More frenzied monstrosities dwelled within the caves that until recently served as a Crimson Fleet hideout. As the party explored the passages, they could see their handiwork. Smears and splatters of blood were everywhere. Claw marks were gouged into the stone walls. Body parts that were ripped to shreds strewn everywhere. In the echoing distance, howls, shrieks, maniacal laughter, and cries of agony can be heard as a macabre symphony. Kraken's Cove had been transformed into a living hell... and it seems to have occurred not very long before the heroes' arrival.
At one point the investigators stumbled upon a cavern filled with cages. More smuggled animals and monsters, no doubt, except these had been disfigured by whatever unholy force twisted the rest. They pounded their malformed skulls against the bars and tried to reach the passing adventurers with a furious hunger. Some distance beyond the cavern of horrors, those with sharper ears could hear the sounds of battle up ahead. Could some sane creature still be alive within this pit of blasphemy?
Racing ahead, the group discovered a raven-haired pirate who was fighting off a half-dozen mutated humanoids. She was wounded, but had piles of over twice as many fallen foes as still beleaguered her. She spouted filth from her vulgar mouth and her blades whirled with blinding fury. She should have been hopelessly overmatched by her attackers, yet nobody in the party had ever seen a fighter like this woman was.
Before too long, the swordswoman and the heroes combined their skills to dispatch the rest of the creatures. After speaking with their unexpected ally, much information was learned:
- Her name was Captain Harliss Javell, former skipper of The Slippery Eel.
- Vanthus Vanderboren had been to Kraken's Cove just an hour or so ago. He attempted to steal a black pearl from her ship, but she stopped him.
- During the chaos, some of Vanthus's blood spilled on the jewel and the thing suddenly started to spew choking green gas.
- It cracked open and shortly after exploded. The resulting waves of energy created the horribly twisted creatures that tore Kraken's Cove apart.
- A few pirates resisted the change, but they were swiftly overwhelmed by the blood-lust of the others.
- Captain Javell had heard of Vanthus already and knew where he and his family lived.
- She sent her first mate -- a half-orc named Devoraz -- to head back to Sasserine to pay Vanderboren Manor a visit.
Javell, of course, had no inkling of the most recent events surrounding the Vanderboren family. But the first mate was already set on his course. He had his orders to kill Vanthus, and -- failing that -- to kill all of his loved ones as payment for his trespasses at Kraken's Cove.
The adventurers had to race back to Sasserine and hope they were not too late to save Lavinia!
DM Notes: The session's quote by a nautical mile was John's "no pick-up lines ever contained the word spelunk!"
