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The roar of falling water obscures all other sound, and a choking veil of spray spews up from the surface of what is obviously a large body of water. As you struggle clear, you see that you have come through the ceiling of a huge natural cavern 30 feet above. Fifty feet away, waves wash a rocky shoreline, while in the opposite direction the lake stretches into the distance. The water here is foul-tasting and black— quite unlike the fresh clear water spilling from above.
There is a hole in the ceiling that water is cascading through. Alzar heads into his OtherSpace for a few moments, and then comes out with his pro-water stuff. He is wearing the Bracelet of Swimming, Helmet of Underwater Action, and Necklace of Adaptation. This is a very large lake with the foul, polluted water.
Alzar then dives into the water.
There is a concentration near the bottom. As Alzar closes, a dragon turtle rises!
It’s a really big one too. It’s underwater though, that’s a better place to fight it – no breath weapon or the ability to break or overturn boats.
Alzar unfurls his axe, activates his Zoster, and gets ready and the dragon turtle nips him and misses (Cloak)
Initiative. 3 vs 2. The turtle gets three attacks, two hit for 19 damage. Alzar gets three attacks like normal (His three items give him fast speed, no need to breath, and not slowed down by water. He can actually go faster, and more nimble underwater, with these three items, than above water.) He gets a 4, 14, and 15. That’s three hits for 3, 3, and 3. 41 damage. 5 vs 9. Alzar carves again, hits twice with the axe for 36 and it roars and dies.
12k.
Alzar will carve up the dragon turtle later on. Meanwhile he drives on and plunges Cutter into an odd shaped alive plant thing. After a moment, the thing has died, and the water begins to clear up.
The curse has been lifted.
If the curse is removed, pure water once again spurts from the wormhole, and soon begins to clear the befouled lake. There is no more danger from swallowing the water. Within a day, the underwater lake will be clear. A day later, people downstream on the Sabre River will see a noticeable improvement in the water quality. A full month will pass before the river is completely clean and back to normal.
As soon as the curse is removed, however, all of the dangerous effects from drinking river water vanish. The creatures that have been charmed by the effects of the water will fall into a deep sleep, awakening 1-8 days later. Those which are sentient will have no knowledge of what happened to them during the intervening period.
The water elementals quickly enter the wormhole, eager to return to their plane. If the PCs and elementals have worked together, the elementals pledge to return the favor at some point in the future. This pledge means that the PCs can summon a water elemental from the waters of the Sabre River by nonmagical means. Summoning will work only once and will bring a 10-HD water elemental from the river in 1-4 turns. The elemental will perform one task for the PC but will not spend more than a week doing it. The player character must actually stand in the water of the river in order to summon. All he or she need do is call aloud the phrase that the elementals give them before departing.
Continuing the Campaign
The king will take careful note of those characters who saved the Sabre River from the curse. If adjacent land is available, characters may find their dominions expanded by a hex or two as a reward. The status of the PCs at court is also increased.
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