Chapter 3: Silver Isle, Floating Market

Magda watches from the shadows, only half her face above water. Not that the hag need take any care being stealthy - her natural ability to turn invisible and leave not a trace of her passage takes care of that.

Those fools are carting away everything they can get their filthy paws on. Mere baubles, playthings, but they're taking the baby, too! Who to strike down first? That idiot with the flowery shirt calling her name like a sick puppy is just begging to be put down, but there's also the bitch that thought she was being clever turning Magda into a worm. And then there's the genasi that took Gemma out. True, Magda always hated that wretch, but in killing her, the genasi also broke the coven and diminished Magda's and Lilith's power. And now he's got the babe in his arms.

Lilith's got to be around here somewhere as well. Surely, the grandmother will make a move soon. But Magda has got something Lilith doesn't. And it's a doozy! Hehehe!

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Lilith lurks just under the surface, obscured by a cloud of jet black ink. Those bastards think they've won. Well, they've got another think coming. Quicker than a seal, the sea hag changes direction and maneuvers near the submerged part of the shipwreck. Once again, she shapes seaweed and slime and fishguts, molds it into a vessel for her malice. The simulacrum rises up, a spitting image of a certain dwarven berserker, and charges up the slanted deck with a roar, "GROG!!!"

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When Lilith makes her move, Magda springs into action as well. She whistles for her new pet, which comes powering through the water, terrifyingly fast. First, a fin breaks the water's surface. Then, a pair of copper-tipped horns. The monster rears up... it's Valrakas! A twisted version of the heroic captain...a WERESHARKOTAUR!!!

"GROOOOOOOOOOG!!!" The false Grog charges those on the slanted deck of the shipwreck. Its wild greataxe swing cuts Nela down, then opens a gash in Jack's thigh. (Nela takes 18 damage, and is down again. Jack takes 9 damage.)

Valrakas' charges Zale and gores the genasi, who falls into the water and starts to sink! (Zale takes 13 damage, and succumbs to his wounds again.) Magda swims over and reclaims baby Lena.

Lightning arcs from Valrakas' copper-tipped horns, striking Phillip and knocking him out! (Phillip saves for half = 2 lightning damage.) The raging weresharkotaur would have chomped off the unconscious human's head, but Magda has other plans, and directs her pet towards the shipwreck.

Battle Music!

Ian's crossbow bolt buries itself in Fake Grog's face (3 damage after DR), but the simulacrum keeps swinging wildly with its crude greataxe, a thing made of a gnarled driftwood haft and what looks like a giant sharktooth for a blade.

For a moment it seems like the seaweed bands that form the false Grog are about to come apart, but the powerful magic keeping the thing together holds.

With blinding speed, Jack turns False Grog into a pincushion! (8+5+9+18 piercing damage) With Jack's first, perfectly-placed sword thrust, the Quicksilver Sword of Crashing Waves releases a tsunami of concussive force that knocks both Grogs down!

Grog hacks away at Fake Grog, and the impostor collapses into a slimy heap of shredded seaweed on the deck. The sharktooth greataxe falls with a clatter at Grog's feet.

Battle Music!

Valrakas leaps out of the water and charges up the deck! Grog manages to avoid being gored, but the werehsarkotaur tosses his head and flips the dwarf overboard into the water! (Valrakas wins opposed check)

Lightning from the weresharkotaur's horns zaps Jack (4 lightning damage) as the enraged weresharkotaur turns it attention to Ian. The first mate gets chomped, and he feels the lycanthrope venom being pumped into his veins! (11 piercing damage, CON save vs. wereshark lycanthropy: failed)

Lilith stays hidden, lurking just under the surface. (Perception DC 13 to spot) but Magda is less cautious and cackles with glee at the carnage. Unable to stop herself, she pops out of her magical invisibility to heckle Grog. "Haha! That'll teach you to mess with the Coven, idiot!" (4 psychic damage, and has Disadvantage on next attack)