"I don't like how this is starting out. I can't do much in combat while in the water," Grak says, doing his best to keep up with the group but concerned about being attacked in the water.
Keep close to the walls so that you at least have something to hold onto.
Swimming though the narrow opening is not so difficult, but as you enter The water begins to toss you about.
The rock walls have been deliberately sharpened to take advantage of your need to use the walls to navigate. After a narrow neck of tunnels, the passage opens into a tall chimney that soars nearly 80 feet before opening into the sun above. Beyond, another passages opens further into the hillside.
By the time you push forward into this new hole, the guards are long gone.
There is a small spot above water at the intersection. Area D3 looks rough and natural, but there are jaws of fish and sharks stuck, spiked, and tied to the walls leading to it. The walls of D7, on the other hand, are carefully carved to resemble the rib cage of a huge fish or whale, giving the impression that you are being swallowed. The path sinks back into the water in each of those rooms.
Raush growls as the rocks pierce his skin, salt stinging on the wound. With a grunt he hops on relatively dry land. "Nice place. This whole fish theme ties it all together. Who's for going the way that looks like they wanted to scare people away from?"
"Weird..." says Ravenna as she hauls herself out of the water and gets a look at the surroundings. She pulls back her hair and squeezes water out of it. "Sure, might as well check that first."
Ordrax keeps moving along follow the group. He notices that he has a few scraps from the rough walls.
Grak initially gets caught off guard by the rough water, but gathers himself before getting pushed into the wall. Stopping at the intersection to take a break, he follows the others.
As the group moves into the room, Grak notices the side passage and tries to squeeze in.
Not being able to maneuver well enough while swimming, he can't get in and follows the others into the room.
Somehow, Raush manages to squeeze inside the crevice, quietly going forward.
Slowly Ordrax swims his way around to the left. Feeling that he is in better shape now that they are not so close to the opening. He still kept his eyes moving everywhere. I hate water...I like the cave but f%!& this water shit!
The depths of the strangely carved room are shrouded in seaweed, providing plenty of cover for dangerous creatures. As Grak lowers himself into the water, he feels the prodding of small spears. But even in water he is deft enough to avoid them.
Ordrax moves his way along the path in hopes that he can get around the edge to attack.
Veltisiel snaps his fingers, and a bolt of magical energy streaks out, tearing underwater and striking the grindylow in the chest.
Surprised by the sudden attack from below, Grak yells and tries to backup to create some space between him and the monsters.
He then pulls his crossbow off of his back while treading water.
Raush does his best to follow after Ordrax quickly, but a sudden flow of water throws him back. *#@§ I thought trouble would be here, not there.
Ordrax move south pulling forth his mace.
The grindylow stabbing at Grak do not pursue him into the shallower water, content to let the water give them cover and confident that the invaders must come to them. One of them lashes his tentacles and jets toward Ordrax, meeting the advancing kobold.
Round 2
Feeling pain from the attack, Ordrax swing back at the little creature.
He feels the weapon connect with the creature and smiles.
Take that b!&*$
"Dang it, I need a bow or something," mutters Ravenna. "Or some way to finish my gun."
She moves into the water to try to get into a position to aid Grak.
(probably not a hit)
The water breaks some of the blow of Ordrax's mace.
Ravenna stabs close to the creature, but it slides just barely to the side of her blade.
Since Ravenna moved up to attack, Grak tries to circle around behind her to try to get a better angle at the creatures. However, he struggles to swim with his crossbow in his hand.
With a strong breaststroke, Raush rushes at the grindylow, itching for some violence. Unused to attacking in the water, however, his fist goes wide.
The grindylow near Ordrax is more intimidated by the big monkey than the small kobold, and focuses his attention there, stabbing ineffectively.
The two facing Grak turn to the newly arrived and more stabby Ravenna. One misses, but as she slides to the side to avoid the blow, she opens herself to the other.
Round 3
Raush answers the grindylow's ineffective strike with a chuckle and a solid blow to the chest, although water saps his fist of strength.
By holding his crossbow out in front of him, Grak is able to move around behind Ravenna to get a better angle for a shot at the creatures. He misses badly as he doesn't adjust for the affect the water has on his aim or the path of the bolt.
Ordrax attack again in hope that he will kill this little thing.
Die you...f&**
Grak catches a grindylow focused on the kobold and ape man across the cave, as Ordrax stabs another through the chest. The pool clouds with dark blood as the two creatures sink to the bottom.
Shall we move forward. Let us get this done and get the f$$~ out of here. I hate this shit.
Grak nods in agreement as he slowly crosses the room, concerned something else is going to reach up at him from below. He tries to peer through the next opening.
"If we could find decent footing for the next fight it will be perfect." grumbles Raush, following Ordrax further.
Grak swims carefully across the chamber. Beyond this chamber, he finds another, this one carved to resemble the insides of some sort of sea monster, the walls are carved like ribs and muscle. While the chamber has many exits, one is obviously not natural.
Ordrax follows along and looks on in awe.
Ravenna adjusts her weapon belt and continues the swim deeper into danger.
Finally she clambers into the next chamber and takes the opportunity to hang on to one of the rib-carvings on the wall to keep her breath.
"Let's check that spot - the one that people have already been," she suggests.
"Got to hand it to them, they know how to keep a theme."
Raush heads towards the artificial entrance, peeking through.
Ordrax continues to look around in awe.
Veltisiel looks around, cleaning off the much as it continues to build up on his shoes with a wave, "I hate this place." he mutters.
You move through the water, moving beyond the rib carved cavern to find a charnel house.
Hundreds of remains float in this large bowl of water, which churns with bones, scraps of flesh, and the carcasses of strange, almost alien fish. Just visible through the roiling stew are humanoid bodies floating in the water, wan corpses drifting near the bottom of this cauldron like sleeping guardians.
Much more noticeable are 10 humanoid forms suspended in chains from the ceiling of the chamber, most upside down, heads inches from the water.
Grak wrinkles his nose in disgust. This sight is even too much for him. "I'm not sure I want to swim through that. Just the thought of doing so makes me want to vomit. I also don't like the look of those corpses at the bottom. Undead don't need to breathe," he says while trying to get a better look at them.
"Smelly bones of Urgathoa, what a disgusting sludge."
Raush looks at the humanoids, hoping to see the diminutive form of Rosie Cusswell among the alive ones.
"What the... are they still alive?"
Well lets all take a look around before we go anywhere. This is a trap of sorts and I would like to know what that trap is before we set it off.
Ordrax takes his time as he lets his eyes roam over the charnel house.
The corpses chained at the bottom of the pool are not as rotted as, perhaps, they should be. In fact, it could be said that they bear a faint resemblance to your undead friend from the island. The 10 people in chains appear to be unconscious but living. They occasionally twitch, or you can see their chests moving as they breathe. One of them is, indeed, Rosie Cusswell. Another is the nearly bald but topknotted Plugg. Apparently the grindylows are collecting everything that falls off of the Man's Promise.
Raush grins widely as the only musician worth something on the ship is revealed to have survived. And then, when an idea comes to his mind, he smiles even more. "Can somebody hand me a knife? I want to test your theory."
With prehensile hands and feet, quarterstaff slung behind his back, Raush starts climbing the wall of the cave, heading towards Plugg. "If they are undead, they will react to a body being dropped in there, right?"
I do not know if that will work..but hell if I have a better idea.
Plugg drops, too insensate to realiz the horror that awaits him. The chains around his torso drag him downward, and he awakes as he hits the water. His eyes bulge and bubbles flow from his silent screams as he sinks into the drink. The two corpses chained to the bottom of the pool snap to alertness, following the sinking Plugg as he comes closer and closer. Their clawed hands reach out to receive Plugg, grasping him and pulling him into their fanged maws.