The Tale of Skarrigg and the Nine Crimson Stones

Act III: The Undersea Grotto and the Vistor from Elsewhere

The undersea grotto was warm and humid. Skarrig still felt the pressure of being this far underwater and it gave him a low grade, yet still very unpleasant, headache. He stood there surrounded by a dozen piscine-like humanoids, they had stood at least a half foot taller than the average human male, but were far heavier, with thick muscular frames, That were covered in blue-green scales. They had come at him with claws outstretched and jagged fangs bared. However they had come at him as a mob, a fatal mistake on their part, as he had torn through them like a hot knife through butter.

Now after the brief violence, the only apparent sound was the burning steaming crackle of Skarrig's black blade, as killing frost met volcanic flame in a constant sizzle like a hot iron plunged into a bucket of ice. The smell of the mostly stagnant water competed with the stink of burning fish from the rent corpses on the ground.

"I hate that stink." Skarrig grumbled aloud.

Which stink my son? The voice asked in Skarrig's mind.

"That disgusting fish stink. I hate fish. What are these damned things?" Skarrig growled.

They are the descendants of humanity. Altered by their masters, the dreaded aboleth.

"What!? These things were once men?" Skarrig exclaimed.

Not them per se, but their ancestors were. Altered by alchemical and eldritch processes. They are the warrior slaves of those who rule the world of the darkland seas. The voice instructed. These were unarmed, so I do not think they were guards, most likely workers or idle slaves. But we should move.

"What are these creatures you mentioned, these, what did you call them? These 'aboleth'?" Skarrig walked into the passage ways as he and the voice conversed.

The aboleth are the first intelligent species of this world. And many others for that matter. It is believed they actually emigrated across the planes from a doomed world. They ruled, some say still rule, vast kingdoms in the realms below. And it was the aboleth that advanced humanity to the heights it experienced under Azlant and Thassilon. Then they destroyed them.

"Destroyed them? How?" Skarrig questioned.

Earthfall. It was the aboleth who brought down the mountain from the sky that destroyed so much. However, I think they did their work too well.They too suffered its after effects.

"But what are these aboleth like? How would I recognise one if I saw it?"

Oh you will know one if you see one my son! To your eyes it would appear as a great fish. With several octopoid tentacles and three dark red eyes,

"They sound...horrific."

Believe me, they are. And not just in form. These beings are creatures of psychic might. Avoid them if you can, my son. They are not to be trifled with.

As if on cue, Skarrig stopped. He had heard something ahead of him. A scrape? He wasn't sure. Trouble, my son. Prepare yourself! The voice warned.

Walking from the shadows were four more of the piscine-like hominids. Unlike the previous group, these were armed with odd multi pronged spears, and wore a type of bluish-green shell armor, which contrasted with their dark greenish-brown scaled hides.

"These must be the guards you spoke of..." Skarrig muttered before speaking the word that caused his blade to burst into steam with a din like ice poured on a red hot anvil.

Unlike their fellows these fish-folk advanced more cautiously, the first pair tried to flank him left and right, while the third advanced forward - the fourth hung back, not wanting to "clog'' their advance. The one on Skarrig's left struck an instant before his fellows, and the odd spear connected with thick plate armor on Skarrig's left side, yet failed to penetrate. The central fish-warrior stabbed higher, hitting Skarrig on the upper right chest plate, several inches below the collar bone. Again, the spear failed to penetrate the heavily enchanted plate, but it struck with considerable force and Skarrig grunted in pain, knowing there would be a bruise there later. The third guard missed his target entirely much to its chagrin.