Shanty will try to figure out what the uniforms may be, plumbing his brain for any recollection.

History?: 25

As per the usual, it took some time for Sandlot to finish his ruminations, so Gulp's question all but seemed to be ignored initially. Finally, he does speak of his findings, though still seemed half out of it for while longer. "... Long time... yes.... Time, it would take... to collect enough.... the war above.... Prime to collect.... But strange still, it is..." He admits. "If uniforms, there are.... and of only one side, it is.... cannot rule out involvement of.... one side, this one is sure... with help from below the waves..." Sandlot adds grimacing.

" But even not be, it is.... then likely it is that...." Sandlot trails off there, and eventually just shakes his head. "Know soon enough, we will... for now... Upward."

DM's Screen:

A moment of silence goes by while some party members study the field of corpses. Barnacle breaks it by announcing that he recognizes some uniforms, but has not happened to spot any from the Thayan side of the surface-dwellers' conflict. He ponders if there are any deeper meanings attached to that observation or whether they simply stopped to examine an area where no Thayan sailors had been gathered. Barnacle's search and comments prompt Shanty to have a closer look at the uniforms himself, but he finds no new information relative to that already shared by Barnacle.

A few more studious moments pass until Gulp checks on any other valuable information the group may have gathered. Sandlot concludes his analysis but seems to speak only in half sentences, leaving much of his conclusion in his mind. After Barnacle peers into the darkness and fails to spot any obvious sign of movement the group picks a path and moves ahead.

Swimming along the upward and narrow sandy slope located between two coral-engulfed ships is not an ordeal for the locathah. They follow this narrow passage for some 90 or 100 feet, before arriving at an area that is wider but delineated by yet more shipwreck remains. They arrive from the north, and the south wall in this chamber is made of thick coral growth. The east wall is completely barred by the broken side of a ship. The west wall would be very similar, were it not for a gaping hole in that ship-wall's structure. Through the opening, the party can see a much larger chamber beyond. Having only one path to follow, the group begins to enter this larger chamber.

Seated on a rough throne made of an odd arrangement of coral, bones, and barnacles, is a man whose right arm has been replaced entirely with a large metal claw, much like a crab’s. His body itself is covered with clusters of barnacles, and in his left hand he idly grasps the haft of an exquisite trident, engraved with images of waves, shells, and sea creatures. On either side of the throne sit two massive creatures that are a strange hybrid of both fish and large felines. They snarl in unison.

The barnacle-encrusted man speaks, clearly not surprised by the locathah visitors: “Please. Come forward that we might speak in a more companionable manner.” With that, the man gestures with his left hand and the coral in the chamber grows a seat for each of you to perch upon, should you so desire. “It has been too long since I’ve had a good conversation. Though your arrival is unexpected, your presence is much desired nonetheless. How can I help you?” 

Gl'Ulp gulped once and blinked. Twice. Closed his eyes and opened them again. The man on the throne did not disappear. He sighed watching the corals momentarily growing sits. "Guess we know how the ships died so fast." The monk unceremoniously sat on the offered coral bench (may be unwise but he had a feeling it did not matter whether they were standing or sitting - coral-overgrowing-wise. Gulp scratched his head and looked at the creatures on both sides of the monster with the trident. "Um... Right... Conversation. We kind of hoped to learn what is going on. With the storms and all, I mean. And with fish. And everything." Gulp was not the master of the words and probably should not have to jump forward. In his defense, he was very much surprised and a big deal confused.

Barnacle lets his gaze linger over the man's trident. Such a weapon would likely also have a name, someone with such a weapon might have valuable advice about giving a weapon a name...

"Would introductions in be in order? I'm Barnacle. My ol' da used to say it was because I was hard to shift! I hope you don't mind me saying, but your trident is a wonderful piece of craftsmanship."

Shanty looks taken aback momentarily, then shuffles forward a bit with an eager, almost maniacal look in his eye.

"Shanty.  I collect songs of the sea—perhaps you might have one to share with me?"

Persuasion: 21

"Oh, and er, if you have any idea what's causing this unnaturalness we'd be deeply in your debt."

Given what the 'man' has surrounded himself with (ie hundreds of corpses) Bubbles is not put at ease by the peaceful greeting and ramains standing and alert, only half listening to the conversation that ensues as he glances around for other threats (perception) whilst weighing the words for himself in relation to truthfulness 

Perception: 23 (threats)

Insight: 5 (crab-man) (about the right outcome for a Barbarian - only realises an enemy once it starts attacking)

The barnacle-encrusted man politely welcomes Gulp, the first of the locathah to take a seat, into his chamber. Barnacle and Shanty soon follow, and the man seems very glad to be receiving visitors. Bubbles advances some, but refuses to sit or to engage in conversation for now. Undertow and Sandlot take a few moments to decide how to approach the situation. 

The claw-sporting man listens intently to the many questions directed at him: "Ahh, yes. I like your curiosity. It is so good to be able to speak with inquisitive minds. Come on in. Come on in, everyone. Have a seat, please." He then turns first to Barnacle: "Oh, of course, introductions! Where are my manners? Well, it is nice to meet you, Barnacle. My name is Gar Shatterkeel. I was a man once, but as you can see, I have been blessed with many gifts from my two mistresses. And yes, this beautiful trident is one of them. It is called Wave, and it is a mighty weapon indeed. Strangely, however, it is not the first trident I have wielded. I used to wield a similar but verily different trident long ago. That one was called Drown. Have you heard tale of it?"

The name Gar Shatterkeel is well known to the locathah. According to the tale passed on from mouth to mouth, the name belonged to a prophet of Olhydra, the elemental Princess of Evil Water. He lead a cult called Crushing Wave on her behalf, and joined other elemental-based cults in an attempt to sow evil in Faêrun. As far as the locathah communities know, Gar was defeated along with the other cults' leaders by brave heroes of legend, and each prophet was banned to the home elemental plane of the deity they revered and served.

(OOC: Refresh your memory on what your character knows by reading the first post in this in-game thread.)

Turning to the flawlessly persuasive Shanty next, Gar looks somewhat nostalgic at the prospect of hearing or even joining in a sea shanty: "Well, yes, my dear Shanty. A fine art, though I am not a fan of the shanties usually associated with piracy. Nasty folk, the lot of them." He pauses and thinks for a moment: "Do you know the one titled Fare Thee Well?" A hint of cheer lights up in Gar's face as he begins to sing:

"We're going away to leave you now
Good bye, fare thee well
Good bye, fare thee well
We're going away to leave you now
Hoorah, me boys, we're homeward bound

So fill up your glasses for those who were kind
And drink to the folk we leaving behind

We're homeward bound I hear them say
We're homeward bound with eleven months pay

Our anchor we'll weigh, our sails we will set
The friends we are leaving we'll never forget"

It is only after the momentary merriment is over that Gar turns to Gulp's and Shanty's more direct questions. He shows no defensiveness or remorse in his words, and does not seem bothered should any locathah aim accusations at him. "Well, with Wave in my possession, I discovered and unlocked a node of elemental power deep beneath the waves. It happens to be directly under the shipping lanes of those who transport themselves and other valuables across the Sea of Fallen Stars, but that is of little importance. I opened a rift, drew on its power, and created a place where ships would be destroyed and dragged beneath the waves. I need the sailors, you see."

He stops there for now, perhaps seeking approval from his visitors.

@Bubbles: Perception-wise, the two feline-fish hybrids flanking Gar Shatterkeel are a clear source of danger. They are large creatures with both sharp claws and fangs. You have also noticed how easily Gar commands the coral around him, and you need no reminder that the entire mountain you are inside of is made of coral, apart from the wood from the sunken ships, of course. Insight-wise, Gar seems genuinely interested in what the group has to share and does not seem bothered if asked to share the information he holds. To be fair, he is being quite a good and polite host. 

That was Gar Shatterkeel! Gulp was not there when the man was banished but heard the stories, of course. Apparently, the banishment did not last. "How did you return?" Not the smartest question but Gulp was genuinely curious. He thought a bit and added: "What do you need sailors for?" The monk had a feeling, this man in front of him wanted to gloat because he knew they will die here and join his army of undead. But they were not dead yet and the more this monster talks - the more time they have to form a plan.

Say what you want about Gar Shatterkeel's history, the man knows how to name a trident. If he didn't have to focus for this...

Barnacle know he shouldn't do this. This is a bad idea and no good can come of it. And yet...

Taking a seat, Barnacle lets the others direct the conversation, preferring to observe things. Gar's claw, his way with his cat-fish, the way his hand flourishes as he speaks. 

(OOC Using know your enemy to gain an insight on Gar Shatterkeel's stats specifically his armour class and current hit point total. I cannot wait to see how hilariously outclassed we are.)

Sandlot refused to sit, but had at least like Bubbles drifted far enough inside as to avoid being separated in the tunnel. A fear that grew in his heart the moment the casualness by which Gar had arranged the coral to his whims. If possible though, he stayed a body or two behind Barnacle and Bubbles, suspecting gentility to turn to hostility at a moment's notice.

And like Barnacle, he'd been content to let others steer the conversation as the wished to in the moment, figuring much the same on needing a plan. Yet he wouldn't completely idle. During the depths of the shanty Sandlot made sure to have holy symbol in hand and held to his chest in prepardness to bond himself, Bubbles, Barnacle, and Shanty as soon as hostile action is taken by any side.

As the conversation begins, Bubbles does relax his stance a little, seeing that there is little he can contribute until things go bad

Barnacle takes a seat as well, despite what his inner voice tells him. Seeing that two of his companions have done so, Undertow also steps forward and sits down. Sandlot approaches too, but remains floating in the water. The fighter, ranger, and cleric independently decide to let the others guide the conversation for now, but neither Sandlot or Barnacle are idle. The cleric remains ready to invoke another blessing should things turn south. The fighter observes Gar Shatterkeel closely as the conversation develops, and soon enough is able to derive some combat-related information from the man's poise and mannerisms. 

@Barnacle:

Gar Shatterkeel continues to politely receive and welcome the party. When Gulp asks a couple of follow-up questions, Gar is more enticed to elaborate on the first of them: "Ah, then you know something about me already, if you know that I was... away for a while. Well, I guess my name may be somewhat infamous among all intelligent water life. After I found myself on the Elemental Plane of Water, I admit my first action was to rage in protest. My original masterful trident, Drown, had been broken, and the Crushing Wave cult sundered. I had no option but to face my first mistress, Olhydra’s displeasure. I was expecting to be destroyed by her wrath, but was astonished to awaken several years later, floating off the coast of Turmish in the Sea of Fallen Stars. To my further surprise, I gripped a trident in my hand, though it was not Drown. That's when I knew I had been blessed by a second mistress. I discovered that an ancient weapon had been gifted to me by the sea goddess Umberlee who, in conjunction with Olhydra, managed to reinstate me, their joint prophet, with power even more formidable than what I previously enjoyed. The seas and the storms that raged above now heeded my commands. But that was not the last of the boons I received. I was also now free of the original contract made with the other elemental cult prophets. I could seek success unburdened by any past commitments aside from that to the glory of my mistresses. Gazing upon my new trident, I looked for signs of the power that I felt surging within and was pleasantly shocked when the weapon spoke to me, “I am WAVE, and we are ONE!” it said, or so I heard in my head. Isn't it glorious. Isn't this the tale of someone truly blessed. How many folk have you come across that are favored by not one but two deities. I am destined to lead from my submerged throne." 

@Bubbbles: With your previous perception check, you also notice that the passage into the large room with the coral throne inside has now been blocked by a wall of coral. No other party member has noticed this. 

Barnacle sits back struggling to take it all in. Here he is, struggling to name his trident and Gar Shatterkeel has had not one, but two tridents with names! And the second one named itself!

Feeling obviously outclassed, Barnacle wonders why his trident has never spoken to him. It's probably because everything has been going so well that it hasn't had to... Yeah, that's it...

Although maybe there is something in letting the weapon name itself. There's a lot to think about in this naming business.

Catching himself up on the conversation, Barnacle interjects to ask some pressing questions,

"One, did your other trident ever talk to you? Do you think it's odd that mine has never spoken to me? Two, I'm guessing you don't get many guests down here, so it's nice to have this chat and I must say you're a very welcoming host, Gar. Three, and I want to emphasise my point about being a gracious host because this is lovely, but why do you need so many dead sailors?"

Shanty is beginning to grow more and more anxious as Shatterkeel continues talking, and turns around and begins muttering to himself.  Barnacle hears a message in his head.

Sandlot's grip on the symbol tightened at the mention of Umberlee, confirming his fears. And while for a moment the Locathah screwed up his face in brief contemplation, his eyes are soon squeezed shut with a shake of his head. "Twice..." He whispered mournfully as he slowly opened his eyes. "Freed and give a chance.... this one was.... and yet...." He muttered as he looked up to Gar with just a pitying look.

Then his face is screwed up in determination. Sandlot straightened out his back, and asked with an uncommon firmness to his tone. "These currents you wish to swim.... Would you not consider, this one would ask?" With that, depending on the answer, the aged Locathah would either release a blessing once more to empower his fellows, or... swim closer, intending to embrace what he believed to be a lost soul.

But ONLY if he Gar spoke true of his relinquishing his current plan would Sandlot dare to approach...

For a moment, while Barnacle contemplated the naming of tridents and Shanty prepared to send a quiet mental message to his fighter friend, Gar Shaterkeel simply continues his tale. You start to ponder if the mutated man happens to enjoy the sound of his own voice a bit too much: "As ship after ship has been destroyed by wind and wave, they have come to rest in close proximity to where I have encouraged the preternatural growth of the coral and other such sea life to create my new lair. From my aquatic home, I foment my plans to seek out and destroy all who dare to cross these waters without paying the proper tribute to Umberlee and Olhydra." He makes a brisk movement with his large crab-like claw as to show disapproval of something: "Unfortunately, my newfound power has drawn the attention of wizards of both Turmish and Thay. More fortunately, these two nations are so embroiled in their own conflict with one another that neither has the resources to devote to exploring this newly charted area of danger and undeath. Some of their ships continue to attempt the crossing, which plays into my plans, but some have begun choosing to chart a course around the area, avoiding it altogether for the time being. That will not do. I'll have to act soon or the window of opportunity will fade."

Lost in his monologue by now, Gar has either completely missed or purposefully ignored Barnacle's follow-up questions. Perhaps he is slipping in his gracious host role. Nonetheless, it is possible though that some of the answers were already offered indirectly, and Barnacle will have to make do with that.

Perhaps by chance, Sandlot times the delivery of his question a bit better. Either that or Gar chose to answer that one more directly, at least. "Do you mean reconsider?" He shakes his head from one side to the other and adds: "No. I cannot do that. Would you ask kings to renounce their power? One way or another I will gather the following my mistresses deserve, even if I have to invade the lands above with my army of undead!" Having heard enough, Sandlot releases his prepared blessing. Gar observes it and says: "Pitiful! You could all have joined me of your own will. But I guess your corpses will do just fine. But alas, my Sea Lions will have to take care of you. It is high time I collect the blood I need." Before the group can do anything else, Gar Shatterkeel simply melds into the coral beneath him and disappears from the chamber.

In the same motion, the entire room begins to be flooded with some kind of evil magic.

WE ARE GOING INTO INITIATIVE.

SHATTERKEEL'S CHAMBER - Initiative Round 1

• 20. LAIR 
• 18. Bubbles (101/101; orange) - Emboldened Bond (d4);
• 14. Gulp (74/76; pink) -
• 14. Shanty (67/67; blue) - Emboldened Bond (d4); 
• 13. Undertow & Riptide (91/91 & 55/65; green) - 
• 12. Sea Lions (x2) - 
• 12. Sandlot (75/75; cyan) - Emboldened Bond (d4);
• 11. Barnacle (93/104; red) - Emboldened Bond (d4);

MAP:

NOTES: The way you came in is now blocked {BR-30, BS-31}.

(LAIR Action goes first.)

LAIR ACTION

The strange magic filling the room takes root. Coral grows from spots nearby each locathah, trying to retrain them:

-> STR saving throw vs. a chamber-wide environmental effect similar to the Entangle spell {DC 18}:

• Barnacle: 23
• Bubbles: 24
• Gulp: 8
• Sandlot: 17
• Shanty: 17
• Undertow (Land's Stride): 12 (The module says the coral counts as a plant for some mechanics... go figure.)
• Riptide: 13

Sandlot, Shanty, and Undertow are locked in place by the sudden coral growth.

(Bubbles, Gulp, Shanty, and Undertow go next. Unlike the Entangle spell, if you are caught by the LAIR effect, you can choose to use your action to make either an athletics or an acrobatics check {DC 18} to try to escape it. The spell would normally only allow this attempt with a STR check.)

Shanty will use his action to try to wriggle out of the vines (Acrobatics), and then shout to Undertow,

"This magic has no hold on you, concentrate and free yourself!"

(Giving Undertow an inspiration)

Acrobatics: 7