Asher is at full HP now.
Thanks, Talath!
Asher is at full HP now.
Thanks, Talath!
Crispin tries not to let his nerves get the better of him and swims closer again.
Asher charges at the huge shark, provoking the huge beast! The huge shark bites down on the ranger's arm! It releases its grip for another bite but this time Asher pulls away, avoiding more injury.
From his Arcane knowledge, Antaral realizes Asher has been afflicted by deadly bleeding.
Asher's attack isn't able to penetrate the thick, muscular skin of the animal. Even with the purple sahuagin acting recklessly, Mauro can't seem to land a hit. Mauro's skeleton has better luck, gouging the yellow sahuagin to death with its sharp claws. A golden glow erupts from Talath as he channels healing energy to his allies. Crispin continues to lag behind, struggling to swim quickly enough. Becky continues to inspire her allies with knowledge. Relaying this shark, Elder Maw, is a feeder of the depths. It possesses magical qualities, has a diverse number of ways to hunt, and is built strong like a tank. A true carnivorous predator. The enlarged Antaral swings his massive morning star, caving in the purple sahuagin's skull. The crescent moon skull is hardly recognizable as the corpse floats down from the force.
This first is Blood Feast. When a creature within 30 feet of Elder Maw takes bleed damage (including ongoing damage), Elder Maw heals an equal amount of damage.
The second is Deadly Bleeding. A feeder of the depths’ bite causes bleeding wounds that resist healing. The first bite that damages a creature deals 1d4 points of bleed damage, and each subsequent bite increases the amount of bleed by 1d4. Stopping the bleeding requires a successful DC 20 Heal check or the application of any magical healing. However, anyone attempting to cast a healing spell on a creature suffering from deadly bleeding must succeed at a DC 20 caster level check or the spell doesn’t affect the bleeding creature. The save DC is Constitution-based.
The black sahuagin swims around Elder Maw and attacks Asher with his ranseur! The polearm stabs its target.
Koloshkora swims up to Antaral but seems afraid to swim up closer. "Oh fishsticks, that's a big shark!"
Ikirkira swims to catch up to Elder Maw and loads a bolt into her underwater heavy crossbow.
After tasting Asher, Elder Maw comes back for more sweet ranger flesh. Asher screams out in pain, then passes out from the pain. The ranger begins to bleed out, dying.
Round 8
(deadly bleeding, dying Stabilize DC10)
(-4 damage) (-13 damage skeleton)
Bold may act!
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Bleed out. Magic resistant to heal. Shark heals from blood. Antaral yells letting the group know the true danger. Antaral launches an immolation bomb at the elder maw. each round for 2 rounds. Splash damage is 5hp per round each round adjacent to main target.
Crispin moves up to Mauro and casts Monkey Fish on him. He calls out "Get Asher to me, I'll get him to Talath!"
Crispin moves up to Mauro and casts Monkey Fish on him. He calls out "Get Asher to me, I'll get him to Talath!"
Talath asks Mauro "Healthier or harder to hit?"
Asher will delay his action, but unless he gets a successful Heal and some HP, he will bleed out at the beginning of this turn.
Talath asks Mauro "Healthier or harder to hit?"
"Harder to hit!"
Realizing none of them swim fast enough to escape, Mauro sets his teeth grimly and steps forward, striking at the shark. As he does, an aura flares around him.
+3 bab +4 str +1 naturalist
6 str* 1.5 +2 Champion spirit
His skeleton meanwhile, circles the great shark, trying to close with the last Sahaugin crossbowman ...
Status:
Mauro effective AC 24 vs shark, 23 vs others (plus whatever Tanath is up to), HP 31/31
Skeleton AC 17 HP 9
Talath swims up and casts Shield of Faith on Mauro.
Two.
The first was an attack of opportunity.
Edit:
Asher is still alive.
I did not see that GM had rolled what the ongoing bleed would be. Three points of bleed would bring him down to -13, just above permadeath. He then stabilizes, but the next round of beeld will kill him for sure.
Becky's unable to reach Asher with everyone else in her path so she takes a moment to change her Naturalist performance to inspire her friends to defeat the great shark-beast, Elder Maw. She then swims forward at a decent speed to put her rapier where her mouth is.
Asher unconscious body stabilizes.
Mauro casts Mind Barrier, making himself look sturdier. Then he swings his horsechopper at Elder Maw but the blade fails to penetrate the creature's muscular torso. His skeletal servant circumvents the huge shark, setting its focus on the lithe sahuagin.
Talath Talath swims up and casts Shield of Faith on Mauro, increasing the occultist's defense!
Crispin follows Talath's lead, casting Monkey Fish on Mauro!
Becky swims in an effort to assist Asher and continues to inspire her companions.
Antaral quickly mixes a few volatile ingredients, then lobs the mixture at Elder Maw! The ranged touch attack easily affects the huge creature.
The black sahuagin says something in Aquan, swimming five feet to thrust his ranseur at Mauro!
Koloshkora inches towards Elder Maw, only moving five feet as to not provoke. "Are we in over our necks in fishguts?" She towards at Antaral for guidance. I hope that's the correct landfin phrase.
The slender sahuagin replies to the black sahuagin, loading and firing her underwater heavy crossbow at Mauro's skeleton!
As an increasingly heated dialogue passes between the black and the white sahuagin. Even not understanding Aquan, from their body language and tone, it seems as if the two sahuagin might turn on each other at any moment.
Elder Maw barrel rolls in the water, attempting to extinguish Antaral's immolation bomb!
-----
the party hears a familiar voice. "Now! Ssspells and touch attacksss!" Turning, you see Vriskirsa's serpentine body gracefully speed towards you. She whips her tail around and sends a volley of magical missile strikes at Elder Maw!
All of the magic damage appears to go through! Despite having magical attributes, Elder Maw doesn't seem to have any magical resistances.
Round 9
(unconscious, stabilized)
(-16 damage) (-16 damage skeleton)
(-23 damage)
Bold may act!
His aura protecting him from the worst of the sahaugin's stroke, Mauro continues to attack the great shark, aura flaring again.
+3 bab +4 str +1 naturalist
6 str* 1.5 +2 Champion spirit
His skeletal warrior, on it's last legs though it is, has a clear lane to charge the Sahaugin who shot it, and does just that!
+3 bab +2 str +1 naturalist +2 charge
+2 str +2 occultist
Crispin tries to assist by blasting the Black Sahuagin.
Sonic Blast (Su) The arcanist can loose a deafening blast of sonic energy by expending 1 point from her arcane reservoir and succeeding at a ranged touch attack against any one target within 30 feet. The blast deals 2d6+1 sonic damage. The target is also deafened for 1 minute. The target can attempt a Fortitude save (DC 13) to halve the damage and negate the deafness.
Bleed out. Magic resistant to heal. Shark heals from blood. Antaral yells letting the group know the true danger. Antaral launches an immolation bomb at the elder maw. Splash damage is 5hp per round each round adjacent to main target.
Antaral lobs another bomb at the shark.
Talath casts a spell before moving 5' forward to heal Asher.
Asher is unconscious but stable at the beginning of the round. Vriskirsa has already acted in the round.
Mauro uses his mental energy to cast Mind Barrier on himself again. He swings his horsechopper at Skorika but the sahuagin avoids the blade. His skeletal warrior charges Ikirkira but the lithe sahuagin avoids that attack too!
@GM: Converting 1st level spell Waterproof into a Cure Light Wounds spell so what do I roll to see if it works?
Crispin makes his Sonic Blast look absurdly easy. He thinks his accuracy would have been good enough to hit the huge shark at least twice. All of the damage looks like it went through. Elder Maw looks a bit scraggly.
Antaral lobs another concoction and easily hits with the touch attack. Elder Maw’s tail beats at the surrounding water and the shark shudders. A feral noise comes from Skorika, his eyes are red and he looks bloodthirsty.
Round 9
(unconscious, stabilized)
(-8 damage) (-13 damage skeleton)
(-13 damage, frenzied, slightly injured)
(-52 damage, injured)
Bold may act!
Forgoing an attack to close on the ranseur-wielding sahuagin, Becky goes total defense and tries to swim into attack range without getting herself skewered. Unfortunately, she has no real practice with such a maneuver and finds herself unable to swim forward at all while trying to keep her buckler poised to intercept an attack.
@GM: Converting 1st level spell Waterproof into a Cure Light Wounds spell so what do I roll to see if it works?
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✦ Ershirani Reef * ˚ ✦
☄. *. ⋆ The End of Combat ⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
Here (link) is an image of the sahuagin combat scene.
The lithe sahuagin (named Ikirkira) who arrived with Elder Maw is the last to be slain. She begged for her life, divulging she and the other sahuagin were recruited by a witch named Helekhterie to keep a presence in these waters. Upon request, Ikirkira describes the path to get to the witch's lair. The description of the path matches an etching on a thin stone tablet found on Skorika's (the black sahuagin's) body. She explains how their leader, Skorika, and his most trusted warriors use magical necklaces provided by Helekhterie to breathe above the waves and transport captive creatures (typically merfolk and locathahs) to her tower in the mountains.
Upon hearing this admittance, Koloshkora runs her longspear through Ikirkira's neck, silencing her forever. "Slavers! How could they do that?!" Koloshkora exclaims vehemently. "We have to save them! Perhaps your missing tribe is there too?"
☄. *. ⋆ Looting The Dead ⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
The surrounding waters are peacefully serene other than the sounds made by the party, Koloshkora, and Vriskirsa. Eleven sahuagin corpses in various states float gently in the current. A twelfth corpse (blue) resides in Elder Maw's stomach.
Looting the dead, you find a +1 ranseur worth 2,310 gold, masterwork underwater heavy crossbow worth 400 gold with 20 bolts, 2 potions of Cure Moderate Wounds worth 300 gold each, studded leather worth 25 gold, necklace of air adaption worth 10,000 gold, thin stone tablet with a map etched on it (no value), and 4 pieces of polished red coral (worth 100g each) on Skorika/the black sahuagin.
On Ikirkira/the white sahuagin you loot a masterwork longspear worth 305 gold, masterwork underwater heavy crossbow worth 400 gold with 20 bolts, Potion of Cure Light Wounds worth 50 gold, hand of the mage worth 900 gold, necklace of air adaption worth 10,000 gold, agate earring worth 25 gold, seven pearls worth 100 gold each, and 18 gold.
There is nothing to loot from Elder Maw.
Strewn around the various, less remarkable dead sahuagin, the party loots 10 tridents worth 15 gold each, 7 heavy crossbows worth 50 gold each, 3 masterwork underwater heavy crossbows worth 400 gold each, 100 crossbow bolts, six potions of Cure Moderate Wounds worth 300 gold each, crowbar worth 2 gold, feather token (anchor) worth 50 gold, peg leg sized for a gnome worth 10 gold, puzzle box with an underwater motif worth 30 gold, clockwork false teeth worth 50 gold, sealed glass jar of caviar worth 50 gold, ring of Swimming worth 2,500 gold, masterwork thieves tools worth 100 gold, two necklaces of air adaption worth 10,000 gold each, amulet of natural armor +4 worth 8,000 gold, two rings of protection +2 worth 8,000 gold each, a pearl necklace worth 100 gold, and miscellaneous coin totaling 418 gold. From the various items, it is clear to the party that these evil creatures have been killing, kidnapping, and stealing for a while. Your characters probably think Talmandor Bounty is safer without this malicious group of underwater thugs terrorizing the surrounding waters.
☄. *. ⋆ Proceeding Onward ⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
The Ershrani Reef is a sprawling series of twisting, serpentine ridges bristling with a vibrant rainbow of sea life. Tall stands of vermilion kelp drift in the ocean currents, schools of tiny fish glitter like a spray of silver knives as they swim past, and the multicolored symphony of coral polyps, spines, and pillars create an otherworldly landscape. In the distance, the dark hulk of a wrecked sailing vessel stands out against the sea of life and color.
The party regroups near the sunken ship. The bow of the ship has the name Joskadalr calligraphed in fading paint. Coral grows up the hull of the wrecked ship, and bone fetishes tied with sinew decorate the gaping opening in the hull. There's evidence of the sahuagin camping out here.
From where you float, you can look down the length of the ship to see the stern. The stern of the Joskadalr rests upright with the splintered hull breach angled toward the sandy ocean floor. A curtain of hanging kelp creates a screen of privacy around the entrance. Inside, the stern is decorated with the skeletal remains of aquatic humanoid creatures, arranged to form a sigil. Vriskirsa gracefully swims past you to this area. She surveys the various bobbles, items that she scavenged prior to the sahuagin invasion. The naga turns back towards the party. She's more vibrant than you've ever seen. "Itsss here. The ressst of my treasssuresss are here!" The naga knocks down the skeletal effigy with the slap of her tail. "But not thisss. Thisss will need to go."
During the party's patrol of the area, to ensure no more sahuagin are lurking, they come to an opening in the seabed. This opening in the seabed below the coral reef leads to a massive underwater cave. The cave is undecorated save for a single patch of interwoven kelp strands attached to the wall. Small bones are scattered around the bed along with a few rusted curiosities from the sunken ship. The rusted trinkets from the broken ship have little to no value in their current condition, except for a locked steel box that has resisted time and the salty sea. Mauro doesn't detect any traps and picks the lock easily. Inside the box is a folded leather cloak of the manta ray worth 7,200 gold and a belt of incredible dexterity +2 worth 4,000 gold.
"The sigil was that of the demon lord Dagon, lord of sea monsters and dweller in the darkest and deepest underseas abyss," Becky intones ominously. She seems to be in awe of Vriskirsa, who appears both beautiful and terrible at the same time. Becky wonders if her BFF Medrinnah will be able to embroider a likeness of the naga based on the bard's description.
As he coughs up some blood, Asher says,
Either Crispin or Becky should get the cloak. They will not need to worry about these underwater expeditions again. It's not worth much in trade to our new allies.
"I agree with Talath, a day or two of rest is definetly in order. Also, next time we do something like this, let's try to gather more information first. Things were in hand up until the shark showed up... After that it got really hairy."
Talath will take the opportunity to ask both Vriskirsa and Koloshkora if either has heard anything of this witch named Helekhterie.
Neither Vriskirsa and Koloshkora know anything about the witch named Helekhterie. Vriskirsa hypothesizes the sahuagin must have been working with the witch for at least two years, as that's about when the sahuagin stole her home. Vriskirsa also thinks this witch must be powerful to have an entire sahuagin tribe doing her bidding.
That sushi moving beast was nasty. I agree lets return to Ramona and make plans with her. We still have a lot to do before considering the witch. More information would be nice as well. Lets get her and the Locathath talking to solidify trade and start talks of alliance. But please rest Asher up first he's needed at his optimum. Antaral states
Asher has his eyes on the AC boosting items after that encounter.