Arbaro moves closer now that his friends are between him and his target. Then fires another arrow at the golem.
Perfect Strike:
Arbaro curses after missing. "I miss the wind in my face and the smell of trees, but I'd take a rainy day in a bog over this underwater fight."
Round 1 |HP 49/49 | Lay on Hands 6/6 | Smite Evil 2/2 | Arrows 38/40 | Spells 2/2
Brag considers tossing alchemical fire on the log-man, but isn't sure about its effectiveness underwater and doesn't want to splash burn Lem or Roccavisk. So to the longbow he goes.
Adamantine Longbow Point Blank Attack + Thurl - Water
Thunk! Thunk!
With a creaking shudder that sends ripples through the water, the wood golem falls to Brag's double arrows.
As the golem dies, you take a look at Lem and Roccavisk's injuries; being bludgeoning damage, they are merely bruises, not open wounds. No blood flows from you two, and the shark does not care for golem carcasses. It munches happily on the eel.
The prow of the ship holds little of value. The lumber was pulled from the walls, the hull, the bulkheads; everywhere. The stacks of lumber are piled up neatly in the center of the prow.
Thurl searches the prow of the ship meticulously, looking for anything that might shed light on the mystery. As he swims around, searching, his robes billow around him. Shoving logs out of the way with the help of anyone who assists, he is about to give up, when something catches his attention out of the corner of his eye. A board from an unknown part of the ship where the grain doesn't quite look right. Feeling desperate, he looks closer at this oddity and realizes there must be a hidden compartment in this beam! He digs in with his finger nails and catches an edge, allowing him to pry open the small cubbyhole and reveals a watertight lockbox! "Well this is interesting! We will have to wait till we get to the surface to investigate this more."
As he wraps up his search, he keeps glancing at the foggy cloud in distraction. Eventually, he says to the rest of the group, "Its to bad we can't search in there while the crabs can't see. Is there any way we could lure the crabs out without interacting with them? Perhaps even get them to chase the shark?"
Eventually, he says to the rest of the group, "Its to bad we can't search in there while the crabs can't see. Is there any way we could lure the crabs out without interacting with them? Perhaps even get them to chase the shark?"
Thurl considers the crabs occupying the aft(?) of the ship and says, "I'm going in. I think I can avoid the crab's attention long enough to search some amount of that section." Thurl focuses his mind into his body and uses his Ki to aid in his stealth, knowing where to place his steps, and when to stop moving to avoid notice.
As he moves into the gloom of the cloudy water, Thurl searches for any clues as to the ship's goal, or its cargo, using his Ki to increase his awareness of his surroundings.
Arbaro searches the area with 'Url.
"Does anyone have a way to effect a wide area? I've got Acid Splash but it does very little damage and I have to get within 30 feet. Plus, I don't want to damage any goods they may be on top of. Maybe we could lure them? Or does someone have a beekeeper's suit? I can take a look at that watertight box when we get top side."
Arbaro sees 'Url sneaking off and casts Guidance for a +1 on his sneak check.
Lem winded from the golem fight rests for a few minutes while the others sneak around and perceive things that Lem didn’t notice.
Inspire Competence (Su): A bard of 3rd level or higher can use his performance to help an ally succeed at a task. That ally must be within 30 feet and be able to hear the bard. The ally gets a +2 competence bonus on skill checks with a particular skill as long as she continues to hear the bard's performance. This bonus increases by +1 for every four levels the bard has attained beyond 3rd (+3 at 7th, +4 at 11th, +5 at 15th, and +6 at 19th). Certain uses of this ability are infeasible, such as Stealth, and may be disallowed at the GM's discretion. A bard can't inspire competence in himself. Inspire competence relies on audible components.
Thurl floats into the fog cloud, pulling himself along with his hands on the hull of the ship. Inside, he feels wood, rope, algae, and a few crabs he delicately moves his hands over.
Arbaro sees the fog, and little else, being outside the wreck.
"I too have the splash of acid. But more than that I can call forth stones to rain down on our enemies," Roccavisk says. LINK Stone Call, 2d6 area damage. "Our friends from the ocean can also be called forth to aid our attack."
Brag prepares to assist in the moving of any artifacts uncovered by Thurl. He also prepares for healing Thurl of any damage received by the swarm.
Lem, recovered from the fight briefly considers going in. ”Well, I’m not very sneaky, but I’m willing to go in if you want me to take a look around those crabs.”
Roccavisk swims beside Bragoleb and hits him on the shoulder.
"Brag," she says, not unfriendly. "Will you stand there, slack-jawed, and refrain from using your Goz Mask? Or will you relinquish it to someone smarter than yourself?"
The paladin failed to mention he owned the mask when they purchased those scrolls. The mask lets him breathe underwater already! I cannot read this man's intentions, but surely he is not that forgetful.
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Brag follows Thurl with his Goz mask and stealth fully active.
"Roccavisk, in your overwhelming presence I am always the least smartest person in the ... ah, ocean."
Brag sneaks into the hold of the ship, and through the fog he clearly sees the crabs, layered over everything in the hold, and Thurl, groping about blindly. More importantly, at the entrance of the cabin, within reach of Brag, he seas a (very obvious) sea chest in what was once the cabin. He grabs the chest and makes his way out into the open again.
The chest is locked, but, fortunately, is ripped open. Inside is a Dark Blue Rhomboid (Ioun Stone) Cracked, 11 cans of war paint of the terrible visage, 9 adamantium arrows, 6 silver arrows, 7 cold iron arrows, and a quick runner's shirt. There are also wet scraps of paper.
These teethmarks are from such a whale, and whatever mysteries from the wreck lie hidden within the belly of that beast.
Brag grabs Thurl and has him help retrieve what is left of the chest and its valuable contents all while avoiding disturbing the crabs. Once back out of the interior, however damaged, of the ship, Brag attempts to appraise the chest.
"Help me check out the chest. What do you think ripped open the chest?"
"It looks like some items have been removed from the chest. Probably by whoever ripped it open."
having faint recollection that the war paint is for the face and looks fierce, Lem collects whatever paint the party doesn't want.
"Take some of the war paint if you want! I bet our foes would be quaking in their boots when they see us with this."
Arbaro checks out the chest and contents.
"I agree with Brag, but this damage wasn't done by the eel or crabs. It looks like whatever cut the ship in half nicked the chest as well. I'll take this Dark Blue Rhomboid (Ioun Stone) that appears to be cracked! I don't see anything else around here to check out."
"Ooh, we may have to dry this paper before I can make anything of it."
Arbaro activates the stone and it begins floating one foot above his head.
"What is our next step? Surface?"
Arbaro is eager to breathe air again.
Thurl is startled by Bragoleb’s tap on the shoulder but quickly assists with retrieving the broken chest. After Arbaro calls attention to the similarity in damage to the chest and the ship, Thurl recoils in shock and the others hear a sharp intake of breath followed by a hushed mutter, ”Lord Ubaj? But that’s just a legend!” When presses for more details, Thurl continues, ”Lord Ubaj is... Well I thought it was a tall tale about a huge whale that scours the ocean floor, eating everything in its path. Look at these teeth marks. What ever did this must be enormous. Legends of Lord Ubaj tell of him swallowing treasure hunters whole and them surviving for months before escaping, but I never believed it...before now.”
When the others are looking through the chest and says, ”Oh, a Quickrunners Shirt, perhaps that would allow me to keep up with all of you every once in a while.”
"So, we should go after the whale! I'm afraid our breathing underwater will run out long before we catch him. Can anyone track to see which direction the legendary whale went? We can mark it and maybe follow it in the boat? No, we'd still need a way to breathe underwater."
Arbaro examines the papers, and, through the smudged ink and disintegrating paper, is able to read a few lines from different pages.
...
Yours, in full heart,
Avt....
...
deny that thou'st love any....
...you alone, I...
...
...force renew, hunger for thine...
”Hrm, it’s hard to make out but it has the feel of a love letter. Involving someone who’s name starts with Avt. Interesting.”
Arbaro puts away the letter in hopes that he remembers to dry it and try to preserve it.
Brag moves toward the papers with his hand outstretched, palm open.
"I can read the papers for us. I may not understand the meaning, however. I'll need your help in interpreting the meaning. May I attempt to read them, Arbaro?"
Thurl takes one more look around the ocean floor to see if any clues may be gleaned from any wreckage strewn around ship.
After having exhausted their search, Thurl recommends, "Lets return to the surface and see if we can determine what is in this hidden lockbox."
"We might as well," Lem says as he starts swimming up.
Arbaro jumps at the chance to surface.
You ascend. The water lightens as you near the surface, the cold and the pressure lessens. As you rise, you have a difficult time finding exactly where your ship was, but surface, breathe air, and see you ship not too far away.
But on the ship, crawling all over it like shiny rats, are four sahuagin. One is obviously the same you talked to earlier, and another is similarly equipped. The other two sahuagin are bulky, muscular, and wielding harpoons instead of crossbows. The four of them are digging through your supplies, opening barrels and sacks. In a net hanging from the mast are your two birds, struggling futilely.
They are focused on the ship, and do not notice you peeking out of the water.
Surprise Round | HP: 55/55 | Judgements 1/1 | Spells 5/5 | Perfect Strike 0/3
Arbaro does not hesitate and shoots a couple of arrows at the north most sahuagin.
Perfect Strike:
Lem surfaces and pummels the southmost sahuagin.
Surprise round
hp 65/65 + 12 temp
RAGE 14/16 (1 expended this round)
AC 16 +2 vs medium
Lem swings hard
Round Surprise |HP 49/49 | Lay on Hands 6/6 | Smite Evil 2/2 | Arrows 36/40 | Spells 2/2
Brag targets the three sahaugin closest to Shadow. "If they've hurt one feather on Shadow ..."
Adamantine Longbow Rapid Shot Attack
Damage from Longbow Arrows in Rapid Shot Attack
Surprise Round | HP 35/35 | Advice 13/17 | Awaken Divinity 5/6 | Ki Pool 8/11
Thurl looks in shock at his companions, attacking without warning. ”I could have talked to them!”
Surprise Round | AC 24 (barkskin, 60 minutes) | hp 30/36
Spells: 1st 5(-grease, now 4)/6; 2nd 3/3; Mental Focus 9/10
"Ha ha, enough talk with Pluploodeep's lackeys! We have a saying in Aquan: The shark outswims its roar, the lightning outpaces the thunder, and the spear outstrikes the speech!"
Roccavisk dashes forward and casts grease under the two northern sahuagin.
The northern sahuagin falls prone.
”They caught my bird! He’s my size! How did that even happen? Nobody messes with DeWayne! DeWayne breakout!”
Bragoleb kills the northernmost sahuagin. The other three are variously injured (or prone)
Round 1, AC 18 (scout) and 17 (2 brutes)
Round 1, AC 24 (barkskin, 60 minutes), hp 30/36
Spells: 1st 4(-grease, 3)/6; 2nd 3/3; Mental Focus 9/10
"Birds should fly, as fish should swim. Be free, feathered friends," Roccavisk says.
She casts grease on the net, coating the quite large rope with oily black grease,
Round 1 |HP 49/49 | Lay on Hands 6/6 | Smite Evil 2/2 | Arrows 33/40 | Spells 2/2
Brag swims closer rapidly fires three more arrows, one arrow each at the remaining sahaugins from left to right (south to north).
Adamantine Longbow Rapid Shot Attack
Damage
Arrow 3 narrowly misses.
With wet bowstrings, Bragoleb slams two arrows into the sahuagin, his third quivering in the mast of the ship. The scout bleeds heavily from the blow, and the hulking brute turns just in time to see an arrow pierce his eye.
Round 1, AC 18 and 17(-/+4 for prone)
The scout dives out of the ship and into the water and then aims his masterwork underwater heavy crossbow at Bragoleb.
"This one's got your name on it, human!"
The bolt pierces Bragoleb's chest, and on the shaft is written "deth 2 hyumanz!"
round 1
Rage 13/16
HP 65/65+12 temp
AC 16+2 for medium+
Lem takes a 5ft step and takes a swing at the one in the water.
"Uhhhn! and Oww. You have a straight shot Arbaro, take him out."
Arbaro takes a shot at the north most fishman.
Arbaro's first shot misses the prone sahuagin, but the seond hits.
The sahuagin flails in anger over the side of the ship.
He then throw his harpoon at Lem but misses.
Round 2; AC 17
Lem swings twice, his first missing but the second crushing the head of the sahuagin.
Round 1 | HP 35/35 | Advice 13/17 | Awaken Divinity 5/6 | Ki Pool 8/11
Thurl stays where he is shaking his head at the death, helpless to stop the, now reciprocal, violence. He turns to the archers and says despondently, "We can't let him get away, you HAVE to get him before he can warn anyone."
"Lem, catch the last one. We need him alive to ask questions."
To Shadow while pointing at the last sahaugin, "Attack!
Shadow attacks, but misses, and returns to the top of the mast.
Roccavisk swims around the ship and hurls an arrow of acid at the sahuagin.
The green acid skips across the water.
AC 24 (barkskin, 60 minutes), hp 30/36
Spells: 1st 3/6; 2nd 2(-acid arrow)/3; Mental Focus 9/10
The brute swims toward Roccavisk and slams his harpoon into...
...the water harmlessly.