The Romance of the River Kingdoms

[Dr Simon]

The water is cold, but the ground underfoot is firm, if slightly yielding, like a layer of silt over a solid base. There are no obvious features to the room other than the pillars and the bas-relief carvings around the walls, and none of these seem to resemble the Grand Mutta. The most striking element of the wall decoration is a large circle in the middle of the far wall, that seems to respond to the sunrod with a faint white glow of its own.

Xielt's acute tlaxu senses spot movement in front - the 'V' of a bow-wave of something submerged heading towards the group at great speed!

[OOC: Xielt was the only character to get a high enough Spot check, thus he gets to act in this, a surprise round.

Order of initiative:

21 Xielt
14 The Thing in the Water

I'd position the party at somewhere level with the first set of columns. The order is roughly Three Flowers, Growling Ape, Xielt, Annika in the water, although you need not be strung out in a line. Jar'Thol is about 20 ft. along one of the walls, Rolling Man you choose which side. This puts him about in one of the corners of the room. The bow-wave is coming dead centre down the room from the far end.]

 

[Dr Simon]

Redclaw, awaiting actions from Xielt so I can resolve this surprise round.

Also, everyone be sure to check the post on the OOC thread.

 

[Redclaw]

To arms! Something comes! Xielt shouts as he draws his claw stick and steps between Annika and the creature.

OOC: sorry about that. I missed the update.

 

[Dr Simon]

[OOC to Redclaw: No worries!]

Whatever it is that is moving in the water streaks to the front of the group.

A column of the stinking black water erupts up and forwards, its momentum slamming it into Three Flower's chest with the force of a sledgehammer.

[sblock="Rolls"]
Attack roll against flat-footed AC 16, total=22
Damage total = 7
[/sblock]

[OOC: Xielt can get an attack of opportunity against it as it passes his new position.]

Is it a tentacle? Some snake-like creature? Hard to be sure in the murk but it seems to be... the water itself.

The pseudopod wraps around Three Flower and plunges him underwater, all as part of its surge forwards.

[sblock="Rolls"]
Improved Grab
Grapple check pseudopod thing, total = 26 (!)
Grapple check Three Flowers 3 +3 =6 (!!)
[/sblock]

The sunrod, held in Three Flower's hand, vanishes underwater. It now dimly illuminates a small area, as an eerie glow from underwater through a cloud of silt that the creature has stirred up with its attack.

[OOC:
Initiatives and status:

21 Xielt (clawstick in hand)
21 Annika
19 Growling Ape (staff in hand)
14 Water Thing (grappling Three Flowers) underwater
12 Jar'Thol (climbing in corner of room)
10 Three Flowers (grappling Water Thing. Underwater. Sunrod and White Lotus to hand)

Being waist deep in water will reduce movement by half.
All but Jar'Thol are near enough to move in and try to attack the thing, or help Three Flowers.
I'm going to veer towards the loose and descriptive end of combat unless it ges really confusing, in which case I'll post some form of battle diagram.

]

 

[Walking Dad]

Growling Ape, AC 15 (T15, FF13), HP 25/25, F +4,R+2,W+5

Although Ape got a good night vision, he uses the time he needs to adjust to imbue his staff with the power of a century old oak.

[sblock=ooc]Ape casts Shillelagh[/sblock]

 

[Dr Simon]

[sblock="Growling Ape"]
Just to confirm, that's both 1st level spell slots used for today (one now, one earlier with the wolves).

Quarterstaff becomes +2 attack, damage 2d6+2
[/sblock]

 

[Dr Simon]

For spellcasters, check out this post in the OOC thread.

 

[Walking Dad]

[sblock="Growling Ape"]
Just to confirm, that's both 1st level spell slots used for today (one now, one earlier with the wolves).

Quarterstaff becomes +2 attack, damage 2d6+2
[/sblock]

[sblock="Dr Simon"]SRD:
His base daily spell allotment is the same as a normal cleric's number of spells per day (not including domain spells), plus one spell per day of each spell level he can cast.

1 Spell for first level, + 1 for high Wisdom, +1 spontanous caster =

Ape should be able to cast 3 level 1 spells a day.[/sblock]

 

[Dr Simon]

[sblock="Walking Dad"]
Ah, my mistake. I see they've conflated the domain spell into the overall spell slots. I'll update my notes!
[/sblock]

 

[The Rolling Man]

Jar'Thol, Salsham'ai shaman

As Xielt yells out in warning, Jar'Thol turns his head only to see a strange watery creature engulf Three Flowers. He cries out in anguish and reaches down to retrieve his trusty sling. But how can his stones hit the underwater creature he asks himself. How can he be sure he won't hit Three Flowers ? He hesitate for a moment before further thrashing in the water brings him to his senses. He must help the others with his spells. He first thinks about jumping in the water to go heal his companions but decides against it, as the creature would make short work of him. Finally, he chooses to invoke a minor fey spirit of the fireflies to dazzle their enemy. As Jar'Thol completes his incantations, what seem to be a small luminous fairy appears in front of the creature. There is a bright flash of light and it is gone. Jar'Thol hopes their enemy has eyes to see that.

[SBLOCK=OOC]I said in my earlier post that Jar'Thol was going on the right wall, to examine the crack, so he must be in the upper right corner on the map. He is casting a Flare spell on the creature. Fort save DC 13, -1 to attack rolls spot and search check for 1 min if failed.[/SBLOCK]