Unless something prevents her, Andjela follows the others.
Following Danica's exemple, the rest of the group push through the magical wall into the tunnel. The walls and ceiling of the tunnel are damp, and the air reeks with a repulsive, fishy smell. Not the most welcoming effect, but who ever said that the life of an adventurer was all roses and sunny skies. The tunnel seems to open in a large room up ahead. There is no light, aside from the effect of the magical wall behind you.
Tolvan looks about wondering what manner of creature would need air under a lake.
Danica puts her hand on the barrier as part of her investigation. She then kneels to the ground, trying to determine the make-up of the ground or dirty composition.
She then speak in a low whisper directed towards Tolvan, "Without this barrier we would all be fish food. The amount of power to keep all that water at bay must be intense. What manner of power could have created such a barrier and sustain it?"
Danica allows her vision to adjust to the dark spectrum and peers into the darker areas of the room.
Anna's eyes go wide and she backs away from the bubble when Danica mentions how powerful it would have to be.
"I dunno, but if any of you see a giant switch that says, 'Off,' don't touch it."
Tolvan continues to push through the membrane, wonder on his face. This is old. Very old. Of those who might have made it, well I fear the worse. Considering the location I suspect it is an Aboleth creation.
While the group start exploring the first room, two rifts materialize from thin air. One appear in front of the group and one behind. Out of each rift, a creature steps out. The rugose figures rears up to a man’s height, and its large hands bear far too many twitching fingers. Their mouths open, revealing a nasty collection of teeth as they move to attack.
Andjela gambles that these creatures are Evil.
Calling up the powers of her goddess seems odd this far beneath the surface, but she does so... for the sake of her friends and the world at large.
Andjela attacks the nearest creature.
As a teleport specialist Tolvan easily recognizes the signs of Dimension Door spells. They have Dim Doored in. he warns his group.
Not as well versed on things planar he is still able to recognize these creatures and at least some of their threat. We face evil outsiders know as Dimensional Shamblers. Chaotic in nature, they will resist weapon damage unless imbued with Axiomatic energy and are arcane casters. They may try to grab us and shift away to some other plane.
He unleashes two scorching rays at the southern enemy before moving.
Anna steps up with her heavy crossbow and sends a bolt at whatever looks like a weak spot.
Danica walks up to the creature that Tolvan attacks. A divine light bathes over her body as she call upon the Bright Lady to Smite and Banish the outsider.
The priest back away from the creature and bless the group with divine energy. Andjela and Anna score one hit each with their crossbow. Tolvan's first ray of fire completely misses the target, but the second leaves a nice burnt mark on the creature. Danica walks up to the creature and punches it on the jaw, the creature stagger for a second, not expect such a solid blow from a fist.
Danica's target attacks with it claws. Only one of them manages to get a hold on the slippery inquisitor. The claw locks down on her arm and start squeezing. The other one try to do the same thing to Anna, but the rogue is able to dodge out of the way just in time.
The priest back away from the creature and bless the group with divine energy. Andjela and Anna score one hit each with their crossbow. Tolvan's first ray of fire completely misses the target, but the second leaves a nice burnt mark on the creature. Danica walks up to the creature and punches it on the jaw, the creature stagger for a second, not expect such a solid blow from a fist.
Danica's target attacks with it claws. Only one of them manages to get a hold on the slippery inquisitor. The claw locks down on her arm and start squeezing. The other one try to do the same thing to Anna, but the rogue is able to dodge out of the way just in time.
[dice=Claw vs Danica]1d20+14
[dice=damage]2d6+5
[dice=Grab]1d20+18
[dice=Claw vs Danica]1d20+14
[dice=damage]2d6+5
[dice=Grab]1d20+18[dice=Claw vs Anna]1d20+14
[dice=damage]2d6+5
[dice=Grab]1d20+18
** spoiler omitted **
"Evil outsiders you say? I've got something for them!" Sonny says. He then raises his holy symbol and channels the power of his goddess to harm the evil outsiders.
As soon as Tolvan sees the creature grab Danica he uses an immediate action to cast Liberating Command.
Danica tries to perform a feint move to unleash the creature's grip.
Anna tumbles into flanking position with Danica, then stabs with her new cold iron rapier.
Sonny channel some powerful divine energy and send it in a burst around himself. One of the creature seems to resist it but the other suffers the full effect. Danica successfully free herself for the creature's grip. Anna tries to tumble pass one of the creature, but just can't do it without attracting it attention. The claw, luckily for her, bounce of her armour and she is able to get in position unarmed. She plunges her dagger deep into the chest of the creature and is rewarded by a heavy spray of blood. She definitely hit an arteries. The creature tries to twist around and block the wound, but before it can reach the it, it collapse on the ground.
Danica nods at Anna. "Nicely done. Let's go get the other one."
Danica moves to the other creature while unsheathing her temple sword and prepares to strike. She moves in the opposite direction to allow Anna to get flanking position.
Seeing that the situation is somewhat in hand Tolvan retrieves a pearl of power and recalls Liberating command. The only thing that could go bad wrong is if that creature were to grapple one of us. he thinks.
Relieved, Andjela steps and, shoots twice at the creature.
Anna moves up, getting ready to pounce into flanking position when the opportunity presents itself.
Danica continue to move towards the creature, trying to distract it. "Hey ugly, your friend didn't do too well. Want to meet him?
She attacks it with her temple sword.
The last creature, bleeding from multiple wounds, takes a step back and start doing something that look like casting a spell. At first the creature body blur out of focus and then it fade until it is completely gone.
With no more foes blocking your path, you are now free to continue your exploration of the cave system. Further in the corridor, you get to a jonction with five possible choices.
The creature casted Plane Shift
Where did it go?
Sonny shakes his head, "You got me. Magic isn't my strong suit."
Cowards, to boot... filthy cowards. It could wait for us to return.
"You mean you all don't know? Andjela, Danica, can't you sense evil around here? Is it just hiding?"
Danica shrugs after the creature's disappearance. She then cast Detect Evil in the direction where the creature disappeared. "These guys are totally new to me. I'd rather deal with ghosts."
Danica kneels down to inspect the ground at the junction point, looking for any signs of recent travels.
With no evil auras that Danica can senses, she changes to a more mundane way of tracking. Looking at wet stone floor, she can't find any traces that would indicate what corridors are use more then the others.
Danica stands and looks at her friends. "Your guess is as good as mine, unless we have a divine or arcane way of helping us."
Anna looks around. "Well, I don't see any dirty old shrines we can clean up, so I don't expect any more divine help."
She reloads her crossbow and and gets ready to move on.
Sonny shrugs, "Let's go right then. We'll do that whenever it is an option unless something tells us to go another way."
With no clue of where the group should go next, you decide to follow Sonny's suggestion. Taking the first right, you walk into a small room. Patches of phosphorescent lichen growing on the damp ceiling provide a dim light in this stone chamber, and the walls are decorated with disturbing carvings depicting ichthyic humanoids in the midst of various graphic and disturbing mating acts with what are obviously
human women. Mounds of soggy seaweed have been gathered into nests or beds upon the floor. Sitting in the room, you see four Skums, the top of their head seem to have been removed, exposing their engorged brain.
Danica uses Know Alignment, Detect Evil, in the general direction of the 4 Skums.
"Every time I think I've come across the most disgusting thing I've ever seen, along comes the most disgusting thing I've ever seen!"
Sonny walks toward the skum his hands open in a gesture of peace, "Hello. Are you in need of any assistance."
Anna would have facepalmed at Sonny's actions if she didn't have her heavy crossbow trained on the closest skum. She hisses at the cleric, "Even if they need assistance, I ain't giving it to them! Did you even see the murals?!?"
Sonny's head snaps around and looks directly at Anna, with a hard stare. "Yes I did. And looking at them I can't thing of anyone more in need of repenting and redeeming themselves!" He then turns back to the skum and sees if they respond.
Sonny approach them, trying to open some discussion, but they just stay there, looking at nothing. It almost feel as if someone lobotomy on the creatures, for they have the same empty look in their eyes.
Sonny sighs, "It's like they are gone. Their bodies live but there minds are lost. Shall we continue on?" Sonny says sadly.
Danica approaches as well. She stares into their eyes and tries to feel if they have a pulse either on the wrist or neck. "Whatever did this to them may still be here."
Danica do feel a pulse on the skums. Being up close to their exposed brain is even more disturbing than when you first walked in.
Perhaps they are food... Her hand covers her mouth.
Danica rises and removes her temple sword from its sheathe. She grips the pommel and squeezes tight as she contemplates her next action. "Normally, these are evil creatures. In the field I would not hesitate to end them, but now, they are defenseless and just mindless things." The inquisitor looks towards Sonny and says "Would the Bright Lady look down upon me if I would just end them, to send them on their way to the hereafter?"
Anna starts poking around, once it seems like the skum aren't a threat. She stays wary, though.