Quillin seems a tad bit hesitant, but hands the ring over to Mel. He and Smudge exchange a look that seems to say they might enjoy seeing the curse play out after her threatening words to the querulous bird. Quillin bows to Hassan and accepts the potion.
He strokes the parrots plumes a moment with a sad look, "Sorry Smudge, maybe I'll learn a spell to transform you into a parrot fish someday, but you'd better stay topside for now. A wet parrot isn't a pretty sight. Stay out of trouble."
"T'would be best if I scout the place out before we have to use the short duration items and spells" Mel says "That way we can get the greatest use from them rather than finding ourselves running out just as we find the right way..yes?" she looks around the group seeking agreement.
Smudge flies off to the cover of some trees at the edge of the beach croaking "Give 'em Hell! Give 'em Hell! RAWWK!"
Quillin gives Mel a wry look. His voice drips with sarcasm as he responds, "Sure go parlay with the Grindies alone because Ajani and Hassan did so well before. I say we keep together."
"One important thing to remember is that Hassan and I were nearly out of spells when last we met the grindies. We are now both playing with a full deck, as it were, and I expect that will make a difference in our ability to fight them. I wonder if their tentacles taste like calamari?"
Quillin shivers at Ajani's quip, "Now I've eaten alot of strange things, but I'm not touching anything that even superficially resembles a goblin..."
Mel looks down at the gnome, he is after all about the only person in the party she can look down on.
"I said scout..you know..sneak..hide... observe..unless you think we can do that all in three minutes?" she takes the ring but does not wear it yet and gives the less powerful but uncursed one to Quillin in exchange.
"and besides..I'm a better fighter than either of them..no offence meant gents..but..well it's the truth"
Fjori chuckles and musses Mel's hair with one of his huge, scarred hands.
"Ah lad thats the spirit! But do be careful and hurry back. We need to get Quinn..."
He lets the last trail off, a look of concern and worry crossing his features.
Quillin passes the ring of swimming on to Fjori. He frowns at Mal, "Well, stay out of sight then. I've got a spell to make you invisible if you want it, but it only lasts a few minutes and it's far less effective underwater-"
Mel grins at Fjori who seems to be taking her request to be treated as one of the boys to heart.."We'd best be on our way to the beach then."
You all tread to the beach where the rotting carcasses of Plugg, Scourge and others are well on their way to being claimed by various creatures of the island. In particular the gulls seem to be enjoying the variety of sea life that has decided to make the journey out to the bodies as they cook on the sound. The occasional scent is caught on the breeze off the water but for the most part the salt and surf continues to dominate your senses.
Mel makes her way to the water and places the ring on her finger. It gives a gentle squeeze which is then a much more shapr contraction in the neck as Mel feels the sensation of a quick slice echoing up each side of her throat. As quickly as the sensation comes, it goes and the only thing left is an almost sharp panic of the lungs as though air is missing. Diving into the water the sensation eases and though the sensation is "thicker", Mel breathes as she always has. The water feels thinner though in general, and Mel senses that she could move through the water with great ease simply swimming as she has her entire life.
Ajani can't help but show a grimace at seeing the decaying bodies of their former shipmates, though he stifles it quickly enough, realizing that, as he said earlier, they are merely being reclaimed by sand, surf, and sky. He watches Mel as she moves into the water, following her to the waves to try to get his bearings once more.
perception:
Stealth
Perception
Mel slides through the water feeling as if she could swim forever.."this must be what it's like for a mermaid" she thinks to herself before forcing herself to concentrate on the task in hand
As Mel takes to the water the rest of the group scans the horizon and surrounding area for any other items of interest. None of you see anything of particular note except for Fjori whose eyes catch on a point in the water.
Mel stays in cover and watches the group who seem to be engaged in day to day Grindy life. She wonders if she might be able to follow them back to their lair..
Fjori brings everyone's attention to the lone grindylow 40' out.
"I wonder if it is watching us, or maybe just a scout? Should we try for it lads?"
"If it's seen us, it doesn't seem to have raised an alarm yet. And it'll be faster than us in the water. Hassan knows little about Grindys, but Goblins are seldom subtle or careful. Perhaps we should duck low and wait to see if the boy... er—the young lass returns to report in."
"I agree with Hassan. We should wait and see what Mel has to say when she returns to us."
Mel will judge the amount of fish in the Grindys nets then return to the others..again she hugs the seabed until she can put her head above water whilst keeping her gills submerged..
"Four..3 down there fishing, one on guard..your call"
"Knowing goblins, they'll warn the rest in a second if we give them a chance. All the gods of heaven know that Hassan is a peaceful man, but the Grindy's won't give up their prize without a fight. If we cannot sneak around them, we'll have to take out all four at once."
Quillin wrinkles his nose at the corpses, "Well at least they aren't ghouls though it might have been fun to kill the bastards again."
Once Mel returns, he listens to the report. "We still need to find their hidey-hole. Maybe we attack the fishers and someone secretly follows the guard. Hells, Smudge could even watch him from above, but it might be better to have someone fast nick it once it reveals their lair but before it can give warning."
"Well...we already know that the creatures have no love for squid. I could summon another to try and lure some of them away."
"I like the squid idea Ajani. Then we can sneak in and see what there is to see."
Ajani nods in response to Fjori and sacrifices his prepared Bull's Strength to cast [i]Summon Nature's Ally II[/ooc] to conjure a squid, centering it at maximum range of 30 feet away, but in a direction that will draw attention away from the group. When it appears, he will direct it to use nothing but move actions to close with the grindylows and draw their attention away from the rest of them.
Mel ducks back under and returns to her observation point..
Chaos erupts amongst the fishing party as the squid appears as though from nowhere. Predictably, the three fishing Grindy's pull the net with its meager bounty closed and start swimming away from the squid following the shoreline north though they seem somewhat encumbered by the net. The guard, still seemingly oblivious of the party on the shore, moves to chase the squid.
Quillin signals Smudge to fly back and follow the grindylows.
Bart cracks his fingers nervously waiting for either Mel to return or to dive in after her. He imagines the sensation of punching a fishy/sharky creature while underwater and frowns at how ineffective he believes he will be in the coming battle.
For the next few minutes things play out as expected; the fishers make their way up the coast and the ground group is able to follow the shore as it turns from white sand, to mixed rock and then to large boulders that lead up to a series of crag like cliffs that overlook the NE quarter of the island.
The squid creates a pursuit that leaves a window just long enough for Mel to follow in the water unobserved before coming to a a sharp cut off of shoreline where the only path to travel is a barely noticeable inlet inside the escalating cliffs. This is clearly where the Grindy nest is. A small cove/shallow provides a good spot for Mel to meet up with the group just out of sight of the main path of travel. The guard, moving from behind will pass Mel as she meets up with the group.
Off in the distance, Smudge and Mel both note that there is a sunken ship about 100 yards off the coast amongst a coral reef that meets the sea. Plain to see through the crystal waters from above and below.
Quillin considers the reconnaissance as he tugs his dreaded turquoise and black beard. "Well, should we take them at low tide? It might be mucky in there, but we're less likely to drown."
"Heh," Bart grins savagely as he cracks his knuckles, " Soun's like a good plan to me."
"Agreed. The smell of wet monkey fur in open air may prove advantageous for us, as well." jokes the Vanara.
Smudge's head bobs as he crows in a nasally voice, "Funky Monkey! Funky Monkey!"
Ajani grins a simian smile at the bird. "And a poet parrot, it seems."
"Lets get going then. A short swim and we will be there."
Fjori wades out into the surf, then heads in the direction of the cove.
Fjori wades out into the surf, then heads in the direction of the cove.
"Shake the water out of your ears, Fjori. We're waiting for the low tide. That's a couple turns of the hour glass away."
Mel ducks under water again reveling in the ease with which she can move and breathe in the depths.."I could check out that ship whilst we wait" she suggests.
Mel is going to go on ocean safari....anyone else doing anything in the intervening time?
Bart paces and ponders new ways to beat the stuffing out of the fishy creatures.