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Uncertain whom to help, Becky casts a cure light wounds spell on Braxton before scurrying forward to engage the dominated colonists, fervently hoping that Ankha can best the skum that came up behind the group.
Hi! I'm Becky," the bard repeats, happy that the weird man isn't attacking her (yet). "What's her problem?"
Not waiting for an answer, Becky brings her own rapier into the fight, though not particularly well. Still, her proximity should keep the mage on her guard.
for
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Becky does miss, but is close enough to hitting Eliza to cause her illusory double to disappear.
Ankha hits the skum squarely again on the shoulder, but this one appears to be tougher than the others you've met so far and takes the deep strike in stride without too much trouble, though he is certainly bloodied and severely wounded.
Braxton casts a weak healing spell on himself, the little good it does. Obviously the magics of the eldritch horror worshiping deep ones are interfering with his luck magic.
Becky does miss the strange mind-controlled woman, but it is enough to dispel the illusory double she had. Eliza steps back against the wall and unleashes another psychic blast, this time aimed at Becky.
The man follows Eliza, stepping to engage her again, swinging his sword at her twice. Both strikes connect, hard slashes hitting her as she cries in pain.
The skum continues its attacks, focusing on Ankha once more.
Round 4
26- skum
22- Braxton
15- Ankha
10- Becky
9- Ku'Hania
7- Prisoners
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Ankha gasps as the skum’s weapon slices deep across her midsection. Pausing, she forces herself to breathe deeply and half-close her eyes, letting the alchemical concoction in her blood mitigate the damage. Miraculously, the bleeding slows, though a serious injury remains. Without any other options, she redoubles her efforts against the skum, knowing that she is the bulwark protecting her friends, and unleashes a devastatingly precise attack with her fauchard.
Becky takes the full brunt of Eliza's mental attack. She opens her mouth to make a smartypants comment but no words come out, only a strangled gagging noise. Blood begins to leak from her eyes as she convulses once and sinks to the floor.
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Braxton contributes nothing! His heart skips and icy beat as Becky falls. Torn betwixt the teen and the two mind controlled hostiles, he has no good options. If the two prisoners are mind controlled, he does not want to kill them, but the situations has become extremely dangerous. Much as he wants to help Becky, he opts to go after the spellcaster and desperately hope Becky can hang on for a few more moments. He is unsure what the man is going to do, and he can only anticipate an attack from the man as he lunges past him to try and nonlethally punch the woman prisoner with the basket hilt of his rapier.
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Seeing Ankha take yet another vicious hit, Ku'Hania moves alongside her, hiring her spear at the unrelenting skum.
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Finally, Ankha manages to take the skum down, her cleaving blade slicing into his chest and leaving the beefier thing dead on the floor.
The man doesn't strike at Braxton as he moves past and the daring swashbuckler is able to swiftly knock Eliza out; she falls to the floor out cold.
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Casting a wary glance at the strange man, Braxton leaves him to Anka and rushes to Becky's side, leaving his rapier to clatter to the floor. Scooping up the girl in his arms, he uses the last of his substantial magics to heal her. "Cmon... cmon..."
As Braxton rushes to Becky's side, Ku'Hania points her spear at the man. "Who are you, how did you both get here?"
Becky's eyes flutter open and she looks at Braxton, seemingly without recognition. "What happened? Why does my head hurt so much?" When told what transpired, she thanks Braxton for saving her life and looks around the chamber to take in the scene. She glares at the woman who nearly killed her before realizing how wounded she and her friends still are. As she pulls out her healing wand and starts to treat everyone's wounds, she asks, "What about her? Did I hear Ankha call her Eliza Haniver or was that just a dream?"
As she's finishing up with her healing duties, the teen adds, "Don't tell my mother what happened...please! She won't let me out of her sight ever again if she finds out."
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Like Braxton, once the battle is over Ankha rushes to Becky’s side, though without any healing magic, the best she can do is stand protectively over the girl. She lowers her weapon, but does not sheathe it, ready to protect her friends in case of an attack from the once dominated man.
“Nice work Braxton,” she gratefully acknowledges both the swashbuckler’s coldcocking of Eliza and restoration of Becky. “Sorry I wasn’t able to help against Eliza, but I was a little busy.”
To Becky, she nods. “He called her Eliza,” she indicates the strange man, “and the talking statues said that Eliza came here, and unless there’s another colony we don’t know about, she must be the Eliza Haniver from the colony. Isn’t she?” she asks the man in a firm but gentle voice.
She thanks Becky for the healing, and seeing that Ku’Hania has the man covered with her spear, Ankha kneels down to search Eliza, hoping to find anything that could help clear up this mystery. “Your secret’s safe with us,” she reassures Becky. “That was some spell she cast though. One moment you were …” she pauses and plasters an exaggerated grin on her face, “… and the next moment you were …” she sticks out her tongue and lolls her head to one side.
Becky giggles--though a bit nervously--at Ankha's impression of her. "Yeah--she's dangerous. She can probably do that several times a day, so we'll need extra security if we or Ramona want to question her."
She also turns toward the man with interest. "Please answer her question. And what is your name?"
“He called her Eliza,” she indicates the strange man, “and the talking statues said that Eliza came here, and unless there’s another colony we don’t know about, she must be the Eliza Haniver from the colony. Isn’t she?”
The man nods in answer, setting both his weapon and shield down to indicate he is not a threat.
"That is correct, she was from the first wave of colonists. I presume you are the second, sent into this hellish situation you find yourselves in now." he says, before descending into an awful coughing fit.And what is your name?
"I'm Rayland Arkley, provisional leader of Talmandor's Bounty. Or, at least I was." he says, shaking his head in disappointment. "I can't remember everything that happened, and I actually have reason to believe my memories have been altered. All I remember is that we have been here for numerous weeks; most likely months given your presence here." he continues, his mind visibly swirling with thoughts. "We were visited multiple times a day by that disgusting fish thing, and at least once a week by whoever leads whatever group they're with."
"I can't quite recall his face, unfortunately, but I know that he is an elf. Or a particularly elvish human." he jokes, cracking a weak smile and laughing. "I'm sorry I can't be much help, I think I was being forcibly mind controlled by that damned elf."
Now that you are up close and can see him clearer, the man seems to be suffering from a horrible transformation. He is obviously human (and fits the description of the man Ramona described as Rayland) but his skin has become transparent, revealing muscle tissue, organs, and sinew threaded by spidery veins and capillaries pulsing with blood. His once-thick hair lies damp and plastered to his skull, all the more horrific due to his lack of visible skin. The only evidence of skin is a glistening patina coating flesh never meant to be exposed.
“Ooh …” Ankha approaches Rayland, both wary and intrigued—wary because, well, he attacked earlier and who knows if his mind will lapse back under the control of this mysterious elf; intrigued because … well, she’s an extremely dedicated alchemist with very few qualms. “Look at how transparent his skin has become! I wonder if this is a first step to becoming invisible. Maybe I could replicate the effect …” Unfazed by Rayland’s transformation, she retrieves a pair of calipers and gently probes Rayland’s skin with eager excitement.
While inspecting Arkley, she says “Ooh, we should introduce ourselves. I’m Ankha Brushbender, and yes, we’re from the second wave of colonists. What do you remember about the colony? Do you remember what happened to anyone else? Do you know how you and Eliza got here?”
Relaxing somewhat as the man lowers his weapons and identifies himself, Ku'Hania's eyes widen as she steps close enough to note the bizarre transparency of his skin, though her mind races through the possibilities of what could have caused his condition. Though she shakes her head at Ankha's usual complete lack of boundaries.
The condition doesn't appear to be so much of a permanent transformation, instead appearing to be a result of some weird slime being applied to his skin causing the transformation into the weird transparent membrane. It is definitely not from a natural source, that much is sure, rather being applied by a source. It should fade in time, as long as he isn't exposed to whatever the mysterious source is.
A quick glance at Eliza reveals she is suffering from the same condition that Rayland is.
What do you remember about the colony? Do you remember what happened to anyone else? Do you know how you and Eliza got here?
"Unfortunately, not much. I remember the first few weeks were relatively normal, and then some sort of commotion...maybe a fight? I can't quite remember the details." he says, shaking his head. "As for how we got here? I remember coming here with Eliza for one reason or another, and never leaving. That visitor kept coming and messing with my head." he finishes, putting a hand on either side of his head as if it were hurting him.
"There's a chance I remember more as I recover from whatever this is." he points towards his strange skin condition.
Becky tries to weigh truth vs. deceit in the man's reply to Ankha's questions. She frowns pensively, likely reluctant to bring the first wave's leader back to Talmandor's Bounty...where her idol, Ramona, is now head of the colony.
"Má thugaimid ar ais é go dtí an choilíneacht, is dócha go bhfaighidh an Poltergeist foréigneach nuair a fhilleann sé." Ku' Hania mutters to her companions.
After completing her examination, Ankha gives Rayland an apologetic look. “Sorry, your skin condition is only temporary. Just some sort of external salve that’ll fade in time. Still worth investigating further, but not the path to permanent invisibility that you would hope for. Although … maybe if you ingested the salve that would turn your insides invisible too …” The alchemist grabs a well-worn book and quickly scribbles some notes.
When Ku’Hania interjects, Ankha frowns and answers in the same tongue.
Turning her attention back to Arkley, she tries to cheer him up with a deliberately soothing and optimistic voice. “Well, hopefully your memory will come back after we take you back to the colony. It’s hard to remember stuff if someone keeps messing with your mind. Speaking of which, do you have any ideas to snap Eliza out of her mind control?”
As a precautionary measure, she begins inspecting the rest of the room, particularly the large tank of water. “Rayland, you might not recall the past, but do you know what this tank is for? And do you know if there are any other prisoners, or skum, or mechanical constructs around this place?”
Sorry, your skin condition is only temporary.
Rayland looks at Ankha with a somewhat...bewildered expression. "Isn't that...good? I don't think I've ever been invisible, nor wanted to be permanently that way. I appreciate your interest, however, I suppose."
Speaking of which, do you have any ideas to snap Eliza out of her mind control?
"Well I think that what brought me back to myself was when she commanded me to attack you all, something I wouldn't have done on my own. I don't know if it's possible to easily snap her out of it, for even in the brief periods between our captors' visits she seemed to be more pliable and accepting of his commands." he says, looking nervously at his fellow captive. "I suppose we shall see with time, though."
but do you know what this tank is for? And do you know if there are any other prisoners, or skum, or mechanical constructs around this place?
He looks as if he suddenly remembered something, and gasps at Ankha. "Wait, stay away! There's a rather mean and large water elemental in there that the visitor has won over to its side. Probably pretty hard to fight it in the tank, at the very least. Should you want to clear the tower completely, that is, because now that you've finished off the skum it's the only thing left."
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"Hmmm...I can speak Aquan if we want to try to communicate with this elemental--maybe we can find out why it lives in the tank and what said tank's purpose is," Becky tells the others slowly. "But I'm not exactly great at diplomacy. If things devolve into a fight, though, I can probably recall everything I know about water elementals and use my awesome Naturalist ability to pass it on to you all."
Assuming no one objects, Ms. Beys leans against a wall, sticks out her tongue and furrows her brow in the most scholarly-looking manner she can, and eventually closes her eyes and slows her breathing. She stays that way for a full two minutes. Then her eyes open, her tongue retracts, she opens her mouth and takes a deep breath...and suddenly releases a verbal geyser of facts and trivia about water elementals.
“Isn’t that … good?”
“That’s the spirit! Ankha responds with cheery enthusiasm, glad that the man is able to see the bright side of things. “Who wants to be invisible anyway?” She jots down a few more notes before closing her formula book.
Looking over at Eliza, she studies the woman intently. “Well, maybe I can brew something that would help come back to her senses. Even put it in a tea to make it more palatable. In the meantime I suppose we should tie her up, just as a precaution. Braxton, do you still have that rope with you?“
When warned about the water elemental, the alchemist immediately steps back away from the tank. She looks at Braxton and Ku’Hania. “Should we drain the tank then, so that it’s not as powerful? Or just leave it alone, since it’s not really bothering anyone in there?” She doesn’t seem particularly eager to fight a water elemental in its element.
For the most part, she remains respectfully quiet while Becky recalls what she knows about water elementals, but she can’t help whispering one more question to Arkley when a thought occurs to her. “Do you know anything that might go against Eliza’s very nature—something even worse than killing other people? Maybe that would snap her out of it?” Perhaps what worked for Rayland might work for Eliza, if tailored appropriately.
"The tank may be the only thing holding it at the moment. If released, it may just return to the plane of water, or it may go around attacking everything in sight." Ku'Hania says, studying the tank.
Braxton's characteristics aloofness is uncharacteristically missing as he breaths a shaky sigh of relief when Becky wakes from her untimely slumber, seemingly no worse for the wear. Rising to his feet, he awkwardly dons his hat. As much as he wished to watch over Becky, his rapier and handsome charm was not so useful against magic. He could only silently reaffirm his pledge to protect the girl.
The news of the mind control magics disturbs him greatly. Many priests of Cayden Caliean have magics that counter such abominable sorcery. Unfortunately, Braxton is not one such priest. It would be best for a proper healer to look at the pair. "Yes, well, I am sure there is someone in our colony that can deal with the magic you two are facing and, with any luck, they can help you remember what happened. 'Kidnapped by fish people' does not even begin to answer all the questions that have arisin in your absence, mister Arkley." But perhaps one mystery could be answered now. The sailor fishes from his pockey the flask they had found in the longarms den and shows it to Rayland. "This is not yours, perchance?" His suspicions of the pair are not fully allayed, but Ankha could probably deal with them if they returned to their treacherous ways.
The sailor walks around the water tank, musing. His rapier would no doubt be useless against a creature of water. "What happens if you summon booze insde a water elemental, I wonder?" He taps the base of the tank with his rapier. "Surely it could escape if it did not want to be here, yes?" He taps the container again, and continues more loudly, this time in aquan. "Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"
I can probably recall everything I know about water elementals
“Do you know anything that might go against Eliza’s very nature—something even worse than killing other people? Maybe that would snap her out of it?”
Rayland looks a little bit sheepish when Ankha asks this, shaking his head slightly. "I, uh, didn't really get to know her that well before all of...this." he says, waving his hand around. [/b]"Maybe when she wakes up we can figure out what's going on, but until then I have no idea."[/b]
"Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"
The water elemental speaks back to Braxton in its native language, its voice flowing and light in opposition to its large stature and obvious angry nature.
Becky translates the elemental's words. "Think we can trust it?" Then she adds, "Anything in particular you'd like to know about elementals?"
Ankha marvels at the linguistic skills of her companions. “Ooh, that’s amazing that you can talk to it!” She muses over Becky’s last question, then asks “I’d like to know if they’re trustworthy? Oh, and does the water elemental know what the skum and mind-controlling elf are up to? And did it see any other colonists?”
Though she is unable to understand its words until Becky translates, Ku'Hania finds the sound of its language unusually melodious and soothing. The idea that the Azlanti that ruled this place for millennia thought nothing of imprisoning a sentient being for thousands of years purely to serve them was unsettling.
Braxton weighs the words of the elemental. He could not leave it imprisoned even if he does not believe the creature, but at least it would be nice to know if it has ulterior motives before letting it out...
Becky nods at Ankha and gurgles some noises in the elemental's direction, suggesting that perhaps a deal can be arranged: the party could release the trapped outsider if it agrees to not attack the party and is willing to answer the questions Ankha posed beforehand (which she'll ask if the elemental and the rest of the party agrees to the deal).
2. No specific weaknesses.
3. Special attacks: Drench (Ex) The elemental's touch puts out nonmagical flames of Large size or smaller. The creature can dispel magical fire it touches as dispel magic (caster level equals elemental's HD).
Vortex (Su) A water elemental can create a whirlpool as a standard action, at will. This ability functions identically to the whirlwind special attack, but can only form underwater and cannot leave the water.
Water Mastery (Ex) A water elemental gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls if both it and its opponent are touching water. If the opponent or the elemental is touching the ground, the elemental takes a –4 penalty on attack and damage rolls. These modifiers apply to bull rush and overrun maneuvers, whether the elemental is initiating or resisting these kinds of attacks.
"Those terms are acceptable." the trapped water elemental somehow seems to nod, or maybe bow? Strange either way. "I will follow the agreement, keep my word, and if we find each other in the wild later I will not be hostile."
"I don't know what the skum and the elf were up to exactly, beyond kidnapping and keeping these two hostage. I also think there was one more prisoner in the tower at some point, but I didn't see where he went. Looked like another of the colonists, as you call them, but I cannot be sure."
Braxton is sure that the elemental speaks true, and seeing as how they're not evil or vindictive unless provoked, so is the rest of the party.
While the others converse in aquan and translate as needed, Ankha ties up Eliza as a precaution, in case she should wake and attack. After hearing what the elemental has to say, she eagerly encourages its release. “Ooh, poor thing! Imagine being held captive for thousands of years! We definitely need to let it go!” She steps out of the way, ensuring that the elemental has a clear path out of the tower, but waits for someone who actually speaks aquan to talk to the elemental and release it.
"Quite, miss Brushbender. Abhorrent." Even if the elemental was guilty of some great evil, it would not deserve such a fate. Cayden Cailean forbids it. Braxton considers inviting it to stop by the colony some time, but he doubts an elemental would be interested in their culture. "What is your name, by the by?" He asks. He does not get his hopes up for a real alliance with the creature, but the stone ladies outside would probably have more information about the island, anyways. It could be a useful ally, but he cannot imagine it will stick around the island. Can't elementals go to different planes or whatever?
"Velixorus." the elemental replies, gruffly. "So, do we have a deal? That treasure for my freedom?"
"Hmmm...what? Treasure?" Becky says, having lost the thread of the conversation somewhere. "I agree with Ankha and Braxton--we should let the elemental go."
" That sounds more than fair to me." Ku'Hania agrees.
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“Ooh, what are we waiting for then?” As soon as everyone agrees, Ankha shoos Rayland out of the way and opens the door to the tank, while doing her best to avoid the deluge of water about to pour out.
The large water elemental (literally, 10x10 space) exits the tank as soon as the door is open, seeming to nod towards the party with something that looks like a face. Surprisingly, no water floods out besides that which the elemental brings with it; there must be something really important or valuable on it though, they talked about it quite a bit after it wrecked.
"You'll find the wrecked Azlanti ship off the east coast of this island: I heard the researchers here talk about right before whatever happened, happened. I wish I knew what was on that ship or what guards it now, but I have not left this tower in far too long." he says as a farewell before flowing down the stairs.
Ankha waves a friendly goodbye to the elemental, amazed that she wasn’t splashed by even a single drop of water. “Ooh, that whole tank must have been just the water elemental!” When she finds out that the skum are very interested in something valuable on the wreck, she becomes excited, in a way that exceeds any reaction from mere gold.
“Whatever these skum are up to, it can’t be good!” She glances over at Rayland and Eliza, as evidence of her assertion. “We should find whatever they’re looking for on that wreck first!” The alchemist heads down one flight of stairs, pausing to examine the left half of the second floor to ensure that they’re not missing any more colonists there.
Watching with genuine amazement as the elemental takes its leave, Ku'Hania looks around the rest of the area. [b]"We should finish clearing out this place, and take what we found back, then make a plan for exploring the sunken ship.
The dead skum leader holds a finely crafted fauchard that detects as magical under inspection, as well as a single potion on a leather loop connected to his belt. The fauchard has a surprisingly nautical theme to it, with engravings of various aquatic creatures in the head of the weapon. (He also has some keys but everything is unlocked now so they're useless)
Heading back to the second floor, you see that much of this level is a room that wraps around the tower. At this room’s northernmost end, a ramp descends to the lower level, and another ramp on the south wall ascends to the floor above. Against a wall to the southwest is a table suitable for quiet study. The western side of this area sports half a dozen bookshelves covered in the dust of deteriorating paper and leather. Opposite the shelves is a small stone plinth holding a clockwork bust of a nondescript woman. A large table surrounded by a few stools occupies the eastern side of this room.
Ankha sees a plaque hanging on the wall that is unfortunately in Azlanti, but Braxton can translate it as saying "Lower Level Tank and Observation Deck". A quick search of the library stacks is initially disappointing for the alchemist, as it seems that most of the books have deteriorated in the past 10 thousand years or so. However, it is not entirely fruitless, as she finds two books made of engraved metal plates and three separate 'regular' books that have somehow survived the aeons. A sixth book looks to be magically treated, and appears to be a spellbook.
The plinth holds a strange clockwork bust of a woman. A small slot is built into the forehead of the bust that looks to be the same size as a clockwork spy’s recording gem.
“Ooh,” Ankha exclaims as she picks up and examines the skum’s fauchard. “This is a really nice one! I’ve never seen one this nice before—though I guess I haven’t really seen many at all. It is kind of a rare weapon. Funny that the skum had one.” She stows the finely crafted fauchard beside her own and scrutinizes the potion.
By the bookshelves, she spends a minute flipping through the few books that remain intact before sharing them with her companions and then placing them in her backpack for further study.
But when she sees the opening in the clockwork bust’s forehead she digs out the clockwork spy’s recording gem and eagerly inserts it into the slot. “Ooh … I wonder if this is some sort of playback device?”
Becky happily aids Ankha with IDing the awesome-cool fauchard. "Wow! That's a magical seaborne fauchard! Super-neat!" Turning to Braxton, barely able to contain her excitement, Becky squeals, "That means Ankha's no longer just the terror of the island...she's the terror of all the waters around it, too!"
Ku'Hania follows keeping an eye out for trouble as Ankha approaches the clockwork bust with the recording gem.