Samuel casts light and touches the main mast.
I will find them, Samuel. I have blindsense out to 60 feet."
Slip takes to the air and begins a circular expanding pattern from the ship. He remains under 60 feet in altitude.
He uses telepathy continuously to anyone within range. Slip is here. Slip is here.
Ohrmizd finally hears Jafar and starts swimming in that direction "Jafar?!"
"Where are the others?" Ohrmizd tries to hear around as he keeps swimming towards the signs done by the Keleshite wizard. If he hears Omari fighting for his life, he quickly swims in that direction to try help him.
"Calm down, you are going to knock someone and drown yourself." assuming he finds him Ohrmizd tries to help with Khedron to keep him afloat "Why you don't just fly? You priests of the Huntman can do that, can't you?"
The wizard grabs a length of rope and ties bowlines on both ends. He begins knotting the rope so anyone who uses it can get up easier.
"Rayhan are you there? I cannot hear you!" Ohrmizd is alarmed, and hearing no one close enough keeps swimming towards Samuel Jafar and the boat who is the only one he can clearly hear for now.
Omari tread water and listens to the shouting in the fog, trying to figure out who is which direction... As he does, he hears Slip in his head and thinks back "This is Omari"
vs effective DC ?6? (moving while swimming is DC 10, and you have to fail by more than 4 to go under)
+2 str -2 acp
8 ranks +4 wis +4 racial
After that, he does some shouting of his own:
Khedron, meanwhile, bugles and swims off in the direction of mr shouty...
1 rank +3 trained +6 str
I see you, Omari Slip flies over to the cleric. Grab my tail and I will pull you to the ship. It is this way. Samuel lit the entire mast so you will see it when we get closer.
It was all fun and games until you completely lose your footing.
That's exactly what happened, causing him to be buffeted by the waterfall before falling into the water. He eventually resurfaces and coughs out any water that entered his lungs.
"I'll remember to tie myself to the boat next time." Not bothering to swim, he casted Fly upon himself to rise out of the water before listening to the voices and light to find the boat again.
Heshan is able to keep afloat enough to cast his spell.
After repeatedly losing contact to Slip Samuel takes on the role as continuous acoustic beacon providing the information that he is on the ship.
This allows it for Heshan to zero in on the boat and get on deck and all others to know the direction, even though it will be harder for them to get there.
Ohrmizd keeps swimming forward towards Jafar's shouting and once he reaches the ship, he starts climbing onboard "Are you all ok? Where are we?"
If possible, he will try help others climb.
"Has someone seen Rayhan?"
Rayhan comes flying through the mist following the noise his companions make and is stopped as he hits the rail of the boat. He then proceeds more carefully and boards the ship.
Omari lets Slip tow him back to the ship, where he meets up with Khedron who's swimming handily . Getting aboard is more of a challenge, but with a couple of helping hands, is manageable for both of them.
Once his is aboard, and everyone is close, he will channel healing, which should take care of everyone's lethal damage (and some of the non-lethal as well).
"Well, not a ride I'd like to take twice. Is the helmsman steering us somewhere now? And have we inspected the boat for leaks?"
The boat looks fine, besides a single broken oar. The helmsman stands in place doing nothing until the last one is pulled aboard. Then the oars start moving again. The boat plows through the dense mist for a short while. Then the blinding fog thins ahead as three yellow-green lights come into clear view. A strange crescent-shaped anchorage just large enough to snugly secure a vessel forms out of the mist, each of its crescent quays tipped by a small stonework tower like a small lighthouse surmounted by a bright-glowing, yellow-green lantern. The harbor seems to abut the base of a large hill of slowly roiling mist, with a third lantern at the center of the crescent, mounted over an archway leading into the hillside along a dimly lit cobblestoned avenue.
"To the mast Heshan. That is where you should tie yourself. The boat left unattended will seek the path of least resistance and save herself." Samuel's thoughts go to the proteans as he gazes at the path before them.
That was fun Omari. I can drag you in circles really fast and you will hit your waves and fly through the air. This is not the time for such pleasures. Maybe another day.
Samuel takes a piece of the broken oar and decides it would be a good candidate for a wand of fly. He pockets the piece of wood that will need much attention.
"Are you sure you know what you are doing helmsman?" Ohrmizd questions while trying to dry his clothes of the worst of the water "I hope the salt has not ruined the cheese...."
As the boat reaches what seems their destination, the Keleshite gets out of it and observes the buildings, slowly crossing the arch and calling to the nearest structure "Hey there! We are the heroes who hunted the Golden Ram. Are we invited here?"
"I will put that in mind."
The sorcerer dried himself the best he could as they reached their destination.
"We also have the horn if you are interested."
Be polite. Be stupid
Samuel stays to the rear of the party.
Might as well be female and attractive. I should have prepared mind blank for use on myself.
"Good idea Heshan, hand it me" Ohrmizd cleans a bit the horn from the water, then tries to blow it to call the attention of the proteans, if that is where the hellsman have brought the group.
As Ohrmizd approaches the lighthouses, a large creature slides out of each of them. . They each hold am everburning torch in hand, that was the light in the illusory lighthouse. One of them hisses and growls at Ohrmizd.
"Be ready for anything, these ones look dangerous..." nevertheless Ohrmizd makes a sign for the others to stay aside and advances himself as a sort of herald of the group. Guessing these are proteans or their allies, he tries to speak up in Terran "Greentings. We are Garavel's special ops and got trapped in Kakishon during one of our special ops. Can we talk? Are you the ones that send us the message to hunt the golden ram?"
If they do not seem to understand, he tries with Aquan next, and goes on with other languages trying to communicate.
To add to the possible languages, Heshan would also address the same message to the creature in Kelish.
They don't attack. But they keep hissing and growling.
"What the hell are they saying?" Ohrmizd growls himself clueless. Then decides to show the horn to the creatures and show his scimitar slashing at the air "We won the ram!"
Then shows the horn as an offering to the creatures, trying to express they come by their call.
"How is it they could write a letter to us in our tongue but cannot understand us now, do you think the hell-man brought us to the wrong proteans?"
Slip moves up to Ohrmizd. As he moves forward he uses his telepathy to communicate to the protean and Ohrmizd.
Hi. I am Slip. The human says his name is Ohrmizd and he accepts your invitation. He hunted down the golden ram for his horns as your note indicated. Do you not speak Taldane?
Omari doesn't understand the creatures gabble any more than any one else. He spends the time keeping Khedron calm and close. He does think to ask Rayhan "You have studied the planes, do you understand their language?"
Well... this was awkward. Heshan turned towards Rayhan. "Any chance you have a spell that could help us understand them?"
Rayhan wakes from his thoughts about planes and their connection with reality. "What, where, ... ah this problem." He casts comprehend language on Ohrmizd, as he has started the negotiations.
The creatures' hiss and growl is the repeated statement that the group is expected and should proceed into the cave behind them.
The boundaries of said cave are unsettling to look upon, for slowly palpitating whorls and streams of dim, multihued radiance flicker deep within the pale walls. Even without the colored light, the passageway would be disorienting, as its width and height and direction seem to pulsate and shift, almost like the throat of an immense living creature.
Upon entering there comes a greeting in common from a voice without clear location. "Welcome, my guests. Come forward so we may speak."
Once Rayhan translates with his magic the beasts intentions, or Slip makes his telepathic connection, Ohrmizd advances into the psychedelic cave carefully.
Taking strength in the group around him Ohrmizd looks around for the source of the voice, not finding one, he just talks forward looking in all directions "Greetings. Shall you show yourself we could came closer..."
"We came to your call in peace, looking for a way out of this plane and information on Jhavhul and his army"
There was a bit of sniffling, but Heshan manages to hold it together as he entered the cave.
"We were able to complete the hunt, if that was what you wanted us to do."
As there is no one seen and the way leads further in, walking on is the obvious thing to do. To the left the cavern opens up to a larger space. The walls, floor, and ceiling of this irregular chamber are studded with large cysts and buds, though they appear somewhat dried and withered. Most of the floor is covered with a pool of faintly glowing greenish liquid.
Yuk. This place is disconcerting.
vs dc 15
+6 Cleric + 2 con +1 resistance
vs dc 15
+5 animal HD+4 Con
"And I thought Katapesh had the biggest drug problem known to men. This is dizzying."
Feeling the party too quiet, Ohrmizd turns and sees half the party going flippant about the psycho colors "Oh, well, turns out my friends here are not that used to your lair. I fear we might take a bit to go deeper inside..."
The Keleshite casts heightened awareness and slowly moves forward checking where he is putting his feet and pulling the others behind him. As he reaches the next cavern, he observes the bulbs and green liquid trying to understand what is this "Where are we? What is all this?"
Heshan gave Ohrmizd a thumb up to show he managed to shake off the effects. "Just give us some time to recover. The fact that we ended up in a different dimension caught us by surprise."
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"And I thought Katapesh had the biggest drug problem known to men. This is dizzying."
"I once misidentified a mushroom. Not very different than that entire night and day."
"Forward now, forward. We are guests and this is the Palace of Pleasure."
But whom's pleasure I do wonder.
None of this makes any sense when applying knowledge from the material world.
The room was housing for proteans.
As no one dares taking a step into the pools, the search for the voice goes on. The walls, ceiling, and floor of this large chamber are studded with strange cysts and buds. Most of the floor is covered by a wide pool of faintly glowing green liquid but for a narrow pathway leading around it to an opening on the far side. There stand a sumptuous divan, a canopied bed, and a table surrounded with chairs.
Standing near the entrance to the chamber is a strange, pale-skinned elven man dressed in fine leathers and armed with a curved blade. He eyes the guests warily and silently as they enter but makes no move. A second figure is seated upon the divan across the room—another elf, this one female and strikingly beautiful. She calls out in a melodious voice, beckoning them over. "I greet you, my heroes from outside this reality. I am Lahapraset. I am a spirit of creation, and I wish you to be my champions. Thank you for answering my summons, and I trust that business with the Golden Ram did not vex you overmuch — it was but a convenient way for me to judge your skill and worth. Do not mind Chinoy; he is not much for conversation but watches over my safety. Come, let us sit together. We have so much to discuss."
"Better do not touch those pools, it seems to me some kind of entropic essence, which might act like acid to our matter. Protean housing perhaps?" Ohrmizd theorizes looking at the others for their own thoughts.
Then he follows up their search lured by the voices.
"You remember me to Lofnaiali and Tahlumilali" is all Ohrmizd manages to say at first after suddenly finding a couple of elves laying down on a divan in the middle of the otherworldly cave almost expecting for them to start kissing in front of the group while they talk.
The man hesitates for a second, looking back, and finally decides to talk without going to the divan for now "Greetings Lahapraset, also to Chinoy. We are Garavel's specs op team and found ourselves here inside while we were trying to figure out the Kakishon scroll. Shall I understand you sent us the invitation note then?"
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"I do not know of this Lofnaiali nor of Tahlumilali." Lahapraset replies.
"Yes, I sent you the invitation to this place. I'd like to learn what your intentions are and if we have common interests. I can also tell you about Kakhishon if you'd like to know."
Heshan nodded to the information about the pit while guessing the inquisitor's reaction to the spirits (and getting a bit mesmerized by the spirits themselves) before talking.
"That would be great to know, yes. So was it true that Nex created this realm?"
"That is an euphemism of what really happened. He made a deal with us and we created it for him. And then he didn't hold up his part of the deal and imprisoned us here."
"That is intersting... so Nex was not that god-like as tales tend to present him..." Ohrmizd looks back at the group sages to see how they react to this point, then looks at the proteans once more "Our goals, and I think I can talk in the name of everyone over this point, are to escape this prison plane and maybe neutralize any danger this Jhavhul might pose to the home city were we have set him free unwillingly..."
The man raises an eyebrow with curiosity "Oh, what part of his word did he not hold up to?"