The little elemental beasts behind the devilfish harry it, and one actually lands a sound strike on its thick hide. The creature hisses around the massive morsel of Belliott in his mouth.
If Belliot falls, we are doomed.
Dodging the beasts' waving tentacles, Jack moves in close and slashes at the tentacles grasping Belliot; without waiting to see whether he freed Belliot, Jack spins and swings his sword in a lethal arc to deal the beast another wound.
Jack readies himself to deal with any counterattack.
a -2 penalty may apply
abandoning all concern for his safety, Belliott hacks at the offending tentacle
Drop Him
Belliott, Smelly-a-lot.
Don't taste good,
Gots a razor, cuts a lot.
Ain't fish food.
He Drops you
Tap frustrated at his ineffectivenesses, lifts his bow and aims two arrows into melee, deadeye.
Jack strikes true, slashing through two tentacles before thudding into the beast's maw. The creature screeches out in rage, and releases its hold on Belliott. The big barbarian stumbles out and away from the creature, as its thick, inky blood splashes out onto the cavern floor.
Belliott roars in rage and defiance, then slams his axe at home in the creature's torso, digging into it in a deep wedge. The creature roars and thrashes, throwing its tentacles about in a frenzy. Then, Tap's two arrows thud into its open gullet. The creature falls into the water with a lifeless splash.
Tap sighs in relief, but casts an eye on Belliott who's bulging muscles seem to droop with some internal fatigue.
Well, damn. Didn't come here to hunt big beasties like this one.
Take off a slab of this Beastie, Jack. We'll be hungry soon enough.
Tap looks south, past Rush's water elementals. Well, let us go that way. But first, Belliott needs to be attended
I'll send the elementals to scout for as long as they can (only get them for a few seconds) while I try to heal Belliot.
Rush moves over towards Belliot with his hands up and palms facing out. Hey there buddy, you okay? Calmed down? Okay with some healing?
Presuming he allows it, Rush will cast cure moderate wounds on Belliot.
big beastie...... thanks......
Belliott, that Beastie poison you, did he?
If Belliott is poisoned, Rush does indeed have something. Anti-Toxin. Bought some with starting gold. Gives a +4 to an ongoing save. Rush will fish it out of his pack (get it? fish. since we're in the water) and hand one over to Belliott.
Drink this. It tastes terrible, but it will help.
Its not even magic, Belliott Tap smirks
The elementals head south to search out enemies, and come back unharmed before they disappear. Apparently, there was nothing in that direction that would cause them harm.
The elementals didn't find anything....also, they are very unhappy I summoned them. Apparently, they were busy....doing other things let's say. So I may not summon Lightning elementals anymore.......They're mean.
Well where there's trouble is where I don't want to go. At least until I've had a breather. But maybe there is treasure there. Can't hurt to finish up exploring these caverns, though I suspect our friends, or the eaten remains of them are up yonder other way.
Agreed. Let us go to the Octopuses garden to see what we may find.
Kerruk glowers at Jack's gloomy prognosis, then starts moving toward the south. Let us go.
The tunnel to the south opens into a wider cavern decorated with hundreds of leering skeletal parts, wriggling with worms. Four dark circular openings exit the chamber - one in each direction...one being the opening that you came from to the north.
Among the distended skeletal jaws decorating the walls is a dull metal bracelet snagged upon a jawbone. It does radiate magic.
Tap looks about for traps, the ceiling in particular, then scans the room for treasure.
Jack interreupts Tap's meandering, and says You know. I think that Kerruk does not appreciate me, Tap.
What's that, you said? A magic bracelet?
Encouraged by the discovery of the magic bracelet, Jack keeps looking for more loot.
Tap looks at the bracelet with interest.
Kerruk meanders over to Tap's side and inspects the bracelet as well.
Tap and Kerruk put their heads together to try and understand the properties of the bracelet...or bracer - it is one of a pair of Bracers of Archery. One would assume its twin is around here somewhere.
Oh these are useful...but usually come as a pair..hopefully there is another around here somewhere Tap looks about some more.
It doesn't seem as if there's anything else of worth in this small section of the cavern.
Ah, I've heard of those. Jack gives another quick look around for the other of the pair.
strength has taken a total of 4 hit
thanks for that, not too magic
Thinking about traps and such, Rush will cast two spells and then scan the room after each. Detect Magic and Detect Poison, both work in a 60 foot cone.
Well, I think the lesson in these caverns has been: its always worth looking. Too bad we never actually entered any of those dilapidated huts on the beach. Who knows what we may have found. The other bracer, perhaps?
Belliott recovers from the poison, his impressive metabolism combining with the potion to force his body back to normal.
Rush finds nothing, even with the assistance of his magic. Nor do Jack or Belliott, nothing save regrets that is.
what is that blue water like icon to the south of jack on the map? are those Rush's elementals?
Feeling down trodden about the lost bracer pair, Tap turns west.
All right, let's go in to that big central cave, boys.
Finally Kerruk's shoulders tighten. Surely they are here - and stars willing, still alive!
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.
Two figures hang from the ceiling above the churning water, bound hand and foot with thick strands of seaweed and sinew and weighted with heavy ingots of silver. Sandara kicks and struggles, her body covered in blood and grime but her eyes still clear. Rosie...poor little Rosie beside her is barely conscious. Significant chunks have been taken from her thighs, her stomach, her arms - bites, by the looks of them. Her eyes roll through the cavern, though whether or not they actually see anything is anyone's guess.
Two sounds come out when you enter the cavern - one is the desperate cry from Sandara. The second is a hungry scream, which comes from a hideous female Grindylow whose body is bedecked with human bones like a dress. She holds a terrifying harpoon, and has one clawed hand on the other end of the ropes that hold up her struggling captives.
Another form rises out of the bubbling soup in the center of the cauldron - a grindylow grown beyond normal proportions. Huge and blubbery, the creature rises out of the water, fully three times the size of any grindylow seen before.
With a hideous, hissing laugh, the female grindylow cuts through the ropes.
Although Kerruk is completely mystified as to the nature of the threat, he nonetheless rallies quickly, pointing his hand at the pool's edge, elbow locked, face grim. His eyes glow with the baleful radiance of red stars shrouded by fog.
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Tada!!
Tap runs out shouts!
My queen! Yer Succulency in Honey
I was expect'n you to be fair, and sightly,
To be praised from afar, tasted nightly.
The seas' delight, Taptap was promised,
Lasciviously, down his ornery gullet.
But Oh, ye 'ol Royal Bones and Clacks,
Surprised I was, finding you prepared thusly
So I thought: look at her flesh, just a bit more closely
Disabused of any notions, I saw
Yer flesh ain't fit for a slaw
Too spiny, too scaled, too craw.
Indeed, Were you peppered and boned?
I'd never knowed.
And I sees you below, in a bowl,
the grisliest of stews, I ever knewed
with a bit of shhite and a bit of shat,
Just like number nine, at X-eyed Jack's
the Sailor's Sailorest Diner.
Did the cook know what she was doin?',
The queen's bitsies look like they'd take some chewin'
yer sushi is too dank,
yer tetes fried too crispys.
If I ates you,
surely I's 'll 'ave the shhitsies.
But I sees you below, in a bowl,
in the grisliest of stews, I ever knewed
with a bit of shiite and a bit of shat,
Just like number nine, at X-eyed Jack's
the Sailor's Sailorest Diner.
Dmg=1 (+dc10 Fort save or lose...
The varicoloured amphibian leaps valiantly - if a frog can be valiant - at the tentacled nightmare in the pool, little jaws snapping furiously.
Before Jack rushes off, Rush will cast ant haul on him, increasing his carrying weight to help him save the captives. Rush will then use his move action to launch himself back into invisibility (still has 3 minutes of it left for today) and remind everyone that he is almost out of juice.
(used 1 panache for derring-do on swim)
Jack rushes forward, more quickly than anyone could have guessed. He plunges into the water, causing the queen to glance down, brows furrowed in surprise, and the giant grindylow to gurgle out a roar and look down into the water.