can see outside the gate is a river and a dragonborn fisherman. The corridor opposite us leads to the creatures lair where there are a lot of dead slaves. Wave had tried to pick the door but no luck. I said I had some green slime that the betrayer kobold told me would eat through metal. If I can’t pick it we could try that.
I can’t pick it, nor does the slime work. We look in our backpacks for something that will help but come up nada.
· My backpack: 50’ rope, pocket knife, large waterskin full of water, grappling hook, 2 days rations (from Pinroy)
· Wave’s backpack: empty labeled beer/ale bottle; manchette, flint/steel, flammable cloth, 2 days rations (from Pinroy)
· Pinroy’s backpack: pipe, tobacco (which he promptly lights with the help of Wave’s flint/steel); regular size empty water skin and a warm hat (which he puts on)
· Ronyn’s backpack: 500’ of rope; grappling hook; 10 spikes; tent; sleeping bag; 2 days rations (from Pinroy)
· Oberon’s backpack: empty. 2 days rations (from Pinroy)
We did find a note though from Ezak, the slave who Oberon worked with on the escape plan. “We made it this far out, but we don’t have the key. Undead necromancer took it. He must have put it in his office. We are going back and will try again in a few years.” We all decided we are NOT going back to the necromancer’s lair and that maybe the key is in the creatures lair…we can only hope.
Ronyn and I cut up two strips from the sleeping bag and use them to cover the bottom part of our faces and we had to the creatures lair. There is dim light above us and a rope dangling from the grate. Pinroy thinks this is the room where he gave last rights to dead slaves before they were unceremoniously dumped down the grate. Pinroy thinks that Fritz used the rope to come down this way.
There is a large debris pile in one corner and we find lots of coin, 562 gp; 32 sp; 5000 cp; a chest and a set of keys. I check for traps and can not find any. I look at the keys we found and open the chest. It seems to be the cest of Captain Sotac. Wave does not know the name. Inside we found:
· 1 pair of worn boots that Wave took a shine to
· 20 sp
· A spyglass (Wave)
· An eyepatch
· A key
· a handwritten Will from the Captain himself which states if we take this to the Salavatores Bank at 102 Sharpe Street in Ran Mould (none of us hear of the place) we can get his treasure of 5000 gp, 18 pp and 6 sp (the key we found may open up something in the bank)
· a deed to a ship called the Grimborn (Wave never heard of it)
o 200’/x30’
o Three mast
o No crew
o Docked for reservation for 15 years by the owner of will. If not claimed in this time it will go to unknown buyers.
Wave spared us going to dig through the bodies in the other chamber and came back with 52 gp; 500 cp; 1500 sp; and a rusty key still clasped in a bony fist. That looked like the key to the gate. We stuff everything in our backpacks and headed back to the gate. As we were leaving the room the water began to churn and the debris field shift and some familiar looking purple tentacles rose out of the sewers. We ran for the gate and the creature did not pursue.
We stand in front of the gate as Wave tries the key and the door creaks open. We step out in the sun and breath in the fresh air. Some of us haven’t smelled fresh air in years and in Pinroy’s case – decades. There is the sounds of a city all around us and the fisherman is about 100 yards away. We are in the shadow of the gate and we aren’t sure what to do next.