"Water showered the
sailors as a creature of legend rose up out the water. The blue scales
entwining
around a sinuous
body as thick as a vallenwood tree shone brightly and deadly as thousands
of rivulets
of water poured
off of the rising mass. A snake-like head cleared the water, the red eyes
split by
vertical pupils
of the deepest black. A thin ridge of deathly spikes crested the back of
the uncoiling
creature, while
teeth the size of swords greeted the awestruck crew.
The creature
was a sea serpent, and a large one at that. The fanged mouth poised in
the blue sky for a
moment, then
burst in a flash of lightning fast movement. The blood of the sailor rained
down upon
Palamar, staining
his robes in ghastly colors. The bent spyglass struck the ground next to
him and shattered."
-Excerpt From Post #6544, "Watch What Thou Wish....."
One of the most notable events to occur on our journey from Istar to Palanthas was an encounter with the terrible sea serpent Astautha. Only through the heroic efforts given forth by the group was the Starchaser able to survive.
The attack was begun late in the morning, about a week after the ship left Istar. The ship's mage Palamar had just stepped up onto the deck to serve his duty shift when the lookout spotted something in the water, and began to rapidly scale down the rigging towards the deck. His somewhat gruesome fate is plainly shown in the passage above.
To many sailors, Astautha was just a legend told by drunks and fools, a mere tall tale to be ignored. And that was probably good reasoning, there was an uncountable number of such stories that made their way around in those times. In all truth though, all of the ships that had truly encountered this creature had not survived the battle.
However, when the crew began scurrying for weapons or shelter, they obviously thought differently. The party was rudely awakened by the powerful turbulence, while on the deck Palamar found himself charged with taking command of a scene of complete and utter chaos. A sailor was sent to inform the captain and first mate, while another tried to keep the passengers below (his efforts were in vain).
Early on in the battle, Shanna was tossed overboard, and the nosferatu was forced to cling desperately for dear life to the railing in order to avoid plunging into the ocean. Questor had reached the main deck and brandished his two weapons, Spider's Bane and Spider's Fang. The drow commanded the magical weapons to alter their shapes, turning Bane into a whip which he used to grab Shanna with, and changing Fang into a long sword which he could better use to combat the serpent with.
Meanwhile, Damon had released a hail of fireballs, an impressive display of magical ability, but they barely seemed to faze the creature. Zanthus had reached the deck and cast a lightning bolt spell, but it merely stunned the creature. Things were not looking up for the group. The Starchaser was obscured by a wall of fog conjured up by Palamar, but it blinded the party and made the battle all that much worse.
And unfortunately, despite all of their efforts the serpent had turned its eyes towards Shanna and in one fell swoop swept down and devoured her whole. The railing and a small part of the hull took damage here as well, sending wood splinters showering down on those aboard. Shanna was swallowed and deposited unceremoniously in the creature's stomach, a pit of horrors if ever there was one.
Questor and Onyx were already engaged in a spectacular aerial combat with the creature, aided by spells cast from the ship. Eventually it dived back into the water, and for several moments a heart wrenching calm arrested the scene.
But this lull was interrupted as the serpent burst forth once more, beginning this time to wrap around the vessel like a snake would to a mouse. Certain death seemed inevitable. However, between the quick thinking of Captain Pennington and the mages aboard the vessel, a powerful gust of wind was summoned up which filled the sails and sent the ship skimming across the waves. The fore sail was ripped by the force of the air, but it seemed a small price to pay in exchange for their lives. At that time Stormcrowe enacted a spell that caused the entire ship to vanish.
With its primary
prey gone, Astautha turned its attention to other matters. Questor
and Onyx were still fiercely battling the creature, focusing on its eyes
as a means of incapacitating it. The creature dived once more and
the drow was cast into the water. Onyx chased after it, but the serpent
reversed its course quickly and rushed by her, wounding the dragon with
moderate injuries. It rushed up from the depths beneath the levitating
dark elf, but the fighter/mage had already prepared a last resort spell.
Just as the jaws of death were closing over him, he opened a rift through
the planes with the tremendous magics of his enchantment and within an
instant the monster and the self-sacrificing drow were gone. A lone
figure bobbed to the surface, hacking and choking, clinging to a chunk
of wood where the beast had exploded from the water. His ratted beard marked
him as a dwarf, but there was no clue of where he may have come from.
Shanna was nowhere in sight.
And that is a short summary of the Starchaser's encounter with Astautha. It was a terrible fight which the party members will most surely never forget.