Olgar Shiverstone
Legend
Critic.
How do you know the errors aren't intentional?
How do you know the errors aren't intentional?
The Adventures of Olgar Shiverstone (Angelsboi: In memorium)
Olgar Shiverstone
Legend
Only this time it will probably be more like: "Four guys wandering about without their wizard".
Olgar Shiverstone
Legend
Chapter 5 – A Trip to the Seashore
After a couple of days of rest and relaxation, the party decided it was time to start earning their pay again, and took another look at the Lit Lantern’s help wanted board. One notice looked promising – a town on the ocean was having trouble with lizardfolk, and wanted some adventurers to come and put an end to them.
“I’m no fan o’ th’ ocean,” Olgar growled, “but iff’n it’s a stand up fight, ‘n not a bloody bug hunt, I’m in.”
“It’ll be fun!” Belarn enthused, “Fresh sea air, good seafood ..”
“Enough already, I’m in,” Olgar said, rolling his eyes.
Nelum elected to remain behind to do some spell research at the Temple of Obi. The remaining four – Olgar, Wodyn, Belarn, and Strithe – prepared their mounts and headed east to the coast, to the fishing village of Coral.
Several days passed uneventfully, until late one day, as they could finally smell the tang in the sea air, Olgar spotted a pack of hunting cats on the trail ahead, a couple hundred feet away.
“Cats …” Olgar warned, “Nine … no, six o’ ‘em. Look hungry, they do!” He started casting some preparatory spells as the cats advanced.
The lead creatures – krenshars – flapped the skin on their foreheads back and gave a withering howl, exposing their skull-like faces. Olgar just shrugged. Belarn ducked behind Wodyn’s legs, but only for a moment, as Wodyn and Strithe suddenly bolted and ran back down the trail the way they had come.
“Bloody cowards,” Olgar mumbled. “Alright, runt. ‘Tis time ye proved ye can fight. Hold up yer end ‘n we’ll all be fine.”
The cats were about sixty feet away and closing fast. A badger shimmered into existence, called by Olgar’s prayers to Kraig to come and fight on his behalf. The creature charged three of the cats, nipping one of them before two of the cat creatures gutted the poor beast.
“Poor Spot … tha’ was a waste,” Olgar said to himself, and tossed off a spiritual weapon. The glowing greatsword materialized in front of one of the cats and immediately began taking chunks out of the beast. Olgar worked another spell, increasing his strength, then drew Stonecleaver and charged.
Belarn meanwhile had fired off a few arrows to good effect, but found himself surrounded by the cats. Olgar came up on the opposite side of one of the creatures, skewering it with his sword, and Belarn finished the creatue up with a few well-placed thrusts to the kidneys. Belarn then tumbled out of the way of the two other cats closing in on him, and he and Olgar set up the same flanking maneuver on the next creature, making short work of it.
Only one cat remained when Wodyn and Strithe, regaining their composure, returned to the fray.
“Saved one for ye!” Olgar called, and Wodyn finished the last cat off with a well-placed blow from his greataxe. “Th’ runt proved ‘e can fight, fin’ly. “Bout time ‘e started usin’ tha’ tumblin’ ‘n backstabbin’ stuff!”
Wodyn just shrugged, and the four picked up their gear and continued. It was just getting dark when they reached the coast and a small, ramshackle collection of crude huts that claimed to be the village of Coral.
Accosting the nearest villager, Olgar inquired about locating the town’s fearless leader.
“Cap’n Luscious ‘ll be over at the tavern on the cliff,” came the answer. Olgar guffawed, and all four shared a tremendous laugh.
“Cap’n Luscious? I’ll bet ‘e’s a sight!”
Olgar recovered his composure, and they proceeded to the tavern. The dwarf stumped right up to the barkeep.
“Yer best ale, a meal, and point out this Cap’n Luscious t’ me, iff’n ye please,” he said to the man.
The barkeep pointed toward a well-dressed man sitting at a table in the corner. He poured off some ale, and handed Olgar a bowl of the worst rancid fish stew he had ever tasted.
“Blagh!” Olgar coughed, spewing fish stew all over the bar, “Ye can take that back! Wahat’re ye tryin’ t’ do, poison me?” He flipped the bowl over and dumped its contents out on the bar, and went to Cap’n Luscious’ table. Strithe and Belarn followed; Wodyn grabbed his cooking spices and invaded the tavern’s kitchen to prepare something fit to eat.
“Name’s Olgar Shiverstone,” Olgar introduced himself. “We ‘ear ye got yerself a lizard problem, ‘n we’re here t’ put a stop t’ it. Fer a fee, o’course.”
Cap’n Luscious looked Olgar up and down suspiciously, then shrugged and motioned to the dwarf to sit.
“Yes, we’ve had problems with lizard and fish creatures here,” he explained. “Several times they have attacked the docks, stealing the catch, and harming good citizens. The fishing has fallen off, and the town is beginning to feel the impact.”
Olgar questioned the man for a while further. It seemed there were at least three different types of creatures – some sort of fish-men or lizard-men, Cap’n Luscious’ descriptions weren’t very clear. They were never seen together, but attacked out of the fog and the sea at night. Their targets were always the docks. The merchant wasn’t sure where they came from, though he described a half-sunken lighthouse just off the coast that no one had investigated lately. There were also some caves in the cliffs below this very building – but again, no one had investigated them in a good long while.
“My daughter could tell you a bit more,” Cap’n Luscious offered, “if you can pull her away from her books and her singing.”
“Thanks, no, we’ll be fine ourselves,” Olgar replied. “Now as to a suitable reward …” They settled on 3750 gold, and free rooms – Olgar passed on the board – for the duration of their stay, provided they found the fish/lizard people and put a stop to them.
They concluded their dealings, and the party stepped outside to have a look around. It was dark, but the fog had not yet closed in. A light breeze blew in from off shore. Olgar leaned over to Strithe.
“Me thinks we ought t’ stake out th’ docks from up ‘ere on th’ cliff fer a couple o’ hours, ‘n see what we see,” Olgar suggested. “We kin check the caves in the morning’. Ye ain’t getting me in a boat unless tha’s the last place we ‘ave t’ look!”
After a couple of days of rest and relaxation, the party decided it was time to start earning their pay again, and took another look at the Lit Lantern’s help wanted board. One notice looked promising – a town on the ocean was having trouble with lizardfolk, and wanted some adventurers to come and put an end to them.
“I’m no fan o’ th’ ocean,” Olgar growled, “but iff’n it’s a stand up fight, ‘n not a bloody bug hunt, I’m in.”
“It’ll be fun!” Belarn enthused, “Fresh sea air, good seafood ..”
“Enough already, I’m in,” Olgar said, rolling his eyes.
Nelum elected to remain behind to do some spell research at the Temple of Obi. The remaining four – Olgar, Wodyn, Belarn, and Strithe – prepared their mounts and headed east to the coast, to the fishing village of Coral.
Several days passed uneventfully, until late one day, as they could finally smell the tang in the sea air, Olgar spotted a pack of hunting cats on the trail ahead, a couple hundred feet away.
“Cats …” Olgar warned, “Nine … no, six o’ ‘em. Look hungry, they do!” He started casting some preparatory spells as the cats advanced.
The lead creatures – krenshars – flapped the skin on their foreheads back and gave a withering howl, exposing their skull-like faces. Olgar just shrugged. Belarn ducked behind Wodyn’s legs, but only for a moment, as Wodyn and Strithe suddenly bolted and ran back down the trail the way they had come.
“Bloody cowards,” Olgar mumbled. “Alright, runt. ‘Tis time ye proved ye can fight. Hold up yer end ‘n we’ll all be fine.”
The cats were about sixty feet away and closing fast. A badger shimmered into existence, called by Olgar’s prayers to Kraig to come and fight on his behalf. The creature charged three of the cats, nipping one of them before two of the cat creatures gutted the poor beast.
“Poor Spot … tha’ was a waste,” Olgar said to himself, and tossed off a spiritual weapon. The glowing greatsword materialized in front of one of the cats and immediately began taking chunks out of the beast. Olgar worked another spell, increasing his strength, then drew Stonecleaver and charged.
Belarn meanwhile had fired off a few arrows to good effect, but found himself surrounded by the cats. Olgar came up on the opposite side of one of the creatures, skewering it with his sword, and Belarn finished the creatue up with a few well-placed thrusts to the kidneys. Belarn then tumbled out of the way of the two other cats closing in on him, and he and Olgar set up the same flanking maneuver on the next creature, making short work of it.
Only one cat remained when Wodyn and Strithe, regaining their composure, returned to the fray.
“Saved one for ye!” Olgar called, and Wodyn finished the last cat off with a well-placed blow from his greataxe. “Th’ runt proved ‘e can fight, fin’ly. “Bout time ‘e started usin’ tha’ tumblin’ ‘n backstabbin’ stuff!”
Wodyn just shrugged, and the four picked up their gear and continued. It was just getting dark when they reached the coast and a small, ramshackle collection of crude huts that claimed to be the village of Coral.
Accosting the nearest villager, Olgar inquired about locating the town’s fearless leader.
“Cap’n Luscious ‘ll be over at the tavern on the cliff,” came the answer. Olgar guffawed, and all four shared a tremendous laugh.
“Cap’n Luscious? I’ll bet ‘e’s a sight!”
Olgar recovered his composure, and they proceeded to the tavern. The dwarf stumped right up to the barkeep.
“Yer best ale, a meal, and point out this Cap’n Luscious t’ me, iff’n ye please,” he said to the man.
The barkeep pointed toward a well-dressed man sitting at a table in the corner. He poured off some ale, and handed Olgar a bowl of the worst rancid fish stew he had ever tasted.
“Blagh!” Olgar coughed, spewing fish stew all over the bar, “Ye can take that back! Wahat’re ye tryin’ t’ do, poison me?” He flipped the bowl over and dumped its contents out on the bar, and went to Cap’n Luscious’ table. Strithe and Belarn followed; Wodyn grabbed his cooking spices and invaded the tavern’s kitchen to prepare something fit to eat.
“Name’s Olgar Shiverstone,” Olgar introduced himself. “We ‘ear ye got yerself a lizard problem, ‘n we’re here t’ put a stop t’ it. Fer a fee, o’course.”
Cap’n Luscious looked Olgar up and down suspiciously, then shrugged and motioned to the dwarf to sit.
“Yes, we’ve had problems with lizard and fish creatures here,” he explained. “Several times they have attacked the docks, stealing the catch, and harming good citizens. The fishing has fallen off, and the town is beginning to feel the impact.”
Olgar questioned the man for a while further. It seemed there were at least three different types of creatures – some sort of fish-men or lizard-men, Cap’n Luscious’ descriptions weren’t very clear. They were never seen together, but attacked out of the fog and the sea at night. Their targets were always the docks. The merchant wasn’t sure where they came from, though he described a half-sunken lighthouse just off the coast that no one had investigated lately. There were also some caves in the cliffs below this very building – but again, no one had investigated them in a good long while.
“My daughter could tell you a bit more,” Cap’n Luscious offered, “if you can pull her away from her books and her singing.”
“Thanks, no, we’ll be fine ourselves,” Olgar replied. “Now as to a suitable reward …” They settled on 3750 gold, and free rooms – Olgar passed on the board – for the duration of their stay, provided they found the fish/lizard people and put a stop to them.
They concluded their dealings, and the party stepped outside to have a look around. It was dark, but the fog had not yet closed in. A light breeze blew in from off shore. Olgar leaned over to Strithe.
“Me thinks we ought t’ stake out th’ docks from up ‘ere on th’ cliff fer a couple o’ hours, ‘n see what we see,” Olgar suggested. “We kin check the caves in the morning’. Ye ain’t getting me in a boat unless tha’s the last place we ‘ave t’ look!”
Olgar Shiverstone
Legend
I'm building up the suspense. For my one fan.
Olgar Shiverstone
Legend
Chpt 5, cont.
The party spent a couple of hours camped out on the bluff, covering the docks with their bows and crossbows. Not a lizard or fish appeared down below to threaten the docks. About midnight, just as they were about to pack it in and get some sleep back at the inn, a light blinked out over the water. It appeared to be coming from the lighthouse, about 500 yards offshore. The light blinked a few times – not in the manner an operating lighthouse might, and then went out.
Belarn went nack to the inn to ask a few questions, and the others maintained their vigil. Nothing. Belarn returned to report the usual helpful answer from the locals: “The lighthouse is abandoned. No one lives there. No one goes there. Our boats are too big to get close.”
Olgar raised his eyebrows at this last bit. “A bloody fishin’ village, an’ nobody even has a rowboat?” Belarn shook his head. “Like that one down there?” Olgar pointed to the base of the bluff, where a rowboat was pulled up on shore.
They gave up at that point and went back to the inn for some rest. The next morning, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, they visited the beach, preparing to assault the cave complex that was conveniently located right below the inn, behind the docks. No tracks led in or out of the caves, but the tide had just recently receded. The rowboat was sifted a few feet from its position the night before.
“The rowboat’s moved,” Wodyn observed, “let’s check it out. Maybe someone visited the lighthouse after we retired last night.” He walked over to examine the boat.
The boast promptly reached out with a pseudopod, and decked the barbarian. Hard. Wodyn found himself stuck in the grip of a suddenly live, thrashing rowboat.
Olgar loosed a crossbow bolt, and Strithe and Belarn followed up with arrows. Wodyn was able to break free, and his greataxe soon made short work of the rowboat creature.
“Mimic,” was all Wodyn said when they were done, as Olgar tended his wounds. The big man held up a flask. “This was inside.”
Olgar grabbed the flask. “Tha’s more like it. Here’s to killin’ some lizards!” He hoisted the flask, which sloshed with some liquid, then opened it. Instead of the bouquet of finely soured ale that he expected, he smelled – nothing. Olgar cautiously poured a drop of thick, yellowish, viscous liquid out onto the sand. “Best save tha’ for later,” he said in disgust, and put the flask away.
They trooped into the cave entrance. The chamber was a rough circle about forty feet in diameter, with passages leading away from it straight ahead, and to the left and right. Olgar wandered up to the passage directly ahead, squinting into the darkness to see what was ahead.
“There’s four figures ‘bout sixty feet up,” he whispered. “Uh-oh, they’re chargin!”
He pulled his sword free in time to dispatch the first lizardlike creature as it sprinted from the darkened passage. A stench hit his nostrils – troglodyte! Wodyn quickly joined the melee, and Belarn tumbled for all he was worth, and the lizards were soon dispatched, with the party barely breaking a sweat.
“Guess they di’n wan’ t’ talk,” Olgar smirked. “Good fight. Guess tha’s one o’ th’ critters tha’s been pesterin’ the village.”
They proceeded down the passage with caution – due caution, as it turned out, as a fish-like creature jumped from the shadows to gore Wodyn with a trident. A single blow from the big man’s axe dispatched the creature.
“Sahuagin,” Wodyn said. “That’s two types of creatures now. What’s this? It’s wearing manacles. Looks like it was an escaped prisoner.”
The others shook their heads at the mystery – until they turned into the chamber just down the passage, where four more sahuagin were shackled to the wall.
“Strange,” Olgar observed. “Iff’n they’re raid’n th’ docks, what’re they doin’ tied up? Should we kill ‘em ‘re let ‘em go. That first bugger wasn’t too friendly.”
Wodyn tried to make signs to communicate with the creatures, to no effect. Finally, he and Olgar went back to the entrance cave, and returned bearing a hacked troglodyte body. The fish-men smiled, and soon a bit of pidgin hand-talk established a truce. Belarn picked the locks on the shackles, and once the fish-men were free, they sprinted away, splashing into a pool of water where the passage dead-ended just beyond the prison chamber.
“Ungrateful bastiches,” Olgar observed.
There was no following the passage further – it quickly descended to depths deeper that they were willing to explore. Following one side passage, they found one empty chamber, a recently-used but empty torture chamber, and another small nest of troglodytes.
Charging, each of the party took one lizard head-to-head, with the valorous Strithe cornering three all by himself. Olgar, Wodyn, and Belarn quickly dispatched their respective lizards, while Strithe was obviously having some difficulty. Olgar moved behind him, whispering encouragement and propping the elf up with his healing wand, and soon Strithe had dispatched his share of the creatures.
“Curiouser and curiouser,” was all Olgar had to say.
They continued exploring cave passages, finding another that dead-ended into a deep pool. Just at the edge of their light, they could see armed sahuagin waiting with pointed-toothed grins.
“I’m nae fightin’ un’er water,” Olgar protested, “Not wit’ me steel bathin’ suit here.” He slapped his banded mail. “Let ‘em rot.”
“Maybe we can just collapse the tunnel on them,” Belarn suggested.
“Prob’ly got an underwater exit t’ the ocean,” Olgar speculated, shaking his head.
“You forget, we’re right under the inn,” Wodyn said. “I doubt the town would be too happy about that idea. Still we’ll suggest it. I’m not going to go fight fish-critters underwater.”
They explored the last branch of the passage, finding that this, too, ended in a water-filled passage. Strithe quickly noticed, though, that the water was only chest-deep – for him.
“You ‘n Wodyn go explore,” Olgar offered, “the runt ‘n I ‘ll stay ‘ere.”
Wodyn and Strithe waded into the water, quickly disappearing down the passage. They returned a short while later to report that the passage rose back up to a dry area about a hundred feet down, and opened into a chamber.
“Fair enough,” Olgar grumbled. Perched ignominiously on Wodyn’s shoulders, he and Belarn were carried like luggage through the dripping passage to the dry cavern.
“Nothing,” Olgar observed. The cavern was empty.
“Not quite,” Belarn whispered, “there’s a secret door here.” He played with a small stone, opening a narrow passage into a space beyond. The rest of the party followed, clustering onto a narrow ledge that overlooked a large pool over sixty feet across. By the light of their torches, and with the aid of Olgar’s night vision, they could see that the clear waters of the pool were over fifteen feet deep.
The bottom glinted from the reflections of a pile of loosely scattered gold coins, that barely covered an untarnished suit of plate armor and a few other shapes. Olgar pointed them out to the others.
“’Course, that fish the size of a barn might give us some trouble,” he remarked matter of factly. There was indeed a fish nearly the size of a barn resting at the bottom of the pool. Forty feet long and ten feet wide, if it was an inch, it had three large strangely shaped eyes and four long whip-like tentacles.
“How’d it get in?” Olgar whispered to Wodyn, “There’s no way in ‘er outta that pool.” The pool did indeed have no exits, and the thing was too wide to crawl through the secret door – if indeed it could crawl.
“Dunno,” Wodyn remarked, a concerned look on his face.
“It that some kind of mind-flayer fish?” Belarn asked.
“I don’ care wha’s down there,” Olgar decided. “I’m not jumpin’ inta fifteen foot a’ water t’ fight some fish th’ size of a barn. Let it starve.” He turned and retreated through the secret door with the others on his heels. They spiked the door shut behind them for good measure, and returned to the beach.
Captain Luscious was in the common room of the inn when they returned carrying the head of the various troglodytes and sahuagin they had killed.
Olgar plopped th grisly mess down on the table in front of the man, saying “Well, there’s yer problem. Ye got a whole mess o’ them things down there unner yer inn. Best ye be collapsin’ the whole cliff on ‘em. Oh, yeah, an’ ye got an aboleth down there t’ boot.”
Luscious gawked, and Wodyn explained their explorations in a more diplomatic fashion. Luscious promised to consider collapsing the cave, but didn’t seem very convinced.
“Moron,” Olgar mumbled, and wandered out of the inn to get some air, while Wodyn continued negotiations.
The party spent a couple of hours camped out on the bluff, covering the docks with their bows and crossbows. Not a lizard or fish appeared down below to threaten the docks. About midnight, just as they were about to pack it in and get some sleep back at the inn, a light blinked out over the water. It appeared to be coming from the lighthouse, about 500 yards offshore. The light blinked a few times – not in the manner an operating lighthouse might, and then went out.
Belarn went nack to the inn to ask a few questions, and the others maintained their vigil. Nothing. Belarn returned to report the usual helpful answer from the locals: “The lighthouse is abandoned. No one lives there. No one goes there. Our boats are too big to get close.”
Olgar raised his eyebrows at this last bit. “A bloody fishin’ village, an’ nobody even has a rowboat?” Belarn shook his head. “Like that one down there?” Olgar pointed to the base of the bluff, where a rowboat was pulled up on shore.
They gave up at that point and went back to the inn for some rest. The next morning, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, they visited the beach, preparing to assault the cave complex that was conveniently located right below the inn, behind the docks. No tracks led in or out of the caves, but the tide had just recently receded. The rowboat was sifted a few feet from its position the night before.
“The rowboat’s moved,” Wodyn observed, “let’s check it out. Maybe someone visited the lighthouse after we retired last night.” He walked over to examine the boat.
The boast promptly reached out with a pseudopod, and decked the barbarian. Hard. Wodyn found himself stuck in the grip of a suddenly live, thrashing rowboat.
Olgar loosed a crossbow bolt, and Strithe and Belarn followed up with arrows. Wodyn was able to break free, and his greataxe soon made short work of the rowboat creature.
“Mimic,” was all Wodyn said when they were done, as Olgar tended his wounds. The big man held up a flask. “This was inside.”
Olgar grabbed the flask. “Tha’s more like it. Here’s to killin’ some lizards!” He hoisted the flask, which sloshed with some liquid, then opened it. Instead of the bouquet of finely soured ale that he expected, he smelled – nothing. Olgar cautiously poured a drop of thick, yellowish, viscous liquid out onto the sand. “Best save tha’ for later,” he said in disgust, and put the flask away.
They trooped into the cave entrance. The chamber was a rough circle about forty feet in diameter, with passages leading away from it straight ahead, and to the left and right. Olgar wandered up to the passage directly ahead, squinting into the darkness to see what was ahead.
“There’s four figures ‘bout sixty feet up,” he whispered. “Uh-oh, they’re chargin!”
He pulled his sword free in time to dispatch the first lizardlike creature as it sprinted from the darkened passage. A stench hit his nostrils – troglodyte! Wodyn quickly joined the melee, and Belarn tumbled for all he was worth, and the lizards were soon dispatched, with the party barely breaking a sweat.
“Guess they di’n wan’ t’ talk,” Olgar smirked. “Good fight. Guess tha’s one o’ th’ critters tha’s been pesterin’ the village.”
They proceeded down the passage with caution – due caution, as it turned out, as a fish-like creature jumped from the shadows to gore Wodyn with a trident. A single blow from the big man’s axe dispatched the creature.
“Sahuagin,” Wodyn said. “That’s two types of creatures now. What’s this? It’s wearing manacles. Looks like it was an escaped prisoner.”
The others shook their heads at the mystery – until they turned into the chamber just down the passage, where four more sahuagin were shackled to the wall.
“Strange,” Olgar observed. “Iff’n they’re raid’n th’ docks, what’re they doin’ tied up? Should we kill ‘em ‘re let ‘em go. That first bugger wasn’t too friendly.”
Wodyn tried to make signs to communicate with the creatures, to no effect. Finally, he and Olgar went back to the entrance cave, and returned bearing a hacked troglodyte body. The fish-men smiled, and soon a bit of pidgin hand-talk established a truce. Belarn picked the locks on the shackles, and once the fish-men were free, they sprinted away, splashing into a pool of water where the passage dead-ended just beyond the prison chamber.
“Ungrateful bastiches,” Olgar observed.
There was no following the passage further – it quickly descended to depths deeper that they were willing to explore. Following one side passage, they found one empty chamber, a recently-used but empty torture chamber, and another small nest of troglodytes.
Charging, each of the party took one lizard head-to-head, with the valorous Strithe cornering three all by himself. Olgar, Wodyn, and Belarn quickly dispatched their respective lizards, while Strithe was obviously having some difficulty. Olgar moved behind him, whispering encouragement and propping the elf up with his healing wand, and soon Strithe had dispatched his share of the creatures.
“Curiouser and curiouser,” was all Olgar had to say.
They continued exploring cave passages, finding another that dead-ended into a deep pool. Just at the edge of their light, they could see armed sahuagin waiting with pointed-toothed grins.
“I’m nae fightin’ un’er water,” Olgar protested, “Not wit’ me steel bathin’ suit here.” He slapped his banded mail. “Let ‘em rot.”
“Maybe we can just collapse the tunnel on them,” Belarn suggested.
“Prob’ly got an underwater exit t’ the ocean,” Olgar speculated, shaking his head.
“You forget, we’re right under the inn,” Wodyn said. “I doubt the town would be too happy about that idea. Still we’ll suggest it. I’m not going to go fight fish-critters underwater.”
They explored the last branch of the passage, finding that this, too, ended in a water-filled passage. Strithe quickly noticed, though, that the water was only chest-deep – for him.
“You ‘n Wodyn go explore,” Olgar offered, “the runt ‘n I ‘ll stay ‘ere.”
Wodyn and Strithe waded into the water, quickly disappearing down the passage. They returned a short while later to report that the passage rose back up to a dry area about a hundred feet down, and opened into a chamber.
“Fair enough,” Olgar grumbled. Perched ignominiously on Wodyn’s shoulders, he and Belarn were carried like luggage through the dripping passage to the dry cavern.
“Nothing,” Olgar observed. The cavern was empty.
“Not quite,” Belarn whispered, “there’s a secret door here.” He played with a small stone, opening a narrow passage into a space beyond. The rest of the party followed, clustering onto a narrow ledge that overlooked a large pool over sixty feet across. By the light of their torches, and with the aid of Olgar’s night vision, they could see that the clear waters of the pool were over fifteen feet deep.
The bottom glinted from the reflections of a pile of loosely scattered gold coins, that barely covered an untarnished suit of plate armor and a few other shapes. Olgar pointed them out to the others.
“’Course, that fish the size of a barn might give us some trouble,” he remarked matter of factly. There was indeed a fish nearly the size of a barn resting at the bottom of the pool. Forty feet long and ten feet wide, if it was an inch, it had three large strangely shaped eyes and four long whip-like tentacles.
“How’d it get in?” Olgar whispered to Wodyn, “There’s no way in ‘er outta that pool.” The pool did indeed have no exits, and the thing was too wide to crawl through the secret door – if indeed it could crawl.
“Dunno,” Wodyn remarked, a concerned look on his face.
“It that some kind of mind-flayer fish?” Belarn asked.
“I don’ care wha’s down there,” Olgar decided. “I’m not jumpin’ inta fifteen foot a’ water t’ fight some fish th’ size of a barn. Let it starve.” He turned and retreated through the secret door with the others on his heels. They spiked the door shut behind them for good measure, and returned to the beach.
Captain Luscious was in the common room of the inn when they returned carrying the head of the various troglodytes and sahuagin they had killed.
Olgar plopped th grisly mess down on the table in front of the man, saying “Well, there’s yer problem. Ye got a whole mess o’ them things down there unner yer inn. Best ye be collapsin’ the whole cliff on ‘em. Oh, yeah, an’ ye got an aboleth down there t’ boot.”
Luscious gawked, and Wodyn explained their explorations in a more diplomatic fashion. Luscious promised to consider collapsing the cave, but didn’t seem very convinced.
“Moron,” Olgar mumbled, and wandered out of the inn to get some air, while Wodyn continued negotiations.
