Hell's Rebels Adventure Path (Inactive)

Game Master TreasureFox

One of the eel Skum swims away at breakneck pace, while the other two carefully withdraw. The mermaid in bone armour casts a spell, rendering one of the Skum immobile, while the coral armoured mermaid and her trusty shark companion tear the other Skum limb from limb.
The other mermaids swim over to the immobilized one.

Combat is essentially over. Feel free to do things other than fighting while the mermaids finish off the stragglers.

Aster will shift back to her plump self, and swim to each and every person/mermaid that needs healing. Starting with the stunned Ed. "Too many attractive women in almost nothings made you forget your sense for a moment, did it?" she teases.

"What do you mean? Did you not see how my helpless floating distracted our adversaries? - Ederion chuckles.

So I guess for now the mermaids saved us instead of the other way around :P

Aster laughed. Then looks around at the carnage. "I doubt I can talk to any of them, do you mind finding out what is going on, while I see who needs to be healed?"

Aster, the person not the ratperseon, will begin healing. She only has 18 charges in her wand, 7 clw spells, 4 cmw spells, starting with the spells of course. Combined with Rexi's healing hex hopefully we'll only need spells instead of charges.

Rexandi's healing hex is more than enough to get everyone back on their... tails; the living ones, anyways. All the Skum are dispatched, with only one survivor having successfully fled. Already, the mermaids are collecting the bodies of both ally and enemy and transporting them into the village reef.

The mermaid in bone armour swims towards you. She presses upon a tattoo upon her neck, that of a silver snake with its tongue sticking out. It flashes a silvery light, then she speaks.
"Welcome, friends, to the Village of Secret Shoals. I'm known as Mother Kahli Ragesong. This is Mother Chloe Sharktamer, and her companion Erasdotus."

Chloe and Erasdotus both swim over to the group and simultaneously roll upside down, trail a moment, and roll over again.

"We are in need of help in these dire times. Scouting parties such as what you've witnessed harass us with each day. They kill or take our sisters, only to bring them back as mutant Skum. Our Sharker cousins refuse to come to our aid, and we are trapped within our own village. Thanks to a brave few scouts, Maiden Rillia included, we turn to humans for aid. Will you help us defend our home, and take the fight to Menotheguro?"

"This is why we've come," says Rexandi. "To help against the injustices that you suffer." Then she looks nervously to the rest of the team, concerned about speaking on behalf of the whole group without asking first.

Aster pats encouragingly on the tieflings shoulder "Rexandi speaks for all of us on this matter. We are here to help in any way we can."

"Thank you." Kahli answers. She nods to Chloe, who smiles wide with rows of razor sharp teeth. "If you are concerned, fear not. You are safe here. I will take you below the reef, where our chief is."

Kahli leads you, which for her is painfully slow, through the reef. All manner of aquatic life calls these white rocks home. Sponges, fish, small nurse sharks, octopi, crabs, sea anemones, sea snakes. The vibrant colours are mesmerizing, though likely venomous to the touch. Kahli leads you past the sunken ship, which forms a wall of sorts. Only the ballistae are in good condition, while the rest of the ship is covered in barnacles and spiny lobsters. Then, down into a cave she leads. The tunnel is only large enough for two, maybe three mermaids to squish past each other. On all sides, even above and below, are little dugouts for mermaids to rest, eat, and store their valuables. The walls are lit with lichen that glows softly for dim light. Near the end of the tunnel is a slightly larger dugout, with an old mermaid floating in the water. She is clearly an elder with her long wrinkles and wispy white hair. She wears a dress made of red kelp, with an orange starfish resting within her hair. Her tail is a very pale blue, wrapped with wreathes of red kelp.

Kahli begins introductions. "This is Crone Oshen Serpentslayer, our chief."

"Each of thee plays a role in this act
a tyrant of nimble-footed schemes shalt covet the earth
bath'd in the volcanoes of hell
yet thee standeth in his way
what queer plan shall he dream
to did rid thee and all thee shall doth
who is't shall remain at which hour the smoke clears?
yond whom doest shall changeth the ordinary f'r centuries to cometh"

Aster gives a deep bowing curtsey, well she tries at least, swimming doesn't work that well in this. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Crone Serpentslayer." she says as she floats the wrong way, then struggles back float standing. "Is that prophecy? Or a current narrative?" the woman asks hoping doing so isn't a breach of etiquette.

The old mermaid swims belly-up for a moment, which Aster assumes might be a symbol of respect. Though she speaks in a sing-song way, her words are archaic and lack the rhymes that Rillia uses.

"Prophecy is the name. I knoweth not what t means, but i believeth yond t is meaningful to thee. Forgive me, f'r t seemeth our tongues speaketh differently. I has't nev'r spoken in the ingraft tongue with a land-dweller ere. Hopefully thee understandeth me, if 't be true not, prithee asketh.

I shall worketh with our wizards and augurers to maketh things to holp thee with this task, whichev'r thee chooseth. Asketh me aught thee wish to knoweth."

Tasha, once again surrounded by water, seems to float into a sense of unease as soon as the magic-raised ire and adrenaline of combat wears over. "Ok, Tasha. Hold together now. You managed to get them right this time, and you're not alone. And a lot less stupid than last time.", she mutters quietly to herself in the hopes that nobody overhears her. The prophecy of Kahli seems to draw Tasha's attention deeply, as the woman's brows furrow, her lips following Kahli's with determination to commit it to memory fully. "Wow. A real prophecy, like in the boo-", her eyes widen with fascination, only for the reality of the situation to dampen her enthusiasm. "I'm sorry.", she adds, her cheeks turning red.

As the old mermaid makes her appearance, Tasha does her best to give an underwater bow, following Aster's efforts. As Kahli recides the prophecy, Tasha's lips seem to follow hers in turn, as if she's trying to memorise it. "Wait- they're turning mermaids into those skum?", she asks, shivering despite the magic's warmth. "That's... vile!", she blurts out the obvious, her face tightening in determination. Leaning towards Rexandi, she whispers in her ear.

"Uh. I think they're the ones that should decide for themselves. But, since you're our diplomat, from what I've learned from the soldiers, it'll be better for us to aid them in the attack, rather the defense.", she hisses. Am I strategising? "Less time in hostile terrain, and less time for our surprise appearance to be less of a surprise.", she finishes, before turning back towards Crone Serpentslayer, hesitation in her eyes. I have so many questions I want to ask! G&+ d$@nit, why is there a war?

"Uh,", she turns towards Aster for a moment, "Crone Serpentslayer. I have a million questions, but as we said, we're here to help, and it would help us if we knew more about you- our enemy. Who leads them, what should we expect to come and..", she gestures wildly in the water. "fight us. And which of the two plans should we follow? Who decides that?", she adds with a deferrent gesture.

"Asketh aught thee wish.

In mine own youth, i wast a warri'r maiden, did bless by the spirits of ages past. T wast i who is't did slay the giant sea-snake to bringeth us to these stronds. I understandeth the meaning of bringing the square to the foe. However, as the years has't gone by, i has't cometh to love this home. Mine own people cullionly the ocean to me, and i doth not wish to sendeth those folk to their death unless i wilt. I has't becometh comfortable hither, and i seek to protect those folk. I knoweth not which is the most wondrous answer. As of anon, i has't hath decided to leaveth the decision to thee. F'r thee shall beest the instrument of our survival, one way 'r the other"

"Prophecy... is it fate or choice that we are here?" Aster wonders aloud. Putting philosophy aside, she listens intently to the older maid's words, takes concentration to understand, the dialect being so different than she is used to. Enough is understood for anxiety to blossom "The size of a whale, with 3 red eyes, intelligent with amazing powers... and we need to defeat it." she turns to the others "Attack or defend?"

Three red eyes, not three hundred. If it's too difficult to understand, no worries about asking for clarification.

Edited! I think I got everything else :)

"So there's more fighting to be done. Any chance we can get weapons that work better underwater."

"I shall speaketh with our preserver, who is't shall likely beest able to enchant some of thy weapons. If 't be true thee wanteth to borrow something, we has't spears, lances, wands of power, bodkins, toothy bodkins, shields, and toe bodkins."

"What are bodkins?" Aster asks since they take a good amount of prominence in the list.

"A bodkin is a piercing weapon, madeth out of bone 'r steel. They can beest long 'r short, hath used one handeth. A toothy bodkin hast teeth on one side to cutteth during thrusting. A toe bodkin is a land-dweller creation. A person with feet can tie the bodkin thither to useth at which hour fighting."

She's describing swords and daggers. The toothy sword is known as a sawtooth sabre, and the toe dagger is called a sea-knife.

Tasha nods at the warrior queen. "An... aboleth? Following the crone of conceit... Who's the crone of conceit?", she asks. "Is that the real foe here, or is it that Menotheguro?" At the offer of weapons, she shakes her head, pulling out the dagger from her hip. "That's all I need to be killing them with. And we should be able to avoid having them jump on us." The dull red glow of the dagger waned to nearly nothingness.

"Well... I'm not the one calling the shots here, but... we just pushed back an attack. If we go now, we should be able to avoid them reorganising and strike them quick and easy...ish. We need magical help to even be here, so staying long is an uphill battle for us." A glimmer appears in her eye for a moment. "Hey... Weapons or not, would it be possible to get something to help us close in on them faster? Like...", she nervously glances at the sharks swimming around, "A dolphin? Or a shark? I'm a barely competent swimmer on the best of days."

That's one vote for 'attack', and also a question about swimming mounts they can lend us.

"The crone of conceit, the mother of monsters, the maiden of destruction. The lady is Lamashtu, and the lady hast hath sent Menotheguro to destroy us. Despite our prayers, t would seemeth we has't hath lived in ignorance f'r too long.

I shall bethink about a method f'r thee to travel swiftly. T is not a problem yond mermaids encounter oft."

One vote for attack.

"The logic is sound. While they are disorganized, strike." Aster agrees with attack

Ederion is positively in awe of all that surrounds them, even if this is a dire situation - "Well met Crone Oshen Serpentslayer - I am Ederion" - he eventually speaks - "I am at a loss for words at all the wonder which surrounds us - I just wish the situation was different, so we could better appreciate so much beauty" - he smiles.

Fox, is Rillia with us?"

"It seems our course of action seems to be one to strike back, but the truth is every second we spend underwater exhausts the magic which allows us to survive, and move around with some measure of freedom - without it, we are mostly useless in combat" - the elf shrugs - "Would you be able to assist us in any way with this?"

I think most of our underwater spells will soon expire?

Yes, Rillia is with you. You currently have 9.5 hours of water breathing, and 4.5 hours of endure elements (except Aster who has 3.5 hours).

Crone Serpentslayer scans Ederion up and down. He thinks she's trying to size him up, figuring out what's his worth.

"Welcome Ederion. Nev'r hast a man did swim within our home ere. Though thee may beest an elfen sir, i believeth thither art maidens and mothers who is't shall desire thee shouldst we survive. We has't hath lost many sisters since lastest new moon, so naturally we wanteth to bringeth new life to these waters.

I shall speaketh with the wizards to findeth ways to aid thee, but f'r anon i asketh yond thee seek aid from elsewhere. We art faithful folk with many gods. Seek an acolyte from the shrine thee like most, and asketh the gods f'r their fav'r. Thee may beest hath asked to maketh a sacrifice, 'r to perform a prayer. Beest generous to the gods, and they shall beest generous in returneth."

Looks like we're going with attack.

Rexandi blinks in some surprise, renews her water lung hex, and says, "You're saying you want... Ederion for breeding stock?"

Aster's body is shaking in supressed mirth. Shaking her head in wonder at their elven companions draw on Everything they come across, she pats him on the back and whisper "I'll beseech the gods for an endurance spell for you."

Aster will swim to a place of her own, and give a prayer to Milian and Abadar, still attempting to keep both of her faiths despite the warnings of the otherworldly being. "My Lady Everbloom and My Lord of the First Valut, these people are striving both for freedom and for their very civilization. Please see them and bring them hope and stability."

religion: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (6) + 10 = 16

Aster feels cold as the Lord of the First Vault turns a blind eye to the mermaids.
They are barely above wild beasts. Untamed, primitive, reckless. Unworthy.

Milani holds a different tune.
These people resist enslavement to a tyrant. They deserve our aid. Find someone unskilled in the use of a weapon you are skilled in. Let them use that weapon, and spar with them for at least an hour.

Aster worries at the rejection, not wanting to disagree with a god, but still she does. She knows her powers are different than that of a cleric, so maybe disagreeing isn't that bad.

She whispers a thank you to Milani, and then seeks out a mermaid that looks afraid. With tones and gestures, she does her best to get past the language barrier to teach mace and dagger, the one being her favorite, the other being more practical in the current conditions. Shield, as well, as it is her greatest strength in a battle, even though it is not technically a weapon.

She'll continue to teach any interested until it is time to go.

sense motive: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (13) + 11 = 24
diplomacy: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (13) + 16 = 29

Rexandi blinks in some surprise, renews her water lung hex, and says, "You're saying you want... Ederion for breeding stock?"

"It would be an insurmountable honor" - Ederion's smile is now definitely carved in his face for a very long time as he looks at his companion, and then back at Oshen Serpentslayer and Rillia - "Truly"

I shall speaketh with the wizards to findeth ways to aid thee, but f'r anon i asketh yond thee seek aid from elsewhere. We art faithful folk with many gods. Seek an acolyte from the shrine thee like most, and asketh the gods f'r their fav'r. Thee may beest hath asked to maketh a sacrifice, 'r to perform a prayer. Beest generous to the gods, and they shall beest generous in returneth."[/b]

"Thank you" - the elf nods - "I will leave the religious concerns in Aster's capable hands" - he turns to the Oracle - "My reliance is on myself, and my friends" - he shrugs.

"I'll beseech the gods for an endurance spell for you."

"If I have need for it, then it is a good sign" - he whispers back with a chuckle and a wink.

I don't see Ederion praying for help in a shrine - he is a man of science and knowledge :P

Aster spends her time training with the mermaids, to which she learns a few things. For one, each mermaid has basic training with a dagger already, though they focus on stabs and lunges rather than sweeping arcs. Even the youngest already possess some small amount of skill with a blade. Maces are a bit stranger to them, but they pick it up quite quickly. It is with shields that they have little understanding. The hardest part is getting them to remember to hold the shield between themselves and the enemy. It also seems to really hamper their swimming, and the shield drags enormous amounts of water.

After a tiring hour, Aster feels a cold current rush against her. A surge of magical power flows into her head, and down towards her spine.

You gain the following benefits:

You gain the ability to touch a creature and provide healing while alleviating them of an effect, similar to a paladin's mercy ability. For the next 24 hours, you can touch someone to heal them 1d6 hit points, and immediately provide the effects of either a liberating command spell, or a dispel magic spell. The dispel magic spell only functions to dispel enchantments. You may use this a number of times equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier. You can use this ability on yourself.

In addition, for the next 24 hours, you gain a +2 sacred bonus on all saving throws against charm and compulsion effects, and a +2 sacred bonus on all rolls made to dispel or remove such effects from others.

Finally, you gain the effects of a full day's rest. Your spells are renewed.

-----------------------------------------

Ederion spends some time surveying the beautiful reef and its many wonders. He is amazed at how diverse the ecosystem is. He observes shrimp cleaning a manta ray of parasites. He watches the battle between a small octopus and a crab. He spies a school of fish being hunted by a shark that lashes at them with its tail, stunning them in time to be eaten.

You gain the following benefits:

You regain all your spent panache and inspiration, and recover all your hit points. You also find the ingredients to create a new mutagen.

For the next 24 hours, instead of rolling for a craft (alchemy), handle animal, heal, knowledge (all), linguistics, spellcraft, or survival check, you may instead treat the result as a natural 20 with all other dice maximized. You can do this a number of times equal to 3 + your Intelligence modifier.

You find the ingredients for 1 of the following:
- Anti-venom
- Anti-plague
- Non-magical grease
- Thunderstone
- Soothe syrup
- A flask of acid
- A chunk of fish meat

Rexandi Vatia wrote:

Rexandi blinks in some surprise, renews her water lung hex, and says, "You're saying you want... Ederion for breeding stock?"

"It would be an insurmountable honor" - Ederion's smile is now definitely carved in his face for a very long time as he looks at his companion, and then back at Oshen Serpentslayer and Rillia - "Truly"

Rexandi runs a hand over one of her curling horns and says, ”Oh, I’d say it’s mountable.”

Bazzle chokes out laughing.

Bazzle, Rexandi, and Tasha. Waiting on your choices.

Since these are Knowledge (religion) checks and I have no ranks in it, I can't roll - you can't make untrained Knowledge checks over DC 10.

"I'm just following the boys here. Dealing with this three-eyed monstrosity sounds like it's the top of the order."

You can still find a translator and talk to the acolytes.

Also one of the shrines has a DC 10.

Could Aster give any help?

No, you'd need someone who spoke Aquan or Celestial, or in one case Abyssal. So you need Ederion, Mother Kahli, or Crone Serpentslayer.

Roll: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7 Nope.

Laughing out loud at Rexandi and Ederion's to-and-fro, Tasha does her best not to blush when they stare back, holding her smile behind her hand. As Aster takes to training the troops, Tasha floats around the water aimlessly for a moment, taking her time to observe the mermaid village. I'd have liked to have seen that until the skum got to it..., she purses her lips. Moving past the shrines with a lost look in her eyes, she narrows them suspiciously at the one to Lamashtu. Wait, wasn't she like... really bad?, she thinks to herself, eyeing the acolyte suspiciously, before a thought in her head makes her smile darkly. And here we have the Chelish, objective and self-aware in her judgement about a single shrine to an evil god in a village in the outskirts of civilisation.

Giving the Lamashtan acolyte a shrug, she turns to swim back to the rest of the party when her eyes spy an island of serene, beautiful calm surrounding a rainbow coloured arrangement of kelp and seaweed. "Ah!", she exclaims to nobody in particular, eyeing the beautiful mermaid swimming around the shrine. Swimming in her inelegant way, she takes a knee next to the shrine. "Uh... Shelyn. Hello.", she begins saying uneasily, her lips pursing in stress. "I'm... not sure how much you approve of my work and me personally, given my natural abilities in...", she looks around with a surrendered look. "Anything art-related. But... This place has its own tales, its own music and ballads and sagas, and if we don't manage to help them, they'll all be lost. I'll try and remember what little I can, but..." She glances at the beautiful braid of kelp surrounding the shrine, before placing an intricate, silver-rimmed vial of magenta ink from her bag onto it. "I can really use some help."

Do they use anything like what might be considered "underwater" crossbows.

Bazzle notes a shrine that looks like it might be Shelyn and speaks with those who can translate and explain. He asks a few questions about art and such for the mermaids. "This I am somewhat familiar many of the performers called on Shelyn." He looks pensive toward the statue, [b ]"and what do you do for your mermaids I wonder?"[/b]

Knowledge Religion Untrained: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

As Tasha kneels by the standing stone of Shelyn, surrounded by colourful kelp and seaweed, the acolyte casts a spell onto herself which helps her understand Tasha's words.

Bazzle, Rexandi, and Rillia all swim towards the shrine, just as the acolyte smiles and picks up the vial. She sings something to Rillia briefly, and then the ceremony commences. The acolyte removes some small rocks from the standing stone, like corks from a bottle. A current of water flows through the stone, making soft musical tones. As Rillia begins to harmonize, the acolyte takes the magenta ink, and pours it into the current. It flows through the stone, and out the other side in swirls. She then uses her magic to animate the ink, which flows gently into shapes and mermaids and beasts, ever churning in the current.

Rillia sings a proper song, which the acolyte animates using the ink. Using her other hand, she directs Bazzle to open or close different holes in the stone for different tones.
The story sung to them is a tale of a young mermaid, hideous and bloated. She would swim behind her fellow maidens, and sit on the rock beds to sing for the passing ships. Many of the mermaids lured men off the ships to mate with them, and they teased the mermaid for she was far too ugly to enchant a man. They swam past her and excreted, which was an insult most offensive. The ugly mermaid sulked and wailed, until a seal swam over to her. The two swam and played, and the seal led her to its home. She lived there many years, and learned so much about the ocean. She talked to so many animals, and grew her own garden of kelp. Many years later she returned to her mermaid family. So wise and cunning was she, that she became a respected crone immediately. She looked after the coral, and the turtles, and the kelp. The entire village flourished and celebrated the seal hermit. She lived happily ever after, for the rest of her days.

Spoilers just to make things look nice. Feel free to read.

To answer your question, Bazzle. At some point you're approached by a Mother Coral Preserver. You find out that the two of you share the Draconic tongue, to which she explains that she is one of the wizards working with Crone Oshen Serpentslayer. They don't possess a crossbow for your underwater use, but they do have something similar that you might like. A magical spear that they've had for no less than 200 years, forged within a volcanic heat vent at the bottom of the sea.

Rexandi runs a hand over one of her curling horns and says, ”Oh, I’d say it’s mountable.”

Ederion turns to regard Rexandi for just a split second with a surprised look, and for some reason his smile grows slightly wider.

Ederion spends some time surveying the beautiful reef and its many wonders. He is amazed at how diverse the ecosystem is. He observes shrimp cleaning a manta ray of parasites. He watches the battle between a small octopus and a crab. He spies a school of fish being hunted by a shark that lashes at them with its tail, stunning them in time to be eaten.

You gain the following benefits:

You regain all your spent panache and inspiration, and recover all your hit points. You also find the ingredients to create a new mutagen.

For the next 24 hours, instead of rolling for a craft (alchemy), handle animal, heal, knowledge (all), linguistics, spellcraft, or survival check, you may instead treat the result as a natural 20 with all other dice maximized. You can do this a number of times equal to 3 + your Intelligence modifier.

You find the ingredients for 1 of the following:
- Anti-venom
- Anti-plague
- Non-magical grease
- Thunderstone
- Soothe syrup
- A flask of acid
- A chunk of fish meat

As Ederion looks around the village looking for interesting ingredients, he sees the mermaids hard at work. Some of them are harvesting seaweed from their farms, while others are butchering turtles. A few are being sent out to gather those ballista bolts that Bazzle shot earlier. Although they're hard at work, occasionally Ederion catches a glance from them.

He notices Mother Kahli swimming into a cave in the coral, which he was told is the shrine of Lamashtu.

I'd like to hear your reactions to the rituals, boons, etc in character. Then I'll get to dishing out magic items. Feel free to ask me for a magic item if you want it. No promises, but I'm in a giving spirit. After that, we're gonna start moving out for the attack.

Bazzle in a moment of charm thanks to the priest for their work translating. He pulls out a coin and ladders it down his knuckles and back. He spins it in his hand. The whole time colors and light flashing off the coins. "Thank you for your help. It will be our honor to help you and your people." He wonders about this new ability.

I am cool with limiting ranged attacks underwater. I assumed underwater crossbows were like divers spear guns. Looking at the SRD the range being 80 seems ridiculous.

Rexandi does her best to help out around the encampment, though her general underwater awkwardness and constant need to refresh her hex make this difficult. She watches the play with some wistfulness and afterward seems a bit distracted, mostly just following directions to assist as the mermaids direct.

As the ink begins to flow on the currents, Tasha gasps in awe. It's... wonderful! I've never seen such things in my life!, she thinks as the tale unfurls in clouds of ink in the water. The tale holds a hold on her, and she feels all the songs burning themselves in her memory. "Is... is that you, Shelyn?", she mutters a moment later. Closing her eyes, she feels the entirety of the tale be retold in just a moment, with every twist of the hand or every gesture from the ink on the water clear as rain.

"This is... amazing.", is all she can say as the tale ends, before a smile appears on her face. "Uh. Though, I'm happy for the happy end, one wonders as to how to really decide on the moral of the story.", she adds with the tone of a critic, then adds with a shrug. "But a beautiful story is a moral in of its own, right?" Swimming up, she turns to Rillia with a smile on her lips, the first stanza of the song in her lips, but as soon as the first out of tune words leave her mouth, she shuts up. "Well. I still can't sing, so that hasn't changed.", she chuckles, then draws her dagger. "Thank you for your tale. I'll make sure it reaches those on land, when we help you. And now, for the actual helping part."

Aster swims up to the others, a tired smile on her lips from sore shoulders, "Are we ready then?"

Ederion never misses an opportunity to gather ingredients for his alchemical endeavors - under the waves, even the most simple of components gains new life and dimension - he is able to store fresh seaweed and even minuscule fish in a flask, still living.

He picks up a handful of sand from the bottom, and a strange rock filled with holes, perhaps eroded by the sea currents. From the butchered turtles he gathers nails and even a fresh chunk of the strange meat, and from the corals he scrapes what seem to be motes of light emitting fungus?

The beautiful mermaids swimming around do distract him a bit, as well as once or twice he looks back at Rexandi, still pondering her words with a chuckle, but the elf's focus is fully on the data and reagent gathering.

When he spots Mother Kahli swimming into a cave, he follows suit.

Rillia laughs with Tasha and sings something short in the aquan tongue. Tasha doesn't understand what she said, but she gets the feeling it was compassionate.
I want to spend a few posts working with Ederion, after which I'll dish out magic gear. I want him to be present when that happens.
--------------------------------

Ederion swims into the dark cave after Mother Kahli. Engraved on the walls are depictions of monsters and beasts, tearing mermaids apart. A mermaid rises to meet the beasts, and fights them tooth and dagger. Though she looks terribly wounded, she defeats them all.
A dim red light illuminates the shrine of Lamashtu, which is a solid block of obsidian. Mother Kahli sits before the priestess, a scarred mermaid with ragged red hair. They sing in the aquan tongue, which Ederion understands.

Mother Kahli apologises to Lamashtu for her ignorance. She explains that she now understands how she's allowed herself to go soft. The priestess yells out, and calls her a liar. She seethes in anger and yells that Kahli has no idea how ignorant she is. She blames Kahli for spending more time on stories and healing than on fighting. She blames Kahli for playing a part in the village's pacifism. She blames Kahli for not showing her true emotions, and hiding behind a mask of politeness. Kahli sinks down and sobs, crying for forgiveness. The priestess offers none. Kalhi asks for strength to defeat Menotheguro and save the mermaid village. The priestess yells out for her to earn it! The aboleth is a reflection of the ugly truth of this village. He is the punishment this village has received, for now the strong sacrifice themselves for the weak and cowardly. The village cares more about luxuries and comfort than power and vision. It has forgotten the old ways, when mermaids had to be strong and cunning to survive. The priestess calms slightly, draws her dagger, and asks if Kahli is one of the survivors, or one of the meek. Kahli replies that she's a survivor. The priestess replies "We shall see..."

With the casting of a spell, a reefclaw lurches out of the engravings in the cavern wall. It strikes at Kahli, who tries to dodge it. At the same time, the priestess eyes Ederion, wondering what he might do.