1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9 Will (Fail)
Round Four:
Seeing the wounded state of the creature, the gnome scholar retrieves his crossbow and loads a bolt in preparation of firing at the creature if it attempts to flee.
Chi loads the longbow once more and takes aim...her arrow flies speedily through air, straight and true.. Chi talks to herself as she shoots, yet to any that hear she is screaming, "FALL YOU BLOOD SUCKING TERROR!"
Tun'ada lines up another lunge with his longspear, but just before he strikes an arrow slams into the chupacabras head, causing it to slump and its head to sag towards the ground. Tun'ada's lunge pins the dying beast's neck to the Tide Stone, its blood pouring freely from multiple wounds and soaking into the soil below.
The lightning has now completely stopped, and you can hear what sounds like thunder from Crab Lagoon as the waters roil and recede out to sea; lowering the level of water in the entire lagoon by 20 feet, exposing rocks, flopping fish, and several sunken ships to the air. You can also make out a slow, noisy grinding sound coming from the lagoon.
Marcus feels a surge of relief as the beast falls to arrow and spear.
Take that you bastard c$%p island! He helps Ambroze to his feet. Damn that thing was fast. Are you okay?
After the conflict finishes, Gwen channels energy to heal the partys wounded members.
There...how is everyone feeling?
After the conflict finishes, Gwen channels energy to heal the partys wounded members.
2d6
2d6There...how is everyone feeling?
"Much better, thank you."
Tun'ada moves over to take a look down toward the lagoon...
Perception:
Chi scampers in the direction from which the nasty beast came, seeing where it came fr/bom and if there's a way down. Chi talks back to the group, screaaming "IF IT WAS SOME SORT OF GUARD, PERHAPS TO GET DOWN THERE YOU WOULD HAVE TO PASS ITS LAIR. I'LL....TAke... a... look.... As her hearing returns, she realises how loud her voice is and rather apologetically quietens down.
Looking over into the lagoon, Marcus, Tun'ada and Chi can see that the water level has been significantly lowered in a small area- magic keeping the waves and tide from rolling in. The grinding appears to be coming from two massive stone doors to the south a hundred feet below you; as Marcus and Tun'ada watch they can see the stone doors open fully and the grinding stops as they finish moving. Looking over to the north, Chi can make out a way down the cleft and a potential route to the doors- several ledges, each connected by rickety-looking rope bridges, lead down into the cleft to the rocky beach below. What appears to be a large nest of driftwood, grass, bits of cloth, and perhaps bones seems to be wedged against the easternmost extent of the cleft- this appears to be the Red Mountain Devil's nest. Once you have traversed the rope bridges and possibly searched the Devil's nest, you would have to cross over the rocks and onto a small, shipwrecked vessel, still partially submerged despite the tide lowering significantly. Tun'ada notices a shark stuck in a large pool of water around the rocks you would need to cross- it appears to have been trapped by the rapidly lowering water and swims in angry circles; probably only a danger if someone were to fall in. Marcus can make out an open hatch leading down into the shipwreck if you wanted to investigate. A plank from the ship leads onto the final set of rocks and to the ornate stone double doors. To the east of this, a beautiful waterfall is now visible.
Well would you look at that! Marcus' stomache lurches at the sight of all that water being kept in check. I don't know how long this is going to last. I vote we don't mess around.
Tun'ada will provide the rear guard with Marcus going first...
The bridges are sturdy enough descending one at a time, and you make your way down the cleft. It appears the Red Mountain Devil liked to collect shiny objects within its nest, and appeared smart enough to receive monetary tribute from the cannibal tribe. You find the following (italics denotes magical)-
446 sp, 334 gp, 23 pp
A mithral hook designed to be worn on an arm stump (worth 1,250 gp)
A fine brass sextant worth 700 gp
A buckler decorated with a skull and crossbones
A quiver containing 30 normal arrows, ten cold iron arrows,
nine magical arrows, three magical arrows of a different aura, an single arrow with yet another different aura,
A javelin
A masterwork composite longbow (+3 Strength).
A set of extremely supple and comfortable boots.
Gwenyth does her best to identify each of the magical items.
Success- +1 buckler.
Success- nine +1 arrows.
Success- three +2 arrows.
Look at all of this booty! Marcus exclaims, quickly scooping us the loose coin.
After the conflict finishes, Gwen channels energy to heal the partys wounded members.There...how is everyone feeling?
"Thanks Gwen! That feels great! Though I still feel a bit 'drained'," Ambroze thanks the oracle.
After a few seconds he mutters under his breath, "I still to work on those comedy techniques Master Gelik taught me..."
While Gwen and Chi study the various objects, Ambroze examines the quiver.
You make your way down to the bottom of the cleft and begin to navigate the rocks. Seaweed, sea urchins of all colors, bright green anemones, scuttling kelp crabs, and bare rock glisten here, laid bare to the sky by the unnaturally low tide. Moving slowly and carefully you manage to get across to the shipwreck without difficulty, although your uncomfortably aware that if the Chupacabra had attacked you here the battle could have gone much, much worse. The blue shark swims angrily around its small pool- unable to hunt and confused by the unnaturally low tide the animal snarls at you and nips at your heels as you traverse the rocks, never getting particularily close but remaining a constant reminder of danger.
You pause to catch your breath aboard the exposed shipwreck, possibly admiring the magnificent waterfall to the east. You notice a rotten hatch appears to lead further into the tiny shipwreck if you wanted to explore it.
You can hear a faint voice coming from underneath the hatch.
The voice is high pitched and a little strained, as though it is barking orders.
You can make out what the voice is saying. You suspect from its tone that it is coming from a small sized or smaller creature. It seems to be speaking common-
Be ready for inspection in five minutes, me brave crew! Don't be alarmed at the tide, Captain Ekubus will see you through safely!
Perception
Marcus watches the shark and his mind takes him back to the bloody battle with the sahaugin and his time on the raft. The screams of the sailors as they fell into the sea. The endless swim through the dark churning waters. He just stares at it for a few moments oblivious to everything else.
This is wrong. So wrong. He bustles forward, ignoring the hatch completely.
Perception:
Kneeling for a moment aboard the ship, a strange sound catches Gwenyth's ears.
Hey - there's someone in there... I hear a voice.
Walking over, she tugs on the hatch.
Gwenyth opens the hatch. Below, the furniture in this soggy galley lies in a wet heap against the southern wall of this seaweed-choked room. Water still drips from the ceiling here—this room was clearly flooded until recently. The voice some of you heard can be heard a little more clearly from an open door to the west. The door is propped ajar by the remains of a chair. Various barnacles and small crustaceans are scattered around the room, none of them big enough to be a threat.
"Not more ghostly apparitions? What do you think this is Gwen, what can live here in this wreck?" says Chi nervously.
Ambroze plods along with his companions, practically oblivious to his surroundings as he marvels at the magnificent waterfall to the east.
Chi turns to Tun'ada and Marcus, "Shh, let me take a peek, just watch in case, watch my back.
She takes one more good look at the room below, before Chi descends quietly and peeks around the door.
Chi stealthily takes a peek around the corner. Once a fine cabin, perhaps even the captain’s cabin, this chamber is now in ruins. The furniture, including a crushed desk and a bed, lie in a heap near the bow, and seaweed and other tidal life glistens on the walls. A layer of seawater covers the floor, deeper near the bow than by the door.
Chi sees the source of the voice- A small humanoid creature with thin, leathery wings and small horns, wearing a wet, jaunty admiral's hat; its dull blue colour clashing with the creature's pale green skin. It is about the same size as a halfling. Its facing a particularily large section of barnacles, leaning on a piece of driftwood as it inspects them with a critical eye and concludes what appears to be an inspection, speaking in a high pitched, tinny voice and waving its other arm furiously as it talks to the sealife on the wall...
... well, it'll have to do, Seaman. Report to First Mate Six-Legs for further disciplinary action sharply in the morning. This damnable low tide is no excuse for slacking! As for the rest of you, we have company! Stand up straight and follow ol' Ekubus' lead!
Chi moves as swiftly as she can away and back to her companions, to report what she saw and say, "It is madness down there, either there is an insane creature down there giving orders to barnacles as though they were crew or its an illusion of the wildest proportions, or I am under the influence of some strange madness myself."
Gwen whispers:
Great, another one of these situations. Do we talk to it and hope it might be helpful? Do we let it be? It surely can't hold the secret to defeating Ieana - can it?
She shakes her head and sighs, ringlets of sun-lightened hair flicking through the air.
I guess I vote to talk to it. Anybody else? But if we choose to, do let's invite it up here. I'd rather not risk sentient, malicious barnacles.
"At least whatever it is hasn't unleashed ravening hordes of undead and/or cannibals to attack us... yet. So I vote we talk to it, too," Ambroze agrees with Gwen. "Do you want me to talk to it first?"
Chi looks skywards, "Go on then Abroze, let's be friends with the mad thing." she says resignedly.
Nodding at Ambroze, Gwen finishes Chi's sentence for her:
If, in fact, it will be friends at all.
"AHOY THE SHIP!!" Ambroze calls down into the open hatch. "REQUESTING PERMISSION TO COME ABOARD!"
Crazy savages. Crazy tengu. That ghost you were talking about. Stands to reason this thing is planes touched as well.
Marcus fingers his sword, moving closer to Ambroze and getting ready to yank him back again at the first sign of trouble.
Chi shrugs her shoulders as Ambroze calls out, turning to Marcus as he speaks, she nods in agreement. She readies her bow with a mundane arrow, just in case.
"AHOY THE SHIP!!" Ambroze calls down into the open hatch. "REQUESTING PERMISSION TO COME ABOARD!"
The creature's head emerges from the hatch and stands without fear, facing all of you and looking with intent eyes at Ambroze. The mephit demands of Ambroze- Stand tall and report on this damnable low tide!
You get the impression the creature is really, really happy to have someone to talk to.
You recognise the creature as a water mephit. Mephits are neutral outsiders with a splattering of spell-like abilities and powers.
Chi tries to shuffle into the background, away from the mephit, bow strung ready to bring up and fire if things start to go wrong.
Sense Motive
Gwen serruptitiously whispers to Ambroze:
We might be in luck! This thing seems awfully happy to have someone to talk to. Be nice!
"Thanks, Gwen!" Ambroze whispers to the oracle, flashing a quick smile before turning his attention back to the water mephit.
"Aye, Captain!" Ambroze begins, saluting smartly. "Begging your pardon, Sir, but the low tide was caused by a magical stone on top of the cliff, there," Ambroze points back in the direction from which the party descended. "The stone causes the tide to go out and the great stone doors to the south there to open. Fortunately I believe that the magic holds back the tide for only a limited time, so the sea should return to its normal level before too long. However, it is our understanding that the great stone doors lead to a temple devoted to the Demon Lord, Zura. The one responsible for stranding us on this island seeks to uncover a great evil in that temple, and we have sworn to stop her."
"By chance, Sir, did the waves retreat and the stone doors open in a similar fashion four days ago?" Ambroze asks respectfully.