I can render one of us Gaseous, or several if we think we really need it.
She gives Lazur a long, slow look, You look fairly nimble Lazur but I am also pretty used to getting into, and out of, tight spots. However, if I turn you into gas you would need some way of getting back out.
Lazur smiles and says "I can be a bit acrobatic it but I'm not very flexible or wiggly. Also I have no way of turning gaseous again unless you have a scroll or wand or potion to give me."
Typically, only the upper hemisphere of the globe exists, since you are at the center of the sphere, so the lower half is usually occluded by the floor surface you are standing on.
Typically, only the upper hemisphere of the globe exists, since you are at the center of the sphere, so the lower half is usually occluded by the floor surface you are standing on.
Mira examines the dome. Well, it looks like this is up to me. Give me a few minutes to prepare.
She promptly casts several spells, none of which have any immediately apparent effect unless you are particularly aware.
Mira turns to Ariston and reaches out a hand, Feel free to bestow your blessings friend, lets hope this goes well.
She then moves directly towards the sphere and appears to simply float through it.
take the better +28+2 for 44
Mira spirals up into the sphere and dismisses her gaseous form spell. She collects the energy and turns gaseous again, although once more with no visible change.
But wait, was the dark haired middle aged woman really what Mira looks like. If you made the check then no, she is totally in disguise. What might she actually look like and what is she hiding?
Ariston delivers Luck and then prays Mira makes it in and out without a scratch.
Krowys and Liber stare on in what could only be described in their minds as some form of awe, but not exactly. They tend not to see much magic used so quickly and close together, being mere translators by trade. Krowys does not pierce the veil, however, and sees Mira's form as what she wants it to be seen as, per the spell. Liber however, sees through it, but does not say anything, seeing the goings-on as nothing worthy of comment. They do, both, however hope that this plan does not backfire.
Mira uses her arcane mastery and discards several forms for others, most importantly, a gaseous form. Still even now a fine, Mira-looking mist, she has to carefully arrange herself, nearly molecule by molecule, to move through the slit where the Wellspring repels the prismatic sphere without touching either side. She makes it into the space, nearly having to sit on the Wellspring to remain safe.
Fortunately the actual tapping of the Wellspring is easy. She screws on the orb, the machine thrums, and you all wait a tense, silent seven minutes as about a gallon of the pure air essence in a mysterious liquid form fills the orb. She retrieves the orb, twisting its opening shut, and safely brings herself back outside the sphere without harm to herself.
One down, three to go. About a half an hour has passed since you first entered the Air Elemental Plane (the time taken to recover the bodies and send them through, examine the machine, chat a bit, and get the fuel and return).
You could return the first orb to Mara, you could go through the swirling watery portal that presumably takes you to the Water wellspring--and is where the second protean fled--or you could go back to the Sanctum and then to the portal to the Earth elemental plane.
Mira wipes her brow with relief as she emerges unscathed.
Lets get this Orb into place and then head to the plane of water. That other protean could be up to anything inside the portal. Can you all swim?
"Well done, Mira! I swim poorly but I drown well." He smiles.
Planar adaptation grants you immunity to the harmful environmental effects of a particular plane of existence, including such hazards as toxicity, extreme temperatures, and lack of air. Additionally, you gain energy resistance 20 to a single energy type prevalent on that plane (choose one if more than one type is equally prevalent).
"It is the same scenario here. I do not have the strength for swimming well," Krowys deadpans,continuing, "The Plane of Water seems to be the next plane, then, before the Protean attempts to do the same thing there?"
"I can swim exceedingly well actually," Trer says, "But only extra well when I'm mad."
Ok then, lets go.
You take the filled orb back through the portal to the Mechanosanctum, and Mara heaves a noticeable sigh of relief to see you come back through the door, both that all of you are intact and that you have the first orb filled.
The cauldron of resurrection now contains the remains of water, herbs, and magic, and one of the Sanctum council members you found--a human priest of Aurit--up and about, though still looking drained from his ordeal. He is attending to the other three corpses, likely preparing them for other raising or resurrecting options since the cauldron only works once a day.
When Mara attaches the air sphere to the machine, it thrums and something locks into place. Though you are deep underground, you hear a silence settle into the building--the winds outside have stopped blowing so hard. The ground still shakes, the sheer mastery of engineering of this place allowing the sanctum to be safe. She does not pause to ask you many questions, knowing your mission remains urgent.
You return back through the air portal and make your way to the water portal, those of you having lost your flight using creative means or being carried by others to get to the portal.
~ Before we leave the Sanctum ~
Ariston asks Mara (if she has received news) for an update on the lava and other natural disasters... how close are they to the city, etc.
Lazure flies along with the group and before entering the portal to the plane of water he will drink a long arm and enlarge person extract.
Mara has heard that the tidal waves have completely destroyed the docks and the city is beginning to flood. The sanctum and the main city shelter are on high ground, but destruction is ensuing with the expected casualties nonetheless. The lava is still--she hopes--a few hours from the city but will soon reach the farm settlements within the hour, if it hasn't already. The earthquakes are apparent without you having to ask about them.
She has heard others have arrived to assist with evacuation but she does not know the details, although she thinks it is likely help sent by Orteza since you told him what was happening.
Ariston casts mass planar adaptation on the party, geared toward the plane of water, which allows you to breathe in water and gives you resist cold 20. Lazur drinks a potion of long arm and an extract of enlarge person.
You then make your way to the water plane.
As you approach the whirlpool on the plane of air, you find yourself sucked through with notable force. You wanted to be sucked through, so that's fine, but these planar whirlpools, some of you might note, are difficult to resist.
You emerge on the other side nearly being spat out by the whirlpool, floating a good five feet in front of the pool before you can gain control of yourselves, treading water.
Trer finds herself feeling faintly sick to her stomach: an inherent sense that this place is hostile to her; she does not belong here.
Gravity: Subjective directional: The strength of gravity on a plane with this trait is the same as on the Material Plane, but each individual chooses the direction of gravity’s pull for herself. Such a plane has no gravity for unattended objects and nonsentient creatures. Characters on a plane with subjective directional gravity can move normally along a solid surface by imagining “down” below their feet. If suspended in midair, a character “flies”(swims in this plane's case) by merely choosing a “down” direction and “falling” that way. An individual falls 150 feet in the first round and 300 feet in each succeeding round. Movement is straight-line only. To stop, a character must change the designated “down” direction to counteract her fall, reducing her falling speed by one step (from 300 feet to 150 feet, or from 150 feet to 0 feet) each round. Setting a new direction of gravity takes a free action and requires a successful DC 16 Wisdom check; a character can attempt this check once per round. A character who fails this Wisdom check receives a +6 bonus on subsequent checks until she succeeds.
Essence: Water dominant (Visitors who can’t breathe in water or reach a pocket of air likely drown. Creatures made of fire take 1d10 points of damage each round while on a waterdominant plane)
Alignment: Mildly neutral (no penalties)
Magic: Enhanced (CL 2 higher for water descriptor/related spells/SLAs) or impeded (CL -2 for fire)
Underwater Combat
Land-based creatures can have considerable difficulty when fighting in water. Water affects a creature's attack rolls, damage, and movement. In some cases a creature's opponents might get a bonus on attacks. The effects are summarized on Table: Combat Adjustments Underwater. They apply whenever a character is swimming, walking in chest-deep water, or walking along the bottom of a body of water.
Table: Combat Adjustments Underwater (Sorry there is no good way to format this, but you can also reference it in the Core Rulebook)
Condition Attack/Damage Movement Off Balance?1 S/B Piercing
Freedom of movement normal/normal normal/normal normal No
Has a swim speed –2/half normal normal No
Successful Swim check –2/half2 normal quarter or half3 No
Firm footing4 –2/half2 normal half No
None of the above –2/half2 –2/half normal Yes
1 Creatures flailing about in the water (usually because they failed their Swim checks) have a hard time fighting effectively. An off-balance creature loses its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class, and opponents gain a +2 bonus on attacks against it.
2 A creature without freedom of movement effects or a swim speed makes grapple checks underwater at a –2 penalty, but deals damage normally when grappling.
3 A successful Swim check lets a creature move one-quarter its speed as a move action or one-half its speed as a full-round action.
4 Creatures have firm footing when walking along the bottom, braced against a ship's hull, or the like. A creature can only walk along the bottom if it wears or carries enough gear to weigh itself down: at least 16 pounds for Medium creatures, twice that for each size category larger than Medium, and half that for each size category smaller than Medium.
Ranged Attacks Underwater: Thrown weapons are ineffective underwater, even when launched from land. Attacks with other ranged weapons take a –2 penalty on attack rolls for every 5 feet of water they pass through, in addition to the normal penalties for range.
Fire: Nonmagical fire (including alchemist's fire) does not burn underwater. Spells or spell-like effects with the fire descriptor are ineffective underwater unless the caster makes a caster level check (DC 20 + spell level). If the check succeeds, the spell creates a bubble of steam instead of its usual fiery effect, but otherwise the spell works as described. A supernatural fire effect is ineffective underwater unless its description states otherwise. The surface of a body of water blocks line of effect for any fire spell. If the caster has made the caster level check to make the fire spell usable underwater, the surface still blocks the spell's line of effect.
Spellcasting Underwater: Casting spells while submerged can be difficult for those who cannot breathe underwater. A creature that cannot breathe water must make a concentration check (DC 15 + spell level) to cast a spell underwater (this is in addition to the caster level check to successfully cast a fire spell underwater). Creatures that can breathe water are unaffected and can cast spells normally. Some spells might function differently underwater, subject to GM discretion.
The first set of good news is that the roughly 30 foot wide platform containing the Wellspring is right in front of you. It is surrounded by a massive but seemingly stable air bubble that is about 40 feet in diameter you'll need to push through to enter. You can also see the inert portal-door that should lead back to the Mechanosanctum once opened.
The platform appears to be at an "intersection," so to speak, between several whirlpools all roughly, geometrically speaking, on the same plane as one another and with the platform (so if you swam straight from the wellspring toward a whirlpool, you could enter said whirlpool without swimming higher or lower, where "lower" means under the platform and "higher" means above it. The whirlpool connecting to the air plane is in a direction we shall arbitrarily designate as "south." A darker blue whirlpool lies to the north. Two whirlpools roughly the same color as the rest of the water here lie one to the west and one to the east.
There is a fifth whirlpool, much larger, near the west whirlpool. But we haven't gotten to the bad news yet.
One more piece of good news first: the keketar is absolutely nowhere to be seen.
The bad news are the probable reasons for that:
First, regarding that fifth, larger whirlpool: all of you are sufficiently perceptive enough to see the teeth and tentacles occasionally popping out of said whirlpool to know it is actually a sea monster generating a massive watery vortex.
It also has a friend, swimming about 20 feet over the top of the air bubble, which is relatively speaking, smaller, but looks much much nastier, with an upper body of a female human but wolf heads for a midriff before the body turns into waving, nasty tentacles.
The lady-wolf-tentacle monster roars in Aquan.
She is ready to attack...
Guardian Scylla HP 290/290 fast healing ?? DR?? | AC 34 (T22 FF 21) CMD 51 | Fort +16 Ref +19 Will +20 | freedom of movement | immune probably resist probably SR probably
Mirabelle: hp 186/172| AC 24 (T16 FF19) | CMD 20 | Fort +19 Ref +18 Will +22 (+3 vs mind affecting) | Mind Blank, Freedom of Movement, greater invisibility, life bubble, overland flight, darkvision, mage armor, ant haul, false life, echolocation, heroism, resist fire 30, mass planar adaptation
Ariston: HP 105/105 | AC 34 (T18 FF30) | CMD 27/23 CMB +13 | Fort +15 Ref +15 Will +23 (+2 vs charm/compulsion) | Resist: Acid/Cold/Electricity 5 | Ring of Force Shield, resist fire 30, mass planar adaptation
Krowys: hp 121/121 | AC 31 (T20 FF26) | CMD 27 | Fort +12 Ref +15 Will +15 (+2 v. Poison & Mind-Affecting) | Resist 5 Electricity | Resist Fire 30, overland flight, mass planar adaptation
Liber
The Mighty Trer: HP:167/195 |AC:36/35 T:19 FF:26 (+1 if opp is bigger)|CMD:45 CMB:26|Fort:21 Ref:14 Will:11 (+3 will when rg, +2 vs enchantment) | life bubble, ant haul, resist fire 30, mass planar adaptation
Charybdis: hp 184/184 fast healing 10 | AC 28 (T5 FF 28) CMD 37 | Fort +12 Ref +6 Will +14 | Immune acid Resist Cold 20
Lazur Anil: hp 156/156 | AC 30(31) (T19 FF27) | CMD 35(34) | Fort +13 Ref +18 Will +15 (+1 versus enchantments; roll twice vs mind-affecting) | Immunities: Illusions that allow a save | freedom of movement, life bubble, resist fire 30, long arm, enlarge person, mass planar adaptation
=====
The woman-wolf-octopus shoots out a snake-like forked tongue, tasting what comes on the currents of the water, as she moves toward you, still well over your heads, examining your party. Her eyes fall on the area where Mirabelle's body faintly displaces the water and grins and burbles something in Aquan.
She lowers herself till she is 15 feet over Mirabelle and lashes a tentacle at her.
The monster strikes the invisible sorceress successfully, but through a sheer stroke of luck, some bit of sea-borne slime protects Mirabelle from being rolled into the scylla's embrace.
The creature curses in several languages and roars at you all.
Most of you somehow hold your resolve against the horrible monster, but perhaps surprisingly, some of the most seasoned travelers among you--perhaps those who have seen such monsters devour whole ships of men before--Ariston and Trer, feel a cold, primal fear spread through their gut.
My my, well isnt this interesting.
That tentacled thing can crush ships, gods know what it can do to flesh and bone! Actually, that might be the wolf thing too! Oh my, this thing is sacred to Tria. I think she met the Keketar and is pissed. We might want to try and reason with it.
Mira calls out in Aquan, We are here for your help, we must draw the energies from the Wellspring or our home will be destroyed!
Lazur gasps when he realizes who he is facing and calls out in Aquan "Chosen of Tria we have no quarrel with you! As a worshiper of the All Mother I have no wish to harm you! We are no friends of the Keketar you slew and wish only to save the lives of those on our home plane!" Lazur will only defend himself against attacks from her for now and try to keep her talking for at least a minute.
+ 36
+ 46
+ 40
Krowys, hears about the slaying of the Keketar, smiles a bit, before continuing, "If you are indeed a chosen of Tria, and/or you have slain a Keketar, I can also confirm that neither of us," after which he points to Liber. "wish to harm you, and I will reiterate and confirm what the others have said regarding the wellspring, and the lives of those on our home plane."
You have time to make one knowledge dungeoneering check to recognize one before Initiative is rolled. Pick the monster you choose to recognize.
Ariston is literally out of his depth here. but he takes the expertise of his allies as gospel.
”Great Scylla, if you guard this wellspring, we have no quarrel with you. We come in service of the wellspring. Let us draw a little of its blessed water and we will depart.”
HP: 105 / 105 | AC:28 / T:14 / FF:24 | CMD:27/23
TEMP TOTAL -> AC:34 / T:19 / FF:29 | CMD:27/23
Channel Energy (11):
Quick Bit of Luck (3):
Bit of Luck (8): xx
Dimensional Hop (170’):
Daylight (1):
Agile Feet (11):
Good Fortune (2):
Brilliant Spell Prep (1):
Boots of Speed (10):
Pearl of Power 4th (1):
Wand of CLW (50):
9th Spells
> Implosion:
> Miracle:
8th Spells
> Antimagic Field:
> Fire Storm:
> Moment of Prescience: x
> Stormbolts:
7th Spells
> Destruction:
> Holy Word:
> Resurrection:
> Spell Turning:
> <Brilliant Open Slot>:
6th Spells
> Find the Path:
> Heal (2):
> Mass Planar Adaptation (3):
5th Spells
> Breath of Life:
> Commune with Plane:
> Life Bubble:
> Spell Resistance:
> Teleport: x
> True Seeing:
4th Spells
> Freedom of Movement:
> Holy Smite:
> Communal Protection from Energy (3):
> Restoration:
> <Open Slot>:
3rd Spells
> Aura Sight:
> Dispel Magic (2): x
> Fly: x
> Invisibility Purge:
> Prayer:
> <Open Slot>:
2nd Spells
> Aid:
> Blinding Ray:
> Communal Endure Elements:
> Grace:
> Ghostbane Dirge:
> Spear of Purity:
> Spiritual Weapon:
1st Spells
> Bless:
> Murderous Command:
> Remove Fear:
> Shield of Faith (3): x
> True Strike:
Effects:
Ring of Force Shield = Indefinite
Shield of Faith = 17 mins
Fly = 17 mins
Shaken = Rnd 1 of 12
As the lady-wolf-tentacle monster (scylla) moves in for the attack--Lazur calls her a "Chosen of Tria." Perhaps indeed this is why Mirabelle receives little more than a slap than any notable damage, as the monster yanks back her tentacle in surprise.
While her frightening presence nonetheless bears down on the party, shaking Ariston and the Mighty Trer, she flicks one of her human hands at the whirlpool monster, apparently telling it to stay back for the moment.
Mira, Ariston, and Krowys all mention the wellspring, and a look of bewilderment crosses her face. Lazur finishes his appeal to her, and the rage on her face subsides, sensing if nothing else other than sincerity on Lazur's part.
The scylla floats back and upward slightly (so she is about 20 feet at a diagonal above you). She addresses you in a strangely accented Common (Krowys will note it as a dialect from a few hundred years ago). "You... want the wellspring?" This seems to surprise her.
She looks at Krowys and Liber in particular. "And you are not allies of that liar Mercane's? No. His little inevitables were... square." (She would be referring to the Arbiter-Custodians.)
"You may spend all the time you like at the wellspring, for but a small favor. Let us talk, then." She makes a closing motion with her hands, and all four whirlpools (not counting the charybdis) cease their swirling. This includes the whirlpool behind you, and you feel its pull upon you release--but it likely also means you cannot retreat through it unless she activates it again.
She tilts her head. "What can this cursed machine do for you? Why are you really here?"
Ariston had only a few guidelines he lived by. One of them was, When faced with a powerful god-servitor, they’ll probably know when you’re lying so… don’t lie.
He takes a deep breath and tries to explain as concisely as possible, speculating that a creature such as this probably had little patience. ”Lady Scylla, no one has lied to you. Our understanding of the machine – and possibly some of the factors of this situation – is incomplete. What we know is Tria is the All Mother, the creator and soul of our world. In the Cataclysm, the world was nearly destroyed and Tria was… tested. We have been told that Mercane’s machine, powered by elemental energies from the different wellsprings, is meant to check the excesses of the natural forces in our world… to prevent another Cataclysm. What we know is the machine is running out of fuel and several disasters are afflicting our world – volcanic eruptions, massive storms, earthquakes, and tsunami. These disasters are currently destroying a large island and threatening the mainland. Our fear is this will not end with just one island. The device’s malfunctions may bring about the next Cataclysm. That is a disaster for the peoples of the world but it may represent a threat to Tria and the other gods as well.”
”Some of that is guesswork. We have only recently discovered that Mercane has lied to our people as well. I have no loyalty to him, his ‘squares’, or the Mechanosanctum. I am a priest of Varan. If you know of my lord and the Mechanosanctum, you know that Varan has NO role in overseeing the machine. When the full truth of Mercane’s ‘work’ is understood, it is possible that the need to shut his machine down forever will be clear. But we need to do anything in a safe way that doesn’t threaten our world with destruction or another Cataclysm. In my opinion, the wisest course of action is to fuel the machine from the wellsprings one more time… then we’ll have the time to determine what Mercane has done, how his machine works, and the best way to fix the damage done.”
”If you know more about the truth of what is happening, Mercane’s devices and lies, we’d like to know.”
Lazur nods as Ariston speaks and to reinforce what he says he adds, " We are simply here for the essence from the well spring. When added to the machine I now believe it will calm the waters. When we added to air essence the winds died down. We simply want to save who and what we can on our home plane. Can you explain how the machine is cursed?"
Liber speaks up briefly, "We hold no alliance with the Mechanosanctum, that is correct. I am Krowys's familiar, and unless Axis itself has something to say to the contrary, as opposed to a group of inevitables breaking a contract, the two of us also only wish to save our home plane from potential disaster."
When the former fox finishes speaking, Krowys himself starts to do so, "I can confirm what the others have said thus far holds true as well. We do not happen to know how the wellspring can be classed as 'a cursed machine', but we would be glad to hear you out on the matter."
The two remain light on words. Although they are renowned as translators, the other original purpose of an Aphorite, that being diplomacy, utterly eludes them. Hence, they tend to let others do the talking in situations such as these.
Mira nods along as the others set out the reasons for the visit. My friends here speak the truth, we wish to extract energy from this machine in order to stabilise our home and prevent further disasters. You mentioned a small favour...might we enquire what task you require assistance with? It must be rather significant if you cannot accomplish it with all of your skills and resources.
She listens to all of you in turn, frowning, as she listens. She seems puzzled, but she seems less hostile as you speak, and the aura of malevolence around her fades (). "Ah. A... misunderstanding. I know little of Mercane's device. I am not aware of it being... what is the word? Literally cursed. I was being... poetic. This nexus of portals was here before that Mercane came here, and I am its guardian. Since we are being honest, I tend to care little for the fate of mortals as a rule, but the threat of Cataclysm--of all life--is another matter, and you strike me as those who would not waste your breath threatening that in vain."
She frowns. "Long ago, I was a general of the People of Waters, in service of Vesi." She smiles ruefully at Ariston. "I recall Varan when he was just as mortal as you are now. He betrayed his own people--my people--to join the Wanderers. A shining man, rebellious, wise." She looks upward, smiling fondly. "He warned us we would be the instruments of the world's destruction. I realized too late he was right. I did not see the Cataclysm coming. Vesi did not. She and we her servants were arrogant. Assured our power was great enough to rebuild as well as it could destroy. This form," she waves at herself, "Is Tria's mercy upon me. As is my duty guarding this nexus. I am aware enough of the way things are that I knew I could have been punished in a much worse way. I am small enough to resent it nonetheless. Imagine spending a milennium in a featureless sea with nothing but a giant mouth for companionship?"
The charybdis groans with a hundred voices, clearly taking offense, but she ignores it and just continues speaking.
"Ah, but you don't have much time. Forgive me. A little while ago, though perhaps a few of your lifetimes, the Worldseeker Mercane found his way here. He was charming, handsome. He took advantage of my loneliness. Taught me the current lingua franca. Bargained with me. Seduced. I should have never allowed it, but he wanted to build his Wellspring here--and I recognize now he did so so I would guard it as I guarded the nexus. He wanted to use me. He promised me with an Axiomatic oath that he would research a way to close the whirlpools here permanently--I can temporarily close them, but were something to happen to me they'd reopen in a century or so, and Tria doesn't want that. That is why I have to guard them, and can only be freed if these gates can be closed. Tria can't do it herself, because she can't influence the elemental planes directly. Anyway..." she sighs.
"He was to check in every half-century or so to tell me his progress on finding a way to close the nexus, and he gave me a charm that would tell me if he died so I would know if he failed simply due to mortality. He came the first half-century in, but never returned and... well, it's hard to track time here, but I think he should have come at least twice more. Indeed, right about now... but here you come, with nothing nice to say about him." She laughs.
"As for his inevitables, they used to come all the time to fill their little globe from the spring, but after he stopped coming, I started destroying them." She nods to Liber. "I have no ill will toward you of course. But after all I shouldn't have been letting anyone come here anyway, and they started interfering with the whirlpools. I thought maybe it would force him to come and investigate. He told me they were part of a plan to protect a city, but I am afraid that is all I know. But I thought if the machine were that important, surely he would check up on it? But he never did. No one did. And yet," She removes a pendant from her neck, a brass charm that is faintly glowing. "This says he is still alive." She tosses the charm, and it floats through the water toward you.
"So. Go and fill your little globe and leave. I will open the door Mercane built to take you back to your sanctum." She points to the closed gate next to the Wellspring. "Do not come within five feet of or touch the whirlpools, on or off. Now or ever. Or I will kill you--I must! The All-Mother decrees I protect the nexus at all costs. The only other thing I ask in return... after you've finished averting disaster... is a good faith effort to find Mercane and bring him to me, so I can show him how I should like to repay his using me. Or his head, if that is too difficult. Or, you know what? Just come visit now and again. I have a chess set. Have I mentioned how bored I am?"
Lazur hears her loneliness and frowns vowing to visit before she asks. When she finishes he says. "We may have been too damning of Mercane. Until very recently we and our world thought he was dead. He has been missing for half a century and no one looking for him as we believed he was dead. We would have probably gone looking for him after this were over without your asking but I will definitely now that you have. Without the energy from the wellspring the machine will fail and destruction ensue. We will have to look into that as well and may need Mercane for that too. One way or another I will be back to visit you unless I am dead myself or imprisoned."
Despite his gut-level fear of her, Scylla’s story pulls at Ariston’s heart. ”I am sorry, my lady, for what you have endured. Assuming we are successful, I swear by Varan that I will visit you as often as I am able. And if we can capture Mercane… he has many deeds to answer for – yours included. I’ll fill the vessel now, with your leave.” Somehow the cleric manages to offer an awkward underwater half-bow then steps through the water and reappears at the wellspring and screws on the globe.
"I could see myself visiting you as well, for the record," Krowys manages to eke out before continuing, "And if he did in fact break an Axiomatic Oath, rest assured, the two of us have a vested interest in making sure he upholds it." He decides on letting Ariston Dimensional Hop over being the best course of action, since he swims presumably just as bad as the old cleric, probably worse as he has spent no effort on developing any muscles to speak of, besides those used for writing.
"I'll come and visit every 50 years or so, if you'd like," Trer offers, "As long as we can spar when I get here. I'm pretty good at swimming, and fighting underwater!" She laughs as the fearful aura dissipates, although it's mostly bubbles. "I don't know how many more 50 years I have in me though! Especially with this lifestyle!"
Mira listens intently to the story being told. My, that all sounds fascinating and a little horrifying. Of course we will help you with anything you need. Being stuck here must be very boring. I would also be happy to visit as often as I can and as it happens I do play chess. As for Mercane, from what I have heard of him he is not the sort who would renege on a bargain. As my friend says, he has been missing for some time. It may be that he was unable to visit. We can certainly look into what happened to him once we have dealt with the current crisis.
As they gather the energy from the Wellspring Mira adds. I could probably arrange to have people come to visit, I am sure we could find people on the Plane of Water who could come along. Water Elementals however are rather dull. Perhaps there are others you would welcome visits from?
"Mercane may be both a hero and a villain in this tale. But he isn't an innocent. Some of his actions are questionable, to say the least. If we can find him, maybe we'll learn the truth. Further, I wonder if the proteans are somehow part of his doing."
"Speaking of which... Lady Scylla, a protean creature, a Keketar, preceded us through the gate. What happened to it?"
Her eyes widen and her brow crumples a little--almost a look of crying, but of course it's hard to discern tears underwater--to hear everyone enthusiastically support visiting her.
"I... would like that. And," she adds to Trer, "It does not have to be every 50 years." To Mirabelle, "Though as the point of my being here is guarding the Nexus, I'd rather not a crowd, though I appreciate the gesture. You all are fine. Now, you'll all want to go to the bubble to go through the gate back to your sanctum." She waves a hand, and the standing gate on the Wellspring island begins to glow with power. "All you need to do is push gently through the bubble." She reaches out a tentacle to escort anyone who needs assistance getting over to the bubble.
Inside the bubble it is dry, and no one needs to swim. Ariston works on getting the orb fueled, and while they wait for it to fill, he mentions Mercane again and asks about the keketar.
"Mercane was... is a powerful wizard, and very... pragmatic. And charismatic. There was very little he could not get in or out of. If he is stuck somewhere, it is surprising he could not get out... but perhaps it is deserved. I'd like to hear his explanation with my own ears. Take the pendant, though. Maybe it will help you find him." No one had caught it when she tossed it to you, so she retrieves it with a tentacle and passes it to Lazur, who is currently the largest of you.
"As for the protean, he dove straight for the bubble shouting very rude things. I just dismissed him back to his home plane." She reaches somewhere amidst her wolves' heads and pulls out something shining. "But this flew off his head in his charge. Take it, I have little need for baubles." She pushes it through the bubble and it clatters to the island's little bit of ground. It is a gold and steel crown, with a high central spike. Those with magical capability have plenty of time while the orb refuels to identify it as a crown of conquest.
Lazur smiles as he is handed the pendant and puts it in his handy haversack. "Thank you for this."