Harpoons and Piranhas: A Rather Intense Scuffle for the Marid’s Sanctuary, Sorry! | Jan Teschner

Kenver Shoreline, Underwater Marid City — So sorry to interrupt your day, but the group sort of set sail from Embergable Forest, looking quite proud of their new sail, eh? Their trip was a bit of a bother when a tiny lifeboat carrying Dingo, that lovely Traveling Bird Barbarian, popped up and joined us. Truly sorry, but things took a bit of a turn when the Coast Guard - led by Fawkes, Justine, and an elderly officer under Commander Colin’s orders - started following us like a player on a breakaway, eh? Since the currents were a bit too much for them, the Coast Guard had to politely turn back, though they promised to report us to their commander, which is quite awkward, sorry. After escaping the Coast Guard, we arrived at a mysterious island where two shark folks emerged from the water. It was a bit hard to chat at first, eh, but we managed to trade some coconuts for water-breathing algae - if that's alright with you - and the shark people used hand signals to invite the crew down under. Mad Matt was a bit skeptical, eh, but we decided to give it a go and trust our new guides.

The Sunken City and Queen Tyra’s Very Polite Request
Beneath the waves, we were quite taken aback - pardon us - to find an underwater city inhabited by the Marid, who are often mislabeled as scary killers, which is just not fair at all, eh? We met with Queen Tyra, who mentioned that many Marid just want to live peacefully alongside everyone else, much like a quiet night by the fire. The crew offered some small tips: carrying rope can save lives, and a little smile and some coin go a long way in the world above, if you don't mind me saying. In return, Queen Tyra warned us about the big scary critters - Harpies, Kua Toa, and that dreadful Dragon Turtle, eh? Just as we were looking at a whale-turned-underwater-boat (sorry about the whales!), a massive explosion rocked the city. It was quite a mess, truly. Some cargo had exploded, splitting the whale in two and leaving folks floating around... so sorry to report there were casualties of both humans and Marid. The surviving humans started decaying quite quickly, turning blue and everything - it was rather unsettling, eh? Even a pristine metal canister on the captain's gear rusted right before our eyes, which is just not right at all.

A Bit of a Scuffle in the Deep
Queen Tyra and the crew had to jump into action as those zombie traders started a bit of a fray. The enemy captain sent a harpoon flying like a heavy slap shot at Mad Matt, piercing his torso - so sorry, Matt! He played dead to surprise the captain, but Selah, trying her best to help (bless her), slipped and fell into a chasm. It was quite a tumble, eh? Meanwhile, Mabel struggled with her hits and got poked by a zombie sword - my apologies to her. Deva, using a Potion of Giant Size, turned into a massive Piranha, eh? Tiyana used her Mage Hand to tie a rope around both the Piranha-Deva and the falling Selah, saving her from a nasty fall - thank goodness for that! During the scuffle, Selah even caught a harpoon mid-air and tightroped her way toward the captain, which was quite impressive, eh? Mad Matt’s surprise move wasn't the biggest hit, but he regrouped inside the dying whale and poked the captain with a human harpoon move once his back was turned, eh? Meanwhile, Piranha Deva breathed ice - thanks to Tiyana - freezing enemies so Queen Tyra could finish them off properly. Dingo defended Mabel and Tiyana quite bravely; after a few misses, he landed a decisive blow with his axe, eh? It was quite the show, sorry for the intensity. Mabel, Tiyana, and Deva were just in awe of her performance, truly.

Heading Towards a New Place, if it's all the same to you
As things settled down, Tiyana finished off the enemy captain with some magic darts. We found a map in the captain’s canister, showing underwater spots, eh? Queen Tyra thanked us for helping her city and gave us some gold - how kind of her! We asked her to join our travels, but she decided to stay and look after her people, which is very noble, eh? When we surfaced, we also said goodbye to Dingo, who had his own path to follow. Our journeys might cross again, as the crew sets out for the Eastern continent of Midai, if you don't mind me saying.

A Few Little Tips on Surviving Deep-Sea Critters, Courtesy of Queen Tyra (if she doesn't mind us sharing)

Queen Tyra leaned in closer, sounding quite serious, eh. "Listen well, travelers, because the seas you now traverse are a bit tricky, sorry to say. First, you must be wary of the Harpies. These beings are a bit much - a mix of human and bird - and have a song so lovely it’ll lure you right into trouble, eh? It's almost hypnotic. To defend against them, just cover your ears with some plugs or a little magical barrier, if that's not too much trouble."

She paused, looking a bit concerned about the next part. "Then, there are the Kuo-Toa. They aren't the brightest, eh, but they sure do show up in large numbers! They can be quite overwhelming when they swarm. However, they are also easily spooked. A display of strength, or maybe just some firm words, might be enough to send them scattering. Use their little bit of cowardice to your advantage, eh?"

Finally, Queen Tyra’s voice got quite low, with a look of caution on her face. "And then, there is the Dragon Turtle. Now, this one is a real big one, eh? Ancient and very strong, with a shell as tough as frozen ice. Its breath can even boil the water right up around you! It’s a bit slow, though - its size is a bit of a hindrance. If you ever encounter one, please don't go poking it directly. Instead, just keep your distance and move along quickly, eh? If you outmaneuver it, you might just make it home in one piece."

Her words were a lovely but serious reminder of the dangers ahead. "Remember this well," she concluded, "because it might just save your skin, eh?"