Drusilla finally sees an opening to attack, but the extra resistance from the water is giving her trouble and she can't make either powerful blow land.
Taariik moves forward and plunges his dagger deep into the daemon, dark green blood diffuses out into the water as he pulls it back. As angry as it seems, it still waits to lash out at Grunyak as he retreats, one final chance to keep him from escaping.
It's teeth find only plate armour once again as the hardy dwarf makes it out of the water. Unfortunately his spiritual hammer also fails to penetrate its target's scaly hide.
Taariik
Drusilla
Grunyak
addicts
Hydrodaemon
Eldrin
Huxwren
Taariik
Drusilla
Grunyak
addicts
Hydrodaemon
...
Huxwren continues trying to swim up and out of the murky water.
Eldrin abandons the weaker wand and trusts in his own Elven magic, reaching down to dip his hands into the water and launch a barrage of missiles that shoot through the water and slam into the creature unerringly. He can also hear the sound from just below him of people breaching the surface and taking relieved gasps - it sounds like the occupants of the building have got enough air at the top of the room.
Huxwren struggles again at first, but then manages to kick off the floor and swim up toward the boat.
The daemon turns its attentions to Taariik, whose hated holy blade is piercing its infernal protections. It swims back 5 feet to bring its reach to bear, and attacks.
It finishes with its bite, which finds flesh beneath the armour and latches on, pulling the stoic ifrit from the pier and into its grasp, ready to rake him as soon as it can.
Taariik
Drusilla
Grunyak
addicts
Hydrodaemon
Eldrin
Huxwren
Taariik
Drusilla
Grunyak
addicts
Hydrodaemon
...
Huxwren gasps for air, trying to clamber up into the boat and safety. But before he leaves the water, he plunges his head back under yells back to his companions, "Don't give up now!"
Having floated back out of Drusilla's reach, the creature easily avoids Taariik's hammer and prepares to tear into Taariik. Just before it does, Huxwren's warbled words of encouragement make their way to Taariik's ears, giving him enough magically enhanced force to drive his blade hilt-deep into the daemon's side, not once but twice.
Even still, the iron grip did not release. Not until Eldrin's magic missiles slam into it. Eldrin needed every bit of both his elven heritage and his potent magical abilities to pierce the Abaddonian spell resistance, but it was enough. The claws go limp, and in the same instant the tower of water drops, thumping Drusilla and Huxwren to the pier.
Taariik was pulled over the edge of the pier by the daemon, and gets only a single chance to grab the edge with his free hand or be dropped to the sea 10 feet below.
His hand, wet from the water slaps at the boards of the pier, and though Drusilla lunges to catch him, she is too slow and gets to watch as he splashes into the sea below. Luckily it's not too deep and he is able to stand.
Grunyak gets to watch this too, but something is happening just behind him that draws his attention. Dozens of unkempt street thugs appear to be slowly forming a rabble in the alleys where you recently hid. He catches parts of their shouts to goad each other on.
"That's them! A lifetime of shiver for their heads he said. Come on! The monster didn't finish them so it's still up for grabs"
Taariik
Drusilla
Grunyak
Hydrodaemon
Eldrin
Huxwren
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for a few seconds, her mind still in the fight, Dru panics: does she have some rope or not?
She puts her backpack on the pier, and frantically start searching it, before noticing the rope carefully folded on the side of the backpack.
She uses it to help Taarik up
Well, I guess we all had a free good bath!
Huxwren staggers to his feet, shaking his head vigorously to one side in an attempt to dislodge the seawater that has taken up residence inside. ”Don’t worry,” he tells his three larger companions as he trots past them further inland. ”I got this.” Orbs of sickly green and purple light swirl at his feet, casting ominous shadows across his face as the halfling addresses the growing crowd.
”A lifetime of shiver, eh? Too bad it won’t be your life!” he roars. ”Do you see that daemon floating dead in the water it once controlled with one hand? Do you see its blood on our blades?” He jabs his thumb back over his shoulder, but does not look himself. ”And you think you are safe? You think the person standing next to you will not hesitate to throw you into the wizard’s wall of fire that blazes with the heat of a thousand suns? You think nobody else has the brilliant idea to stand in the back and let somebody else get skewered like a fish? You are a fool to believe any one of your fellows would hesitate for a split second to sacrifice you for half a bottle.” The halfling rises up to his full three-and-a-half feet of height before pointing a finger dramatically at the crowd. ”Now begone, and thank the gods we do not slay you for your impudence.”
By the time the Grunyak gets over to the pier, the body of the daemon has floated out of range and he safely channels the power of Torag to heal his friends.
Taariik is able to climb back up to the pier with Drusilla's help, and Huxwren steps up to rapidly forming crowd to give them a piece of his mind. As he speaks, the assembled addicts gradually slow and turn their attention to him, and a deathly hush falls over them. The silence after he finishes stretches on surprisingly long, but is broken eventually by a voice calling "Bugger this", throwing a length of rusty chain on the floor and running away.
The retreater is quickly joined by many more as it turns into a full rout and they compete to get away from Huxwren as quickly as they can, many of them tripping over each other in their haste. Soon only one person is left, a truly retched soul who seems thoroughly lost to addiction. He's old, and he's not dissuaded so easily.
"Fools!" He spits from a mouth mostly devoid of teeth. "It'll be all mine then!"
He charges at Huxwren, but an aged drug-addict is no match for a crack team of pathfinders and you quickly subdue him.
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"We realize you are not in your right mind today, sir. We might be able to get you a hot meal and some ale to wash it down tddif you can tell us who offered the shiver or money or whatever it was that insighted that crowd you arrived with." "We would very much like to talk to them. Can you recall that for us?
Grunyak asks while bandages the elderly gentleman up.
The broken old addict doesn't take much convincing, as apparently he thought his life was coming to an end anyway and sobs in a combination of relief and disappointment when you keep him alive.
"It was Greeley's lot. Moses Greeley. They put the bounty out a few hours ago. They said there was folks asking too many questions and the brotherhood needed em dead. Them as brotherhood needs dead aren't usually alive for long, so we had to move fast. You're in trouble. He operates from under the Red Oliphaunt. The windows under it are his hideout."
Thinking back, you do remember in the Night Market there was a prominent painting of a Red Oliphaunt on the side of one of the tall buildings.
He coughs and sobs before he quietens as if he's remembered something.
"Do you have any shiver? I did tell you about Greeley. Just one or two vials?"
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"Well I guess we need to visit this individual."
Grunyak hands the man 10 gold. "This aught the buy the meal and ale as promised. I don't pretend to know what shiver costs, but the meal and ale will be you better."
Grunyak gathers his things. "Do you think those fools the the shack at the end of this pier know anything be you? Grunyak says to the group. " They were guarding something."
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Watching the crowd gather, Eldrin pulls out his spell books and starts flipping through the pages. Looking up when he hears Huxwren's speech, his search intensifies and he mutters to himself "Wall of fire they say, wall of fire... hmm... a fire ball will have to do.". He starts studying a page, but before he can finish the crowd starts to disperse.
Stepping forward he looks down at the drop from the shack to the wharf and shakes his head. Opening his book once more he flips to a different page and starts reading. A few moments later he begins reciting the arcane phrases and gestures with his free hand. Snapping the book closed he steps off the roof and drifts slowly down to the wharf and re-joins the group.
The man scurries off, asking the first people he sees for money.
Eldrin floats down in a dignified manner, though his robes are drenched with sea-water along with everyone else's. Behind him the moldy old shack looks rather worse for wear, but no sounds comes from it beyond some laboured breathing. The night is quickly becoming cold, and the sea-breeze is making your wet skin feel especially uncomfortable.
Huxwren straightens his hat and takes a swig from his flask. "Marvelous work, if I do say so myself." Tucking the flask back into its inside pocket, he makes a show of dusting his hands off before turning back to the group. "Now then, Drusilla, where did that little scallywag of yours scamper off to? His intel was, well, to be blunt, quite incorrect. Perhaps the dear Madame would be able to provide us with more... accurate information in one of her dreamscapes."
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"We can try this 'Red Oliphaunt' lead and seek out this Mr. Greeley?"
Grunyak nods to Huxwren, "That was very impressive what you did with that Mob. Thank you."
Grunyak makes ready to head back to the night market. "We might have to watch our step, though, with this 'bounty' we have acquired." "But if you truly want to seek the aid of our friend the Madame. I will accompany you. Though I am not sure what else she can tell us."
Grunyak rubs his hairless head again and continues, "We just need to find this Brotherhood of Spiders and stop the tainted shiver supply."
After a few attempts, Taariik breaks down the moldy old door of the shack, and finds the same filthy occupants, now considerably more bedraggled and dripping with cold water.
"Leave us alone!" they say when the door bursts open
"Look we didn't do anything. Some dealers offered us free shiver to wear these robes and stay in this shack for a bit. One of us had to stay outside the door, but that was all they wanted, for free shiver!"
"If we'd known that sword wielding maniacs and monsters would turn up we'd have said no. Maybe. Look just leave us alone eh?"
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Taariik stands in the door with the crowbar.
”Do you still know the names of those dealers? This is your last warning!“
He waits for an answer and then adds.
”Tell everybody that standing in our way only means defeat and that there is a new force in town that will not allow your evil to spread!“
He looks at the team.
”I am ready to confront Greeley!!“
The addicts look terrified.
"It was, er, Lanky Bill, and his Chellish mate, what's he called, Arogus, Aragish or something like that."
When Taariik looks unimpressed they look at each other visibly distressed trying to recall more useful information.
"They're all part of Greeley's crew, he runs all the shiver around the night market!"
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"Shiver again. It all seems to point back to shiver. This Mr. Greeley bribes people with shiver like it is gold."
Grunyak rubs his baldness with his guantlet and dispite his best effort can not suppress a yawn. "Either he is the leader of this 'Brotherhood of the Spider' or their pawn. Either way perhaps it is a matter that can wait until morning. I am soaked to the bone and tired. What do you all say to a meal and some rest?"
Grunyak shakes his head to clear it. "But if you all want to continue, I can."
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Grunyak with Taariik leading the way moves with his friends back to their lodging.
Wherever they stay, Grunyak will suggest they sleep in shifts with one person awake with visual oversight of all party members. Grunyak will eat a little and pray a little, then arrange watches with the party.
"No telling what witchcraft they use to attack and kill in dreams. If one of us is at least awake, they can wake up someone in obvious distress."
The addicts from the shack run in fear from Taariik when he tells them to go and think about their life, and you're left on the dark dock, wet and uncomfortable. When Grunyak suggests getting some rest, you can suddenly feel the weight of your wet clothes even more and warming up sounds very tempting.
There are no shortages of seedy taverns and flophouses in Bridgefront, but none are particularly appealing. You eventually settle on one presumably called "The Sailor's Rest", though its painted sign is so worn most of the last word is illegible. The common room contains a small smokey fire that isn't giving off much heat, and several rats are visible as you enter. It does have a fire though, and the rats don't outnumber you, so it's the best one you found after more than an hour of searching. Best of all it's just across the square from Madame Carrington's, and has a large room with bunk beds for 6 available for 3 silver a night, 2 if you can provide food for the stew.
Grunyak takes first watch, but with all the talk of the nightmare plague the party finds getting to sleep difficult at first. Eventually Drusilla does nod off, and immediately cries out in fear in her sleep, waking everyone else. By the time Grunyak can get to her however, an expression of serenity has come over her and she seems to be sleeping peacefully.
The rest of the night passes in a similar manner, at first sleepers appear to be having a night terror, but then quickly relax into contented sleep. By the time Grunyak's watch is done and he wakes Drusilla, she is able to quietly report that she first had a nightmare of appearing in a street in Bridgefront that she didn't recognize, hunted by unseen shapes. It was quickly replaced however with a dream of Madame Carrington, who was not paralyzed but actually flew through the night with the skill of an Angel. She remembers Madame Carrington's shop as a sort of sanctuary with all sorts of people there, including Eldrin, Taariik and Huxwren. There was even a strange floating creature with brown fur and a long trunk. Like the memories of dreams often do though, it all slips away from her within a few minutes.
In the morning you wake feeling rested, and all had a similar dream. Nightmare followed quickly by a vision of Madame Carrington and her sanctuary.
After completing your daily preparations, you follow the lead to Greeley's lair, said to be "under the Red Oliphaunt" at the Night Market. You arrive at around 8am, with the market fairly quiet, though many merchants are starting to set up. The coffee vendors don't appear to have closed at all, and there are many bleary-eyed pedestrians trying to stave off sleep.
You find a large red sign painted on the wall of a tall building that overlooks the fountain at the centre of the night market. Just underneath the sign are are two grimy windows which you surmise to be Greeley's hideout. Examining the building from the outside you can see a metal spiral staircase coming out the rear of the building and desccending into a courtyard. Following an alley adjacent to the building toward this courtyard you find it blocked off by a 15 foot tall brick wall, which is broken only by a sturdy iron door.
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Grunyak during the seance with the Huxwren's spiritually spirted friend fells he can heal more effectively. He takes his normal daily spells though he is tempted to take a water breathing prayer but finally decides against it.
At the market and upon finding the iron door and brick wall blocking their progress, Grunyak mumbles something under this breath. Then proclaims, "We could Knock." "Or just open it if it is not locked." "Or climb over." "I bet someone in the market sells a grappling hook."
He runs his hairless head with his gauntlet. "But surprise will be gone. They will spot us for sure."
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Grunyak stands a little befuddled in the alley. He mumbles something, "Climd wall...no. Climb building...no. Rope...no."
He then stands up straighter and turns to Eldrin. "That thing you do where you disappear and reappear, can you do that up onto those stairs? And can you take a rope and ty it off?" We could then climb in over the wall."
Huxwren pinches the fingers of the glove on their left hand as they survey the building. "Ah could prob'ly get this 'ere door open 'nna jiffy if Ah 'addn't left m' tools at home," they mutter under their breath. "Don't suppose any o' y'all 'appen t' 'ave some on ya?"