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Luurg's beady eyes double in size as he sees the one crab turn into 4 more, all heady for his favorite froggy friend. "We gut crabz!" He hollers back to the others, then swoops down and scoops up the little froggy Tiffany and flies back towards the group and their array of ranged weaponry, dropping her behind him into the sand as he lands.
Luurg draws his spear and drops his rope and calls out to the others "Dey giant crabz. Crabz no gut brainz, dey prolly hungry fer people meat! Shootz em!"
As soon as he spots the surging crabs Luurg quickly swoops back down and around, snatching up Tiffany and returning her to the safety of the rest of the group. Once the oversized flying Tinkerbell and Tiffany are safely out of harm's way, Wadi takes aim and lets fly with a fireball. The fireball whooshes towards the center of the group of crabs and explodes with a loud *THOOM!* as it sends water, sand, and crab parts flying in all directions!
When the smoke and haze clears, all that remains of the group is a single crab, missing a couple of legs and pretty badly burned. It struggles feebly towards the shore...
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Round 1
Sad Crab
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Sheela + Summon
Adyr
Wadi
Luurg
McKieg
Tiffany
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Fisherman
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Red Crab (-13; Blinded 4r)
Active Conditions: None
Sheela + Summon, Adyr, McKieg and Tiffany are UP!
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Sheela finishes demanding for help and Aquas, the Small Water Elemental.
"Don't worry about the shore- help the man in the boat!" Sheela waves her arms frantically.
Aquas is all to eager to dip into the ocean, and glides to the boat.
Sheela pulls out a wand and advances, slowly. "Hopefully I don't need to get close enough to use this."
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Tiffany watches the fireball engulf the crabs in awe, and as the smoke clears, disappointment sets in. "Um, Wadi, we can't eat them if they're, like, you know, gone." She sighs. "Perhaps I can bag the last one? Only one way to find out!"
The grippli dashes towards the water and dives in, the sunlight glittering off her wet waxy skin in a manner only fit for a froggy princess.
Sheela finishes her summon and a small but powerful-looking creature of pure water appears on the beach, gliding along the sand and into the water towards the boat. As Aquas swims up next to the Red Crab he attempts to slap it upside the shell with a tendril of water but misses and only succeeds in splashing more sea water onto the flailing man.
"Ack! Phbbtt!" he splutters. "Are you trying to help me or drown me!?"
Meanwhile, Sheela draws a wand and advances (perhaps a bit reluctantly) down the beach towards the second crab. McKieg follows, stopping just at the water's edge and readying his axe should the lone crab come any closer. The waves lap gently at McKieg's boots and the whole thing is actually rather peaceful...if it weren't for the giant, hungry crabs.
Not wanting to be outdone by Aquas, Tiffany also races forward and dives into the water while Adyr fires another shot at one of the crabs which unfortunately falls a little short. The fisherman continues to flail about with his oar, trying to strike the Red Crab, and the Red Crab continues flailing about in its' blinded state. Though the fisherman doesn't seem to be making any headway in fighting the crab off himself, McKieg's magic definitely seems to have bought him some time.
While quite injured, the Green Crab doesn't seem inclined to give up on the prospect of a meal just yet. It scuttle-swims through the water towards Tiffany, passing within reach of McKieg's readied axe swing...which catches only air. Green snaps a pincer at the tasty-looking amphibian...
...but Tiffany easily dodges the attack!
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Round 2
Hangry Green Crab
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Sheela + Aquas
Adyr
Wadi
Luurg
McKieg
Tiffany
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Fisherman
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Red Crab (-13; Blinded 3r)
Active Conditions: None
Everyone is UP!
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Aquas continues to slam the crab attacking the fisherman
It splashes more water haphazardly, more focused on creating a rainbow (and what a rainbow!) then actually hitting the crab.
Sheela advances, points her wand and a wave of Burning Hands erupts, engulfing the crab in flames. It deals fire damage
"Aquas, the rainbow is beautiful, but focus on smashing that crab, please!"
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Adyr moves forward, and begins to embolden his companions with the undeniable tenets of the Laws of Man.
"Fear not, trust in your own strength, don't fall victim to the delusion of gods and goddesses... all are unworthy of devotion or veneration. Trust in yourselves, your strength and your own inner power!"
OoC- movement noted on map and Bardic Performance (Inspire Courage +2). Which might affect McKeig's attack.
Adyr begins to preach a rousing sermon, railing against the gods, hoping to bolster the group's attacks against the remaining crabs. McKieg winds up with his axe and swings, but finds both the loose, clumpy sand and the contents of Adyr's sermon off-putting and cuts only air.
Out in the water, Aquas continues trying to smash the injured Red Crab but even with the creature blinded and sandwiched between the fisherman and himself, the water elemental can't quite hit the mark with his attacks. On the other hand, the splashing that he's doing looks like it'd be a lot of fun under other circumstances!
Wadi and Sheela's attacks both prove more effective, however. The fire sorcerer's missiles slam into Red with full force and the creature goes limp, flopping back into the water where it slowly begins to sink beneath the waves. On the shore, Sheela's cone of fire washes over Green...
...and even though the crustacean manages to avoid the worst of the flames, it still proves too much for the creature and it collapses to the ground as the smell of cooked crab permeates the salty air. As if to add an exclamation point to the whole affair, Tiffany then swoops in and tosses her net over the dead crab and ensures that the group will be enjoying crab legs for dinner tonight!
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"Well fought, friends." McKieg compliments his companions, a grim smile masking his internal displeasure. You've got to do better, Dwarf. The team is counting on you.
"Come, Master Fisherman. You'll be safe now. Are you wounded?" The warpriest gives the man a quick exam, providing what healing he needs.
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Sheela puts the wand away. "Well then." She conjures an Unseen Servant to help carry the crab meat.
"Good job, Aquas. Help the boat back to shore, then give me a high five." Once that's over with, she grins to the fisherman. "Oh hello! Good to see you here. We're going to town, and our boat was nearly shipwrecked. Are you doing well?"
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Tiffany excitedly retrieves her catch of the day. "Check it out, guys! Hungry? There's plenty for everyone!" She holds out the dead crab for Luurg to butcher, not wanting to ruin her perfect skin, of course.
Afterwards, she joins the others to approach the fisherman. "How rude of those jerk crabs to interrupt your peaceful fishing trip. I'm Tiffany, the most fashionable grippli in all of Golarion!" She curtseys with her legs underwater - somehow. "Why did those crabs attack you anyway?"
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Luurg is too slow. The action is over, but he doesn't mind. Everyone is safe and now its time to save the fisherman. He grabs up his rope and grapple once more and flies over to help tow the boat to shore before landing solidly in the cool, wet sand.
"Oooo dat real nice." He says to everyone and no one all at the same time. He introduces himself to the fisherman with a stiggy handshake and a toothy smile. "Hey dare mang, I'mma Luurg. Who's you?"
After the intros are over Luurg helps Tiffany with her catch, using the pommel of his slicer to help crack the shell and liberate the meat for the others to enjoy.
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Adyr's lightheartedness is in rather rare form today as he quips with the fisherman.
"It's not everyday that you see a fisherman use HIMSELF as bait... I guess that's one way of going ALL IN to make your daily catch."
Breaking into a smile, Adyr helps the old man to shore and casts prestidigitation in order to help dry the man's clothes.
"Well that's better."
With the threat of the crabs now ended, Luurg is easily able to swoop down and tow the fisherman's boat to the shore. The man goggles at the sight of a flying half-orc but otherwise seems in no mood to question the form of his salvation.
Once the boat is safely beached on the shore, the fisherman stumbles out onto the sand. He pulls at his wet, ruined clothes as he wipes seawater from his many lacerations and licks his cracked, sunburnt lips. Now that you have a better look at him you can see that in spite of his deep tan and weathered features he actually seems quite young, perhaps in his early 20s. He stares back at all of you, eyes wide with fear...but also a tiny spark of hope.
"C-Can you help Blackcove?" he finally manages, the words tumbling out in a rushed jumble. "S-Something’s riled up the creatures of the deep — unnatural, shambling things! They come out of the waves and take people in the night! Just like they stole my wife! Please, you have to help! Sara was just a pretty fisherman’s daughter — she didn’t deserve this!"
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"Of course, we'll do what we can to help Blackcove, my good man." McKieg assures the frantic fisherman. The warpriest examines him for wounds or less visible injuries.
"So let me get this straight. Your wife was stolen by crabs. Is she the pretty one, or are we looking for two damsels, of varying beauty, in distress?"
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"Oh, like, help you out by killing stuff from the deep, and perhaps bolster the local trade economy with an influx of crab legs?!" Tiffany beams. "TOTALLY! See, guys? This girl's more than just a pretty face."
She pats the fisherman on the shoulder. "Listen, pal. We'll save that pretty wife of yours! Or is she your daughter? Or another fisherman's daughter? Like, whatever. We'll just save everyone. Duuuuuh."
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Luurg leaves the man and his boat on shore then does a quick swoop along the beach to double check no more of the crabs are around or lurking, before heading back to land on the sand with a heavy thud.
"Crabs all gone, we safe fer now." He smiles at the man, flashing his pearly whites and offering a salty, stiggy handshake. "I'mma Luurg, n I'mma here to help." He nods at the man happily.
As they group speaks Luurg stands there and digs his feet into the sand, wiggling his green dibbies in the cool, wet substrate. Ooooo dis not as gud as mud, but not bad!
"Lez go to dis place, Luurg find lost oomies real gud, friends help too." He points in the direction and waves the others along.
With your agreement to help, the young man finally begins to calm down a little bit. "Oh, th-thank you! I know it's a lot to ask, but, but I saw what you all did just now when you saved me and if there's anyone in the area that can help right now, I'm sure it's you folks."
"Name's Adler Vanderholt," he continues, flopping himself down on the shore and wringing some of the sea water out of his clothing. "Blackcove's not my home but it was...is...Sara's home," Adler explains. "We just got married, you know. Well, eloped, more like it. And y'see, it's tradition in Blackcove for newly wedded couples to go out to the wedding rock and um...well...y'know..."
Adler blushes a little. "Seemed kinda strange t'me but the folks in Blackcove have done that for years so it didn't bother me t'humor Sara. So out we went but then...then they came, out of the sea," he shudders. "They...they were human but not human...like someone took a fish and a human and smashed them together..."
"So many of them...they t-took Sara, pulled her from my arms...I tried to fight 'em off but there were so...many..." Adler begins to choke up, wiping furiously at his eyes. "She was screaming for me to help her but I couldn't, I couldn't help her! They took her into the sea..."
It's at this point that Adler seems unable to continue and falls silent except for the occasional choking sob. But after a few minutes he seems to pull himself together again with a deep, shuddering sigh. "M'sorry, just...just hard to believe it all really happened. After they took Sara away I got in my boat and went back to Blackcove, aiming to get help. But when I got there the whole damned village was under attack by those...those things. So I told 'em I'd head up the coast to try and find help, maybe from a passing ship."
"Got about this far before I ran into those crabs...and you folks know the rest."
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Luurg tries to think of what a smashed up fish and person would look like, and if he's seen either in his time living around the shores of Absalom.
"Yes. We should help. Whole village under attack! Still not sure what you mean about going to the wedding rock... going fishing maybe." He rubs his rounded gut in thought.
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Sheela is amused when Adler talks about elopement. Wedding rock. When this village is back to normal I might have some fun out here. But her happiness fades as he describes losing Sara. "Come on. Cheer up. It's brave of you to come out here, you know. Not many would leave town and search for help like this. I'll make sure to tell Sara how adventurous her new husband is. She'll find it exhilarating."
Sheela tries to cheer the man up. Usually when men are sobbing in her arms it's her fault for breaking them.
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"Half fish, half human, huh?!" Tiffany bounces between her feet excitedly, rubbing her waxy head in thought.
"I might have an idea of what those could be, and maybe Luurg might know how to protect ourselves from them! We'll definitely help you out, and the village too! It would be too uncool not to!"
A mishmash of human and fish? Sounds like skum; hunchbacked and green-skinned humanoids with wide, frog-like heads and mouths akin to those of toothy fish. They're certainly wicked beings but it sounds odd that they'd kidnap people instead of simply killing them outright.
With your promise to do what you can for the people of Blackcove and his Sara, Adler finally manages to calm down. He reaches into a pocket and pulls out a small object, wrapped in a damp cloth. The cloth is unfolded to reveal a beautiful golden comb in the shape of a manta ray.
"It's not much, but the folks in Blackcove gave it to me," Adler says as he offers the comb to one of you. "Payment for your help. And if that's not enough then I know they can get you more - lots more! Those Blackcove folks pull gold from the sea, you know."
You’d estimate that this comb is easily worth 200 gp.
Actually...this comb is Azlanti in origin, you’re certain of it! That being the case, you could probably get 400 gp for it from a collector of such things.
The young man shakily gets to his feet and does his best to wipe the sand and grit from his wet clothing. "As for me, I...I can't go back. Not right now. I don't think I could stand seeing Blackcove again w-without Sara. But I can still walk. I can keep going up the coast, maybe make it to Pezzack. If I do, I'll try to get them to send more help."
"Thank you folks, for saving my life," Adler continues, offering his hand to each of you. "Please...do what you can for Blackcove but be careful, okay? There's dark forces at work out there, I'm sure of it! I heard talk of a sea witch once but thought it was all nonsense. But now...now I think I'd believe just about anything could be out there..."
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"Shiny. I don't need the payment though." Sheela figures he's keeping it as a gift for Sara. Besides, leaders don't need money, they need credit.
"Seek out one Captain Morton of The Codfather. He is docked in Pezzack right now, repairing the ship so he can sail to Blackcove." She smile Adler. "Don't worry, I'll tell Sara how I witnessed your bravery in defeating those crab monsters all by yourself. I'm sure she'll be thankful." She winks.
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Luurg looks at the comb and smiles "Purdy. Luurg not need sumting like dat, make good head scratcher though. Gold gud though." He hands it to Tiffany, who he's sure will appreciate it the most.
"Ok mang, watch our fer dem crabbies. You mebe not see any more flying orcs to catch you." He shakes the man's hand and keeps heading on their way.
As they walk he mentions skum "Skum are fishy people. Mebe dey did it, mebe not. Dey rather eat people I tink. Dunno." He scratches his backside in thought as they go.
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YOINK
Tiffany grabs the comb from Luurg with purpose, holding it up to her eyes. "Oh.. Oh.. It's so cute!" She runs her fingers along the teeth and tries to brush her imaginary hair with it. "But, um, not so useful to my species. Know what would be totally cool? We should melt it down into a necklace, but get the jeweler to create a Sara nameplate for you, Adler! High-fash and sentimental!"
"There's an island not far off the coast of Blackcove - it's where the Wedding Rock is," Adler explains. "Sara once told me that sometimes, at night, the locals see strange lights on the island. Some of the old folks, they think it's a sea witch out there working her magic."
He shakes his head. "I just figured it was tall tales from men in their cups but now I don't know. Maybe those fish-men were sent by the sea witch...maybe she's tired of folks trespassing on her island. Or maybe it's something else, I just can't say."
"So...Captain Morton...and The Codfather, right? Okay, I'll keep my eyes open for them when I get to Pezzack," Adler continues as he turns and begins to hike back up the beach towards the coastal road. He gets a few yards along before turning, cupping his hands to his mouth as he calls out, "Just keep following the road south! If you leave now you should get to Blackcove by this afternoon; they normally don't like visitors much so the path down to the village is hard to spot unless you know to look for it! Please, take care of yourselves!"
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"Don't worry we will be fine," Wadi reassures the fisherman as he waves back to him.
As the party moves along he is silent briefly trying to see what possible troubles the village could be experiencing...not to mention trying to get thoughts of Sheela out of his mind.
"I am not sure a sea witch is behind their troubles, but," he shrugs easily, "I am sure whatever it is we can handle it!"
After parting ways with Adler you kick the sand from your boots and return to the coastal road yourselves, heading south to Adler's north. While moderately traveled by all appearances the road is lonely and desolate this day and you encounter no other travelers as you walk on. It's roughly early afternoon by the time that you reach the area that Adler advises you to be watchful for, a series of high cliffs that overhang the coast below. Since you know what to look for it isn't long until you spot a small trail that's almost hidden among the short scrub grass and flowers that coat these cliffs. As you move up towards the edge and peer down, you see that you have reached your destination at last - Blackcove.
Hidden from the coastal road by overhanging cliffs, the battered homes and hovels of this ramshackle fishing village cling precariously to the coastline, tightly nestled among the rocky crags. The tall, worn, stone tower of a lighthouse perches on a natural jetty that intrudes rudely into the surf, breaking the waves at awkward angles. Old boats tug gently against several rough wooden piers as hard rain pelts the coastline. Due to its position far below the road, you suspect that many travelers pass by without even noticing the sheltered village below and the old, partially-overgrown path that winds down the cliffs into Blackcove is further testament to this.
As you make your way down the path and into the village you see that Blackcove largely consists of homes that sit atop raised stone foundations, with weathered wooden walls and thatched roofs. Each and every one show generations of constant wear and repair. The dark sand of the cove even seems to be invading some of the buildings, their doors hanging loose and rapping out sharp cadences in the sea breeze. Still others look to have been abandoned long ago and reclaimed by the sea, only the stone foundations remaining to mark what had once been homes.
And the more that you look around, the more that you realize how utterly alone you all seem to be.
There are no bustling markets, no children playing in the streets, no wives standing about sharing the latest gossip. Nets hang half-knotted and empty boats thump hollowly against the docks. Except for the wind coming in off of the sea and the occasional cry of a seagull, Blackcove is eerily quiet and still.
As you stare out at the desolate village, a light rain begins to fall...
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"Ah, Blackcove." Sheela watches the village atop the cliff. "First, I am going to find an inn and scrub my feet of all of this sand. Then, I'll draw up a warm bath, maybe with a view of the sea. And then I'll find a fetching young one and- where is everyone?"
Sheela conjures an Unseen Servant and orders it to follow her.
"Maybe we should look for citizens, first."
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Luurg walks along at the front of the line, his leafy spear being used as a walking stick and on occasion as a conversational support piece "Ain't dat right leafy? We figured dare be coconuts down here on dah water, mebe too cold?" He walks along as his beady eyes squint to try to find those coveted palm fronds peaking up above the foliage.
"Oh loogy dare, a path just like dat mang say. We go? We go!" He waves the others on to scramble up the path and over the cliffs, looking down at the ramshackle village. The really... really quiet village.
"Where all dem kids n stuffs? Da fruit sellers? Dem fisher people? Ungud, better look 'round. Be ready fer more crabbies and fish people!" Luurg drags out a lemon and a filthy, nasty bottle. He slices the lemon in half and squeezes the juice into his mouth, swallows with a puckered look on his face then rinses his mouth back out with the liquid in the bottle, spitting it BACK INTO THE BOTTLE!
"Lemons.. so sours, but make you feel so refreshed!" He smiles and waits for the others to make their way into town.
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Tiffany picks some wild flowers on her way through the scrub grass. One of them seems nice enough to pin to her pink shirt. Upon arrival to the village, the grippli looks around in all directions. "Ugh, rain. Of course! I just reapplied my concealer. I knew I should've opted for the parasol, but nooOooOo, just had the fill the bag with nail polish."
After a few moments, her temper subsides. Not really. She hides it anyway, and pads up behind Luurg. "I can also turn into an eagle if you think that might help us scout! Let's see what your invisible servant brings back first, Sheela, though avian Tiffany is easily one of my prettiest forms."