Coming from the direction of the entrance, we take the passage that goes to the most right from our perspective, which I believe is the passage south?
Cueta grins. "Right on, then."
Day 7 - Early Morning - Bonewrack Isle -
The group begins to work their way through the tunnels to the south. The network is long and not surprisingly, wet. No more of the creatures are encountered through the twisting tunnels, at one point the group could have gone left. Gall stays true to the Harmony's idea and continues right once more.
Finally, the crew enters into a cave that expands to the north some twenty feet. The walls of this small cavern display strangely ribbed markings. The group can also head right from here or back left the way they came.
Crew Perception Rolls
Esmarelda
Artevious
Cueta
Gall
Harmony
Rizz
Thus far, the crew has not heard anything of note...
..
"So right, right?"
"Indeed!" I said, nursing my sore shin.
"I can't tell anything from these markings. Cueta, Esmarelda, can you interpret anything out of them?"
"I'm sorry to say, but no." Esmarelda said as she shook her head as she looked over the marking. "Tis not something I understand."
Cueta shrugs. "Probably made by them green fookers. Let's follow the plan."
We continue along the right wall.
Day 7 - Early Morning - Bonewrack Isle -
As the crew heads again through the right tunnel, the water is a bit deeper here, up to the knees for most of you, higher for Rizz and lower for Gall of course.
Gall steps forward to take a look at the next open space when he starts cursing.
Gall Reflex save
He manages to kick of some sort of cleverly designed net hooked with several dozen barbs. Hidden by seaweed it was impossible to detect for what it was.
The net is still an impediment to moving forward.
The tunnel opens into a wider cavern decorated with hundreds of leering skeletal parts, wriggling with worms. Four dark circular openings exit the chamber. The water here may be deeper still than the tunnels you just waded through. You stand in the southwestern most opening. The others head west, north, and east.
Rizz, not versed in the way of survival tactics, pulls out the one sure fire method for getting past any problem.
"If I smack it hard enough, you think it'll break or something?"
Rizz points to the right again.
"Right!"
"Cueta, can you get that net out of the way? I don't even know where to start with it."
"Or maybe we could cut it apart?" Esmarelda asked. "I don't know... this isn't my thing."
After making a fair bit of progress, we encountered a strange impediment. A barbed net hanging amidst waving fronds of seaweed. "Well, it would be nice to get rid of it, but without some skilled hands, I don't see much we can do with it save for subject ourselves to many unnecessary scratches. Rizz has the right of it, I must say. We should continue," I suggested. I hadn't sheathed my cutlass since entering this grotto.
"Easy enough to do," Cueta says, grinning. "We'll spring it, and then we go around it."
Working her way back towards their last fight, the deckhand grabs one of the green fookers and throws its corpse over her shoulder. Grunting, she hauls the creature back to her companions, and with Rizz's help, swings the dead fooker back and forth three times, letting the creature fly directly at the net, where it lands with a wet thud.
Day 7 - Early Morning - Bonewrack Isle -
As Cueta backtracks to the prior encounter point she catches several of the Grindylow trailing behind the group as quietly as they can! They seem surprised to have been caught!
Turning on her heel, Cueta runs as quickly as she can back towards the room with the net trap. When she gets close, the swab yells, "Green fookers comin!"
"How many? Do you know?" Esmarelda asked as she returned her rapier to her hand, readying herself for combat once more.
Rizz puffs up her chest and hefts her weapon in front of her.
"Can we eat them!?"
Cueta managed to deal with that obstacle obviously left by the denizens of this grotto, and backtracked a bit to dispose of the hooks and barbs. It was quite fortuitous that she did so, as she apparently noticed several of the wriggling creatures trying to sneak up on us from our flank. She called out to us using her colorful epithets, and immediately Rizz shouted her usual battle cry. I wondered idly whether my future chronicles should use their actual words or if I should edit them somewhat mindful of the more sensitive readers.
Putting that matter aside as more pressing concerns approached, I turned and brandished my cutlass to prepare for the grindylow's onslaught. "Ready yourselves, everyone!" I shouted as I prepared to counterattack any foolish enough to attack me.
Day 7 - Morning - Bonewrack Isle -
Cueta Runs back towards the crew with several of the little green fookers right on her tail!
Esmarelda
Artevious
Cueta
Gall
Harmony
Rizz
Creatures (8) -
Harmony moves toward the nearest grindylow and attacks if she still can.
Rizz charges forward and tries to bisect a grindylow in a single strike!
Cueta's warning had me ready for the grey-green wriggling creatures. I stepped forward and slashed at the closest one with my cutlass, then readied myself for a counter-attack.
Cueta skids to a stop water splashing around her and she spins lining up her pike to stab one of the oncoming Grindylow.
Pike Attack
Pike Damage:
Day 7 - Morning - Bonewrack Isle -
The Grindylow rush after Cueta and end up being the ambushed party as the crew tears into the vicious little creatures.
Harmony cuts down the first with her spear.
Rizz loses her fotting falling on the dead Grindylow and just misses slicing the second in half, the air 'whooshes' the strike is so hard.
Arty's cutlass slices that some one down, ending its threat.
Cueta makes short work of the next.
Gall's terbutje sings as it sails towards one of the little foes slaying it as well.
The four remaining charge at the characters over the corpses of their kin!
Arty's parry is high as the little creature steps towards him. The creatures stab is wicked and penetrates Arty's ribs.
Gall is also stabbed.
The Grindylow stabbing at Harmony misses wide as does the little bugger attacking Cueta.
This band utilizes their tentacles to try and trip the crew, their attempts are for naught as those who crew a ship are used to having their feet tangled, none fall!
Harmony counts on the damaged Artevious and Gall being able to keep fighting for now, and decides to try to continue dispatching the enemies rather than switching to healing right away. She moves to the nearest grindylow and attacks with her spear again.
"Well... this is problematic." Esmarelda started before she brought forth more acid and tossed it to the Grindylow before Harmony.
Thankfully, Rizz was short. Cueta swings her pike overhead into the nearest enemy, throwing all her weight behind her swing.
As they set upon us, my cutlass managed to end one of the creatures before it could attack. However, my expert strike did little to dissuade his comrades from wriggling over his corpse to continue their attacks. I parried -- that is to say, I tried to parry -- the spear which came at me. Unfortunately, the point went beneath my blade and caught me in my ribs. It was painful; I daresay I've never been wounded so before in my life. My knees buckled, but I was determined to stand firm. Fears of a gruesome and ignoble death in these caverns bade me to continue the fight and trust that my friends' healing magics would be soon in coming.
Day 7 - Morning - Bonewrack Isle -
Harmony, distracted by her comrades wounds misses her mark in her swing against the Grindylow. Ama's spell likewise fizzles.
Arty, despite the viciuos strike he receives deals a fatal blow to the foe who so injured him. While Cueta takes down the next of the creatures that threaten the group.
Spitting sea water from her mouth, Rizz starts shaking, her forehead throbbing with pulsating vein. She hefts her sword up and strikes with a furious rage!
Day 7 - Morning - Bonewrack Isle -
Rizz swears as her strike is off the mark.
The last of the group of monsters trailing the group strike out.
Trip Attack Arty . Attack Arty Spear . Spear Damage .
The first tries to trip Harmony but she leaps out of the way of the Grindylows tentacles, unfortunately her landing allows the little bugger to stick her with its spear!
Meanwhile the other Grindylow trips Arty but his spear is parried by the Swashbuckler's weapon at the last second.
Es summoned up acid once again and tossed it at one of the Grindylows.
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Day 7 - Morning - Bonewrack Isle -
Es' aim is off and her acid flies harmlessly into the ceiling.
[dice=Melee]1d20+9
[dice=Damage]1d6+5
Day 7 - Morning - Bonewrack Isle -
Arty parties the Grundy low attack, his Riposte cutting the foe down, he then springs to his feet and strike the remaining little monster.
"Quite a few of these", Harmony lifts up the tip of one fallen grindylow's tentacle, "suckers." She glances over her shoulder at Cueta and gives a nod of acknowledgement. "Thanks for spotting them. Don't know how long they've been watching us. I'm worried about our crewmates. If there's this many grindylows, they might have been eaten already. As we proceed forward, keep on the lookout for anything that might be blood or an eating area for the grindylows. We might want to prepare for not finding who we're looking for in one piece."
"I won't lie... the thought has crossed my mind as well Harmony. I think we should pick up the pace." Esmarelda said as she came to stand next to Harmony. "Maybe, if we hurry, we might be able to find our friends alive." She said as she looked down the long tunnel.
Day 7 - Early Morning - Bonewrack Isle -
The crew remains in the cave with the display of strangely ribbed markings. Cueta and Gall throw a few of the Grindylow into the nets and use them to pull the nets and the vicious hooks connected to the nets away from the entrance to the east.
With no more impediments, the four dark circular openings exiting the next chamber beckon the crew.
Es follows in line behind her two other companions.
Cueta nods, grim. Aye. We can keep an eye out for blood and eating, and hope there's nothing to be found. Well, if we keep to the right as H--"
Stopping, Cueta peers into seeweed. "There! Thrashing below the seaweed!"
Surging forward, the swab begins clearing the seaweed aside...
I considered my mates' words about their concern for our wayward comrades, yet I couldn't voice my own. It had been a part of me since we stepped foot on this very island, and each passing moment further pushed my worry.
I was just about to suggest we continue heading in the right direction, when Cueta noticed something under the water thrashing about.
"Good eyes, Cueta!" I praised. Then I took a deep breath and went underwater to see what this mystery could possibly be.
"What do you see, Cueta? Any idea what it is? More grindylow?" Harmony keeps her spear at the ready as she slowly approaches in the direction Cueta went in.
Day 7 - Early Morning - Bonewrack Isle -
Cueta a you start to clear the seaweed you feel whoever is trapped beneath grasping to try and take hold of your hand...
Initiative
Cueta
Arty
Lacedon 1 & 2
You cannot seem to catch hold of the hand though!