Gatherine's body was jostled by getting pelted with the jagged bits of coral,shredding clothing and flesh beneath.Besides the pain,the shock of seeing her blood come out an odd shade of green alarmed her in the waters dim depths.
She twisted and spun away from the coral that attempted to root her to the floor,bobbing up defiantly with a rude gesture to the merman.
Str 16/Dex 13/Con 13/Int 17/Wis 12/Cha 14
HP 28/38
AC (+1 lamellar armor) [Tot 18] [Touch 12] [FF 16] (armor+5 dex+1 dodge+1 natural+1)
CMB:+6 (+3BaB +3strength)
CMD:18 (+3BaB +3strength +1dexterity +1Dodge +10)
Fortitude save +5 (+4base +1con)
Reflex save +2 (+1base +1dex)
Will save +5 (+4base +1wis)
BaB+3
Initiative+1
Perception +8
Caster level check +12
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(armor check pen. not included)
Climb +7 //Intimidate +7 //Knowledge Arcana +11 //Profession(Sailor) +6 //Spellcraft +11 //Swim +8 //Sense Motive +4 //Survival +10
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Speed 30ft/9mtr
+1 Scimitar [att+8 dam1d6+4 18-20/x2 type S]
Shortbow [att+4 dam1d6 x3 60ft type P] 15 arrows
Prepared Spells :Level 0(cantrips):Daze(will DC13);Acid Splash(1d3 acid);Light;Detect Magic
Level 1:Shocking Grasp x0(5d6 elect);Magic Missile x0(3d4+3);Shield x0(+4 ac)
Level 2:Bull's Strength x0(+4 Str);Bear's Endurance (+4 Con);Web (reflex DC15)
Arcane Pool(1/2 magus level+int mod)[2]
Carrying 40lbs/light emcumbrance/check penalty -1
Iolana is startled seeing Gatherine badly wounded by that coral attack, but in the end she doesn't look in real danger so she decides to keep attacking the merman.
"Marco, some of us are in a life or death combat here, get your priorities right please"Round 3______
Marco swam 20' straight up, arching his eyebrow at Tusara.
"Young lady," He said stiffly, "I at least am doing so. Observing the proper courtesy, even between combatants, is the duty of the Gentleman. And ladies too in these modern times.
"Of course, I was also hoping an enemy leader would reveal himself as well." He said breaking into a grin.
"Then you won't mind handling the rest of this fight without my assistance" Tusara responds haughtily towards Marco gesturing at the remaining enemies.
Although she was a bit more than half dead,Gatherine still felt enough fire in her belly to respond in kind to the merman elder.Face scrunched up in a grimace,she commanded her bandoleer to reload and fired at the source of her wounds.
Attack
Damage
Eat some lead,you fisharsed bastard!
Iolana reaches the elder.. the water slows her strike, and her blade does not penetrate his protective layer of coral.
He looks upon her smugly, and you again hear his words in your mind.
"You fret over facing my mistress... Shayonna Des'zhtaki Zura.
It is I who holds your ship. I have power enough to end you all."
Gatherine's shot cracks through his unnatural hide, scoring a wound which erases the elder's imperious smirk.
Wracked with pain,the chill of the depths,and the fact she was starting to prune in the sea water,Gatherine's appetite for a battle was spoiling.
Now all she wanted to do is kill this coral-mancer menace,save anyone they could,and get back to someplace dry and warm.
Oi,let's kill this ponce an' get a move on. I've had my fill of deep sea delving.He the one using that coral to hold the ship and shred anything that gets too close.We end him and grab whomever we can and get sailin' already.We got revenge and grudges to fulfill!
To punctuate her intent,she fired another stream of streamlined lead bullet through the water into said merfolk elder.Attack
Damage
The merfolk elder moves a few feet further from Iolana, and raises his arms. More coral breaks free from the walls... you begin to see the stone underneath. The walls are covered with pictogram carvings - much like those seen (by Gatherine, Garborn, and Iolana) in the Azlanti temple on the Shiv.
He forms the broken bits into fist-sized rocks, and will them toward Iolana.. they collide and crumble against her armor - seeming to have no effect on her.
As the coral breaks free from the walls, you are able to determine this cave was once a burial shrine of Azlanti design. The two side passages - left and right sides of the map - are where the attendants would have been entombed. The main crypt is likely through the south passage, and underneath where you are standing now.
Round 4________
Up high enough to overlook the whole chamber, Marco faltered as he glanced down to see the pictographs on the walls where the coral had fallen away.
"Aroden's beard! This was once an ancient Azlanti burial shrine!"
Recovering, Marco swims over to attack the last guy.
for a possible piercing, magic and precision damage.
Gatherine threw an exasperated look at the Taldan man as he excitedly pointed out the scenery and then stabbed at the merfolk coralmancer.Oi! You got the attention span of a goblin.We can sight see after he dead!
"Um...yes, o...one t...thing a...at the time, our a...air only last so long..."
"Aroden's beard! I have never heard such complaining at learning new things since my sophomore years at the University..." Replied Marco with disapproval.
Seriously!?Gatherine's bubble seemed to swell angrily with her outburst.
"C...could we NOT f...fight each-other a...as well as the e...enemy?"
The Elder winces from Marco's strike.. he gestures and the injured merfolk bolts for the south tunnel.
"Yes... this is Haestrundt's tomb.. High Priest of Zura.. " His eyes flash greedily "Much can be learned from the ancient teachings..."
He waves a webbed hand toward the western wall... coral breaks away revealing a carved pictogram - and a three part image depicting the removal, and imbuing of the animated hands. " .. you serve." He gestures again, and the coral reforms on the wall.
More furious at the fact the merfolk was attempting to bribe them with history lessons she could give a goblin's arse about,but in exchange offering slavery as a fish,Gatherine threw a tantrum.
She surged up to the merfolk and shot sooty bubbles from her flailing pistol.
DIE ALREADY AND FEED SOME CRABS WITH YOUR SOGGY CORPSE!!
Attack
Damage
"C...could we NOT f...fight each-other a...as well as the e...enemy?"
Marco coughed.
"Yes. Well. That WOULD be the wisest thing to do." He said, glancing at Gatherine."Much can be learned from the ancient teachings... if .. you serve."
"Sorry old boy," replied Marco, "That's just not in the cards." He said, flourishing his rapier right in front of his nose.
"Now, if you'd care to surrender, we MIGHT be able to come to an agreement..." He idly threatened, grinning.
Iolana stays her blade for a moment.
Then slashes at the Elder Merfolk the moment he responds "Never!"
The resistance of the water continues to slow her attacks.
His eyes betray his attempt to appear unshaken. "However.. risk is unnecessary .. I need not fight your entire herd. You can not escape these waters, and to go deeper within the tomb would mean your death." He whips his tail - thrusting toward the south tunnel... he evades another strike from Iolana as he slips away. "We will come for you... give us more time to study the artifact we've acquired before you interrupt us again."
for a possible piercing, magic and precision damage.
Round 5________
"You will come for us? Later, when we're asleep or separated? I'm afraid it's not the cards for you my friend, not when we can do this right now!" Marco called out as he swam to attack.
for a possible piercing, magic and precision damage.
Marco scores a hit as the Elder slips away, and catches up as the Merfolk pauses to deliver his final departing words. The second strike is fatal. There is a rumbling all around you. Tremors as the multi-colored coral breaks free from the walls and above you... it crumbles into tiny bits as it floats down around you. Within seconds the walls are clear of debris... flat pale stone with clear archaic carvings - depictions of gruesome events and rituals. The tunnels are wide archways.
"We have to leave now! The air will last less than two minutes! And we might not make it out unless we leave now!"
Gatherine,satisfied that the merfolk elder was good and dead,stated to swim back to where they came through.She paused to check the people held by the disembodied hands,yanking at them to take along with her.
Tusara follows the others, seeking to leave this place before her air supply ran out.
Marco looked longingly at the entrances leading deeper into the ancient tomb.
"Look at that... and so much more. If only we had time." He said sadly.
But he shook his head.
"Come my friends, the ship is surely freed from the coral now. Let us rescue who we can and depart." He called out.
You rescue the captives not yet transformed into merfolk, and leave the underwater cavern. Upon reaching the island, you see both the fog and the coral ring have dispersed. Bill Pug and Ekjori row the launches to you... within a few minutes you are safely aboard the Moana Tarqona.
The woman who you rescued from the island earlier is distraught her female companion did not return with you. (you did not see her in the side chambers) She offers a reward of jewels "once they pass" for her ally's rescue.
Not seeing much hope for a yes rather quickly, she adds... "I suppose you could rest up first if you must....
Captain Boabdil shakes his lowered head and "tsks" sympathetically before bringing up plans for setting a heading.
"I'd given thought to heading to shore to make repairs, but.. if that witch still lives... I say we limp along to Hell Harbor. Aye?"
It should take two days at most to have a mast fitted to a ship.
Hull and deck repairs will take a full week, but could be done concurrently with other work.
Gatherine considered what the woman meant about the offered jewels before she colored in disgust,EW,y'mean you...you wanna gimmie jewels ye pooped out?!
Refusing the offer,Gatherine made a face....Er,sorry. But we ain't see th' lady that was wit ye.We had t' get back before we drowned.We grabbed who we could and scooted.
Gatherine fiddled with the culverin she claimed from the pirate captain,which was an appropriate fit for her dwarven hands. ...I say we track down them booty crooks and get our research back.And avenge ourselves of all the troubles they've heaped at our doorstep.Sell what we've recovered for profit and supplies. Since we're in no such shape to take on a sea hag,lets scoot to Hell Harbor.
Safely aboard the Moana Tarquona, Marco took off his baldric and sank down to the deck gingerly favoring his leg. He enlisted the help of any even halfway medically talented persons to draw the last of the urchin spines from his foot.
She offers a reward of jewels "once they pass" for her ally's rescue. Not seeing much hope for a yes rather quickly, she adds... "I suppose you could rest up first if you must..."
Marco held up his hand quickly.
"No no madame; please keep your valuables!" He said emphatically, and with what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "Yes, I would be honored to help rescue your friend. And yes, I for one need to rest and recuperate a bit."But, I don't want to get your hopes up to no purpose. I saw nobody with that description down where we were."
"I'd given thought to heading to shore to make repairs, but.. if that witch still lives... I say we limp along to Hell Harbor. Aye?"
Marco looked at him with surprise.
"But aren't we missing..." He waived his hand the the woman who asked for help; "This young ladies companion? We should make some effort to look for her first surely!"
"Plus, we aren't moving anywhere deeper than this with the ship as it is now. We'll need a week at least to rig her for oars, and if you want to sail in comfort, we'll need to rig a new mainmast. Once we locate a suitable tree, perhaps a couple of days to step it up."
"Ah...d...don't look t...to me to g...give you more h...help in going u...underwater.
My staff is tapped out now, and...I c...can only r...recover ONE c...charge per day."
...D'ya forget about the nasty ol sea hag responsible f'r changing ppl into fish? Who's still down there?!Whom we're in no shape to resist all too well? If we're gonna take her own,at least let's do it when we're sure to win!
The dwarfmaid sneezed,the stink of the sea infused in her nostrils.Bleh.I smell like the docks!
She shucked her sodden tricorne and wrung out her braided mass of hair like one would a mop,lightening the strain on her load considerably.Her shocker lizards,which had hidden themselves in somewhere dry upon her person,emerged and wriggled around on the deck as though glad to be back aboard.
Aye,I admit that I'm awesome in all regards but even a formidable dwarfmaid such as meself has her limits.she shook herself off as best she could and struck a pose,flipping her hair like a swashbuckler would a half cape.
Marco looked disgusted.
"Well. In any case, we aren't going anywhere without masts or oars for a few days at least."
"Alright..." Captain Boabdil looks to Garborn and gestures to his staff... "You need a week, aye?"
"Unless someone here's a woodcraft'n wonder, we'll send a couple crewman in a launch to Hell Harbor to buy oar heads and fittings... maybe some tools if there's something more we need. Rest of us drop anchor closer to shore, make camp, find some lumber, repair the ships...." he trails off.. looking to you for thoughts or comments....
Gatherine replaced her crooked tricorne and looped her braided tresses to secure it to her head like a bundle of ropes,plaiting the ends together beneath her chin.Her shockerlizards crawled back into the nooks and crannies provided by said hairstyle and hat.
A'ight,then. Well, imma go ahead and get to shore and scout for camp.Get a bit of target practice in while I'm at it.
"Well...it...it d...depends on H...HOW many people I n...need to use it o...on.
One c...charge per day."
The Moana Tarqona drops anchor a few hundred feet from shore... the Tamarind a few dozen feet closer. Captain Boabdil gives orders to his sailors.. some to begin initial repairs on the ships, some to make camp on or near the beach.
You and a few of the crew row to shore before the crewman Bill Pug and Ekjori take one of the launches for their trek to Hell Harbor.
This part of the Devil's Arches coast (about 15-20 acres) is a low elevation area in relation to what's to the north, west, and south. You can see the very top of the waterfall over the treetops - less than a mile away... the treeline is twenty to thirty feet in from the shore. The river empties into the ocean about a quarter-mile south-southwest of you.
The inland wooded area is full of the sounds of jungle life... you see mostly avian tracks on the beach, and see a few bright colored birds taking flight not far inland. You see no humanoid tracks where you've landed.
Marco strolled up from the shoreline like he was on a sightseeing tour. He kept an eye out for trees that might be suitable for a ships mast.
Marco stopped and peered around, puzzled.
"Do you hear that? I could swear I heard moaning a moment ago..."
He pointed at where some birds were taking flight.
"Perhaps that way." He said, making his way in that direction.
Know Nature
Know Nature
Perception
Spotting the trees laden with fruit,Gatherine looked around for a.rock to throw to knock the unknown fruit down so she could sample it."Dunno what those are,but Imma eat 'em!"
Squatting to squint at the odd bird tracksleft in the sand,she gasped with delight at the realization of what made them,Bolka's bouncing bosom,there's dodo here! They're like fat,dumb turkeys that can't fly! They're adorable!!
Her head snapped up in alarm at the urgent moaning noise she caught on the ear. Like someone with a gag in their mouth yelling for attention. Or someone missing a tongue.
Then she saw the flurry of bird taking flight,obviously startled by something. Frowning,Gatherine unholstered Twinbellows and advanced assistance into the treeline.
Oi, I hear something over yonder. Imma scout ahead.
Iolana follows Gatherine staying a bit behind the dwarf, blade ready.