Korriban nods at Eries. "Alright. Sounds good. Stumbling around underwater in the dark. Going to be fun~. At least we'll be able to breathe down there." He smiles. "So there's that. But, that's just the jokes. Anything to find out just what's going on."
Eries nods. "If that's what you want, I can have enough potions for the rest of you by noon." Stepping out into the rain, she glances up and mutters sourly, "Good day for it," before disappearing down an alley leading toward the river.
"Lantressa, my friend, if I'm not mistaken you and your kind can see in the dark? If not, tomorrow I can prepare some light spells."
Lantressa looked at Teodor and replied, "Yes, I can see a little ways in complete darkness, it's only in black and white though and beyond roughly sixty feet I can't see any better than you do." She nodded at eries as she left and turned her focus back to her companions, "Now, how do we defend ourselves down there if we run into any threats? Will it affect my magic in any way?"
Lantressa thinks back over her experience and comes to the conclusion that as long as you all can find some way to breathe underwater, casting spells shouldn't prove a big hindrance. The only possible exception is spells that use fire--those could be difficult.
While none of you have direct experience with it, fighting underwater (should you need to do so) sounds like it could be...challenging.
Korriban sighs. "We are going to have some problems if we get into a fight under the water. It's going to slow our movements and slow our attacks and reduce the power of the blows. Unless we're armed with piercing weapons."
Teodor shrugs. "I hardly think we'll be finding many foes underwater. Unless you really hate fish. My sister is allergic to shellfish ..."
Korriban looks at Teodor, a little shocked. "You have a sister? I didn't know that."
"Two, actually. We're ...not close."
Korriban continues to look at Teodor. "Why's that?"
Teodor shrugs. "We just aren't. People grow apart. Also, they weren't too find of my shiver days. I don't even know if they areally still in the city."
Korriban looks at Teodor. "Haven't you tried to find them? Reconcile with them?"
"They were clear. Now, we have work to do."
Lantressa realized in short order that her ability to fight underwater would be limited, her most damaging and useful spells became all but useless underwater and without them she was going to be almost more liability than she was worth. Still she was resolute in her decision to go anyway, she wouldn't let her friends go without her.
As talk turned to Teodor's sisters the tiefling found herself slightly jealous, she'd never had a sister, or any sibling, the closest she had were the other girls at the brothel and they didn't exactly count. "If it were me I wouldn't let it go at just that Teodor. I've never had siblings and I don't think I'd want to let them go without a fight." She sighed, "But it's your life, not mine, you must do what you think is best I guess."
Korriban nods at Lantressa's statement. "Agreed. I mean, when Lidda and I had any troubles between us, we'd always try to forgive each other. I wouldn't know what would happen if I didn't have my sister."
Korriban looks at everyone gathered. "Okay. So we got a swim tomorrow. We're going to be provided with potions to help us breathe. Do you think we should scout out the area? Maybe find a good place to start from. Check out guard patrols or even those Maidens and Doctors? Because I doubt they'd let us swim out there. Also, I think we should try and find some things that can help us swim." He scratches his head. "Also, depending on what we find, we may need to bring this up to Kroft. She'd want to know."
Lantressa was thoughtful as she considered Korriban's suggestions and finally said, "I don't know that scouting the area will help us all that much, I mean we can't very well go underwater to scout can we? As for a good place to enter we should ask Eries when she meets us with the potions, it wouldn't surprise me if her people have a good place to begin our efforts from unseen by prying eyes. Obtaining equipment to help us swim could be quite beneficial but does anyone have any ideas on what we should get?" It wasn't long after she finished speaking that her face lit up with an idea, her tail began to lash side to side with more energy than normal as she said, "It might be wise to leave what we have found out so far for Kroft, say as a message or letter that is to be delivered if we don't return. It will at least give them a starting point should we die in what we're about to attempt."
Korriban looks at Lantressa. "When I said that we should check out the area, I was leaning more towards patrol routes. Given that the city is becoming more and more strict, we may want to keep an eye on that. However, if Eries knows more about that and can help us remain unnoticed, then I'm okay with that."
When the subject of equipment for swimming comes up, Korriban scratches his chin. "Well, I believe that there's some type of swimming shoes or things that help you float. We may need to do some looking."
At Lantressa's suggestion of sending a letter to Kroft, Korriban snaps his fingers and smiles. "Hey, that's not a bad idea!" He then begins to search the room from paper and a writing instrument. He then comes up with some type of encrypted note explaining what they have found out and what they plan to do, making sure that only Kroft would get it. He signs it as 'Ser K.B.'. All the while, he thinks out to Majenko, 'Hey, Majenko. Could you come over here? We have a message we would like you to deliver.' He then passes the quill around, having the others sign it as well.
My associates and I hope to catch you in fine spirits. We wish, as your closest friends, to inform you that we've heard some troubling things. That a black sailed ship was sunk in the harbor. That strange boxes are washing up on shore. And that only days after, a disease hits the city. Very horrifying news. We are hoping to get a better view of where that ship was sunk. See if it's still visible and if anything had come from it afterwards. We're hoping to visit you afterwards to catch up and discuss old times, if you have the time.
Sincerely your friends,
Ser K.B.
Majenko arrives a few minutes after Korriban calls him. Rain's nofun, no no no! Good day for staying under window ledges! He takes the message willingly enough, turning it over and examining it in his tiny clawed hands. Okie-dokes, Korriban-friend, taking this to Kroft lady. She is a niceone, gave me meat last time! I take it now?
With that out of the way, you turn your brains to anything that might help you underwater...but aside from making sure you have light, air, and one or two more exotic purchases, you can't think of anything.
Korriban is surprised that he forgot the fact that it was raining. "Oh, Majenko! I'm so sorry! I forgot about the rain! Here!" He then takes off his coat and (carefully) places it on the table for Majenko to stand on. He then tries to find something warm to help dry the pseudodragon off. He finds a towel and brings it back, carefully drying Majenko. When Majenko asks about taking the message now, Korriban says, "You can take it now. But, remember, if the rain is going to be a problem for you, then you don't have to go."
The little pseudodragon rubs himself against the towel and makes a noise almost like purring as Korriban rubs him down. All good, Korriban-friend! Rain's nofun, but no hurt either! With a cheerful little chirp, the tiny dragon gathers himself and launches back out of the open window into the dark, drizzly day.
The next few hours are unpleasant, as the four of you squelch about Korvosa in the rain, checking to see if there's anything useful. It takes some time, but you do eventually find one shop down on the docks--more of a shack, really--that apparently caters to oyster-divers. The surly, one-eyed proprietor, wearing a cloth over his nose and mouth to ward off disease, pulls out a stack of what he calls "flippers," odd shoe-like things that have a wide, broad surface. You can see how wearing them might help you swim more quickly, at least. Apparently not confident of being able to charge more for them--they're not exactly useful in fighting the plague--the grouchy man only asks for a single silver shield per set.
-----
Moonday, 14th of Rova, 4708
-----
The miserable drizzle continues into the next day without showing any sign of letting up, but as you make your way to the meeting place, you all notice more people out on the streets. Perhaps it's the fact that it's no longer a weekend, or perhaps people have just gotten used to the rain, but the streets seem slightly more active...though all the people move about with their heads down. The one-two punch of plague and rain has done a lot to weaken the town's spirits.
Eries Yelloweyes meets you once more at Lancet Street, and pulls a rag-wrapped bundle from her cloak. "Potions allowing you to breathe under the river, as promised," she says. "I can show you where the ship went down, as well, if you'd like."
Korriban smiles at Majenko as he purrs and says his piece. He watches as the pseudodragon flies off. While out shopping, Korriban sees something that catches his eye. A small shop. Entering and learning more about the swim fins, Korriban is very interested and buys a set, realizing that this is what he needs to help overcome his inability to swim.
The next day, Korriban hurries to 3 Lancet through the drizzle. He meets up with the others and Eries. When she pulls out the potions and suggests that she can show them where the ship sunk, Korriban nods and says, "Sure. That would be very helpful." He begins digging in his pockets for the coin. He manages to count out 3 crowns and 270 sails. However, he frowns. "S**t. I only have 300 gold. I need 75 more. Hold on a second."
Eries shrugs. "I'll not begrudge you some small amount of gold, when already you've done so much for us," she says, pressing the potion into your hands. "If you're ready, follow me, and I'll show you where the ship went down."
The wererat takes you through the threadbare streets, and leads you to the docks. There are few people around, probably thanks to the rain; she points out over the dark water that flows sluggishly below leaden skies. "There," she says, "just north of where we stand, and near the middle o' the stream." She glances back at you, her jaundiced eyes wary. "I don't reckon I've any idea what you'll find there, but...whatever it turns out to be, I wish you luck." Giving you a firm nod, she departs and leaves you all to your investigation.
Samarith chants a few words, and touches his temples, then lifts each potion vial one by one. "These four potions are identical curatives--moderate strength. This bottle," he picks it up and runs his fingers over the glyphs, "is a minor magical tool called an 'eversmoking bottle.' Unstoppering it will create a voluminous cloud of smoke. And this..." He frowns as he stares at the dagger. "I'm not sure what this one is, exactly. It radiates magic, but not of a kind I've seen before...I'd guess that it's just enchanted to strike true, but that's just a guess. It's a strange blade." He blinks, and you realize that the pupils in his eyes had disappeared--they return now, as he shrugs.
"That's all I can tell you, I'm afraid. Tell you what--since I can't guarantee the blade, I'll give you back 10 sails. Seems only fair."
Before Eries shows up, Korriban explains to everyone each of the magic items he got identified. He also shares what happened when Samarith looked over the dagger.
Korriban smiles at Eries as he hands her 270 sails and 3 crowns. "Thanks. I owe you one." He takes a potion and moves with the group. When Eries points out the sight of the ship, Korriban nods. "Thanks, Eries. For everything." When she leaves, Korriban sits down and begins to swap out his boots for the swim fins. When he's finished, he stands up and begins to awkwardly penguin walk to the water. He draws his rapier and pulls out the potion. He turns to the others. "We all ready to go?"
"CANNONBALL!"Teodor yells as he jumps into the water.
Korriban smiles at Teodor as the priest jumps in. "Hey! Wait for me!" He makes sure his more flammable items won't get wet and jumps right in.
As you all swim down through the murky waters of the Jeggare River, you find Eries's potions taking effect: you can breathe with ease, despite the silt (and, you know, the water). Since you know where the mysterious ship sank, it doesn't take you long to find the wreckage. After just twenty minutes of swimming, the hulking skeleton of the ship looms up at you from the river floor.
Obvious scars from fire and trebuchet mark the ship's broken hull, which now lies in two pieces, split by an outcropping of stone. The bow has fallen to one side and lies bowsprit-down in the silty bottom, revealing two decks inside that yawn like open mouths. The larger stern part seems to have cleaved to the rocks as it fell, although a hole--probably from a trebuchet stone--has been punched directly into the side of the hull in one place. The interior offers no visibility as far as you can see.
Lantressa had come prepared for the day, she'd looked through her equipment to decide what she absolutely needed to have and decided that her pack and cloak needed to be left in a safe place. She arrived at the appointed place and took the pair of the swim fins she'd picked up the day before, putting them on her feet, before unclasping her cloak. The cloak slithered from her body just as Korriban jumped into the water and so he missed the fact that underneath it she was wearing almost nothing. A couple of pieces of cloth that covered her breasts and her more private areas were all, each cloth attached to strings that held it all in place and did little to cover more than the bare minimum for decency sake. Now clad in the equivalent of a string bikini with a thin belt holding a few potion bottles and her hair done up in a bun secured by her headband and a pair of sticks the sorceress swallowed the contents of the bottle Eires brought them and then jumped into the water after her companions as gracefully as she could.
Once in the water she began to swim as gracefully as she could. It wasn't something she had learned as a child as the waters around Kenabres could never be trusted to remain demon free for long. Beneath the waves she had no trouble seeing, whenever the light became too dim she was still left with the black and white vision she always used in darkness. It only let her see just so far but it was far better than anything else she could come up with. While it was awkward at first she began to get the feel of using the fins and her arms to guide herself, at least enough to manage for the moment anyway.
Under the water, Korriban notices that it is way too dark. He digs through one of pockets, pulls out a sunrod, and, using his drawn rapier, lights it. He takes a look around and makes note of the locations of his allies. However, when he looks at Lantressa, he takes a double take. His jaw drops and his face goes incredibly red. He moves his eyes away and looks around the area.
Apparently, the images of Lantressa he just witnessed is slightly distracting him.
He notices that Lantressa had her hair up. Taking not that he still has his ponytail, he clenches his rapier in his teeth and quickly (attempts) to put his long hair up.
With Teodor swimming gamely alongside, the three of you make good time. Korriban manages to wrap his hair up without too much difficulty, and peering through the gloom you realize that you'll have to decide which half of the shattered ship to explore first.
It's obvious to Korriban that the stern half is much larger, although it has less obvious access--the hole in the side seems to be the only way in (or at least, the only one you can see from above). I'd you had to bet on which half had more to explore, the stern seems like the likelier choice.
Korriban gets his friends' attention and points to the stern, showing that they should start with the stern.
Lantressa was actually enjoying herself, she'd never truly been swimming before and she found that it was a lot of fun, especially if you didn't have to worry about breathing. She caught Korriban's motions and nodded then began to swim in the indicated direction.
Korriban follows Lantressa, keeping an eye out for danger.
"Breathing water feels weird. I've got to do this on hallucinogens some day!"
The three of you swim slowly through the murky water down to the hole bashed in the ship's stern--probably the result of the trebuchet you heard was launched against the ship. The silence of the water is unnerving--you're not used to hearing so little, especially coming from the city above. As the hole looms before you, Korriban goes first, bearing the light, followed by Lantressa and then Teodor.
The pearly light of the sunrod lights up a large room, perhaps 75 feet long and with what was once a 15 foot ceiling (which now means it's fifteen feet wide). Murky water flows easily through this debris-cluttered hold. Loose timbers, small fish, and dozens of identical boxes float eerily in the quiet darkness. Just as Korriban lifts the sunrod to get a better look at the area, you hear a muffled thumping noise from the far end of the room, beyond the thick mast that runs from "wall" to "wall" and a narrow wooden staircase that runs sideways through the chamber. Just beyond the range of the sunrod's light, you see a 5' long shark, mottled blue and yellow, butting its head repeatedly against a closed door--and then it turns toward you, malice in its glittering black eyes!
As the shark begins to swim toward you, you all leap (er, swim?) into action!
Initiative
Our heroes<----
Shark
Combat Map
Don't forget that you're underwater!
Shark: HP: 42 | AC/T/FF: 18/12/16 | Fort +8 Ref +6 Will +4 | CMD 19 | has evasion
Miraculously, Korriban manages to keep summing well. He's in shock as he sees the shark. "Shark! Shark! There's a f**king shark!" He then musters his courage and narrows his eyes at the shark. He then swims forward a bit, letting the light from his sunrod illuminate the area better. He readies himself for when the shark comes to attack them, ready to strike at the creature with his rapier.
Teodor giggles. "Perfect predator, meet the Lord's fishie." Teodor summons an octopus ...FROM BEYOND.
Korriban swims slowly forward, readying himself for a strike against the shark. Teodor begins to cast a spell, but the motions interfere with his attempt to stay afloat, and, still casting, he sinks slowly toward the floor of the ship.
Initiative
Korriban, Teodor, Lantressa<----
Shark
Shark: HP: 42 | AC/T/FF: 18/12/16 | Fort +8 Ref +6 Will +4 | CMD 19 | has evasion
Lantressa saw the giant fish, and then saw all of those teeth, and realized she did not want bit by that monster. As a consequence she did the easiest thing to help with. She cast her spell, a strange feeling underwater, and when she finished her form became blurred and somewhat indistinct. She hoped this would be enough to prevent herself from becoming this monstrosities next meal.
Lantressa, form blurring, descends to the bottom of ship's hull alongside Teodor.
The shark, meanwhile, streaks forward and charges Korriban! Korriban tries to stab at it as it closes with him, but he only lands a glancing blow that fails to score the shark's tough hide. The young man manages to twist away at the last minute, and the shark's jaws snap down like a steel trap just inches from his boot!
As Teodor's spell completes, some...thing...that can be called an octopus, because it has eight tentacles, appears on the far side of the shark. It wraps its tentacles around the shark's body, causing the creature to writhe and snap at the new annoyance, though its beak isn't able to find purchase on the shark's hide.
Initiative
Korriban, Lantressa, Teodor<----
Shark
Shark: HP: 42 | AC/T/FF:
Lantressa,seeing the great fish try to bite Kerrigan, gasped in shock. She was relieved that it missed him and was horrified when the octopus...thing, attacked. Fortunately it was obviously on their side and so she sent a volley of arcane force in to help injure the creature.
Korriban is a little afraid as the shark almost makes a meal out of his leg. "Too close! Too close!" He tries stabbing at it again, using Teodor's space octopus as a flanking partner.
Lantressa's magical bolts of force blast into the shark, which still thrashes in its attempts to divest itself of the octopus. Korriban, taking advantage of the distraction, scores its hide with his blade while Teodor continues chanting, below.
The shark, writhing, manages to sink its jaws into the body of the octo-thing as it twists around. There's a great gout of blackish, bubbling blood, but the creature from beyond hangs on tenaciously, continuing to distract the creature.
The shark continues to struggle against its alien foe...
Initiative
Korriban, Lantressa, Teodor<----
Shark
Octopus at 6/17 hp.
Yvicca shows up at the END of her turn (top of round) next round.
Shark: HP: 28 | AC/T/FF: 18/12/16 14/8/12 | Fort +8 Ref +6 Will +4 | CMD 19 | has evasion | is grappled
With the success of her first one Lantressa sent another series of bolts slamming into the shark. She hoped it wouldn't take long to kill as she couldn't keep this up all day.
Korriban once again stabs at the shark!