Syzygy 006

Syzygy 006 - Under the Sea

> In which a very short battle is fought, and ancient evil is uncovered, and a love affair is revealed.
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The sixth episode in the Syzygy arc.

Previous Episode: Syzygy 005 - Nike's Huge 'Charisma Modifier'

The party, along with the crew of the Echidna's Revenge is met with several smaller boats manned by Tritons, who hail them and warn them that they should turn back, because the territory they are about to enter, the Gravestone Abyss, is deadly. The crew decides to ignore the warnings, heading on, as the tritons discuss how to divide up the crew's belongings after they are killed by 'that thing'.

Kodak and Guin continue their gambling spree, and Guin loses 20 gold to Kodak. After a few hours, Dell spots the spire, and the ship pulls up nearby. Guin is able to read the primordial carvings on the side of the spire and discovers that they must swim down to get the treasure. The crew provides the party with rings of water breathing for the journey.

As they're about to depart, they are suddenly ambushed by a pack of frog-fish creatures that are 'two corgis long, one corgi tall'. They dispatch them and Nike and Kodak jump into the water, Guin following after much persuasion. Thy boys have no trouble seeing in the gloom, and spot a glow in the waters below, but Guin has trouble navigating. While heading to the glow, a large dark shape swims around the party, then suddenly lights it anglerfish-style lure, illuminating its rows of teeth, and body the size of The Echidna's Revenge. Kodak grows Guin at the beast, who grabs on to its face, dealing 32 damage in one hit, killing the beast. The party harvests its teeth, and Guin ties the body to a rock structure and cuts off the lure, creating a lantern for her to see by.

The party finds the submerged entrance to the spire, finding that it has air inside. A spiral staircase leads to the top, where the party finds a pedestal with a shield atop it. Guin picks up the shield, and is briefly filled with rage, but manages to shake it off. The others find a door, but Guin opts to go back to the anglerfish, she hands the shield to Nike, who is briefly overcome by rage, but is stopped from attacking the crew by Kodak. Guin returns to the anglerfish, cutting it loose and riding its corpse to the surface.

The crew returns to land, and hand the shield over to Mike, who is taken in by the magic and attacks Helpless, however, Helpless manages to fend him off, and Mike recovers himself, and pays the party.

Guin decides to go shopping, and challenges a shopkeeper to a game of Liar's Dice over a pair of Bracers of Defense. Guin wins the game, managing to get them for free.

Back at the docks, Nira and Corus are expecting Nike to return with them to live on the ship. Kodak also volunteers to be a part of the crew. Guin is standoffish about this, but Mike soon steps in and offers jobs to the entire crew, promising that they can take jobs for him on the ship and still keep in touch with Nike, making this their new home base. As they part, Nike gives Nira the music box, and Corus the Elvish cookbook. Guin, while speaking to Kodak about this, discovers that Kodak has been corresponding with Steadfast Wigglesworth by mail, and has started a romantic relationship with him.

Next Episode: Syzygy 007 - Old Friends, Old Enemies