Monsters of Snarl Island

Prior to visiting the island

• On a quest to save some missing hunters lost in the Small Teeth Mountains, the Guild Members encounter several harpies.
• After returning to Sowport they are approached by Mr Gleaves, who procures the remains of the monstrosities on behalf of his benefactor.
• He expressed a desire to do more business in the future.

First visit to Snarl Island

• Mr Gleaves hires the Guild to explore Snarl Island, one of the Tonitru Isles.
• The quest is funded by Mr Gleaves benefactor, as they wish to study the recent increase in monstrosities and aberrations in the region. He will reward them for any suitable creature corpses they return.
• The are attacked by Chokers, then surprised by a Sea Hag disguised as a pox riddled child.

Return to the island

• On this trip, prior to going ashore, the Knotty Bucket circles the island. They spot some more settlements that also appear deserted.
• This time they encounter Gazers, tiny aberrations of the Beholder family.

Search for answers

• Mr Gleaves and his patron are very concerned about the creatures from the Underdark being on Snarl Island.
• The party discover a large webbed nest infested with Chitines and a mother Choldrith.
• They are attacked again by Chokers, plus a Mimic and a Grell.

A quick visit

• On this trip to Snarl Island the encounter several Gazers, an Umber Hulk, a Cloaker, and a Mindwitness.
• However they uncover no further clues.

Terror in the Rusty Anchor

• After their quick visit to Snarl Island, the group are drinking in The Rusty Anchor inn, when they are attacked by several Dark Nothics.
• The landlord is killed by the monsters.
• Thankfully none of the inn's guests are killed, but those that saw it speak of nightmares.
• Whilst fighting the aberrations, the creatures intrude into the heroes minds grasping secrets and causing terror.
• One of the monsters escapes through the sewers. Zack tracks it south, but loses it's trail halfway down the coast to Sowport.
• The group investigate and find the Dark Nothics had stowed away on the Knotty Bucket during their return trip.

Research in the library

• Zack and Gerald use Gerald's Bumper Bestiary and other books to investigate the various monstrosities and aberrations the Guild have encounter. The discover the following (name - type - alignment)

Chitine - monstrosity - CE
Choker - aberration - CE
Choldrith - monstrosity - CE
Cloaker - aberration - CN
Dark Nothic - aberration - CE
Gazer - aberration - NE
Grell - aberration - NE
Frail Harpy - monstrosity - CE
Mimic - monstrosity - N
Mindwitness - aberration - LN
Sea Hag - fey - CE
Umber Hulk - monstrosity - CE

• All (except Sea Hag) can be found in the Underdark.

A long awaited meeting

• The heroes are surprised to see Bottlegrub's Emporium of Peculiar Wares open after Humphrey Bottlegrubs demise during the Tsunami of Umberlee. On entering they are first met by the new salesperson, Mabel. She seems quite flustered when asked about magical items. At which point a voice calls them to the backroom.
• Madame Russet-Pennon introduces herself, informs the group that she has taken over the store and kept the name to honour Mr Bottlegrub. She also informs them that she was Mr Gleaves' benefactor.
• She reiterates her concern about the abberations appearing on Snarl Island and requests the party continue their investigation.

A revelation in the abandoned village

• The heroes find a hermit called Timmy, who went into hiding when the monsters started to appear about 6 months ago. He states they apear out of broken air.
• Shortly after, the group witness a portal appear in the centre of the village. Many small aberrations drag 4 crates and a elven prisoner through and the portal disappears.
• The party dispatch of the captors, at which point the crates open to reveal young Deep Dragons and the prisoner transforms back into the form on an Ancient Deep Dragon. The heroes soon deal with these too.
• Timmy was very surprised that these monsters were dragons and not more eldritch monsters.

Useful information from a Cleric of Bane

• Whilst investigating the deserted towns on Snarl Island, of the old civilisation Raven Ridge, the group enounter a cleric of Bane. From them they learn there is an entrance to the Underdark on the West side of Snarl Island.

Hunting Nightmares in the mountains

• Hearing tales of people suffering from nightmares in Sowport, the heroes head off to track down the monster that escaped from the Rusty Anchor.
• Of the workers in Sowport, Jarred Birchwood seemed to have suffered the most from the nightmares that claw at the depths of people's souls. He’s not been to work for a couple of weeks.
• You head to the Birchwood cabin, which is in the woods in the foothills of the Small Teeth Mountains.
• The log cabin deserted, even though the lights are on.
• You found the diary of Rosie Birchwood. The entries from earlier in the year appear fairly mundane, with her speaking of her sister Jasmine. But as the days pass she speaks more and more of the family members having nightmares and behaving very strangely, and finishes with confusing mentions of her brother Edward before stopping abruptly.
• The group head for Lightfoot Beck, an area mentioned in the diary, and bump into a bedraggled Rosie. She has been searching for her missing family. She dropped to the floor, crying for help as she started to mutate into a Nothic. Morrigan didn’t hesitate and killed the vile half monstrosity. Maxaris then spoke with her spirit and it became obvious that the monster had taken hold of her.
• At Lightfoot Beck, Zack picked up the trail of the monster, which led up the cliffside. At the top you saw a cave on the far side, then attacked by the family of invisible aberrations. Their attacks penetrated into your minds, with the dark voices calling upon your secrets and fears.
• You defeat the Nothics. The Mother Noithic gasped its last breath it let out one last whisper… “The Chained God grows stronger.” You notice that it's eye is covered with a chaotic oily sheen.
• Whilst searching the aberrations lair, you found the wispy remains of a portal, a weakened and unusable version of the same one found in Snarl Island.

Monstrous Sea Creatures

• On an earlier voyage you were attacked by flying eyeball aberrations, Eyedrakes.
• The Floating Dread (the flagship of the Pirate Lord of Doom) was wrecked by vicious sea monsters, Isonades. Which later attacked the Wind Rider.

Perils of the Underdark

• Twigbranch, teacher of the School of Nature in Candlekeep's College of Classical Studies, warned them about Faerzress, an unusual glowing magical energy present in many areas of the Underdark. This severely hinders the use of magic and is especially impactful on divination magic.

Searching for the source of the aberrations

• While sailing past Timmy's village on Raven Ridge you noticed flocks and herds of monsters, which had apparently come through the portal.
• Once in the Middledark, you learned that the aberrations can be found in the Lowerdark, which can be accessed from the Duergar city of Grunbarg which is now under Drow control.