Meega severs the head of the troll she stands on. Haerelben searches the Dark Tide Knight formerly known as Lance. She had a lot to live for: in a waterproof leather pouch are 16 gp, 5 pp, 5 coral gems [80 gp each], and a potion of healing. Haerelben keeps the potion and surrenders the rest to treasurer Theren. Lance’s bound shark circles restlessly along the edge of a quiet underground lake.
Meega calms the shark. Haerelben gives Theren some pointers on handling the shark as a mount. Theren attempts to board the shark and falls into the lake. The shark tries for a nibble of Theren, but Lefty distracts it away with some bits of cultist ‘n troll.
Theridan casts water walk and the party explores upstream to the source of the canal. Water ghouls grasp at Theren’s legs from beneath the surface. Meega dons her water mask and spear kit and battles the ghouls submerged. Theren fires crossbow bolts through the surface. Bromsby and Theridan whip at the ghouls. The ghouls are defeated.
The shark has returned to prospective new friend Meega and scoops her up into its saddle. Meega rides the shark around triumphantly splashing her cohorts.
Theren probes ahead and finds a few more ghouls. The ensuing fight attracts the attention of a nearby pair of chuuls. Theridan goes to snake form. Bromsby erupts earth at the ghouls. The chuuls concentrate on snake Theridan and they get into a grappling circle. The party focuses on the disadvantageously grappled chuul which Theren subdues with some final short sword chops. The remaining chuul and ghouls beat snake Theridan back into elf Theridan.
Bromsby erupts the last two ghouls. The chuul drags Theridan and Theren to the lake edge to drown them but Bromsby thorn whips it back forcing it to drop them into the lake.
The party realizes Lefty and Meega have not been any help with the chuuls when shark-mounted Meega arcs through the air, driving the water spear into a giant octopus that snatched Lefty when no one else was watching.
Theridan and Theren clamber back ashore.The chuul manages to paralyze Theridan until Haerelben restores him. Bromsby destroys the chuul with an earth tremor.
Victorious Meega sails through the air again, this time holding up most of an octopus corpse. Lefty drags herself out of the canal for some oxygen. Meega names the shark Nennak, orc for water fighter. Bipedal Meega and unevolved Nennak know the good times can’t last and so part ways after Meega removes Nennak’s saddle.
The party explores the room liberated from the ghouls and chuuls while enjoying a short rest. A red symbol like an X connected at the bottom adorns one wall. A square of eight black water-filled holes in the floor and a scattering of ropes tied on heavy stones suggests systematic drowning. Haerelben draws no conclusions from a sample of the foul water so Theren jumps into a hole experimentally. He is grappled and held under by a water ghoul.
When Theren does not emerge, Theridan ties off Meega with some rope and she dives in. She can feel one head of decaying mush and one of living hair. She jams the water spear into the mushy head a few times while Theren fights off the ghoul with his hand crossbow. The water ghoul is defeated and the party drags Meega and Theren back to the surface. Theren wastes no time jumping back into the hole to loot the water ghoul but finds the ghoul had no apparent possessions. Theren drops rocks into all eight holes.