Adular descends
Seijiro looks for traps while waiting for the others...
As the others started going down the rope, one by one, Rain waited her turn, ensuring the rope remained secure around the Kapok tree. She watched as Variel helped Dhaavan down and as her Elven mate gathered the rope.
She immediately caught sight of the hungry look on Variel's face and she was thrown for had he not moments before chided her in front of all for telling him not to risk his life and die ...? And now...
At his mouth by her ear, and then the kiss upon it, Rain could not help but react -- for since Neko's arrival they were afforded very few opportunities to share such intimacies as her golden cat did not like Variel being so familiar with her person.
How long before they start hollering for us to join them?
His soft words against her ear and his arm around her waist felt good but warred against their exchange not that long ago when he fell through the wooden slats. Her own words matched his in softness, "Not long. Who knows what is down there..." She turned slightly so his breath now rested on her cheek and she could see up into his eyes, "You confound me at times, Nightstorm", and gave a soft, quick laugh. She leaned into him a second longer and then moved away as they did not have the time to explore all that was between them, now.
Rain quietly called down to the others, "What do you see down there?" While she waited for an answer, Rain's eyes gazed about the cavern chamber and she then listened for any other sounds coming from within...
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Variel laughs softly at the admission of Rain being confounded by him. It is nothing more than taking the opportunity to show some affection in privacy. We live dangerous lives and know not what is around the corner or under a wooden plank.
Tapping her softly on her rear and giving her a pinch, Your turn to go down.
Variel will cast light on his cutlass and climb down the rope to the others ready to hear what Adular and Jiro have discovered.
After giving Variel a look, Rain carefully climbed down the rope to the others; Variel behind her.
*Grumble...mumble* Dhaavan wraps one of the spare ropes round his waist and Please hold this end to catch me when I slip? he requests, then climbs down the rope.
once down, He'll recoil ahnd clean the rope with Prestidigitation.
Adular scouts forward a bit and discovers that the tunnel is sloping downwards and as such you don't suspect that it will be going back above water any time soon.
"Oh we're going into the drinks for a bit lads and lady," He calls up when he can, "if I'm reading this slope right."
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Treading water as Adular comes back to report, Variel looks at everyone. Sounds like it is a good time as any to use that spell Adular. Looks like we are going to have to get accustomed to the water folks. For my sake this is really going to put a damper on my abilities. At least I will be able to cast spells underwater but fighting is going to be difficult. I will need to use my daggers instead as my cutlass is not designed to be swung underwater. As such, how shall continue onward? Flynn, are able to fire those guns of yours underwater? If so then you could still stay in the back with Dhaavan. If the passage is wide enough to have people go side by side then Rain and myself in front? Rain has reach with her weapon while Adular can easily swim to where he needs to go. Otherwise I would think Jiro could be up front as well looking for any traps along the way?
"Maybe I should be up in front with you Variel to watch for traps, and Rain, since she has reach, can be right behind me and attack over my shoulder if it becomes necessary and I can't get out of her way."
Seijiro gives Tomo orders to wait in the eye of the skull and keep watch while the party explores...
He readies himself for heading underwater, drawing his rapier and sending most of his floating lights down into the water to light the way ahead. He readies himself to look for traps underwater by keeping one of the lights floating near himself.
Treading water, Rain drew the magical pike from her back. She listened to Variel and Jiro as they discussed the swimming order.
Looking to Variel, she added quietly, "I can swim behind you and Jiro. I have my weapon, as noted, and can readily support those in front."
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Nodding to both Jiro and Rain Variel takes the front with the quick Kitsune. Once again we draw blades side by side Jiro. Let us make sure that these Sahuagin pay for their affront to us. If the path narrows to 5ft wide shall you take the lead looking for traps? I will be right behind with Rain behind me. With that pike she can cover all of us.
Looking back to Rain, If you need me to move aside just let me know. You will be better off with that pike than I wil be with my dagger.
Everyone else ready once Adular casts his spell?
"I will lead if the path narrows, so I can watch for traps... I am sad to leave Tomo behind as I am sharper and more agile with him close by, but I will manage."
Seijiro checks for traps in and around the opening before the party all descend....
"Everyone ready then?"Adular asks, and then prays for Besmara's blessing on Flynn, Variel, Jiro, Rain, and Dhaavan.
They each feel a slight catch in their throat, but it passes, and they'll find they can breath water like air now."Should be good for a bit over two hours." Adular says.
Seijiro, unused to breathing in water... holds his breath at first... and finally cannot do so any more and closes his eyes for a moment before the water bursts into his lungs and he finds he can extract the oxygen he needs from the water surprising himself even though he knows the affect the spell is supposed to have... He heads off down the tube with Variel, checking for traps wherever the tunnel looks suspicious, and sometimes where it doesn't just because.
At Adular's casting, a warm glow settles into your lungs and you begin your movement into the tunnel. You are thankful for the light from your companions various spells, otherwise the way would be black as pitch. Thankfully the water remains relatively clear as you proceed.
The tunnel opens up into an underwater chamber, with the exception of a curtain of sea weed or two, it is unremarkable. There are two tunnels leading off, one heading up to the east and another heading slightly down to the south.
Seijiro will test his ability to communicate underwater, asking Variel, "Which way, cap'n-sama?"
As your hand brushes across the seaweed you feel your heart start to quicken, you think your hand is swelling and you start to feel like you can't get enough air...before realizing that you are squeezing your sword too hard and haven't taken a breath in about a minute from holding it due to nervousness about the seaweed. It turns out to be ordinary seaweed.
As you head up the eastern tunnel your heads breach the water and you see that the floor is sand and a few items of furniture are scattered about, including a table, a poorly repaired chair, a bed with a sagging frame, and a crude fence of driftwood in the rear of the chamber. The entire cavern is overgrown with vines bearing tiny violet flowers that fill the
room with a cloying fragrance.
Seijiro and Variel, as you see the room and the pretty flowers, and smell the sweet aroma of the plants, your eyelids grow heavier and heavier until they slide shut and you sink back into the water, unconscious.
Everyone else, you see Seijiro and Variel peek up above the water for a moment and then slide back into the water unmoving.
As the company moves to the mouth of the cave and the rocks above, Horatio turns to Amen-set, the musket still loose in his hands as he treads water.
While he is not a master of many languages, he at least knows the word he wishes to communicate his request as he stares at the cave.
”Sentire in sanguine tuo; volare excelsiorem…”.
"Feel your blood within; fly high above..."
Amen-set nods her head and then grips the musket around the middle of the barrel with her right hand and raises her left hand above her as a fist. Slowly, somewhat clumsily, she rises from the surface until she is high above the water and level with the cave.
Hovering in front of the cave mouth, she swings the barrel forward and points it into the darkness, her eyes peering intently at the mouth as Horatio watches her.
She then slings the musket over her shoulder, takes out a length of rope and ties a slipknot on the end of it, flinging the loop over the rocks and tosses it to Horatio, who grabs the rope and climbs up with the others.
When he has ascended she will move forward with him into the mouth of the cave and speak to him softly – the two of them conversing quietly so as not to disturb the others.
Horatio says nothing for a moment, listening to the others talk about what is in the cave and the threats beyond. He turns to her and nods, his gesture seeming to indicate that she proceed with some prearranged plan. She walks to the mouth of the cave and steps into the air beyond, then she ascends from the opening of the mouth of the cave and disappears from view.
While she is gone he shares what information he has about the history of the cave, but his tone and attitude suggest his heart is distracted by other thoughts pressing on him. Indeed, the look in his eyes seems somewhat concerned and a little sad, as if something is weighing on his very spirit.
He listens to the others talk about the water, and the swimming, and fighting under the water and he places his hand on the butt of his pistol, a small frown on his lips.
Amen-set returns from her errand after a moment and the other seem to be ready to proceed under the water. She descends into the cave mouth and walks forward next to him, the musket now loose in her hands. Horatio halts her and the two of them speak privately again.
Horatio looks at the water before them for a while.
When Adular is ready to cast the spell on them all to allow them to breathe underwater, he holds up his hand for a moment.
”Begging your pardon, but I think that I’m not suited for this mission,” he says with a polite voice.
”I’m alright with melee fighting, but the chance of being any use to you - given the nature of my my weapons - well, it's pretty much non-existent, unfortunately.”
He turns to Amen-set and looks to the mouth of the cave and the open sky beyond.
”Also, unfortunately, it’s been explained to me that Amen-set is not going to be safe on such missions. Normally I’d want her by my side in such a fight; I think that she has a lot of potential and can really help us out; but the fact is, my heart warns me about bringing her on missions with us; I might be wrong, but I just have a bad feeling about her coming with us and we’ll leave it at that.”
He glances behind him and then turns back to the others.
”As it stands she’s my personal responsibility and the fact is that I’m fairly certain that most of the crew dislikes her and wishes that I had never brought her aboard. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think so. But if I'm right then it's probable that she will likely need protection on the ship when I’m not around.”
”Meanwhile I’ve heard Variel and Jiro-san talk about our ship being attacked by an by an enemy vessel in these waters. I don’t know if that’s likely; but I’m generally wrong with my hunches.”
”I guess that means that if any enemy ship does decide to attack us while all the officers are in the cave then I suppose it would be better to have someone on the ship who can actually use our siege guns to make sure that any possible threat can’t get close enough to do anything to us.”
He glances at the cave and the water in it; his hands tightening on the butt of his pistol, the loosening his grip with a sigh.
”Anyhow, this seems like an interesting adventure with a lot of excitement. Normally I’d be on board for this kind of action, but I given everything I just said… well, I wish I could come with you; but I just don’t think this one is for me.”
”That being the case; good luck!” he says them and then turns to the mouth of the cave, takes the rope that Amen-set tied to the rock and hands it to her. Then he hands over his weapons belt and looks at the water below and then dives off and swims back to the ship.
Amen-set pauses and looks at them, as if she would speak or offer a thought. Her eyes flick from Rain to linger on Dhaavan and the waters beyond; she stares at him for a moment then somewhat impulsively blows him a small kiss, then moves to the space beyond the mouth of the cave and flings herself back into the open sky and slowly flies away.
When he sees the Captain and Jiro go under, Adular swims towards the Captain. Since he's not worried about drowing the man, he shakes him a bit.
"Variel.. this smell, it's familiar.. it smells li... zzzzzz"
”Begging your pardon, but I think that I’m not suited for this mission,” he says with a polite voice.
Adular looks startled at that, "Well, color me confused. You've always been handy in a pinch and then some." But he listens
”I’m alright with melee fighting, but the chance of being any use to you - given the nature of my my weapons - well, it's pretty much non-existent, unfortunately.”
Adular scratches his head, "Well, you know your weapons best."
”As it stands she’s my personal responsibility and the fact is that I’m fairly certain that most of the crew dislikes her and wishes that I had never brought her aboard. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think so. But if I'm right then it's probable that she will likely need protection on the ship when I’m not around.”
Adular's brow is knit again in further confusion"Flynn, if this is about earlier ... speaking for myself, I can honestly say I may disagree oer one thing, but that don't mean I'm holding some grudge against her or anyone else on board."
And then Flynn leaves for the ship, and Amen-set flies off. Well, I have no idea what the hell exactly just happened and am not sure on the whys... save we're a man down. Besmara watch after both I suppose.
"Besmara guard all," He says at the sudden turn around.
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Variel smells the fragrance and sees Jiro slip under the waves. His natural resistance to sleep forces him to blink his eyes a few times but that is all that bothers Variel for the moment. Concerned over Jiro Variel doesn't linger above the water level longer than it takes to take in the surrounding area quickly.
Perception
He then ducks underwater to see how Jiro is doing and lets the rest know what he discovered.
It was a very new experience for Rain -- when Adular cast his spell and her breathing adjusted to the water terrain. She nodded her thanks and then slipped under the surface and followed behind Variel and Jiro.
As she brushed up against the seaweed, she looked at it but thought no more and kept swimming.
It was only when she noted Variel and Jiro poke their heads above the surface and then Jiro begin to sink back down into the water, that she perceived some kind of threat and swam toward them. Rain observed Adular's familiar form swimming forward, toward Variel, so Rain propelled herself through the water toward Jiro and grabbing his arm, began to vigorously shake/rouse the kitsune while treading water beneath the surface.
when they move to go under water, Dhaavan casts a spell that will last an hour for the whole party. He slips into the water and gleefully sucks in lungful after lungful of water, thoroughly enjoying the lack of drowning! it takes a couple minutes for the giddy giggling to subside.
As they move, Dhaavan does keep to the back behind Rain .
Seeing sejiro sinking, he paddles forword to get a closer look at the Kitsune and make sure there's nothing enspelling him. [ooc]Detect magic, even though its not necessarily necessary.
Seijiro wakes up at Rain's shaking.
Seijiro wakes up when Rain shakes him... he grasps her by the arm and manages to say weakly, but growing stronger as he wakes more fully. "The scent... in the room - same as the sorceress... who attacked the island. Be careful... It's an xtabay - a plant that eats people... puts to sleep with scented pollen and then consumes."
"Besmara guard all," He says at the sudden turn around.
As the party leans over Jiro, Horatio can be seen moving through the back of the party.
"Sorry... I'm late," he says softly.
Hearing Jiro's comment about the plant, he lifts the thick bandanna that hangs around his neck and pulls it up around his face and mouth for protection.
"As for Amen-set, she is down on the beach with Neko," he adds.
"Wise to have an extra set of eyes there," He nods to Flynn and looks to Jiro.
"Jiro, I'm only half elven, not sure how much that'll protect me from the sleep. Does the scent work under water? Maybe submersion'll keep it out of our nostrils. It looked to me like it was once you got your heads over water that it got you but I coulda been wrong"
"Wise to have an extra set of eyes there," He nods to Flynn and looks to Jiro.
"My thanks, priest," he says, clapping Adular on the arm and giving him a brief grin.
He pauses a moment, considering what Jiro said about the plants and thinks a moment about the small alchemist kit he had.
"Perhaps, if we could get extract a sample of that pollen, we may be able to use them later against our enemies?" he asks.
Adular, since I didn't fall asleep til we got in the room, I'm guessing water blocks it, but I wouldn't count on that entirely, it's just a guess."
"Hey, using that pollen ain't a bad idea..." He nods.
At Jiro's comment, he wonders, "I suppose I could try to create water and wash the pollen away by using a slow rain, but not sure it would work as there's bound to be spray here. Or I could continually dump water on some in large buckets with it, but that would make noise, and again not sure if it would work."
BSF creeps towards the door and attempts to listen to see if there are any bad guys on the other side for him to smash.
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Variel looks back and notices that Flynn is still with them. Glad to have his support Variel turns to the task in front of them, namely the Xtabay. Perhaps Rain and I go in to clear out the vines since we are resistant to their sleep effects. We will stay back and close to the water letting Rain attack the plant at range while I hit it with acid. Hopefully we can kill off those portions that are a threat while still leaving enough of the plant for Horatio to harvest for later.
Variel and Rain, using a team strategy of Rain keeping them at bay and striking them with her pike and Variel bombarding them with splashes of acid. Quickly kill the four plants that are still alive in the room. There is still a large amount of pollen in the air so you suspect it is not the best idea to have the others come up.