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"Give us back our friend"!
Dingus fires off a quick Vapor Viper at the smelly old man, before sprinting for the hatch determined to leap down and save his soldier at arms... or arm anyway.
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Seeing Stumpy atop Kaul, Corliss hears his own words from a few seconds earlier echo inside his head: 'I can send a ray o' searin' light where the sun don't shine!' Aiming just a bit higher (at the small of Stumpy's back), the priest opens his palm, mutters a prayer to Besmara, and fires a blast of divine light at the monster.
for
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Dingus begins to cast a spell, but thinks better of it and rushes to the hatch beside Corliss ready to leap to the rescue if necessary.The bright light shines down on the tableau below just as Corliss summons a golden beam that shines even in the daylight. It hits the amputated apparition burning a hole through it and interrupting its smooch. It pauses to glare up at the sea priest with hatred and then drags Kaul to the edge of the barge attempting to pull him after as it rolls off the edge into the water.
The black sword slashes Jim again. The smelly old man creeps forward cackling as he pulls another vial out and tosses it at Corliss. It pops open as it hits releasing another slimy ethereal mass that entangles and emanates fear.
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Will wait til you green light me for actions in R6 :)
The Tuyewera drops over the side trailing its long tongue that is wrapped around Kaul's throat. The thug gives a low moan and flails his arms as the bad juju wears off, but he is dragged over as well, hitting the water with a loud splash! Lopper remains behind on the barge where it was dropped.
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Dingus seems to be torn between helping his stuck mates, and jumping in to help Kaul, but decides that Kaul might be dead anyway, and tries to save his above ground mates first.
DEX check for Acid removal if needed.
Just wanted to make 100% sure you took into account Corliss's copycat when resolving the goo attack.
Entangled by Stumpy's fetid tongue, Kaul invokes his shark totem , then attempts to break free from the fell creature;
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Acid Damage.
"Pull! Pull! You can get out...!
Knowledge: Arcana
Dingus drops acid on the gooey ectoplasm burning a little away as he encourages the stuck swordsman.
Jim sheathes his rapier and draws his kukri, slashing at the tenuous bonds holding him fast.
Corliss follow's Jim's lead, sheathing his rapier and drawing his dagger to cut at the goo.
Letting his musket fall back on it's sling, Dibbets whips a pistol from betwixt his nethers. Cocking he squints and squeezes trigger in the filthy oracle's direction...
Dingus and Jim make some headway at clearing away the ghostly goo while Corliss starts scraping. Dibbets lifts his kilt to grab his peashooter rather than his peeshooter. He fires pointblank and further wounds the repulsive reanimator. The lingering effects of the sickening fog no longer bother Dibbets and Dingus. The same cannot be said of the flying shortsword that continues to attack Jim. He is cut again.
The evil priest mutters something and lift his hand to send out a wave of cold, dark energy that saps vigor from the living. The black stake stuck in the floor seems to amplify the affect.
Corliss stiffens as the negative energy hits him. Rather than carve away some more at the entanlgling goo, the priests calla on Besmara to undo the damage just caused by the old coot. Besmara is stingy with her healing, however.
Sensing he's in a bad spot, the scarred thug thrashes with a frenzy attempting to break from Stumpy's constricting tongue...
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Will save:
Gritting his teeth as bile rises and falls with the ephemeral profusions of dark and light, Dibbets focuses on cold hard steel... and lead. Reloading his pistola he seeks to perfunctorially perforate the pernicious pustule...
Pistol (Deadly Aim): for
Jim is likewise drained by the cleric's potent channeling, but continues to try to cut himself free.
Will Save vs. Damage
Dingus Swoons as the negative energy cuts deep into his serpentine soul and tries to summon the fortitude to attack that evil dude.
Will Save 2 to attack... and his vision clearing for just a moment send forth a jagged electrical Snake tongue.
Lightning (Reflex 17 for half)
If not he'll continue to help Jim.
Acid Splash
The wave of negative energy takes a heavy toll on the crew though Corliss quickly ameliorates some of the damage. Dibbets quickly reloads his sidearm and fires again leaving a bloody hole in the now mortally wounded evil priest. The priest channels energy to bind the bloody wound though he appears bloody and weakened.
Jim and Dingus continue to hack and burn the viscous ectoplasm finally freeing the swordsman!
Freed by the preemptive attack, Dingus sends a powerful lightning bolt in retaliation. With a clap almost as loud as Dibbets' blackpowder shots, the bolt streaks into the evil priest. He glows momentarily with the electrical discharge, then laughs as the electric aura fades and does not appear to do any damage...
Jim still barely manages to free himself without the acid assistance.
Jim ducks just as the flying black blade swoops by again and then dances over to knock the black stake over sending it skittering through the hatch. The flying blade disappears.
Corliss again weighs his options. He fears he won't be free of the ghostly goo for awhile yet...and he's not sure how much time Kaul has left in the clutches of the Stumpy thing.
Dammit, Bessie! We can't let Kaul die! Can't ye find a speck o' mercy in yer heart for the poor fella? He's part pirate AN' part monster by my reckonin'...should be the type ye'd favor!
Fearing that Kaul's rescue will have to fall to the others, the priest again channels positive energy so his mates will enter the battle as healthy as possible.
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Somewhat surprised by his continued blackpowder driven efficacy, Dibbets grimly reloads his pistol. Raising it t'wards the priest he squeezes off another shot...
Pistol (Deadly Aim): for
Free from Stumpy's lashing tongue, Kaul breaks for the surface at speed
Dibbets reloads and fires again shooting the bloody cultist in the hip. The decrepit character groans in pain.
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"Kaul! Kaul! What about Kaul!".
Dingus runs to where his shipmate disappeared, and jumps in changing form into that of a bull shark as he jumps.
Bull Shark
Bull SharkCR 2
XP 600
N Medium animal (aquatic)
Init +6; Senses blindsense 30 ft., keen scent, low-light vision; Perception +6
DEFENSE
AC 14, touch 12, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +2 natural)
hp 11 (2d8+2)
Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +1
OFFENSE
Speed swim 60 ft.
Melee bite +3 (2d8+3)
STATISTICS
Str 15, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 2
Base Atk +1; CMB +3; CMD 15 (can’t be tripped)
Feats Improved Initiative
Skills Perception +6, Swim +10
ECOLOGY
Environment any oceans
Organization solitary, pair, or school (3–6)
Treasure none
This shark is named for its stocky shape, flat snout, and aggressively territorial behavior. Its natural environment brings it close to humanoid prey, and it has been known to attack fishers, swimmers, rafts, and canoes. Though it prefers salt water, it can tolerate fresh water, and can leap over obstacles like low rapids. These qualities make it a terrifying aquatic predator that can travel dozens of miles up rivers in search of prey, striking in secluded swimming holes and placid lakes.
A bull shark is over 7 feet long and weighs roughly 250 pounds. Female bull sharks are slightly larger than males.
In a move few could have seen coming, Dingus suddenly leaps through the hatch transforming into a shark in midair. He narrowly misses Kaul as he hits the water and the big thug swims speedily upward for air.
The channel wars continue above as the evil priest vindictively sends a spray of life sapping energy out once more, though the black stake no longer boosts the effect.
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"Dingus? Shark?"
A sprightly chanty running through his head, Jim closes with the priest. Some shred of the cleric's protective magic keeps the Taldan's blade from its target, though.
ETA:
There is a burst of magical energy that erupts as Jim stabs the priest causing the swordsman to release his blade and stand several moments in a stunned state so that he barely registers the fall of the corrupt cultist's corpse. Jim shakes it off a moment later to find the necromancer dead on the floor with Storm-eyes' Sword stuck in his chest.
Buoyed by his own shark totem Kaul treads water as a casts a beady eye toward the fin cutting through the waves with aplomb...
He shouts out to the others in a croaky voice;
"H-uh'rrrrr. Please tell me that sharkey was summoned by us... Stumpy sunk.... likely escaped... again. Near killed Ol' Kauly!"
Jim shakes his head to clear his vision, then calls his blade to his hand.
"Good to see ye still drawin' breath!" Corliss calls out to Kaul. "I meant to offer ye more assistance than just that searin' light I sent into that creature, but...the creepy ol' necromancer there kept me tied up, as it were." The priest points to the fallen villain.
Corliss keeps sawing at the gooey threads entrapping him until he's free. Then he casts some healing spells on Kaul and Jim.
Dingus spots Kaul swimming past him, and returns towards the opening, circling in case Stumpy has a desire to become even more stumpy.
Nothing more of the dread tuyewera is seen. A plank runs from the barge to a stairway leading back up to the boathouse. Corliss heals Kaul and Jim once everyone regathers.
Reloading and stowing his bullet-flinging devices Dibbs remarks "Bastard went doon hard like... pity we couldnae get tha tongue bugger as well. But glad ye came up still wi' yer own Kauly." The halfling waddles over to the fallen necro-corpse and filches around for belongings "Best we make wi' investergatin quick like... wouldnae want tae still be here when tha actual corrupt watch bastards arrive..."
"Aye, let's get moving. What else is in this place?"
Among the dead, the crew is sorry to see a familiar face or two from the Black Dragon's loses. They must have been left earlier this day for a proper cremation. The decrepit priest has assorted low quality goods including sour smelling studded leather armor, a dull shortsword, and some cheap jewelry under a tattered beggar's robe.
Jim finds a small room near the stairs down to the barge. Inside is merely a shabby and ill-smelling bed and a writing table.
Chuckling evilly "Cheeky bugger..." stripping the bracelet and amulet from his body and grabbing the sword. "Bugger's got 'is crud all fancied up so it dinnae look worthit… Kauly, may as well heft him o'er shoulder eh? We wants his armor an some bugger may know tha looks o' him in all our investigatin"
"Papers are something our customer might find useful, hey? Can one of you sniff out any witchery here?"
After finding no sign of Stumpy, Dingus takes a running(Swimming) start and leaps high in the air, through the hole to land on the ground near his friends, flapping and flopping about, and gnashing his mighty teeth, before returning to his more normal... slightly human form.
"Sharks have the innate ability to sniff out magic... They're almost as cool as serpents".
Dingus detects magic on the items Jim points out.
Kaul hacks a cough, then cradles his axe tenderly as he's reunited with the hatchet...
"Hur... Ye have the right o' it Dibbs. Stumpy little basterd sunk off to the depths... Ain't thinkin' we'll see 'im again."
At the grubby oracle's behest he hefts the stinky corpse, then halts as a shark leaps from the brine and morphs into Dingus;
"You ain't afflicted by the sharkey curse are ye Ding? Hur..?"
"I think snake trumps shark, mate!" Jim chuckles.