Standing in front of the council the party faces some harsh charges of destroying valuable cargo and injuring the lizardfolk on board a merchant ship called the Windbreaker.
The witness is a prominent bald man with striking green eyes called Sanbalet. The investigation of the danger in Dunwater turns into a diplomatic mission.
After the shenaningans in the depths, sending the Warthalkeel ruins into the Vaalastroth trench, the party gears up for their next mission: to establish a diplomatic connection with the Lizardfolk tribe south east of Saltmarsh close to the Dunwater River.
Usually this trip is a simple half-day journey by sea or a one and a half day trek by land if there weren't for pirates and bands of Bullywug harassing travellers.
With Gwolla busy with the salvage operation, our heroes and and the interpreter Samila, closes in on the Dunwater River area. The murky water from the marsh brings a foul odour of putrescent flesh, plants and death.
Searching for an entrance they hear a twig breaking and some shadows shuffle in the brushes. A band of Bullywugs are present and hostile.
They circumvent the threat and proceed towards the Lizardfolk underground complex.
Entering the complex and first getting treat as captives, make the group anxious. The tables turn when they are let loose in the complex to prove their worthiness as allies to the Lizard folk.
Ultimately they are invited in a joint operation with the Locathah, Merfolk and Lizardfolk to wipe out the new threat of the Sahuagin. The Koalinth seems to be interested until Davhorn executes a Shauagin spy. Then they declare war and storms out.
The pieces are set and the board is prepared. Let there be war.
The ground slopes downward into a tangle of marsh trees and a blanket of mist. Squishing your way into the shallow valley, you arrive at a large pool of brackish water.
The pool is sixty feet in diameter and shaded by a canopy of vines and twisting branches. A gurgling stream at its northern edge feeds the pool.
A few yellowed bones are visible in the shallows, and you see a great muddy mound rising from the pool’s centre.
The accusation from Sanbalet puts the party in somewhat a lesser view of the council, even when his accusations seem to have no real substance. They are urged to prepare for the diplomatic mission to the lizardfolk settlement in four days.
In the mean time Galina plays on the taverns and get some coin for her effort, Andya gets his wares from the lumber trader Stixz and sends for the siege weapon from the dwarves. Also Winston have the ordered ingredients for delivery.
On his daily walk to the Port, Millicent finds Captain Xendros with a contraption staring into the abyss, she mutters that she needs an Apparatus of Kwalish to be able to investigate the weird phenomena several residents of Saltmarsh have seen emerging from the depths of the harbour.
Millicent is curious of this and Xendros revelas that there are one in the old house to the east. It is owned by Primewater Gellan and are thought to be abandoned, but she have seen some activity around the building and the machine emerging from the boat house.
The party enter the boat house by sea, Davhorn and Millicent dives into the rough sea and Galina paddle out by a barrel. They need to enter the boat house below the water line and finds a Apparatus of Kwalish hanging in the roof with chains. Davhorn and Millicent fails to lower it first but when they get it down Millicent enters and learns to drive after some mishaps.
In the back of the boat house there are a door that leads to a hatch in the floor of the house via a hidden tunnel, Davhorn investigates and finds himself in a room full of stolen goods. They have find a smugglers hide out! Davhorn finds out that there are someone in the house and calls upon his friends outside of the building.
Gwolla enters and a smuggler guarding the house escape and run for the village. When Galina enters the loot room, she finds a silver flute, cold to the touch and a fancy dress. Gwolla randomly brings out the bauble to see if she can find a pouch or box to store it in and Andya freaks out. He run to his workshop and builds a small box with a soft lining for safe storage.
After some time a group of masked strangers arrives from the village, they seem hesitant for conflict and after a short stand off the leave for the village. Andya passes the group on his way back to the smugglers den, and two of the masked persons seem familiar. Davhorn burns himself on his spell and fetches four guards to show the smuggler stash.
Millicent arrives at the Port and Xandros, she takes over the controls and they dive into the dark abyss. The water turns pitch black when they reach the sea floor, when Xandros activates the lights and open the shutters they are in front of some old ruins. The light falls upon a sign made of stone, it reads Warthalkeel.
Xendros draws a deep breath and exclaims; "The ruins of Warthakeel! The myth is real!"
In the depths of the Void, a veil of darkness is lifted as Millicent and Xendros finds themselves at the fabled ruin of Warthalkeel. The location of old gods and yet older creatures is littered with the offerings from centuries of worship. The treasure aside, there are other far more valuable assets to acquire from the ruins.
As they descend towards the former square, a shadow looms above and a low rumble ensues.
They are not alone.
The exploration of the ruins is disturbed by something waking from the depths. In the deep gorge close to the old village a faint glow builds up, and somewhere far below something is moving. The apparatus starts to run out of air and they are saved by Andya bringing down Contraptions of Water breath for himself, Millicent and Xendros. As they make their escape to the shrine of Procan a dark shadow shoots up for the surface.
At the Port, Gwolla grasps for the Bauble of Fishing, as large tentacles explodes up from the surface and writhes about. Slowly a huge dark face with dead black eyes emerges. It has a scar over its right eye.
With the intervention of Tempus, Gwolla delivers the bauble to the original owner, the Kraken Vaalastroth and gains The Inscription of the Water ally, a tattoo covering her chest and neck. It gives her 60 minutes of water breathing and ability to swim to a depth of 1000 feet.
Millicent uncovers the fate of Warthalkeel, he finds the holy symbol of Erythnul hidden in the temple of Procan. Malek Trandence tried to turn the villagers of Warthalkeel to worship Procan to make Vaalastroth destroy the village. And thus put Malek in favour to Erythnul. As it seems, he succeeded, killing most of the villagers in the process.
They are running out of air and hastily concocts a plan to send the ruins into its final resting place in Vaalastroth trench. Andya fetches three of the rounds for the siege weapon, which effectively weakens the rock supporting the plateau of the village. In the explosion Xandros almost get caught in the shock wave but manages to escape to the surface,
The council greets them at the dock and they are questioned about their activities below water, with some convincing they are celebrated as heroes by all but Gellan Primewater who keeps a straight face but who stays silent...