From aboard the ships, the party does a circuit around the island.
A) A large pristine bay with white sandy beaches. At the far end (inland) the walls of a ruined fort are visible.
C) Rocky hillocks noticably devoid of plantlife on the otherwise verdant island.
D) A tall stone tower topped with battlements rises along the cliffs here. Two eyeless cyclops statues rise above these defenses, gazing sightlessly over the western sea. Above them, the spire continues upward, tapering into a giant crystal shard of pink quartz. At ground level, immense double doors, decorated in ancient glyphs, form the tower’s only entrance.
J) A dense, overgrown swamp stretches beneath this mile-long cliff. Colorful birds make their nests among the foliage, their mating calls reaching all the out to the ships at sea.
K) Huge stone pylons lead from the shore into the island’s eastern bay here. The broken beams and timbers that once formed a giant dock lie smashed between them, half-submerged in the water. Three giant-sized canoes and a catamaran lie beached on the sand nearby.
P) A mess of driftwood lies scattered and broken on these rocky
shoals, continually battered by the crashing waves. Seabirds
roost among them, their calls eddying upon the wind.
O) Thick growths of kelp, seaweed, and other aquatic plants float beneath the water’s surface here, choking the shoreline. The marine garden stretches nearly a mile in both directions.
"It would seem that when he said 'uninhabited', he was speaking only of the present," remarks Kal during their circuit. "Where shall we begin?"
"Let's check out those ruins near the bay."
"Works for me."
The ships lay anchor and the captains, officers, and a handful of other crew depart in three rowboats headed through the bay towards the ruins visible from out at sea.
Suddenly a rubbery tentacle as thick around as a man's torso shoots out of the water like a rocket and smashes the boat containing the novice pirates into smithereens. The men cry out in terror as they're thrown into the water with a splash and the shadow of some massive creature appears in the water below the surviving ships.
Chubwart levels his tiny bow.
"Quit crying and get over here", the goblin shouts at his floundering crew.
Bjorkus extends an arm for the crew as they swim towards him.
"I don't know what has tentacles like that but it's gunna be huge."
Not knowing what he was seeing, Luthor takes a large breath and dives in, bee-lining for the creature.
Kal reaches out as Luthor jumps in, but is too late to catch him. Instead, he hops over to the other rowboat and puts a hand on the goblin with a short chant.
As Luthor dips below the surface he catches sight of the creature - an enormous octupus nearing 20 feet across and tentacles 30 feet long!
The beast snaps at the approaching semi-ulfen.
Recognizing the spell, Chubwart drops his bow and draws his dagger as he dives into the water.
The monstrous mollusc snaps at the goblin.
The octopus's beak digs into the little goblin filling him with poison, Chubwart grows pale as the venom saps his strength.
Opal closes her eyes and beings to chant.
Bjorkus curses and dives into the water after his friends.
Bjorkus is bitten and poisoned!
***
The beast flails about with its tentacles slamming Luthor and Chubwart and holding them fast. Luthor manages to ward off the tentacles aimed for Bjorkus but the bull is bitten again.
Luthor manages to shout out a spell and with a burst of speed, Chubwart wriggles free.
Luthor will just take his full turn guiding the party to kill this giant tentacled beast.
Opal finishes her spell summoning a pair of silver dolphins with sparks bouncing off of their sleek hides.
She follows the summoning spell with a haste spell, filling her dolphins and her friends with supernatural speed.
Chubwart paddles into the flank and begins
The goblin's lightning quick bane-dagger carves massive wounds in the beast's side and a moment later, it goes limp releasing Luthor.
Kal helps haul the others back aboard, narrowing his eyes at the poison in the wounds. "Are you alright? We need to get those cleaned out."
Chubwart grows weaker but Bjorkus starts to shake off the poison.
Despite Kal's efforts, both patients get worse.
Bjorkus starts to hum a shanty.
"Come on, fight it!"
"They don't look too good, you sure you know what you're doing?"
Kal leans over to whisper the response in Luthor's ear.
The big minotaur eventually shakes off the poison without it doing any further harm. Despite Kal's treatment and a rousing song from Bjorkus, the poison does it's damage to Chubwart and soon the noble goblin is too weak to move.
"I had a feeling that was it."
Bjorkus frowns and lifts the weakened goblin.
"Is he going to be alright Kal?"
"Is he dead?"
"He's breathin' but his eyes are rolling around is his head and he isn't movin'."
"Let's get him back to the ship... at the least we're going to need time. I think I can help him..."
"That sounds really bad."
Bjorkus cradles the sick goblin as the party turns around and heads back towards the ships.
***
After the away team climbs back onto the deck, Sandara rushes forward.
"What happened?" she shouts at the sight of an immobile goblin.
"We saw a commotion but we couldn't make out what was happening."
"Giant tentacle monster did a number on the cap, he ain't moving. Can you help him?"
The beautiful pirate priestess frowns and examines Chubwart.
"It looks like poison, I think I can help."
Chubwart begins to stir.
"I'm sorry captain, that's all I can do for now."
"Let's see if these scrolls help," says Kal, pulling two from his collection.
A moment later, Chubwart is back in fighting shape.
"Thanks Kal. You do good work. If we ever trapped and starving, I eat you last."
Bjorkus rolls a burly shoulder.
"You got one of those for me Kal?"
A moment later, Chubwart is back in fighting shape.
"Thanks Kal. You do good work. If we ever trapped and starving, I eat you last."
"That's high praise."
Kal frowns and shakes his head. "That's it... I can help you overcome the damage for a bit, but I don't think I can remove it until tomorrow. We should probably keep a few more of those around."
Sandara gives a huff and then glances at the officers.
"Besmara as my witness, there's no sating you sometimes", she says with a wink at Bjorkus.
"Give me a few minutes and I'll do what I can to help."
***
A few minutes later she casts the restoration spell.
The weakness brought on by the octopus's poison looks at least partially mended and Bjorkus tests his strength.
"Sorry hun, that's all I can do. I'll ask Besmara for more tomorrow."
Bjorkus snorts.
"That'll do. Thanks", the bull offers the priestess.
"I'm ready to head back."
Kal nods. "Let's go, then."
"Me too. Let's head out."
The party is able to return to the rowboats and cross the bay without further incident. The rowboats are easily dragged up onto the white sandy beach.
To the north, a massive waterfall plummets from a high escarpment rising just above the treeline. The white stone walls of a seaside fort gleam on the western shore. A single tower reaches skyward from the fort, crowned with a torchlike fixture of dazzling crystal.
To the east a crystalline stream can be seen that feeds into the bay.