Session Note 3: Reefs of Bone

    Rushan overheard what Noxen said. Where was the nixie and her suppoused underwater scouts? He jumped off the side of the ship into the water to see what she had to say for herself. He peered all around the water, having not paid attention to his surroundings a great deal during his focus on hunting sharks and tuna, then repeling the Kou-toa attackers.

    He inhaled deeply of the seawater in surprise. The ocean floor was not far below at all! Instead there was a reef of pale white and pink coral a mere 35 feet or so below the surface. The coral stretched toward the surface like thin, boney, pained, clawed hands. Had the ocean been anything but calm, this reef would be a major hazard! Indeed, he could see the shattered remains of several wrecked ships scattered around the reef.

    But what drew his gaze the most was motion. There! He saw a pair of strong Kuo-toa hauling a net that contained the nixie in it! The struggling nixie disappered as they entered a cave, and amazingly, a clever door made of stone and coral swung up into place, perfectly blending in with the rest of the reef! "What is this?" he said to himself, "These Kuo-toa are so-fish-ticated!" 

    Back on board the Windscreamer, a cry goes up: "This one is still alive!" Uruk, Garrison, and Zafirah hurry over to a Kuo-toa that was knocked out during the fight. And good thing, too. The angry crew are kicking and beating the fish-man viciously. A few drew their knives and looked at its neck.

    "Hold!" yells Uruk with a trembling and terrible voice, "Dishonorable dogs! Don't be rash now!"

    "He has a story to tell us. He may know how to return some of the crew that was taken underwater - if they still live," Garrison said loudly, but in a friendly way. He glanced in annoyance at the Orge for the dog slur, though...

    The combination of intimidation and diplomacy works, and the grumbling crew step back to let them surround the groggy fish-man. Uruk takes a waterskin out and pours some water on the face of the Kuo-toa. It's bulbous eyes begin to flutter and it makes spit-bubbles.

    The crew is being ordered about by Captain Tranio and Venchenzo. Wounds are being tended and blood is being cleaned up from the deck. Some men are still working on carting tuna forgotten during the battle down to the kitchen, by the commands of Old Mother Griggs and Timmy.

    The odd thing in the aftermath of the battle is Tundor and his expedition members. They are rushing about in excitement! Why would they be excited to be attacked? Alba and Ozzy get close to some of them to see what they can learn. 

    Ozzy follows Bianca and the gnome is ordering men to: "Break out and assemble the diving bell! And bring me the diving suits! Now, curse you! While there is still daylight!" He overhears another group of scholars talking about: "Kuo-toa are amphibians! They wouldn't be out in the ocean with no land in sight! This is extraordaniary!"

    Alba is walking right behind Tundor as the man is muttering to himself. She overhears much more than she might normally due to a lull in conversation and the way his voice carries. Tundor says, "The map was right. It was right! The Reefs of Bones! I didn't think they would be underwater... No matter..." He looked up to the sky as he continued, "May this place lead me to the Temple of Krill'thak. I'm so close..."

    Zarek was using rags to try and clean all the fish oil off of himself. He muttered, "How did it get in my ears? My ears? I never thought to be slapped in the face with a fish. When I find my clan, I will tell them of this: slapped by a fish to the face - now I am a man." He chuckled to himself as he saw that his sister overheard him and was laughing as well.

    Disturbed by what they overheard from the expedition members, Alba and Ozzy return to the group who are collecting around the moaning Kuo-toa captive. Rushan clambers aboard and they all report in low voices what each has discovered. 

    While they talk, a crude clank of a diving bell was being slapped together. It did not look very sea-worthy. Captain Tranio and Tundor were having a loud arguement in the middle of the deck. The Captian wants to leave, while Tundor is insisting that they would not; that this place was exactly what he was looking for. Eventually, the Captain agrees to drop anchors, but once he sees that the ocean floor is so shallow, he says he'll steam away if the weather turns. Tundor agrees to this and things quiet on the deck.

Interogation

    The quiet conversation of the party surrounding the Kuo-toa is interrupted by the sudden thrashing of the captive as he comes fully to.

    "No!" he blubbers wetly, "You bust let me po! And leave at once! Angry Bistress Bylassa will kill you all! She will release the Lev'neck to eat you! Flee!"

    Uruk gives him more water. The Orge seems to be trying to help him recover enough to fight again! Garrison takes a different approach.

    "Bistress Bylassa? Do you mean Mistress Mylassa?" Garrison begins.

    "That what be said!"

    Garrison draws himself up and growls. "Why did you attack us? And what's a Lev'neck?"

    "Bistress cobbands that we attack. And it's a Lev'neck. You know? Bip, swims, has bany teeth. About the size of ship."

    "Why did you take the nixie?" Zarek interjected.

    The Koa-tou shrugged, sending out a waft of rotting fish odor. "We catch people. Bistress uses them as slaves. And eats theb. Be no want to speak of it. The Bistress has eyes everywhere." The fellow shuddered and the reek of rotting fish grew stronger. He cast his bulbous eyes about as if these 'eyes' might be watching him at the moment.

    Garrison suddenly seemed nochalant. He leaned against the wall and started licking one hand. "Well, I could always go tell the Mistress that you did speak of it. That you told us all her secrets and things. I wonder what she would do to you then?"

    The Kuo-toa went utterly white and it's open mouth twitched for a second, then it fell on the deck face-first with a very wet and loud sound. Splat! He began wailing in fear and horror while reaching his hands out to Garrison's feet.

    "Oh, no-no-no-no! Ribbit tells you anything if you not do that! Please!"

    Garrison softly pushed the reaching hands away with the toe of his boot with a grunt. "I suppose that if you tell me what's going on, I could keep it to myself and the Mistress wouldn't find anything out about you. Ribbit, was it? Yes, she'd be interested to know your name, wouldn't she? I might make a song about you with your name in it."

    "Nooooooo!"

    "If you talk to me, I'll make the song about you, but not share it with the Mistress."

    The Kuo-toa stopped wailing and turned one eye to Garrison. "Be be fabous?"

    Garrison nodded and pat his hurdy-gurdy with one hand. The Kuo-toa rose to his knees and looked hopeful.

    Ozzy watched Garrison manipulate the Kuo-toa with admiration. Nicely done. He asked a question to the compliant-looking frog-man: "Every heard of the Temple of Krill'thak? Apparently, it's here somewhere."

    Ribbit looked thoughtful. "There are places that the Bistress won't let us po anypore. One is called the Lung of Krill'thak. Baybe that the tebple you talking about?"

    "And what will the Kou-toa do with our friends? The ones taken underwater?" Garrison asked.

    "Be not know exactly. Baybe take theb to the prison? They not come back - that for sure. Bistress probably eat theb."

    "And what is the Mistress like? Is she one of you? A Kuo-toa?"

    "Oh, no!" Ribbit said with a shudder that sent waves of rotting fish scent outward. He fell to his face in fear once again. Splat! The wailing continued, "Be not know what she is! Looks like an uply human! Terrifying! Yellow skin, warts, open sores, dispusting hair, she calls down evil powers, and her eyes... Everytibe be try to look at her, be... be..." 

    Ribbit vomitted messily all over the deck which caused a horrible odor of rotting fish to go out in an almost-visible wave of stench that made the earlier smells seem like roses. Then he slapped himself back down on the deck, right in the puddle of his own sick. KER-SPLAT! Everyone made exclamations of disgust and stepped away from the flying droplets of vomit.

    "A sea-hag, And one that sounds like a cleric," Uruk said with a knowing nod. Many others in the group nodded in agreement.

    "How can we get into the caves?" Rushan asked.

    "Be draw you bap?"

    Garrison nodded reasonablly. "Yes. A map would sufice. Once you have drawn us a map, I will let you go."

    Ribbit was given some paper and drew a map quickly, explaining what places were as he did so. There were air pockets drawn onto the map, which seemed impossible, considering how deep the caves were. Several party members whispered about what kinds of natural or magical things might allow such a thing to be.

    Once the group is satisfied that they have wrung all the intel out of Ribbit that they could, Uruk picks him up and tosses him overboard with a yell: "Regain your honor in 12 easy steps! I can get you a pamphlet if you'd like!"

    The Kuo-toa gleefully shouts before he hits the water: "Ribbit escapes! Ha-ha!"

    Many of the crew are angry and grumbling that he got away. Mummers of "Fish-lover" and "Frog-lover" are heard. Uruk glares at those who would dishonor the agreement made. Even Garrison is a little miffed. "I only promised that I would let him go - I didn't say anything about anyone else."

Plans and Agreements

    The construction of the diving bell was unfortunately nearing completion. It really would be better if there was a lot more work to do, since it looked very fragile and leaky, despite being of a good size. Many of the crew were shaking their heads and looking at the members of the scientific expedition with pity and asking if they could have their stuff once they drowned. The air pump and motor to raise and lower the thing was noisly started in jerks and pops. Thick, nasty-looking coils of cured sheep intestines were arranged nearby - hoses to breathe through? Gross.

    As the reality of what going underwater meant sunk in, more and more folk started making excuses as to why they couldn't possibly participate. Alergic to sheep. Forgot to write important notes. Sprained hands. The excuses seemed endless. Tundor and Bianca were looking iritated and upset as they donned their diving suits.

    There is much discussion and wrangling before it is discovered that none of the crew or scholars want to delve the depths. Tundor turned to the party.

    "I find myself needing to hire some real  adventurers who are brave and willing to go into the caves. You'll do."

    "Really?" sniffed Zafirah, "At what rate of pay?"

    Tundor waved a hand lazily. "It doesn't matter. Make me an offer."

    "100 gold each."

    Tundor nodded absently as he tightened straps of his diving suit. "Fine. 100 now and 100 for each when we return. There is not enough room for all of you inside the diving bell, so many of you will need to only keep your heads inside. Let us go."

    "Um," Zarek and Ozzy said at the same time. Zarek continued: "We can't swim well and you only have three diving suits."

    Tundor sighed. "I am surprised that you have come to the sea so unprepared. I'll tell you what: Binanca and I both have magic rings of water-breathing. We will share them amoung the group so that all can take breaths while the others hold them. In this way, none will risk drowning. Is it acceptable?"

    Rushan laughed, showing his teeth. "I do not need such things. I will go scout now." And with that, he dove over the side of the ship.

    Alba, Noxen, and the Starlight Druid all agreed to stay dry on the ship. They had no interest in being part of the first exploration of the underwater reef, but said they would act as a reserve force to join later if needed.

Scouting

    Rushan found the map so hastily drawn by Ribbit to be fairly acurate. He swam slowly and quietly, keeping to shadows. The light faded quickly inside the caves, but he could see quite well underwater so it wasn't an issue.

    It only took minutes of careful swimming to find the large opening to what Ribbit had called the Lair of Lev'necks. The roundish opening was covered with glowing mushrooms, which made it hard to hide nearby. Rusahn saw and smelled nothing threatening down there. There were some strange smells of creatures below him. The Lev'necks, perhaps?

    He swam up a different cave tunnel and soon his head found the air pocket that housed the Prison. He could hear some wet voices that must be Kuo-toa and his face brightened as he heard other voices. The crew? The nixie? Crying about the dark and almost drowning? He couldn't tell exactly. But someone from the ship was here. He silently slipped back underwater. Once there, he noticed something odd. 

    The air from the pocket above was pushing down. Small streams of bubbles forced their way down the rocks and then back up the tunnels to the surface. Interesting. There was more air being forced into that pocket - it was not just a stale batch of trapped and fetid gas - it was being refreshed somehow. More than this, the air pressure was acting to reduce the water pressure somehow. That was not normal at all.

    But in terms of the cave map, it appered that Ribbit had told them true. He was impressed with Garrison's handling of the creature. He swam back to report, just as cautious as he had been coming down.

Diving Bell

    Soon the diving bell was in the water, with most everyone in the party hanging onto the bottom lip, with just their heads inside the air pocket of the bell. A steady, rythmic hiss blew mutton-scented air that had hints of oil and smoke in it. As the bell lowered below the surface it was surprizing how few small drops of water leaked from the seams and bolts.

    Tundor sat at the controls, but he had to bang on them repeatedly to get the winch on the deck of the ship to start working. The party looked at one another nervously.

    Rushan swam around the outside of the diving bell, poking his head in periodically to report the depth. They were heading straight down into the cave entrance that he had scouted. Uruk jerked as he realized something.

    "I'm going to hit the bottom first," he said while looking down. "My legs are longest."

    "Not enough room in the bell for you, tall one," snorted Bianca. "You'll need to bend your legs or something."

    Tundor shook his head. "I'll stop the bell before it becomes a problem."

    But when Uruk cried out that his feet had hit the cave wall at an angle, Tundors banging on the controls did nothing! A horrible and ominous grinding and gonging sound assaults everyones ears as the diving bell begins to slide and bump its way down the cave wall. Everyone is screaming, moving away from the cave wall to avoid being crushed, and Ozzy and Min look like they are going to pass out as their sensitive ears are damaged.

    Uruk and Rushan try to push and walk the diving bell away from the angled cave wall. They succeed in moving the bell away periodically, but it swings back down and slams into the cave wall again and again. BONG! BONG! CRUNCH! BONG!

    "Arugh!" yelled Ozzy.

    "Why?" screamed Min.

    "Stop the bell! Stop the bell!" Everyone was yelling at Tundor.

    Tundor banged on the controls, moving levers back and forth as smoke and grinding noises emanated from the control bank. "I'm trying!" he responded with a look of agitation on his face.

    The commotion and yelling in the bell, the popping of two bolts which bounced around the inside to more frantic yells, the sounds of metal groaning, the tilt of the bell which allowed some of their air to escape to the surface, and the churning water which was suddenly quite opaque with dirt and silt scraped from the wall made for a hellish scene.

    Tundor eventually opened up the control panel, plugged something back in, and stopped the diving bell. It had been a tortuous 30 seconds. Everyone was quiet once the diving bell stopped moving. Water sloshed noisily in the silence. Tundor shrugged. Bianca did a face-palm.

     Ozzy and Min held the sides of their heads and winced. Min was actually crying. Zafirah looked at them sympathetically. "I'll bet you two have a couple of mean headaches," she said.

    Min nodded. "That was de-mean-ing."

    Rushan poked his head into the diving bell. "We are much deeper than expected. The diving bell looks scratched up, but not badly damaged. We should be able to get to the air pocket of the prison with a much shorter swim. It is only about 40 feet from here." 

    "Looking on the bright side, eh?" Ozzy muttered while shaking his head to clear the ringing in his ears. Rushan nodded happily.

The Kuo-toa Prison

    Swimming 40 feet in pitch darkness was not as easy as Rushan made it sound. Verdi, Garrison, and Zafirah all had to be dragged to the surface of the air pocket by some of the others, sputtering and gasping. Verdi was the worst - he kept swimming in the wrong direction and had to be snagged by Rushan more than once and turned in the right direction - after which the pixie would promptly start bumping into the wall and flailing about. Uruk is surpisingly elegant in the water and helps those who can only doggy-paddle, like Garrison.

    As Rushan had reported, the water and air pressure were not terrible. Zarek shook his head to cast the water from his hair and noticed a steady, if weak, breeze. Where was that coming from? Uruk's volumous pants were filled with water and he looked rather silly with legs three times are fat as normal, but the water soon drained out. Garrison shoook himself, dog-like, getting everyone wet again. Many glared at him. Garrison was dry and looked happy.

     They were at the edge of the water on a stone ledge. Steps, cut into the rock led upwards. The chamber was barely lit by some glowing fungus - about the same brightness as a full moon. Above them, a large building was built. They could see that it had decks that rested on silts, so that part of it hung over the water.

    Despite some of their gasps for air, slipping on wet rocks, curses, and kissing of the dry ground (done by Verdi), it was unlikely that anyone had heard them. This was because they could clearly hear the nixie shrieking and carrying on like a tiny banshee.

    "I'm drying out! I'm parched! So... dry... No. Wait. Leave me alone!" There is a loud splash. "No! Not fresh water! Yuck! That's no good at all! Ow! Ow! Stop it!"

    Zarek adjusted his weapons. "What vile things are they doing here? I want to sneak in and see," he said.

    Ozzy holds up a hand and wiggles his ears. "Let me listen first. Everyone be quiet, my hearing is exceptional."

    There are some looks of doubt, but the party grows still. Ozzy listens intently for a few moments with his eyes squeezed shut. Then he nods and opens his eyes to report.

    "There are three Vinci in there. Two sound like they are in shock and one is crying softly and talking about how he'll never see the sun again. The nixie is in a hanging metal cage - it's swaying on a creaking metal chain. There are three Kuo-toa facing the cage and poking the cage and the nixie with tridents - I can hear the metal shafts of the trident's vibrating like tuning forks. The guards have their backs to us."

    Everyone is silent for a moment.

    "You heard all that?" Tundor asked.

    Ozzy waved one hand in a throw-away gesture. "No big deal. I've got good ears."

    Everyone was quiet for another moment, trying to hear what Ozzy did.

    "I can hear the chain creaking to the cage," Uruk said with surprise. "I wouldn't know what it was if you hadn't described it, but I can hear it. Amazing." He looks at Ozzy with admiration.

    Verdi disappeared and flew upwards.

    "If their backs are facing us, we can sneak up there and kill or disable the gaurds," Garrison said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's go."

    "Hold a moment," sputtered Uruk indignantly. "You would strike a foe in the back? Where is your honor? I refuse to participate in such a wretched plan."

    "You would throw away our advantage and risk the lives of the men and the nixie?" Garrison asked with a hint of a growl in his voice.

    Verdi appeared again, giggling. "I made some magic vines and caught one of them. I got the vines right in his mouth so he didn't even make a sound. It looks hilarious; come see!"

    "You did what?" Zafirah hissed.

    "The other two fish-men didn't even notice. They are too busy poking at the nixie," Verdi sniffed.

    "And you left her?" Zafirah said angrily.

    "Let us go and declare that these Kuo-toa should surrender or face us in battle," Uruk said, drawing himself up.

    "Fine, let me use some battle music to get us ready," Garrison said.

    "What? And have an unfair advantage over our enemies? How could you suggest such an act?" Uruk said, glaring at Garrizon.

    Many of the party groaned. Binaca hefted her huge firearm and shook her head. "Seriously?" she asked.

    "Honor is very serious," Uruk agreed.

    As the conversation and arguement went on, ever increasing in volume, some members of the group were shushing the others. To no avail.

    "You do not need to listen to my song - then it's magic will not effect you," Garrison grunted.

    "Perhaps I shall."

    "Actually, my magic music only effects my allies. Perhaps you are not one?"

    "Perhaps not," grunted Uruk.

    "Fine. I'll sing about how you are a coward, then. Unwilling to fight or rescue the helpless."

    "You dare--!"

    There were some bubbly sounds of surprise above them. Everyone looked up. Two Kuo-toa faces peeked down at them with huge, wide eyes.

    "Get them!" yelled Zarek, drawing his swords. The sounds of weapons being drawn and firearms being brought to bear echoed through the cave.

    "Get them? No!" shouted Uruk in a terrible voice, "I want to kill them with honor!"

    With squeaks of fear, both the Kuo-toa threw their tridents to the ground. "We surrender! We don't want to die with or without honor!"

    "Hrumpf," Uruk said with a disappointed scowl as he folded his arms.

Learning About the Reefs

    The Vinci crew that had been captives are amazed and thank everyone in the group profusely. Zafirah and Zarek release the nixie from her cage. Without a word of thanks, she zips away and slapshes into the water.

    Zafirah shakes her head. "What a little brat!" she exclaims.

    Rushan takes the three Vinci crew and swims them up to the diving bell, and then to the surface. Once the sailors see the sun and the Windscreamer, they slap Rushan on the shoulders and tell him that they are his friends for life. The men and women on the ship raise up a cheer and even Captain Tranio yells out that Rushan is a good man. As Rushan swims back down to the others, he weeps inky tears of joy - there are some dry-landers that do not hate him? It is amazing!

    Meanwhile, the three Kuo-toa are locked up in the place of the sailors. The one who had been entangled with vines by the pixie is insulting and breathes out threats.

    Garrison steps up to handle the interogation. He begins be kicking and punching the Kuo-toa who is making threats and disparaging remarks, beating him with wild abandon. Uruk has to be held back by the others, but Garrison doesn't stop ruff-ing up the fellow until the fish-man is throughly bruised and bleeding. Garrison lets out a heavy sigh and turns to the other two prisoners who were looking utterly stunned by the beating of their fellow. 

    "Now," he began in a matter-of-fact tone of voice, "Who wants to tell me what I want to know and who wants to get a good beating like this guy?"

    The Kuo-toa fall all over themselves in speaking and sharing up what secrets they think the crazy bulldog wants to know. Both fall face-first on the cell floor in prostrated humility. SPLAT! SPLAT!

    "Stop that. Tell me how to get to the Mistresses lair quickly and safely?" Garrison asks.

    "You want to... go to the Bistress?" one asks.

    "On purpose? But, she's so scary!" adds the second.

    The beat-up Kuo-toa snarls, "Don't tell theb anything!"

    "Be silent," Zarek said quickly, "or I will put a saddle on you, ride you around the room, and call you Trigger." The Kuo-toa all blinked at each other in worry and fear - not knowing what kind of threat this was, but not liking the sound of it.

    Garrison didn't even warn him. He hauled off and kicked the recalriant Kuo-toa right in the face. He feel silent, but his fellows starting talking even more.

    "The Bistress will not let us worship Bibliobloop - only her and her pods of evil and bagic! We are cursed for abandoning the deity of our ancestors!" wailed one of them, holding his face to the floor.

    The other Kuo-toa stood up and tried to gather his courage as he spoke. "The Bistress has control over the Reefs of Bone. She will kill you and pick her teeth with your bones. There is no safe way to 'get to' the Bistress."

    Garrison looked at the standing Kuo-toa thoughtfully. "So? How open would your people be in aiding us in bringing down the Mistress?"

    The beaten Kuo-toa moaned, "No! You fools! You doob our people!" Garrison made to kick him in the head again, but Uruk made an indignant sound and he nodded in aquiescance and forebear the extra kick.

    Ignoring the mutters of the beaten fellow, the standing Kuo-toa first bent down, picked up the one writhing on the ground, and slapped him full in the face.

    Zarek pointed at them. "Hey! I got slapped by a fish in the face, too!"

    The Kuo-toa seemed to have gathered his pride and courage. He said, "I am Squart Puddles."

    "You squirt puddles?" Garrison asked in a monotone.

    "I Squart Puddles."

    "Squirt?"

    "Squart!"

    Garrison held up his hands in a placating manner. "Very well, Squart. Continue," he said.

    After a moment of grumbling about how others mispronounce his name all the time, Squart said, "I happen to be related to and know some powerful friends. Baybe, what you say could be supported. I am related to the cheif. Cheif Boop. But if you want help from the Kuo-toa tribe, then we need more than be to talk to him." 

    "More than you?"

    "Yes. We need to talk to blacksbith for sure. Croat Darkscale has much influence in tribe. Oh, also we should get Nastra Forkfin to come. She is our cleric of Bibliobloop, even though we can't worship anybore. Yes. If all three of us go to the cheif with you, maybe Cheif Boop allow tribe to try to rebel."

    Garrison ticked off the names on his fingers. "Croat, Nastra, and you - Squirt, was it?"

    "Squat," suggested Zarek.

    "Wart," offered Zafirah.

    "Squart!"