Session 24 - Up the Crabs (8-20-23)

Desnova 7, 1423. 

Keeping a lookout for the local mercenaries and soldiers, the PCs examine the waterway entrance into the Drench ward cellars beneath the merchants' building, and they finally manage to wrest the grate off. A guinea pig is sent ahead to hold his breath, tied to rope and find a way through the first few flooded rooms, some of which are choked with wet cloths that make it difficult to see. Eventually the rest of the party swims in, finding little of interest in the first few areas but a stairway that leads to a dry chamber that is a combination of family tomb and vault. The sepulchers in the room are empty, but they find a child's wooden shashka sword that appears to be stained in blood, with the names 'Ratko', 'Perun' and 'Dobroslav' carved into its side. Using a combination of wit and sorcery, they manage to break open the vault and find some wealth stored away in several chests.

Heading south, they find some sunken, obscure shrine with a hideous statue, but the area is not unoccupied, and a combat ensues with a couple chitinous, tentacled shellfish abominations and some sort of slime that messes with their minds. The PCs emerge victorious, but not before several are brought to within and inch of their life, including little Nebol'shoy who is nearly pincered to death. Other than these adversaries, the room yields little of interest other than a fishing knife which radiates magical enhancement. They circle back around and swim to a chamber with some large flat stone surfaces which turn out to be vaults, and in one of them they find a unique object that seems to change shape to hide itself with its wearer.

Nearby is a submerged wine cellar and storage closet, in which they discover some curious bottles, objects and recipes that they take along with them, including a bottle of continual flame. Beyond this area they find what might have been the occupants of the sarcophagi from earlier, a number of aquatic ghouls that paralyze with a touch. Despite this dangerous ability, the party makes rather quick work of them and then ends up in a smuggler's lair with a pile of old stores and some more chests. Rucia struggles with one of the chests, and a trap is sprung from another, but they find more riches inside, a scroll, a potion, and some gems. They travel back through the flooded winery to find a dry, natural cavern area, quite large, which ends at a single red door! Still no sign of Captain Condor...

PCs: Aldren, Bjork, Nebol'shoy, Rucia