Phaedra Became a Statue

The party finished their brutal fight in the skull tavern, killing Vodea Phorus with a critical instant-death strike and dropping Seamus Grond moments later—but Phaedra was turned entirely to stone. Marnok discovered a private message revealing that Addison can see and hear through Mervyn's senses, forcing the group into a tense night of whispered planning while their compromised companion slept below.

Guiding Bolt and Flanking Strikes

Viktorin opened the round with a fourth-level Guiding Bolt that dealt twenty points of radiant damage and bathed the target in bright yellow light, granting advantage to all subsequent attacks [1]. Marnok moved into flanking position and landed two strikes in quick succession, dealing blade and cold damage. Vodea Phorus retaliated against Kithri, landing one strike before missing the second. Kithri responded by casting Hold Person at fourth level, paralyzing Stone Cold 1, Stone Cold 2, and Phaedra herself—only Seamus resisted the spell. Phaedra attempted to run forward but failed a Constitution save triggered by proximity to Vodea Phorus and was instantly petrified, her body transforming completely to stone.

Critical Evisceration

Mervyn moved into position and struck Seamus twice, dealing seven points of damage and following up with finger-gun blasts. Litton attacked the paralyzed Seamus with advantage, landing heavy blows, and Seamus counterattacked for a combined seventeen damage. Viktorin cast Sacred Flame on the immobilized Stone Cold 1, then used Channel Divinity to regain a spell slot. Kithri attacked the paralyzed Vodea Phorus with her flame blade and scored a critical hit; her follow-up scimitar strike rolled a natural twenty, then a d100 result of one hundred, triggering an instant-death effect. Vodea Phorus failed his Constitution save against the instant kill and was graphically eviscerated on the spot [2].

The Last Three Fall

Mervyn continued his assault on Seamus, dealing fourteen points of damage with a ranged attack that caved in the back of his head and killed him outright. He then turned his finger guns on Stone Cold 1, dealing ten points of force damage and dropping the paralyzed creature where it stood. Litton retrieved the Comet Ballista and fired at Stone Cold 2, dealing five damage and killing the last enemy. The combat ended with all four foes—Vodea Phorus, Seamus, Stone Cold 1, and Stone Cold 2—dead, and Phaedra standing frozen as a statue. Kithri backflipped off the bar and landed behind it, offering drinks to the party.

Loot and Letters

The party intimidated the two bartenders—a dwarf and another figure—into cooperation and learned that a crew of twenty had been needed to man the ship below; the party had killed approximately eighteen. Litton searched Seamus Grond's body and recovered fifty gold and a small warhammer crackling with electricity. Viktorin examined Vodea Phorus's corpse and found two hundred gold, a scroll, and a longsword of elven craftsmanship. Marnok explored an upstairs room and discovered a map of the Menagerie Coast, figurines, a pistol, a green heart necklace, and roughly one hundred gold worth of gems in a locked drawer. The scroll contained a letter from Scarbosa instructing the recipient to wait at the Skullport until further notice [3].

Moonblade and Tempest Hammer

Mervyn completed a ritual identification of the longsword, revealing it to be a +1 blade with finesse properties and the ability to cast Steel Wind Strike once per long rest; Viktorin sensed there was more to the weapon than the spell revealed. Kithri agreed to store the blade in the bag of holding. The warhammer was identified as the Hammer of the Tempest, dealing lightning damage in addition to normal damage, with the thrown property and the ability to return to its attuned wielder's hand. The party decided to rest overnight rather than attempt a nighttime departure, and Litton paid the two barkeeps—offering them passage back to Nikodranas or the mainland—and had the bodies of their former captors thrown into the water below.

Stone All the Way Through

Viktorin cast Sending to Captain Jack Sapphire, confirming the area was clear and that Sapphire would join them at the dock in the morning. The party examined Phaedra's petrified form and discovered through testing with a shoelace that the petrification extended completely through her body—stone all the way through, not just a surface layer. Captain Jack Sapphire arrived an hour later and confirmed that magic existed to restore her, though he could not cast the necessary spell himself. Kithri stated she could not change her prepared spells until morning but would attempt to help Phaedra then. Litton took first watch, sitting at a window overlooking the docks and examining the warhammer, determining he could transfer runes from another weapon onto it with delicate work.

The Message in the Ball

Marnok and Kithri took the secondary watch and passed an uneventful night. During the evening, Litton and Marnok retreated to private quarters for a confidential conversation. Marnok revealed that he had created a small ball inscribed with magical writing and given it to Viktorin before the recent battle; the item's message disclosed that Addison could see through Mervyn's eyes and hear what Mervyn heard, meaning Addison had been monitoring the party's activities and conversations since Mervyn's death and resurrection [4]. Litton initially misunderstood and thought the threat involved Viktorin, but Viktorin had told Litton about Mervyn being compromised while they were at Seamus's body. The party debated how to handle Mervyn's presence—options included blindfolding him, placing him in the bag of holding with periodic air breaks, or sending him away on mundane tasks—but recognized that any overt action would alert Addison that they knew about her surveillance.

What Addison Knows

The group realized that Addison now possessed intelligence on all party activities and conversations since Mervyn's resurrection, including their plans to acquire the orb from Master Yussa Errenis, conversations with Bra'Thocrys and the City Watch, discussions about Targanas and Scarbosa, and mentions of the House of Five and dragon-related activities. Mervyn had deliberately left the room and drunk heavily during the City Watch conversation, and had been intoxicated in the corner when Kristoff knocked on the door, leaving at that point. The party debated whether to feed false information to Mervyn so that misinformation would spread to Addison—suggesting destinations like Port Damali or Whitestone as misdirection—but others opposed the strategy, concerned it could backfire and lead Addison to their actual location. Mervyn remained asleep downstairs in a hammock throughout the night.

Hello at Dawn

Viktorin maintained watch through the night as the sea remained calm and the moon hung visible overhead. At dawn, he perceived a turtle-headed creature peering into the skull's eye socket and greeting him with a simple "Hello." The party remained inside the skull tavern with their petrified companion and their compromised artificer, uncertain what the new day would bring.