Skaar frowns at the news but nods in understanding.
The big orc returns to his spot and plops down.
The night proceeds uneventfully. The sounds of waves crashing upon the shore drowns out the carpentry work. The sun rises, casting a purplish pink glow upon the sand. The paladins have set the boat into the water, waiting for all who would dare to climb aboard.
Skaar climbs into the vessel without a second thought and stretches in preparation for the conflict to come.
”Come on. We got a shark to kill.”
Climbing in, Harakhty felt uneasy. He didn't care to rely on such vehicles - carts or cogs alike. He tolerated the larger ships so far as a necessity, but this seemed a bit more restrictive. Hardly anywhere to move around, there was, and the thought of going out to meet a vicious beast didn't make matters better. He knew the basics of swimming from spear-fishing in the rivers of his home, but he'd never swum in the open water of a sea or ocean. It was a little frightening, even if he would be able to tread water.
He sits next to one of the oars, ready to help Skaar row.
Before turning in for the night, Aurelea asks Oblivion more about her "sisters" and how the mystic blade expected to find other such blade bearers. After arising with the dawn and preparing her mind and body to draw upon her combat magic, she got onto the boat, sitting at the front, ready to meet the terrible beast.
Cyna wasn't to thrilled about getting on another boat considering how the last one ended up, but she boarded nonethelss.
"Let's get this over with and find our mage before were too late." Cyna says while making sure her weapons are firmly in place.
Oblivion shares little else about Aurelea's "sisters", time and distance affecting its memories, but promises to share what it knows when you have crossed the bay. In the morning, you all board the ship, followed by Alethiro and four paladins who take up the rowing duties. The boat looks more life a flat platform, a raft, as you set off into the deadly waters. It only takes a few minutes before you see a rotted fin cutting through the water, approaching your group.
Initiative:
Round 1: Aurelea, Paladins, Skaar, Cyna, Harakhty, Alethiro, Shark
With the rocking of the boat, Harakhty wanted to be as mobile as possible when facing such a creature; he opted for his hand crossbow over the larger model.
He took his time to ready a shot. When the opportunity arrived, he took it.
The bolt fired uselessly into the water. This isn't going to be easy.
Skaar clenches his fists in preparation for the shark to get nearer.
"Wait for it..."
Cyna fires two arrows into the water as the monster draws near.
"Let's tear it a new one"
Alethiro stood in silence and listened. Death and back? Perhaps Pharasma sent you to aid me in my hunt. The next morning boarding the boat, he found himself thinking, I hope this monstrosity show itself, such abominations need to be destroyed. Seeing the rotted fin appear, the cleric raised his mace above his head, ready to bring it down upon the water and release Pharasma's grace upon the water.
Preparing for what would come next, Aurelea quickly chants a spell, bringing a shimmering shield of energy up facing the water.
Aurelea protects herself with a spell as the paladins draw their longswords. Skaar tenses in anticipation of the shark's approach, as Cyna and Harakhty fire arrows at the massive beast. Cyna's arrow embeds in the shark's head, causing some damage.
P1 hp: 3
A great thrashing tail rises out of the water, flying towards one of the paladins.
;
The paladin takes a solid blow to the chest and nearly falls overboard, but he manages to keep his footing.
"It's still too far out for our swords!" the battered paladin shouts.
You note that this zombie isn't as hindered as some of the others you have encountered.
Round 2: Aurelea, Paladins, Skaar, Cyna, Harakhty, Alethiro, Shark
”Row!” Skaar barks at one of the paladins. ”We gotta get in there!”
Once the beast came into range, the Elf shouted, "By the grace Pharasma, I shall purge you from this world!" Bringing down the mace caused a ripple of white energy to splash over the creature.
The paladins, startled by the orc's command, quickly take up their oars, while the injured neophyte cedes his position to Skaar. The raft quickly comes up next to the shark, who lashes out at the injured paladin with a vicious bite.
;
The shark's teeth pierce through the young paladin's armor and flesh with disturbing ease, quickly swallowing the morsel. Blood paints its rubbery flesh, it's dead eyes scanning for its next target.
Round 2: Aurelea, Paladins, Skaar, Cyna, Harakhty, Alethiro, Shark
The shark takes some damage from Alethiro's energy, but not as much as he would have hoped.
Skaar growls as a young warrior is torn to bits in front of him.
Pulling the oar from the water, the big orc uses it to fend the beast off while his allies prepare attacks.
Aurelea focuses mentally calling upon Oblivion to deliver a lethal blow, the sword morphing to a wicked serrated edge.
.
Confirmation
Aurelea cuts into the shark. Without delay, two of the paladins join her on the left side of the raft to attack the shark.
;
;
The paladin next to Aurelea lands a spectacular blow, weakening the shark greatly. Skaar makes small thrusts at the shark with the oar, further agitating it.
Round 2: Aurelea, Paladins, Skaar, Cyna, Harakhty, Alethiro, Shark
This creature truly frightened Harakhty. Its size earlier concealed by the waters, the serrated maw of the shark able to swallow a man whole was nothing to be trifled with. Better sense would have had him reach for his more appropriately-sized weapon, but fear has a way of keeping sense at bay.
He fired when the beast emerged once more.
Cyna takes a better position on the raft and fires two more arrows at the flailing beast.
Cyna's arrow catches the gullet of the beast, sending it into its death throes. It quivers and shakes for a moment before vomiting forth a sizable black stone, similar to the one that Ixen had around his neck. The shark quickly begins to fall apart, rotten chunks falling beneath the water's surface. As the last of the shark's carcass fades from view, the water changes appearance, taking on a more healthy hue.
The paladins quickly take up their oars again, wasting no time getting to the mainland. They fire a flare to signal those at the lighthouse, but a deafening roar from the fort seems to stop any movement on the small island. Wisps of black smoke rise from the structure, sending a small sense of dread through those who have been there.
The paladins look at the stone sitting on the raft, eager to be away from it, unsure of what to do with it. They look to you, their uncertainty evident.
Skaar leans in and sniffs the thing.
"What the hell is it", he asks of his more knowledgeable allies. "I don't know a lot 'bout sharks but I don't think they're supposed to have big black stones inside 'em."
"You've seen things like this before?" he grunts at the paladins.
The paladins shake their heads.
"It's full of negative energy," one of them says.
"Perhaps it's some sort of necromantic undead heart-stone? The source of it's un-life?" Cyna asks while she wipes away some of the paladins blood. "That could have gone better."
"If it's full of negative energy, it might be a bad idea to walk into a necromancer's fortress with it, but then again it may be useful if Drago needs patching up."
"Can you use it for somethin' Aurelea?", Skaar asks while further studying the stone. "Somethin' magical?"
"I would recommend not even touching it. No telling what it might do. Besides, I don't want anything like that near the things I'm hunting." Alethiro interjected.
Skaar glowers at the elf.
”If Drago’s hurt we’re gunna need a way to help him. Normal healin’ magic doesn’t work on his kind. You got a way to fix him?”
"What do you mean, 'his kind' orc?" The Elf asked.
Skaar offers a confused expression.
”You know… pale. Likes his food warm. Covers up in the sunlight…”
'Oblivion, could this stone be used to heal those infused with negative energy as far as you know?'
"Well who doesn't like warm food? And maybe if he didn't cover up so much, he wouldn't be pale."
Skaar back peddles as he realizes Altherio may not know as much about Drago as he’d assumed.
”Look, Drago’s special – that’s all you gotta know. This rock, as evil and scary as you say it is, might be able to help ‘im. If you do anything to threaten it – or him – I’ll break your scrawny neck. You got it?”
With a nod Cyna adds "He could probably do it with just his thumb too."
Gathering up the remains of the cloak of the paladin killed by the shark, Aurelea picks up the stone without touching it herself.
"It's settled, we're taking it. If it doesn't prove helpful, we destroy it later."
Looking at Skaar for a few moments, the Elf seemed to be contemplating something. "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you." The Cleric then took a step closer to the warrior, put his face a few inches from Skaar's, looked him straight in the eye and said, "Orc." Then stepped back.
Alethiro's stunt with Skaar didn't go unnoticed by Harakhty - he'd much felt the same way upon meeting him. However, their drama paled in comparison to the stone. He poked at it with his quarterstaff.
"Lighter than it looks. I'm sure it will prove worth something - if not to Drago or Ixen, then some merchant somewhere."
Skaar grunts dismissively at the elf's defiance and pulls a rag from his pack. He wraps up the stone and stows it in his pack. The big orc looks to the paladins.
"Enough about that. Let's keep movin'."