THE PLUTONIA AND THE DREUGH COLONY

Leaving the strange chamber and it's mysterious device behind, I headed out to the water. I knew that some of the things I was searching for would be found in the ocean's depths. Donning my belt of fishgills, I dove into the chilly waters to see what I could find.   

 

I started swimming for the sunken ship when I suddenly noticed a number of Dreugh warriors heading straight for my position.

Swimming is hard enough, but a feather-light shield and sword in your hands at the same time doesn't make it any easier. 

 

The Dreugh attacked en-masse, snapping at me with their large clawed fists and stiff tentacles, but the feather-light chestplate provided by my enchanted Ring of Weapons protected me from most of their attacks.

I struck at one of them, cutting him down in just 3 slashes of my broadsword. Two of them attacked me from the sides, and a fourth came to join the attack.

As I finished the first one, the others snapped at my arm and shoulders with claws.

I turned, and cut the second Dreugh down with one well-placed blow. The two remaining warriors backed off, attempting to regroup, then swam towards me again. I took aim at the one on my right, but the creature blocked my attack with it's claw. I swung again and again, trying to maintain my balance in the water. I blocked yet another attack with my shield, responding with yet another swing of my blade. This time it found it's mark, and a third Dreugh floated to the surface, joining it's brothers on the surface.     

 

The fourth one looked at me for a moment, as if it was pondering it's fate, then rushed to attack yet again. The creature was not successful; it swam directly into my outstretched blade.  

 

All four of the creatures gone from the picture, I swam towards the sunken vessel.

I wasn't sure if the creatures had been guarding it, or if they were just defending their territory.  

 

I found a door to the main cabin. Pushing it open, I managed to swim inside, and found an air pocket trapped in the room.   

 

I was glad that when I had the Belt of Fishgills enchanted, I thought to have a little night-eye added as well. It was most helpful seeing in the nearly non-existent light in the cabin.

I didn't find much of anything useful in the cabin, a few odds and ends that had been left behind when the ship sunk. I was about to leave empty-handed when I noticed a small chest on a shelf just at water-level. Inside was a small leatherbound book, wrapped in oiled leather cloth.

Most of the pages were unreadable, but there were a few items of interest that I could read. I could make out that it described a structure that was "Daedric", assuming that it was describing the shrine that I had just visited, and that it was connected with, what was described as "Those Who Dwell Outside, who themselves clearly are not Daedra, and do not originate from the plane called Oblivion." The rest of that passage had floated into the ocean, but another part referred to "...in binding the portal." (I assumed the portal was that strange device I had seen in the shrine). The author went on to say that he had sent the wards would protect the portal if something came though from the other side. Another part of the book described the shrine being completely empty with the exception of a green tablet (apparently made out of soapstone), engraved with some type of text that perhaps a colleague of the author could read.

I checked about the cabin again, checking for the tablet described in the book, but there was none to be found.

The next readable portion of the book mentioned the dreugh colony nearby. The author felt that there was no coincidence that the shrine and this colony was located so close together. He felt there was a connection between the ones of this "other side" and the Dreugh, and felt that the island might be connected with Dagon. (I did not understand the reference to "Dagon", but continued reading.)

The next readable part indicated the author had tried to contact the Dreugh, but was unsuccessful. It indicated that he was going to make one more attempt to contact them, trying to come to some sort of accommodation with them.

Unfortunately, there was no other log entry, so my guess was that he was not successful.   

 

Tucking the book safely away, I decided to head over to the colony and see if the tablet was there.

As I departed the wreck, I caught the approach of yet another Dreugh closing in on my position rapidly.

 

My shield deflected the creature's first attack with it's stiff and abrasive tentacles, but I missed the attack of it's huge claw. It struck me on the head. My head reeled from the pain, but I managed to raise my shield in time to deflect it's second swing of that massive claw.  

 

I swung at it with my broadsword, cutting off two of it's tentacles.

I attempted to swim backwards a bit, trying to gain a little more room to maneuver, but the Dreugh closed the distance quickly.   

 

There were several more thrusts and retreats on both sides, and I managed to remove two more tentacles from the warrior. I really wanted to get rid of that claw.

I pretended to be tired, wounded. The Dreugh hesitated for a moment, then closed in for the kill. At that instant, I raised my broadsword, and the seawater was filled with a billowing of the creature's blood.

The warrior floated to the surface to join his brothers.   

 

I finally managed to make my way to the entrance to the Dreugh colony.

I took a few moments to perform a healing spell on myself. That last battle took a lot out of me. My head felt like an army of Orks was marching through it. That Dreugh claw that smacked my head was definitely going to leave a mark.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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