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The Mariner looks on disapprovingly. On the one hand, finding the magical canteen gives him a sigh of relief from the killing heat. On the other hand, Fearless taking a full blast of liquid in the face, gives an ominous feeling to what they'd find upon waking up.
With the wet dream wonderment passing, the Mariner pushes the door open.
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Brother is laughing. Laughing and dreaming of the terrific baths he can take because of this thing. He can even take a waterfall type of bath. He'll find a way to wedge the vase above his head and then have the water splash down upon his body as he cleans and shaves.
It is such an orgasmic thought that Brother lets out a loud, Oh, the glory.
Fearless- do you think it can be commanded to let out warm water?
Brother also moves forward with the group into the new room.
As if the dreamworld is responding to Brother Butterfly’s personal wishes the next room turns out to be none other than the baths.
Decorative tiles with irregular geometric shapes cover the walls of this room, distorting perspective and obscuring the room’s size. Three deep baths, empty of water, are separated by narrow walkways and hanging curtains of tattered fabric.
As the Watchmen winter the room a nauseating vertigo comes over them.
Will
Cats staggers back, trying to get the weird vision out of his eyes.
"Feels like I've been staring too long into the catbyss," he grunts, squeegeeing his forehead.
When the feeling passes, he will look for the source of the ill-at-ease.
Perception
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Fearless shrugs and tosses the decanter to the Shapeshifter. "Try commanding warm stream." He explains while walking as a sudden vertigo comes over him.
Fearless falls to his knees and instantly begins heaving. "Whaa....is...happening?" He manages out in between dry heaving like a damned cat.
"Whoa - feels like water in my ears" the Mariner steadies himself but keeps his focus. A room with the baths is far too suspicious, the only thing missing is three pairs of boots and a three lounge chairs.
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Seeing that it is a bathhouse, Brother is might happy and impressed.
He senses the odd trick of the mind that the place gives off, but his adroit and strong mind quickly adjusts. No Vertigo living inside this mind!
Brother lets out a Woohoo! Can't wait to see if Warm Stream command word even works. Oh, Desna will bne shining brightly on my evening star if that were to be the case. Too bad this item won;t convey to the land of reality. and inspects the place.
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Most of the Watchmen keep their cookies, but Fearless sways and hurls dream vomit on the floor. Somehow it’s even worse when it’s all in your mind.
PERCEPTION
INITIATIVE
Little do they know, but as the Watchmen wait for the halfling to finish regurgitating second breakfast, a hidden menace emerges from one of the bath pools.
A shuddering blot of viscous, soot-colored liquid with a mass of writhing tendrils around a dark gullet rises behind the Mariner, then bites down at him.
INITIATIVE - Surprise!
Ooze
INITIATIVE - Round 1
Ooze
Fearless (46/46)
Cats (52/52)
The Mariner (105/105) ?
Brother Butterfly (60/60)
This a type of ooze called a Formless Spawn.
Oozes are much-feared denizens of the Darklands, yet many of them share characteristics that canny adventurers can exploit. The two best known are their mindlessness (a feature that lets an experienced adventurer manipulate the ooze in a battle, due to its inability to use tactics) and their lack of armor (a quality that allows for tactics like Power Attack to be used with abandon). However, those who stumble across one of the so-called formless spawn of Tsathoggua would do well to remember that not all oozes are mindless and easily hit in combat, for these deadly guardians prove quite cunning and display an alacrity that grants them incredible defenses against physical attacks.
A formless spawn at rest resembles nothing more than a simple puddle of tar, oil, or another dark, thick liquid; once roused to attack, however, it could never be mistaken for anything other than a monstrous and malignant predator. The creature’s outline changes constantly, shifting from serpentine to insectile to a truly shapeless mass—at times even approximating humanoid or other bestial shapes before collapsing in on itself a moment later. Always, the formless spawn sends forth a storm of tendrils that whip and writhe, blocking attacks and fouling attempts at combat maneuvers. The creatures can speak if they deign to, yet they rarely bother to do so with creatures that have fixed shapes—formless spawn consider talking to one’s food a waste of time.
A formless spawn is elephantine in size, capable of covering a 15-foot-diameter pool to a depth of a foot, and it weighs just over 9,000 pounds. Even at this weight, a formless spawn is only about as dense as oil and thus floats on water, unless it actively swims down under the surface.
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Well, that's a strange sensation... as something grabs the Mariner from behind.
He loses subconsciousness for long moments, suddenly dreaming within a dream. He's stroking the face of a young woman, familiar yet so distant. Behind her, Brother is riding on some sort of single wheeled contraption. Short Fearless running by in a jester's outfit, carrying a block of cheese. Cats is on the other side with an easel, painting pictures of a rainbow colored whale, with wings that look like bacon.
The Mariner is stabbed, slashed, and beaten half to death by tentacles then stuffed whole into the creature’s mouth. He vanishes into the thing for a few moments, but like a sailor thrown into the sea, he soon reappears, desperately pulling his way back out!
"We need to get out of here!" Fearless stammers through retching in the shower. A trio of missiles crush into the mass of tentacles.
HP 43/46
AC 20
Spells: 1st 2/5 | 2nd 3/4
Inspiration 4/7
Tactician 1/1 (Rounds 0/3)
Challenge 1/1
Phrenic Pool 1/3
Wand of Magic Missile (3rd) 14 charges remaining
Round 1
”Gah! What is cat!?” Cats cries, still pumping arrows into the foam.
to hit;
damage.
to hit;
damage.
to hit;
damage.
to hit;
dice]1d10+6[/dice] slashing damage.
to hit;
slashing damage.
AC: 19 + smite
HP: 52/52
LoH: 0/4 used
[ dice]1d20+10 damage.
[ dice]1d20+8[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d8+8[/dice] damage.
Catrenrae’s Gift: 1/2 used.
Mini Smite: 0/1 used: Once per day as a swift action, you can add your Charisma bonus to your attack rolls and deal 1 additional point of damage for each class level you have against evil creatures for 1 round. You must have a good alignment to take this trait.
+6 Bab +4 Dex +1 magic +1 PBS -2 DA -2 Rapid= +8/+8 to hit
+2 Str +1 magic +4 DA+1 PBS = +8 damage
Fearless sends mental bullets blasting into the oozing thing.
It’s form ripples but seems unaffected by the attack.
Cats fires arrows, but none of his arrows make it past the forest of tentacles flailing about the room. One of them seeks him out as he reloads and slashes deeply into his side.
Brother Butterfly prays fervently to Desna, but his prayers may be to late for at least one of the Watchmen...
Three tentacles stab into the Mariner’s back. Blood spills from his mouth as pierced arteries fill his lungs. Life fades from his eyes as the creature raises his body back to the awful dark maw. Sharp teeth form and snap over him, pulling and tearing like a ravenous animal, slowly tearing his torso free and tossing his legs to the ground beside Cats.
It’s “mouth” twists into a gruesome smile and speaks in a strange dark language.
”So gooey and slimy on the inside. Such a shame to keep the best parts tucked away.”
INITIATIVE - Round 2
Ooze
Fearless (46/46)
Cats (26/52)
The Mariner (-106/105) *Very Very Dead
Brother Butterfly (60/60)
Round 2
Cats first watches as Catiner’s body is torn limb from limb, then feels his own slash and knowing that he might be next.
”Let’s get the cat out of here!” Cats yells, withdrawing out. He uses the BoF for speed, taking off down the corridor.
As he strategically retreats, he heals a bit, knowing it won’t make a difference if that creature gets close to him.
healing
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.
.He went like one that hath been stunned,
And is of sense forlorn,
A sadder and a wiser man,
He rose the morrow morn.
The Mariner blinks away the sleep from his eyes, partially fighting against the cerulean brightness of the sky. The smell of salt, strong and piercing. Warm wind flowing through the vanes of the sails and water spray in the veins of his blood. His ship slices across the ocean like fins on the surface. Ahead of the bow, an albatross flies, leading the way home.
Fearless' jaw drops. "Holy S#&&!" He runs. Runs as fast as his little legs will carry him. "Let's get out of here. NOW!" This creature truly scared Fearless.
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Fearless sees Brother Butterfly surprisingly run past him and he gets confused. He had never seen the fat, bald man run this fast before. "This is not good....This is not good..." He looks back and everyone else seemed to run faster than him. Basic rule of survival. on't be the slowest when a bear is chasing you.
The Watchmen turn tail and flee from then scene of carnage. Behind them the monster surges forth from the room, sliding, rolling, and dragging itself along with its long tentacles, moving much faster than any ooze should be capable of. Its strange language calling out, sounding almost joyful in a guttural chortle.
Luckily for the Watchmen, Desna’s magic allows them to outpace the thing and escape the caravansary.
Cats hikes it back to the ship, trying to stay well ahead of others but also thinking (or not understanding the nature of this dream world) that there is no way to handle that beast.
"Who's idea was it come here again? What kind of catting idea was that!?"
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"Who's idea was it come here again? What kind of catting idea was that!?"
Fearless' head hangs low in shame. "This was all my fault. if he is dead. It is on me. He didn't even know I was doing it..." Tears begin to fall down his pudgy cheeks. "I don't know how exactly to get out of here. We have to find some tear, some portal. Maybe there is one in this building on the other side." He kind of trudges along, the weight of their lives squarely on his shoulders.
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”There is no place like cat...there is no place like cat...there is no place like cat...” Cats repeats with eyes closed, trying to leave the dream realm.
Fearless' mind isn't thinking quite straight and truth be told he was desperate. desperate to get his memories back. "Wait!" he yells to stop the others. "We are here now. i don't want to have to come back. Mariner possibly sacrificed his life for this. Let's not make it a waste. Let's check out the other side. If that...that thing returns then just concentrate really hard about returning to the boat and you will." He explains the process further.
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Butterfly stops his gregorian chant.
I'm up for it , if Cats is. We know there's a secret door that should lead to the other side .
(if it mirrors the other broom closet).
Jasper is actually listening to Fearless and agrees to join him.
Maybe he's doing it to postpone the inevitable discovery that Mariner is dead or a vegetable.
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”What are you guys thinking of? It’s over if that cat finds us again. It’s CAT over,” Cats replies to the interruption. ”We can come back later, but we’re dead to go back now.”
"I don't plan on ever coming back here again. That thing finds us again we leave, immediately." Fearless argues.
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Seeing Cats hesitation and steadfast desire to leave this place, Brother steps in to get everyone to a mutual decision.
Well Fearless, I was willing to go with you to sneak around and explore more but it had to be everyone going forward or no one going forward.
Cats is very right in what he says and feels. He is for certain going back to The Sullen Starling. That means we all need to return.
Head back man.
Head back to Mariner and the ship.
There might be some good news that awaits us.With Desna on our side, we might just have that spark of luck to help Mariner.
Brother waits in the dreamland for the other two to disappear and then he'll go once he sees that Fearless isn't going to stay here and try to do things on his own.
"Bah! Fine." Fearless secretly hopes that Mariner is fine and awaiting them on the ship where their bodies were left.
It takes a small bit of concentration but Fearless begins to fade in and out.
The remaining Watchmen concentrate on waking up from this horrible dream. One by one they vanish away from it and open their eyes to the captain’s cabin aboard the Sellen Starling. The miniature stairway rests in the center of the wooden floor.
Across the room, like a rag doll tossed by a child, lies the Mariner. Bruises mark his face, blood trickles from mouth. His eyes stare up at the ceiling, wide and still.
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Cats moves to check on Mariner. He kneels next to the corpse body.
”Catiner? Catiner? Wake up, buddy. You’ve just had a bad dream, that is all...” Cats tries to revive the man.
LoH
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Oh no.
That's all Brother can let out, his worst fears springing to life.
He moves next to Cats and starts taking stock of Mariner's "vitals".
Evaluating Mariner and seeing if there's something that can help snap Mariner back to the real world. Like spiritually break the tether from the Dream World, but soften any recoil to not "snap Mariner's mind".
there are ways. There are ways to get him back. There are ways.
But Brother doesn't go into any more depth. Because he might not know those ways. He just knows that this is on HIM to make things right. He pulls out his healers kit.
Fearless - can you reach out with your mind and touch his? You've got a brain that does special things. Focus on getting into Mariner's brain to get him back HERE! Tell him to follow your voice into the light!
Brother uses his healing skill to work on Mariner.
He also tries tapping into his Planar knowledge.
Healing
Brother Uses his Good Fortune ability to reroll.
Fortune Healing
Planes
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Fearless shakes as he sees Mariner lying there, still and staring into the void. Both Brother Butterfly and Cats' voice seems to blend off into the background noise of the ocean's waters and waves battering the hull. Fearless begins to panic as he falls to his knees. Tears falls from his eyes and he pounds his little fists against the wooden planks. "There is nothing I can do....This is all my fault."
His eyes search for any sign of life.
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-pounds his little fists against the wooden planks. His eyes search for any sign of life.
The rainbow bridge buckled rhythmically, as if the filaments being hammered loose by tiny hands.
A breath suddenly swells in the Mariner’s chest! His dry eyes blink.
Looking up at the blurry shadowed shapes, they slowly sharpen into focus - the faces of a squirrelly halfling, a flighty cat and a mustachioed sea lion. He gazes over the trio in recognition, a look of disappointment eases into his countenance, "…Aw crap…"
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Seeing his eyes blink Fearless leaps at Mariner, wrapping his arms around the man's neck. "We thought we lost you!" He says between sobs, though he wasn't sure why he was crying. These a~%+&$*s were just trying to kill him again just moments before. Though in the back of his mind he had an inkling that it wasn't true. Today his heart grew two sizes.
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Surprising to himself, the Mariner found his arm around the half pint as well. "Alright, alright, I ain't dead yit. I gotta get you all killed first, remember?" He throws up his hands for Cats and Brother to pull him to his feet. As he straightens up, he looks back down with a strange sensation that he left a slice of himself on the floor. He had looked into the Abyss, and it looked back, then winked, blew a kiss, put something in his pocket and sent him back.
"Anybody wanna explain what the heck just happened?"
Cats takes Mariner's arm with a *big* smile. He lowers his ass to the deck to give him leverage to pick the bigger man up.
"Are you cat you're not dead? I had a dream where you died to a big sponge," Cats asks, very relieved.
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”A big sponge?”, the Mariner says, Must be Cat's fear of baths. ”Maybe that's your worst nightmare. I just remember the golgothan - an excremental beating the $#!+ out of me".
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Seeing the eye movement, Brother exhults. Praise be to Desna! Let my praise for her blessings reach the highest of mountains and clouds.
Mariner's survival is critical to our mission - and Desna knows. She has given me an able protector and secured your life this time.
For me, I am so glad that you old seadog have survived that horror. Can I take a closer look at you to see if the DreamLand death had longstanding effects? We have this special wand that I am tempted to use on you.
Brother pulls out some items to hear the beating of Mariner's heart.
Brother head shakes back and forth. An odd start as he doesn't initially hear Mariner's heartbeat! Quickly checking for a pulse, BB finds one at his wrist. He double-checks the heartbeat- finding it strong and robust this time.
Clearly upset with his equipment, he tosses the "heart cup" he was listening through right out the porthole and into the lake water.
Good riddance to bad rubbish!
Not being able to understand, Brother takes the safe approach and uses the wand of Mariner.
The Mariner waves off the divine wand and checks himself in the mirror. Apart from the melee with the devil, he looked rather intact. "Hang on to that Brother, I don't need it just yet."
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Now that Mariner is up and about, Cats tries to relax. He tries to pull himself away from the grief of almost losing a friend. Well, maybe not a friend, but one of the only people he knows and is in the same boat (in this case literally too) that he is in: lost and adrift and not knowing his past.
”I’m glad you’re okay, Catiner. Maybe...maybe we get someplace safer than a damn boat and we try that again. But better prepared. And with a cow or two for that thing to eat before we attack. I dunno...” Cats leans back on the railing, enjoying the sunshine.
The Mariner head topside, calling on Skywin for a quick report on their position and weather
Fearless shakes. "You actually want to go back in that realm?" He looks ate Brother Butterfly with a bewildered look. "Are you crazy!? That thing ripped Mariner apart like that." He snaps his fingers.
Cats looks at Fearless, then at Butterfly.
”Tell me again why we have to go cat? Tell me again what we wanted from there?! Because I’ve forgotten. Completely forgotten everything after seeing what that thing did to Catiner,” Cats rebuts.