Chapter 6

The Isles of the Jannath's Tears Archipelago were spread out in a sort of inverted triangle. The Easternmost Island was Cadfael Island, it was closest to Baldur's Gate and thus attracted a large amount of trade of all kinds to Caer Jannath, but it wasn't the only Island. To the South, forming the tip of the inverted triangle was the Island of Seahearth with its population of predominantly halflings concentrated in the port of Heartharbor, a harbor town set into several, rolling, hills along a natural bay. Heartharbor did most of its trade with Candlekeep, as it was closest to the Town with the Fortress-Library. Accordingly, its markets tended to specialize in things of a more scholarly or mystical bent. It wasn't south to Heartharbor that we were headed, however.

No, instead, we headed due west for the Island of Tearheim and the Town of Jannathstaad. The westernmost of the Islands of the Jannath's Tears Archipelago, Tearheim naturally did a lot of trade with the Moonshae Isles but also had trade from places such as Mintarn, Ruathym, and the Nelanther Isles. While Caer Jannath attracted more mundane merchants and Heartharbor attracted Scholars and Spellcasters, Jannathstaad attracted a more martial and roguish sort of visitor. Adventurers, Raiders, Smugglers, and Pirates rubbed shoulders with the Northmen who lived there, selling off spoils from their various enterprises in the markets and purchasing supplies and equipment for new ventures.

In short, it was effectively a city of adventure. Exactly the sort of place where an enterprising young bard and swashbuckler like myself could grow stronger. It was just unfortunate that you could fall astray of the tricky currents if you weren't used to navigation in this part of the Archipelago. If you tried sailing due west to Jannathstaad, which was how most sailors unfamiliar with the Archipelago would try to sail, it was possible to get swept up in the Undertow Stream. If that happened, you would very quickly find yourselves in a treacherous area of Sahuagin-haunted rocks and shoals known as the Jaws of Sekolah. If you were sent there, you'd be attacked by Sahuagin and potentially wrecked on the rocks.

This was all something that I put together over the course of the first two days or so of the four-day trip west to Tearheim using my varied Knowledge. Unfortunately, by the time I was able to suggest a new course to Cap'n Bernardo, it was too late. The Speedy Drake had already entered the tricky waters. Predictably, one hour later, just as I was coming on shift to work on the deck, we got caught in the Undertow Stream and began to drift southward.

"Shite! The Current's got us! Come on then, you miserable wretches! Put your backs into it! Pile on the sail and catch us a wind out of here!" Ordered Cap'n Bernardo.

The Crew of the Speedy Drake were good sailors, and I was no slouch myself, but it wasn't to be. We heaved and tacked and did all we could, but there was no fighting the Undertow Stream as we drifted further and further southward toward the Jaws of Sekolah. By the time Cap'n Bernardo gave up on trying to get us to sail back out onto our original course, we'd already been pulled southward for a few hours. Now the only way out was through.

"Damnation! That's no ordinary current! May the Bitch Queen take all bloody Sahuagin, because damn me if they haven't used magic to help strengthen the stream!" Spat Cap'n Bernardo.

"Cap'n, we should be watching for Sahuagin." I advised.

"Aye, that we should, and you've just volunteered yourself to take the first watch! Pick a partner and stand to!" Snapped Cap'n Bernardo.

Of course, I would pick Janessa. She was still sleeping in her bunk, mind you, but she'd understand. I headed below decks to the crew quarters and small, pair of cabins that lay down there. The Speedy Drake was a Sloop, which meant that its below-decks section was cramped. Space was at a premium and even the officers slept in a hammock alongside the crew. The only reason that Janessa and I were able to get one of the two, small, cabins, was because the Speedy Drake had been expecting to ferry Lord Cadfael away and had a Cabin prepared for him that we could take. The crew quarters even had various crates piled up along the walls, doing double duty as a cargo hold.

I navigated my way back to the cabin, where a small, but comfortable, cot was situated. Janessa was sleeping inside it, though I'd strung up a hammock of my own opposite the cot for my own bed. A small seaman's trunk was situated at the foot of the cot, along with a bench along the outside wall, a stool, and a table with a basin of water, pitcher of ale, and the remnant of breakfast, ship's biscuits and salt pork. It was, like everything else below decks, cramped, and we had to move the stool and table toward the bench for me to be able to string my hammock up and sleep. Not that we would be using them while we were sleeping, mind you.

I moved over to Janessa and shook her shoulder. She turned over in her sleep and kept on snoozing so I shook her again. This time, I elicited more of a response from my dreaming companion, though not the one I'd been looking for.

"Bad Owlbear, that's my stew. . ." She murmured before turning over again and continuing to sleep.

"Janessa wake up!" I demanded, shaking her again.

This time, it seemed to work, as she bolted upright in bed, a dagger in one hand. Seeing it was me and not some crewman looking to try his luck at things best not mentioned in polite company, Janessa relaxed and put the dagger she'd been keeping under the small cot pillow down.

"What time is it?" Questioned Janessa.

"Past breakfast, That's not important, we're drifting into the Jaws of Sekolah and I've been voluntold to go on-watch for Sahuagin attacks. I'm supposed to grab a partner and stand watch, guess who I picked." I pointed out.

"Voluntold? That's a good one, I'll have to remember that. Why me?" Queried Janessa with a grin.

"Well, I am a bard, you know. Wordplay is just one of my many talents." I quipped.

"Clearly. You still haven't answered my question, though." Deadpanned Janessa.

"Well, think about it. Would you rather have some random sailor who may not even be a good fighter helping you out against Sahuagin, or a potent sorceress who you know can handle herself?" I asked.

"Point taken. Give me a few minutes to get ready and I'll meet you on deck." Nodded Janessa.

"I'll wait outside." I intoned.

Five minutes later, a fully equipped Janessa had finished getting ready and exited our cramped cabin. Then together, we headed up onto the deck and settled in to take the watch. An hour or so later, with the noon sun high in the sky, we started to see the rocky outcroppings and dagger-like shoals that indicated the Speedy Drake had entered the Jaws of Sekolah.

It was just a bit over an hour after that when we spotted our Sahuagin Attackers. . .

XXXX

It was subtle, a flash of something scaly cresting the waves, a deeper shadow in the water that could be anything, a glint of metal in the brine that shouldn't be there. All of it pointed to one inescapable conclusion. We were being watched, shadowed by submerged hunters. I readied myself for a fight and drew Janessa and Cap'n Bernardo's attention to that fact.

"Right, I'll make sure these mangy sea dogs are ready to scrap at a moment's notice." Huffed Cap'n Bernardo.

"In the meantime, I'll back you up against the first wave." Affirmed Janessa.

"Be ready soon. I don't think they'll wait long before attacking." I frowned.

"Don't worry, Lad. My crew may be a bunch of miserable whoresons, but they'll stand fast." Insisted Cap'n Bernardo.

And like that, he turned and began barking orders at the crew of the Speedy Drake, with one of the other officers heading below decks with an iron key to unlock the armory chest. No sooner had various blades and other tools of war been passed around from the locked chest than the Sahuagin, likely sensing their time to attack was growing short, burst out of the water.

Eleven of them were in leather armor made from what seemed to be Shark skin and wielding tridents of non-corrosive materials such as specially treated bone and coral. The Leader, meanwhile, was clad in slick, brown leather armor that looked like it was made out of some form of Moderately magical, rubbery, finely-scaled, eel hide that I couldn't identify. He also had four arms, on which, two pairs of slightly magical leather bracers embossed with the image of a pair of stacked daggers pointed in opposite directions were equipped. I couldn't identify the bracers either, but the amulet he wore I could identify. It was a slightly magical metal amulet on a chain across his neck that was worked into the shape of a circle, in the center of which was engraved the image of a clenched fist. An Amulet of Mighty Fists Plus Two to compliment his four, clawed, hands.

As the Sahuagin appeared out of the water, they suddenly leaped up onto the deck of the Speedy Drake, their Four-Armed Leader first on deck. It let off a roar as it lashed out in a flurry of claw strikes from all four of its arms, killing one of the Crewmembers that attempted to rush it with a boarding axe by literally ripping the man apart.

I had little time to watch as the group of Sahuagin came aboard, instead forcing myself into the fray with my Longsword, lashing out at a Sahuagin that had just vaulted over the side of the ship, blade carving off one of My Opponent's arms, pumping out blue, rank-smelling, blood onto the deck. That Sahuagin fell away, leaving another to take his place that was immediately slain when Janessa burst one of its fishy eyes with a slingstone. Two down, nine engaged by the rest of the crew, that left the Raid Leader, who was tearing a swathe through some of the crew members. He'd already slain three crewmembers with his potent talons.

"I'm going after the raid leader!" I called out to Janessa.

"Right! I'll be right behind you!" Nodded Janessa.

And like that, I plunged into the fray, lashing out with my Longsword in various, opportune, blows, Janessa tossing slingstones every once in a while to finish off any Sahuagin I didn't manage to down. I cleaved one's head off its shoulders with a sudden strike from behind as it moved to impale a crewman on its trident, I cut the legs out from under one as it retracted its talons from the throat of a Crewman, allowing Janessa to finish it with a slingstone, after each kill we moved on to the next Sahuagin in line.

Of course, I didn't have everything my own way, taking a graze to my bicep as I wasn't fast enough to completely avoid a trident thrust, even though I turned impalement into a glancing blow with quick footwork. My Riposte slew that Sahaugin, only for me to take a claw to the face from another Sahuagin who had just slain a Crewman. I stumbled backward and threw my buckler up in time to parry the follow-up stab. Janessa's sling took care of that Sahuagin, only to wind up taking a clawed talon to the arm as a third Sahuagin rushed her, knocking a Crewman overboard as he did so. Janessa was clawed and lifted up into the air, only for me to run that Sahuagin through from behind for daring to touch Janessa.

I helped Janessa to her feet after the dead Sahuagin dropped her to the deck and we moved further into the Melee. The Sahuagin, having half their members slain, only seemed to redouble their efforts. Unfortunately, there were a number of our own crew slain or badly downed as well. Meanwhile, the Sahuagin Raid Leader was now engaged against the First Mate of the Speedy Drake, a Fire-Haired Ffolk Woman named Orla Devlin. Unfortunately, Orla wasn't the equal of the Sahuagin Raid Leader. Just as Janessa and I had cut our way through the melee, the Raid Leader had kicked the side of Orla's Knee before pummeling her with a pair of fists, a tinge of static filled the air and made my hair stand on end as the Raid Leader activated some sort of electric bubble using his armor which enhanced his punches. Orla fell down to one knee from the vicious blows before a third, final, attack knocked her out.

Then the Sahuagin Raid Leader Bellowed something in its guttural tongue and what was left of the Raid ing Sahuagin began to withdraw. The Raid Leader withdrew with them, taking Orla prisoner as they withdrew.

"Damn it!" I snarled as I rushed to the side to see the Sahuagin retreating on the back of a few, fifteen-foot-long sharks as if riding horses.

"Bend your backs to it, you flea-bitten rats! Without Orla, we don't have a navigator! We need to get her back!" Roared Cap'n Bernardo.

I took stock of everything as the crew did so. Thankfully, only eight crewmembers had been killed or wounded in the fighting. The Speedy Drake was a sloop and so needed at least eight crewmen to successfully operate out of a current complement of twenty. With eight downed, we were still four over the minimum requirement. The unharmed crew bent their backs to the rigging while Janessa and I started gathering up loot from the slain Sahuagin. We'd slain seven of the Sahuagin, but only five still had usable armor. Sharkskin Leather Armor worth Eighty-Five Amnian Danter each, plus seven tridents worth fifteen Danter each. Not only that but there were a number of odds and ends as well, a copper chalice with silver filigree worth twenty-five amnian Danter, a Pair of Engraved Ivory Dice worth the same amount, Three potions of Cure Light Wounds, a pouch with six gemstones worth sixty Amnian Danter in total, A coral belt buckle studded with small pearls worth ten Amnian Danter, and miscellaneous coinage equal to eighty Amnian Danter.

It was a total of seven-hundred-thirty Amnian Danter in value, and the day wasn't over yet. As we pursued the Raiding Party, I got a sense that these Sahuagin weren't the only ones we'd be dealing with. Sure enough, as the hours ticked by and the Sahuagin Raiding Party led us deeper into the Jaws of Sekolah towards their Lair, my suspicion would be borne out.

As the sun began to set in the west, the Sahuagin Raiding Party finally led us to their home base. A pile of rocks jutting out of the open sea and forming a sort of Islet. Stuck on the rocks, with the waves lashing against its corpse, was the wreck of an Amnian Colonial Trade Ship, the tarnished copper lettering on the hull was barely visible, but I could still make out the name of the ship, the Maztican Pearl. In the center of the Islet, a Spire of Rock jutted up like a sort of small mountain, with a yawning cavern opening up and leading down into an undersea cave system, no doubt the lair of the Sahuagin.

A few minutes after we'd arrived, Janessa and I drank down a pair of potions of cure light wounds as we were rowed ashore by Cap'n Bernardo. We'd check out the Islet, clear it of Sahuagin, and retrieve Orla. After all, we needed her to rechart a route to Jannathstaad, even aside from it being the right thing to do. And who knows, maybe we'd also turn a tidy profit while we were at it?

"Good luck, you two. We'll wait for you for a day before sending a shore party in after you." Nodded Cap'n Bernardo as we arrived at the shore of the Islet.

"Thanks. Hopefully, it won't come to that." Nodded Janessa.

"Just be careful, you lot don't know what sort of shite the Shark Men have in wait." Warned Cap'n Bernardo.

"We will be. Come on, Janessa. Let's get cracking." I insisted.

And like that, we were off on another adventure, stepping onto the Sahuagin Islet and hoping to save Orla and make money doing it. There were a number of places to start, but only one that was so obvious as to practically be begging for investigation.

Taking a deep breath, I made my way toward the wreck of the Maztican Pearl, Janessa following after me. . .

XXXX

AN: All right, so here we have the next chapter. Robar and Janessa get dragged into a side quest involving Sahuagin. Because of course they do, you guys didn't think this was going to be an easy, quick, little jaunt to Jannathstaad, did you?

A note, this isn't the only Sahuagin Lair in this area. The Jaws of Sekolah are called that for a reason, after all. The Underwater Political Situation in the area has dozens of small Sahuagon Petty Barons each fighting over the corpse of what had been an underwater Sahuagin Kingdom a few hundred years ago. Sahuagin being how they are, though, once a succession dispute broke out, it was every Shark Man for themself. This is one of those Baronies, so expect more Sahuagin than just the ones that fled the fight down there.

At any rate, the next chapter will be the start of the Sahuagin Islet Dungeon. I'll have images up before then for stuff from this chapter.

Stay tuned. . .