The Horror at Coral Bend

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About the Saga

The adventurers leave Obsidian Bay and its myriad threats to rescue a seaside village under attack by fiendish monstrosities from the sea.

Timeframe

Cast of Characters

  • Prug, Monk 2 (Robert), the half-orc monk, who comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable
  • "Dirty" Salsar, Fighter 2 (Nate), the human mercenary who is not above being above the law
  • Corash, Wizard 2, (Damon), the taciturn wood elf who is knowledgable in
  • Absalom, Druid 2, (James) an urban druid who worships Geshtai, usually gentle but capable of blood rage against those who threaten The Blue. And his little dog Malius.
  • Largo Leftpocket, Rouge 2 (Lance), the halfling rogue who is often absent, undoubtedly up to no good
  • Gruffudd Castlemaine, Paladin 2 (Jon), the hald-elf paladin who claims his human side
  • Thom Silverbow, Bard 2 (Ken), the generally ineffectual bard who has recently hit his stride

Notable Quotes

"It's Hot as Balls in Here" -- Largo

"I feel violated in a profane way" -- Gruffudd

"Hey Dog, did you see the size of that chicken?" -- Salsar

What Has Come Before

The party has found the thugs who disguised themselves as the scarred and tattooed hit men, and confronted them in the Broken Shield Tavern & Carberet. In a knock-down fight, the party defeated their foes, turning the one survivor over to the law. The secret gang known as The Breakers was dealt a serious blow this day.

The Saga

Harvester 5, 591

Off To Coral Bend

Prug is taken to the Temple of Zodal where his broken leg is healed by the clerics therein. In the meantime, Corash researches what type of dire crustaceans match the description of those that threaten the Coral Bend Community who has called for help. It seems they have monstrous purple and red crabs. Sounds like a job for, well, someone else. But still, the party decides they need an seaside vacation and go.

After Gruffudd mends the rest of the party's wounds, they board the Emerald Mermaid for the day long journey to Coral Bend. The guildmistress, Noldera Maborough, tells them to contact the one-armed mayor of Coral Bend when they arrive. They do not depart unseen, but at least the spy on the dock chokes on his Coppenhagen.

Corash becomes seasick aboard the ship, making it impossible to add a new spell from a scroll to his spellbook. Absalom lacks the athelas to properly treat him, so administers a scopolamine patch to his neck, to little effect. The druid is more effective at piloting the skiff from the mother ship to Coral Bend when they arrive at dusk.

Harvester 6, 591

The Remains of the Bay

The party finds the town surrounded by a makeshift barricade of upturned wagons, garrisoned by the townsfolk who have seen too many winters, or too few. The Coral Bend fishing fleet has been decimated, and two dock guards in ill-fitting leather armor greet them. One is named Njord.

The party learns that the small community has been decimated by Yellow Sail pirate slavers, and worse still, mutant crabs with multicolored legs and intelligence beyond that of the locals. The crabs probe the defenses and take the locals out to sea, alive and screaming. Up to ten attack at once, and they smell bad, don't burn, and are generally unwholesome, possibly poisonous, especially considering that the DM has purchased a book on the subject.

Mayor Gocken, the one-armed fisherman and long time ally of the Sunken Hammer Guild, is fat or muscular or something. Over six feet tall, Prug wonders if his sails are well-hung, so to speak. However, the party doesn't have time to find out, as Tomhnall, a cleric of Procan, picks a fight with the druid. Gruffudd tires to diffuse the situation with diplomacy. Salsar, Largo, Corash and Prug come to Absalom's aid, and the mayor stops the fight.

Gocken apologizes for the Tomhnall, who would prefer to drown virgins because they have crabs. He has mentioned that their cleric has tried to curse and cause fear on the crabs, but they seem to be resistant to magic, and smarter than the average bear. They are taking the townfolk alive. They attack from random directions.

Meet The Whatleys

Gruffudd suggests using a party member as jail bait, or having Largo dress up in the remains of the one crab killed by the townsfolk. Deciding that both of these courses of action were unwise, the party exits the stockade and sees a lone cluster of buildings where a few townsfolk are defending themselves. The family who live there are the Balsens, normally ornery and sullen, especially after their family matriarch, an "old witch," was carried off by the crabs. Curiously, they haven't been attacked since, despite their vulnerable location and lack of torchlight.

Salsar leads a short expedition to the Balsen's house. Once softened up by Tom the bard's adult sea shanty ("Shiver Me Timbers, Briny Wench"), the Balsens become friendly and serve up crab sushi, which turns out to riddled with purple fiendish streaks. And the Balsens are eating it. Hmmmm...

Crab Havoc, and Let Slip the Dog of War

The party gets back within the barricade in time for low tide and the onslaught of six crabs. Their shells are misshapen, bulging, and pulsating. They seem to be attracted by flame. Salsar was able to slightly damage one with his bastard sword, and Gruffudd finished it off with his great sword. Ooze and seepage discharged from the chitinous carcass. Prug approached from behind, and Largo from the flank, as Salsar was poisoned by a pulsating fiendish sea creature.

Corash entered the fray and even his sure-fire magic missile was barely able to penetrate the crab shell. Gruffudd delivered a critical blow to the abdomen of a second foe, without slaying it. Absalom and Malius finished off their fiendish enemy, and Tom the bard used his dagger to good effect.

A feminine scream is heard while a surprise attack from the west comes though the wagon barricade, perhaps too easily. Almost simultaneously, the pulsating crab poisons Absalom, dropping and grappling him.

Prug used his flurry of blows to teach the sea creatures a lesson -- namely, don't make half orcs mad. Meanwhile, Absalom is taken to the home of Geshtai beneath the sea. A towns person is clipped in town, apparently not worthy of being taking alive. Gruffudd is exposed to the crab men's poison, but resists its crippling effects. Malius, the bereaved animal companion of the unconscious druid, crits the nads of the crab nearby.

Sea Witch Run. Run Witch, Run!

As the crabs retreat, the party takes their attacks of opportunity and Prug runs after Absalom, and the sea witch with tainted, twisited features, emerges from the sea. The witch speaks in a strange language at him, and then in common: "Ylerys will swallow your soul!"

Largo shoots his short bow into the surf at the witch, and Dirty Salsar drops one with his bastard sword, and Tom another with his rapier. Prug provokes the witch to take an attack of opportunity when charging into the waves to attack witch Balsen, who is disappearing beneath the waves, stunning her.

Corash continues to play them where they ain't, entering where the fray used to be with his owl familiar, Nightwing. In the meantime, in the surf, Prug strikes a confirmed critical flurry of blows (rolling two natural twenties in a row). Her ribcage shatters, but she still draws breath and also draws an evil, crackling serpentine dagger.

Largo charges and stabs a crab running off with a fisherman, aided by Salsar, Gruffudd charges the crabman coming up behind Prug, as does Maluis. And the combat continues ad infinitum.

Linda Blair with Seaweed Hair

Prug finally subdues and Shanghais the witch. Largo finishes the crabman who was carrying off one of the townsfolk as Malius the boxer dog continues to inflict death by a thousand cuts. Tom the bard continues to use his rapier to good effect as the last crab men flee in rout.

The unconscious witch's body is taken to the mayor's house. Her magical dagger, cloak, ring, and two potions are taken before she is allowed to awaken. She is heard to say, when not speaking Abyssal from the 789th layer of the Abyss, known as the Perils of Yrolgoth (as identified by Corash):

"My master is Ylerys, below the waves! He visits me in my dreams, showing me the vast seas, the unending ocean. You will pay when they return!"

"Already the seals weaken. His will cannot be denied forever. His power grows and the world is corrupted. You know nothing, nothing. Eat of the flesh and you will know. He gains power and spreads corruption."

The party ends the long night by gathering the crab men corpses and marking the shore where Absalom was last seen. In the morning, the Balsens were found to be gone, their tracks leading to the sea. Lastly, at the witch's house, a diary of sorts is found with ramblings about Ylerys, but also a scroll with information about how to brew potions of water breathing from seaweed they find in the hut.

Experience

  • Prug: 736
  • Corash: 736
  • Largo: 736
  • Salsar: 736
  • Griffud: 736
  • Absalom: 736
  • Thom: 736
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