Jader attack the creature that popped up closest to him on the north
Kar, his steps so light he might even be walking on the surface of the water, moves up next to Jader to help him attack the one in front of him.
Water droplets spray off of his foot and onto the grindylow's head, but otherwise no contact is made.....
At the sight of the creatures, Posh shrieks. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"
"Oh...uh...something touched my toe...I'm ok though."
Sloshing through the chest-high water takes aim at the farthest foe and chucks an iceball its direction.
Without a word, Tess moves forward and strikes!
Although most of the party is put out of sorts by the previously submerged grindylows, Tessamine is able to skewer one through, quickly putting it down and forcing it to slip back down into the water.
Kalathiel moves in, his rapier out and ready. Seeing how quickly and efficiently Tessamine puts down the grindylow, he stops behind her, and leans in to speak over her shoulder while pointing at the creature to her right. That one is weak on its left; looks like an old wound.
Same grindylow, having been pointed out by Kal, moves in and jabs his spear at Tessamine, then follows by leaning in to bite.
Tessamine dodges the spear, but doesn't expect the bite, which takes a chunk out of her tricep.
Its companion to the north does the same, but to Jader. It's flurry of attacks is completely stymied by Jader, who parries with skill.
The third grindylow continues to retreat, continuing to the northeast.
Posh
Tessamine
Kal
Jader
Grindies
Tess nods. "Good call, Ka- AGH! You little..-!"
Tess aims at the weak spot pointed out.
Tessamine grits her teeth at the pain of the dirty bite, then dips her weapon down and leans in to skewer the grindylow, right through the point where Kal indicated. The skin there is tender from the old wound that never healed properly, and its organs begin to spill out from the gaping hole left by Tessamine. It falls into the water, dying.
Kar considers beginning to move around the one he and Jader are fighting, but thinks better of it due to the number of times he has recently been brutally attacked. Instead he yells out to Posh and attacks, Grandfather, can you use your magics to slow down the retreating one?
Flurry of Blows
Unused to the pull of the water on his kicks, Kar is unable to connect (presumably) once again......
Jader attacks against the grindylow that attacked him hoping to drive it home this time
This most resilient Grindylow has an odd low stance that allows it to slip into the water, bobbing and weaving among the various blows coming at him. Jader comes the closest, but his blade still misses by the thickness of a dragonscale.
Carefully attempting to avoid freezing Jader, he launches another icicle at the remaining foe...shooting it straight into the ceiling.
"Oops! Uh...least I didn't hit you buddy!"
Kalathiel moves in, his rapier leading, and lunges at the grindylow.
Kalathiel slides in, but misses, his blade deflected by the grindylow's spear. The small creature, seemingly fearing for its life, suddenly squats down int the water and darts away like a frightened fish.
"Quick, after it!"
Tess will follow after it.
Posh
Tessamine
Kal
Jader
Grindies
The passage ahead to the northeast is about five feet deep. You can see the wake of the retreating grindylow's passage.
Kar has the light source, so without a doubt he will follow Tessamine into the cave.
With but a groan, Posh lumbers after Kar. 'Last thing I need is to get lost in here with no light.'
Kar charges forward and Posh quickly swims to catch up. However, Tessamine calls out. Wait! She moves forward, and points to a spot in the water that shimmers oddly, reflecting Kar's light. There, at about knee level on Tessamine, is a piece of nearly translucent seaweed, strung across the cavern.
Her eyes are so keen that Tessamine is able to track the tripwire to the sides of the walls and up to overhead, where it is tied off to an improvised lever that is set to pull off a net that would allow a cascade of sharp rocks to drop down upon you.
Jader follows after the party not really caring if he is close to the light source, his eyes seeing equally well in the dark. He approaches the group stopped for no apparent reason
So what have we here? Why have we stopped?
Jader tries to identify why they stopped before anyone explains
He is completely oblivious to whatever is hiding
"There's a tripwire over there. Walk over it carefully, there's a trap here that looks rather painful."
You bypass the trap, though it's a bit tricky given the tripwire's location under the water. Posh needs more than a little assistance in passing it, but Jader ends up hefting the gnome up and over the trap.
You move on past the tripwire and, now that you're aware of these, find another one further along the cavern. At this one, the two grindylow remain on the other side, holding their spears at the ready. They look like they're fully aware of the trap, and are ready to spear you should you be able to cross.
The grindylows act first, and they stand ready to attack, should you cross.
Not wanting to drop the torch on accident and plunge his allies (and himself) into darkness, Kar takes a defensive pose and waits to see how this standoff will proceed.
"I see. Either we trigger the trap, or we maneuver around it and suffer their attacks instead. Clever..."
Tess briefly looks at her trident, shrugs, and with a trained motion tosses it towards one of the grindylows.
... At least, that's what she thinks. Lack of practice made her form very off and the tossed weapon goes wide. She sighs in frustration and reaches for her lance.
Tessamine hurls her trident, but it simply splashes into the water several feet in front of the grindylows. One of them lets out a gurgling, snorting sound....laughter maybe?
How dumb do they think we are? Jader voices quietly to his allies
He pulls out his scorpion whip and attacks with it from a safe 15 foot distance
Jader's whip flashes out, wrapping completely around the neck of one of the creatures When he pulls it away, the grindylow falls, gurgling, into the waters as it bleeds out.
Struggling in the deep water, Post manages to get his head above water long enough to cast a spell. "You really shouldn't fight us. We could be friends if you'd be reasonable."
"You keep this up, the only outcome is unfavorable."
Posh's magic ray hits the grindylow on one side, forming crystalline flesh where it makes contact with the creature. Kal stands still and ready, waiting for the grindylow to cross its own trap, but it does not. Instead, it turns, and jets away!
"Tsk." Kalathiel clicks his tongue in frustration. "The little beast has fled. Shall we pursue?" Without waiting too long for an answer, the elf continues forward past the tripwire, his blade held defensively in front of him.
"A fine plan if you ask me." Tess responds, and she follows the aquatic elf. "At least they appear to barely be ready for an attack like ours, let alone organizing one against us themselves."
"A fine plan if you ask me." Tess responds, and she follows the aquatic elf. "At least they appear to barely be ready for an attack like ours, let alone organizing one against us themselves."
The longer this takes, the more chances that will change. Kar follows them into the darkness, helping Posh over the wire if he needs assistance.
You continue to the northeast and find no more traps in wait ahead of you. You come to an intersection of sorts, as the cave splits to the south. The southern tunnel is similar to the previous, but here it looks much deeper. A quick check shows it to be well over your heads.
"Another intersection. I'll leave this one to you, after what happened last time in the well, hehe."
"I heard something once about danglies....it was and old rhyme or something. 'Left is right and right is wrong'."
"Not sure if it applies here or not though." Glancing from one side to the other, he shrugs. "I'll follow your lead guys, but keep in mind this water is almost too deep for me already."
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Kar shifts the torch to his other side and reaches out a hand for Posh. Kar is indicating that he'll Master Yoda Posh through the water, if he wishes.
Not that it influences anything but that southern cave branches to the left and right there in the distance. Not to mention that it gets deeper there and that may put us at a disadvantage too. My vote is for the easier route first
With but a nod, Posh climbs up on the offered mount.
"Wow...everything looks so much smaller from up here!"
"Easier route first then. Let's go!"
After a sharp switchback in the tunnel, a gradual upward slope leads out of the water and into a chamber ahead to the west, past a split in the tunnel. The roughly-round chamber has a dome like ceiling, and the floor is covered in a mixture of sand and coarse stones.
You can see into the chamber, and see more than one grindylow rushing about - they look to be making preparations. You can see rising from the ground near the center of the room is a massive statue of a hand, seemingly carved from some smooth, pearlescent, sea-green marble. The hand is bent back at the wrist and posed as if to catch something or to cradle something in its palm.
Tess whispers to the others. "Are you seeing this? I doubt the grindylows made this..."
"Well aint that something. Perhaps it's an alter they've taken over...anyone know if they worship a god or something?"
Though Posh feels as if he'd be able to tell more of this "hand" if he could see the rest of it, there's little he can discern from just said appendage. He can tell, though, that it is feminine, it is old, and based upon how it comes out of the sand, it is part of something significantly larger and long buried. The scope of digging it out would be quite beyond the colonists at this time.