The sun shined down at its pinnacle as the group noticed the tide turning, the water rising. Descending the stairs to the north, they turned rightward at the bottom. Presently, they found the base of yet another tower. Beneath inches of rippling water, black goo filled a circular opening in the floor. A few timid pokes proved it was no black pudding. They concluded it was oil or tar and moved on.
Farther down the hall, a door opened to a room of levers. Ferris tried pulling each of them. The first two produced faint grinding. The last two, nothing. Attempting to reverse them broke two of them.
The hallway ended in short stairway and and a door, submerged. It interested them in no way. A thorough search turned up a secret door on the north wall. It too revealed a stairway down into water with two open doors nearly completely submerged. A hand’s width of airspace crammed against the ceiling. The prospect of investigating this area also discouraged.
Next, the group retraced their path back to the first submerged room where they found the first tower. After some debate, they stripped, dove in the water and climbed up the stairs to the door leading to the long passage. Returning to where Ferris and Tienarth stumbled on the fishmen, the party discovered three coffers, respectively containing silver coins, platinum coins and platinum jewelry.
They ported their treasure back to the mural room and presently heard the boop-bleep-boop cadence of the fishman talk outside. Urgently, they rushed out to spy three fishmen rowing away in one of the boats. They jumped into the remaining boats to give chance. They spied some extra cargo in the boats, as well, which increased their fervour. Alas, the chase as lost despite a vain attempt to make landfall among the mangrove, perhaps to run through the jungle. Giving up, they returned to the temple to wait for the great ship.
As they waited, Ghevont discerned the magical nature of the golden pearl taken from the fishman priest. With still another day before the ship returned, Ghevont and Azrak lay down for yet more rest.
Suddenly, fishmen climbed the stairs to attack. Ferris shook Ghevont away, spoiling a chance at regaining spells. They fought off the fishmen, though the brave pirate Galiz was stabbed cruelly and died.
Not long after, they spotted the Crimson Disgrace, toward which they rowed together in one boat, leaving behind the bodies of several fallen comrades. They did not forget the loot. Together, the treasure was estimated to be worth 61,000 gold pieces, to be split 60/40 between Tienarth’s Raiders and the pirates.
Yet, they couldn’t help but wonder what the fishmen hauled off. Surely fishmen would rather swim away if they didn’t have heavy boxes to lug to some lair. And the mural indicated several points of interest along the river, finally arriving at a pyramid. Ferris used the headdress of Ghot to read the map, finding the works to be names he could not pronounce.
After a brief discussion, Captain Tawney agreed to sail up the wide river to investigate.