Monsters from the Deep
It was near the start of Autumn, as the sun was losing its heat, and the winds were beginning to quicken that the first sign of trouble arrived in the coastal village of Pebble Cove. A solitary barrel floated in with the morning tide. It bore markings from one of the traders from Filishar, and contained only seawater. The fishermen of the village immediately set out in their boats, as something like this usually meant a shipwreck. Speed was of the essence as there could be survivors in need of rescuing or salvage in need of claiming.
It wasn't long before the wreck was found by Oteer, who had been sailing theses waters for decades and knew every secluded cove and treacherous shoal. The ship had run aground, and the starboard hull had been smashed in. As Oteer drew close he saw some movement amongst the wreckage. He was about to call out when he caught sight of a blue scaled arm and the words froze in his throat. As he watched several hideous creatures pulled themselves up onto the damaged upper deck of the trading vessel. Massive fish like eyes stared out of hairless blue heads, while water ran down bodies covered in scales. And such bodies. The upper half had arms like a human, but the lower half was a fish tale. The creatures were Merrow. Akin to the Merfolk of legend, but twisted by their worship of demons. Dangerous on land and deadly underwater, these creatures had warred with their Merfolk cousins for generations before the years of darkness handed victory to the Merrow. As with many other coastal villages the folk of Pebble Cove had suffered attacks by the Merrow before, and Oteer knew he had to get straight back to warn the village. Turning his boat around Oteer, hoped he hadn't been seen, but a splash behind him told him otherwise. Glancing over his shoulder he saw the telltale fins that showed the Merrow were gaining on him. Quickly lashing the tiller in place, Oteer threw anything he could out of his boat in an effort to gain more speed. Though the gear in his boat was his livelihood, he knew it wouldn't be of any use if he couldn't escape his pursuers. Rounding Kerrin's Rock his prayers were answered and he caught a favourable wind that helped carry him away from the Merrow.
Arriving back in Pebble Cove, Oteer didn't even bother tying up his boat. He just leaped out as he neared the docks, calling for someone to secure it as he sprinted for the elder's house. Barging through the door, red faced and out of breath, he needed to say only one word, "Merrow", to excuse his rudeness. Kipler, the village elder, went from annoyed at the interruption to worried in less than a second, the blood draining form his face and the rebuke just forming, falling from his lips. But this was not the first threat Kipler had led his village through, and he was soon issuing instructions. The people of these fishing villages tend to be tough independent sorts, not used to taking orders, but even the most contrary among them recognised the need to pull together in the face of this sort of threat.
Signals were lit to call the fishing boats back home, and the gates to the village were closed. Though the village had few things that others would consider weapons, these hardy folk knew full well how effective their boat hooks and knives could be in a fight, and no-one walked around unarmed. When enough of the militia had returned, Kipler sent them out by foot to see what they could discover of the Merrow. While going by sea would have been faster, it would have been a death sentence as it is in water that Merrow have their greatest advantage.
Wylin, one of the few in the village that favoured hunting over fishing, was sent along the waters edge while the rest of the militia moved along cliffs. Wylin carefully made his way along the beaches, making use of whatever cover he could find to make himself hard to see from the water. With his eyes mostly scanning the water, it was only the sound of scale slithering on stone that alerted Wylin to the presence of the Merrow. Dropping behind a pile of driftwood, he peered cautiously through the debris. A short way off, Wylin could make out the repugnant forms of several of the creatures chopping the bodies of some sailors into pieces that they then threw into a cave. Outraged at the treatment of fellow humans Wylin rose from cover and began shooting at the Merrow. Unbeknownst to him several more of the creatures had emerged from the sea and were approaching him from behind. Seeing this the militia rushed down to support him. Wylin managed to put an arrow through the the throat of one those butchering the sailors before he was skewered from behind. Enraged, the militia charged. With only three monsters to deal with they felt assured of victory, but the hadn't reckoned on the Merrow's skill in battle, or the reinforcements that emerged from the cave. Six of the militia were struck down before they could retreat, and it was a sorry group that limped back to the village.
At this point Kipler decided to send a runner to Filishar to ask for aid. It would be a long and potentially dangerous trek, so he chose the most accomplished fighter in the village, his grandson Sal. Sal was lectured on what to say for over an hour to be sure he had all the information that might be needed. Kipler also gave him a letter with everything written down, and a formal request for aid. The villagers held a collection to ensure Sal had enough coin for lodgings on the way as none of them wanted to see the village shamed.
When Sal reached Filishar, he couldn't believe its size or the number of people moving around. While he wore his best clothing, it soon became clear to him how poorly he compared to the people around him. When he arrived at the castle his poor appearance made him so nervous that he stumbled over his words, and the guards turned him away. Dejected and embarrassed he was barely are of his surroundings as he trudged away. Rounding a corner he collided with a man walking the other way, sending them both tumbling to the ground. Scrambling to his feet, Sal looked over to see an older man slowly standing up. Sal quickly ran over to help him up, garbling an apology as he realised what their collision had done to the stranger's fine looking clothes. The older man gratefully accepted the hand up, but laughed off the apology, and apologised himself for not paying attention. Introducing himself as a merchant named Traylin, he invited Sal for a drink at the Silver Flagon. Sal gratefully accepted, not recognising the name of the infamous maker of mystically binding deals.
At the Flagon Sal shared his tale with Traylin over a pint of ale. Unfamiliar with the ways of the city, he thought nothing of the fact that Traylin was willing to hear him out and what's more, help him. Traylin promised to get Sal into the palace so that he could talk with someone in authority, but n exchange Sal would have to agree to ferry Traylin on one journey up or down the coast at some point in the future. Seeing no harm in this Sal readily agreed, and Traylin left to make the necessary arrangements. An hour or do later, a muscular woman in the uniform of the Duke's guard walked into the Flagon, and headed straight for Sal. Introducing herself as Corporal Beryl, she explained that she had been asked to escort Sal into castle.
With Beryl leading the way, there was no trouble entering the palace this time, and Sal was introduced to the Lieutenant in charge of the Duke's guard, Bramin Koons. Sal handed over the letter from Kipler when asked and, having found his confidence again, managed to fill in a few more details. After seeing that Sal seemed to know what he was talking about, the Lieutenant abruptly stopped questioning him and instructed Sal to follow, as the Duke needed to hear this. Sal was led into the office of the acting-Duke Pelin. Pelin had been brought in to act as a caretaker until a permanent Duke could be appointed and he took his responsibilities more seriously than many who have been born to such roles. On hearing Sal's account of the Merrow threat, Duke Pelin immediately promised Sal that he would send a suitable force to deal with the problem. Sal was provided with a horse for the return journey, along with a letter to Kipler promising help within several days.
When help finally arrived, it was not a contingent, nor even a squad of guards. It was just 3 mercenaries. Two of them, a human and a dragonborn, were clearly fighters, and the third, another human, carried only a staff. Kipler and the rest of the villagers were a little underwhelmed by this response to their plea, but they did their best to hide their disappointment while they answered the mercenaries' questions. The mercenaries at least appeared to be professionals and keen to get on with the job, but the two humans appeared to be a little strange. The fighter wouldn't remove his helmet and at times Kipler would swear that he saw flames flickering through the eye holes. The other human just seemed a little off. He didn't stand or sit quite right, and at one point Kipler was sure he saw a fly go straight through the stout human's stomach. They didn't give Kipler much time to try and find out more, as they set out for the cave as soon as a volunteer was found to lead them.
Approaching the cave the mercenaries found another threat. A group of monstrous crabs, bigger than a person had been attracted by the debris discarded by the Merrow. While the mercenaries prepared their weapons their guide, who had seen the injuries the creatures' massive claws could cause, turned and fled. But these weren't ordinary mercenaries. Filishar had sent some of the best from the renowned Explorer company. Team 11, or Frostburn as they have become known, made short work of the crabs with their unique blend of strength of arm and mastery of magic. Their wizard Virris, known and feared by the elves as the serpent of fire, unleashed bolts of flame, while the warriors Malkash and Dass moved in to carve their way through the crabs. In minutes the crabs were dead, their thick shells and powerful claws no match for this mighty three.
Wasting no time, the three then made their way into the cave. The smell emanating from the cave was of death and decay as one of the chambers was filled with the butchered remains of the sailors from the wreck. Moving past this grisly sight they found that the Merrow had chosen their lair well, as much of the cave was submerged. But knowing what they would be facing, the members of Frostburn had spared no expense and acquired some magical potions that allowed them to breathe underwater. Even with this magical enhancement, they still had to muster their courage to dive in, for they were entering the merrow's favourite environment and many of their weapons and spells would be useless underwater.
Their caution was well founded as they were attacked within seconds of entering the water. A group of Merrow, racing towards them, propelled by their fish like tails. Unable to move freely underwater the warriors were forced to rely on their armour to deflect the blows from the creatures. Despite their limitations underwater the group from Filishar's experience proved telling, and they were able to send few remaining Merrow fleeing further back into the cave. Setting off in hot pursuit the group ignored some of the side passages, determined to chase down the Merrow.
The Merrow led them into an area of cavern that was out of the water. At first this seemed like a strange move on the part of the sea based creatures but the reason became clear when the members of Frostburn found themselves confronted with a large group of Merrow. One, larger and nastier than the rest, waved it's spear and sent a blast of wind at the mercenaries, pushing them back and nearly taking them off their feet. Though outnumbered, the three members were undaunted. After all, now they were out of the water and could unleash the full scope of their powers, and show just why they are known as Frostburn. With Dass' ability to channel his draconic heritage to freeze foes near and far, Virris' unrivalled talent for incinerating foes, and Ash's unique fighting style blending swordplay and arcane power, it was no contest. With the Merrow dead, Frostburn were finally able to take a good look around the room. The first thing to catch their eye was a dark altar in one corner of the room. The thing radiated evil, and the members of Frostburn wasted no time in smashing it to pieces. Unfortunately for them this triggered the release of a huge amount of pent up force triggering a massive earth tremor. Ducking and dodging through falling rock the three raced back towards the water and the cave exit.
Even with the cave collapsing around them, the mercenaries were unwilling to leave any part of the cave unexplored. Rather than heading straight for the exit they turned down the passage they had ignored during their pursuit of the Merrow. There they found a ledge above the water which held a heavy chest. With stones bouncing off them, there was no time to open the chest so they simply heaved it into the water and took it with them. With the weight of the chest they barely made it out before the cave collapsed entirely behind them, forever sealing the remains of the dark altar. The tremors were sufficient to disturb the folk of Pebble Cove and send the militia rushing for their weapons. However, it wasn't long before they could relax, as the mercenaries staggered back to the village, hauling the chest with them.
Although the immediate threat had been eliminated, the members of Frostburn decided to stay in Pebble Cove for several days in case their should be an attack from any remaining Merrow. When it became clear no attack was coming, the mercenaries prepared to head out, but not before presenting the village with one final surprise. The chest they had recovered from the cave had contained a fortune in coins, gems, and jewellery. All presumably plundered from wrecks like one that had started this affair. This fortune they presented to the village to help with rebuilding, demonstrating why they have become known as not only the most skilled, but also the noblest of adventuring companies to be found in Caresnas. With their work done Ash, Dass, and Virris returned to Filishar to prepare for their next grand adventure.
It wasn't long before the wreck was found by Oteer, who had been sailing theses waters for decades and knew every secluded cove and treacherous shoal. The ship had run aground, and the starboard hull had been smashed in. As Oteer drew close he saw some movement amongst the wreckage. He was about to call out when he caught sight of a blue scaled arm and the words froze in his throat. As he watched several hideous creatures pulled themselves up onto the damaged upper deck of the trading vessel. Massive fish like eyes stared out of hairless blue heads, while water ran down bodies covered in scales. And such bodies. The upper half had arms like a human, but the lower half was a fish tale. The creatures were Merrow. Akin to the Merfolk of legend, but twisted by their worship of demons. Dangerous on land and deadly underwater, these creatures had warred with their Merfolk cousins for generations before the years of darkness handed victory to the Merrow. As with many other coastal villages the folk of Pebble Cove had suffered attacks by the Merrow before, and Oteer knew he had to get straight back to warn the village. Turning his boat around Oteer, hoped he hadn't been seen, but a splash behind him told him otherwise. Glancing over his shoulder he saw the telltale fins that showed the Merrow were gaining on him. Quickly lashing the tiller in place, Oteer threw anything he could out of his boat in an effort to gain more speed. Though the gear in his boat was his livelihood, he knew it wouldn't be of any use if he couldn't escape his pursuers. Rounding Kerrin's Rock his prayers were answered and he caught a favourable wind that helped carry him away from the Merrow.
Arriving back in Pebble Cove, Oteer didn't even bother tying up his boat. He just leaped out as he neared the docks, calling for someone to secure it as he sprinted for the elder's house. Barging through the door, red faced and out of breath, he needed to say only one word, "Merrow", to excuse his rudeness. Kipler, the village elder, went from annoyed at the interruption to worried in less than a second, the blood draining form his face and the rebuke just forming, falling from his lips. But this was not the first threat Kipler had led his village through, and he was soon issuing instructions. The people of these fishing villages tend to be tough independent sorts, not used to taking orders, but even the most contrary among them recognised the need to pull together in the face of this sort of threat.
Signals were lit to call the fishing boats back home, and the gates to the village were closed. Though the village had few things that others would consider weapons, these hardy folk knew full well how effective their boat hooks and knives could be in a fight, and no-one walked around unarmed. When enough of the militia had returned, Kipler sent them out by foot to see what they could discover of the Merrow. While going by sea would have been faster, it would have been a death sentence as it is in water that Merrow have their greatest advantage.
Wylin, one of the few in the village that favoured hunting over fishing, was sent along the waters edge while the rest of the militia moved along cliffs. Wylin carefully made his way along the beaches, making use of whatever cover he could find to make himself hard to see from the water. With his eyes mostly scanning the water, it was only the sound of scale slithering on stone that alerted Wylin to the presence of the Merrow. Dropping behind a pile of driftwood, he peered cautiously through the debris. A short way off, Wylin could make out the repugnant forms of several of the creatures chopping the bodies of some sailors into pieces that they then threw into a cave. Outraged at the treatment of fellow humans Wylin rose from cover and began shooting at the Merrow. Unbeknownst to him several more of the creatures had emerged from the sea and were approaching him from behind. Seeing this the militia rushed down to support him. Wylin managed to put an arrow through the the throat of one those butchering the sailors before he was skewered from behind. Enraged, the militia charged. With only three monsters to deal with they felt assured of victory, but the hadn't reckoned on the Merrow's skill in battle, or the reinforcements that emerged from the cave. Six of the militia were struck down before they could retreat, and it was a sorry group that limped back to the village.
At this point Kipler decided to send a runner to Filishar to ask for aid. It would be a long and potentially dangerous trek, so he chose the most accomplished fighter in the village, his grandson Sal. Sal was lectured on what to say for over an hour to be sure he had all the information that might be needed. Kipler also gave him a letter with everything written down, and a formal request for aid. The villagers held a collection to ensure Sal had enough coin for lodgings on the way as none of them wanted to see the village shamed.
When Sal reached Filishar, he couldn't believe its size or the number of people moving around. While he wore his best clothing, it soon became clear to him how poorly he compared to the people around him. When he arrived at the castle his poor appearance made him so nervous that he stumbled over his words, and the guards turned him away. Dejected and embarrassed he was barely are of his surroundings as he trudged away. Rounding a corner he collided with a man walking the other way, sending them both tumbling to the ground. Scrambling to his feet, Sal looked over to see an older man slowly standing up. Sal quickly ran over to help him up, garbling an apology as he realised what their collision had done to the stranger's fine looking clothes. The older man gratefully accepted the hand up, but laughed off the apology, and apologised himself for not paying attention. Introducing himself as a merchant named Traylin, he invited Sal for a drink at the Silver Flagon. Sal gratefully accepted, not recognising the name of the infamous maker of mystically binding deals.
At the Flagon Sal shared his tale with Traylin over a pint of ale. Unfamiliar with the ways of the city, he thought nothing of the fact that Traylin was willing to hear him out and what's more, help him. Traylin promised to get Sal into the palace so that he could talk with someone in authority, but n exchange Sal would have to agree to ferry Traylin on one journey up or down the coast at some point in the future. Seeing no harm in this Sal readily agreed, and Traylin left to make the necessary arrangements. An hour or do later, a muscular woman in the uniform of the Duke's guard walked into the Flagon, and headed straight for Sal. Introducing herself as Corporal Beryl, she explained that she had been asked to escort Sal into castle.
With Beryl leading the way, there was no trouble entering the palace this time, and Sal was introduced to the Lieutenant in charge of the Duke's guard, Bramin Koons. Sal handed over the letter from Kipler when asked and, having found his confidence again, managed to fill in a few more details. After seeing that Sal seemed to know what he was talking about, the Lieutenant abruptly stopped questioning him and instructed Sal to follow, as the Duke needed to hear this. Sal was led into the office of the acting-Duke Pelin. Pelin had been brought in to act as a caretaker until a permanent Duke could be appointed and he took his responsibilities more seriously than many who have been born to such roles. On hearing Sal's account of the Merrow threat, Duke Pelin immediately promised Sal that he would send a suitable force to deal with the problem. Sal was provided with a horse for the return journey, along with a letter to Kipler promising help within several days.
When help finally arrived, it was not a contingent, nor even a squad of guards. It was just 3 mercenaries. Two of them, a human and a dragonborn, were clearly fighters, and the third, another human, carried only a staff. Kipler and the rest of the villagers were a little underwhelmed by this response to their plea, but they did their best to hide their disappointment while they answered the mercenaries' questions. The mercenaries at least appeared to be professionals and keen to get on with the job, but the two humans appeared to be a little strange. The fighter wouldn't remove his helmet and at times Kipler would swear that he saw flames flickering through the eye holes. The other human just seemed a little off. He didn't stand or sit quite right, and at one point Kipler was sure he saw a fly go straight through the stout human's stomach. They didn't give Kipler much time to try and find out more, as they set out for the cave as soon as a volunteer was found to lead them.
Approaching the cave the mercenaries found another threat. A group of monstrous crabs, bigger than a person had been attracted by the debris discarded by the Merrow. While the mercenaries prepared their weapons their guide, who had seen the injuries the creatures' massive claws could cause, turned and fled. But these weren't ordinary mercenaries. Filishar had sent some of the best from the renowned Explorer company. Team 11, or Frostburn as they have become known, made short work of the crabs with their unique blend of strength of arm and mastery of magic. Their wizard Virris, known and feared by the elves as the serpent of fire, unleashed bolts of flame, while the warriors Malkash and Dass moved in to carve their way through the crabs. In minutes the crabs were dead, their thick shells and powerful claws no match for this mighty three.
Wasting no time, the three then made their way into the cave. The smell emanating from the cave was of death and decay as one of the chambers was filled with the butchered remains of the sailors from the wreck. Moving past this grisly sight they found that the Merrow had chosen their lair well, as much of the cave was submerged. But knowing what they would be facing, the members of Frostburn had spared no expense and acquired some magical potions that allowed them to breathe underwater. Even with this magical enhancement, they still had to muster their courage to dive in, for they were entering the merrow's favourite environment and many of their weapons and spells would be useless underwater.
Their caution was well founded as they were attacked within seconds of entering the water. A group of Merrow, racing towards them, propelled by their fish like tails. Unable to move freely underwater the warriors were forced to rely on their armour to deflect the blows from the creatures. Despite their limitations underwater the group from Filishar's experience proved telling, and they were able to send few remaining Merrow fleeing further back into the cave. Setting off in hot pursuit the group ignored some of the side passages, determined to chase down the Merrow.
The Merrow led them into an area of cavern that was out of the water. At first this seemed like a strange move on the part of the sea based creatures but the reason became clear when the members of Frostburn found themselves confronted with a large group of Merrow. One, larger and nastier than the rest, waved it's spear and sent a blast of wind at the mercenaries, pushing them back and nearly taking them off their feet. Though outnumbered, the three members were undaunted. After all, now they were out of the water and could unleash the full scope of their powers, and show just why they are known as Frostburn. With Dass' ability to channel his draconic heritage to freeze foes near and far, Virris' unrivalled talent for incinerating foes, and Ash's unique fighting style blending swordplay and arcane power, it was no contest. With the Merrow dead, Frostburn were finally able to take a good look around the room. The first thing to catch their eye was a dark altar in one corner of the room. The thing radiated evil, and the members of Frostburn wasted no time in smashing it to pieces. Unfortunately for them this triggered the release of a huge amount of pent up force triggering a massive earth tremor. Ducking and dodging through falling rock the three raced back towards the water and the cave exit.
Even with the cave collapsing around them, the mercenaries were unwilling to leave any part of the cave unexplored. Rather than heading straight for the exit they turned down the passage they had ignored during their pursuit of the Merrow. There they found a ledge above the water which held a heavy chest. With stones bouncing off them, there was no time to open the chest so they simply heaved it into the water and took it with them. With the weight of the chest they barely made it out before the cave collapsed entirely behind them, forever sealing the remains of the dark altar. The tremors were sufficient to disturb the folk of Pebble Cove and send the militia rushing for their weapons. However, it wasn't long before they could relax, as the mercenaries staggered back to the village, hauling the chest with them.
Although the immediate threat had been eliminated, the members of Frostburn decided to stay in Pebble Cove for several days in case their should be an attack from any remaining Merrow. When it became clear no attack was coming, the mercenaries prepared to head out, but not before presenting the village with one final surprise. The chest they had recovered from the cave had contained a fortune in coins, gems, and jewellery. All presumably plundered from wrecks like one that had started this affair. This fortune they presented to the village to help with rebuilding, demonstrating why they have become known as not only the most skilled, but also the noblest of adventuring companies to be found in Caresnas. With their work done Ash, Dass, and Virris returned to Filishar to prepare for their next grand adventure.
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