While the Tropic Thunder payed their respects to Vicros' body, they detected light coming their way fast from the northwestern exit of the cave. Cyq and Graim hid while Quarion greeted a young woman who was running away from another deformed deinonychus. After the monster was defeated, she introduced herself as Halja, a soldier in the employ of the Sasserine military. The sister of one of her friends had been pressed into service with the Crimson Fleet. Research revealed that the press gang had relocated to Kraken's Cove. She and her friends charged the cove a few days ago, but were killed or subdued by the pirates, who were normal human beings at the time. While Halja was wasting away alone in a cell in a cavern to the north, she felt strange, like someone was trying to take control of her mind, someone angry and hungry. Halja resisted the foreign influence, but all around her, pirates and prisoners alike transformed into savage creatures. Anyone who resisted the change was promptly eaten by the ones who did not. Halja was lucky enough to be alone in her cage, and eventually one of the savage creatures that tried unsuccessfully to grab her through the bars kicked the keys within her reach. As soon as she exited her cage and lighted a torch to guide her way, she was spotted by a savage deinonychus, and this is when she stumbled into the rest of the heroes. Halja decided to fight along the heroes to find her friend's sister.
A low table in the northeast corner held a number of rare books laid out to dry on it. This collection of tomes on topics ranging from lizardfolk cuisine to naturalist studies of the Amedio was water damaged.
Unfortunately, Halja and Quarion's wolf were infected by the creature during their battle. Furthermore, Quarion's wolf collapsed into a coma-like state and transformed into a savage creature, so Quarion had to put it down. The Tropic Thunder spent a couple of days hiding in the Sea Wyvern, nursing their wounds, while Quarion found a new wolf companion in the wilds surrounding the cove.
A search of the rubble on the beach (taking three hours, 20 minutes) uncovered three surviving items of value - a leather sack of stolen saffron, a case of fine dishware, and a case of potions of cure moderate wounds stolen from a naval frigate (of which only three survived intact).
When Graim explored the harbor underwater he noted a section of seabed about forty feet from shore that appeared strangely barren of life - the rocks and sand gleamed, with not a trace of seaweed to be found. When Quarion searched this region, he discovered what looked like a fist-sized black pearl that had shattered into five jagged chunks. The shattered remains bore a dim magical aura.
The next cavern must have served as a mess hall, yet now the large tables lay in ruins. To the north, dozens of barrels that once contained fresh water and food stores had been smashed to splinters. Bodies lay throughout the caves in various stages of dismemberment and consumption - it was hard to count the total dead due to the stage of the corpses, but at least twelve people recently met a gory end in this cave.
One of the savage pirates had spent the last hour in a gruesome repast of his friends - a former bosun lay strewn on the table. He was in the kitchen area in the southwest corner of the room, hacking away with relish at the dead crewman with his cleaver, while two of his fellow cannibals waited impatiently at a table. As soon as they detected the Tropic Thunder, they attacked.
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