Thalas is slow to awaken to the sudden danger, at last managing to stagger upright in the lower deck where he'd been resting as chaos erupts all around him.
Move action: none
Standard action: move action to stand up
HP: 20/20
In hands: none
Spells Remaining: 2nd - 2/2, 1st - 3/3
Wil wakes with a start having been sleeping near where the two ship wreck survivor's had been so that he could react quickly if needed. Yet he awoke to a shocking sight, it took him but a moment for the shock to pass as he roared in outrage at the man strangling Elorin...
Azlain hadn't really been sleeping. He'd just been lying there trying to ignore the rolling of the boat. At some point he had wandered up on deck and sat at the aft rail, his legs hanging off the side looking just as pathetic as he felt. Their attackers probably hadn't considered the sickly elf much of a concern. They were wrong.
At the cry of battle he was practically elated. Finally, something to distract him, and some poor, poor bastard to take his foul mood out on.
He spun round into a crouch, looking for the threats, not drawing his blade yet. It's flames would paint him as a target...
Light levels on ship are fine for elves. The everburning lantern puts dim light almost over the entire ship.
Seeing no immediate threat, Azlain looks for a rope to throw to Talon.
Stomping his way onto the main deck Wil turns to see the human strangling Elorin and draws his longsword as a rage took hold of the Paladin. He'd seen all types of humans and these ones disgusted him the most, this type of Filth wouldn't see any mercy from him. He glared dangerously at the man as he roared. "I'll kill you FILTHY SCUM!"
Windfavor draws his bow and sends an arrow at the assassin. An arrow does massive damage to the human. Beset by the arriving reinforcements, and taking one look into Wil's eyes, the assassin deftly leaps overboard and barely avoids Wil's sword. ACR
As his sword caught air Wil shook his head, no need t worry about that one any longer. He looked to Elorin then, to see how much damage that foul wretch had done. How could I have been so careless, So STUPID... "Elorin are you strong enough to stand?" He never lowers his blade, he reaches out with a hand to help her up as he sweeps his blade back behind himself. Now... where is the other one?
Talon flounders momentarily as the shock of someone suddenly trying to push him over runs through his mind. Who in the nine hells just pushed me!?
Talon screams from the ocean: "The b*&^% pushed me off. Get her."
Gretchen was ready to surprise someone, but now she seems to realize the game is up.
Suny dives in to save Talon. Azlain prepares a rope to toss.
Flambeaux rushes to provide first aid, devastated by the damage wrought by the improvised garotte.
Order of Action
Seltyn <---
Human Jumping
Gretchen
Talon in water
Elorin incapicitated
Thalas
Enemy Sea
Windfavor
Wil
Azlain
Suny in water
Bannermaiden
For but a brief instant Suny revels in the feel of the water as she slices beneath the waves. Then with but a brief 'pop' to the surface to get a bearing on where Talon is floating she streaks towards him.
(^_^)
Azlain rises from the prone position and readies the rope. Suny jumps into the water to locate Talon.
Talon pops to the surface screaming, "It is horrible, it tried to reach into my brain. It is ancient and hideous."
"Bugger me..." Suny exclaims.
Hearing the brain comment, Seltyn combs his memory for a clue as to what these things really are.
dungeoneering:
Whatever it is, he steps a little closer, draws his sword, and fires a scorching ray. He sees no point in letting Gretchen live. She doesn't play well with others.
ranged touch: damage:
Seltyn's ray hits Gretchen, she falls scorched, charred, and bleeding.
Talon tries to swim back toward the ship, but he gets pulled under.
Coming straight at the ship is the tentacled squid Seltyn was the only one to see.
Order of Action
Thalas <---
Enemy Sea
Windfavor
Wil
Azlain
Suny in water
Bannermaiden
Seltyn
Human in water
Gretchen incapacitated
Talon in water
Elorin incapicitated
Thalas rises to his feet, shouting after the angered Wil just before the young Paladin storms up the stairs and on deck. As the sounds of combat and the shouting continues Thalas is close behind Wil and arcs an eyebrow as the human dives overboard. "Wil, you still with us? Focus and get to the Ballista, I think its about to get far far worse. Besides that human seems to have elected to be fish food..."
Nodding to Wil he gave Elorin a warm smile when she started to come around. He holds up three fingers as he says, jokingly. "How many fingers am I holding up Elorin?"
Seltyn realizes he may have made a mistake. Kill the squid! It may be controlling the humans with its mind! Shoot it!
Thalas looks over the new bannermaiden's shoulders as she pulls out an elven bandage Thalas confirms the worst fears of the bannermaiden, Elorin is beyond saving as the damage to her neck was extremely severe. Tears run down the bannermaidens face as she rises with the banner in both hands.
Seltyn changes his call due to his masterful understanding of magic and huge strength of will and points forward: "Ignore that one, it is a programmed illusion."
Chainmail:
Chainmail:
Had he failed the save, we'd all be toast, so no complaints. We just have to do a zillion points of damage to a sea creature from the boat, now. Too bad Talon's swimming, but it could be worse. I have a bunch of orders to bark on my turn.
With Seltyn's aid, Windfavor quickly realizes the illusion for what it is. He adds, "That was a masterful illusion, the shadows and drift looked just right for a bit. But now I see it is nothing!"
Thalas first aid check on Elorin
Enemy Sea<---
Windfavor
Wil
Azlain
Suny in water
Bannermaiden
Seltyn
Human in water
Gretchen incapacitated
Talon in water
Elorin incapicitated
Actually, don't. I'll do it myself. LOL!
Windfavor Per/SM
Windfavor takes in the action in and points to Seltyn, "He is fighting the creature. It is a Deep One."
Windfavor fits an arrow to his bow, "Guide us true wizard, these are nasty beasts."
Windfavor Readied action
Wil<---
Azlain<---
Suny in water
Bannermaiden
Seltyn
Human in water
Gretchen incapacitated
Talon in water
Deep One
Suny swims up to Talon,
"Ye ready t'get back on'a boat?" She asks brightly, her head barely clearing the surface of the water.
"Bugger..." Suny mutters as she takes in the scene.
"Talon! Be ready t'hold yer breath!" She shouts, before disappearing beneath the surface.
The hope is said beasty will see her rush in as more of a threat and release Talon...heck even then chasing her would be a good thing.
Basically, it's hopefully got lots of tentacles at its 'front' and not so much tentacles at its 'other' end. A quick 'rush' at this other end might hopefully spook it into getting ready to attack said threat and let Talon go.
'Running'/Swimming fast is a 'free' sort of action for Suny.
That's as much of a plan as Suny has at the moment. (^_^)
CM :
Seltyn engages in a titanic mental struggle breaking free and regaining control. Seltyn also realizes Windfavor was considering shooting him if he failed.
Suny tries to distract the elder creature, but takes a tentacle swipe as she moves in.
Wil hears Windfavors words and turns to see Seltyn standing rigid, without much choice he moves to the Balista in the hopes that whatever is out there is within sight.
Suny frowns, "Well...that in't good..." She murmurs.
Seltyn can do no more this round than look at Windfavor, saying with his look: Don't shoot me! Shoot that!
Killing Gretchen wasn't a mistake. Letting her die, if she can be revived, would be. As long as she's this creature's thrall, she's not safe to us, though. Thalas could stabilize her, but he's got bigger worries at the moment. Seltyn will sacrifice the human for now. Her controller cares even less about her. She has no choice.
It takes so little evil to undo so much good.
He throws off the horrific images clouding his mind, and sees himself and his friends again. This isn't over. Fight. Magic. Kill.
Windfavor moves the tiller and slams the ship hard to starboard (right).
Wil moved to ballista
Azlain<---
Suny in water (distracting Deep One)
Bannermaiden
Seltyn regained control
Windfavor moving ship
Human in water
Gretchen incapacitated
Talon in water <---
Thalas <--
Deep One
I humbly Call upon Iomedae,
The Righteous one who led the Knights of Ozem in the Shining Crusade against the forces of the Whispering Tyrant. You who passed the Test of the Starstone and ascend to godhood.
I ask you to save my friends from a great danger.
They need to fight a great Evil in the land a cult of Rovagug who Dare to desecrate and rule by evil. We have pledged to our people and to the humans to help them and to fight with honour and righteousness in the defence of good and the battle against this vicious evil.
I ask for their sake not for mine, I accept whatever fate beholds me but I cannot accept the fate of my friends. I know many ask to be saved and I know it is up to you who you deem worthy. Our intentions are pure and our goal is to remove the Rovagug menace, please allow them to live to do that. This battle is not their fate, the battle to save those that have sacrificed much is their fate.
In honour of that sacrifice and in honour to you I offer anything I have in exchange for your blessing in this. My life, my soul, my memory’s, my all, everything I own in mortal realm and everything I have in any other realm. I offer you myself and all I am.
Talon struggled mightily to break free and resisted whatever the foul slime that was burning his skin was trying to accomplish. As a dark shape called out to him he felt his hope blossom as he realized it was Suny and as the beast whipped at her with a long tentacles he saw a chance to escape...
Straining with everything he was worth he tried to break the grasp the beast had on him...
Thalas with a heavy heart picks up Oneshot and rises to his feet, as he turns he see young Wil already readying to man the Ballista and sighs in relief. At least he hasn't lost himself to rage again or did he not notice? With one last look at the fallen Elorin and the sobbing bannermaiden he decides not to tell the Paladin until later...
They needed focus now, not uncontrolled wrath...
With a quick stride he reached the rails and looked over to where Seltyn was pointing and shouting. He looked on grimly into the choppy waters as Suny danced around some sort of creature beneath the waves...
He felt silly talking to a bow but at the moment he didn't care, they needed to defeat this thing and quickly... "Oneshot, please lend me your aid this night. We have a mighty foe to vanquish and i'm afraid I alone will not be enough. What say you my friend?"
Azlain tries to shake off the hold of the creature from the depths, but instead retreats from the railing then rushes at Thalas trying to carry both of them overboard.
Azalain hits Thalas squarely by the railing of the ship. As Azlain and Thalas tumble into the water, Windfavor shouts, "He is not the master of his own mind."
The creature seems distracted by using his mental powers, and keeps Talon in a tight grip underwater. Talon appears to be breathing fine underwater. Suny finds her skin changing and breathing water fine also.
The ship delays a bit to Windfavors aggressive steering, but it whips around and Wil readies for a shot.
Wil feels the Inheritor herself is aiding him.
Wil<---
Suny in water<---
Bannermaiden<---
Seltyn<---
Windfavor<---
Human in water
Gretchen incapacitated
Talon in water
Thalas in water
Azlain in water
Deep One
** spoiler omitted **
With a huff, Azlain flails in the water, his senses going back to him as the shock of the cold salt water seeps into the open wounds covering his body. His eyes go wide and he sucks air in through his teeth at the sudden pain.
"Thalas? I... I'm sorry."
Though his head is above water for the moment, it is clear that Azlain does not know how to swim.
Caught by Azlain's surprise attack from behind and gripping the unfamiliar Oneshot, Thalas is unable to keep his head above water.
"Gurgle!"
"S*%!!"
Despite Seltyn's shouting and pointing at something in the choppy water below Wil just couldn't focus on it. He watched as Azlain and Thalas went over the railing, Azlain suddenly going mad and losing himself. Everything was going to hell and here he was trying to blink away salt water. Just as he lost hope of sighting the creature he spotted something, large andark beneath the waves. But it was too late to fire now he had to hope that he would get another chance as the precious seconds ticked by...