Randtam is going to be out of commission for a while as he figures out how to get back to your location.
Next action by the adventurers 3?
I know in a day he can rest and get his spells back and teleport back here if he's alive. So we have a few choices...1)head back to town, 2)wait here for a day and see if Randtam teleports back to us, 3)continue on, figuring that he'll get back to us when he can.
Of course, there could be a couple of other choices that I haven't thought of. We could definitely use his firepower. What do you guys think?
Balator?
"Thinking's not exactly my strong suit, but think we should go back or stay close to this area, Randtam doesn't strike me as someone that could track us down."
There is no doubt that Randtam is the intellect of our group. If we go back for him we might have to face the tentacled menace again and this time without the aid of Randtam's summonings and spells. Furthermore we will have expended much of our water related magics and will not be able to have two warriors outside our ship. That is all assuming we know where he went to.
My guess is that these caves are the heart of the evil besetting Illmarsh and if we cleanse them we will eliminate the threat against the town. Not to mention we are still looking for the black rider dispatched here by the Way so we can disrupt their plans for this area.
If we stay here long, surely those creatures will return, or something...worse... will make its way here. We are stronger with Randtam by our side, no question, but he has made his choice and now we must deal with the repercussions of it.
I say we move forward and trust to the strength of our blades and what element of surprise we may still have. Whatever lives here can't be expecting surface dwellers to be traipsing around their home. I don't relish returning here to face them when they ARE expecting company.
Those are my thoughts, but if both of you think otherwise I will abide by your will.
"Ok, let's go end these evil bastards."
The tunnel on the far side of the room runs for about 40' before splitting into multiple directions: 3 to the right, one to the left, or continuing on straight.
The odor of old fish, seaweed, and musty water is quite pungent here. Balator thinks he can make out a faint glow on the right and left passages. The passage ahead is pitch black.
"Can one of you cast the message spell? If you two hang back a bit, I may be able to scout ahead undetected."
Wait for message spell then head right towards the glow.
Balator quietly moves down the right hand tunnel towards the distant glow. After a brief period it opens up to a small cave.
Patches of phosphorescent lichen growing on the damp ceiling provide a dim light in this stone chamber, and the walls are decorated with disturbing carvings. Mounds of soggy seaweed have been gathered into nests or beds upon the floor.
The carvings on the walls depict ichthyic humanoids in the midst of various graphic and disturbing mating acts with what are obviously human women. The seaweed mounds are beds and cradles for new offspring. In fact, there is a hand-knitted baby blanket in one of the nests, it still holds a few tiny scales, as if some sort of fishy thing were once wrapped in it.
Each of the tunnels to the left and right lead to similar areas. Only the tunnel straight ahead is unexplored.
Balator quietly moves down the right hand tunnel towards the distant glow. After a brief period it opens up to a small cave.
Patches of phosphorescent lichen growing on the damp ceiling provide a dim light in this stone chamber, and the walls are decorated with disturbing carvings. Mounds of soggy seaweed have been gathered into nests or beds upon the floor.
The carvings on the walls depict ichthyic humanoids in the midst of various graphic and disturbing mating acts with what are obviously human women. The seaweed mounds are beds and cradles for new offspring. In fact, there is a hand-knitted baby blanket in one of the nests, it still holds a few tiny scales, as if some sort of fishy thing were once wrapped in it.
Each of the tunnels to the left and right lead to similar areas. Only the tunnel straight ahead is unexplored.
Returning to Alamin and Uuranx
"Nothing worth wasting your time on down left and right passages. I can't see in complete darkness so we need a light source for center passage."
With a quick prayer Alamin's stout shield glows with the light of a torch illuminating the way ahead for 20'.
She also casts Ironskin on herself; AC now 32.
Heroism is still active on Balator and Uuranx.
Stay on my flanks, let's go.
She moves deliberately down the cave passage for about 60' before a passage splits off to right into darkness.
Well? Straight or right?
"Let's check the right."
Alamin advances cautiously in that direction; the dark, oppressive air seemingly pushing back on her magical light.
The tunnel opens up in a larger cavern with damp walls that are covered in bewildering variety of obscure and esoteric symbols painted in bright, clashing colors and pigments.
At the edge of the light you can just make out something that looks like a large fungal brain atop five ropy legs, encrusted with fungal shelves. A wide mouth with chitinous teeth gapes on top of its body, and two long tendrils lash the air above it.
Take a –2 penalty on attack rolls while looking at the fungus. This is a mind-affecting phantasm. The save is Charisma-based.
The tendrils wiggle inquisitively and you hear in your mind "How do crustaceans propagate with barns?”
Cast Message of course
feeble...
Cast Bull Strength
Alamin shudders at the site of the unnatural 'thing'.
Whatever it is, it's not evil...
"Get out of my head!"
Feeling the alien thoughts in his head Balator springs into action laying two swift strokes on the freakish fungus.
It's tendrils lash at Balator as a shrill scream of madness and despair looses from its mouth; echoing the cold, dark void between the stars.
You are dazed for 9 rounds. You can re-save at DC 32 each round to shake it off.
Dazed
The creature is unable to act normally. A dazed creature can take no actions, but has no penalty to AC.
You are nauseated for rounds
Several carved doors along the edges of the cavern begin to open....
Party action
Alamin casts bless on the party and advances towards the fungal foe.
Watch the flanks! Some other foes perhaps?
Dazed and nauseated
Cast Haste
The ferocious fungal foe lashes at Alamin:
but she blocks the attacks with her shield.
Emerging from the opened doors are three groups of containing three skum with the tops of their skulls removed. Their brains are engorged, almost spilling from the skull 'cups'. Behind each group of three stalk spindly creatures with bulbous fungoid lumps for heads, spiny insectoid wings, and a tangle of spiky, clawed legs. They move with unnatural grace as two groups move to assault Uuranx and one moves to attack Alamin.
http://img05.deviantart.net/b99f/i/2010/281/4/5/mi_go_by_xiven-d30bwtw.jpg
Still dazed
Keeping her body between Balator and the fight with the creature from beyond, Alamin lashes out at it with her scimitar.
She lays an average stroke on the creature.
Uuranx, focus on this thing with the tendrils. It's not evil, so my attacks against it are limited. She points at frightful things emerging from the side rooms-THOSE things, however, are evil as the Hells. I'll try my blade on them if you can finish off this thing.
"As you wish Alamin"
activate touch of rage 4
attack fungally brain with falchion
hasted attack
last attack
With three mighty strokes Uuranx turns the footed fungus into a pile of quivering vegitation slices.
The cerebral Skum and their freakish overlords attack! Only one set of the skum/overlords is able to attack Uuranx at a time.
Balator Will save now DC 20.
On Alamin:
Skum 1
Skum 2
Skum 3
Skum Overlord
On Uuranx:
Skum 2
Skum 3
Skum Overlord
Alamin's defense and armor is stout enough to keep her from harm!
Alamin slashes back at the assembled horde, trying to keep the third mob from making it to the statuesque Balator.
After missing badly with her first, her next two strokes fell one of the skum servitors.
Wake UP Balator!!
attack attack
hasted attack
last attack
The fungus brain crushed by Uuranx and in response to Alamin's shout, Balator lashes out at any nearby foes.
Shaken from his dark reverie, Balator hacks down one of the skum servitors from the third group trying to claw their way at Uuranx who also drops a skum.
The remaining foes continue their assault!
On Alamin:
Skum 1
Skum 2
Skum Overlord
On Balator:
Skum 1
Skum 2
Skum Overlord
On Uuranx:
Skum 1
Skum 2
Skum Overlord
Alamin again pushes back with her shield!
-20 HP
(5/6 LOH)
-15 HP
Alamin slides over to focus on the four armed creature, allowing the skum to flank her.
Her first strike is stout, but her other two are thrown off by shifting position.
"Die scum!" shouts Balator, thinking how witty he is, and hoping he lives to tell the story.
Attack the skum overlord if possible.
-43 hp
activate Touch of Rage 5
attack with falchion
hasted attack
last attack
Balator slices through the Overlord with three titanic swings of his blade while Uuranx drops the remaining two skum and prepares to focus on his Overlord.
On Alamin:
Skum 1
Skum 2
Overlord
On Balator
Skum 1
Skum 2
On Uuranx
Overlord
That's it; drop them where they stand!
On Overlord
With three quick strokes Alamin finishes off her most ferocious foe.
-56hp
attack with falchion
hasted attack
last attack
The party continues to whittle down their foes: Alamin faces 2 skum, Balator 1, and Uuranx is foe-free.
For how large their brains are the skum continue to attack mindlessly:
On Alamin
Skum 1
Skum 2
On Balator
-15 HP
(6/6 LOH)
-9 HP
Alamin's blade drops her foe count to one.
attack Alamin's
hasted
last attack
-56hp
With a storm of swords the party drops the last of its antagonists.
***end of combat***
Wiping the gore from her blade and inspecting her shield-Well done my friends. Uuranx, probably time to use that wand on Balator. I'd rather save my spells for any remaining foes. I have a healing potion as well.
7 charges of clw
The rooms from which the menagerie of foes emerged appear to be some type of living or meditation chambers; quite alien in design.
Strange fungal webbing drapes the walls of these octagonal chambers, lit by dim lights that slowly fade from one peculiar color to another. A low hum, just at the limits of hearing, buzzes constantly in the background. The chambers appear to be newly excavated.
There is a larger cavern to the N and another pass-through membrane to the E that seems to lead to a cavern filled with water.
There is also the passage S that you skipped in favor of entering this area.
"Thanks for saving my ass during the fight and for the heals. Should we go back and check the passage South? Not sure I want to leave something potentially behind us."
Any treasures for us here? Unless anyone opposes go back and check passage S.
-8 hp
No thanks are needed Balator. You have saved our....group with your blade and I'm sure that it will be needed again. Probably in the very near future. South it is!
There is nothing of value in this area. The creatures appear to be relatively monastic with regards to material goods.
The corridor widens into a large cavern here. To the northeast stands a statue carved of green and black stone, depicting a nightmarish creature that is neither fish nor eel nor octopus, yet contains features of all three and more. The walls around the statue have been decorated with hundreds of varieties of
inlaid shells and pieces of strange reddish gold, amid profane symbols carved into the rock. To the southwest, a grime encrusted mace sits atop a stone pedestal.
of Dagon himself.
Three skum are doing something to the statue in the NE section. Seeing the light from Alamin's shield they attack! The two heavy looking ones advance while the third appears to be casting a spell.
Alamin, Balator, Skum, Uuranx
Did I not say your blade would see work again soon Balator?!!
Alamin's scimitar is unable to break through the creature's scale mail.