Session 1: The Staff of Jove Report

General Summary

This part of the quest began at the rock where the poor, mummified arms of a young girl were ripped from her shoulders when she, mayhap Iphigenia the daughter of Claes van Rosenvelt, the captain of the Three Swans offered her up to the dark creature pursuing his vessels, much like Agamemnon before the battle of Troy sacrificed his own Iphigenia.   Karl strayed to the edge of the water and saw a silver statue not quite submerged.  It was then he was struck with a thunderbolt from nowhere, for the source was not visible.  Badly hurt by the unseen enemy, Karl ran up the steps.  It struck again and this time Karl was able to see the creature but soon wished he hadn't, because it was so loathsome in appearance that a deadly fear badly shook him.  Soon he was wishing for a drink which Martin provided.  He was barely able to avoid drinking the whole jug of rum.   The fight was not going well, the creature actually moving to flank the Stalwarts.  Finally, with great bravado, Martin ran down into the brackish water and charged the creature, part fish, part amphibian, part humanoid, called Deep Ones by the few surface dwellers who have encountered them and lived to tell the tale.  It wielded a staff with an octopoid head of some greenish metal, through which the discharge was directed, but the lightning seemed to start in the wristband affixed to its left arm.  With a fury the bookish Martin did not suspect he was capable, the young man swung his heavy saber in a downward arc, severing the hand of the creature so that it could not generate more lightning.   Austin also rushed to the charge with his sword and after dealing savage damage to the whitish belly of the creature, it fell into the water, bubbling out its black life!   The staff required by Major Winchester, the fiendish British officer and trafficker in the dark arts, was now in their possession to exchange for the freedom of Sarah Roosevelt, held captive by the Major at Tew's Tavern on Cruger's Wharf.   But suddenly the water around them began to bubble.  Heaving itself on to the silver dais was the gigantic creature that must be what The Three Swans had encountered at sea, had followed them here.  It was hideous beyond imagining with three tails and as many eyes, glaring in all directions.  A creature from the nightmares of the permanently insane!   And indeed, they felt their sanity slipping away, confronting what must be the Deity of the fish people they had encountered.  But it made no move to attack them, follow them, though the inhuman echo of its laughter might well follow them forever.  Karl needed a drink.  Needed to forget what he had seen.  And Martin needed a foe worthy of one who had stood firm in the face of Dagon.