One moment, Davina steps into the cavern, the next moment, she knows nothing but darkness.
Garavaen's keen senses and vigilence give him a brief second of warning, causing him to dive out of the way of the falling grille, removing himself from harm's way.
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Fortunately for Ri'el, his vigilance in looking out for clues as to Sandara's whereabouts allows him to see the grille coming, and though he is not naturally the most nimble of sorts, he is able to paddle out of the way just in time.
"Thank you, spirits of the waters, for bearing me safely away from that..." he mutters between gasps.
The grate falls with a large splash, catching Ri'el, Garavaen and Davina under it. Ri'el and Garavaen are able to dive under just in time to avoid the crushing weight of the trap, but Davina is not so quick. The grate catches her in the back as she tries to dive, and the rough covering of barnacles, coral and rusted metal shear through her skin as the grate pulls her down to the bottom of the pool.
Astein dives under the water and applies the substance to Davina, and the wounds she received from the barnacles and other sharp coverings of the gate stop bleeding, but the more dangerous aspect now is that the grate holds her pinned underwater. There is enough room that all of you could lift at the same time. Sailors that you are, you all realize that items underwater seem to weigh less than their size would otherwise indicate.
Eli swims down to the grate and wriggles underneath it, attempting to lift it with his wiry back.
Garavaen grits his teeth and joins in the heavy lifting, Even if I have to be so mundane as using my hands...
On round 2 after Astein's healing Davina manages to not breathe in water.
On the third round, the group combines their efforts and pulls the grate off of Davina, who seems to be coughing under water. You immediately get her above the water, where she starts coughing up water, but still remains unconscious.
True to Astein's words, the cuts and bruises continue to close, and before too long Davina does regain consciousness.
*******status after waiting the full time for Infernal Healing to work**********
Davina: 6/17
Garavaen keeps an eye out for any hostile that might have been attracted by the sound of the grate while Astein tends to Davina. He smiles as she opens her eyes, then says, "Watch out for the grate."
Looking up and wincing at the movement Davina manages to say, "W-what happened?" She manages to sit up and then looks around and wincing, "Ow, I feel like Owlbear jumped off a mast and landed on me."
The group gets Davina out from under the grate, and gathers themselves for a bit, ready to push on.
Retrieving her final potion from her pack Davina quickly quaffed it to heal her wounds better. Her wounds mostly knitting closed she said, "Much better, thanks for getting me out of there."
With a nod Eli presses on into the unexplored tunnel, pulling himself along the walls as quietly as possible.
Garavaen suggests, "I didn't think those beasts were the trap-setting type... Do we think there's likely to be more of those? "
The tunnel opens into a wider cavern decorated with hundreds of leering skeletal parts, wriggling with worms. Four dark circular openings exit the chamber.
Eli swims forward to peek around a blind turn in the cave.
Eli whispers back, "I just want to see what's around the corner before we decide on which tunnel or tunnels to take."
Garavaen starts rushing foward at Astein's whisper, ensuring his crossbow is properly loaded. He all but growls, "Then it's time to save them. How many of those beasts?"
@Ri'el: About 5'at the entrance to the cave, and then the ceiling raises to about 15' in the center, where Sandara and Crimson are trussed up.
As the group starts to move forward, you also see two of the most loathsome creatures you've yet encountered. A Grindylow whose tentacles ooze a blackish slime, and carries a wicked looking harpoon, and another maybe Grindylow, who has grown so large and bloated it more than doubles the size of any other Grindylow you've seen. Its gaping toothy maw looks like it would be able to eat creatures whole without much problem.
Following her friends Davina heard Astein say they found Sandara and Crimson. To her surprise Davina felt a flutter at hearing Crimson was in there and alive, even if he wasn't in the best shape. She cast a spell on herself and then asked, Does anyone else need a way to navigate in the water easier? I can cast the same spell for you that I used on myself though I might need the magic more once we go in."
The Brinebrood Queen looks up at the two captives, gloating, "Do you two like your bonds? It doesn't look like you've done well so far. One more dip and I think the male one will be done for." She reaches and leisurely strokes a seaweed and sinew rope, "Shall we see?
Astein flings the handful of mica and flings it forward and it expands into a brightly glowing mass of golden motes, that settle over the Brinebrood Queen and the Whale. The queen immediately shrieks and cuts the rope holding your friends up. Sandara and Crimson splash down into the churning water, amidst the leftover waste from the Whale's meals. They look over to where the party is, before they are yanked under water by the weight of the metal bars tied to their feet. The Whale roars, his grossly obese hands rubbing at his eyes. "Blind! Mother they blinded me! MY EYES!!!
*****************round 1****************
INIT:The Whale; BBQ, Ri'el, Octopus, Eli, Astein, Garavaen, Davina
The Whale continues to thrash about futilely trying to clear his vision. The Brinebrood Queen mutters something in her language, and hurls her harpoon at Eli which misses by a large margin.
Currently the octopus is underwater, and both the Whale and Brinebrood Queen (BBQ) are considered treading water. It's easy to assume that both can swim and breathe underwater, given the Grindylow you've already faced.
Garavaen swims forward, trying to fire at the large octopus as soon as he gets a clear view of it.
Davina swims forward using wings that have changed into something more like the fins of a ray to get closer to her friends before speaking several words in a dialect of celestial and causing a wave of divine blessing to engulf her friends.
************Round 1 Cont************
INIT:The Whale; BBQ, Ri'el, Octopus, Eli, Astein, Garavaen, Davina
Ri'el dives into the water, his hair whipping about him to a point, which slams into the octopus, clouding the water with blood, but the animal appears to be resillient, and lets out a cloud of ink before jetting away with a swift thrust of its tentacles.
Eli fires at the Whale, two arrows streaking away one of which hits the behemoth in his neck.
Garavaen fires, but his arrow slows in the water before it can reach the octopus.
Davina moves easily in the water and as she speaks angelic words, a silvery gold nimbus surrounds the group, adding to their abilities.
*************Round 1 Status**************
BBQ no damage
Whale 4 Damage Blinded
Octopus 10 damage
Astein 20/20
Eli 15/18
Davina 13/17
Garavaen 25/25
Ri'el 19/19
**************Round 2*************
INIT:The Whale; BBQ, Ri'el, Octopus, Eli, Astein, Garavaen, Davina
The Whale moves his ponderous bulk forward, head whipping from side to side listening for any prey that may be near. It's constant bellows about it being blind not helping him at all.
The Brinebrood Queen holds out her hand as her harpoon returns to her hand. She then points at the corridor and spouts some words in a foreign sounding tongue. A thick fog covers the corridor, through which the party cannot see.
Eli also makes a double move to get out of the fog.