Isaac is shocked as the dolphins finish off the monster. He stares at them. "That's it. When I be gettin' a ship, th' figurehead will be dolphins. Tough littl' guys." He smiles when Arhiel brings up the bracelet. He looks at the three directions and sighs. "Wher' to go, wher' to go."
"The bracers is half of a pair designed to improve one's archery skills. It will only work though if we can find the other half of the pair."
She sighs as the dolphins disappear after a brief time... "Well, they were useful while we had them...I can only summon 2 more for the day - or cast other perhaps useful spells. I hope we don't run into too many more such creatures as that demon squid."
Edward nods at Isaac's statement.
"That would a pretty figure head. Plus, dolphins are known to be intelligent and sometimes helping drowning people."
Alabaster was in the middle of a lunging strike with his cutlass, a devout prayer to Besmara bellowing from his mouth, when the dolphin dropped the people's elbow on the demon squid.
Wha--, I mean, how... A dolphin be killin' tha thing? Color me impressed, lass. It be seemin' yer spells be a bit more then ye be giving yerself credit fer, Arhiel.
The young priest sheathes his blade and reloads his pistol.
Nice find on them bracers. Mayhaps one o' us can find tha other, an' be usin' em?
"Creatures of da sea always bein our friends, dis one thinks. Be movin on, too."
Jesal gestures with his spear.
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Isaac scratches his chin. "I be sayin' we go wes'."
The western passage slopes steeply downward, and you can hear churning water below you. As you creep forward, you find yourself standing at the lip of a far greater cavern...
Hundreds of remains float in this large bowl of water, which churns with bones, scraps of flesh, and the carcasses of strange, almost alien fish. Just visible through the roiling stew are humanoid bodies floating in the water, wan corpses drifting near the bottom of this cauldron like sleeping guardians.
There are other humanoid figures here, too, though: bound and hanging from the ceiling, with heavy silver ingots tied to their feet, are a very bloodied and worn, but still conscious, Sandara Quinn and Giffer Tibbs!!
As you approach, though, you hear a scream of...well, it sounds like hunger, and you see a many-legged, grinning female grindylow in the water. She brings the harpoon she wields down on a kelp rope, and there's a snapping sound as your friends plummet toward the water!
Alabaster, Edward, and Isaac leap forward!
Initiative
Alabaster, Edward, Isaac<----
Foes
Jesal, Arhiel
Alabaster shouts at the sight of his crewmates floating amongst the body parts.
Ye'll be payin' fer this! No one hurts any o' me crew an' lives! Me Queen! Bless me now, an' be 'elpin' me strike down tha beasts tha' seek ta harm yer followers!
He pulls his pistol, the holy symbol dangling from the chain on the grip glowing with a bright crimson light, and takes aim, firing one loud, resounding shot.
There be another one in tha water! Tha biggest damned one yet!
---------------------------------------------------------
Blessings Remaining: 3/4
Fervor Remaining: 2/3
Edward's eyes turn very angry, at the sight of his romance being plummeted into the depths.
Starting a tale about the delights of sushi, Edward grabs his rapier.
Isaac curses as the thing drops Sandara and Giffer into the deep. He hears Alabaster's warning. He knows he's beat up. He turns to Jesal. "Think ye can th' hidden big one to o'r sid'?" He moves a bit and stares hard at the female... thing. He shouts in Aquan. "I be Isaac Sliv'rman'. I be blessed by Besmara, th' Pirat' Queen! I be a child o' th' sea! Ye cannot be stoppin' me or me crew! Now, cower! Cower before' th' migh' o' my lineag'!"
The grindylow on the far side blinks when Isaac speaks in Aquan, that starts making a low burbling sound. You realize that she's laughing.
"Thankho pen seuosai pathabchai?" she sneers. "Khaphachao laeluksai khongkhaphachao daihabphon duanyoanad khongaem keoa khong sad dia lasan tonoengdai. Naipadchuban khohaihao boengsing leuod nyangkhongthan nae penmunkha to va!" As she finishes speaking, Alabaster fires at her, causing her to shriek in pain. Glaring, she raises one hand, drawing a twisted, bleached-white stick of driftwood, and begins chanting something!
As she does so, there's a rush of water as the biggest grindylow any of you have ever seen surges out of the water and lunges at Alabaster. Its tentacles whip at least a man's height out from its body, and if it were standing it would be at least eight feet tall. Alabaster jumps backward, but not quickly enough; the huge beast's jaw closes on his arm and, jerking its head, the grindylow drags him into the water, wrapping its tentacles around him!
Initiative
Alabaster, Isaac, Edward
Foes
Arhiel, Jesal<----
Female: HP: 18 (no cold damage) | AC/T/FF: 17/13/15 | Fort +4 Ref +3 Will +9 (+4 vs. water spells and water/aquatic subtype abilities) | CMD: 16 (24 vs. trip)
Giant: HP: 31 | AC/T/FF: 15/9/15 | Fort +6 Ref +1 Will +3 | CMD: 18 (26 vs. trip)
Arhiel starts casting a spell...
"Dis one be thinkin it bein to strong for dis one's faith. Bein a bit more direct this one will be."
Jesal will cast aggressive thundercloud and leave it on the female one in the back.
electrical, Reflex Save DC16 to negate, provides concealment regardless.
The female grindylow shrieks and ducks as the thundercloud flies at her, barely avoiding being struck full-force by the blast. You can see her still within the cloud, the stick she drew glowing faintly.
Meanwhile, Sandara and Giffer, though struggling weakly, are beginning to sink beneath the water!
Initiative
Isaac, Alabaster, Edward
Foes
Jesal, Arhiel
Female: HP: 18 | AC/T/FF: 17/13/15 (has concealment, 20% miss chance) | Fort +4 Ref +3 Will +9 (+4 vs. water spells and water/aquatic subtype abilities) | CMD: 16 (24 vs. trip)
Giant: HP: 31 | AC/T/FF: 15/9/15 | Fort +6 Ref +1 Will +3 | CMD: 18 (26 vs. trip)
Alabaster sets his shoulders grimly, and tries to push off of the giant creature with his feet to break the grapple.
Edward, seeing both Alabaster and the women in danger, has an idea.
"Ai auzit cel despre grindylow și fecioara Tian Xia?
Se pare că de piatra sunt mai populare decât bărbații normali, le-am luat mai multe anexe pentru a le mulțumi cu."
[b]"Did you hear the one about the grindylow and the Tian Xia maiden?
It seems Grindylows are more popular than normal men, they've got more appendages to please them with."{/b]
'If' it works, Alabaster can hopefully pull the ladies back up.
Though Alabaster struggled mightily, he's unable to free himself (being disturbed by Edward's joke doesn't help). The big creature stares at Edward, just blinking stupidly. It clearly doesn't get the joke. It growls something in barely intelligible Aquan.
Issac glares at the female grindylow. He shouts in Aquan, "Very well! Let's do this!" He runs and dives into the water.
He decides to aid Alabaster. He brings his cutlass down on the large creature.
Unfortunately, he misses.
As Isaac dives into the water, he slashes his cutlass wildly, but it just rebounds off a tentacle. The big creature, meanwhile, roars and, distending its jaw, drags Alabaster, still shouting and clawing, into its maw. The jaws shut with a snap, and the creature swallows!
The female grindylow, meanwhile, cackles as her wand lets loose a burst of green light and an octopus appears in a swirl of bubbles in the midst of the cauldron. It swims downward and then up, trying to grab onto Isaac from below with its tentacles. The wily captain manages to evade both the new face of watery death and the writhing tentacles of the huge grindylow. The grindylow on the far side of the cave chortles, chants some words, and the seaweed on the pathway leading down to the cauldron writhes and seizes on Arhiel's limbs! Jesal and Edward manage to avoid the seaweed...for now.
Initiative
Isaac, Edward, Alabaster
Foes
Jesal, Arhiel <----
Female: HP: 18 | AC/T/FF: 17/13/15 (has concealment, 20% miss chance) | Fort +4 Ref +3 Will +9 (+4 vs. water spells and water/aquatic subtype abilities) | CMD: 16 (24 vs. trip)
Giant: HP: 31 | AC/T/FF: 15/9/15 | Fort +6 Ref +1 Will +3 | CMD: 18 (26 vs. trip)
Arhiel finishes her summoning spell and her first dolphin slams into the cackling wand-wielder...
Isaac tries to slash at the big guy again. "Let 'im go! Let 'im go! Let 'im go!"
Also - Arhiel starts casting again...
Alabaster sets his feet against the inside of the beast's stomach, and stabs viciously into flesh with his cutlass, dragging the blade down to create a gash long enough to escape out of.
Jesal leaves the cloud on the woman.
electrical damage, reflex DC16 negates
He then casts frost fall on the area occupied by the big grindylow.
cold damage plus Fort Save DC16 or be staggered one round. Take 1d6 cold for all that start their turn in the area for the next 1 round.
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Arhiel's magical dolphin appears in a burst of light, does a backflip, and slaps the grindylow right in the face! She shrieks in rage and turns toward the golden marine mammal. As she does, so, though, Jesal's thundercloud booms and she screams as a lightning bolt stabs into her. The grindylow slumps into the water, and slowly begins to sink. Her monstrous progeny bellows in rage, but is interrupted by Jesal's spell freezing the water around him--and then shrieks in pain as Alabaster's cutlass comes splitting out of his gut!!
Dimly, you can see Sandara and Giffer, who have sunk down to the bottom of the pool and are struggling violently against their bonds...and it looks like there's something else down there!
Initiative
Edward, Isaac, Alabaster (move action left)
Foes
Arhiel, Jesal
Female: HP: -3 | AC/T/FF: 17/13/15 (has concealment, 20% miss chance) | Fort +4 Ref +3 Will +9 (+4 vs. water spells and water/aquatic subtype abilities) | CMD: 16 (24 vs. trip)
Giant (staggered): HP: 1 | AC/T/FF: 15/9/15 | Fort +6 Ref +1 Will +3 | CMD: 18 (26 vs. trip)
Unable to maintain concentration in the entangle, Arhiel fumbles her spell and it's lost... she curses softly in Aquan... and then bites her lip to keep from crying...
Isaac sees the attacks of the others hit their marks. Knowing that Sandara and Giffer don't have much time, Isaac yells out, "Thos' o' ye who aren't busy, let's ge' 'em! Ther' be somethin' down ther'!" He holds his breath and dives down. He moves to avoid the big monster.
Edward spends this round's inspire on a special.
"Oh and you didn't like it, well too "
His last word sending a shock of force at the big grindy.
Edward snaps at the other grindy, producing a vocabulary that would even baffle Blackbeard into silence. As such...[redacted] :)
Alabaster bursts out of the creature's stomach, covered in ichor and bits of flesh, and turns, brandishing his cutlass.
As Alabaster bursts from the creature's stomach, Edward's last words form a rippling cone of force that smacks the biggest grindylow square in the face--its head snaps back, and it slumps into the water!
You don't have time to celebrate, though--through the churning chum, you can see Sandara and Giffer, sunk to the bottom, struggling against the creatures there, and blood floating up through the water! The octopus jets toward Isaac and tries to entangle him, but just can't find purchase...
Initiative
Isaac, Edward, Alabaster
Foes
Jesal, Arhiel<-------
Underwater: HP: 13 each | AC/T/FF: 8/6/8 | Fort +2 Ref +2 Will +5 | CMD: 14 | channel resistance +2
Sandara HP: 7 (CON 10) | Rds. breath remaining: 16
Giffer HP: -5 (CON 11) | Rds. breath remaining: UNCONSCIOUS
Arhiel directs her dolphin to charge the octopus...
She tries to free herself from the entanglement..
Jesal will cast slipstream and then move.forward and underwater as far as he can.
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As Arhiel struggles, her dolphin swims across the pool and rams into the octopus, which turns toward it in rage. Jesal summons a wave of water which, though it's slowed down by the writhing plant life the grindylow summoned, does successfully deliver him into the water. Below, you can dimly see Sandara struggling, though Giffer seems...awfully still.
Initiative
Isaac, Edward, Alabaster<----
Foes
Jesal, Arhiel
Lacedons HP: 13 each | AC/T/FF: 8/6/8 | Fort +2 Ref +2 Will +5 | CMD: 14 | channel resistance +2
Octopus HP: 7
Isaac stares as Giffer is still. He decides to go for her first. He immediately swims down towards her. 'Pleas', Besmara. Don't le' 'em perish. Not lik' Ranak.'
With the giant grindylow that ate him out of the way, Alabaster finally gets the opportunity to look towards Sandara and Giffer. Not liking what he sees, he cries out.
Giffs! Sandara! I be on me way!
With that, he dives, and attempts to use the power of Besmara to cast a healing spell on Giffer, who seems to need it the most.
Edward casts vanish, then tries diving as well, going for Sandara.
Edward winks out of existence, and Alabaster and Isaac dive into the depths, as you all struggle to save your friends! The octopus turns in rage toward the dolphin, and wraps its tentacles around its foe, sinking its beak into the cetacean's flesh. Below you, you can dimly see the two figures at the bottom of the pool resolving as ghouls--lacedons, in fact. They are (fortunately) manacled to the bottom of the pool, but even as you watch one manages to sink its teeth into Sandara's leg, and she stiffens as its venom courses through her! Giffer, meanwhile, is already unconscious and starting to choke...as you watch, the nearer ghoul snaps at her, just missing as it reaches the limits of its manacles and the currents pull Giffer away.
Initiative
Alabaster, Edward, Isaac
Foes
Jesal, Arhiel<-----
Lacedons HP: 13 each | AC/T/FF: 8/6/8 | Fort +2 Ref +2 Will +5 | CMD: 14 | channel resistance +2
Octopus HP: 7
Dolphin HP: 9
Sandara HP: 4 (CON 10) | Rds. breath remaining: 14
Giffer HP: -5 (CON 11) | Rds. breath remaining: UNCONSCIOUS
Jesal will move to within range of the women and channel.
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