CXXV. Fishing for Danger

General Summary

Resurrecting Krux

Weeks after they had made the promise to do so, the party was finally at liberty to Truly Resurrect Krux McClain. With Wynna's help, the twenty-one diamonds used to complete the ritual melted into a quicksilver-like liquid that formed the shape of Krux's once disintegrated-body, sliding off him and revealing its new, naked form. As he opened his eyes, Soora dropped to her knees and hugged him, a single tear falling from her own. Amari left the room briefly but returned with the new jacket that he had commissioned when they last saw Krux in the Shadowfell, dropping it over the man's large shoulders. Soora handed Krux the small family portrait she had recovered from his bedroom, and that she had been holding onto all this time. When Krux took it, he began to cry.

"You've been avenged. We went down to the Gloomspire and killed all those Drow..."
-Amari of the Ring & Wren

"I barely remember what happened."
-Krux McClain

The party brought Krux to the Gallant Goblin for a celebratory meal, where they caught him up on everything that had happened recently.

Celebratory Dinner

During dinner, Jäger asked King about his will. As King was explaining it, he mentioned a person called Gault Harrow and claimed he was a "mean bastard". Lady Kohinoor overheard this and asked King not to disparage her man-at-arms, seemingly offended. King was sure she had the wrong person, but she confirmed his description of a man with a scar on his neck and a scratchy voice. King, in complete disbelief, prompted Kohi to disclose the events of VII. Farewell to the Bachelor and her ensuing quest to have Gault resurrected. Just afterwards, the man himself walked in, shaking rainwater all over the floor. Festiv tried to push him out but Lady Kohi protested and announced that that he was her escort. Upon seeing one another, Gault and King got into an argument. It came out that Gault owed King a favor and that King had intended to cash this favor in by forcing Gault to join the Ring & Wren in the event of his own death--a deal that Gault insisted was now off the table given is new employment. It is unclear what sort of agreement they ended up coming to.

Strategizing

Throughout the week, the party received several reports from Regen. From his information, they were able to put together the following map:

The day before they planned to depart, the party equipped themselves for battle, buying swimming gear, a new crossbow for King (which he named Crown), an Immovable Rod, and more Sending Stones. Lady Kohi also asked Jäger an important question:

"Lord Jäger; we go to your home to dethrone your brother. Are you prepared for the possibility of having to kill him?"
-Kohinoor Sattari

"...there is a story of two brothers, Egar and Dhor. They always fight, shifting in power like the tides. But in the end there is no conclusion; they just keep fighting. I hope it's not the same for my brother and I. I'd like to think there is still a possibility of saving him--of turning him from Dhor."
-Jäger Ironbeard

"I hope you are right. I myself have a younger sister. In your brother's place, I'd like to think my sister could convince me of anything. But there is one matter on which she could never sway me; that is my oath. I sincerely hope your brother has less conviction."
-Kohinoor Sattari

King mentioned that Roak had actually already killed many of them; Jäger he had killed multiple times. With Roak already being next in line for the throne after Ragnar's death, Jäger once again wondered why Roak had killed their parents. Kohi suggested that there may be a deeper ideal than lust for power. What else could corrupt the close bond of family so?

Griffins, Ready to Ride

This conversation was interrupted by Festiv called to Amari through a Sending Stone, bidding him to come outside with everyone. When the group arrived, Festiv was by himself, looking at the sky. A faint shriek could be heard, and five dots appeared on the horizon. King pulled out his spyglass, then began to whoop and cheer as it became apparent that they party's five griffon hatchlings had reached adulthood and were flying toward them along with the rangers the party had hired to raise and train them.

	Athena	Reina	Nahid	Ares	Ragnar
Rider	Amari	King	Kohinoor	Soora	Jäger
Size	Average	Smallest	Average	Largest	Average
Gender	Female	Female	Female	Male	Male
Pattern	Spotted Owl	Yellow-Billed Cardinal	Kestrel	Bald Eagle	White, with Black Beak

The party opted to leave their Griffons behind for the mission ahead, roosting them in the old Aviary of the Adjuticant's Headquarters with the permission of Amonra the Lioness. They then teleported back to the Leeward, the captain of which was now King, with Ten Men Clay acting as first mate. There they gathered their allies, who consisted of Captain Callistan and his fleet, and Storm Giant soldiers lent to the party by Rota Sturmdottir. Together they all set sail for the Iron Islands.

Journey to the Iron Islands

Over the course of two days, the party evaded patrol ships from the Iron Islands with the help of Wynna, who created clouds of fog to hide their ships, and from King and Jäger who used their sailing expertise to guide the ships narrowly around enemy eyesight. On the second day, Jäger climbed to the crow's nest to meditate in an attempt to Commune with Egar and see if he could feel his presence even though the god had seemingly died. A deep voice filled his mind:

"G I V E U P."
-Dhor

When Jäger opened his eyes, there were storm clouds on the horizon. His thoughts began to grow dark. Next, he tried to contact his brother.

"...Why? What do you want? I don't understand."
-Jäger Ironbeard

"I want what I always wanted brother. For us to be together."
-Roak Ironbeard

Jäger seemed shaken by this and spoke to Amari below deck about the voice he had heard when he tried to talk to Egar--the voice that told him to "give up".

"Well, we're not going to be doing that. Or anything else that he wants. Let's get to work."
-Amari of the Ring & Wren

At sunset, the fleet stopped at the closest distance they could get without being seen. Here they put down anchor and came up with their plan: the Ring & Wren would swim the rest of the way to Ironrock (which would take about five hours) while the fleet waited. At midnight, the Giant Soldiers would storm Hammerhead Keep and try to take out the siege weapons while Callistan and the fleet provided cover fire. Meanwhile, Regen and the Ironbeard loyalists that were being gathered at the tavern would attack from inside the city, and the Ring & Wren would sneak inside the fortress from a secret entrance in the sea caves below. The Ring & Wren would try to take out Roak and hope that the blow to a commanding officer would either destroy the enemy's morale or force Dhor to withdraw his forces. The party departed from their allies with this understanding in place.

Sneaking Inside

For five hours, the party swam through cold, dark water, illuminated only by Jäger's Sun Blade. King took the time to rouse the party's spirits with an inspiring speech:

"Even if Roak knows we're coming, it won't help him. We've gotten so much stronger since the last time we faced him."
-Drayton King

At last, the group approached the rocky islands. They swam below the metal-bound hulls of the red-sailed Ironbeard fleet. The water was oddly empty; Jäger noted that there were supposed to be sharks there. Suddenly, everyone began to be dragged apart by a rip tide; Jäger cast Control Water and used the flow to instead guide everyone inside the sea caves below Hammerhead Keep. The caves were filled with the decaying bodies of partially devoured mollusks and became narrower as they went, forcing the party to swim single-file. They cut their hands pulling themselves along the jagged rocks. At length, they came up into an air pocket with a small stretch of land, beyond which was another pool of water.

"Ragnar saved Roak from drowning in this cave."
-Jäger Ironbeard

It was a solemn remark. This portion of the cave had long served as a place for meditation, a place to feel closer to Egar. Now, it was empty--save for what appeared to be hundreds of pale, squirming lampreys. Amari and Wynna studied the creatures and determined that they were deep worms, creatures native to the dark depths of the ocean--but that certainly didn't belong here. Jäger, disgusted, requested that Amari burn them all. Amari acquiesced and the worms gave a horrible squeal as they died, the water around them dyed purple with their blood and boiling with the heat of the fire.

Battling the Worms

When the party swam down into the second pool of water to continue their trek through the caves, they were sucked upwards by a current that left them just below the final chamber of the passage. The walls and water of this area were covered in mucus. A very large, worm-like creature like the ones Amari had just killed seemed to speak directly into the minds of the group...

"He told us you would come..."
-Worm

Jäger cast Guiding Bolt at the creature immediately, incensed that these creatures were making their lair in his home. The creature dissipated completely as though it were only an illusion. Two other voices joined the first as the party entered battle...

"He told us you would be aggressive. So be it..."
-Worms

Everyone's vision immediately flashed purple as they took psychic damage just from being in the worms' dwelling. The creatures attempted to charm Soora and Jäger, though they were unsuccessful.

"You will serve the deep...you have always served the deep..."
-Worm

"You're dead from the neck up. Serve this!"
-Jäger Ironbeard

Lady Kohinoor took a critical hit from one of the creature's tails. Sensing a gap in its defenses, Jäger struck and killed the beast as it attacked. Amari, who was stuck fighting one of them by himself, was left feeling sickened when he was attacked by its tentacle. Deciding he'd had enough, he trapped it in a Resilient Sphere and swam away. The worm followed him, pushing against the invisible walls of its prison in its attempt to get to Amari. When Soora killed the next creature, Jäger convinced the last one to leave the battle in exchange for its freedom from Amari's prison. The worm took the deal and fled, leaving the party to swim up to the final chamber and heal their wounds. The cavern gave way to a great stone wall supported by beams of what appeared to be ship timber. Wynna managed to bring everyone back to full strength. When the party went through the door in the stone wall, they immediately came upon a guardsman holding a lantern on the other side. Jäger raised the Sun Blade, ready to kill, but the old man spoke:

"Jäger Ironbeard, you old dog! Welcome home. The tides told me you'd be here. I came to help you. Matthias sent me--Prince Regen told him you'd be back."
-Bryson

Bryson was the castle's Man-At-Arms, and a man Jäger knew to have been loyal to his father Asgot. Jäger embraced him in a heavy-handed hug.