Normally a great climber, Rizz begins to feel she's losing her grip. Hearing Harmony's cries of danger, Rizz glances down enough that her fingers loosen on the rope, leading her to follow whatever fate her ill-fortuned companion may suffer.
I had just begun to get my bearings once I dropped into the cavern when I heard a shriek from above. I had scant time to realize that Harmony had slipped from her climb before I put out my hands in an attempt to catch her from her fall.
Rizz manages to right herself as eh prepares to dive into the water.
Day 6 - Night - Bonewrack Isle -
Harmony begins falling and the already undteady Arty simply cannot grab her!
Day 6 - Night - Bonewrack Isle -
You all watch as Harmony slips and falls off of the rope and the cliff.
She splashes into the water awkwardly she quickly surfaces but with a grimace of pain on her face.
As you get to the water you can see there are two separate caves, one which heads to the east and one which heads to the west . Unfortunately, both caves require some diving to explore due to the high tide coming in...
"Agh! Dammit!" Harmony mutters as she splashes around wildly at first, then more and more steadily until she finally regains her equilibrium, bobbing up and down, a gash of blood trickling from the side of her head. She coughs and spits up some of the water, but tries to keep it quiet in case there's something in the water or nearby watching and waiting.
She manages to be surprisingly quiet despite the nasty fall and the damage she's taken. Slowly looking around, she tries to perceive if there are any clues or suggestions for whether to go east or west.
"Harmony! You alright?" Esmareld asked as she moved over to help her up. "I guess climbing down wasn't the greatest idea either..." She muttered with a sigh as she looked around as well.
"Ye all right there, lass?" Gall asks as he tries to make sense of which way to go. "Don't go gettin' yerself kilt now. Yer all we got in the way of healing, I suspect. Unless Cueta's got some left?"
Once Harmony's wellbeing is sorted out, he nods toward the east cave and starts swimming that way. "I reckon we don't want to leave these here caves, aye? Best to keep goin' deeper."
"I'm wet, cold, in pain, enslaved and lost from all civilization. I'm pretty far from all right, but I do appreciate your asking, Gall", Harmony tosses a wry smile in the half-giant's direction, and is more than willing to let him lead the way toward the east cave.
Harmony swims with decent finesse after Gall in that direction.
Day 6 - Night - Bonewrack Isle -
As you all get your bearing at the edge of the cave you all see a disturbance in the water coming from the cave that leads out to sea!
Three of the little green menaces swim in and streak towards you all!
Esmarelda
Artevious
Cueta
Gall
Harmony
Rizz
Foes
"So much for getting in peacefully." Esmarelda said as she drew her rapier and moved off of the wall, readying her weapon for foes to come closer.
"What I wouldn' give for a sandbar!" Gall says, spitting water as he makes for the nearest wall. If he is able to reach the wall in a reasonable amount of time, he draws his sword and prepares for the fight.
Harmony is lucky enough to use a spear as her primary weapon, so she doesn't take slashing or bludgeoning penalties. She moves southward, positioning herself next to the wall. "Can we negotiate? We're just here to find our friends, we're not here to invade your home! We have no desire to hurt you, but we will defend ourselves! Please, can't we talk?" she calls out to them as her first reaction, trying to seek an accord of some kind. What are they? she thinks to herself.
If the creatures continue in a threatening manner despite her words, she thrusts her spear forward at the closest enemy. If by some miracle they do stand down and seem willing to talk, Harmony won't attack.
Day 6 - Night - Bonewrack Isle -
Harmony's spear does not make contact with these fast swimming creatures, they are the size of goblins but with small tentacles for legs!
The first two attack Harmony one seeking to pull her feet from beneath her and get her under the water, the second stabbing her with a spear!
The creepy little buggers don't even speak they just garble as they strike. Luckily Harmony's legs are sturdy on the slope of the cave floor, unluckily having to fight off the trip attempt the spear finds the mark on her left leg.
The final foe swims for Arty but stops short of engaging in Melee and instead opts to throw his spear.
The spear misses and splashes harmlessly into the water.
Braced against the wall, Cueta grips the end of her pike and thrusts it at the nearest green fooker. Despite being braced and off-balance, the pike thrust lands true, and Cueta lets out a whoop of satisfaction.
After a series of misadventures getting down into the grotto, the denizens of these caverns set upon us -- strange, wriggling creatures that I did not care for. I had been splashing about trying to gain my bearings, and was not able to get properly set until the melee was already good and underway.
One of the tentacled creatures swam up within my reach as he accosted Harmony, who tried to use her gifted words to no avail. While bracing against the wall of the cave, I slashed out with my trusty cutlass.
Rizz marches forward, her greatsword drawn and ready. She goes after a new one, hoping she can finish it off in one hit to up the well executed takedown of Artevious and Cueta.
Day 6 - Night - Bonewrack Isle -
The battle begins, poorly. It seems these creatures' in their element may spell doom for the crew. However, fortunes turn just as quickly as both Cueta and Arty dispatch two of the wriggling little water menaces.
Rizz, off balance is just not able to connect.
Harmony thrusts her spear but finds herself awkwardly off-balance in the deep water.
Day 6 - Night - Bonewrack Isle -
Harmony and her foe exchange missed strikes!
Esmarelda moved in the flank with Harmony, focusing on the foe attack the bard.
"I don't really like these things." The varisian woman started.
Skirting around the outside of the chamber, Gall tries to get close enough to one of the be-tentacled creatures so he can slash at it.
Day 6 - Night - Bonewrack Isle -
Es manages to scramble around and flank the foe attacking Harmony, her strike is true and she stabs the creature in whatever its vitals are. It ceases to thrash at Harmony and goes limp, green blood filling the pool.
Rizz looks down at the thing that Esmarelda killed before she could.
She makes sure no one is looking before she takes her sword and sinks it into the creature.
"Got it." she excuses her self as she wipes her blade on the ground. "Think I saw it move or something."
Noticing Harmony is a bit worse for wear, she steps forward.
"Need me to spit on it?"
"Aha! Good eye, then, Rizz," I commended. We dispatched our attackers handily, although poor Harmony did suffer a bit of an injury both from her ungraceful fall into the grotto and then from one of the assailants.
"Well, we've made it down here, and met the locals. Cueta, I hope that these match the description of those you spied wearing Sandara's tricorne. If so, then we know we're on the right track. Or, rather, grotto. Since I don't see how anyone could follow tracks down here."
Cueta grins and gives one of the dead things a nudge with her foot. "Aye, these green fookers are those green fookers, Arty. We're on the right track."
Saying a quick supplication, the swab places her hands over Harmony's wounds, frowning when nothing happens. "Looks like Besmara wants more from us."
"Rizz you don't spit on wounds." Esmarelda told her as she crossed her arms.
"Um... how worried should we be if these things have out friends? I mean... they kind remind me of goblin mixed with an octopus..." She stated as she looked the dead ones over.
"Rizz, dear, I prefer only the saliva of lovers on me, if it's all the same to you", Harmony answers, and summons some of her remaining magic for the day, touching a hand glowing with purple sparkles onto her wound, causing it to knit together a little. "I'm running out of magic and we have no idea what's ahead. At the same time, I'd rather not climb up just after we got down here. I don't like the idea of taking another fall down the cliff tomorrow on another descent. Cueta, Gall, what do you think, could we camp out at this entrance here and try to catch some sleep in this location before going further?"
"Aye, I reckon we could if we needed to. But I ain't rightly sure if we got enough time. Recall I heard Plugg or one o' them sayin' we got a time limit, don't we?" Gall glances around at the others with furrowed brows as he tries to recall. "Much as I'd love to get me a wee bit o' rest, too, I don't think we got time fer it."
"These would be the most waterlogged quarters I'd ever had the misfortune of trying to sleep," I ventured. "At least we should press on a bit more, and maybe these tunnels will rise to afford us a drier spot where we can take our rest. But Gall is right, not only do we have the safety of our friends, but Plugg's not likely to wait on us forever."
"So if we take longer, we'll be rid of him?"
"Rid of him and our ship, the only bloody way off this rock," the half-giant grumbles reluctantly.
"Ugh..." Rizz, though rescued from a death of slowly dehydrating, also does not find the idea of being left to die on this weird ass island appealing.
"Maybe we should keep going just for a bit more. I don't think they'll be that quick to leave us yet, but as much as I like you guys its not the "Like you enough to be stranded on a creepy island" kind of like.
"Well, I count Gall, Artevious and Rizz in favor of continuing on. That's half of us, so I guess we've got quorum for that decision. But you know what, since you're the ones advocating it, *you* take the lead then, big, tough guys, hm?" Harmony summons a bit more purple sparkle magic into her hand. "I've got one more healing spell left in me for today. Is anyone else hurt? Otherwise I'm going to use it on my leg."
Harmony narrows her eyes a little and looks at Eriziel. "You're hurt too. You're between me and whatever's up ahead. I think healing you will be smarter than healing me. Don't make me regret this, Rizz. Keep me alive." With that, she puts her last healing spell on the gnome.
"I still have my spells, though none are healing, but if we run into serious trouble I do have some power." Esmarelda said with a shrug. "Lets just, try not to get attacked again, if that is an option!" She said with a slight laugh.
"We'll do what we can to not get ourselves kilt, then, but I don't anticipate these lot'll be in a chattin' mood. Come on, ladies and gents, we're burning daylight." With that, Gall turns to start swimming further into the caves.
Harmony makes sure she's behind Gall, Artevious and Eriziel in the formation.
"Indeed. Eyes sharp, everyone. Harmony, Esmarelda, keep those lights working. It looks dark up ahead," I said as I kept my cutlass out ahead of me and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Gall.
My father had had numerous adventures where he was challenged with low resources and lives were at stake. I could only hope that I acquitted myself just as he had in those times of trial. I furrowed my brow as we surged ahead in the waterlogged grotto, making sure that if anything came at us I'd be ready to respond, with deadly steel if necessary.
"Will do. I don't have a lot of experience with caves." Harmony pauses, briefly considers a wry double entendre, then shakes her head and thinks better of it. "You keep me alive, I'll keep this place lit." She sweeps her hands in a circle and then sends her four glowing purple sparkly spheres forward, traveling through the air about ten feet in front of the frontmost member of the party.
Rizz takes point with Artevious, keeping her weapon out and her guard up.
"Right, Kill them before they kill you. Gotcha." she replies to the healing boon that Harmony bestowed.
"I don't have a spell for light, but I can mark where we came from if that is needed." Esmarelda pointed out with a slight shrug.
"That's not a bad idea, Esmarelda. If those caves go on for a while, finding our way out can get scary fast. We should also use some chalk or something similar, whatever we have, to mark every intersection so we know where we've been before."
Day 6 - Night - Bonewrack Isle -
As you exit the pool and enter the cave system that leads deeper into the island you are able to now stand on solid ground. The water is to the knees of most of the group except Gall of course who needs to crouch because the ceilings are so low (7').
At the moment, the tide is low but you can see the water level slowly rising as night begins to deepen, it is quite possible that some parts of this complex may be completely submerged when the tide reaches its highest point this night. After 40' the cave system splits off north and south.
We moved cautiously but also more swiftly because we were able to put our feet on solid rock in these caverns. After a short distance, the tunnel branched in two directions. I couldn't tell what may be lying in wait down the northern passage, but I heard a bit of echoing down the southern route.
"I wonder, based on this echoing I hear this way," I said softly to everyone, "might there be a larger chamber ahead?"
"Hey! Move your ass Artevios! I can't see anything!" Rizz hisses, craning to get a better vantage point but her perch wasn't high enough for her to see around the man's posterior.