Telvir's magic gathers around him, kicking up a cloud of dirty silt. HE slams 3 missiles of force into the wounded creature.
Smoke attacks on his own.
for
HP 84/84
AC 23 (25 with shield raised)
Fort +12, Ref +10, Will +11; poison resistance 3
Hero points: 2
Focus Points: 1/1
Effects:
Mithralline snarls, showing her teeth at the gargoyles. Raising her shield, she beats her wings to propel her through the water onto the nearest of the monsters, and then slashes with her scythe again.
Ceceka roars when the damned gargoyle soaks up the blow like it's nothing. The warrior loses it and starts hammering away at the gargoyle with reckless abandon.
With a pair of critical hits, Ceceka and Caraid take down another of the aquatic gargoyles. Aily and Mithralline pair up and badly wound the final gargoyle, then Telvir and Smoke finish it off!
With the gargoyles defeated, you proceed into the next room of the basement. Here, you find the keystone: a 10-foot-square stone block in the northeast corner of the room. When pulled, a hidden lever on the side of the keystone slides aside a panel and elevates the metal vault within it to the surface. The vault grinds upward, causing rippling vibrations throughout the submerged basement.
The vault is 5-foot-square, and its metal surface is covered with several small knobs. As it is exposed, however, the trap on it activates, and a spray of poisoned darts shoot towards Caraid!
Aily feels the rather irrational desire to rush over through the water to the wounded Caraid, to hold him tight, assuring him it will all be okay, and WHAT IN THE EVER LOVING HELLS IS WRONG WITH HER!!
Some very brutal mental violence is done to those thoughts, then quickly and skillfully, she starts to work out the mechanics of the trap.
While being pincushioned is unpleasant Caraid has dealt with far worse and responds sensibly by retreating out of the room so that the expert(s) can work without distraction.
Telvir retreats, content to let Aily handle the trap, a task that she seems quite competent at.
Mithralline encourages harangues Aily as she swims to a safe distance. Aily works on disabling the vault, making some progress. But the vault then crackles with electricity, begins to spin around quickly, and fires a spray of poisoned darts!
The vault's spinning makes it harder for Aily to work, but she makes more progress towards fully disabling it. Of course, the electricity and poisoned darts take her out before she finishes, it will all be for naught.
Another complication arises as a monstrous moray eel suddenly darts out from an opening in the pile of coral in the room's corner! It makes a beeline for Mithralline, snapping at her with its jaws! Fortunately, she avoids its attacks!
Caraid peers back into the room, sees Aily (someone who is rather important to him these days) taking a beating and fills her with negative energy.
and
for
HP 84/84
AC 23 (25 with shield raised)
Fort +12, Ref +10, Will +11; poison resistance 3
Hero points: 2
Focus Points: 1/1
Effects:
Mithralline snarls at the eel. How dare it try to eat her! Swimming onto its back, she slashes with her scythe and then decides to see how it likes if someone tries to eat it!
Sushi! she thinks as she rips with her fangs.
Trigger: An enemy within 15 feet damages you.You put an impertinent foe who dared harm you in their proper place. You command your enemy to kneel before you in obedience. If they dare to refuse, they must pay the price in pain and anguish. The foe must choose one of the following options.
* The enemy kneels, dropping prone as a free action.
* The enemy refuses, and you deal 2d6 persistent mental damage to it. This damage increases to 3d6 at 9th level, 4d6 at 12th level, 5d6 at 16th level, and 6d6 at 19th level.
In addition, your Strikes against the triggering creature deal 1 extra damage until the end of your next turn. You choose whether the damage type is evil or negative each time you use this reaction. This extra damage increases to 2 at 9th level and 3 at 16th level.
Ceceka comes to Mith's aid and throws all of his weight into a vicious attack. He glances at Aily and snarls, knowing this isn't going as it should.
Pain tears through her, but she keeps working. When the oddly warming negative energy courses through her, she gives a soft smile without taking her eyes off her work.
The eel ignores Telvir's spell. Smoke fails to bite the eel, but Ceceka stabs it with a powerful attack. The eel's rubbery body resists the piercing damage though. Mithralline slices the eel with her scythe before biting it!
The eel writhes in pain, turning to snap at Mithralline again. This time, it grabs her in its jaws, but she fights to avoid being swallowed whole!
The vault crackles with electricity as it continues to spin and spray darts. This time, though, Aily nimbly dodges the deadly projectiles!
Ceceka's mask of composure slips off when the eel refuses to give in to their combined assault. "Just DIE already!"
The sharp painful current makes her normally graceful fingers jerk and then numb, making the delicate task of disarming more than a little difficult.
The eel complies with Ceceka's demand, dying on the end of his weapon.
The vault releases more electricity and darts, but it's only a light shock this time, and Aily dodges the darts again.
She then redoubles her efforts, and this time she is able to finish disabling the trap. The vault stops spinning and the door swings open.
The keystone vault contains many items, but most are irreparably damaged by being submerged for so long. You can salvage an invisibility potion, a salve of antiparalysis, a shark tooth charm, a traveler’s any-tool, and the potion Stana is seeking, a lesser potion of annulment in a crystal bottle with a red ribbon.
Mithralline kicks the eel's corpse, before turning back to their treasures.
"Well done," she praises her minions, hoping they will learn from the praise, and not get any airs. "Let us return this to Stana, and then we can set about our own business."
"Excellent. This should secure her cooperation, and her foolish son will be in our debt." Telvir wrings out his robe once, then again after Smoke shakes himself off right next to him.
Aily looks suspiciously at her mistress's praise as she collects herself from the pain of poison and electricity. She swims over the Caraid. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine," Mithralline replies, in exasperation. As if she could be anything else. The stupid eel barely hurt her.
"I'm more worried about you." Caraid replies, doing exactly what Mithralline deserves and ignoring her entirely. "You took a lot of hits there. Do you need any more healing? Perhaps I should examine you for hidden injuries." He adds in a tone that's less concerned and more...
Stana is overjoyed when you return with the potion of annulment. She administers it to her son Blavket, who sighs in relief as he rolls over in the bed.
"I cannot thank you enough! The deal has been annulled, but it will likely still take some time for my son to recover fully. I am in your debt, and I will ensure that the rest of the Builders League hears about what you have done for me."
Before you leave, Stana stops you. "Oh, there is one more thing. My contacts mentioned you met with Gishkar the Fishmonger. I know he's asked you to bring him Sahni's business records. I could use those records to restore the Builders League here, to bring us the esteem and recognition we had before Sallowshore flooded. I can ensure the League gives you even greater rewards. Think about it."
Parts of Aily respond warmly to Cariad's 'medical' suggestions, but she is not so far gone to openly admit to that in front of her mistress and their companions. Not that she is in any doubt that they all know about their trysts. A hidden affair is hard to remain hidden when it is so... frequent.
"Thank you sir." is her response, combined with her typical curtsey, as good as one can do with being underwater.
Ceceka can't help but feel that they should've asked more for the potion. After all, isn't her son's life worth more than just this? Aily and Mith almost died (or, died again) for this stupid drink for this stupid man who made a stupid deal with a stupid ... yeah, that's quite enough for now.
Involuntarily, he snarls in response to the woman's thank you. And perhaps he was right to do so because the thank you served as a way to get yet another request in. "We shall. Goodbye."
Mithralline ponders the offer. "We shall think on it," she replies, keeping her plans for now to herself.
You rest and prepare to head to Sahni's lair the next morning. As you head through the streets, however, you find a small mob of citizens standing in yourway. A few of the townsfolk carry torches; most are armed with improvised weapons like shovels, belaying pins, and gaffs. Half a dozen of the largest and strongest people carry tridents.
A broad-shouldered woman in scale armor steps forward, gesturing angrily with her trident. “We’ve heard you asking about the sea witch and you don’t know the trouble you’re causing! Sahni’s powers are great. We know. We’ve lived with her for generations. It’s foolish to oppose her. We don’t know what grudge you have with her, but go away! Leave her be!”
The woman looks to those around her, who nod in agreement. “We know how this will end. You’ll go down there, Sahni will eat you alive, and then she’ll take out her anger on us. We’ve suffered enough. Don’t make things worse.”
One man in the mob wears a canvas sack over his head. “I envied another man whose handsome face stole the woman I loved; Sahni punished him, but in exchange she took my face!”
A married couple step forward. “We came to Sahni for help finding our missing son. She found him but claimed the life of our daughter in trade!”
The first woman who spoke nods in sympathy. “My husband was killed in a cart accident, and I asked Sahni to get revenge on the driver. She did. But she took my memory of my husband, so now I don’t even remember his name.
"Everybody here has a similar story. And we all know Sahni is capable of much, much worse!"
"Then why not dispose of her for good?" Caraid asks, this is the time for the 'human' touch. "We have fought the leader of her coven and her coven sister already - both are dead at our hands. Truthfully have you seen a more prepared and capable group here ready to take her on?"
He pauses just long enough for them to eye each other and mutter.
"The worst that can happen is that we die and then, while she is weakened and not expecting resistance, you attack. Strike her down without mercy or any of her false bargains and free yourselves once and for all. And if we win..." He pauses again, smiling this time. "Then you are free without any effort of your own. You cannot lose in this situation."
The leader of the mob seems reluctant at first. "Look, we’ve taken a vote on this. We’ll pay you to just go away. We don’t have much, but even a little gold is better than dying. We’re trying to help you."
However, with a heroic effort, Caraid is able to sway the tonwsfolk's opinion. There is a flicker of hope in the woman's eyes. "All our bargains will be ended if you destroy Bride-of-the-Sea," she says. "You’ve no idea what that would mean to Sallowshore. It would change our lives. If you think you can do it..."[/b]
The townsfolk all pitch in to provide you with six potions of water breathing to make your mission easier. They wish you luck and prayers for your success.
***
With the mob placated, you continue on. Sallowshore may be half flooded, but this hasn’t stopped the town from engaging in trade and industry. Immediately upon entering the watery half of the town, sleek iruxis and spiny lacedons become common sights. They swim through the town’s sunken lanes, and over and through its remaining stone structures. Burly fishers drag nets to catch schools of fish, lacedon merchants sell their wares, and—near the surface—iruxi families raise their children.
The ground sinks in fits and starts, with low cliffs giving way to comparatively flat blocks of homes and businesses before another cliff marks where the ground further collapsed. On the westernmost edge of town, a large temple comes into view. Broadly rectangular in shape, it has a central plaza marked by pillars and a colossal statue of the Pallid Princess, Urgathoa, flanked by braziers burning with supernatural green flame. Dense gardens of sea plants flank the entrance.
The temple is made of durable marble that’s nearly impossible to break, even after so long underwater. The temple is about 80 feet below the surface. Even during the day, the temple receives only dim light.
Aily was ready to stab the first person that went after Caraid, her hand had tightened around her hidden hilt almost painfully when anyone got close. But it wasn't needed.
A slight bump against his shoulder as she moved with her mistress and an almost sweet smile tells him she believes he did a Great job.
Impudents! Kill them all! Mithralline thinks for a moment as the mob confronts them. But as Caraid talks, and they deliver their tribute, she thinks again. These people simply need a gentler -- if still iron -- hand. She will take them under her wings after they've defeated Sahni. Clearly they have been properly cowed already, and they understand how they should treat with their betters, with offers of gold and potions.
She nods to Caraid. He's done well. She'll have to remember to permit him some time with Amorous later.
The fairy vampire tyrant genuflects for a moment at the temple of her goddess, before heading in, gesturing for Ambushina to go first and look for any traps that might await them.
You swim down to the temple and begin at the back porch. A 30-foot-long stone platform extends from the temple’s westernmost edge. Half of this area is covered in a 15-foot-by-15-foot stone ceiling held up by four pillars. Beyond the pillars is a 10-foot-high statue with the lower body of an eel, a hideous face, and four octopus-like tentacles instead of arms.
A hideous, bloated giant sits on the western edge of the shrine, gazing out to sea. The listless giant looks at you as you approach, but doesn't muster the energy to do more than just grunt at you.
Finally, something that has enough sense to stay out of my way!
Mithralline gives the giant a hard stare, to make sure it knows it should continue to do nothing, then raises her shield and leads the way forward.
Aily waits for a moment to see if anyone wishes to gain recognition for knowledge. When the others do not, she sighs and informs her mistress. "[b[The statue is of Dagon, demon lord of the sea. Should we not try and converse with the giant? Even if ...[/b]" she pauses trying to determine the potentiation gender, then since she is not familiar enough with the species she goes with "... they do not wish to engage in battle, they might know something about the insides of this place?"
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"Fine. Go try to talk to it. Don't come crying to me, though, if it attacks you," Mithralline gracefully assents to her servant's request.
Does she want to sleep with that one too?
An eyebrow arched, as she wonders what in the hells is going through lady cort's tiny brain. Unfortunately, she does not have time to figure that out, so she swims over to the bloated giant.
"Sir or Madam, the buzzing gnat over there is my lady, Mithralline Cort, and she wishes to say hello."
The giant grunts again. "Go away! Leave me alone!" he burbles with irritation.
Ceceka has no trouble indulging the giant's wish to be left alone and backs off. So far, this isn't going the way he thought it would. But so far, no one has gotten hurt. He'd like to keep it that way. "If any of you have long-lasting spells that will protect or help in combat, now's the time to weave them."
Telvir tightens his grip on his staff and heels Smoke.
"Let's see what awaits us."
The door here leads directly into what must be Sahni's bedroom. Sahni’s bed is a pile of kelp confined within the ribs of a massive walrus. Ceramic barrels around the room contain her personal belongings, including an ample collection of fashionable gowns. Trophies taken from her clients in town, symbolizing the valued things each individual gave up to secure her “justice,” line the room on shelves, propped up on pedestals and locked within glass cases.
Before you have a chance to fully look around, two undead crocodiles emerge from the shadows in the corner of the room! With their sallow, purplish skin and long tongues, it's clear these are ghoul crocodiles!
Mithralline snarls at the crocodiles, showing them her teeth. They may not be bigger than the undead's but she's sure they're sharper!
Ceceka moves forward and assaults both crocodiles with vicious jabs. He attempts to push the second crocodile away, but fails to do so.
Telvir tears at the substance of the crocodiles and sends in Smoke to attack.
and
for
Caraid could scorch the flesh from both ghouls without issue but that would also burn Mithralline (who deserves it) and Aily (who doesn't), so he sighs inaudibly in the water and reverts to the lowest denominator.
Caraid blasts the nearest crocodile with divine energy, then Ceceka moves in, critically striking the wounded foe! Telvir rips at both of them with his telekinesis, then Smoke moves in and takes out the most injured ghoul with a vicious bite.
The other crocodile swims towards Ceceka, chomping down on him and grabbing a hold!
HP 84/84
AC 23 (25 with shield raised)
Fort +12, Ref +10, Will +11; poison resistance 3
Hero points: 2
Focus Points: 1/1
Effects:
Mithralline snarls at the crocodile.
"No, he is mine and you cannot have him!" she tells it as she swims forward, shield raised, to attack it.
Caraid can't do anything for Ceceka right now, not with The Annoyance around so he focuses on killing the ghoul before retrieving his healers tools.
for
for
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