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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ziona" data-source="post: 633802" data-attributes="member: 484">The KrakenAs the tentacles struck out and wriggled in front of Ziona’s face, Belasco leapt forward and began his attack.  The drow had been ready, awaiting the kuo-toa that Ziona was expecting to pull forth.  It mattered not to him that it was a kraken and not the fish person he had been anticipating. Seeing their foe spilling out before them, the other heroes sprang to life.  Tark began to pray, but as he did, his words fell flat, and his spell seemed to have no effect.  Cursing his luck, he tried again, this time hoping to crush the kraken with a wall of stone.  His effort fell short, but the kraken’s reach did not.  Four more tentacles flew from the pool and ensnared Tark, who tried in vain to free himself.Realizing her companion may be dragged into the water, Ziona quickly started to pray.  She summoned the holy light of her goddess and directed the searing beam into the kraken.  Though it recoiled in pain, it did not drop Tark.Belasco, wielding his longswords with skill and grace, diced into the arms that held Tark fast, and sliced them asunder.  Black, oily blood poured from the stumps, sending sprays of the slick substance all about the floor.  It mingled with the water that was already flooding the area, and caused several of the companions to slide around.  Rossal, hovering in the air, was unaffected by the mess on the floor.  He pulled forth a wand and pointed it at the kraken.  Seconds later, a lightning bolt crackled forward and left a smoldering spot upon the creature’s hide.  Meanwhile, Dent used First Light to lob off several more tentacles.  As he turned, he saw Haley as she entered the room and strode toward him.  He felt a momentary spark of fear and dread when he saw her, but it passed just as soon as it came.  He ignored the feeling, and quickly turned back to his foe.Beside him, Varr was huffing and grumbling wildly as he swung his axe and brought it down three times upon the kraken.  It’s black blood flowed freely now, and the heroes watched as it quickly retreated into it’s now murky pool.“Go!  Go you slimy squid!” spat Varr.  “You’ll not escape my axe if you show yourself again!”“What exactly were you thinking, bringing such a beast to the surface?” demanded Belasco.Ziona gazed coldly at him.“It was my intention to draw the kuo-toa from the water.”“I wonder about your intentions,” hissed Belasco.“There is no reason to wonder about Miss Ziona, lad,” said Varr growing annoyed.  “Now let her be.”Belasco shot her an icy gaze, as if to say he would be watching her. “You should continue resting,” said Tark.  “The night is far from over.  Belasco and I will finish off our watch.”The companions settled back down to sleep in the adjacent room, while Tark and Belasco decided to stay with them, since there wasn’t blood and water on the floor there.  After a short while, Belasco decided to have a look in the room with the pool.“I’m going to use my ring and enter the room,” he explained to Tark.  “I want to be sure nothing is exiting that pool.”He activated his ring and disappeared from sight.  Tark stood watching over his companions, whose dreams were no doubt riddled with water and fish people.  He listened carefully, trying to hear if Belasco had run into anything from the pool.  He raised an eyebrow, thinking he heard something.  He turned and began making his way toward the door when he heard a loud, painful grunt.  As he turned around, he saw a kuo-toa had leapt upon Avangel and sent a spear into his shoulder.Avangel sat up angrily and faced the kuo-toa, but before he could react, Varr was already upon it.  Three chops from Varr and a few arrows from Dent, and the kuo-toa was down.Ziona approached the creature in an attempt to make sure it was dead.  Before she could touch it, however, Belasco appeared. He stabbed his longsword into the kuo-toa and twisted it quickly, cutting a large gash into it’s chest.“That’s how you ensure an enemy is dead,” he snapped.He then grabbed the kuo-toa corpse and skewered it upon the statue’s spear that stood within the room.“I’m not sure I approve of your methods,” said Ziona coolly.“This is the Underdark, half-drow, Not the sunny surface.”“I am well aware of that,” she said growing angry. “I have faced many dangers here.”“Indeed,” chortled Belasco.Ziona’s grey skin burned red.  “I was recently flayed alive, remember?!”  she shouted.  “Then you now know what it is to live and survive in the Underdark,” he spat.“Do not pretend to know the anguish and pain I suffered!” she bellowed.  “You have no idea how it feels to have the skin torn from your body!  The sound of flesh ripping! Have you heard it mingled with the evil laughter of your captors?!  Have you felt the excruciating burn until you thought you would go mad and beg for death, only to be cursed with undeath?!  No, Belasco Baenre, do not mock my pain!  It is unlike any you have ever known, and I pray you will never know it.”“I would mention the pain of the drow whips, but I am sure you are familiar with the pain they can cause,” he said coolly.  “All drow females know how to wield them.”Ziona drew a deep breath, controlling her emotion.“I find your judgment of me to be unwarranted, Baenre.  You have many demons in your past that you must overcome.  I pray that time will help you see the truth.”“Time heals all wounds,” said Belasco darkly, “but not all scars.”~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~The next morning, Tark cast upon Belasco, who had still felt weak from the trap he set off the previous day, while Ziona healed Avangel. “We should enter the pool,” said Belasco after the healing. “No doubt the kraken lives.”“What would killing the kraken prove?” asked Dent. “Kuo-toas worship this creature,” said Belasco.  “It is surely evil.  They are also escaping into the pool.  Who knows if there are more passages down there.”“And what about your friends?” asked Tark.  “What if the kuo-toa fed them to the kraken?  Wouldn’t you feel better knowing you checked?”“We cannot breathe and swim as the kuo-toa do,” said Varr.“I can help with that,” said Tark.  “Ziona?  What do you think?” asked Dent.“I think it seems frivolous,” she said.  “If Lox or Gnettles were fed to the kraken, we would have found traces of them or their belongings by now.”“Their bones could be in that pool,” said Tark.  “Or they could be held captive elsewhere,” said Ziona.  “If you can make me swim or breathe under water, I’ll be ready to cut down that slimy squid!” said Varr.“Take off your armor and let’s go,” said Belasco, turning away from Ziona and Dent.Tark looked to the two of them.“Are you sure you won’t accompany us?” he asked.  “I’m staying here with Ziona and Haley,” said Dent.“I understand,” said Tark.  “Avangel?”“I will stay here as well,” he said.“Very well,” said Tark.  “With any luck, we’ll slay the beast and return swiftly.”The cleric cast upon Varr, Belasco and himself and off they went, armorless, into the pool.Avangel sat in the other room with Haley, while Ziona, Dent, and Rossal stood beside the pool.  The half-elf and half-drow discussed the previous night’s events, and what they should do next.“There is no telling what they have done to Gnettles and Lox,” said Ziona.  “If Belasco is right about one thing, it’s the fact that the Underdark is full of evil which does not hesitate to kill and maim and torture.”“I’m sorry that things escalated the way they did last night,” said Dent.  “Belasco has always been a suspicious one, but I don’t understand why he is so hard on you.”“He must have had a very hard life,” said Ziona quietly.  “I do not fault him, I almost pity him.  I will just have to earn his trust.”Dent just watched the pool, thinking of the kraken and it’s wriggling tentacles.  Then suddenly, he was reminded of the feeling that swept over him the night before.  “Something is odd about Haley,” he said.  “She has a different quality about her now.”“I wasn’t going to mention it,” said Ziona, “but I felt chilled when she entered the room last night.”“I felt it, too.  Avangel mentioned she may have new abilities,” said Dent, “but I didn’t think she would be quite so…altered.”“I’m sure she will return to herself once again,” said Ziona.  They sat looking into the murky pool, wondering what was happening below them.“Maybe we should have gone with them,” said Ziona.“Maybe they shouldn’t have gone,” said Dent.~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Below Dent and Ziona, Tark, Belasco and Varr swam a long way down until they came upon a cavern.  Belasco, utilizing his Boots of Speed, was able to reach the cavern first.  As he swam towards the entrance, the tentacles of the kraken reached out for him. He cast faerie fire upon the beast, allowing him to see his foe more clearly.  His cloak helped him escape the kraken’s first five swipes, but the sixth and seventh struck him, and he was grappled. Meanwhile, Varr made his way toward the cavern, while Tark began to cast.  The dwarf readied a dagger, but before he could hit the “slimy squid,” he, too, was grappled.  The kraken squeezed his foes mercilessly, but it could not prevent Belasco from attacking again.  The drow scored a nasty hit, causing the black blood to cloud the water. Beside him, Varr was beginning to grow angry.  Even in the murky water, it was easy to see the dwarf’s face turn red with rage.  He stabbed and sliced eagerly at the kraken’s tentacles, hitting each time. Above them Tark was busy fending off a baby whale.  The angry orca gnashed it’s teeth and attacked.  But Tark was not alone, for he had summoned celestial orcas of his own!  The two orcas listened to their master as he ordered one to help Belasco and Varr, and the other to attack the evil whale.The celestial orca charged the kraken, but was quickly snatched and grappled alongside Varr and Belasco.  But it, too, continued to attack, biting wildly at the tentacles that held it.  The water was quickly becoming black with the inky blood of the kraken, who was still greatly injured from the night before.  Therefore, it was not long before the beast fell.  Varr delivered the final blow, which set the three of them free from the tentacles. Though the water was dark with the death of the kraken, the companions could see the multitude of treasure that the beast had kept.  “Surely Lox Lumley has not been here,” thought Varr.  “Lest his tiny halfling corpse be happily resting upon this horde!”The Adventure Continues…</blockquote>

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