The Aboleth's Lair

Year: 1491, Month: Tarsakh, Date: 23rd

I climb carefully down the ladder, followed closely by Enya, Chello, and finally Celery.  

The magical light from my shield shows we are stood at the centre of a walkway which extends about seventy feet from one end to the other, protruding off of which are three walkways - one in the centre, and one at each end.  The two outer ones extend about forty feet, with a creature stood on either one at the far extent of each walkway.  The creatures either have not noticed us (although the thunderclap when we opened the grate was not quiet), or they are choosing to ignore us for the time being.  Enya says they look almost like they have been drugged.

The centre walkway protudes twenty five feet, to an area approximately twenty feet square.  Within the square there are four wheels, one in each corner.  Beyond the square, the walkway extends another twenty five feet and ends at a door.  The chamber drops down about thirty feet to a pool of water.  The water appears much cleaner than the sewage water in the level above. 

The creatures appear to be similar to humanoids, although much larger.  They look much like the paintings of Merfolk I have seen in Neverwinter, but different, as if they have been warped in some sick way.  Of course, I should have expected Chello to know what they are.  In her best lecturing voice she explains these creatures are Merrow.  She says the legend is that long ago a tribe of Merfolk found an idol of Demogorgon at the bottom of the sea. Not knowing what it was, they brought the artifact to their king. Everyone who touched the idol became afflicted with madness, including the king, who decreed that a sacrificial ritual be performed to open a gateway to the Abyss. The ocean turned red with the blood of slaughtered Merfolk, but the ritual worked, and their king led the survivors through the underwater gate to the plane where Demogorgon resided.  

The Merfolk of the tribe remained there for generations, fighting for their lives as Demogorgon's plane warped them completely, transforming them into hulking, evil monstrosities. Thus, the first Merrow were born.  Whenever an opportunity presents itself, the Prince of Demons sends Merrow back to the Material Plane to wreak havoc in the oceans. The Merrow are bullies, attacking all creatures smaller and weaker than themselves. From what she says, I will need to protect Chello from these evil monstrosities.  Unfortunately, the lecture doesn't stop there, and Chello gleefully explains that Merrow normally haunt coastal waters, preying on fisherfolk, merfolk, and any other edible creature that crosses their path. These savage monsters snatch and devour unwary prey, hauling drowned corpses back to their underwater grottoes to feed.

Once Chello has finished her monologue, I hear in my head a charming and distinguished voice, say, "Welcome friends, apologies for the grim surroundings, but if we go forward into this office we could have a friendly chat".  

"Where's your office?", says Enya.  

Again, in my head I hear, "There's a door at the end of the walkway".

We all turn to each other, confused about who or what is talking to us, and begin debating what our next course of action should be.  As we discuss what we should do next, we hear a loud clang, as the grate we came through closes, and metallic sounding noises.  I see the two Merrow are turning something, and large outlets open at either side of the chamber, and water begins pouring in. Is the being behind the mysterious voice, originally so cordial and friendly, now trying to drown us?

Chello moves to the nearest wheel, and begins to turn it.  The spiritual cat's claw appears once again, and strikes one of the two Merrow in the back.  I hear rushing water, moments before we are all struck by a huge tidal wave of water.  I lose my balance and fall from the platform into the churning water.  As I fall, three tentacles whip out from the water and try to strike me but all are harmless, either missing me, or are deflected by my armour.

As I flounder in the water, Enya turns the wheel nearest her.  Celery summons her spiritual Mace of Lathandar, which she directs to engage the other Merrow.  She grabs my arm, and hauls me out of the water and back onto the platform.  I get up, and move to one of the wheels and begin to turn it.  I have no idea why, but that's what my companions are doing.  I shout to my companions, warning them that there is some tentacled demon in the water trying to attack me.  Could this be the parent of the tentacled demon I intimidated on the Grand Dame?  What was it that Celery called it?  An Octopus.  Maybe it was a baby?

Chello turns the final wheel, although I don't know if our efforts to turn these wheels have had any effect.  The spiritual cat's claw swipes at the Merrow again, but just glances harmlessly off it's hide. 

Out of the water appears what looks like a three eyed lamprey eel with four tentacles waving about.  The eyes focus on Celery, and the tentacles strike out at her.  Although she dodges the first, the second strikes her.  She manages to keep her balance and duck under as the third tentacle finds only air.  The creature, whatever it is, then disappears back below the water from whence it came.

Enya moves to the wheel Chello turned, and turns it in the opposite direction.  Although water is still pouring in from the outlets, the water level stops rising.  How could that be?

The spiritual mace swings at the Merrow again, and makes solid contact with the Merrow, although it doesn't seem to notice.  Celery opens herself to Lathandar, and channels her divine power, and an explosion of light emanates out from her hands.  I can't see the creature in the water, so I start to move around the platforms towards one of the Merrow.  Unfortunately, the stones are slippey, and I fall face first onto the platform, but luckily do not fall into the water.

Chello moves to the door at the end of the middle platform, and scrapes her claws down the steel door.  I don't know if that has any effect on the over-sized Eel, but the sound goes right through me and makes me shiver.  Enya points shouting she can see the Eel, and a ball of bright red energy shoots out from her fingers, striking something, which I hope was the Eel.  The spiritual mace strikes out once more for the Merrow but misses. Celery chants some mumbo jumbo to Lathandar and a flame like radiance descends where Enya was pointing, but it sputters out when it reaches the water.  A tail suddenly whips out of the water and strikes Celery.

I stand back up, and keep moving round towards the Merrow, but slip over again after moving only about 15 feet.  This is not my finest hour.

Chello tries to open the steel door, but it is locked.  The spiritual cat's claw rips at the Merrow, but claws only air, even though the Merrow is making no effort to dodge or attack.

Celery seems distracted, as though she is seeing something we cannot see.  She shakes her head, as if clearing her mind, just as three tentacles whip out from the water towards her.  The first looks like it is going to strike a blow to the side of her head, but there is a bright flash of pure white light as the tentacle strike, and it does no harm.  The second tentacle again hits Celery, but she holds her balance, and sways out of the way of the third.

Enya hurls another mote of fire towards where the creature broached the surface of the water, which again seems to find it's target.  This is quickly followed by a bright streak flashing from Celery's pointing finger which blossoms with a whump and then a low roar into a huge explosion of flame and heat.

While all this is going on I stand back up, and continue making my way around to the Merrow.  I am a little frustrated that I can't manage to engage any enemy so far!

Another surge of water engulfs our group, pushing us all into the water with the creature.  The creatures tentacles emerge again, and this time attack Enya, hitting her twice.  Despite these blows, Enya manages to climb out of the water and back onto the relative safety of the platform from where she conjures an orb of fire which flies towards the creature and strikes it in its maw as it rises out of the water.

Celery's spiritual mace swings and misses the Merrow then moves back towards her.  The Merrow screams, and collapses on the floor.  Another fireball blasts the creature again.

I climb out of the water, and continue moving towards the wheel where the now dead Merrow is.  Chello climbs out of the water, shakes herself dry, and moves back towards the square area, but slips over again.  There's a loud noise of a bell tolling around the creature, and the cat's claw swipes at the remaining Merrow and rakes it with his claws.

As the creature approaches Enya, she summons yet another orb of fire, striking the creature squarely between its eyes.

Celery swims towards the creature and touches it, and I am almost in reach of the wheel to see if I can stop the inrushing water. 

Chello stands back up, just as another tidal wave hits us, knocking Chello back into the water.  I get a feeling of indignation emanating from the creature, almost as if it is being beaten by a harmless group of annoying gnats.  The creature's tentacles thrash out once more at Celery, who is knocked unconscious by the onslaught by the flailing fish arms, before it disappears once more below the surface and out of my sight. 

A shimmering hand appears by Enya, and glides towards the wheel opposite, whilst Enya moves towards Celery.

I finally grab the wheel by me and turn it as fast as I can, stopping the water flowing in from one outlet, i turn and quietly speak the incantation for misty step, teleporting me across the waterand back onto the centre square, and back to where the action is.

Chello climbs out of the water, moves across the platform to its opposite side, and jumps back in where Celery is floating listlessly.  She reaches out and touches Celery maybe to heal her in some way.  She ties a rope around Celery and throws it towards us.

Enya's magical hand continues to glide smoothly over to the other wheel and turns it, stopping the last outflow of water from entering the Chamber.

Chello's rope flies straight at me.  I nonchalantly grab the rope, but it evades my grasp and lands back in the water.  "Catch it next time!" she shouts to which I retort, "Throw it more accurately!".  Wink.  Chello throws it again, and this time I catch it (this was a much better throw!) and i pull Celery to the platform where Enya helps me to drag her out.

Where's that monstrosity gone?  What a chicken monster, running away - where's the honour in that?  It didn't give me chance to vanquish it in the name of Tyr.