Alma's Archive 02-09-XXXX

At last, a moment of respite to jot down some notes- and here I’d thought our time at sea would be uneventful… Continuing on from my previous entry, after defending The Walrus from the unusually aggressive denizens, we found ourselves in yet another predicament- the seaweed continued to anchor the ship in place, hindering our efforts to flee the Scourge vessel that’s been tailing us. As such, we had to get to the bottom of things, which in this instance entailed plunging into the frigid ocean to investigate further. Mirik’s spell grants us the ability to breath underwater, yet even still my fingers feel numb from the bone-chilling cold of the depths. A hot mug of Salted Apple Cider or Mulled Wine would not be amiss- alas, we have only the spirits Cecil gave us (Provided that damn Tabaxi hasn’t drunk all the bottles yet).
Back to the matter at hand- Mirik led the way as we swam (Or, in Iss’ case, sunk) below the ship. The seaweed displayed unusual bioluminescent properties, but the murky depths impeded our vision considerably- one could scarcely see more than a few yards ahead. However, our lizardfolk’s keen eyes caught sight of a wreckage beneath us which we proceeded to search for anything of use. Here the kelp was not quite so dense, though judging by the aquatic flora growing from it, the ship has been there for some time.
Algae was not the only thing to make this place a home, however- we’d seldom begun exploring when Valspira vanished from sight. Eldur and Mirik sensed something was off, and delved deeper into the boat to search for her. In time Iss and I followed suit (though it was challenging to navigate the dark waters), eventually coming to find a skirmish underway with an enormous cephalopod entity. As if we didn’t have enough problems with visibility already, the creature had released some inky substance into the water, obscuring our vision of it entirely. It was a difficult ordeal for all of us, Valspira in particular being grievously wounded. Finally, with the help of Eldur and Mirik, Iss managed to slay the beast with her Greataxe, emerging from the dark holding the remains like a prize trophy. She and Mirik proceeded to carve up the squid, taking the bony beak as a commemorative token of sorts… A gruesome affair to say the least.
After trying to mend a few of the sorceress’s wounds, we continued our investigation of the wreck (At least that’s what I was doing- I suspect Eldur was more interested in plundering the ship for treasure). By this point we were all feeling the cold sap our strength away (Iss and Valspira looked especially drained) but pressed onwards nonetheless. In the squid’s lair Valspira found a chest with a ceramic amulet of sorts, the fabrics long spoiled by the briny water. Mirik and Eldur went off together to check out some of the rooms, eventually calling our attention to a reinforced door of metal which wouldn’t budge. It should’ve been no trouble in theory, yet even the giantess struggled to open it… I suspect the fighting and frigid temperatures wore her out more than expected.
In time, she managed to break through with the Great-Axe, revealing what was once must’ve been an opulent chamber. Much of the furniture and finery had been degraded, but it clearly belonged to people of great wealth. Eldur found an enchanted portrait of sorts of some distinguished-looking man… which Iss proceeded to deface by cutting the eyes out. She said something about seeing the eyes moving, thinking it was perhaps cursed? It was a tad confusing, truth be told…
Moving on, there was also a desk that was surprisingly tough to crack, having an intricate locking mechanism to it. I managed to get it open, but my hastiness was rewarded with a nasty stab from a poisoned dart- the darn thing was trapped. Such an elementary mistake to make, and one which I’m still suffering for… we did manage to uncover a pristine spellbook for our efforts though. Further research will need to be done though, as it seems to be guarded by arcane wards- Valspira attempted to open it, only to nearly be petrified in the process! Nasty business, I must say.
From there, all we managed to find was more trouble. Firstly we were assaulted by some spectral apparition (I’d hoped we’d seen the last of them after our encounters in Verdant)- possibly the figure from the painting? He called out to us, asking that we ‘Give it back’- a rather vague request. Our druidic friend took a few painful-looking blows, but fortunately we managed to send it back to the afterlife for good. Having seen all there was to see in this part of the vessel, we moved on to the captain and crew’s quarters- the tabaxi picked up an old Spyglass, but there was little else of interest. At this point we were all starting to look worse for wear, but were determined to thoroughly scour the lowermost levels in hopes our efforts would reap something of value.
Then came the crustaceans.
I have read accounts of deep-sea creatures reaching unusually large proportions, their carcasses washing on distant shores. Yet to see such monstrosities with one’s own eyes is another thing entirely, the sight of it filling me with abject horror. Most of the juveniles were my height and the largest one was a hulking abomination that made Iss and Eldur look small. By this point most of our resources had been depleted, and we suffered a few close calls- Iss was at one point trapped in the pincers of the giagantic crab, and I feared it would crush even her durable frame. The behemoth began retreating out of the broken hull, seemingly intending to make a meal of iher. Somehow I managed to catch up and injure the beast such that it finally succumbed to its wounds, releasing the titaness from its vice grip. The Knowing Mistress was perhaps watching over us in that moment, and for that she has my thanks. Still, it was far too close for my liking.
There is of course much more to be said, (For I have yet to go into the rest of our underwater exploration, let alone the business with the ensnaring seaweed) but my eyes grow weary for lack of rest, and believe that sleep is in order. I will complete my retelling of this tale on the morrow.
Notes to Self: -I should speak with Iss in private when we have a moment. In the short time we have known each other, I have come to value her insights and caring nature when it comes to my own safety. It does bother me a little though, that in her contempt for Valspira she put the tiefling’s safety at risk. It is not a facet of her character that I’ve seen before, and one wonders whether there is something more to this. -Also will check Ms. Valspira’s wounds, and perhaps talk to her. Such things are not my forte to be perfectly honest, but one can suspect this has been an overwhelming experience for her (Given that she was torn from her home plane and thrown abruptly into these circumstances). Perhaps lending her an ear will prove useful to us both. -It is evident that my initial attempt to cure Eldur’s ailing mind has failed. A more rigorous course of action is necessary to restore him to his senses (Well, what little sense he had).