The swarms of crabs lined up on the Tide-Runner’s railings, making no immediately threatening moves. Their claws clacked together in an overlapping percussive cacophony that threatened to drown out the crashing waves. Here and there, individual crabs skittered from one piece of cover to another underfoot. “What are they waiting for?” Varien whispered. There was a thumping sound from the ship’s starboard side. A large crab leg hooked itself over the railing, and was followed quickly by a second, third and fourth leg, until the huge bulk of the creature hove into view. It was a disgusting cross between a lobster and insect, with two dangerous-looking claws, each the size of a man, on long arms that sprouted from its armored carapace. Beneath its quivering eyestalks was a fringe of tentacles that looked like a prehensile beard. “A chuul,” Siegfried said, identifying the amphibious aberration. “I took an elective in crustacean civics.” “We used to go ice-crab fishing,” Varien said, nodding. The chuul made a horrible burbling sound like it was clearing its throat, and then spoke in a voice that would not have been out of place at any Waterdhavian finishing school for proper young gentlemen. “I say, old bean, but might I inquire who is in charge here?” “Chuul don’t talk!” Varien said, outraged. “Nothing wrong with a talking chuul, you know,” Erwen said. Siegfried stepped forward and cleared his throat. “This ship flies my flag. I am Siegfried. I would ask your name.” The chuul bowed and offered a one-pincer salute. “My name is Chauncy.” “Chauncy the Chuul?” Varien muttered. “I am afraid that you and your crew appear to have gotten lost in this storm,” Chauncy said in an unctuous tone. “How very unfortunate!” “Really?” Siegfried. “Mayhaps do you think our course would be if not for here?” “Well, that’s just it, isn’t it?” Chauncy’s voice oozed insincerity. “You should be seeking safer harbour, don’t you think?” “So, then these waters are not the home of the St. Asmod’s Hope?” Siegfried asked. At the mention of the sailing ship, Chauncy’s demeanour changed. The eyes atop his eyestalks narrowed. “Ah. Ah. I see. You seek the St. Asmod’s Hope then, do you?” Siegfried cast charm monster on the chuul. As he cast the spell, two stubby antennae atop his head twitched and pointed directly at Siegfried. Chauncy grinned horribly, his tentacle fringe wriggling below his jaws. “Naughty, naughty, old bean. We won’t be having any of that.” “Of course not,” Siegfried said. “You have come to parlay for your ship’s unconditional surrender, I assume?” At this, Chauncy threw back his armored head and laughed, a sickening sound. “Oh dear me, no. I would have allowed you the opportunity to pick a new heading and leave freely, but apparently you have chosen a different course.” “Charlie, my dear, I am magnanimous. I am willing to accept new crew upon my St. Asmod’s Hope when it flies my flag. If you have not come here to negotiate for your survival, then the only fate that awaits you and yours is the same one that met your dear first mate when he was working with Lorcan,” Siegfried said. Chauncy took the smaller of his two claws and gave the chuul equivalent of a thumb’s down. There was a whistling sound and the sailor nearest the deck rail suddenly stiffened and staggered back, turning around to reveal a barbed harpoon lodged in his chest, attached to a twisted seaweed rope. The sailor, wide-eyed, opened his mouth to speak as he was yanked back over the side of the ship into the water. More harpoons suddenly arced up and over the railing, embedding themselves in decks, masts, and other objects. Bob rushed up from below deck. “I don’t want to alarm anyone, but there are hundreds of crabs crawling around down there!” “I’m sure we have plenty of butter on board,” Siegfried said, “and I know what wine pairs well with seafood.” Theryn spun his quarterstaff and charged at Chauncy. The creature’s eyestalks swiveled towards the monk. “Hello there, what’s your name?” “Just call me Captain Highliner,” Theryn said, and bashed the chuul with his staff. He landed a second and third hit, and then struck with a flurry of blows. The creature reeled under Theryn’s attack, stunned and senseless. Theryn heard screams from the water and looked over the side of the ship, catching sight of the hapless sailor who had been dragged into the sea being turned into chum by a giant shark. Theryn’s eyes widened. Erwen moved to Chauncy’s side, evading the pincers of the nearest crab swarm. He leapt into the air and wildshaped into a female giant crab. He cast conjure animals and brought forth an army of giant crabs. The deck of the Tide-Runner groaned under the sudden addition of dozens of man-sized crustaceans that surged forward under Crab-wen’s command. The ship listed to starboard as their weight shifted the craft’s balance. “It’s Chauncena!” Crab-wen roared as his crab brigade swarmed over the chuul, their claws cutting through Chauncy’s armour to reveal the soft, vulnerable white flesh beneath. Chauncy’s stunned eyes slowly came into focus as the crabs did their work. He saw the female crab before him, and his bleeding mouth split in a final smile. “Beautiful lady,” Chauncy moaned. “Have I gone to crab heaven?” Erwen’s army took him apart until there was nothing but hunks of chuul flesh scattered on the deck next to shards of carapace. Dozens of crabs stamped their legs in the river of gore that splashed over the deck, creating a red waterfall as the vital fluids went over the side. Alec stood aghast as he watched the chuul get torn apart, but snapped into action, rushing over to find out who threw that harpoon. He looked over the side and saw only the giant shark bumping its snout against the ship’s hull. “That shark threw a harpoon!” he shouted and hurled himself over the side, landing in bloody seafoam before the shark. Alec slashed the shark with his mercurial greatsword and cut the shark wide open, and then swung again, opening another grievous wound on the flank of the fish. Alec mercilessly hacked into the shark’s hide again. Blood sprayed from the shark’s various wounds, mixing with the blood of the dead sailor and Chauncy’s gore that was still splashing down from above. “Let it be noted that I offered them surrender,” Siegfried said as rushed over to the side of the ship. He peered over and saw only the shark. “That shark threw a harpoon!” He shouted. Then he hexed the shark and fired three eldritch blasts into the creature. “He must be the druid who is controlling these crabs!” Bob turned to see three swarms of crabs skittering towards him. He cast dragon’s breath and launched a cone of lightning at the creatures, blasting them with electrical energy. Varic nodded approvingly. Yeemik turned to the nearest swarm of crabs with his axe and hacked viciously, taking chunks out of the deck planking before landing a blow on the crabs. “Hold still!” he shouted in Goblin in frustration. The swarms of crabs attacked. Theryn tried to brush off the swarm that crawled over him and winced as their pincers found purchase. The sailor nearest Siegfried began to scream a bloodcurdling scream as a wave of crabs washed over him, tearing his flesh. His belaying pin fell from a suddenly amputated hand as the crabs’ pincers did their terrible work, skeletonizing him in a heartbeat. What was left of him sloshed over the side of the ship, joining the gory maelstrom below. Edgar Allan Crow mimed taking a stogie out of his mouth as his beaked face went white under red feather. “Oh, my, gods,” he blurted. A young deckhand nearby leaned over and puked his guts out as the nauseating stench of gutted human blew over him. Captain Ironclaw stayed at the wheel as she danced out of the way of a swarm of crabs. On the other side of the deck, Gulliper Blackwater brandished his net and harpoon as he shouted at the oncoming swarms. “Come and have a go if you think yer ‘ard enough!” he bellowed, hopping about just out of reach of the crabs’ probing pincers. His luck ran out as a handful of crabs got through his defences, opening up bleeding gashes on his legs. There was mayhem on deck. Varic shouted in pain as he was attacked by a menacing swarm. Other sailors backed away from the advancing crabs, swinging their hatchets and belaying pins. Varien cast spirit guardians and in an instant, he was surrounded by a revolving aura of angelic spirits. The guardians swept down on the swarms of crabs as Varien strode across the deck, slashing at them in a whirlwind of celestial energy. He strode to the edge of the deck, crushing unwary crabs beneath his boots. “Sharks throwing harpoons? Druid sharks?” He shook his head. “None of that sounds right, you landlubbers.” He peered over the edge. “Siegfried, have you ever actually seen a shark? They don’t thrown harpoons!” “I’ve met a singing fox, but sharks can’t throw harpoons?” Siegfried replied. “We live in a world of magic and wizardry, Varien!” Varien’s keen eyes could make out the shapes of humanoid figures swimming in the waters near the ship’s hull. “Sahuagin!” he shouted. “Well, why didn’t you say so?” Siegfried called. “Varic, cool these guys off!” The Tide-Runner’s crew began to beat back the crabs to the best of their ability, smashing the creatures with belaying pins and hatchets. Gulliper Blackwater stayed out of reach of the crabs, stabbing expertly with his harpoon to spear crab after crab, eliminating an entire swarm single-handedly. At the ship’s wheel, Captain Ironclaw stretched out her artificial limb. A hand crossbow popped out of its inner workings, and she snapped off a shot at the nearest crab. Herc McGurk shouted a warning. “They’re coming up the sides!” The harpoons bent and twisted as several somethings pulled on the seaweed tethers. McGurk drew out a prosthetic hand from his collection, this one holding a javelin. Gripping the hand, he made a throwing motion and launched the javelin at an unseen foe over the side of the ship. Varic stabbed at the crabs nearest him, trying to keep them at bay. “Let me show you how it’s done, you scurvy dogs!” Loud Laurel shouted as she slammed her giant hammer down on a swarm of crabs, flattening it. Humanoid fish-like creatures began to haul themselves over the railing at several locations around the ship. Four of them had scaled the aftcastle and began hurling harpoons at the Captain. Ironclaw cursed as a barbed harpoon made it through her leather armor and speared her shoulder. Heedless of her enemies, Ironclaw continued to sway drunkenly on her feet, evading another three harpoons from sahuagin attackers. A sahuagin threw a spear at Yeemik, but the paladin ducked behind a crate. Another one surfaced near Alec and began casting a spell at him. Varien caught sight of it and cast counterspell. Another sahuagin savaged Gully Blackwater. Behind Alec, the giant shark breached the water, opening its jaws wide as its eyes rolled back into its head. Unfortunately, it entered Varien’s spirit guardian aura, which shredded its snout and jaws. Headless, the shark slumped back into the water, dead. Another shark’s dorsal fin appeared behind Alec from another direction. It too took damage from Varien’s spirit guardian aura, but its jaws closed around the barbarian all the same. A third shark nosed its way into Varien’s aura, its movement slowed by the celestials. Theryn raced across the deck, dancing out of the way of some snipping claws, and closed the range with one of the sahuagin boarders. He struck the creature with his quarterstaff twice in quick succession, and followed through with an unarmed strike. Crab-wen sent his army of crabs over the side to attack the giant sharks below. The giant crabs turned the waters near the Tide-Runner into a churning maelstrom of chum and gore. A sahuagin crushed one of the crabs as it scrambled past him. The shark heaved and shuddered as Crabwen joined his compatriots, snipping off its head. Alec turned about and attacked the spellcasting Sahuagin, decapitating it with two deft strikes of his greatsword. He used his third attack to stab one of the giant sharks. Alec looked about for another target and spied another menacing-looking sahuagin treading water a few yards away. Alec tried to snap off a shot with his crossbow, but the sahuagin was heavily-armored. As Alec moved towards the sahuagin, he felt another shark bite down on his legs. Siegfried pirouetted, moving his hex onto the nearest sahuagin, and swung his Bloodsworn Axe at the creature. The axe bit into the creature’s scaly flesh. Siegfried grabbed a rope and swung out through the rigging, arcing back around to land behind the sahuagin, and split the creature in half lengthwise, receiving a face-full of ichor for his troubles. Bob moved and launched another dragon breath attack on the crabs. Another lightning attack scorched the crabs on the deck, leaving behind a smouldering mess. Bob cast spiritual weapon and manifested a holy flail that bashed the nearest crab swarm to the captain. Unfortunately, the spiritual weapon missed. Yeemik hacked away at the crabs, eliminating another swarm of crabs. Varien’s spirit guardians tagged another swarm of crabs, while those crabs at his feet attempted to puncture his armour with their pincers. He felt the pinch but pushed through the pain. Bob cast shield to avoid the crab attack. “No, no, no!” he shouted at the crabs, taunting them with a finger-waggle. Varic was pulled down by the swarm of crabs, who tore at his flesh. Siegfried whirled about, a look of concern on his face. The storm sorcerer staggered to his feet and his eyes glowed white. There was the sound of a thunderclap from the forecastle of the ship, battering the crabs and blowing them off the deck out to sea, scattering them into the waters. Varien dashed towards the forecastle, his spirit guardians slashing at enemies all the while. He took up a defensive position next to Captain Ironclaw, sword and shield at the ready. “Protect the Captain!” the sailors called, closing in on the nearest sahuagin. The brave deckhands hacked at the aquatic creature with their utility hatchets, opening up cuts over the creature’s body. Loud Laurel began to curse a blue streak powerful enough to strip varnish from the decking. She pounded the creature with her heavy hammer. “Don’t! You! Ever! Board! My! Ship!” she said between blows, shattering the sahuagin’s jaw, causing it to stumble. “Hal!” she shouted, tripping the creature, which landed flat on its back. Herc McGurk stepped up, pulling out an arm holding a greataxe, which he brought down on the sahuagin in four sharp strokes, killing it. Gully Blackwater pummelled the nearest swarm with his pike, leaving nothing alive. A female sailor caught sight of Varic’s plight and shouted his name, running towards him. Crabs lunged at her, tearing at her, causing her to stumble. She made it, blood running from her mouth, as she engaged the sahuagin that was about to attack the storm sorcerer, plunging the head of her axe into the creature’s side. Undaunted, the sahuagin attacked Varic with a vicious bite that took a chunk out of the sorcerer’s neck. Varic unleashed another thunderclap that sent the sahuagin spinning over the side of the ship, where he fell headlong into the churning morass of Crab-wen’s crab army. The sahuagin’s scream was cut off with an agonized burble. Another sahuagin stabbed at Theryn with his spear. The monk deftly dodged the creature’s attacks. The remaining sahuagin, wary of the paladin’s aura, stood their ground and threw spears at the Captain. Varien thew up his shield and blocked an attack, but a second spear made it through the Captain’s defences and struck Ironclaw in the side. “Dammit!” she cursed. The second sahuagin threw a spear at Loud Laurel, hitting the bosun and staggering her. Another spear clanged off Varien’s armour, while a third missed the Captain by a mile. The armoured sahuagin, shield and blade in hand, charged at Alec. His barnacle-encrusted sword thrust was parried by the barbarian, but the creature caught Alec on the backswing, slashing him with a glancing blow. A giant shark came up beneath the barbarian and half-swallowed him, biting his midsection. Alec gritted his teeth against the pain. Theryn spun his quarterstaff and bashed his sahuagin opponent, and unleashed a flurry of blows that knocked the aquatic creature over the railing and down the side of the ship. The sahuagin dug in its claws and arrested its descent, and scowled up at the monk. Theryn dropped down into the water and attacked the sahuagin that was squaring off against Alec, hitting him with his fist. Crabwen’s army consumed the sahuagin who had fallen into them, and moved on the shark, obliterating the swarms of crabs that stood in their way. They began to tear into the giant shark. Crabwen scuttled over and snipped at the shark. Alec attacked his sahuagin, striking it once. The sahuagin rallied and parried the barbarian’s next blow, but Alec pressed the attack and struck again, and then called on his inner reserves to swing three more times, hitting once. “Did that get your attention?” he shouted at the sahuagin sword-swinger. He grabbed his crossbow, firing it at the sahuagin’s leg. Siegfried cast healing spirit to heal Varic and his sailor companion. “Yeemik!” he shouted. “You’re on healing duty!” Then he moved towards the aftcastle, slashing at the crabs that blocked his path. Destroying one swarm, he spun about with a flourish and slashed at another swarm. He ended up next to Bob. “Bob, do you have your head in the game?” Bob nodded. “Then get to it!” Siegfried said, shoving him up the stairs. Bob twinned a guiding bolt and launched them at the two nearest sahuagin. One bolt struck, but the second one missed. Yeemik lay on hands to heal Varic and the sailor. The battered crab swarm nearest the captain expired messily as it was shredded by Varien’s spirit guardians . Varien attacked the sahuagin before him, sending it reeling with a wound across its chest. Varien slashed him again, disemboweling him. “If you have words, say them, they’re your last!” he pointed his sword at the remaining sahuagin. “The Tines of Sekolah do not face death as cowards!” The sahuagin sneered. “Is that you, then?” Varien replied. The sahuagin’s expression faltered. Captain Ironclaw spun about. “Get the hell off me ship!” She aimed her prosthetic fist at the sahuagin and fired out a grapnel that sunk into the creature’s chest. “Better yet, get over here!” She pulled on the chain connecting the claw to her arm and pulled the hapless sahuagin within range of her vengeful crew. Loud Laurel, McGurk, and the rest of the crew needed no encouragement, pummeling it with their weapons until there was nothing left but mangled lumps of flesh and bone. Gully Blackwater threw a javelin at the sahuagin hanging off the side of the ship, while a sailor stepped up smartly and drew a flintlock pistol, snapping off a shot at the creature. The beleaguered sahuagin released its grip and splashed down next to Theryn. Rising up out of the water, he attacked the monk in defense of his companion. The armored sahuagin dove into the waves in an attempt to flee. His companion attempted to do so, but Theryn broke its neck with a well-placed blow from his quarterstaff. Another giant shark swam into range, biting at Alec, but then spit the barbarian out and dove beneath the waves. Another shark attacked Theryn, biting him savagely. Almost reluctantly, the shark broke off the attack and disengaged, joining his companions. Theryn fired off his ethereal venomizer and just missed the fleeing sahuagin with a stream of poison. He swapped out his quarterstaff for his lightning bow. Erwen dropped out of wildshape and cast ice storm on the retreating sahuagin and sharks. A column of roiling hail and ice formed in the water below, striking the fleeing creatures, bludgeoning them. Water froze into a chunk containing the body of the sahuagin and a giant shark. A second shark was struck by glancing blows from the maelstrom and weakly swam away. In the absence of any living sahuagin, the shark departed, disappearing into the inky blackness. “Well,” Siegfried said, observing the carnage on the deck as dazed sailors milled about, ankle deep in broker crab parts. “I believe we lost two men in this skirmish, but we shall ensure that their widows receive a full pension from House Thann in recognition of their gallant service.” “Sir!” came a shout from the bow. “Look!” The Tide-Runner had penetrated the eyewall of the vicious storm, plunging into the centre of a slightly less-chaotic stretch of ocean. The wall of the storm continued in a great oval of roiling dark clouds. At the centre of the storm’s eye, the party could see an object cloaked in an unnatural fog as though the Shadowfell itself had expelled a great breath of air into the material plane. Not even the storm’s powerful winds could disperse its sinister shadows. Captain Ironclaw broke off the harpoon that had lodged in her side and took a long pull from a bottle of rum that had materialized in her free hand. “Well lads,” she said. “There’s your prize.”