With Blue Thorn's help Agnes manages to coax Laika down.
Having had to sit still for so long getting measured and fitted, the wolf knows that she has no ulterior motives (and sometimes treats).
Once in the cellar, Agnes snifss deeply. "Mmmm, as beans, coffee smells just as good."
Adun enjoys his breakfast, feeling more hungry than normal after the previous day’s escapades. After a quick wash he dresses, adding the hooded cloak and mask of The Pale Knight before going up with the others.
”Thanks Darius,” he says, accepting the spell and seeing his gauntlet flare to light. ”Let’s see what’s down here,” he mutters, raising his lit gauntlet and peering into the gloom.
"Hold on." the Beast says, before stopping to carefully examins some of the supply boxes. "Yes, I thought so. These boxes have been opened. It looks like someone's been skimming a little here, a little there, to keep from being noticed. I think there's also a concealed door over there." he says, gesturing toward the northwest wall before heading over to it and looking for a way to open it.
Reynard is able to find the hidden release on the secret door. Opening it up he reveals a long, damp hallway that opens to the southeast into a large reservoir of calm, dark water. A wooden pier extends twenty feet into the water, while another twenty feet out rises the top half of a statue of a beautiful elven woman. A foul smell, like that of rotting meat, comes from somewhere near the pier. Two holes have been knocked into the northwest walls to provide access to chambers beyond.
The stink that assails Adun's nostrils isn't quite as bad as the stagnant fountain below the livery, but it's not far off. Lifting his gauntlet to provide some light he steps through the secret door and looks around for danger.
"Ugh, that smells rank. Better be carefull Pale Knight."
Agnes looks around.
With the rank smell, Laike is not keen to sniff around.
Blue Thorn follows Pale Knight as he leads the way into the musty room, also watchful for unseen dangers.
The Fiend searches for the source of the terrible smell. The smell of rotting meat is disconcerting.
Carl brings up the rear.
Entering into the room, the Pale Knight, Pack, Blue Thorn, and the Fiend all spot the partially eaten remains of a man wedged among the pier’s pilings at the northwestern-most edge, just under the lip of the stone floor. It can also be seen that across the reservoir is an opening to what appears to be a subterranean canal network, which makes sense with what you had learned of Nan's smuggling ventures.
It was what the Fiend had feared, there was no reason for meat beneath a coffee shop. He heads over to investigate what he assumed was Nan's body. The Fiend heads over the try and dislodge the body to lay him down.
The body wedged under the pier is a sign to Adun that something has gone wrong down here and he advances cautiously towards an opening in the wall opposite the pier. "Careful Fiend," he says quietly, "there might be something unpleasant lurking in the water." Adun then pokes his head around the corner, looking for threats.
The Beast nods once, his low voice rumbling "A good point." He looks around for anything that might be a threat.
Seeing that the others have the situation well under control, Agnes stays back, softly petting Laika to keep the wolf calm.
Carl and the Nightmare Beast can both agree that the putrid smell is indeed from the rotting corpse in the water and not from any other source. As the Fiend approaches the corpse he sees that it is likely Nan, though a good half of the body is entirely missing. Bending down to attempt to dislodge it, a large albino crocodile springs from the water attacking the Fiend!
The vicious teeth rear out of the water and snap at the Fiend! Miraculously the creature misses its surprise attack and the Fiend is able to instinctively get out of the way!
The Croc lashes out at the Fiend again! The bite is savage, throwing the Fiend of Redroof to the ground with a twist of its muscled head.
-3 / 10
Carl gasps, surprised at the power of the surprise attack! He steps forward and launches bolts of electrical energy at the partially-submerged creature before it is engaged by another opponent!
Launching himself forward, the Beast slashes at the gator with a dagger.
Agnes now sees that holding back is hampering her. She guides Laika closer to the beast, and draws her lance, hoping for an opening to charge.
"Someone get the Fiend out of there!" The Blue Thorn calls out. She moves forward and speaks a prayer.
Adun rushes over to the fallen and bloody Fiend and grabs him by his cloak. Bending his knees and keeping his back straight, Adun drags his friend across the dusty floor like dragging a sack of sand across a building site.
The aspiring Silver Ravens jump into action without hesitation! Blue Thorn stabilizes the Fiend of Redroof as the Pale Knight drags him safely away from the croc. The Nightmare Beast charges up and stabs the croc at the same time as a spike of electricity stabs into the thick reptilian hide!
The Croc thrashes in the water, jaws reaching out for the Nightmare Beast followed by its tail.
The Nightmare Beast is seen to be standing after the torrent of water finishes splashing around him!
With the Fiend safely out of harms way Adun launches himself towards the crocodile, desperate to knock it out before it can bite anyone else. He slams his gauntlet towards the creature's scaly head.
The Pack charges forward as a team, lance front and center.
But the trashing and the splashing totally throws off Agnes her aim...
The Pale Knight steps up and CRACK gives the croc a nasty swollen eye. The reptile is quite dumb, but that was definitely in a language it speaks. As water fall around and bodies shift within the room, the Pack misses their mark.
The Beast attacks in a flurry of teeth and daggers.
The Silver Shadow briefly closes Carl's eyes to help him concentrate and then shoots two more bolts of electricity at the creature, taking care to avoid hitting their allies.
Blue Thorn sidesteps to get a good line between herself and the reptile, letting her whip-blade off her waist as she moves. She readies to strike the creature as its head moves to bite at its next victim.
The Nightmare Beast stabs and snaps at the crocodile, catching it in his mutated jaws. The Silver Shadow's bolts of electricity arc past and both fizzle out in the water.
The Croc bites at the Pale Knight this time, but jsut as it reaches out there is a loud SNAP of Blue Thorn's whip!
The bite still lands, but the croc fails to grab a hold of the Pale Knight and the damage dealt by it's twisted maw of teeth seems minimal for what it is capable of.
The Silver Shadow continues to let fly bolts of electricity at the crocodile, hoping one of them will connect.
The crocodile's razor teeth score deep gouges into Adun's leg but the timely intervention of the Blue Thorn prevents the beast from dragging him into the water. He punches down at the crocodile again, his fists beating against its hide.
Having lost momentum, Agnes opts to just stab at the thrashing gator.
But again all the trashing and water splashing about messes up her aim.
Spiting out a bit of alligator flesh, the Beast attacks again.
The Silver Shadow is able to thread in another electric bolt among the ruckus, thoroughly electrocuting the crocodile! With one comrade hurt and one unconscious, the waters grow still once again.
While searching the body of Nan you find a single intriguing boot remaining on his decaying foot that shimmers in vibrant shades of blazing red and burning orange when touched by light.
"Ow jeez... Its clear what happened to Nan... but still..."
Agnes dismounts so that Laika can shake the water out of his coat.
"That thing scared the bejeebus out of me."
"I knew there was a good reason to stay away from the canals," Adun says as he walks over to check on the Fiend. "Is he alive?" he asks no one in particular, hoping someone with more healing skill can keep the Fiend alive.
"He's breathing," Blue Thorn rushed over to The Fiend. "Let me see about this bite, though."
"Siunattu ikuisuuden kukka, suojaa tätä tasa-arvoa ja oikeudenmukaisuutta" Blue Thorn says a prayer in elven, and places her hands on the viscious bite.
Carl shakes his head at the violence of the fight, hoping that their friend is all right, and casts detect magic to see if Nan's boot has enchanted properties.
The Blue Thorn is able to heal The Fiend some, but he is still unconscious.
Smiling as she prays, Blue Thorn continues to channel divine magics into the injured tiefling.
The Fiend rises, still injured, but able to stand. He grips his wound, still bleeding.
"That attack was so sudden and viscous. Thank you for saving me, but I think I'll be sticking to the back for now, if I can."
"Fancy boot, that." the Beast says, before glancing to the crocodile. "I suspect it's mate is a bit of a mess."
"You gave us quite a scare there, friend," Carl says through his mask to The Fiend, offering him a hand to bring him to his feet.
"The boot is magical, as you probably guessed," Carl confirms to The Beast. "And I can sense the same magic inside the crocodile. Perhaps we should cut it open?"
Cutting open the croc, you do indeed find the matching boot in the pair. The room is silent as the reservoir of calm, dark water sits motionless under the wooden pier. Forty feet from the shore remains the top half of a statue of a beautiful elven woman, welcoming to you as she is half submerged.
"We should move on," Adun suggests. "It looks like Nan met an unpleasant end, but there could be more dangerous creatures lurking down here." He pads back to the opening in the wall he was abut to look down previously.