Reck's claws rend deep gashes in his target, but as he approaches, tiny barbed hooks catch at his clothes and skin. They seem incapable of doing damage, but they do snag and slow him down.
Noro finds the water a bit difficult to traverse, putting a lot of restrictions on her options of battle moves. Noro simply backhands the octo goblin she already pounded.
Noro's backhanded fist shatters the grindylow's jaw and sends it instantly into sleepy-land.
Durvin reluctantly draws his weapon, the new short sword, and swings it at the nearest creature. He then moves back out of the way between Noro and Reck, more where he belongs in a fight.
Though Reck and Noro are able to avoid the tripping tentacles this time, Noro catches a jab that cuts a gash on her thigh .
Noro tries to maneuver to get a better shot at squidward but she becomes slightly entangled in some seaweed throwing off her attack. luckily she was able to keep her guard up to prevent a sudden counter attack
Reck snarls in frustration as he fights through the tangled mess of hooks and barbs. It takes him entirely too long to struggle closer to one of the remaining enemies, interposing himself between the goblin and Durvin. Reck's eyes promise imminent pain for the soon-to-be-wrecked goblin.
Durvin feels secure swimming up into the gap between the two warriors, and tries to stab at the one beside Noro as she misses it.
In spite of the party's comers failure to land anything in this exchange, their defences hold fast. Neither the spears not writhing tentacles manage to succeed against them. Still, they do not retreat, even in the face of almost certain defeat.
"Shoulda run when you 'ad th' chance!" snarls Reck as he lays into his opponent.
The poor squidling doesn't stand a chance. In just seconds Reck had hacked it fully in half. He has blood up to his elbows now with spatter decorating the rest of him in a macabre war paint.
Noro struggles with the seaweed trying to get free. at the same time the goblin squid comes at her with its little spear. then nearly simultaneous, Noro breaks free at her no free had slams into the gobo foce.
If there are still signs of life left after his companions act, Durvin attempts to put and end to them. He lets the power of his song fade as he stabs what's left.
Noro sets up Durvin for the killing stroke. Her fist lifts the squidling's guard just enough for Durvin's blade to slide home between it's ribs.
As you move on, you come to a fork. Do you go left and investigate a smaller cavern, or continue on with what looks like the main track of the cave?
"Th' longer we take, th' less chance o' finding our mates alive. I say we 'ead straight up their throats."
Durvin just nods, looking worriedly at the creatures they just killed, "I can heal if either of you need it. Please, just tell me if you do."
The party continues into the next room. The tunnel opens into a wider cavern decorated with hundreds of leering skeletal parts, wriggling with worms. Four dark circular openings exit the chamber. As soon as you enter you spot a purple, seven-armed octopoid monstrosity the size of a horse with hook-lined tentacles and cold, blue eyes.
"I bet yeh taste pretty good," growls Reck at the walking calamari buffet in front of him. Baring his teeth, Reck charges and sinks in his fangs!
The beast squeals and shrieks, but less than you might have expected. Both blue eyes fix on you, seeming to forget the others.
Durvin begins to chant a rousing fight song to motivate his tougher allies.
Noro advances on the beast knowing that wrestling with this thing is nearly useless she dodges and weaves trying to avoid it's tentacles.
getting rather angry at the thing.
finding her mark Noro slams her fist into the beast.
The octo-thing hisses and a black-as-night cloud of ink spreads throughout the room. It's stench is overpowering and makes the mostly wet ground dangerously slippery.
The beast doesn't seem to have a problem with it's many-fold legs, however, and several tentacles lash out at Reck.
Reck in nimble on his feet, in spite of the conditions. Tentacles lash and whip, but land no harmful blows.
No, that didn't taste good at all
Retching from the vile taste in his mouth, Reck releases his bite on the foul creature. Despite keeping it together enough to not start vomiting everywhere, Reck is sufficiently rattled by the foul aura and taste that only one of his attacks is aimed well at all.
The octo-thing hisses in pain again, but is very much combat capable still.
Noro continues her assult on the octo-creep
hoping that her fists find the mark once more
Durvin is thoroughly disgusted by the stench of the inky mix. The most he can do is try to stay close to his allies.
[
Noro's attacks fail to significantly harm the creature. Likewise, the beast flails and slaps, but lands no hits on anything important. One of the dangling bits of leftover lunch, however, really got the what-for.
Reck flails about in a ferocious but completely useless manner. Perhaps the stench got to him after all.
Noro watches Reck flail about like some wacko, looks like he's got too much salt water on the brain.
Noro nimbly sidesteps a tentacle as she flips in the air and connecting (hopefully) with her foot
Noro's foot connects and the monster howls in pain. It is severely wounded now, but fights on with single-minded determination.
Durvin can't bring himself to do anything as he tries to recover from the nauseating stench of the creature.
The octo-thing tries shifting targets to Noro, but the smaller target proves no less difficult to hit. It's wounds interfere as well, making an overall pitiful attemp at an attack.
Finally overcoming the disgust over the odor the creature exuded, Durvin renews his motivational song. He hopes that Noro and Reck will continue to pummel the thing into submission.
Still avoiding those tentacles, apparently dodging all those advances from Reck have started to pay off. Noro looks for an opening to smack the thing and hopefully ending this fight.
Reck shakes his head to clear it, and powers through the stench to rake the abomination with two cruel slashes from his talons.
With a one two combo from Noro and then Reck, the beast finally falls into puddles of its own blood and doesn't stirr.
You now have several options on how to proceed. Where do you head?
"Th' biggest openings'll probably lead us t'our shipmates," Reck muses aloud. "We best 'urry."
You curry forward and quickly come to a crossroads. Another choice. The cavern to the left (west) deepens quickly and is larger. The one to the right (north) is mired in thick beds of seaweed.
Hundreds of remains float in this large bowl of water, which churns with bones, scraps of flesh, and the carcasses of strange, almost alien fish. Just visible through the roiling stew are humanoid bodies floating in the water, wan corpses drifting near the bottom of this cauldron like sleeping guardians. A figure hangs from the ceiling above the churning water, bound hand and foot with thick strands of seaweed and sinew and weighted with heavy ingots of silver, Sandra. She's in bad shape with several obvious bite marks. The creatures have tried to eat her!
Two grindylow's are here. One an obscene, bloated monstrosity with a gaping, toothy maw. It is more than twice as large as the others. The other is a female wielding a javelin and a wand. The instant you enter, the female cuts the sinew rope holding Sandra. She hits the water hard and instantly disappears below.
Seaweed fronds sway gently in the current in this broad cave.
If you choose here, I need perception DC 20. If you all fail, I need DC 15 reflex save or take 19 damage from a spiked grate falling from the ceiling.
Anyone hit by the trap is trapped beneath the grille. Trapped creatures must make a successful DC 15 Escape Artist check or DC 20 Strength check, or destroy the portcullis (hardness 10, hp 30, Break DC 28) to escape.
Durvin follows Reck's reasoning, and points out the western path being the larger of the two. "If you're right, we should find them there." He points west.
"Only one way t'find out," grunts Reck, slogging through the water of the cavern system towards the western opening.
Reck doesn't seem troubled by the scraps of bloody flotsam, but he winces sympathetically upon seeing the cleric's injuries. He makes ready to bring a first-rate beatdown to yet another bunch of water-goblin scum but pauses for a moment as Sandara is cast to the bottom of the pool.
"Durvin! Can yeh bring 'er up? We'll keep 'em off o' yeh!"
Noro moves to Recks's side. don't think I'm gonna let you have all the fun. she says with a smile. and Noro take a battle stance by Reck's side.
Durvin!, she ain't got much time
"I know, I'm on it, be careful you two."
Durvin's song fills the air as Noro and Reck prepare to smash face. Durvin disappears under the waves in pursuit of Sandra.
You spot Sandra sinking toward two bodies near the bottom about 30 feet down. As she sinks, the bodies start to move!
Durvin takes a deep breath, and dives under the water, easily swimming down towards the woman. He draws his sword, in case he may need to either fight, or cut her ropes, to get her to safety quicker.
Noro looks to Reck, you get the big one, I got the b#$~~ that cut Shandra. Noro dives into the water and makes her move toward the one with the javelin.
Reck makes ready for battle, summoning arcane power into his claws and adding a touch of magical foresight, then swimming forth to challenge the brute.
"Alright, yeh sack o' shit - Let's dance!"