Between a Rockpile and a Dark Place

Log Info

• Title: Between a Rockpile and a Dark Place
• Emitter: Cryosanthia
• Characters: Karasu, Aryia, Seyardu, Dax, Culix
• Place: Alexandros Wilderness, Usvuthadjupr Prison
• Time: Sunday, August 08, 2021, 2:23 PM
• Summary: A cold open in a cold cavern, everyone is a kobold. The plan, perhaps a bad one, was to disguise as the little lizards and sneak into the underground, underwater prison that Endril described and rescue the second prisoner, Nanjusha. Aryia and Seyardu have been actually transformed into Kobolds, Culix and Karasu are disguised, and Dax is using an illusion spell. Those who didn't acquire the ability to swim or breath water can at least breath courtesy of Seyardu's spell. They swim in, and up, finding a rockpile in the middle of the water-filled cavern. There are also electric eels, one attacks Seyardu and is swiftly slain. Flickering shadows suggest more, and the party gets on out of the water. Nanjusha lives, but is in poor shape. As they are deciding how to exit, two sets of two Kobolds arrive from the north and south entrances. Aryia and Karasu attack to the north, while Culix shoots to the south, and Dax and Seyardu prep Nanjusha to move her. Entering the water, Karasu and Aryia break off their attack, and Seyardu manages to confuse one of the south Kobolds enough he stops fighting, and his partner, well she's in the process of dying, so he helps her instead. The kobolds lose sight of the adventurers, and just as they're about to enter the southenr passage, Seyardu feels a sharp pain and feels a voice in her head. Something she'll have to deal with soon.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  Appearing, in Order  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Dax          5'0"     110 Lb     Kobold, giant     Female    A 5' tall red haired human with piercings and tats.
Aryia        3'4"     37  Lb     Kobold            Female    A heavily scarred mul with a tired look about her.
Culix        3'2"     36 Lb      Kobold            Female    Beady-eyed goblin female in leathers and hood.
Karasu       5'9"     125 Lb     Kobold, giant     Male      Clearly a man of Xian decent with dark hair and eyes.
Seyardu      3'6"     55 Lb      Kobold            Female    A friendly silver sith-makar with a perpetual squint.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  NPCs of Note  -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Nanjusha                         Human             Female    A high level prisoner
Loci                             Kobold            Female    A competent road guard leader, local guide.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  As the GM  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Cryosanthia  6'9"     291 Lb     Sith-Makar        Female    A dashingly tall, elegant white-scaled lizard woman.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

Some ideas are immediately, obviously, bad.

Others take time to play out enough to prove that quality. This idea was one of the latter sorts. Through a series of unfortunate decisions the rescue party finds themselves back in Uskvutha's Deep, on the verge of reaching the second captured adventurer.

They are underground. Underwater. At a cavern entrance to a chambre that is purported to have air, and a small dry area where the prisoner is held. Getting here 'only' required a long swim, past other kobolds, through winding passages which all look alike.

And looking like a kobold. It's difficult to put a finger on the worst part of this plan, but that might be it.

An illusion. Dax was unsure of how this would really affect her but the idea of getting changed was frightful, and even this oddity of being able to breathe underwater was causing a great deal of confusion. All that said, she didn't much have to deal with it if it were an illusion. That's what she gathered. From Loci, or one of their friends, Dax has only taken on looking like a kobold instead of shifting and is underwater without drowning thanks to Seyardu. As a tough-ish member of the crew, Dax remains near the front but not in the lead as no matter the illusion she has gained no ability to see better underwater or amidst the dark depths below the waves.

It was hard enough to get Aryia to take a spell. Thankfully, Seyardu was the caster, and she trusted her even though it was still magic. It wasn't the first time she had taken on water testing it out, and not panicking was the hardest part. Surprisingly, it worked well.

What did not work well as a rather massive miscommunication between another caster and herself. She had to look like a kobold. So she went with the illusion idea.

So anyways, there's a grey scaled kobold swimming through the waters tail smacking against the walls. They were not happy.

GAME: Culix used a Disguise Kit.
GAME: Culix rolls disguise: (13)+6-2+2: 19 (-2 different race, +2 kit)

Culix is not the most amazing swimmer. She's good enough, sure, and since she's already lost her cloak on this expedition, at least she doesn't have that weighing her down, but still. Swimming is not high on her list of priorities. Likewise, she sees well in the dark, but caves and caverns are another matter. She's more of a basements and alleysways kind of goblin. The bubble around her head keeps her at least able to breathe, even if her brain is frantically telling her that she has been underwater for much longer than she is comfortable with. Still she paddles her way along, beady eyes a little wider than usual, as she makes towards the promised air pocket.

Thankfully the fake tail she'd put together out of putty was clinging to her despite the water- the glue in her kit saw to that. The prosthetic reptilian snout was doing little to allay her fears of being unable to adequately breathe.

GAME: Karasu rolls disguise: (17)+4-2-10: 9 (-2 different race, -10 different size)

Karasu had not been well-pleased at the idea of disguising himself as a kobold, but with a bit of seaweed he managed to make himself look comparibly enough like one to pass without much suspicion. Thankfully Seyardu was capable of allowing them to breathe underwater or they might have drowned before making it this far. His raven unfortunately had been forced to remain behind as covids did not do well underwater even when able to breathe. It would have been rather suspicious thing as well.

Seyardu decided a physical change would be best, just in case. looking, sounding and overall acting like a kobold would throw off any she meets just in case, especially if she needs to talk.

So when the spell was cast for everyone to breathe, she was changed into a small, garter colored Kobold. And so she joined the group on their swim, trying not to linger too long to take in the color of everything underwater.

It helped to have a local guide, in the form of Loci, the garter-kobold who first guided the group to Uskvuthadjupr and has been acting as the go-between for the adventurers and the exiles.

She was able to talk the group past some guard groups, and talk the exact path to the prisoner out of one of her friends. She's also great at navigating the small, twisting passages.

It's beautiful underwater, like another world. It's also dark, prone to silting up and producing zero visibility, and tight. Not so difficult for the small folk, actual and pretend kobolds, but Dax and Karasu have to struggle and squeeze.

A rapid retreat through most of the tunnels would be impossible. It's very claustrophobic, if being surrounded by rock on all sides wasn't unsettling enough, it's completely submerged. Should a spell fail... there would be no hope. Another weight on the scale of tipping this towards bad.

Ahead of Loci, the passage opens up into a cave of crystal clear water. In the middle is a rock pile, sloping upwards. The rocks have a luminescence to them, some strange glow from the lichen glowing on them, making the whole environment dim, like being in space.

<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Okay, Athletics (Swim) DC10, success means 1/4 move as a standard action,"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "1/2 as a full action."
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "If you're sneaking it'd be half again (and roll stealth)."
GAME: Culix rolls athletics: (8)+6: 14
GAME: Aryia rolls athletics: (1)+10: 11 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Karasu rolls athletics: (8)+5: 13
GAME: Dax rolls athletics: (17)+10: 27
GAME: Seyardu rolls athletics: (16)+-1: 15
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "now... Aryia and Seyardu, you are both Garter Kobolds, so they do have a swim speed, 20' swim."
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "so you don't need to make checks."
GAME: Karasu rolls stealth: (15)+7: 22
GAME: Aryia rolls stealth: (20)+16: 36
GAME: Culix rolls stealth: (11)+14: 25

Someone is bumping the walls with their brand new tail, stirring up silt and making an impenetrable cloud.

The last time that Dax dealt with kobolds and a prisoner, there were tons of traps. She is keeping an eye out for those but with all the silt, water, and dim light it is tough for the human woman to see. Once her head can peek out of the water she does look around, "Well, no one die." She offers as her only quietly whispered advice.

Aryia, the scarred grey kobold, is able to swim just fine underwater. For the most part. She zig zags back and forth, the tail making her veer off and bonk into walls. She could not frown very well, but the corners of her mouth were pulled down as far as one could possibly go. "I hate magic," she complains. Though it didn't last long, her stilling to look at the crystal clear waters. And the wonderful lights that shift in the water. Her stilling made her coast silently and unmoving, like a shadow of a passing cloud. <Handspeech>

Culix fights against the temptation to launch herself towards the surface, instead beginning to ascend slowly towards it as she swims further into the room, until just her nose and eyes peek above the surface of the water, the bubble around her head popping so that she can breathe the 'fresh' air of the cave. Although with the humidity, it almost feels as though she's still underwater. She glances towards Aryiabold and then one hand emerges from the water to offer a thumbs down, showing her agreement that this was a terrible plan. She continues to slowly and steadily paddle her way along, keeping her limbs below the water's surface to avoid splashing as she moves.

Seyardu made her way closer to the surface, poking her head up and looking around. Not wishing to be the first out just yet, as there was a good chance that whatever land was in front of them was littered with traps.

"That was not too bad so far. Do not think about the tail much Aryia, just focus on swimming normally." She says to those present.

Karasu is a silent shadow moving gracefully through the water with little effort. He does take care that his disguise remains intact, and largely remains close to the others in his group. He hardly seems concerned about the fact that they are all underwater, or that they are in disguise. All in all he seems without concern, merely floating along toward the next point.

GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+4: (10)+4: 14 (electric eel perception)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+4: (13)+4: 17 (electric eel stealth)
GAME: Aryia rolls perception: (4)+13: 17
GAME: Karasu rolls perception: (11)+6: 17
GAME: Seyardu rolls perception: (19)+3: 22
GAME: Culix rolls perception: (17)+8: 25
GAME: Dax rolls perception: (12)+0: 12

The surface is absolutely still, above the water the rocks are dark, the illumination comes from below. Its a strange, underlit environment, with the sounds of water droplets echoing around the space.

There is movement in the water, what seems at first Loci's tail, or perhaps someone's disguise broke off. No, the undulating shape is an eel.

Loci has warned there might be eels.

<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "okay, targets it can see are Loci, Seyaru and Dax, who didn't make stealth rolls"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "1 Loci, 2 Dax, 3 Seyardu"
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d3: (3): 3
<OOC> Aryia says, "aryia would swim over to it with their surprise action"
GAME: Karasu rolls weapon1: (17)+2: 19
GAME: Karasu rolls 1d4+1d6: (4)+(6): 10
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "that hits"
<OOC> Culix says, "I'll move to 14, 14"
GAME: Culix rolls knowledge/nature: (3)+5: 8
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+3: (13)+3: 16 (eel bite)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20-2: (6)+-2: 4 (eel tail touch)

Karasu notes the eel moving toward Seyardu, and waits patiently for the creature to close in on the sith-makar before launching an attack at it. The weapon in his hand flashes out and cuts deeply into the eel, but does not actually kill it.

The eel lashes, gnashing teeth at Seyardu, the glowing fin that covers its whole body rubbing along hers. Neither seem to do any harm.

Spieing the slick hide of the eel slithering through the water, Culiz recoils a little in the water, "Snake?" she mouths to herself, but she doesn't ponder it too long as she ducks below the water again, working her way around the others who bar her path, keeping upstream of it that she might get around those gnashing teeth unnoticed.

Despite her annoyance with the changes in her form, Aryia's maw parts slightly in surprise as something tries to attack her friend. She paddles over, adjusting the cestus on her scaled hands so the plates would stick out.

What was that? It was a shape moving in the water, and it was glowing with a curious colored light. Curiosity got the better of her until the eel was snapping at her, and the sith-makar turned kobold almost squeaks in surprise, just barely managing to fend it off with the spear she had with her.

<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "okay, Karasu added himself to it's target list, so 1 Loci, 2 Dax, 3 Seyardu, 4 Karasu"
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d4: (1): 1
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+2: (19)+2: 21 (Eel bite)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20-2: (2)+-2: 0 (Eel tail touch)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d6+1: (4)+1: 5 (-5 on Loci)

More targets! So many things to bite!

Loci is bit. Her blood is in the water.

They always get louder when they are about to consume fake kobold flesh!

<OOC> Aryia says, "we're gonna flurry that eel!"
<OOC> Aryia says, "piercing so no penalty on att rolls"
GAME: Aryia rolls weapon8: (1)+9: 10 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Aryia rolls weapon8: (11)+9: 20
GAME: Aryia rolls damage8: aliased to 1d3+2: (3)+2: 5
GAME: Aryia rolls fortitude: (14)+7: 21 (DC15)
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "you're jolted by electricity when you punch it, but you're fine"

Aryia cocks her fist back as she coasts closer, the grey kobold swinging with a fist full of spiked plates. She wiffs it, but spin around in the water with her tail acting like a propeller as the back swing crunches into it. There's a jolt, and Aryia tenses up.

She pulls her hand back and shakes it. "Fucking ow, it shocks you!" she exclaims with a hand. <Handspeech>

<OOC> Culix says, "Can I 5' while in water?"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "it's 2 or 4 squares to move 1 square, in water, so 5' step wouldn't really apply"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "So, I'd say no, water is difficult. Oh, and swim checks now, DC10"
GAME: Culix rolls athletics: (9)+6: 15
<OOC> Culix says, "Alright, I'll move over to 13, 14 while drawing a dagger and sneak attack."
<OOC> Culix says, "Also using my dagger as a piercing weapon, so no penalty."
GAME: Culix rolls weapon3+2: (10)+7+2: 19 (+2 flank)
GAME: Culix rolls damage3+2d6: aliased to 1d4+0+2d6: (3)+0+(5): 8
GAME: Culix rolls fort: (17)+3: 20 (DC 15)

Like a shadow just below the surface, Culix swims around the group, the wake of their thrashing combat hiding the ripples her own movements make through the water. She slips a dagger, with a fire-darkened edge from the sheath tucked under one of her armpits. Finally, she springs out of the water, lunging forwards oblivious to Aryia's silent warning about shocking. She grabs the slithering creature around it's... well, isn't it basically all neck? But just below the head, at any rate, and brings her dagger up high, plunging it down into the top of the creatures skull to the hilt, spilling its blood to stain the water.

Her teeth clench and chatter as tremors run through her body, and her fingers continue gripping the creatures slimy skin for longer than strictly necessary, before she manages to pry them off and kick the corpse away from her.

The eel sinks to the bottom. Tiny blind cave crustaceans will find it, eventually, and pick it to small pieces. It's finished.

Where the was one eel, could there be more?

There's a sudden gasp of breath by someone else in the cavern.

<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "anyhow, friendly NPC injured, noises in the dark, all make Althletic swim checks, and pose, I'll +resume if you aren't healing Seyardu"
GAME: Culix rolls athletics: (16)+6: 22 (DC10)
GAME: Dax rolls athletics: (3)+10: 13 (DC10)
GAME: Aryia rolls athletics: (8)+10: 18  (DC10)
GAME: Karasu rolls Athletics: (1)+5: 6 (EPIC FAIL) (DC1)
<OOC> Seyardu says, "Rolling channel divinity!"
GAME: Seyardu rolls 3d6: (7): 7 (Loci fully healed)

Seyardu did not wish to leave their ally injured, nor did she want the blood to follow them. So she reaches for the amulet underneath their clothing, fumbling a bit due to being unused to the size of her hands. "Celestial Mother, please heal our allies and close their wounds." They pray in higher pitched Draconic than normal, before she continues on, looking around at the various noises.

... She didn't realize blood was so obvious in color.

Dax continues swimming, moving through the water like a bad fish. She looks around in the dark bloody water as she goes but is mostly just looking for land. The gasp just draws Dax's attention and she looks that way but continues swimming with her allies since she can at least follow them to some extent.

Loci hisses a "thanks, I guess we're friends now," at Seyardu. She rolls over and with a slow lash of her tail follows Culix. She also glances downwards, "I think one of us is sinking?"

Karasu is not drowning. Karasu is not sinking. Karasu will make it eventually.

With the blood obscuring sight in the water, Karasu was finding swimming more difficult. He sank lower into the liquid surrounding him and was forced to nearly walk along the floor to reach the rest of the group. His dark eyes were less than amused as he rejoined everyone.

With the threat dealt with, Culix ducks under the water, grabbing the hilt of her dagger before the creature sinks too far and with the help of a foot at the base of its skull wrenches it loose, before kicking back to the surface. She goes to put the blade between her teeth, but remembers she has an awkward reptilian muzzle right now, and so begins swimming awkwardly while holding it, towards the noise she heard.

Seeing as they all regrouped, Aryiabold lazily swims after everyone, her rubbing at her eyes, not used to them. It lacked her usual affinity towards darkness.

This 'prison cell' was described by Endril, the human prisoner that the group had rescued earlier. He was still in rough shape when he gave the briefing, lying in an Althean bed with one of the Clerics using telepathy. The man's regenerations were just starting, his head was completely bandaged, as was his hands, foot and hip.

Even through an intermediary, it was clear he was having difficulty focusing and concentrating.

Endril detailed that they were kept in caves first, underwater caves with air pockets, in the dark. A location all but impossible to escape, with all the squeezes and false domes.

There were also eels, small ones which ignored him, but seemed interested in his companions. They made them much more manageable once they attached.

A disconcerting memory, especially as there are flickering shadows on the rock pile as the party swims towards the bit of it that just above the water.

Perhaps those are just reflections under the waves.

GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+13: (8)+13: 21 (Wizard Shackle stealth)
GAME: Dax rolls perception: (14)+0: 14
GAME: Aryia rolls perception: (16)+13: 29
GAME: Culix rolls perception: (8)+8: 16
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+6: (12)+6: 18 (Wizard Shackle Perception)
GAME: Aryia rolls stealth: (3)+16: 19
GAME: Seyardu rolls stealth: (3)+1: 4
GAME: Culix rolls stealth: (19)+14: 33
GAME: Karasu rolls stealth: (15)+7: 22

There are some small flickering shapes among the rocks, just under the water near the top of the rock pile.'

He didn't elaborate on what he meant by more manageable, although it sounds like mental control or influence from the eels.

GAME: Culix rolls knowledge/nature: (2)+5: 7

Eels taste good.

Aryia squints as her head barely peeks out of the water. She signs underneath the surface. "Over there. By the rocks up there near the top. I think there is a lot more eels."

Culix slows, looking over towards Aryia's gesticulations, "They didn't seem that bad, 'side from the tingling." she murmurs quietly in response, having caught something about eels. She looks back over. "I'll see if I can't creep up closer." she suggests, and then ducks below the water once more to swim over towards the danger.

Karasu followed in Culix's wake, staying quiet and unobtrusive. Using the blood in the water as a cover where possible. It didn't seem to bother him one way or another, but there was a tinge of something in his dark eyes. Worry? Concern? It was hard to tell.

"I'm not entirely sure, but the small eels sounded bad." Seyardu says to those present as she looks upwards. "Don't let them bite you, seems important."

Seyardu was pulling on a pair of heavy leather gloves despite being waterlogged, and a thick coat that would cover her body, which she also offered to Loci and Aryia, as they would not be too bothered by the water.

The redheaded woman is following behind others, she's not terribly stealthy and is making the waves of a human sized woman instead of that of a kobold. Like her illusion would indicate. Though she's otherwise moving along, following the others. She can't see well, but will turn on her light if they need it for a bigger situation. At least the swimming comes easy enough for her, "Well, if I could see'em I'd avoid'em." To Sey, she offers a shrug otherwise, "Not that I let jus' anyone bite me ta begin with. Enough ale, an' anything's on the table..."

A woman lies on the rock pile. She's sprawled out on her side. She's not bound. There isn't really anywhere for her to go. It's roughly ten square feet of space in rough circle, which drops off into deep, cold water very quickly. It's dark, she's human; she can't see far at best.

She stares blankly out across the water, breathing. She wears a shirt, pants, perhaps undergarments, but no boots or other adventuring gear. There are bruises, as if kobolds randomly swim up and punch her. Or worse.

Perhaps she imagines she's hearing another impending round. All the fight seems to have gone out of her.

GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+3: (7)+3: 10 (Wiz Shackle on Seyardu)

Something is swimming around Seyardu's legs.

Or... swimming towards Loci.

Aryiabold shoots Dax a weird look, like she got too much information. But the glance makes her eyes widen. "Seyardu, there's a shit load more eels coming towards you." <Handspeech>

GAME: Seyardu rolls perception: (5)+3: 8

Seyardu feels something near her legs, and quickly she pulls herself onto the dry land, hopefully before anything can latch on. "All of you, out of the water! She shouts to the group, as she quickly checks herself over for anything latching on.

Karasu hastens onto the dry land as well. Just in case the eels have caught onto his presence, or are attracted to the blood in the water. A thing which is not terribly unlikely. He continues to keep to the shadows however, not truly wishing to reveal his presence to the woman or anyone who might be watching her.

With the comment about getting out of the water, Dax is more than happy to do so, climbing out as quick as she can. She looks around a moment, but still cannot see, so she turns on her ioun torch to have it go bobbing around her head, "If there's somethin' coming fer me, I'd rather see it."

Back in a shady alleyway in Alexandria's lower markets, days prior.

Culix twists off the waxed stopper of the small glas vial and leans in to take a sniff. She promptly wretches and coughs. Eyes watering, she croaks, "Yeah, that'll do." to the unassuming vagrant she seems to be dealing with. She fishes a handful of coins out of her purse, and tosses them into the beggar's cap. The old toothless crone opens up her ragged cloak, and retrieves another of the vials. Stoppering the one she 'sampled' Culix takes both and tucks them away.

And now,

Culix's head snaps back towards the others as the Eels seem to be heading towards Seyardu. She retrieves the vial from her belt, pulls the cork out with her teeth- gags- and then throws it over towards Seyardu, so that the vial might sink into the water and spread the foul smell below, hopefully confusing the aquatic predators.

Aryia scrambles out on hands in feet before the oil could be tossed in. The new form had a better scent, and her nostrils crinkle in pain. The scarred scaled grey kobold plops down on the rocks, dripping wet from the water. Welp, they knew they were here now.

The woman makes another gasp as Dax pulls out her Ioun stone, and Culix tosses her flask. The Stink Oil successfully splashing into the water near Seyardu. The stink horrendous above the water, and even more sickening for things in it.

Loci leaps onto the rock pile, shaking her foot. Worried she's picked up a stench that will stay with her.

The woman's eyes are wide. Staring. She sees a lot of Kobolds. A couple -very large- Kobolds, and she's endured many regular sized ones. She's heard a few words of tradespeak, perhaps she didn't fully recognize it all, or catch enough to understand the conversation.

If Endril's estimates are correct, she's been a prisoner here for a week. Alone, in the dark, without food, on a small pile of rocks surrounded by water that's full of things which will bite. From which worse things emerge to abuse her.

She wouldn't recognize a rescue if she saw one, and she has.

Seyardu was reeling from the stench of the oil as she looks herself over, but not seeing anything attached lets them breathe a sigh of relief. They look to the woman on the rocks, and to those present. "Make sure none of you have anything on you at all." She says, before looking to Karasu. "You have a disguise, so you can make your presence known as not one of the guards. That may be for the best."

<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Perception rolls if you are checking yourself for things, and pose it"
GAME: Dax rolls perception: (16)+0: 16
GAME: Culix rolls perception: (16)+8: 24
GAME: Aryia rolls perception: (14)+13: 27

No one felt any bites, no one sees anything on themselves.

Karasu pulls himself from the darkness and looks at Seyardu. "Can you make it so that she can breathe in the water?" Their own spells will not last forever, and if they are to enact a rescue it must take place soon. Preferably before any guards arrive.

"I have magic I can use, but it will be the last I can do. We should make sure we can leave the way we came." Seyardu replies as she checks over the prisoner for any injuries. I prepared magics for that in case, especially if they will not regain consciousness now."

Culix finally managed to scrabble her own way out of the water. She examines herself, looking at her legs, arms. She even goes so far as to peek down the neck of her shirt just to make sure. Satisfied she has no biting critters attached, she turns towards the Prisoner finally. "Bloody hell you're a right state." she says then. The green 'kobold' reaches up, and pulls her muzzle right off. Shoring a mouth full of equally pointy, but less reptilian teeth. "We're the cavalry. Reckon you can swim?" she asks.

Flashback: When the illusion was setup the kobolds asked Dax if there was a word that she wanted to be able to say that would turn it off, "Illgoshbekosh." She was warned that if she should say those words the illusion would end.

"Illgoshbekosh." Dax states and her illusion disappears. Meanwhile she does check herself for all the weird little eel things to see if she's covered in any. Once that's done she moves closer to the woman, "Look, yer gonna be okay. We'll get ya outta 'ere an' kill anyone who tries ta stop us." Offering forward some jerky that might be a bit soggy at this point, and covered in bloody water... if the woman is tied up at all, Dax will attempt to help unbind her.

GAME: Dax rolls diplomacy: (11)+4: 15 (DC10)
GAME: Culix rolls diplomacy: (6)+2: 8 (DC15)
GAME: Seyardu rolls heal +1: (1)+7+1: 9 (EPIC FAIL) (DC20)
GAME: Seyardu rolls diplomacy: (19)+10: 29 (DC20)

At Seyardu's behest, Aryiabold checks her miniscule self over. Thankfully there wasn't much to check, being small and all. Though it felt weird as hell to grab her tail to check it. She glances to the emaciation engraved on the woman, and nods in approval as Dax tries to feed her. Aryia keeps her attention on the water, making sure none would come up from the waters.

She's not tied up. She's free to go wherever she wants, the Queen of Infinite Space. An illusion easily believed in this dark, water-filled cave. She can swim amongst the electric eels as much as she wants, brave the frigid water, dive down to tunnels cramped and blind, crash into walls and sharp outcroppings to her heart's content.

Which is why she's lain here for days, unmoving. Her head raises weakly, and she blinks at Dax, "You're... with them?"

She looks at the jerky, "is... that Endril? They said we'd get hungry enough to eat each other. I won't. No."

GAME: Seyardu rolls diplomacy: (1)+10: 11 (EPIC FAIL)
<OOC> Seyardu says, "Rerolling that"
GAME: Seyardu rolls diplomacy: (14)+10: 24

While it was certainly easier to assess the health of someone when color could be seen, it was still confusing for a first attempt. She had no reference for what they _should_ look like, so she couldn't figure much out. The small Kobold sighs in frustration. What was a normal amount of pinkness to a human? "We are not with them, please understand, but this is a magical disguise, we are here to help how we can." She says, gesturing to the others there. "We were sent by the adventurer's guild to find you, as well as Endril, who is back in Alexandria. The meat is normal, and you should eat some. Just not too much right now, as I know you have likely not had much for a while. Take it slow."

GAME: Dax rolls diplomacy: (18)+4: 22

Pausing and looking to her jerky, Dax shakes her head, "I don't name the beasts this comes from. If ya'd rather a drink?" And then she looks at the others before looking back to the woman, offering her a flask with a little shake, "I ain't with no one. Not really. Jus' being paid ta do a job. That's find ya, rescue ya, whatever the entire list of things." Though she settles on the ground, sitting, and offers to prop up the woman should she not prevent her, "If yer talkin' about the kobolds, I ain't one of them. I know that can be confusin' witchcraft is weird like that, way beyond me." If the woman lets her, Dax will sit her upright, "Ain't no need'ta fear nothin' no more. That's the gist of it all."

She's very much reassured.

Culix, for her part, offers a helpless shrug as her toothy grin is less than reassuring. She puts the 'mask' back on, wriggling it about until it adheres to her face. She turns her attention back across the water. She sheaths her dagger, and draws her crossbow, "I'll keep watch for now while you tend to her." she tells Seyardu, and offers Aryia an upnod- she points towards the break in the wall that leads off to the north while she fixes her own eyes on the one to the south through which they entered. Since the pair of them see well in the dark, after all.

Karasu is a silent vigil while the others comfort the woman, his dark eyes uncertain. "Heal her, and cast the spell quickly then, we have not the time for dallying." With those words spoken he turns his eyes toward the waters, and whatever might try to rise from them.

GAME: Aryia rolls perception: (12)+13: 25
GAME: Culix rolls perception: (6)+8: 14
GAME: Karasu rolls perception: (19)+6: 25
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+9: (16)+9: 25 (K1 Stealth)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+9: (16)+9: 25 (K2 Stealth)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+12: (11)+12: 23 (K3 Stealth)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+12: (1)+12: 13 (EPIC FAIL) (K4 Stealth)

Aryiabold returns the gesture, her tilting her snout upwards. Still she was scarred, the scales on her throat missing. She ambles over to the other side and sits down on her haunches (way easier to do so as a small scale.) Maybe there was some benefit to being a tiny 'bold. She tries to tail thump the rocks below her, but ends up smacking her leg and grimaces.

Two Kobolds are coming out of the North passage, which is twenty feet away and thirty feet under water. Something is coming out of the South passage, which is fifty five feet away and fifty feet down. Whatever is emerging kicked up a ton of silt, so you can't see it anymore. At least one thing though, perhaps two.

"I'm Nanjusha, Nanjusha Tifa" the woman says, lifting herself up on trembling arms, leaning heavily into Dax, accepting her support, then her food. She chews slowly, her cheek muscles straining. It's been days since they were needed. "The Explorer's Guild sent us. That horrible man wanted us to kill them all. I almost want to now."

She breaks off, chewing another bite, shaking from the cold, and so many Kobolds, real or disguised. She stares at Loci for a long while, "are you the one from the road?"

Loci nods.

Meanwhile, there's been motion, which a few keen eyes caught and one pair almost caught.

<OOC> Culix says, "I'll take a shot with my light crossbow. 80' increment, and I'm guessing concealment?"
<OOC> Cryosanthia nods, "And into water, which provides an AC bonus
GAME: Culix rolls weapon19-2: (2)+8+-2: 8

Sensing the tension from her companions, if not actually able to see the threat at present, Culix lifts her crossbow up to shoulder the butt and levers back a bolt, leveling it at the growing silt cloud near the entrance. When she sees a flicker of movement, she squeezes the trigger sending a bolt flying into the water. It deflects on breaking the surface, and sails harmlessly past the incoming figure. "Got company." she calls out as she fishes another quarrel from the quiver at her hip and slots it in, levering back the mechanism ready to take another shot.

Karasu wants a tactical retreat NOW. It doesn't seem really feasible.The party could tactically retreat through the kobolds to the north, and then through the kobolds that find us after we're out, and then through the kobolds who come to defend those kobolds from our retreat...

Karasu lets out a low breath as they are surrounded on all sides. "We must go!" He slips his dagger into his hand once more and makes his way - still disguised - to the north. Aryia signs a warning to him, but he knows already the danger there. There is little choice but to be moved, or surrounded.

"There were two exits from the chamber I was in," Endril explained through his telepathic assistant, "The more northern one led to the Temple where the Witch-Queen was. The Kobolds had widened that, to make it easier to move prisoners for services and sacrifice."

"The southern exit was a maze, which they left pristine to make it harder to escape. Sometimes added traps. There were a bunch of passages that meet up, split and meet again."

"If Kobolds came from the North, it was bad. The southern ones were... just coming for fun."

Helpful advice, especially now, when Kobolds are coming both ways.

Karasu swims closer to the northern kabolds, keeping to the shadows in the water and drawing as close as he can whilst pretending to be one of their own kind before launching his attack. The thrust missed, unfortunately.

<OOC> Aryia says, "will get a running start and leap into the water right above the approaching kobolds to the north"
GAME: Aryia rolls acrobatics: (12)+12: 24
GAME: Aryia rolls athletics: (20)+10: 30
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Okay, so Aryia-bold does a 24' longjump which gets her right above the other Kobolds,"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "then dives and charge-swims up, so she gets a punch in, yeah."
GAME: Aryia rolls weapon8: (12)+9: 21
GAME: Aryia rolls damage8: aliased to 1d3+2: (1)+2: 3

Aryiabold's eyes widen as she sees Karasu go after the ones in the water. Despite her size, her legs were still powerful. She steps back a few before whistling at the party. She holds up two claws "Two! Enemy!" she signs quickly, more merctalk than handspeech before blasting off to the north. She leaps, far further than she's ever leaped before. Her arms flail in the air before she dives right in. One hand to splashlessly slip into the water, and another spiked cestus cocked back to land a surprising smash into a male kobold. A grey, a heavily scarred kobold with some scales missing all over them with a fierce gaze staring down at the duo. She pulls the cestus back, a small trail of blood following in its wake. <handspeech

GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+1: (16)+1: 17 (K2 on Karasu)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d6-1: (2)+-1: 1
GAME: Kobold damaged Karasu for 1 points. 15 HP remaining.
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+6: (10)+6: 16 (K1 on Aryia)

A bolt, a strike, and a tremendous dive attack.

The Kobolds were not expecting that. Reeling, one turns to engage Aryia-bold, stabbing with his spear, and missing. The other swims up towards Karasu, poking from below. This attack draws blood.

The two to the south know they've been attacked, and are swimming up the rockpile. They'll arrive soon.

The prisoner is staggered, starved, cold, has been left in the dark for days, interrupted only by torturous kobolds. She can move, slowly, but she can't fight. She needs to be helped, and defended.

Time is growing short. Culix and Dax want to move, the larger woman hustling the other, carrying her as best as possible, but allowing others to cast water breathing on her since I can't. Ready to defend her, should anyone get close.

The woman to whom Dax was helping, and being nice to, is the weakest of the links here but also the necessary one. "Alright, up we get. There's gonna be a lot of blood, an' fightin'. But ... I got you, stay wit' me." She offers and helps to pick up the woman, half carrying her and half walking with her, Dax is going to be bringing her along. And doing her swimming for her should they have to dive back into deep water.

Seyardu helps Nanjusha to her feet, which is difficult in her current stature, and she looks between those present. "Celestial Mother, allow us to path through this water unimpeded." She offers in prayer, making the air easier to breathe with how humid it was.

"You will breathe in the water just fine, and we will bring you out. We need to get moving, but I will heal you as we go." She advises.

"Ok. Thank you." Nanjusha is a little confused, this is all dreamlike and she's already been hallucinating. Seyardu makes a nice support as she leans on the Kobold's head, and Dax's arm. Her legs wobble and her feet slip on the rocks. The rock pile is mostly a loose jumble, though they have been compressing together for a while. "I'll follow... wherever you go."

GAME: Culix rolls weapon19: (3)+8: 11
GAME: Culix rolls weapon19: (19)+8: 27 (THREAT)
GAME: Culix rolls weapon19: (13)+8: 21 (Confirmed)
GAME: Culix rolls damage19+damage19: aliased to 1d10+0+1d10+0: (5)+0+(8)+0: 13
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Kills a Kobold! well, takes to -8 and they can only do -10, so"

Culix glances back over her shoulder as two of her companions dive in to the north. "Why are we going that way?" she calls back to them, confused. But she doesn't allow her momentary distraction take her mind too far away from the rather more pressing issue of rapidly approaching Kobolds. She shoulders the crossbow again, firing off another bolt. Closer, this time, it punches through the surface of the water catching one of the incoming reptilians in the shoulder and punching right through, deep into the flesh, drawing plenty of blood to stain the water.

"Need to get our new friend moving sooner than later." she calls over to her companions, offering a brief nod towards Dax when she sees she has her readied. She loads another bolt into the crossbow, "I'll cover you!" she calls after Dax.

GAME: Karasu rolls athletics: (16)+5: 21
GAME: Karasu rolls weapon1: (10)+2: 12
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "re-roll, or did you use it?"
GAME: Karasu rolls weapon1: (8)+2: 10

Karasu stabs at the kobold, swimming up, he puts some water between them but the attack misses.

<OOC> Aryia will just flurry with fists nonlethally
GAME: Aryia rolls weapon0-2: (5)+9+-2: 12
GAME: Aryia rolls weapon0-2: (11)+9+-2: 18
GAME: Aryia spends ONE point of KI POOL.
GAME: Aryia rolls weapon0-2: (5)+9+-2: 12
GAME: Aryia rolls damage0: aliased to 1d6+2: (6)+2: 8 (4 1/2 damage bludgeon in water)

Aryia's scalebrow furrows as they try and swipe at her. She shakes her head and lashes out with kicks, only landing a slap against their face. Aryia makes a shooing motion towards them, her looking like she was about to swim away to retreat. She was just there to distract.

GAME: Karasu rolls weapon1: (18)+2: 20
GAME: Karasu rolls 1d4+1: (3)+1: 4

A slice, a stab.

GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20-1: (5)+-1: 4 (Loci Diplo)

"No, c'mon, stop!" Loci jumps in the water, and burbles underwater. It's distorted but somewhat understandable, "They'll kill you, you know that. This is wrong."

It's a heartfelt appeal, if not a really effective one, but they're of the same scale and she's really reluctant to fight.

<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "so, Diplo for Loci"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "not terribly effective"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "ok, k1 attacks Aryia, k2 attacks Karsu,"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "k3 attempts to stabilize and sinks,"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "k4 swims closer to the rockpile, taking cover and attempting to establish stealth"
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+6: (14)+6: 20 (K1 attackign Aryia)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d6: (5): 5
GAME: K1 damaged Aryia for 5 points. 39 HP remaining.
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+1: (3)+1: 4 (K2 attacking Karasu)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20-8: (2)+-8: -6 (K3 stabilize - does not stabilize)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+5+5: (12)+5+5: 22 (K4 Stealth DC22 at curr range)

One Kobold can't really tell he's being hit non-lethally, the punch really knocked some water into him. He coughs bubbles in pain and stabs back at Aryia, spear opening a line in her scales, letting transformed blood leak out.

The one fighting Karasu stabs and misses.

Of the two Kobolds from the south, only one is still moving. The other is sinking to the bottom, hanging limp and unlikely to survive without immediate, immediate attention.

Attention she's not getting from the second South Kobold, who cozies up to the Rockpile, taking cover from Culix's crossbow, and more or less vanishes into the shadows. He's not impossible to see, but it takes some looking.

Dax moves into the water with the tortured woman. Dax isn't going to leave her side and continues in, swimming as best she can while helping the woman move along. It's going to be slow going, but Dax is letting others be the tip of the spear whilst she keeps the woman safe. Rescued, tired, weak, not someone to just allow out of your sight or to sink to the depths.

GAME: Seyardu rolls perception: (20)+3: 23
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+13: (12)+13: 25
GAME: Seyardu rolls diplomacy: (2)+10: 12

Seyardu saw those who were moving backwards, another incoming kobold, and an increasingly bloody pool coming up from the water. Against her better judgement, she dives in after them, just in time to catch the sinking body.

"Close their wounds, cease the bleeding and further harm." They offer in quick prayer, at least ceasing most of the stream of blood. She gestures quickly to the kobolds that seemed to be in hiding, pointing backwards. "Quickly, help them before they get too far down!" She calls to the two kobolds, hoping they would assist them. <Draconic>

The rockpile is a largely conical pile of rocks that seem to have fallen from a small hole in the ceiling and distributed themselves in a standard way. Due to the cave's size and depth, it's hard to see around the rockpile.

The small battle near the north entrance is completely hidden from the south entrance.

Although it can be heard. A thrashing in the water, the sounds of impacts, pain. Both pairs of Kobolds know something is going on, but can only see their half of the cone and the part sticking up.

And what they see is a lot of Kobolds messing with the human prisoner, which is what they came to do themselves, and one human attempting to help her escape. Has the fun been doubled? They aren't sure.

GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+4: (4)+4: 8
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+2: (6)+2: 8
GAME: Aryia rolls fortitude: (4)+7: 11
<OOC> Aryia Rerolls
GAME: Aryia rolls fortitude: (18)+7: 25

Some time ago, a discussion with Culix lets Aryia learn that Kobolds really don't like bright lights, and tells her about this powder that if two powders mix, they make a blinding light. During their prep, she shoved one in her pouch, wrapped in a waterproof binding. "Close your eyes," she signs to Karasu before turning towards the kobolds. She shooes them away again, signing as well "Get the fuck out of here, don't want to kill you." <Handspeech>

She activates it by looking away, closing her eyes, and punching the pouch in her hand. It explodes in a flash, like staring directly in the sun. <Handspeech>

Aryia swims away with ease, managing to get to the top of the rocks and keep running, all the way until she was on the other side.

GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+4: (2)+4: 6 (Loci save)

>>>FLASSSH<<<

It's bright. Flashpowder is bright in daylight. In a cavern that has never seen sunlight, introducing it has quite the effect. Half the cave lights up in a stark, cold flash. Like lightning, throwing shadows and spots onto everyone's eyes.

For the two Kobolds right in front of that punch. It's blinding, and they dazed. If only they understood the handsign warning.

Karasu, a faux-bold, looked away in time. Loci, did not.

"Arrrp!" She barks, "eeee! Aiiie! Ow, ack!"

>>splash<<

She falls off the rockpile, disabled and ineffective.

"Thuul's Balls!" The Kobold near Seyardu bubbles underwater, as the light goes off, silhouetting the cone of rocks, "What are they using! Thanks scale-sister! I will save her. We can't let the human escape."

He swims down to stop his stricken sister sinking.

GAME: Seyardu rolls will+2: (20)+7+2: 29 (CRITICAL SUCCESS)
GAME: Wizard's Shackle damaged Seyardu for 1 points. 48 HP remaining.

The silverscale feels a small, sharp pain at the base of your tail. Then. A voice in her head, "Hey, let's be friends!"

She is sure she doesn't want to be friends with this.

GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+10: (13)+10: 23 (Dax Athletics swim)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+10: (15)+10: 25 (Dax Athletics swim)

With the the one Kobold swimming to help, Seyardu heads north after hearing the flailing and shouts of Loci. she helps steady the kobold, pointing them in the right direction. "It's me, Seyardu. We'll help you back until you can see again." She says to the garter-kobold.

Aryia halts just as she starts to get underwater, her hearing the splash behind her. She huffs, bubbling water up as she turns around, rocks plinking into the water. Aryiabold reaches land once more and reaches down, plucking Loci easily out of the water and slinging them fireman style over her shoulders. "Seyardu. I'll take him. You need to keep us alive." <Handspeech>

The adventurers are moving.

Endril has provided some warnings, "If you do manage to sneak or talk your way in, and it shouldn't be hard, most of them are just kobolds. It's not as if the spent a lifetime being paid to be guards. Anyhow, if you do, they likely aren't going to be a problem unless they raise an alarm."

"That will get them all coming. That's what we weren't expecting. They get more organized, harder to scare off, squad commanders arrive, and sooner or later the Witch-Queen, or her Rider will come. A couple of those Kobold Commanders have some skills."

"You'll be at the highest risk in the cavern. It's close to the Temple. Sound travels weirdly underwater, and that place is half submerged too. They might hear battle, they will hear cries and those whistle-whoops they make. Their Witch-Queen is there."

"Not always, that's how I managed to swim out, but often enough. If she thinks there's a threat, she'll summon the Rider, or Daeus forbid it, the Dragon."

Alarm and calls for help haven't been raised, yet.

Dax has managed to move Nanjusha, diving into the water with her, power-stroking down. What she might lack in brain-power is there in pure muscle-power, and given a simple task she does it well. Makes it look simple.

Karasu has pulled back, sticking with the party, though it seems he would have preferred to cut some throats and make bloody progress to the north. The way Culix loads her crossbow, one might imagine a similar sentiment. She's lost track of the living Kobold on the southern slope, and Seyardu's rushing back and forth has her swimming to catch up with Dax.The two northern Kobolds backswim, bringing their weapons up defensively, blocking blindly.

The party is now heading southbound and down.

GAME: Seyardu rolls will: (14)+7+2: 23 (DC 14)
GAME: Seyardu rolls 3d6: (12): 12
GAME: Seyardu damaged Seyardu for -12 points. 49 HP remaining.
GAME: Seyardu damaged Aryia for -12 points. 44 HP remaining.

There's an almost irritating sensation of a finger tapping the inside of Seyardu's skull. Tap-tap-tap. A cheerful voice she hears without her ears, "Hi! Looks like you're trying to escape. Why don't you kick up some silt?"

Seyardu looked back as Aryia took off, and she too swam up and over the island, making her way back. "I can't heal wounds and deal with creatures in the water at the same time. Think one is on me." She signs hurriedly. <handspeech>

But the prisoner was still severely wounded, and the one kobold was on death's door. So she reached for her amulet, allowing it to emanate healing energy that would help mend wounds and take the kobold to a more safe position.

GAME: Aryia rolls perception: (2)+13: 15

Aryia paddles along with her tail as a propeller, Loci in tow. She passes by Seyardu, looking the not-kobold over and shaking her head. "I don't see anything!" she signs back, kicking her feet and checking on their guide. She lets them swim on their own volition. <handspeech>

GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20-1: (2)+-1: 1

"They're going out the deeper exit!" Loci calls into the water, attempting to add confusion.

"Loci! Is that you? I thought you were exiled." One of the northern Kobolds answers.

"I'm... I'm not Loci, I just sound like her." Loci mumbles.

GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+5: (3)+5: 8 (Kobold Aid Another - Fail)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+5: (2)+5: 7 (Kobold Perception)

"Where'd they go?"

"I don't know, I'm still seeing spots."

"Is that them?"

"No... that's a rock."

On top of the Rockpile, the two Kobolds look around. They aren't seeing much. Dax has put away her Ioun stone or someone snagged it for her, so everyone is swimming in the deep dark. Only the Kobolds, transformed Kobolds and others gifted with Darksight can see a thing. After the bright flash, the glowing lichen appears to have gone dim.

Or it's a matter of eyes adjusting darker.

Nanjusha swims, the channeling helping, though much of what is wrong with her is starvating, hypothermia, despair and neglect. It's easy to imagine long, lonely uncomfortable hours in this prison 'cell'. Enough to encourage a desperate attempt to escape on a breath-hold dive. An almost impossible task.

The other two Kobolds gather up on top of the rockpile as well. They came to 'play', and the male is concerned about the barely living female. The northern pair, which were sent, are more upset. They were sent to fetch the prisoner.

The Witch-Queen won't like it if they come back empty handed, but they aren't sure why they were attacked, or where the other human came from. She'd probably want to know. She might not kill the messengers.

Much like the party, they're stuck between a rockpile and a dark place.

They decide to go for help.

OOC & Combatty

Map
https://www.mipui.net/app/index.html?mid=m0qywh5js6x

second map
https://www.mipui.net/app/index.html?mid=msueywycrzl

 ===================== Current Initiative Order - Round 1 =====================
 ---Init--Name------------AOO-Notes--------------------------------------------
     24   Eel                 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     23   Aryia            5  Flat-footed (0 rnds active)                  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     21   Culix            1  Flat-footed (0 rnds active)                  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     15   Karasu           1  Flat-footed (0 rnds active)                  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     15   Seyardu          1  Flat-footed (0 rnds active)                  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     7    Dax              1  Flat-footed (0 rnds active)                  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ==============================================================================

 ===================== Current Initiative Order - Round 1 =====================
 ---Init--Name------------AOO-Notes--------------------------------------------
     23   Aryia            5  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  >> 21   Culix            1   << 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     18   Wiz Shackle      1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     15   Karasu           1  Flat-footed (0 rnds remaining)               
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     15   Seyardu          1  Flat-footed (0 rnds remaining)               
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     7    Dax              1  Flat-footed (0 rnds remaining)               
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ==============================================================================

 ===================== Current Initiative Order - Round 1 =====================
 ---Init--Name------------AOO-Notes--------------------------------------------
     16   Culix            1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     12   Karasu           1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     11   Aryia            5  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     7    Kobolds          1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  >> 6    Dax              1   <<
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     6    Seyardu          1  Flat-footed (0 rnds remaining)               
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ==============================================================================

 ===================== Current Initiative Order - Round 2 =====================
 ---Init--Name------------AOO-Notes--------------------------------------------
     16   Culix            1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     12   Karasu           1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     11   Aryia            5  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     7    Kobolds          1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  >> 6    Dax              1   <<
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     6    Seyardu          1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ==============================================================================

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|   Name   |   Race   |   Class   | CHP | HP  | AC/FF/T |CMD |For |Ref |Wil |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|Aryia     |SHADOW_ELF|Mnk        | 44  | 44  |20/16/19 | 24 | 7  | 9  | 5  |
|Dax       |HUMAN     |Ftr        | 65  | 65  |23/19/16 | 24 | 8  | 7  | 3  |
|Karasu    |HUMAN     |Rog/Wtc    | 15  | 16  |14/11/14 | 15 | 2  | 5  | 4  |
|Seyardu   |SITH-MAKAR|Clr        | 49  | 49  |19/19/11 | 14 | 8  | 1  | 7  |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "NOTE Heal others 12 HP"

<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Okay... I want to do something experimental with this... so it could go amazingly, or could go badly."
<OOC> Karasu says, "What's the plan?"
<OOC> Aryia cants head
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "For starters, everyone gets a free re-roll. Keep track, as I won't. During combat, I'll wait 5 minutes then move on, and you'll move down the init or miss a turn if I haven't heard from you and it's your turn."
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Second thing, I'm borrowing a concept from another game, which is a 'Flashback preparation' scene. So, everyone gets a 'Flashback', which you can say, "i want to do my flashback turn now" and you can do a simple-ish thing, like set up a trap or poison some food or something. It's meant to represent how in Heist movies, they won't show all the planning, they'll more often cut-back to it when it is relevant to the narrative, kind of thing. This is the part I'm most uncertain about."
<OOC> Aryia leans in, interested
<OOC> Seyardu says, "sounds interesting!"
<OOC> Culix says, "You son of a bitch, I'm in"
<OOC> Karasu thinks it could be a bit messy, but if we keep it contained might work
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Cool, well, I said it was experimental... and it might be messy, especially because of the third piece."
<OOC> Culix says, "Bonus points if I get to make a Jojo reference. "You thought you disarmed me, DAGA! You failed to realize that while you were talking, I hid a second dagger here earlier.""
<OOC> Cryosanthia laughs! "yes."
<OOC> Karasu says, "Third piece?"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Which is, we'll start 'In Media Res', and part of how you got here I'll fill in as the poses go on. And I get to draw the map in reverse. Mostly though, it's why you'll get to be doing flashbacks, as it would fit that kind of start better."
<OOC> Aryia c:
<OOC> Aryia says, "I'm down to give it a try"
<OOC> Culix nods.
<OOC> Seyardu says, "same here!"
<OOC> Karasu is cautious, but curious.
<OOC> Aryia record scratch. "So you're probably wondering how i got here"
<OOC> Cryosanthia nods, "Okay."
<OOC> Culix says, "While hanging from a branch sticking out of a cliff side with angry velociraptors below."
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "dammit that's a much better start than I was thinking of"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Megamind-ish? right?"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Okay, details for your first pose, so you can start working on them. you'll be underwater, and explain how you solved breathing underwater. Also, choose, if you are under an illusion/disguise to look like a kobold, or got polymorphed into one. So this is kind of your first 'flashback' test-pose sort of thing, like you can do how you reacted at the time and how you are now. If that makes sense."
<OOC> Aryia says, "pffft"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "if you want to be polymorphed you can type +polymorph small humanoid, and it will mess with your stats and I have no idea how it'll work or how to fix it, it'll be hilarious. :)"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Doing the set."
<OOC> Seyardu can prep water breathing, if any of you need something to work into your poses
<OOC> Dax says, "Thanks! Since, otherwise, yeah. :P"
<OOC> Karasu appreciates that
<OOC> Aryia will use that, ty

<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Quick aside"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "You could have used a 'Flashback' for, 'I heard there were eels (possibly electric) so I got some bait or a wooden weapon to deal with it', kind of thing. As an example"
<OOC> Aryia nod!
<OOC> Culix says, "I was thinking something like that if I'd rolled well on my know/nature, but I figure if Culix heard there were eels inside, with that roll, she would just have thought "Hey, I think I had an eel pie once, it was pretty good.""
<OOC> Seyardu says, "Ah, that makes sense!"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "heehee"

Aryia pages: just like the possibilities are much larger. It skips past the "why do we need to make this difficult" and just dumps you right into a rough situation
You paged Aryia with 'the 'too difficult' pre-planning kind of stuff, like what if the door sticks?'
Aryia pages: requires a bit of trust with the party

<OOC> Seyardu says, "using a 3rd level spell slot to cast water breathing on Dax, the ranger, Culix and herself, setting them to 2 and a half hours water breathing each"

<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "also feedback on the 'flashback' idea, and generally how this went, would be appreciated"

Karasu pages: So notes on this rp: Things were well paced (up until the end which was a bit rushed partially thanks to people leaving), and the flashbacks were... acceptable, but I have a general dislike because it makes me feel uninformed? Which is more displeasing in rp format where I feel like I should know what my character knows? But it was interesting, and a nice change of pace as well. I like that you came up with something unique.
You paged Karasu with 'Interesting. Thanks! Thta is very helpful.'
You paged Karasu with 'I can see the uninformed aspect would make things less enjoyable. Hmmm.'