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Luurg stands there in the crowd, keeping in reach of bosslady Sheelur as the group starts to calm the crowd. He looks a couple times at Sheela as he seems to want to speak and help win over the locals, but each time Sheela gives him the Not now Luurg! look he's come to understand.
Once everyone has been won over though he smiles and flashes his white, toothy grin with pride "We be real heroes mang, real ones, and we here ta help. Ok? Ok." He listens on to the responses and questions posed and quickly adds in his own.
"So we found dis dare big squid grabber. You have dem in village too? Anyting else? When did dem fish stop bitin'? Must be hard to be fishun mang wid no fishes."
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Adyr asks a few questions as the villagers began to be more at ease.
"Look, so these creatures come at night, right? They look for young women and children, right?"
Adyr looks around the lighthouse and appraises the structure's strength as an impromptu defensive position.
"You folks need to be kept safe. That is for certain. This place is probably the safest place for you all to hold up. We will make sure you have food and water for your needs... and weapons. Do you have any? Are there any of you who know how to defend yourselves? We aren't asking you to fight... only to guard everyone here."
- to determine how the lighthouse can be 'fixed-up' to make it safer.
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Several of the people in the crowd look at each other as the questioning shifts to Gerlach. One of the fishermen that had accompanied Nick earlier stands up. "Everything around here was fine until Gerlach started poking around out there on the i-er, on Nal-Kashel," he explains. "Weeks ago, he started going out there more and more often. We were all against it, we tried to tell him to leave that place alone but he wouldn't listen."
He resumes his seat with a scowl. "And now look where we are."
"Hey now, that ain't fair, Gerlach's always been nothin' but helpful," another fisherman objects. "Those potions and things he'd make were dead useful out on th' water!"
"Storm and salt, Peter, that isn't the point! Point is, he never did act quite right after he started nosing around out there," the first fisherman exclaims, clearly exasperated. "I'm telling you, he got himself mixed up in bad business out there and now we're all paying for it!"
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During the small exchange about Gerlach anyone paying attention notes that Lira's expression grows more and more troubled and conflicted as she focuses on her work, as though wrestling with something. But she finally seems to reach a decision, slowly lifting her eyes to gaze at all of you. She sighs, and though it's soft, it seems to cut through the atmosphere like a knife. Instantly, silence falls over the villagers once more.
"I...I didn't want to speak of this earlier, because what was told to me was told in confidence," Lira begins slowly. "After Gerlach started making his trips to Nal-Kashel, but before he vanished completely, he came to see me at the temple one evening."
She frowns as she recalls the visit. "He was troubled, very troubled...well, almost raving mad, in a way. It was hard to make sense of what he was saying but he kept saying that the wedding rock was a 'sickness', spreading among us, and that he was working on a cure for it. That he'd set things right with his people."
Lira shakes her head. "Gerlach...is...was...unique, even among us. What Han said about Azlanti gifts - he's not lying. Not all of us, but many of us, develop gills and webbed hands and feet as we grow older. Gifts of the sea, passed down through the generations. It's a blessing to become a gilled one, being allowed to swim the seas and help guide the fish into the fishing nets."
"And now you see why we're so smallmouthed around strangers," Gervus chimes in, even his own jovial manner subdued. "If word got out, the state'd have all sorts of people out here to poke around, to see what favors they could get from us...or what they could take."
"That's right," Lira nods. "Gerlach was a gilled one but also born with a sharp mind and innate magical powers. He was one of the best of us."
"And I believe that also answers part of your question, Mister Luurg," Nick remarks. "Fishing's been lousy too since people started disappearing. Sometimes one of the gilled ones might disappear, maybe get eaten by a shark or something, but all of them are gone now. They disappeared around the time people started getting snatched from the land."
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Wisely deciding that at least one person should be keeping an eye out less obvious methods of communication - conscious and unconscious - McKieg remains silent and studies the crowd as the conversation flows back and forth and his companions ask questions. It doesn't take him long at all to determine that now, finally, everyone is being sincere and forthright with what they're sharing.
Of course there's always the possibility that the villagers of Blackcove are speaking without full knowledge of the details or that they've misunderstood what they've seen and heard over the past several weeks. That's always a possibility. But McKieg is certain that there are no willful attempts to deceive or mislead or redirect occurring now.
Meanwhile, Adyr interjects to inquire about the supplies and defenses available inside the lighthouse. "Now that's refreshing to hear - someone with a plan, or part of one," Nick comments with a wry smile. "Weapons? Maybe not any as fancy as yours but I've got my axe," he gestures to the shipman's axe tucked into his belt. "Most of the rest of the boys here'll have the same. Some daggers, too. None of us know much about fighting but we'll do what we can...if it comes to that."
Nick's expression hardens. "They've taken enough of us - men, women, and children all. I'll be damned if they take a single soul more."
As he looks around, Adyr notes that the only way to reach the second level of the lighthouse is to either come up the stairs from the first level - which has only one entrance - or to come in from the windows or down from the top. Either of the second two options would require some sort of ability to fly or to climb, whether by rope or other means. Besides barring or barricading the ground level door, perhaps the windows could also be barricaded in some manner?
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Luurg mostly stays silent as the discussions continue. His belly rumbles (it does frequently) and he rubs it soothingly, ignoring the constant demand for fruit Shush! Big meetig, eat latur!
"Sound like we gotta go out to dat rock den? Look 'round ok? What we gonna find out dare?" Luurg finally breaks his vocal silence, not much for planning defenses or socializing with townsfolk. Usually townsfolk chase him off from their orchards.
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Wadi nods in agreement with the Alchemist, "It seems as if the Azlanti legacy has struck once again. Luurg is right, we need to head to the island. That is most likely where we will find this Gerlach." He turns to face Gervus a serious look on his face, "We will need to borrow a boat...preferable a safe and dry one!"
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"Yes, boating will be useful." Sheela nods and continues to supervise the team.
"It sounds like all of you have gifts." Sheela smiles and ruffles some of her bright red hair. "I can relate. You must be worried about outsiders asking questions."
"We will investigate the Azlanti ruin. Something must be going on, on that island. It sounds like something in there got to Gerlach. But we travel in teams." She smiles to the group.
"I say we stay here for the night to help defend you, then we leave first thing at sunrise for the island."
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"A wise decision, Angel." McKieg agrees. "I'll take the watch during the darkest hour of the night."
---
The warpriest slips out of his bedroll well before sunrise.
With ritual care and deliberation, he prepares himself for the coming day. Braie, chausses, gambeson, and coif all blue, green, and red, the sacred colors of Yuelral. The base layers complete, he dons his mithral full plate. Raising to his lips his deity’s holy symbol, three crystals of pink, blue and green overlapping in the middle to form a six-pointed star shape surrounded by a golden circle, he offers a reverent kiss, and secures the symbol to a chain on his armor, ensuring it is prominently displayed. Throwing his cloak over his shoulders, he affixes it with a clasp crafted in the likeness of Yuelral’s sacred animal, the panther.
Reaching for his adamantine dwarven longaxe propped next to him against the lighthouse wall and grasping it in one meaty fist, the warpriest kneels, eyes closed, communing with his deity.
He recites the tenets of Yuelral's holy warriors, affirming:
I will never defile the beauty of nature, nor cut a raw gemstone for aesthetic reasons.
I will remain vigilant for talent in craft and magic. When I notice it, I will encourage its good use.
I will respect the power of magic and never allow its misuse.
I will preserve the wisdom of the elves for the greater good before all other treasures.
McKieg completes his oblations with his most fervent prayer. If Yuelral wills it, lead me to one day visit the Temple of Watchers located in the ruined elven city of Celwynvian, and to restore the tower's shrine dedicated to Yuelral.
When the first rays of the sunrise breach mist and lighthouse window and illuminate his gleaming armor, McKieg rises to his feet.
"I've prepared two castings of air bubble. It might be helpful," he informs his companions, when they've completed their rest.
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"I mean, I can totally morph into an eagle, so I kinda get it. Pretty cool that you can grow into a fishperson at will!" The grippli throws an indirect thumbs up, turning to lay out her own bedroll - it's pink and lined with rhinestones. Obviously. "If you'll excuse me, I must be getting my beauty rest. In the morning, we SET SAIL!" She exclaims.
Several of the villagers begin to cheer and applaud when you declare your intentions to investigate Nal-Kashel and Gervus offers everyone a huge, ear-to-ear grin.
"Fantabulous! I sure do thank you folks, for being willing to help and to stand guard with us tonight," he grins, clapping Luurg on the shoulder. "Don't worry, I brought my set of cards so folks'll have something to do if they can't sleep. And in the morning we'll get you folks a boat and some extra rations if you need them. Sound good?"
Meanwhile Nick turns to McKieg as the dwarf volunteers to take the darkest watch. "Aye, we can do that. And don't you worry, the boys and I mean to pull our weight too. Let's go ahead and get the rest of the-"
His words are interrupted by a sudden cry of alarm from a little boy standing next to the stairs.
"T-the water! It's coming into the lighthouse!"
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Rain pounds the lighthouse as lightning flashes, illuminating the murmuring villagers. As you hurry over to the stairs you see that he is right. Looking down you can see that seawater creeping steadily upward, approaching the stain that marks the highest tides (9 feet) and flooding the lower story...
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Luurg
Wadi
Tiffany
McKieg
Sheela
Adyr
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Villagers
Active Conditions: None
Everyone is UP!
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"Wait, is water pouring into here?" Sheela looks out the window to the sea. "What's causing water to leak in?"
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Tiffany peers down at the rising waters, hopping up and down in alarm. "A sudden flood?! My sleeping bag's totally gonna get ruined! I gotta send something in to check it out, and quick!" The grippli recites the latest Absalom and Co. jewelry catalogue listing, or her version of a prayer, and a shark fin begins to take shape in the water.
"Seal the entrance!? Maybe if we'd had some sort of warning but unless any of you can breathe under - ah," Nick starts to reply to McKieg but finds it unnecessary as Luurg takes a bite of out a mango and dives down into the water below. Thankfully, there's not anyone trapped on the first level of the rapidly-filling lighthouse. What's worrisome is that he also sees no immediate cause of the sudden rise in the tide.
Up above, the crowd of villagers seems on the verge of panic until McKieg's voice calmly cuts through the impending chaos. "R-right, he's right," the man named Hans calls out. "Come on, we gotta move to higher ground!"
Meanwhile, Tiffany begins to conjure some seaworthy help while Wadi wracks his brain, trying to figure out if there's some manner of magic that might explain the sudden and sharp rise in the tide. He knows that something such as a Control Weather spell might be the cause...which would mean that there's some powerful magic afoot.
Down below, the water continues to rapidly flood into the lighthouse, rising higher by the second...
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Luurg
Wadi
Tiffany
McKieg
Sheela
Adyr
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Villagers
Active Conditions: None
Adyr and Sheela are UP!
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Both McKieg and Sheela peek out of the windows, looking for any source of the rising tides. It's now quite dark outside, lit only by the glow of the magical light from the top of the lighthouse and the occasional flash of lightning. They can see that the water is rising outside as well, the stretch of rock that the island sits upon completely covered. And though it's harder to make out, it seems that the tide is rising up and into Blackcove itself, beginning to flood into the lowest-lying buildings and lapping up against Bartock's overturned keelboat.
Hoping that maybe it'll help if the water continues to climb, Sheela opens the...
...northern window. Otherwise, she's at a bit of a loss. Meanwhile, the villagers begin to mobilize and make for the stairs that lead up to the top level. Lira can be seen doing her best to shepherd them along, trying to keep them calm.
"Come on, come on, it'll be okay," she urges, giving a small girl a comforting squeeze on the shoulder. "The water won't cover us up. We just might have to sit out in the rain for a bit, that's all."
And below, the water continues to rise, approaching the 12 ft. mark...
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Luurg
Wadi
Tiffany
McKieg
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?????
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Sheela
Adyr
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Villagers
Active Conditions: None
Luurg, Wadi, Tiffany and McKieg are UP!
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Adyr realizes that without some quick action... things could become tragic for everyone.
"Alright, just in case the water reaches the highest level we need to have a plan ready to get these people out of here as safely as possible. Luurg... can you swim and get a boat? It might become necessary to start taking people to higher ground inland. What do you the rest of you all think?"
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Luurg pops his head above water to check on everyone, nodding in understanding to Adyr. He looks around to see how the water is entering, windows? Door? Everywhere? He dives back below the water and heads over to check on the door they entered through. If it is completely underwater already he'll open it up and take a peak into the depths for any trouble.
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As the villagers move to the highest level of the lighthouse that will accommodate them, McKieg looks them over, organizing them into a triage according to levels of fitness, prioritizing those who would need to be evacuated first. "We're going to get some boats. If we need to leave the lighthouse, we'll help get you to safety. Women with infants and small children first. The sick and elderly next. If you're a strong, capable swimmer, please wait until we take care of your friends. We won't abandon you."
Wadi hurriedly makes for the stairs up to the top level, falling in behind the villagers as the continue to clamber up as fast as they're able to go. Meanwhile, Adyr, McKieg, and Sheela hastily call out to each other, working on the beginnings of a plan should the water continue to rise up past the second floor. Sheela moves to open the eastern window and McKieg begins the task of trying to triage and get everyone sorted into groups and ready to begin piling into boats.
Down below, Luurg can see that the water seems to have started flowing in from underneath the door and from small cracks in the lighthouse masonry - it's an older structure and certainly not water-tight. Upon pulling the door open (small wonder the oncoming water didn't force it open) he peers outside into the dark water, looking for anything sinister.
It takes a moment for your eyes to adjust to the sting of the seawater and at first you can't see much of anything. But as your vision clears, you suddenly see a terrifying sight - an enormous, colossal beast of teeth and tentacles, bearing down on the lighthouse!
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Luurg
Wadi
Tiffany
McKieg
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?????
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Sheela
Adyr
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Villagers
Active Conditions: None
Tiffany is UP!
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"OooOookay," Tiffany hops around in alarm. "Now this is getting crazy! I hope my pet sees something down there!" The shark dives through the water. Unfortunately, it has no good way of speaking to Tiffany. "Knew I should've just went all shark-mode myself and jumped in. Hey, what the hell! Let's do it!"
Tiffany shuts her eyes and tenses her body. A pink shark's fin suddenly sprouts from her back. Her neck elongates into the head of a shark, and she flips over into the water as her transformation completes.
Wow, this is soOooo cool. Totally have some ideas for the underwater outfits section of my next catalogue!
Contact is imminent!
Tiffany finishes her spell and a shark pops into existence down in the water that floods the lighthouse's lower level. Frustrated as she realizes that it can't effectively communicate anything that it might see or encounter, she decides to take the form of a shark herself. There are several startled gasps and cries from some of the villagers as she begins her transformation, but she quickly flips over the edge of the stairwell and down into the water with a *KERSPLOOSH*.
Now down in the water she can 'see' with her shark senses that Luurg seems to have gotten the lighthouse door open. Her half-orc companion floats just outside the door, seemingly staring at something that she can't see...
As you swim up to see what Luurg is looking at, your field of vision is filled with the sight of an enormous beast, a colossal beast of teeth and tentacles! It's upon the lighthouse and there's no time to cry out a warning!
Everyone within the lighthouse suddenly feels a terrific shuddering as something seems to impact the building with an earth-shattering *BOOM*! The entire structure sways and shakes violently as the people trapped within and above scream with terror, many of them flung to the ground by the shaking!
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Luurg
Wadi
Tiffany + Shark
McKieg
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?????
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Sheela
Adyr
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Villagers
Active Conditions: None
Sheela and Adyr are UP!
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Sheela doesn't budge. "Well, everyone who can see what's going down there can't speak to us. Lovely."
Sheela pulls out a scroll of Touch of the Sea and begins reading from it. Her hands and feet grow webbings. "I guess it's time for a swim."
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Sounding like a crashing cymbal, McKieg falls prone when the lighthouse shudders on its foundation.
Refusing to stay down, he heaves himself off the floor. From his spring-loaded wrist sheath, he draws his wand of bless and activates it.
This might also help the frightened villagers cope with their fear.
"Fear not, friends. Our companions below will soon have the situation in hand."
Or they will have the good sense to let us know what's going on...
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Luurg slams the door shut and does what he can to bar it before swimming back to the surface, giving a nervous look at the shark that just appeared behind him.
"Not gud out dare mang. Not gud. Prolly best we stay in here fer now?" He looks around up at all the nervous women and children and comes up with a plan. He starts speaking in a really odd, broken language that he has immense trouble making sound as it should, hoping the right people understand him. He then repeats it in a much more familiar language.
"Umm, dares an octopus out there about as big as this bright house..."
"There's a giant octopus out there and we need a plan."
Though many of the villagers are flung to the floor most of you inside the lighthouse manage to keep your feet, with the exception of McKieg who tumbles to the ground with a mighty crash. Anxious to know what's going on outside and concerned for her more amphibious companions Sheela grants herself the touch of the sea, preparing to join them in the water.
She's saved the trouble, for now, when Luurg pops his head back up and rambles in multiple tongues about some manner of foe or danger lurking outside...
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Luurg
Wadi
Tiffany + Shark
McKieg
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?????
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Sheela
Adyr
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Villagers
Active Conditions: None
Adyr is UP!
Adyr draws his bow and rushes for the stairs, pushing past some of the villagers still crowding the stairs between the second and third level.
"Wh-what's goin' on out there!? Is th' whole dang buildin' comin' down???"
"Come on, keep moving, they said to get to the top!"
"Mommy, I'm scared!"
"Kill it? Drive it off??? Oh my gawd, it's the monsters, they've come back for us!"
The villagers are clearly on the verge of panic; some of them grind to a halt on the stairs while others continue to push and shove their way towards the top of the light house. The wails of frightened children fill the air and their parents try to comfort them as best as they can as they look to all of you and to Lira and Nick for guidance.
Down below the water continues to rise higher and higher, until it reaches the 15 ft. mark and the landing of the second floor stairwell...and then stops.
McKieg hauls himself to his feet, pulling out a wand and using it to bless himself and several of the crowd that are in range. A few of the frightened faces, particularly those of the children, relax somewhat fill with hope. A boy of maybe 12 or 13 winters leans down and murmurs to his little sister, "It's okay. The little armored man and his friends, they'll keep us safe."
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Luurg
Wadi
Tiffany + Shark
McKieg
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?????
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Sheela
Adyr
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Villagers
Active Conditions: Bless
Luurg, Wadi and Tiffany & Co are UP!
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Luurg mouth drops open a bit as he hears Wadi hollering about an attack Well dare, dat not gunna keep dem kiddies calm. Luurg swims up the stairs to the second level, Leafy still in hand.
"What it lookin' like up top? Way down dare not as gud cept if yer a big fish like Tiffy." He looks down to make sure Tiffy is not too far behind.
As Wadi frantically calls for everyone to keep climbing up top for fear of a monster outside, some of the crowd finally break and begin to panic. They frantically claw and push to make their way up the stairs and it seems only a matter of time before the entire situation spirals out of control.
Further than it already has, anyway.
Meanwhile Luurg hastily retreats back up and out of the water, rejoining the majority of the group on the lighthouse's second level. He anxiously looks behind him, hoping that Tiffany isn't far behind.
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Luurg
Wadi
Tiffany + Shark
McKieg
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?????
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Sheela
Adyr
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Villagers
Active Conditions: Bless
Tiffany & Co are UP!
Still in the water, Tiffany swims after Luurg with her pet shark leading in front of both of them. No sooner has the picky grippli thought about calamari for dinner that there's a mighty *WHOMP* from the door behind them. Despite Luurg's efforts to close it up and seal it, it bursts open and the trio catch a flash of dark, rubbery flesh as a tentacle shoots past them all and up into the stairwell!
Those on the second level hear a muffled-sounding thud from below and then, to everyone's horror, see a great rubbery tentacle shoot up out of the stairwell and grab a nearby villager by the leg! It begins to drag him back towards the stairwell as he screams for help!
*KRRSSSHHH*!
The western window shatters as a second tentacle bursts though, wrapping around the waist of a teenage girl, and a third tentacle snakes in through the open window to the east and grabs an elderly woman by the arm! Pandemonium erupts; many of the villagers stampede towards the stairs leading up while others simply cower where they stand, too afraid to even move.
From his position on the third level it's hard for Adyr to tell what's going on but he can clearly hear the sounds of shattering glass and terrified screaming, as well as see more people attempting to flee up the stairs in one gigantic mass. Peering over the lighthouse railing he can make out what look to be at least two long, rubbery tentacles snaking their way up the outer lighthouse wall and into two of the windows down below. The owner of said tentacles can't be seen but given their reach he realizes that it doesn't have to be seen...
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Luurg
Wadi
Tiffany + Shark
McKieg
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Tentacle Red
Tentacle Orange
Tentacle Purple
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Sheela
Adyr
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Villagers (Crowd)
Active Conditions: Bless
Sheela and Adyr are UP!