Chloe shrugs. She sees pros and cons with both heading out now and getting a decent night's sleep.
Tekk adjusts his shoulders as he thinks. "I'd prefer a night of sleep, and to give our casters time to think about how they want to prepare. But I'm fine either way."
Gelphuul calls out once more in that burbling, indecipherable tongue and Lishfar swims into the sheltering fronds of the grotto without hesitation.
Time passes interminably, punctuated by the muted, orange pulses in the watery blue/green light and you begin to wonder if the trout-man is coming back before he finally emerges, fixing each of with with his inscrutable stare before bowing towards the obscured chamber.
Lishfar will show you where Qarxoosla lairs, and then return you to the town-man's ship. I hear your talk, and if you would have counsel, I would give it. Rest and prepare. Individually, the children of Qarxoosla are formidable. Together, they are deadly. They know how to hunt as a pack and will not hesitate to tear their prey apart.
As for the minnow's question, I do not think that the lights of our glow-worms will serve you well against the drakes or the worms that fester within them. You are welcome to take some an try though. I would ask that you return if you can, to tell me of your deeds, so that the tale may be sung to the roe for generations to come.
Tekk bows toward the voice, "We will return with word of our success, thank you for the advice and guidance."
"We'll to the surface, sleep and prepare, and be back after breakfast, then," says Sarusa with a watery grin. She nods at Morin's suggestion. "If we may trade some of your glow worms with the magic users above, we may be able to get some powerful light magics."
Take them, and may the Old Ones watch over you!
There are glowing lake slugs within easy grasp.
Lishfar hands you each several more sprigs of the mergil weed, then pantomimes putting more into his woven reed pouch before nodding at each of you. The fish-man leads you back into the winding, slug-lit tunnels of the Underwaters, gathering four compatriots along the way, silent, green, brown and iridescent scaled locathah with trout heads and inscrutable gazes.
The band leads you steadily upward, until you emerge from a sheltered overhang into the muck of the lake-bottom. The icthyian group pulls a great, heavy sled made of shells cunningly woven together into a stable, railed platform. Lishfar grasps a long, hooked stone-headed spear and cries out to the muck, which shakes and ripples, eventually revealing a gargantuan catfish with whiskers like hempen rope, flukes like a kite-shield, and a giant gaping maw. He swims forward with the goad, the fellows in tow, a long, thick harness trailing behind them. Lishfar gently strokes the leviathan until it submits to the harness, then secures the beast to the sled, and motions you to board.
Once you are safely on, he physically puts each of your hands on the rails, and forcibly returns them if you happen to take them off. Once underway, you can easily see why, as the speed of transport would be enough to leave you floundering should you release your grip. The fish churns the water behind it, buffeting you with waves as you hang on for dear life. As you ascend from the lightless depths, the dark recedes, and eventually you surface near the lake shore, in the rosy hues of dawn. The young sun rises across the waters, and you can see the steaming chimneys of Galduria to the northwest.
Grey rocks dot the shore below a small cliff that juts precariously over the lake, perhaps thirty feet above the water.
Lishfar points to the cliff and whispers out Qarxoosla.
"Oh," says Sarusa quietly.
"Lishfar, will you stay with us while we rest? Karo and I must sleep to renew our spells. We can venture in the afternoon."
Tekk peers at the cliff, trying in vain to see this Qarxoosla.
As his friends begin settling down, Tekk remains quiet, pondering the earlier encounter, and considering how best to approach this new foe.
"Yet a-again, the laundry has won..." Chloe announces jokingly, standing beside Tekkis in his deep thoughts.
"I know... I know I said I would, but thankfully most of the mud came o-off in the water." she comforts, as if someone other than herself cares that her friends are still in dirty clothes. "Though I highly recommend that we bundle up t-together, now... at least until the sun is all the way up, as we are... well... sopping wet."
She yawns and stretches. "There's a reason... we're not going back into town, I take it?"
Lishfar will show you where Qarxoosla lairs, and then return you to the town-man's ship.
Morin stares in amazement as the giant catfish is harnessed to the aquatic sled. He hangs on to the rails, wide-eyed with wonder, as they travel rapidly from the dark depths to the surface. Never imagined such a thing. Never in my wildest dreams.
After Lishfar shows them where the creature's lair is, Morin gulps nervously and says, "Right. Now we know where to go. Let's get back to town and do some thinking about the best way to approach this, maybe talk to the Academae folks a bit."
"Do... do you think they'll help, Morin? That other couple spoke of them like some sort of... bogeymen. Maybe that's just the d-distrust of magic, though. Oh, well... If we're going to, w-we'd best get going quickly."
"I'd say the best... the best way to approach this would be with one foot out the proverbial door... Have a distraction ready... M-maybe fog. Actually, if I had to boil it down to one question, what with the askance of scholars, it would be... whether or not these monsters can see through fog..."
She pulls an errant piece of algae off of the bridge of her nose and flings it in a random direction.
Tekk rumbles, "Well, hopefully, we won't have to fight the whole family at the same time. That would be trouble."
He glances at Chloe, "Good idea with the distraction. If it's possible, having a way to restrain our enemies would be helpful."
Lishfar nods once you have all seen the cliff, and goads the giant catfish back into motion. He keeps close to the surface, and travels at a much slower pace, often turning back to check on you, and as such, notices quickly when you first begin to cough and sputter as the water becomes anathema to your lungs, and you are no longer able to breathe the fluid. He quickly surfaces, watching impassively as you alternately gasp and retch out the lake waters that had so recently filled your lungs. As you recover from the purgative end of the mergil weed, he points out Scubber's ship in the distance, and approaches until he is just out of crossbow range. He takes each of your hands once, and presses one more dose of the plant that has allowed your passage and comfort under the waters to each of you, before fixing you once more with his inscrutable stare, and departing with his watery steed and shell-barge in tow.
Once he sees you paddling up, Scubber and his crew throw out ropes to ease your passage and drag you, waterlogged and fatigued from the long swim and the sleepless night back onboard the Shoreleave Queen.
Still gotcher nethers then? he asks with a slightly jocular strain in his otherwise snide question. I was about t'leave yeh t'yer new fishy friends, if ye weren'back afore the sun was o'er th'yardarm. But here y'are, hale and whole, if not a wee bit wet from yer travels. So we'll be headin' back ta port, unless y'got more sight seein' in mind, an'more gold ta pay fer't, a course, as ye only paid fer th'night cruise, and here it be daylight, an'well past dawn a'that! Heh!
As the hoary old sailor subjects you to his usual derision, the crew makes ready the sails and oars, and begins your journey back to Galduria.
Chloe wrings out her hair and shakes off some of the excess moisture on her person like a dog before settling into a spot on the boat to take a small nap.
"Right, Captain, back to shore and a hot breakfast."
Tekk settles in but refrains from sleeping. The attack by the serpent still fresh in his mind.
As the effects of the last dose of the magical water weed wear off, Morin climbs aboard Scubber's boat coughing and spluttering. He manages to restrain his fit long enough to say to the ragged ship's equally ragged captain, "But ye din't take us on no cruise, Scubber. Ye sat here at anchor and we had to swim. Why if it weren't for that big ol' catfish, we'd'a hardly gone anywhere at'all. I think you may owe us a refund."
At that, he coughs up a large lungful of water and some partially chewed weed, splattering the deck with it. He draws a deep breath of air as it was meant to be breathed, then says, "Here, cap'n, you'd better get that cleaned up. Deck needs swabbin'!"
He then goes and takes his place on a bench up against the rail of the Queen, takes another deep, contented breath, and promptly falls asleep.
No cruise! Scubber retorts with an over-exaggerated display of affrontedness. How d'ye think we got here, ye wee windbag!? Morin's suggestion that he swab the deck nearly sends the aged salt into a fit of apoplexy, but in his rage, Scubber does not seem to realize that Morin and Chloe have gone to sleep.
As the captain spews invective nearly as caustic as that which flowed from the water drake's mouth the previous evening, his crew remains quiet and goes about their work in a businesslike manner, tacking into the wind to set sail back for Galduria. They lean into their oar-strokes and the Shoreleave Queen comes as close as it ever will to flying back to port.
As the sun rises in its course and mid-morning approaches, you find yourselves back at the docks, which bustle with activity unseen when you last frequented these environs. The air is filled with shouts and grunts as stevedores maneuver cargo to and fro, captains and customs officials haggle with varying degrees of politeness, and fishermen unload the last of the morning's catch. The air is thick with the smell of pitch, sweat, fish and sun-bleached wood. It is civilization, in all its banal glory, and a far cry from the stillness beneath the waves of Ember Lake.
Over all, the hulking, greystone walls of the Twilight Academy stand guard, or perhaps threaten the town below, depending on your perspective.
Chloe rubs her eyes and rises to her feet, smiling at anyone nearby wistfully before grasping around for her equipment. She makes the point of following whomever takes charge of the situation.
"Karo needs sleep and I need an hour to meditate," says Sarusa matter of factly. "Those drakes had worms and acid, did they not? Perhaps we can purchase something to neutralize acid. I have a very simple light spell that I can cast repeatedly. We should plan carefully."
She heads to the inn without further ado.
"I think... w-we have to worry about all the elements, though." Chloe responds with a yawn, stumbling from the lack of coordination that comes from being woken up from a nap too early.
"And we should be more concerned with... you know, finding ways of-of keeping the drakes apart and confused. Or at least that give us a way out..."
"You're right, though... We need to rest... Hopefully there's... still going to be someone to see us at the academy when we're done."
Karo speaks as though he has been lost in thought for a long time. I can memorize my cantrip of light, but do you think that is powerful enough? The spell on my ioun torch is more powerful than the simple cantrip. Perhaps we should look into something more powerful, though I'm not sure we have the coin for it. A scroll with multiple castings of a spell to endure energy or elements should be affordable enough.
The Explorer's Arms proves to be quiet when you return. The familiar, sandy-whiskered innkeeper keeps his place behind the bar while the girl who served your meals last night desultorily mops the floor, audibly sighing when you tromp the muck of the lake and streets onto the wooden floors. A pair of merchants share a table and a meal, one attacking his plate with gusto while his counterpart slumps and rests his head on his hand, and stirs his porridge without much enthusiasm.
The innkeep raises his eyebrows slightly at your entrance and waves you over. I was wondering what happened to you lot. He takes in your rumpled clothes and haggard appearances, commenting, I'll send for the laundry service, and baths if you've a mind for 'em. Oh, an' someone from the Academy stopped by, left this for you.
He hands over a folded envelope of thick, creamy paper, sealed in black wax with a broken moon embossed thereupon.
Greetings, guests of Galduria. It has come to our attention that you have in your possession a magical object of unknown provenance and uncertain properties. For the safety and prosperity of all Galduria, residents and visitors alike, we humbly request your presence at the Twilight Academy as soon as is practicable. Please bring with you this Paradox Box, that we may study it and ensure that it does not pose danger to our fine community. We shall look forward to your company before evening falls.
Sincerely,
R Festwick
Liaison for Public Affairs
"A bath... and laundry service... would be lovely."
Chloe gives a sparkling grin to the innkeeper's left. Probably because the prospect of clean laundry excites her to no end. She waits her turn to look at the envelope with squinting effort.
"What's a paradox box?" she asks quietly, trudging to the room.
Morin is briefly puzzled at the notion of laundry and baths, and Chloe's excitement about them, "But, Clo, we've just gone for a swim, and kept our clothes on while we were at it! We're bound to be cleaner than when get got to this place! Right, Tekk?" He pauses a moment, then says quietly to the towering half-orc, "Hmmm, I guess there was the whole drake spit thing. Maybe you'll want ta get that cleaned up, eh? Even after our swim? What the heck, they can wash my clothes too."
After reading the contents of the fancy envelope, far nicer than any package Morin can recall ever receiving, he says, "Perfect! It's like a following wind on an incomin' tide! We wanted to see them anyway! We bring 'em the box - and maybe they can get the thing open fer us - trade 'em some glow slugs and some of the fascinating stuff what we've learned tonight for some mighty magics, and quick as that, we're off to take care of Zargooshler! Xarkushish. Quarbooxit. Anyway, her."
"Bath, sleep, freshen up, shop, visit the Academy, present box, prepare for assault on worm-infested drakes--this is going to be quite the to-do," says Sarusa.
"Qar-xooszz-lah," she says, attempting to reproduce the locathah pronunciation.
She turns to the innkeeper. "Have you quill and paper? We will reply in the affirmative. If you agree, that is, Magus Karozekas."
Tekk looks at his comrades, "You really think its going to be that easy? You think we're just going to go up there and have a nice little chat with the secretive magic guild that runs this town and has the folk here under their thumb? I say we kill the monsters then get out of town without visiting this Academy. Or did you miss the overt threats we heard about them when we arrived?"
The half-orc shakes his head. "I say if they want a magic box so bad, they can go find one themselves. I don't fancy anybody taking what we've found on some horse-dropping legal grounds. Danger to our fine community my hairy backside. Frankly, I'm thinking we need to get out of here sooner rather than later. Them sending us a letter only tells me one thing - we've been in town too long. "
The innkeep tugs his forelock by way of an affirmative. I'll have it sent up with the hot water, mistress. Will you and your party be staying another night?
Regardless of your answer, quill, ink, parchment, sand and wax, as well as bucket after bucket of steaming hot water arrive in your rooms in short order. The now-familiar serving girl collects your clothes for scrubbing, blushing prettily when she sees Tekkis' powerfully muscled chest and offering to scrub his back for him.
The rest of you are left to fend for yourselves with stiff brushes, large cakes of fragrant soap and large fluffy blankets, easily big enough to wrap Morin into an oversized bindle.
Chloe looks to the others, but she seems agreeable enough to another night
---
In an amazingly good mood, Chloe attempts to do just what the gm mentions to Morin after lulling him into a false sense of security whilst doing laundry with quiet hums.
She has to take advantage of Morin's lack of energy while it lasts to pull off such a feat.
Morin listens to Tekkis' diatribe with some alarm on his face, then says in a kindly voice, "Tekk, lad. We're talkin' about tryin' to get it together to go fight a family o' drakes that are threatening the folk that live by the lake an' under it. I don't think any of us are suggestin' it'll be easy - 'fore we're done we'll have the devil to pay and no pitch hot, of that I'm sure. But chargin' in without a litte gettin' ready seems like a sure-fire way to make it harder indeed."
Looking around at his companions, he continues, "I've no great wish to truck with these wizards meself, but they may be able to help us. And as fer the box - as things stand, we can't open the thing. Maybe they can help us get it open, see if there's anything interesting inside - and then we can have a talk about whether they get to keep it. As it is, we could be pickin' a fight with them over an empty magic box, and that makes no sense. As to yer last thought - I agree, maybe we've been here too long. We still got a tax collector to track down, a ways north of here."
Morin is a bit anxious after this discussion, as he and Tekk usually see eye to eye, and the group as a whole generally finds agreement fairly easily. As a result, Chloe's playful attack with a great, fluffy blanket cheers him greatly, and he heads off to sleep grateful for the friends he's made on this journey.
"Tekkis, as you know, I'm a suspicious person, and I do not trust the Academy to a great extent. However, this town is poised to improve greatly. The locathah and humans alike. The threat of the drakes is limited to the lake for now, but they will no doubt head for Galduria proper next. I say we speak with them. We can always refuse to give the box up if their offer rings false. We have much to gain and...well, we always have something to lose, but I say let us give this a go. One more day, and then off to the North,"
Tekk listens as his friends respond, and nods as they have their say.
After Morin and Sarusa speak, he simply says, "I do not believe, for a second, that these wizards are going to give us a chance to argue, or discuss, or bargain, if they want the box. They are going to take it from us, then throw us out the front door, or toss us into jail, or just kill us. And we won't be able to do anything about it."
He looks away, "Ah well, I'll go with you because we're in this together. Everyone have a good rest."
He waves the girl away, and quickly finishes his bath. Drying off, he gathers his clothes and heads to his room.
Karo listens quietly while his friends make their points before speaking. Though I was originally intrigued to meet the masters of the Academy, I would be remiss if I didn't say I believe, if they want the box, they will have it. I don't believe there would be anything we could do to stop them. Along that line of reasoning, we would be better off handing it over to them in a friendly manner rather than drawing the ire of a conclave of arcanists. Let us hear them out and get what aid we can from them. Then, I agree, deal with the drakes and be on our way. The elf finishes in a rather subdued tone, removing the box and studying it for a long time before replacing it and heading to bed.
When she awakens, Chloe takes careful care to put on all of her relevant equipment, going as far as to put on her smoked goggles once again and attempts to make her hair presentable, only to give up with the knots therein.
Her vitality brimming, she makes sure that she has links active with Morin, Tekkis, and Sarusa. She turns her head in Karo and Corbyn's direction briefly, as if she wishes she could do the same to all of her companions.
Her clothes are still a little damp, but she doesn't care.
"Are we ready..?" she asks.
The next morning finds Tekk up early and armored. He waits outside the inn, having already finished a small meal. Unusually, he wears his helmet with the faceguard closed.
He addresses his comrades in a low voice, "I'm ready. The only thing I'll say is that I think we should answer their questions, ask what we can about these drakes, and get out of there as quickly as possible."
He remains silent for the journey to the Academy, though he doesn't allow his surly attitude to become rudeness.
Chloe fusses over Tekk's armor while there's a lull, making sure no errant bits of seaweed have gotten stuck in the joints like some sort of grooming monkey whilst there is any lull.
Granted, she has to use her fingers, but that doesn't stop her if the half-orc doesn't.