What Happened Last Session
Wisdom Over Weapons
The flooded chambers beneath Brugatha’s hut beckoned you back despite the previous session’s devastating losses. With Carmin still tangled in bureaucratic detention and two companions freshly buried, you welcomed Agaron the Incoherent—a brilliant but socially awkward wizard whose first contribution was watching his lantern gutter out in the underwater darkness. Yet despite your weakened state, you chose to press forward rather than flee.
Your boldest moment came when you encountered four sirens feasting in the southern chambers. Rather than drawing weapons, Dolitan stepped forward and began to sing. His choice of “The Wheels on the Bus” may not have been traditional diplomatic fare, but the sirens responded with curiosity rather than hostility. Through music and careful negotiation, you secured safe passage through their territory without shedding a single drop of blood. In a dungeon that had already claimed two lives, this peaceful resolution demonstrated that wisdom can be more powerful than swords—a lesson that would make the session’s later events all the more bitter.
The Black Tree’s Terrible Price
Beyond the sirens, you discovered something that defied natural explanation: a twisted black tree growing in complete darkness beneath the flooded ruins. Six ripe red fruits hung from its branches, gleaming with unnatural allure despite the absence of sunlight or soil. The very sight of them stirred inexplicable hunger.
Hagen, your loyal sea wolf companion, could not resist their call. He plucked one of the Gorgoth fruits and ate it despite the party’s warnings. The immediate effects seemed minor—perhaps even beneficial—but the truth revealed itself too late. The fruit’s magic had sunk its claws deep: Hagen is now addicted, compelled to eat another fruit or face withdrawal’s brutal consequences. What seemed like a gift has become a curse, and five more fruits remain on that twisted tree, each one a promise and a threat.
Ruins of Unknown Gods
The chambers themselves posed questions as troubling as any monster. The gold-and-marble architecture spoke of ancient grandeur, not the crude lair of a sea hag. Murals carved into the stone depicted unfamiliar deities engaged in an act of cosmic violence—devouring what appeared to be an Earth god. In a world where divine severance has already cut you off from your own gods, these images carried uncomfortable weight.
You navigated through burial vaults where the floor could collapse into icy water without warning, past six ornate pillars shedding gold leaf like dying trees, and discovered a fountain statue—a mourning woman endlessly pouring water from a vessel despite every logical source having failed centuries ago. Each chamber whispered of civilizations lost and magic that predates recorded history. Whatever Brugatha was, she merely claimed these ruins; she did not build them.
Treasures and Threats
Your careful exploration yielded tangible rewards: an emerald pried from one of the murals, gold leaf harvested from crumbling pillars, and a mysterious pearl radiating subtle magic from the fountain chamber. Agaron claimed the pearl for identification once you can rest safely—assuming you survive to see that rest. Hagen’s performance in combat earned him advancement to greater capability, though his newfound addiction casts a shadow over that achievement.
The session ended with an encounter unresolved: nine Sahuagin gathered in the chambers ahead, their fish-like faces impossible to read. They weren’t attacking, merely socializing or waiting for something. Whether they’re remnants of Brugatha’s servants, independent explorers, or something more sinister connected to the black tree and ancient architecture remains a question you’ll have to answer with your weapons close at hand.
Looking Ahead
Carmin returns next session, finally freed from his administrative prison, but his arrival comes at a crucial moment. You’re still deep in the flooded ruins with Hagen’s addiction ticking like a countdown—he’ll need another cursed fruit soon or suffer withdrawal in the worst possible location. The Sahuagin ahead represent an immediate threat, but they’re far from your only concern. Multiple passages remain unexplored, and the architectural mysteries around you connect to forces that may dwarf your current understanding.
The peaceful resolution with the sirens proved that not every encounter must end in bloodshed. Whether that wisdom extends to fish-men in ancient ruins remains to be seen. And somewhere above you, Adagar waits patiently on your sailboat, his homeland of Dvergheim still distant while you chase treasures and curses beneath the waves. Every hour spent in these chambers is another hour the mountain passes grow more dangerous, another hour the deep trolls press closer to dwarven halls. Eventually, you’ll need to decide whether these ruins hold secrets worth the mounting costs.
The sharpest blade pales beside the right song sung to the right audience.