(the shadowy dice roll again)!

Clíodhna feels a vast energy shift and memory screams at her. She goes to full alert, exerting a calm clarity. *Aylar, there be a portal being opened somewhere near. It feels like the one that took the Ship last time. I be moving the Ship and adjusting the energies to resist, but it may not be coming for us. Be wary!* Then he is gone, just gone ... and the fury rises in her.

-----
There is an unexpected shifting of reality and the Crew find themselves in the same place, but it is now completely torn apart. The wreck of the ship is only ash floating upon the water, still burning with the remnants of magickal fire. The iron doors are blasted open and completely melted away, stalagmites are also burning with magickal fire and from parts of the ceiling and the pillars hang but a few tiny tatters of fire blackened webs and the absolutely shattered remnants of magickally forged chains.

It is a place utterly laid waste by the kiss of windswept banshee fury and flame, and Aylar remembers his Work. He had shattered the bindings and freed her, given her a new name, and called her to him amidst a storm of wind and fire and fury. This place shows the damage so much more than Aeshma's had, and he had wondered at the time at the great strength of her protections for he knew the magicks channeling through him had been strong. Somehow they had been channeled here.

Grog'tial's things are gone! Only the dirk in his magickal armbrace remains. Grog'tial slips it into his hand but the figure is above him on the ledge, out of range. The feeling of malevolent threat grows as the shadowy figure regards him and waits. Suddenly a rift in space seems to appear before him and out of it flies a laughing skull, also heading straight for him a large red clown nose in its teeth. It swoops down and pops the clown nose onto his own then grabs him by the back of his pink leotard with it's teeth and hauls Grog'tial back into the rift, still laughing as they disappear and the rift in space vanishes. (the dice fade out)

The Count rapidly takes a whip and tries to catch the shadowy figure's leg and pull it down the ledge. (roll dice - LUCK!) Lightning blasts from the figure's hand, incinerating the whip. The Count is blasted off his feet and sent flying back, while the shielding ward luckily takes most of the energy. His charm, however, is now ash. (roll dice = Count needs a heal ... or two!)

The ten Chuul, drawn by immense power, break out of their stupor and charge for the cloaked figure. A mere dismissive gesture from the figure renders them to goo.

The shadowy figure glances over the Crew with a smirk and gives Aylar a long look. It gestures again and a swirling vortex of many colors appears not too far from them near the entrance back to the cave tunnel. Then the shadowy figure turns and walks into another vortex and vanishes. The Crew can't help the feeling that the shadowy figure got what it came for and they are lucky indeed that it wasn't them and they are being allowed to leave.

Seeing Grog'tial turned into a nice ballerina, Gilius exclamates : "Nice power ye got 'ere mate, I did nay know ye 'ad this, but don't ye 'ave somethin' a little more useful right now ?"

Then he witnesses Grog'tial disappear and the Count being badly hurt. "Anyone 'ave a healing potion ?"
If no one has one available, Gilius will use his quartz pendant to heal the Count.

Rocky will position himself in the second line to provide a good line of fire for Pugwash so that he may shoot anywhere he wishes. If a melee happens and the crewmates feel a bit overwhelmed, Rocky will step forward and smash the problems into smaller ones, as a great philosopher once said.

If Gilius has a clear line of sight on the sea hag, he yells "Shut the fuck up, bitch !", points his staff towards her, and fire a lightning bolt. (and if he can hit 2 other enemy targets with it, the better)

Any other nearby enemy would have Gilius fight it with his cudgel.

[per PM] Captain Baldbeard sends in the shark pack at the hag, or failing that, to the drowners in/around the ship. I also asks Gilius/Pugwash/Rocky if I can join them. If I can place myself such that I can still cudgel things around me and protect Rocky from close-up attacks.

Grog'tial's abduction makes Argy drop her jaw. Is this real? So many strange events are confusing her. Time ago, life used to be so easy and predictable... She takes a look into the mirror before pocketing it, to see if they are being fooled with some kind of illusion magic.

At least, Chuuls are not a problem anymore. Still with the cupcake in her hand, she decides what to do with it. The drowned ones outnumber the crew, but they are not a big threat anyway, so when she is in range to do it, she'll throw it to the hag.

If Count Karnstein still needs it, she'll hand him the heal wounds bandage. Then she'll go fight drowned ones (as in post #1005)

Pugwawsh looks to Grog'tial in his pink tutu and is sure that the music box is malfunctioning. On the off chance that Grog'tial really wants to perform a ballet, the music box will stay on.


With the Chuul no longer a threat, Pugwash's targets are limited to the Sea Hag and the Drowned Ones.

Pugwash can't do anything about zombies as his weapons can't behead, so he will shoot at the Sea Hag (rapidly reloading after each shot).

If Pugwash can't shoot at the sea hag, Pugwash will take no action against the drowned ones. If any of the crew is wounded to the point where a heal wounds bandage is helpful, he will apply the bandage for them.

If any new monsters appear that can be shot at (such as Chuul being ungoo-ified), Pugwash will shoot at them with ordinary bolts.

.

So, a wrecked ship. Bellandra looked it over, trying to gauge whether it could be her original ship. But the presence of the aboleth was an even more pressing concern. The crew had sensed the aboleth was near, in sight range, but Aeshma had already dispelled illusions, so the aboleth must be otherwise hidden in the ship.

But then, a sea hag had revealed herself, along with a cohort of enemies. The aboleth's protectors. Two ogres, thankfully quickly shot by Grog'tial and Pugwash, but still numerous drowned ones and chuul remaining.

Worse, the hag had seemed to capture Grog'tial for several tense moments, until Aylar's bold taunting and Cliodhna's power had freed him. And then, an even stranger turn as a shadowy figure replaced Grog'tial's clothes with a pink ballet outfit. Bellandra wondered with a raised eyebrow what all that could possibly mean. Not that she wouldn't watch with curiosity if Grog'tial suddenly decided to embrace a new career and offer them a dance recital - but then the strange event continud and Grog'tial was seemingly captured and spirited away! Bellandra was alarmed at losing another crew member, but for the moment her attention turned back to the looming battle.

She saw that there was a shadowy figure near, who had apparently had something to do with Grog'tial's transformation at least, perhaps his abduction too. She saw Karnstein had tried to engage it but was blasted with magic, but on the other hand the figure soon destroyed the chuul forces. A friend then? Or an enemy of an enemy? But the figure soon disappeared, leaving a swirling vortex near the entrance to the cave tunnel. A quick exit for the crew? Or a trap? It seemed too early to tell.

As Karnstein seemed injured from the encounter, Bellandra offered her healing potion to him.

The sea hag seemed the most clearly dangerous opponent with her charm powers. "Not enough that the aboleth seeks to capture our will, so now does the hag too," she thought. Bellandra wondered why such a being would choose to serve an aboleth. Surely an ambitious hag should aim to wrest power for her own instead, and perhaps the crew could make use of that. Or were the hag and the aboleth one and the same?

Bellandra looked over the area of the ship quickly with the mirror, which she had retrieved from Argy earlier before entering the tunnel - she hoped it and her puzzle knowledge combined would reveal the aboleth's hiding place, since the mirror's power to reveal what was hidden did not seem to be limited to illusions. She also looked through the mirror over the cavern overall, in case there were hidden things to be found amongst the enemies, or in areas besides the wreck - after all, an unassuming place might be the best place to hide.

As earlier, if the aboleth become revealed, it would become Bellandra's primary target. She would use the sextant to freeze it and then direct attacks both with her hand crossbow and with her cutlass toward it. She would try to dodge and avoid any gaze or other ranged attacks in the area while doing that.

If the mirror did not reveal the aboleth, or some other crucial hidden information, her plan would be to first fire a stun bolt at the mass of drowned ones.

At the same time, if the hag turned out to be a separate entity from the aboleth, Bellandra would speak to the hag without looking at her directly, "Mistress of the sea! Serve not this aboleth! Mean it or not, ye feed into its plan - surely it must rankle ye to have one such at it be master of this place! Help us, or let us proceed, and soon it will not be a rival to ye!"

If the hag seemed to listen, Bellandra would leave her alone unless she attacked or tried to charm her or other crew members, and she would then focus her attacks on aboleth (if revealed) and on the drowned ones.
If the hag would not be amenable to reason, Bellandra would next fire a stun bolt at her, and she would try to keep out of the hag's gaze as much as possible while attacking her.

Mighty

Mighty is confused as well. he will hand to the Count his 1 Healing Potion. There is a high chance it will improve his condition quickly and also guarantee it will taste awful.

If the hag is attacked and dealt with ranged attacks, Mighty will focus on drowned, attacking and decapitating them with his claw. He will try to parry attacks with his cudgel.

If the ranged attacks do not kill hag, Mighty will try to charge on her taking advantage of speed and agility bonus.

Aylar looks around the smoldering cavern, expression unreadable, but lips twisting into a mixture of a scowl and a smirk fer but a moment as he takes effort to compose himself again. Conflicting emotions boil around his thoughts, scratching at a mental wall around the logical weighing of good and bad and bad and good and bad. There be nae more rooting through their minds, but that means the eel has once again escaped and they be needing to find it. There be nae more ship wreck, but he be reasonably sure the hag nae burned with it, fer there be no putrid stink of a smoldering hag corpse about the place. There be nae Chuul to bother with, but still decently plenty zombies.

There be a hole torn through his ward, as one of the token feathers he used as a focus be nae more, but at least it still done its task, the Count be alive and hopefully soon be tended to. He will try to send some healing light Count's way, at least as a test of seeing if he would be able to help him without a tether to channel the magick through. He needed to at least try, fer when the Crew would run across the slimy fish again, that would mean one less person protected. And what's more, yet another hole in his weave was gouged out by an absence. He nae feeling the lad anywhere in the vicinity. The shadow has likely taken him somewhere far and nae doubt, extraplanar - another loss, then.

Aylar shakes his head in frustration, he be aware that there nae much any of them can do fer this one, and so, he hastily patches up the hole left in the ward, fore the strands of it have a chance to grow weaker and start unraveling. He pays only as much attention to the Drowned Ones as be minimally needed, trusting the Crew to take care of them fer this moment (though if situation absolutely calls fer it and he still be having targets to strike after he be done with what need be done, he will engage in combat), and tries to take deeper stock of situation first: he will try to commune with the Guardian, checking if she still be here, and if she knows where- nae, when the Crew be, her stock of the situation, any advice she might have. He will also call out to Clíodhna if he be able to, he wants to find out how she and the Ship's part of the Crew be faring. If they be really in the future, then how far be they? How long has been those on the Ship be fighting, and be they still well?

He eyes the colorful vortex as he be sending out his thoughts and concerns and inquiries. It be left here for him as a next door to enter, perhaps as a gesture of amusement, if nothing else. Garish as it is, all signs seemed to be pointing to it as their ticket out of this place. Would that really be their course chart towards their quarry?

Mission 4 - Turn 7
*Next turn starts 10 PM UTC, 15 December

NOTE: Possible final turn, be sure to post yourselves to the exit or state if you are helping Crew who may need help to escape.
Weapon Oils expire at end of this Turn. (Aylar = Acid; Argy, Mighty = Fire)

-----
After exiting the tunnel, Count sighs heavily, seeing more ogres and thinking he'll have to repeat his bravura giant-slaying performance once again so shortly. He is promptly relieved when bolts take care of them instead. Hearing the Hag's proposal, however, he spreads his hands in helpless gesture: "Sorry to disappoint, ma'am, but Aylar will 'ave suffice. I'm already taken." Count watches Grog'tial closely with a slight smirk on his face, being fully convinced that mischievous chap undoubtedly plays along with a sneaky assassination attempt in mind. He's taken aback when half-dwarf suddenly stops and retreats behind the crew and wonders what made him abandon the plan while he was so close already.

As the sea hag's gaze drills into his brain and takes over control of his movements, Grog'tial finds himself on the verge of panic. This is everything he's always feared. Complete loss of control over his own fate. Someone having power over him, without him having had a say about it. Trapped, with no agency! His mind rages, but to no avail. He's inexorably moving forward. He remembers Clíodhna's words about calm and fear, but how can he be calm when he might not only be dead, but is now completely powerless?! He's close to the water's edge now. If only he'd never signed up for this crew! If only he'd been content with his half-brother's exile. The fool never suspected him anyway. Even if he'd returned in glory, he could've just continued manipulating him like before. Another step forward. He's growing calm now, alright, but from an icy fear gripping his heart as the Hag leers at him. ...and then her gaze snaps toward Aylar. His charm begins to glow - a glow which is now linked to his memories of his grandmother. Memories which remind him that somehow, inexplicably, despite all the ways he has misread situations and stumbled into taking the worst kinds of misunderstood actions, he's still being cared about. As the glow melts the icy fear, (roll dice) Grog'tial breaks free and stumbles hastily back to the group, swiftly positioning himself behind the solid mass of Durik and Mighty and everyone else, where the hag can no longer see him.

Pugwash shoots a bolt at the Sea Hag while she is distracted by Aylar's insults. (roll dice) The bolt nicks the seaweed hair, but misses otherwise. He moves to reload.

Bellandra looks over the wrecked ship, but it's clear it's not hers. The crew had sensed the aboleth was near, in sight range, but Aeshma has already dispelled illusions, so the aboleth must be otherwise hidden in the ship. A sea hag is revealed, along with a cohort of enemies. The aboleth's protectors. The hag captures Grog'tial for several tense moments, until Aylar's bold taunting and Cliodhna's power frees him, and Bellandra judges the hag is the most clearly dangerous opponent with her charm powers. Not enough that the aboleth seeks to capture our will, so now does the hag too, she thinks. While they aren't in battle yet, Bellandra looks over the area of the ship quickly with the mirror, retrieved from Argy before entering the tunnel, hoping it and her puzzle knowledge combined would reveal the aboleth's hiding place. (roll dice) Instead the mirror reveals a complex magickal puzzle, anchored by the ship there is a webbing and chains extending to the pillars of this cavern. As Bellandra turns to seek out where it all leads to, the mirror shows a wall of flame over the closed iron door opposite the one they came through, even though she cannot see one physically. There is also something that looks hidden up on the ledge.

So, he was in a different section of where he thought he be. Aylar thought. If it be the fish's game to think to be throwing him off or needling him by it, then it not be knowing him at all. He wonders if maybe his mam would like an eye. He considers the Sea Hag. Although he be quite surprised with one of his long designated targets being presented on a such a silver platter, it be not the time to be going off without ensuring the Crew be on a steady footing mentally and physically.

"Och, what doth ye mean, good? Be ye asking fer good energies?" (roll dice) Aylar reaches to his Charms and draws more of the phoenix's 'good' power to the wards through the weave he's worked about the Crew. "How be that?" he taunts, "That be 'Good' enough for ye so that ye (and the fat eel backstage) be keeping yer arthritis ridden fingers to yerself and off me Crew?" He draws the Light as Clíodhna showed him until he he is shining with it and the Crew's charms shine with it again also. (roll dice) The Chuul notice it also and grow restless, but are not moving quite yet. "'Good boys' nae approach creepy decaying grandmas either, maybe ye'd like to take a kiss from any of those waterlogged corpses instead? Clearly a better fit fer a pair o'ye. I knew some races didn't keep well with the passage of time but och, that be some advanced decay. Corpses I left keelhauled a couple weeks as decoration looked less bloated than ye!" (roll dice) Aylar clearly senses the Sea Hag's rage as her attention turns from Grog'tial and fully onto himself now.

-----
Clíodhna feels Aylar drawing yet more power as he feeds it into the wards he had woven for the Crew. He's drawing on the starfire. The threat must be a powerful one. She channels even more of her own magicks to him through the link. She had been being rather quiet in the link, except for monitoring and making sure to boost and steady the power she sends, trusting to the Guardian with him to protect them and guide them. She tries to keep the growing situation now happening around the Ship in check and out of the link, allowing Aylar to concentrate on the Crew to do what they need to do. Re-modulating the energies again, she sends more power to the Ship and shields as the storm's fury lashes out again, knowing that while they have stained the waves out to the reef with the blood and ichor of the Aboleth's minions, it has seemed to not do much good. Now bigger ones have been called in from the deeps and they are coming. She requests the Dragon Turtle to keep Kyp safe now inside her shell, then sends forth a call for the help they are going to desperately need. Deep within the Ship something hears and uses her distraction to break its stealth and send its own call beneath hers. The sea hears and answers.

-----
(a pair of shadowy dice roll, a lucky 7, then the six pops over to a one - snake eyes.)

Aylar notices the sword goes absolutely quiet, as if hiding.

Before he's had a chance to fully catch his breath, Grog'tial feels a presence behind him. Turning, he sees a cloaked shadowy figure standing behind him on the ledge. It's the same shadowy figure who took away his half-brother right as Grog'tial was about to shoot him! How? Where? ... An unseen smile of pure malice spreads across the figure's face as Grog'tial feels the breeze on his knees... and is completely flabbergasted by his sudden change of clothes. His things are gone! Instead his clothes have been replaced with a pink tutu, pink leotard, pink ballet slippers, painted pink fingernails and even his hair and beard are now in ringlets with pink bows. What the...? Grog'tial does not understand what's happening - but does know that this can mean only one thing - that shadowy figure is in league with his half-brother! Plotting against him! He knew it! Exactly as he feared all along!

Count looks back to ask about Grog'tial's actions and has to rub his eyes to be sure. "Folks, either I'm hallucinatin' or I believe we found this infamous half-brother Grog'tial was blabberin' 'bout. The other half must been a sister!"

Pugwash looks to Grog'tial in his pink tutu and is sure that the music box is malfunctioning. On the off chance that Grog'tial really wants to perform a ballet, the music box will stay on.

As a shadowy figure replaces Grog'tial's clothes with a pink ballet outfit. Bellandra wonders with a raised eyebrow what all this could possibly mean. Not that she wouldn't watch with curiosity if Grog'tial suddenly decides to embrace a new career and offer them a dance recital.

[via PM] Durik looks confused. "An illusion by the hag? Me sees Grog in pink!?"

After seeing the hag, Argy is momentarily distracted with more remembrances of her past life. She remembers the tales of a traveller that entered once her inn -a very nice guy, until he got drunk and started punching everyone in the face-. He told her how he had to fight once against a dangerous hag trio during his adventures, and how a peculiar dwarven scoundrel he knew surprisingly managed to kill one by himself, despite not being quite proficient in combat... But he didn't give much details of how did he actually do it, so it won't be of any help now... Argy comes back to reality and notices Grog'tial's new outfit. "Arrr, this fool there always tryin' to be center of attention." She winks at him and chuckles.

Seeing Grog'tial turned into a nice ballerina, Gilius exclaims, "Nice power ye got 'ere mate, I did nay know ye 'ad this, but don't ye 'ave somethin' a little more useful right now?"

(Continued below ...)

(... continued from above.)

Clíodhna feels a vast energy shift and memory screams at her. She goes to full alert, exerting a calm clarity. *Aylar, there be a portal being opened somewhere near. It feels like the one that took the Ship last time. I be moving the Ship and adjusting the energies to resist, but it may not be coming for us. Be wary!* Then he is gone, just gone ... and the fury rises in her.

-----
(the shadowy dice roll again)!

There is an unexpected shifting of reality and the Crew find themselves in the same place, but it is now completely torn apart. The wreck of the ship is only ashes floating upon the water, still slightly burning with the remnants of magickal fire. The iron doors are blasted open and completely melted away to slag, stalagmites are also lowly burning with magickal fire and from parts of the ceiling and the pillars hang but a few tiny tatters of fire blackened webs and the absolutely shattered remnants of magickally forged chains. (roll dice) Bellandra recognizes the remnants of what she had seen in the mirror, now visible and annihilated.

It is a place utterly laid waste by the kiss of windswept banshee fury and flame, and Aylar remembers his Work. He had shattered the bindings and freed her, given her a new name, and called her to him amidst a storm of wind and fire and fury. This place shows the damage so much more than Aeshma's had, and he had wondered at the time at the great strength of her protections for he knew the magicks channeling through him had been strong. Somehow they had been channeled here.

At that moment Count notices the shadowy figure standing on the ledge above. "Who's there?!" Not waiting for answer, Count rapidly takes the whip and tries to catch the shadowy figure's leg and pull it down the ledge. (roll dice - LUCK!) Lightning blasts from the figure's hand, incinerating the whip. The Count is blasted off his feet and sent flying backwards, while the shielding ward luckily takes most of the energy. His charm, however, is now ash. (roll dice = Count needs a Heal ... or two! You have lost your Resist Evil and added Mental Resistance shields - and I think you just fried your Luck card as well!!)

Grog'tial's things are gone! Only the dirk in his magickal armbrace remains. Grog'tial slips it into his hand but the figure is above him on the ledge, out of range. The feeling of malevolent threat grows as the shadowy figure regards him and waits. Suddenly a rift in space seems to appear before him and out of it flies a laughing skull, also heading straight for him a large red clown nose in its teeth. It swoops down and pops the clown nose onto his own then grabs him by the back of his pink leotard with it's teeth and hauls Grog'tial back into the rift, still laughing as they disappear and the rift in space vanishes. (the dice fade out)

The ten Chuul, drawn by immense power, break out of their stupor and charge for the cloaked figure. A mere dismissive gesture from the figure renders them to goo.

The shadowy figure glances over the Crew with a smirk and gives Aylar a long look. It gestures again and a swirling vortex of many colors appears not too far from them near the entrance back to the cave tunnel. Then the shadowy figure turns and walks into another vortex and vanishes. The Crew can't help the feeling that the shadowy figure got what it came for and they are lucky indeed that it wasn't them and they are being allowed to leave.

Bellandra is alarmed to see Grog'tial seemingly captured and spirited away! She sees the shadowy figure near, who apparently has something to do with Grog'tial's transformation and perhaps his abduction too. Count Karnstein had tried to engage it but was blasted with magic, but on the other hand the figure soon destroyed the chuul forces. A friend then? Or an enemy of an enemy? But the figure soon disappears, leaving a swirling vortex near the entrance to the cave tunnel. A quick exit for the crew? Or a trap? It seemed too early to tell. As Karnstein seems injured from the encounter, Bellandra quickly offers her healing potion to him.

Afterwards Bellandra takes the opportunity to check the mirror again, to see if things have changed. (roll dice) The anchor and webbing are obviously gone, as is the fire over the now slagged iron door opposite. However there is still something about the ledge, right where the shadowy figure had been standing, that looks like some hidden lever.

Aylar looks around the smoldering cavern, expression unreadable, but lips twisting into a mixture of a scowl and a smirk fer but a moment as he takes effort to compose himself again. Conflicting emotions boil around his thoughts, scratching at a mental wall around the logical weighing of good and bad and bad and good and bad. There be nae more rooting through their minds, but that means the eel has once again escaped and they be needing to find it. There be nae more ship wreck, but he be reasonably sure the hag nae burned with it, fer there be no putrid stink of a smoldering hag corpse about the place. There be nae Chuul to bother with, but still decently plenty zombies. There be a hole torn through his ward, as one of the token feathers he used as a focus be nae more, but at least it still done its task, the Count be alive and hopefully soon be tended to. He tries to send some healing light Count's way, at least as a test of seeing if he would be able to help him without a tether to channel the magick through. (roll dice) The Phoenix charm warms slightly and Aylar feels the healing connect with something within the Count himself and activate it. Still, when the Crew runs across the slimy fish again, that would mean one less person protected. And what's more, yet another hole in his weave is gouged out by an absence. He be nae feeling the lad anywhere in the vicinity. The shadow has likely taken him somewhere far and nae doubt, extraplanar - another loss, then.

Mighty is confused as well. he will hand to the Count his 1 Healing Potion. There is a high chance it will improve his condition quickly and also guarantee it will taste awful.

Grog'tial's abduction makes Argy drop her jaw. Is this real? So many strange events are confusing her. Time ago, life used to be so easy and predictable. At least Chuuls are not a problem anymore. Still with the cupcake in her hand, she decides what to do with it. The drowned ones outnumber the crew, but they are not a big threat anyway, and the hag has disappeared. Frustrated, she hangs onto it for the moment in case something else appears.

Gilius witnesses Grog'tial disappear and the Count being badly hurt. The Count seems to be passed some healing potions and a strange sparkling healing magick seems to take place in the region of the Count's heart. He has Rocky position himself in the second line to provide a good line of fire for Pugwash and instructs him to step forward and smash the problems into smaller ones, as a great philosopher once said, should melee happen and the Crew be overwhelmed.

Pugwash had somehow missed the part of the briefing where Refyx had explained the explosive bolts were specifically designed to blow off a zombie's head before it could get near the Crew, so unfortunately didn't think the Drowned Ones were appropriate targets for him.

The Drowned Ones are milling around in a confused state, but not for long. They begin to advance on the Crew.

[per PM] Captain Baldbeard had tried sending in the shark pack at the hag,(roll dice) but there had been something that repelled them back. Now, however, the sharks are no longer forced to make a wide berth of the ship area, almost as if some sort of magickal field has vanished and the sharks begin to tear into the Drowned Ones. (roll dice) Eighteen still advance on the Crew as Captain Baldbeard asks Gilius and Pugwash if he can join them and places himself to be ready to stand with Rocky and protect him and the others from close up attacks as the zombies come at them.

Aylar shakes his head in frustration, he be aware that there nae much any of them can do fer Grog'tial, and so, he hastily patches up the hole left in the ward, before the strands of it have a chance to grow weaker and start unraveling. He pays minimal attention to the Drowned Ones, trusting the Crew to take care of them for this moment until he be done with what need be done. He reaches out to commune with the Guardian, checking if she still be here, and if she knows where- nae, when the Crew be, her stock of the situation, and any advice she might have. He also calls out to Clíodhna, wanting to find out how she and the Ship's part of the Crew be faring. If they be really in the future, then how far be they? How long has been those on the Ship be fighting, and be they still well? Aylar eyes the colorful vortex as he be sending out his thoughts and concerns and inquiries. It be left here for him as a next door to enter, perhaps as a gesture of amusement, if nothing else. Garish as it is, all signs seemed to be pointing to it as their ticket out of this place. Would that really be their course chart towards their quarry?

(Continued below ...)

(roll dice) Mighty attacks the Drowned Ones that come near, decapitating one with his claw while cudgeling and burning in the skull of another. He parries a third into Rocky, (roll dice) who smashes it to a pulp. (roll dice) Argy uses the lantern to freeze several others (roll dice) and Bellandra takes advantage to behead two with one swing of her cutlass, (roll dice) while Captain Baldbeard crushes the skull of another. (roll dice) Two more zombies have fallen, one to Gilius' cudgel while Durik crushes another while knocking it back into tripping up three others.

(roll dice) The Count is getting up after taking the two Heal potions as well as being healed through Aylar. Aeshma checks him over, just to be sure, then nods.

(roll dice) As Aylar reaches out to the Guardian, he is in an immediate battle with the sword again now that it senses the shadowy figure is no longer there. (roll dice) The phoenix energies strike at it furiously and it takes another moment working through his own frustration to tamp things down again. Once he does he reaches back out to the Guardian.

*When ye are is current here,* the Guardian answers him. *But ye will find time does not run the same here to the Ship's current plane, even if ye be seemingly current to both. Ye know this, Aylar, for it be like when ye visit yer mother's folk. Ye don't have much time left now, Captain. She be holding out and attempting not to disturb ye, but the aboleth has called the DRM fleet in on them, and beasts are rising. Me advice would be before that happens ye may be wanting to complete the Working ye began here, but beware. The eel really doesn't like it when ye wreck its toys, and retaliation will come. Interesting that the shadowy figure would wait for ye to look to where he be when he did not need to show himself at all.*

When Aylar reaches out to Clíodhna and finds the link, it is distant at first, then there comes an echo and an icily controlled deadly rage. *Aylar?* The echo comes again, then a sense of slight confusion, like someone coming more awake or aware, and a new reaching with a growing clarity as the link becomes very strong and clear with echoing again, but this time relief and surprise. *Where be ye? Why be ye ... in the Weirding?* She pauses as he asks about the Ship, but he senses she refuses to lie to him. *Nine days, Aylar. It be nine days since ye entered the temple. We be holding. The Dragon Turtle has Kyp safely inside and now be trying to do as she can, but she must protect the portal back for ye so cannot be using all her magicks lest it disturb that connection. Don't worry about us. Aylar, ye be in the Weirding. Things be different there, magicks be working stranger, less reliable unless bounded to objects like the Cursed Items or yer Charms. Be cautious, things like the sword can turn suddenly there.*

(roll dice) As Aylar contemplates the vortex, another sound of something releasing comes from behind him. Turning, he sees two Chuulpions emerge from the water, but these are the size of large wagons approximately 8'/2.44m long and 5'/1.5m tall. At least these don't shrill, but they are quick to charge the Crew.

-----
There are now 10 Drowned Ones left and 2 Huge Chuulpions with paralyzing poison. And a toy to wreck. ;)
Left dropped on the Ground: +1 dmg Crossbow; 3 Hardened, 2 Stun Bolts (given to Pugwash); Grog'tial's sachel (items added to loot if retrieved); Resist Evil Charm

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Your current inventory can be found in Post 2 (loaner books are read and returned)
Argy = Cavern
Aylar = Cavern
Bellandra = Cavern
Captain Baldbeard = Cavern
Count Karnstein = Cavern
Durik = Cavern
Gilius = Cavern
Grog'tial = ? Abducted
Kyp = Dragon Turtle
Mighty = Cavern
Pugwash = Cavern

NPC
Aeshma = Cavern

"B-B-Beware th-the thunder-storm..." - Count Karnstein stammered while standing on the wobbly feet. - Gilius, what are ye doin'?! Ye was s'ppose to keep weather on our side!"

Count cannot fathom how it's possible that he got struck by lightning in a cave. Or can he? Could it... Could it really be... the proverbial love striking like a bolt from the blue? But why now? Clearly not 'cause o' that pink-ridden abomination... As if SOMETHIN' really wanted to convince me that I wasn't just bluffin' to avoid kissin' the Hag. - Count looked at Aeshma, utterly dumbfounded. - Oh my. She really is into me, ain't she, to go fer such extremes. An' must consider me - quite rightly - brilliant enough to decipher her cryptic signals. Damn, woman, ye could just tell me.

No time for contemplating it now. Count brushed off the ash and threw out remains of the charm and the whip as giant chuulpions emerged from the water.

"Spread out!" - he yells, seeing monsters charging at them.

He runs to some of the remaining zombies and decapitates them promptly. If he's not targeted by any of the chuulpions, he will try come up to closer one from side or behind and hack off its tail. Moving away right after to avoid retaliatory strike from the beast. If still doable, he will follow by hacking at the joints of chuulpion's legs.

If any chuulpion in the immediate vicinity is immobilized or stunned, he will jump on its back and pierce the brain or sever the head.

If he's targeted, he will move beyond the reach of claws and tentacles, and hide behind one of the stone pillars where he can have easier time cutting claws and tentacles off.

As last resort to save himself or someone else, he may drink Frost Breath potion and blow at the monster's head.

After the fight he will grudgingly go into the vortex, realizing it's the only way out. He will help if anyone remains and needs assistance moving.

For those who wonder what happened to Grog'tial ... the shadowy figure took him to see his Grandmother.
https://www.gog.com/forum/general/giveaway_docs_intergalactic_clown_school/post370

Clíodhna wasn't sure whether she was more relieved that she had found Aylar in the link again, or concerned. She felt him repairing the weave and sent him more power to reinforce and Work it into the warding. They were in the Weirding Sea. Nine days, she had told him. It had been nine days Ship time since they had entered the temple. Nine days of relentless battle, but thankfully only half a day that she had lost him to that portal for awhile. Half a day of turning the fury on the enemy and fighting to keep it under just enough control. Now the Crew was in the Weirding Sea and the awareness hit her as the link strengthened. She knew where they were (I know where they are), and they couldn't be there (can't be here). It was too dangerous. What was the Guardian thinking? They weren't ready yet to face the Dragon! (They aren't ready)

Then she felt it, the withdrawal of the sea beneath the Ship. She leaped into the sky, streaking for the height to see. He hadn't ... oh, but he had. He had called the sea, and the sea was coming. She threw more power to the shields and lifted while she felt him turning the Ship into the coming wave. He had evidently had enough of hiding and decided to break the stalemate. It was evident the Dragon Turtle already knew and was prepared. "Brace!" she yelled to those below. "A little warning what ye be planning be nice."

- Ye were busy reinforcing the Captain. -

She muttered under her breath. "Stars above, save me from Penguins!"

Laughter came back at her. - I heard that. -

-----
Aeshma had been paying attention mostly to Grog'tial's disappearance and Count's injuries, then battle. But now she stops and really looks around, then turns to stare at Aylar. She draws a rune in the space in front of her and whispers to the air. The rune flares with a bright light and she drops her jaw and spins around, eyes searching desperately.

-----
The Guardian had been staying invisible and saying very little until Aylar had asked her. She had been trying to stay back away from possibly causing havoc with the sword, but it seems it was picking up on things. As was Aeshma, evidently. The Guardian casts a Veil, then a Reveal on the lever to draw Aeshma's attention instead. The scent of the sea increases and she looks to the water's edge and sees it rising slightly as she picks up the first hints of the power incoming. It knows now, knows she's here. There isn't much time now if they are to save the Crew.

Aylar hears the Guardian's voice strong in his mind. *Captain Aylar, when I tell ye to, ye will take them and run. Do not try to stay behind. Do not try to avenge me here. Take Aeshma and run, throw her over yer shoulder if ye be needing to. Get them OUT, Captain. Don't look back. Ye know who I be, ye know whenst I came. This be my Choice. Yer time be nae yet. Be ye understanding me?*

With all the plane shifting, visions and illusions, and the unexpected appearance of the entity that captured Grog'tial, it seems that the Aboleth and the Hag have managed to trick the crew and may even get away.
The current events are beyond Argy's mundane comprehension. It seems that Aylar or Aeshma have a better understanding of the whole situation, but they don't share much of their insights.
Argy sighs, frustrated, and continues fighting the drowned ones and following the rest of her crewmates to wherever they may go. If she manages to notice the Chuulpions before someone else engages them, she'll throw the cupcake at them. Should the hag appear by chance, she'll be the one to receive the cupcake. Argy wouldn't throw the cupcake to the aboleth, as she would risk splattering its mucus over other crewmates.