The waves lap perilously close to the group's feet as they scramble over the rough rocks of the causeway, trying to cross to the next island before the the tide turns. The roar of the waves as they dash themselves against the rocks to the left contrasts with the relatively placid waters of the lagoon to the right.
The footing is wet, and there are numerous hidden rockpools, but the way is relatively clear from weed, having been scoured clean multiple times per day as the tide washes over it. The first island in the chain is about 100 yards of from the mainland, and the group have made it halfway in a few minutes.
Karia turns, noticing a movement in the water in the lagoon out of the corner of her eye. A large purpley-blue tentacle, the thickness of a sailor's arm, and covered in suckers the size of a coin, is snaking out the water a few feet away, squirming towards her ankle.
Karia draws her MW rapier and stabs the tentacle with a screech of panic.
Karia thrusts the tip of her rapier into the rubbery flesh of the squirming tentacle, causing it to recoil and wave about in an agitated manner. Dark ichor flows from the wound, staining the water around it. The owner of the tentacle is obviously deeper in the water, still cloudy and opaque from the agitation of the recent storm. Two more tentacles sprout from the water, their tips squirming and searching for targets on the narrow causeway.
Karia's sharp cry alerts the others, who turn to see the horrors arising from the waters.
Rotation
Corliss - can post
Hamual - can post
Tentacles
Karia
Sizara
Hamual will turn at the cry, looking down at the retreating tentacle and stepping further away.
"At least show them your not totally useless so they might save you. Can't do this myself."
Hamual closes his eyes for a second making a fist and slamming it down at the tentacle.
Corliss takes care of business before making a wisecrack. He casts bless and moves closer to his friends.
"I hate always bein' right 'bout this sort o' thing...."
Hamual and Corliss react to Karia's cry, the pirate priest invoking the fickle favour of Besmara, while the wizard summons a ball of telekinetic force and hurls it at one of the squirming tentacles. It misses, and a huge plume of seawater erupts with the force of the blow.
The shockwave from the blow obviously disturbs the tentacles' owner, as the appendages are rapidly withdrawn beneath the water. As the ripples subside, a huge shape can be seen moving under the water, staying parallel to the causeway.
Rotation
Corliss
Hamual
Tentacles
Karia - can post
Sizara - can post
Sizara charges forward and swings her sword at one of the tentacles!
Sizara seems unfazed by the squirming tentacles, charging foward and swiping at one as it disappears beneath the waves. A great gout of reddish-green blood spurts from the wound, and the tentacle is withdrawn posthaste.
Suddenly there is a great rush of water at the surface, and the owner of the tentacles, an octopus whose central body is the size of a carthorse, rises in the shallow water. Its large bloodshot eye stares furiously at what it considers its prey for putting up unexpected resistance, and its tentacles coil and recoil for another strike.
Anyone go! New PC expected imminently.
Karia starts her Bardic performance. +1 to hit and damage. +1 on your saves vs Charm and Fear effects.
If the Octopus is in range she will stab it, not having enough actions to draw her Crossbow.
Probably not.
"Garn! That be a year's supply o' calamari, or me name ain't Corliss Somethin'-or-Other!" the ex-pirate exclaims as he gets his first good look at the beastie. Drawing his rapier, he fingers his Besmaran holy symbol and silently invokes his goddess's aid.
for plus -2 on attack rolls for 1 round.
Storm Burst (Sp): As a standard action, you can create a storm burst targeting any foe within 30 feet as a ranged touch attack. The storm burst deals 1d6 points of nonlethal damage + 1 point for every two cleric levels you possess. In addition, the target is buffeted by winds and rain, causing it to take a –2 penalty on attack rolls for 1 round. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.
I hope our GM didn't order the Blowfish Special. :x
I'm hoping the same thing as well!
The grasping tentacles were obviously not expecting this level of opposition. Their huge amorphous owner, still only vaguely visible underneath the waves, obviously decides that lunch really isn't worth the effort, and smartly withdraws its appendages, disappearing intot he murk in the depths of the lagoon.
The group take the opportunity to scramble rapidly over the slippery rocks, hoping to make their way to the purple island before the tide turns and the waters swallow their path once more.
===
The waters are beginning to rise again as the group scramble ashore, exhausted, onto the strange purple island. The source of its odd colouring is immediately apparent - a thick layer of fibrous purple fungus that seems to coat everything. It sprouts from the ground wherever a patch of fertile soil can be found, hangs from the limbs of dead trees, and even grows in patches here and there on rocks, like lichen. The air is hazy with spores, and there is no sound of birds or other animals, perhaps for the first time since you were shipwrecked. Even the usual sussuration of the ocean is muffled, as though the fungus were absorbing the sound. Everything seems still and dead.
Corliss gazes about the island, slowing nodding his head and stroking his lengthening beard.
"So...," he says at last, "...Who'd like to try the pretty purple lichen to see iff'n it be edible?"
So are breaths a sigh of relief as the tentacled monster retreats after the adventurers gave it a serious beating.
"Well that was something. A good thing we were able to drive it before things got out of hand," she says looking at the spot where the giant octopus had once been.
"Should we check this wreck for supplies or leave at once before that monster returns?"
"I do not like the look of this place, or the absence of sound really. Something just feels off but I cannot tell what."
Karia wraps some cloth over her nose and mouth to block any spores.
What is this fungus?
"Best we check the wreck. Anything we can use is valuable"
The strange fungus that covers everything occasionally seems to twist and writhe, with ripples spreading across it, like the wind over a field of barley, as the group makes their way. The ground is soft and squelchy, and where the fungus has been broken away by the recent storm, it is already decomposing into a foul-smelling slimy mess.
Making their way to the location of the shipwreck, the group eventually find it through the haze of spores. Apart from the crashing of the waves, there is still no sound of birds or other creatures.
At first glance, the ruined sailing ship seems in relatively good condition. The ship has no colour to its lines, and is completely covered in a layer of soft grey mold. Even its sails appear fully intact, although what hands from the spars is not canvas, but sheets of thick, pale fungus. Several thick ropes of fungus connect the ship's upper deck to the island almost like crude rope bridges.
As the group watches, two creatures emerge from the fungus forest slightly further down the coast. Bipedal, and moving with a strange, loping gate, they are about the size of human children. Their bodies are completely covered with, or perhaps made entirely of, a mixture of purple and grey fungus. They carry simple spears. As the group watches, they trip lightly over the fungus 'ropes' to the ship, and disappear inside.
"Those were um.. interesting. I have a feeling they won't be friendly, as not much other than yourselves have been friendly so far."
Hamual will stay behind the large woman with the sword
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Might these be the 'little purple people eaters' mentioned in that ol' song o' yore?" Corliss wonders aloud. "Iff'n they be part plant, chances be they ain't inherently evil, right? Maybe we should try to negotiate with 'em, eh?" With a chuckle, he can't resist adding, "Tell 'em we come in peach!"
"I don't know about the rest of you, but I think we have more enemies to deal with!"
Sizara growls like a cornered wild cat as she readies her blade.
"Sad, but true." Karia agrees. Keeping an eye out for more of these creatures.
"How do you wish to proceed? Hope they come to us or we go to them?"
"Anyone speak...um, Plantish?" Corliss asks quietly. "I'd hate to start killin' these things iff'n they're just livin' life on their own little island not botherin' nobody."
Corliss waits for someone who's not an idiot to take the lead; when no one steps up, he sighs and heads for the mold-covered ship.
Taking a moment to conjure a copycat of himself, the ex-pirate calls out, "Ahoy, li'l purple mateys! Uh...Parley?"
There is a brief pause of inactivity after Corliss shouts his greeting, and then a pair of purple fungusy heads pop out of various holes in the ship's hull, spears at the ready, heads turning as they scan for the source of the shout.
On spotting the advancing human, the creatures' eyes go wide, and they briefly touch, rhizomes squirming along their fingers, and small clouds of spores puffing up from their flesh. This could well be how they communicate.
Both heads vanish, and then one of the creatures appears at the other side of the fungus 'bridge' linking the land to the wreck. It advances slowly, more wary than threatening, its spear level towards the Besmaran cleric.
Corliss figures he doesn't speak the same language as the purple folk, so he uses theatrical pantomime instead.
Gesturing grandly to his comrades, he begins. "We...."
"...would like to see...." He points to his eyes.
"...what's inside yon ship!" He then points to the shipwreck.
Unable to resist being a goofball, he adds with a grin, "I assure you, my friends and I are all strict carnivores. We won't try to eat your people!"
"Interesting way to travel, I wonder if they can tell me more about it?"
Hamual takes a step back from the approaching creature.