The last fishman expires on the point of Marnir's boarding axe and it's corpse sinks to the bottom of the tunnel, trailing a stream of blood that starts to dissipate in the water. Marnir turns to his friends to check on them before pointing up the passageway that he and Markizio have been fighting in. "There's light this way, and it looks like this passage might rise out of the water."
Cautiously poking your head above water what you see the the tunnel rises above sea level here, creating an air pocket in this series of chambers. 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.
Party order please, who is checking the cave?
The vines with the purple flowers are called Xtabay's, and are dangerous. They release a sophoric pollen that puts someone to sleep, after which the vines slowly move over to the sleeping person and drain the life out of them.
Frustrated with his fighting prowess underwater, the magus was happy to scamper onto dry land again, even if it was a cavern overgrown with vines.
He turned to his companions, "I got this. Watch my back."
The magus started carefully inspecting the place, "Hello... anybody home?
Marnir follows Markizio through the tunnel and lurks in the shallows, still waist deep at the edge of the cavern. Marnir switches to his battleaxe, ready to confront any more fishmen that might be lurking in ambush. The unfamiliar vines and flowers look appealing, but the smell is overwhelming.
Kung slaps his captain on the back as he emerges from the water. "Like your song; feel strong after. Maybe better than when Kung make Kung angry alone. Praise to northern ancestors." He makes his way to the aromatic flowers, and takes a closer look.
Even though he is somewhat studied in the field, it seems that tiny flowers growing in underground caverns escaped his attention; the half-orc knows nothing of them. Appreciating their scent, however, he takes another whiff before continuing to explore the rest of the cavern.
Jane looks on
Jane smiles. "These vines, the ones with the purple flowers, are called Xtabay's and are extremely dangerous. They release a sulphuric pollen that can put you to sleep." she raises an eyebrow. "After which, it will slowly move onto you and drain you of your life as you are sleeping... We should be careful."
"But, smell so nice!" The half-orc stops himself as he begins instinctively to move in for another sniff.
"The war chants of the north are powerful in the right hands," Marnir replies to Kung, "and their magic seems to work even on those who don't understand the words. And the chant doesn't exhaust you, like your angry dance thing does. Which seems good," he adds with a smile.
Marnir's expression turns concerned at Jane's words. "How long does this take? Are we in danger?" he asks, covering his mouth and nose with his hand.
With Jane's warning disposing of the plants is a trivial chore, it seems they were kept behind the driftwood fence at the back of the cave. Most likely to help keep the air fresh. The fence is broken and the remains of a young Sahaugin lay in a tangle of vines.
Searching the room turns up a Wand hidden under the sheets of the bed, beneath the bed, a small coffer holds three potions of water breathing.
Also beneath the bed is a large glass jar filled with alcohol that holds the preserved, severed head of a vicious-looking Tian man with pock scarred cheeks, a tattoo of a kraken on his forehead, and all his teeth broken out.
The head seems to be that of the Tian pirate Soshimira, captain of the Dragon’s Dishonor, who disappeared on the Fever Sea decades ago.
The Wand is a wand of Web with 37 charges remaining.
Where are you heading now?
Jane knows nothing.
Kung studied the preserved head in a jar with great interest, turning it over to examine the beheading wound in detail and getting a good look at it from all sides and underneath. The identity of the head was completely unknown to the half-orc, that was obvious from early on, but he only gave up the jar reluctantly. "If no special, no magic, Kung keep?" he asks, handing it over.
Looking around the room, he wonders aloud. "What this, guard station? Place to rest? Why fishmen want fresh air place?"
"Looks like he met an unhappy end," Marnir says, looking at the head in the jar. "Why would the fishmen keep that?" He looks confused at Kung's request. "I don't see why not, so long as the rest of us don't have to look at it."
"Maybe they keep prisoners here, or maybe they meet air breathing allies. Like that cursed tattooed woman," Marnir speculates at Kung's query.
"Or maybe the fishmen never visited this place at all."
Markizio looked at the wand and tossed it to Jane, "Here. This is good. It will shoot a spiderweb to trap our enemies. It's better used from a distance."
He then started to leave, "C'mon, our water breathing won't last forever. We need to keep moving."
----------
D4 seems to be a Guardroom, empty as the Sahaugin you slaughtered were those very guards.
Kung
Jane
Markizio
Marnir
Kung
Kung, Marnir & Ghilda all notice that there is something large lurking in D5
Stealth over, or just swimming over to look?
Whispering, as far as one can while talking underwater, Marnir points out what's ahead. "There seems to be something lurking through there," he says pointing down the tunnel. "I see shadows moving and something is making a noise. Jane, fancy checking it out?" he asks, knowing Jane's prodigious ability to remain unseen.
The magus tries to peer through the water towards where his captain was pointing but could see nothing unusual. he was beginning to regret this whole underwater ordeal.
Markizio waits with a spell ready to cover the girl as she inspects the area.
------------
Jane doesn't see anything, but trusts Marnir. "I'll sneak over there and see whats up. Be back in a minute or two." Jane silently moves to see what's up.
If the room you're in is a guardroom, then this must have been the guards armory. The racks are broken and there are no weapons kept here anymore. Why that is becomes obvious as what seemed to be a large rock unfolds into a Rock crab and shifts position for a moment before settling down again and resuming it's ambush disguise.
Jane returns. "Apparently there is a large crab waiting to ambush us as soon as we enter the room. What do you guys know about them?" Jane takes her time and explains the details on the crap.
Jane.
Thinking more about the crab, Jane remembers what kind it is. "It's actually a Rock Crab.. They have hard shells, they like to grab and crush their food... Also, they don't have a mind.. or any that were use to, so spells that target the mind don't take hold."
"If there's nothing important in there, maybe we should just leave the crab to it's business. If we can swim past it without having to take it on, all the better for us" Marnir suggests, hoping to bypass unnecessary violence.
You follow the passage along until it widens into another room, two Sahaugin and a shark seem to be guarding here, immediately moving to guard the north passage.
Endless hordes of bloody fishmen! Marnir thinks to himself with exasperation as he readies his boarding axe again. He begins his war chant again, a low droning saga in his native Ulfen that tells of blood and rage.
|
"We really seem to have made an enemy of a whole species, and their minions - Besmara will guide us." Ghilda casts Guidance on Marnir.
Kung instinctively swings the spear up in front of him.
As soon as his spear seems to occupy the space between the half-orc and the sahaugin opposite, the spear is driving forward towards the aquatic menace. "Kung kill all the sah-fish-men!" his words echo through the watery chamber as his captain's inspiration fuels the sudden fury that overcomes him.
HP 65+12/65
AC 18, touch 11, flat-footed 15 (+6 armor, +3 dex, +1 natural, -2 inspired rage)
CMD: 23 (+5 BAB, +7 Str, +3 dex, -2 inspired rage)
Fort: +12, Ref: +11, Will: +7 (+2 inspired rage)
Conditions: inspired rage
CMB: +12 (+5 BAB, +7 Str)
Melee (+1 keen spear): +13 (+5 BAB, +7 str, +1 enhancement, -2 power attack, +2 inspired rage)
Melee Damage (+1 keen spear): 1d8+16 (+7 str, +1 enhancement, +6 power attack, +2 inspired rage)
13/13 rds Rage remaining
Combat is on.
The Party is up.
Kung continues to one-hit kill any Sahaugin he meets.
Jane sees where the rock is and and tosses a bomb at it .
5 damage splash, DC 14 Reflex
Jane will move within 10 feet of the crab, hopefully outside of it's reach and fires a cross bolt at it.
Markizio swims past the shark leaving it to his captain and Kung while he attacked the lone sahaugin.
---------
HP 51/51
AC 20, touch 12, flat-footed 18
Conditions: shield so AC=23, shocking burst
Melee (+1 keen falcata): +8 = +1(magical) +4(base) +3(STR)
Melee Damage (+1 keen falcata): 1d8+4 = +1(weapon) +3 (str), 17-20, x3
5/6 arcane pool
Spell used: shield
Sahaugin. Attacks Markizio.
Shark. Attacks Marnir.
The party can go again.
Still within 10 feet of the crab (aka Sahaugin) Jane will load her bow and fire again.
Another arrow goes wide.
Kung turns his attention to the shark, his eyes wild with the odd, warbly, underwater sounds of Marnir's chant. The spear darts forward again, seemingly of its own accord.
HP 65+12/65
AC 18, touch 11, flat-footed 15 (+6 armor, +3 dex, +1 natural, -2 inspired rage)
CMD: 23 (+5 BAB, +7 Str, +3 dex, -2 inspired rage)
Fort: +12, Ref: +11, Will: +7 (+2 inspired rage)
Conditions: inspired rage
CMB: +12 (+5 BAB, +7 Str)
Melee (+1 keen spear): +13 (+5 BAB, +7 str, +1 enhancement, -2 power attack, +2 inspired rage)
Melee Damage (+1 keen spear): 1d8+16 (+7 str, +1 enhancement, +6 power attack, +2 inspired rage)
13/13 rds Rage remaining
|
|
Ghilda sees the tight quarters, and will stay behind Kung, giving him Guidance.
------------
Cast Guidance
Markizio frowns when the fishman connects with its trident. he redoubles his effort and strikes out with his falcata.
---------
critical?
HP 46/51
AC 20, touch 12, flat-footed 18
Conditions: shield so AC=23, shocking burst
Melee (+1 keen falcata): +8 = +1(magical) +4(base) +3(STR)
Melee Damage (+1 keen falcata): 1d8+4 = +1(weapon) +3 (str), 17-20, x3
5/6 arcane pool
Spell used: shield
Even fighting in the murky waters of these caves it's become almost routine to kill Sahaugin. The last dies on Markizio's blade and the waters grow still again.
"If the fishmen were guarding this tunnel there must be something to guard," Marnir muses, the last of the creatures sinking to the cavern floor. "We should see what's so important," he suggests, swimming northwards.
D7
Numerous strange, organic filaments fill this chamber, running from floor to ceiling like columns. Fist-sized pink ovoids float from the filaments, bobbing in the lazy current.
Closer inspection reveals the ovoid spheres to be slightly translucent and to contain small tadpole-like creatures twitching within. A DC 25 Knowledge (local) check identifies the spheres as locathah eggs. There are a total 47 eggs within the room, all still at least a week away
from hatching.
Simple aquatic creatures shunned by landwalkers and undersea folk alike, locathahs live in tight-knit communities scattered throughout the world’s seas, lakes. and waterways. Locathahs possess scaly ochre skin tinged with green and yellow. Ridged, rust-colored skin covers their chests and stomachs, and a mottled wash of green, brown, and orange colors their fins like aging kelp. Locathahs exude a strong fishy odor when above water that, in addition to their already unnerving appearance, repulses most landdwellers.
Despite this animosity, locathahs go to great lengths to befriend surface folk, offering safe passage through the waters, pointing out dangerous reefs, and hinting at sunken treasures in return for durable
ceramics and metal tools and weapons, as well as tubers, which they view as a delicacy.
These creatures dislike combat and flee when disarmed or outnumbered. Locathahs hold community in the highest regard, never leaving a friend behind and often going to great lengths to retrieve a fallen companion. Among their own kind and races friendly toward them, locathahs are social creatures who live a very human-like, albeit simple, lifestyle. Locathahs work in stone, coral, and bone to produce the crude implements they use. Some take coral work to obsessive levels, with certain clans
taking generations to grow their preferred medium in its desired form before carving it. They feed on crustaceans, undersea plants, and shellfish, and rarely on large fish that are caught during ritualized hunts.
Locathah matriarchs serve their undersea tribes not only as chieftains, but also as the primary egg layers of the community. Each adult member of the tribe is responsible for raising a single young locathah as his or her own. Locathahs tame moray eels, keeping them near their lairs
as humans keep dogs. Some locathah soldiers and hunting groups use giant moray eels as mounts, chasing down their quarry and attacking with narrow-tipped spears. More powerful aquatic races use locathahs as slaves, abducting breeding matriarchs to produce a constant wave of new workers.
Kung pulls up short on seeing the fantastical landscape in front of them. Looking intently, he has no chance to make sense of what he sees, but finds it strangely fascinating nonetheless. "Strange. Beautiful. What is it?"
"No idea," Marnir replies, equally bemused by the fronds and the ovoid objects floating in the chamber. "Anyone seen this before?"
Markizio.
Jane doesn't have Knowledge(Local), so no one knows what this is.
What are you doing now?
Jane looks at the thing. "No clue what that is... see if we can find anyone with information?" she looks around at her crewmates.