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"Kahwen does have a point. I'd like to get in the water when possible. It's a bias, but I'm sure you all can understand why. Though I know it doesn't work as well for the rest of you." Mely considers the map of the city's defenses they have access to and gives a shrug. "There are neat things up here, but they can wait. If the rest of you think you can be useful dealing with the armada, I vote we head that way."
“They’re coming! The armada of the dead is coming!” shouts a terrified member of the Harbor Guard while running past. Down in the Flotsam Graveyard, dozens of ships with tattered black sails are winding among and crashing through the hazardous wrecks that dot the bay, rapidly approaching the harbor. As the skeletal ships advance, more sunken ships start rising of their own accord through the foaming waves, joining the undead invasion.
As you approach the harbor, a soldier clad in mithral armor, wearing a blue cloak, and carrying a barbed spear nods a greeting, carrying a worried look on her face. “I’m captain Sevana Kinhan of the Wave Riders, and I’m glad to see you have come to help us—we’ve taken heavy casualties, our allies from Escadar haven’t arrived, and the undead armada doesn’t seem deterred by the Flotsam Graveyard’s wreckage.
“In order to stop their advance, we must destroy their five command ships. Your superior at the Pathfinder Society has informed me that your skills would be well suited for attacking the The Black Swan commanded by Captain Pegarius Stormcrow. We have more hippocampi than there are able-bodied Wave Riders left to command them, so you can borrow our steeds if that helps you reach and board their tattered ships.”
Captain Kinhan gives you two potions of touch of the sea and a potion of water breathing.
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Kahwen bows to Captain Kinhan, left hand on his chest, right hand held out parallel to the ground to the side. When he straightens, he looks beyond her at the skeletal ships rising from the harbor.
"They are turning our strengths against us," he comments, knowing that one of Absalom's greatest defenses is the mass of former wrecks in it's harbor that makes it difficult to approach. Those very wrecks are now rising to attack again.
He looks longingly at the Hippocampi, knowing he doesn't have the talent to ride one of them.
"I regret that I have no skill in riding. Anyone who does definitely should." He looks at the mass of potions they are given.
"Those of us, other than Mely, who will be fine, either way, should use some of the swimming potions. Mely can keep the water breathing potions to deliver to one of us if we happen to get into trouble."
He takes one of the touch of the sea potions, waiting to see if everyone else agrees but he again looks out at the approaching ships.
"I know a little something about crows and ravens and we'll see how he does against a true crow of the storm," he says.
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—Oiur: +1 ooze bane arrow
—Kahwen:
—Mely: fins-to-feet, cure serious wounds
—Oiur: displacement, cure serious wounds
—Kahwen: haste, cure serious wounds
—Kennick: oil of align weapon, cure serious wounds
Oiur's levity returns once they're back beneath the Inner Sea's natural sky. "You know, for a locus of phenomenal evil deep within a terrifying realm of demonic power, that could have been way worse." They laugh awkwardly and run a hand through sweat-stiff hair. "Good work, everyone."
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"Well, Mely, looks like we'll all get our chance at new perspectives," they quip as they hustle towards the docks. Once there, they adopt another awkward military stance and take in Captain Kinhan's briefing. They cast a suspicious eye towards the hippocamps. "If it's all the same to you all, I'd prefer web appendages. Can't say I'm used to riding."
They review orders as they head towards the Black Swan.
"Right, five command ships, and this one's ours. But, um..." They raise an eyebrow at Eugressia. "If this Stormcrow was that hard to kill in life, will that have followed him into death?"
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The Captain bows to Kahwen in the same manner. He smiles slightly in this horrible time, and hands him an extra satchel. "For a fellow seafarer."
The satchel contains four potions of touch of the sea and two additional potions of water breathing.
As Oiur studies the ships in the distance they notice something odd in the water. As other teams approach their assigned ship something in the water seems to be attacking them. The strange curse that animates the ships and marines of the Silent Tide also beckons to aquatic beasts and makes them unusually aggressive, attacking anyone who approaches the ships.
These creatures have fanned out across the harbor. If you are careful you might be able to to evade these opponents with sufficient speed and skill. You may also head straight for the ship, and fight what comes to you as you approach.
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As they're heading for the docks she gives Oiur a grin. "It'll be fun. It's a little spooky in there with all the wrecks, but the water is pretty nice... for a port." And she wouldn't mind getting a dip in the water, circumstances not withstanding. When they arrive and start dividing out resources, Mely instead fumbles through her own gear, pulling a wand off of her supplies to switch into her wrist sheath. "If it helps, this isn't the first time I've worked with other pathfinders on a water mission."
She checks that the wand is properly attached while showing it to the group by wildly shaking her arm several times. "I can carry one of the water breathing potions, but I have a wand with touch of the see in case of emergencies too. I've used it to be a lifeguard for others, so I'll keep you all safe!"
Then she wanders towards the edge of the dock and hops off the side with no shame in her eagerness. She hits with a splash and sinks for several seconds before breaching the surface again. Hitting the water has caused her legs to shift near instantly back into a tail, and she experiments with the fin several times just to be sure everything is normal. Pleased with the situation, she pushes soaked hair out of her face and glides over towards the hippocampi with much more natural grace than she ever shows on land. "It's fine, I can speak to them if any of you want to ride. I'll let them know to be nice."
Mely will reach a hand out to try and touch the side of the nearest one, using some of her natural magic to talk with it. "Hello, miss. I hope you don't mind, but I think you're a bit faster than I am. Would you give me a ride over to those ships so my friends and I can deal with their crew?"
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Kahwen always trusts the experts and he can't imagine anyone who is more of an expert at swimming than a person who has a fish tail. If Mely's going to be taking advantage of the speed of the hippocampi, he certainly needs to do so, as well.
He puts his potion that will adapt him to the water in a safe, handy place then climbs into the water as carefully as possible near the seabeasts, clinging to the first one he can get to.
"I would like to fight as few things as possible, Companions, especially if the sea creatures are just under some sort of spell. I don't want to kill something if it isn't in control of itself. Shall we try to evade them to get to the ship, directly?"
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Mely drifts easily about in the water getting the rest of group situated on their mounts, and whispering to the creatures to be gentle with novice riders. Tossing them would be rather bad form. "I think it's worth a try, Nigel. They're victims, and it's better to just distract them until we can release them." She offers the gnome a reassuring pat on the back as she helps him get settled on a hippocampus saddle. "Just hang on and pull up if it tries to go underwater, we'll be fine. If your trick works we won't have to do any real fighting until we're on the ship."
The merfolk finds her own mount and gets ready to try and evade the creatures with the others. "It's a battle, right? We just need to find an opening and slip through all the chaos. We can do this!" She takes a deep breath and tries to hide her own nervousness. She says a silent prayer to Ranginori that she doesn't let anyone drown on accident again.
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Oiur bursts into rumbling, kind-hearted laughter at Eugressia's comment—it's hard not to when you've just seen a friend flop their way onto a hippocamp. "Not quite what I meant! I had more of a 'sparkling waves, bracing sea breezes, camaraderie, and honest work' idea. Like our first trip into Irrisen, but without the threat of danger."
That feels like a long time ago... They lose themself in thought for a moment, gaze drifting into the middle distance, but snap back into focus when they register the approaching phantasmal armada and thrashing beasts.
They hum nervously and run their knuckles along their jawline. "I think you've got a good plan, Nigel. I'm all for avoiding needless bloodshed. Hopefully if we take out the leaders these creatures will be left in peace. And speaking of..."
They doff their pack—"A few things I wouldn't want to get wet."—and slide into the water. They paddle towards a hippocamp, approaching as respectfully as they're able, and pull up just short of the beast. "Mely, can you introduce me and ask their name? I want to make sure we're on good terms!"
Protocol followed, Oiur hoists themself into the saddle and casts their emerald gaze across the unquiet waves ahead.
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It's just water, relax, Eugressia. Nevertheless, the panic begins to rise as the hippocampus moves into the water.
Relax relax relax relax relax. Remember...you've been in the water before.
Spell Recollection attempt for monkey fish
Eugressia suddenly becomes more at ease in the water.
I have a Swim speed for the next five minutes! I take 10 for a 17.
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Kahwen has as much fun riding the Hippocampus as he expects to, enjoying the thrill of being pulled along by such a powerful, fast creature as it slices through the water. But when they get close to the enraged beasts, he knows he's not going to be able to guide his mount properly and lets it go, pushing away from it to swim on his own.
His strokes are more carefully controlled and precisely directed than powerful as he cuts through the water and does what he can to avoid the animals.
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"They're not so bad, and they're pretty fast, too. Just hold on tight because those potions are probably going to be needed if we can't avoid the other creatures." And as if on cue her own hippocampus takes off, forcing Mely to cling tight as they go.
Mely clearly isn't the best at riding, but she can keep hold of her mount easily in her natural environment and even sticks out her own tail to help steer through the waves. She lets out a gleeful shout when she rushes straight through a particularly high wave.
Our intrepid Pathfinders do their best to ride the Hippocampus to battle. Some do better than others. Unfortunately they are unable to avoid the angry creatures in the water. Two heavy creatures with fins designed to swim head toward the group with angry intent.
Oiur: 24 +
Kahwen: 24
Nigel Flit: 22
Creatures: 21
Mely Ara: 11 +
Eugressia:11
Kennick:
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Kahwen is beginning to think more and more that this was all a bad idea. As much as he was looking forward to fighting on ships, it seemed like they were going to have a lot of trouble getting to the ships. And, despite their best intentions, they were going to have to fight some otherwise innocent beasts. He should have asked someone for a spear.
Now is the perfect time to take his potion and he downs it. For a moment, he looks at his hands and feet, noticing the way the webbing contrasts with his feathers. But there isn't much time for that and he draws his sword.
Nigel tries to control his mount, and splash the creature with acid. He holds the mount steady.
Kahwen and Oiur both prepare for battle. Nigel decides to stay in the saddle and attack at a distance. His attack hits.
The creature roars at the pathfinders.
The red Bunyip swims up and bites at Mely. It connects.
Oiur: 24 +
Kahwen: 24
Nigel Flit: 22
Bunyip: 21
Mely Ara: 11 +
Eugressia:11
Kennick: 8
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This isn't Mely's first experience with a sea predator, and while the bite scores a nasty gouge into her arm that causes her to recoil in pain, the howling of the second one can't quite shake her. The merfolk slides off her mount and swims a few feet away from her attacker. "I'm sorry about this, but you aren't behaving!" She pulls a wand out of her robes and holds it overhead as she activates it.
"I know this isn't how you're used to fighting, but Ranginori will help you all through it!" She gives the rest of the group a reassuring smile. "And if you sink I'll go get you."
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Nigel seems unafraid of the sea monster's howl!
Nigel stays on his hippocamp and begins the all two familiar action of summoning a new friend, though this time it is a bit different. Nigel says the final word of the summon 3 times and each time another dolphin begins forming as it flies from the circle in the air. By the end of the spell, he has created a whole pod of powerful water allies.
Nigel picks where the dolphins are going to pop up very strategically making sure that they all are across from each other or another ally when they attack. The dolphins all try to slam the scary sea monster!
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The creature's roar washes over Oiur, but the song in their blood drives it back, and they dive beneath the waves. The ease with which they cut through the water is disorienting at first, but they flex their now-webbed hands and dart towards the churning conflict ahead.
They break the surface just in front of Mely, and their song comes with them. Its deep thrum sends a circular swell of water to join the foam and forth.
At 1st level, affected allies gain a +2 morale bonus to Strength and Constitution and a +1 morale bonus on Will saving throws, but also take a –1 penalty to AC. While under the effects of inspired rage, allies other than the skald cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except Acrobatics, Fly, Intimidate, and Ride) or any ability that requires patience or concentration. At 4th level and every 4 levels thereafter, the song’s bonuses on Will saves increase by 1; the penalty to AC doesn’t change. At 8th and 16th levels, the song’s bonuses to Strength and Constitution increase by 2. (Unlike the barbarian’s rage ability, those affected are not fatigued after the song ends.)
If an ally has her own rage class ability (such as barbarian’s rage, bloodrager’s bloodrage, or skald’s inspired rage), she may use the Strength, Constitution, and Will saving throw bonuses, as well as AC penalties, based on her own ability and level instead of those from the skald (still suffering no fatigue afterward). However, inspired rage does not allow the ally to activate abilities dependent on other rage class abilities, such as rage powers, blood casting, or bloodrager bloodlines; the ally must activate her own rage class ability in order to use these features.
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Kahwen shrugs off the roar...whatever it was that it was supposed to do.
He gapes in wonder as a pod of radiant dolphins appear around the nearest creature.
"That's a new one, Friend Nigel! I like it!" he crows to his long time friend.
But, there is no time to marvel for too long. Even with his friend's otherworldly assistants, this could be a tough fight.
He puts his new aquatic mobility to the test, cutting through the water with ease that surprises even him and adds to the mass of Pathfinders and allies surrounding the nearest beast.
With Oiur distracting it from the other side, he finds an opening and strikes!
Mely blesses the party, and gives an admonishment to the Bunyips. Eugressia swims away from the battle in a Panic.
Kennick casts and holds Shocking Grasp.
Oiur gives everyone who wants to make use of it Inspired Rage.
Kahwen attacks with his weapon, and does quite a bit of damage to the creature. It's still fighting.
Nigel summons the most beautiful dolphins ever seen on this plane. They all attack, but only one attack hits.
The Red Bunyip tries his roar.
The blue guy swims up in a frenzy and bites at Kahwen. His bite tears into the tengu's flesh.
[[Oiur: 24 +
Kahwen: 24
Nigel Flit: 22[/b]
Bunyip: 21
Mely Ara: 11 +
Eugressia:11
Kennick: 8
The 3 dolphins press their assault against the red sea monster.
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Suddenly there's a Oiur and an entire pod of dolphins between her and that nasty set of teeth, and she has a moment to breathe out a sign of relief for her health. "Oh Nigel, you can summon dolphins. This is the best trick I've seen all month! You're wonderful!"
She doesn't have time to process the second roar, her attention split between Eugressia's dip beneath the waves and Kahwen getting bit. "Keep at it, I'll fix us up if things start getting rougher! And I'll watch Miss Biogon!" Mely didn't want to help her swim if she could avoid it, or she expected the psychic to completely bolt away. At least this way she couldn't get far.
A pair of strong strokes of her tail take her around the fight to get better view of the rep Bunyip, and a small storm cloud forms in her hand to rush forward on the wind. It flies wide, as she can't seem to keep her aim straight while trying to make sure no one is drowning.
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In a grand show of teamwork, the Pathfinders and beautiful dolphins surround and pound one of the savage sea creatures.
The other one takes a bite out of Kahwen, though, causing a yelp of pain.
The tengu does not flinch though, and strikes again, though in a manner that keeps him somewhat protected..
Mely swims back and tries to attack the Bunyip with a storm, but misses. Egressia continues to swim away in a panic. Kendrick’s attack hits. With is magic he kills the Bunyip in front of him.
Nigel tries to blast the creature with acid, but even in it’s frenzy it misses. The dolphin team moves into flanking position, and attacks.
All of the dolphin’s attacks hit thanks to the Bunyip’s Blood Fury.
Kahwen spins on the creature that bit him. He holds until the dolphins get into position. Thanks to the dolphin being in a flank he kills the last enemy.
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"Huz*glubglubgurgle*" Kahwen brandishes his sword over his head and gives out a cry of victory, forgetting that he needs to use his hands to keep his head above water or hold his breath.
He treads water and coughs out what feels like half the bay before looking around at his companions, slightly abashed and with watering eyes.
"Shall we continue?" he asks looking around for his hippocampus but ready to strike out on his own if it has fled.
Eugressia finally stops swimming away, and finds herself alone in the middle of the bay. Thankfully there are no enemies nearby. The hipocampus that she had been riding followed her, and bumps her with his nose in a friendly way.
These ships once carried an array of ballistae below deck, though centuries of moldering underwater have left the siege weapons (represented by the cannons on the map) as little more that waterlogged lumps.
You have two avenues of approach. You can clamber through the open ballista ports 15 feet above the water’s surface to this area, or they can aim for the main deck 25 feet above the water.
Each hippocampus has a grappling hook and rope in its saddlebags.