A Fishmas Carol

**A Fishmas Carol** is the 7th Oxventure episode, in which the Guild investigate some strange disappearances.

## Synopsis

A mysterious visitation leads the Oxventure crew down an adventure hole to a town plagued by sinister disappearances, and they try to find out just what the heck is going on in this spooky seaside burg. And as night falls the Oxventure crew square off against strange, kidnap-doing enemies. Their arrival raising many questions, such as, what is their deal? Can they be stopped? Why does Egbert smell that way?

## Summary

A few hours have passed since the events of the last episode. Dob, having tossed most of their hard-earned treasure into a lake, finds himself in the midst of a boisterous celebration at a pub with the Guild. Corazón, irritated with Dob's decision to throw away their winnings in a lake – a lake he can't even remember the name of – appoints Merilwen as the new treasurer of the Guild.

Amidst the revelry, an uncanny event shatters the merriment around Prudence. A dense fog, carrying scents of blood, seaweed, and other peculiar odors, envelops the patrons. Prudence's Guildmates, speaking in eerie unison, command her to journey to Tanner's Folly and "right the wrong," driven by an unidentifiable force. From the floor, a pit coated in slimy substance emerges, only for the patrons to snap back to reality moments later.

Prudence recounts the strange occurrence to her companions and suggests they leap into the pit. Uncertainty hangs in the air as they confront the tentacle-lined, slime-covered abyss. Fearing potential digestion over a millennium, they nominate Dob to be the test subject. After a precipitous fall, Dob eventually lands in Tanner's Folly. He hollers back that the pit is safe but recommends bringing a book for the descent. Emboldened, the others follow suit, leaving Merilwen to settle the pub tab.

Upon their arrival in Tanner's Folly, the Guild immediately detects a marked difference. The populace seems scarce, and the once sociable atmosphere has given way to an uneasy quietude. Dob proposes seeking out Alfred Strangetide to inquire about the unusual state of affairs. They locate him in a tavern called the "Rusty Callback," engaged in an animated discourse. Dob playfully lifts and twirls him around, though Alfred's awareness of Dob's presence only registers after an unexpected burping incident. Alfred warmly greets the Guild, albeit nursing a lingering annoyance over not receiving any payment from their prior joint adventure. He invites them to join him for a drink, downing his beverage before they can intervene.

Alfred unveils the mystery behind the stagnation of the Winter Solstice festivities – a surge of disappearances due to mysterious abductions. People have vanished, and the city is gripped by fear. He implores the Guild's assistance, met with their unanimous agreement, driven partly by Corazón's aspiration for a legendary tale. According to Alfred, the initial victims lived near the docks, while later victims hailed from progressively inland locales. Dob and Egbert conjecture sharks as the culprits, given the movement trend. Corazón furnishes Alfred with a map pinpointing the victims' residences, revealing their proximity to bodies of water. The Guild resolves to aid in the investigation, speculating whether this might involve a rival of Cthulhu or Cthulhu himself showcasing something extraordinary.

Setting their sights on the anticipated trouble spot, the Guild secures lodgings at "Franklin's Flophouse." They proceed to set traps and trick Dob into volunteering as bait. Corazón and Merilwen conceal themselves in Dob's room, while Prudence and Egbert take on the role of street patrollers. Night descends, accompanied by a mist that shrouds the streets. Egbert catches sight of a figure resembling a sword-wielding sea turtle somersaulting through the street, triggering a comical chase. Though Corazón and Prudence are obscured by the mist, Merilwen's keen hearing detects a presence scaling the wall. Acting on her warning, Corazón employs his beard-trimming mirror to surveil the surroundings, revealing a contingent of fishmen ascending the walls. Meanwhile, Egbert captures the peculiar sea turtle imposter, only to realize it's a urine-filled barrel, leaving him soaked.

Simultaneously, Prudence engages two of the fish-like entities, inquiring about their allegiance and objectives. They disclose their worship of Blibdoolpoolp: The Sea Mother, and their mission of vengeance. Prudence aligns herself with their cause, expressing willingness to assist. At that moment, Egbert reappears, recounting his urine-soaked mishap and inadvertently embarrassing Prudence. The mist parts to unveil another figure – a Chuul. Prudence engages it in conversation, allowing Dob to subdue two fish-men engaged in a kidnapping. Dob and Merilwen spring from hiding to bind the captives. The Chuul addresses Prudence in Infernal, revealing that an artifact was stolen from their temple. The Chuul laments the unheeded demands to retrieve the artifact, necessitating their resort to kidnapping as retribution. Acknowledging their cryptic and seaweed-based communications, the Chuul concedes the lack of clarity in their message. The Chuul offers a deal: locate the pearl, and the kidnappings will cease – at least until their paths cross again.

With the rescued victim frightened off by Dob and Merilwen's rescue efforts, the group convenes in their hotel room to hear Prudence's account of the situation. As Prudence proposes a lethal approach to securing the artifact, Corazón counters with the suggestion to ascertain the nature of the item before resorting to violence. Amidst the deliberation, Egbert appeals to Dob for help in dealing with his urine-soaked predicament, inadvertently resulting in Dob causing Egbert to wet himself again. Prudence engages the Chuul to extract information regarding the missing artifact, which is described as an "absolutely ginormous pearl" vanishing during a recent party.

After rousing Alfred, the group inquires about the pearl, to which he pleads ignorance. Alfred speculates that the culprits may be attempting to keep their crime under wraps, leading them to consider investigating a clandestine Thieves' Market located in the sewers. Accepting the Chuul's proposal to employ a fishman, whom they had inadvertently trapped, as a guide, they hope he can identify the pearl. The fishman, in a daze, only manages to utter the word "Iron" as his name.

An ingenious plan involving Corazón and Iron smelling the scent of humans on Corazón's person guides them to the elusive market, though their fragrant journey through the sewage leaves everyone reeking. Corazón capitalizes on the situation, selling his "Merilwen's Meatgrinder" t-shirts with unexpected success. Arriving at the market, they encounter a plethora of vendors peddling "massive pearls." Corazón employs Thieves' Cant to communicate with a vendor, ultimately extracting information about a thief named Katie Delacour, believed to be at the Twisted Harpoon tavern.

Inside the Twisted Harpoon, the group's peculiar appearance is met with repulsion yet curiously pleasant approval of their fragrance. Spotting Katie, Corazón engages her, masquerading as a "pearlman" with interest in her pearl. After a tense exchange, Katie reveals that the thief who led Corazón to her will soon meet his end. Reluctantly, she agrees to entertain their offer. Demanding eighteen gold bars, the others depart to retrieve the "payment." Alone with Egbert, Katie confesses that her crew members have been cursed since acquiring the pearl, fearing for her own safety. Egbert offers a potential solution to lift the curse. Meanwhile, the rest of the group employs Minor Illusion to feign a larger stash of gold bars, persuading Katie to show them the pearl.

Led through winding alleys, they reach Katie's dwelling. Iron confirms the authenticity of the pearl, and the exchange is attempted. However, upon inspecting the box, Katie realizes the deception, drawing her pistols in a rage. In a swift move, Dob employs the fake pearl as an improvised weapon, striking Katie's head and causing the hollow shell to become lodged. As Katie struggles to remove it, the Guild flees, with Corazón obstructing the exit. Iron finds the situation amusing.

The Guild deliberates the fate of the cursed pearl. While Dob expresses curiosity about the nature of the curse, Corazón leans towards caution, favoring relinquishing the artifact. The conundrum prompts discussion on their strategy for locating the underwater temple. A realization dawns upon Dob: Iron could serve as their guide. Dob appeals to Iron, urging him to consider the life beyond violence and kidnapping, though Iron's response remains noncommittal.

The group grapples with the challenge of underwater breathing, leading to a humorous but swiftly dismissed proposal by Dob to have Iron administer life-saving "kisses" at intervals. A more practical idea emerges: using a boat as a diving bell, assisted by sharks summoned by Merilwen. The sharks are willing to insist, but request the privilege of devouring Iron in exchange for their help, should he betray the Guild's trust, which Merilwen agrees to.

With the diving bell readied, the group submerges into the sea, guided by Iron. Sharks push the boat downward, leading them to the temple. Emerging from the water, they behold the tentacle-themed gothic structure, notably featuring a recent heroic Chuul statue. Iron leads them inside, arriving at an air pocket. A revelation surfaces as Prudence realizes the temple's previous dedication to Cthulhu, suggesting their mission to right a wrong involves a different entity altogether.

Corazón scouts ahead, observing the Chuul in the company of fish people. Amidst their deliberation, Egbert inadvertently praises the Chuul's leadership skills, sparking concern that he might defect to the fish people's cause. Iron's mime elucidates his people's history: discovering the temple generations ago, unaware of its ownership. The idea of converting the fish people to Cthulhuism emerges, a proposition endorsed by Prudence. Iron becomes the first convert, appointed as a bishop, entrusted with the task of converting his kin.

With the fish people unified, they confront the Chuul. Exposing his exploitation of religion for personal gain, they undermine his credibility, demonstrating his unfamiliarity with the god he purports to worship. Aided by magical means, they incapacitate the Chuul. A battle ensues, blending strategic combat with comedic interludes as Corazón employs Mage Hand Legerdemain to attack with an incense burner and Egbert inadvertently damages an altar, gaining favor with the fish people.

Prudence launches an Eldritch Blast, and the conflict intensifies when the Chuul counters with a powerful attack on Prudence. A climactic turn of events arises as Dob, assisted by Iron's cryptic incantation, employs Heat Metal on an arrow Merilwen had earlier shot to eliminate the Chuul. The fish people hail the demise of their former leader, commemorating their victory with a feast.

Prudence theatrically assumes a pose on an altar, declaring Cthulhu's approval of the feast. Corazón and Dob contribute to the culinary preparation of the Chuul, setting the stage for a celebratory feast. As the group unites in a prayer to Cthulhu, the candles burst forth, obliterating decorations associated with the usurper god. A joyful celebration unfolds, with the Guild and fish people partaking in the feast, marking a victorious and heartwarming end to their adventure and the winter solstice.

## Notable Events

* The Guild convert an entire society of fishmen to Cthulhu.
* The Guild meet Katie Delacour, and Dob shoves a pearl on her head, giving her the nickname Katie Pearlhead.

## Guild Hijinks

* Egbert chases after what he thinks is a ninja turtle, and gets covered in urine.
* Dob accidentally makes Egbert wee himself.

## Character Development

* Corazón makes a deal with Alfred and honours it when Alfred fulfils his half of the bargain.

## Trivia

* In part three of the adventure, when the guild were preparing to head into the underwater cathedral with the makeshift diving bell, Merilwen summons two French sharks to help guide them through the way, and while she speaks to them, she also compliments the sharks in French saying, "Tu es très beau" which translates to "You are very handsome/beautiful".

## Behind The Scenes Trivia

* The title is a play on "A Christmas Carol"
* Parts of this campaign may have been inspired by "The Shadow over Innsmouth" and other stories within the Cthulhu mythos.