Once the Crew be through the door (with some help, if there be a close chase, or urging to leave the straggling targets be, if necessary), Aylar will close it, and then call on the magicks to help him fire melt the door into the frame, hopefully turning it into an impassable roadblock preventing any further pursuit.

That done, he will likewise cautiously move down the winding corridor, all senses on high alert. The smell of seawater leads him to quickly check his compass, as he be thinking, mindful of some of their precautions running to a close. Be they moving away from the coast and underground the sea floor?

Argy will help Gilius keep his balance and stay out of the water, and will then help him get through the iron door. She'll also be aware or other mates needing help, in case they are hurt and need assistance or their minds are somehow tainted (she will help them getting out of stupor states with a bit of pepper in their nostrils)

[Moved into action post for this turn.]

In the battle of the cavern

Grimacing at being struck by the Chuul tentacle, Bellandra stopped trying to find hidden things and instead concentrated on the very visible enemies all around them. "Good showing, friend rabbit," she muttered to her rabbit's foot which had stopped the Chuul in the moment. Thankfully she had recovered quickly and de-clawed the Chuul.

She had plannedl pick up the mirror from the ground when she had the chance - it was a loan after all - but thankfully Argy had already taken the opportunity and rescued it.

Having cut out the Chuul's legs, she was ready to follow up with more strikes when Mighty's cudgel cracked its skull. "Good teamwork, Mighty!" she complimented. She also noted Durik fighting near her and teamed up with him, continuing to fight against the Chuul, especially the stunned ones.

Once the enemy reinforcements arrive

Bellandra saw the reinforcements of Chuul and drowned ones, and even an Ogre-Chuul. Moreover she saw that Argy and Gilius were both in danger, with Gilius especially not even responding. She also heard Aeshma's cry to Aylar. The aboleth had been found.

It seemed to her the aboleth was trying to stall them. It would seek to overwhelm them with foes, for as long as it could summon them. They needed to find it, and soon, and end this battle, but she would not do so at the cost of Argy and Gilius's lives.

She fired a stun bolt at the drowned ones attacking Argy and Gilius, and then ran towards them to fend off the drowned ones with her cutlass and pull Argy and Gilius to safety. If possible, she would also retrieve the mirror from Argy unless Argy was able to come along, as it seemed the fight against the wily aboleth might benefit from the mirror. Then, she planned to sprint towards the iron door and join a party to attack the aboleth. If the opportunity came, she would also fire a reinforced bolt at the Ogre-Chuul in the process.

In the tunnel

On the other side of the iron door, she proceeded quickly down the tunnel with the rest of the party, using her knowledge of puzzles to try to detect where aboleth might be hiding something. Seeing Aylar hesitate, she offered to help decipher the compass, surmising that the stars she had seen might somehow be related to the coordinates he seeks.

Mighty

Mighty nods to Bellandra and proceeds with crew in the tunnels, He is on lookout for any problems and crew members in need of help.

Gilius regains his senses just as Argy looks concerned about him.
He suddenly sneezes several times violently as the smell of pepper invades him strongly.
Once his sneezing calms down, he says to Argy :
"I be fine, I be fine ! I be dead already ! Be ye tryin' to kill me a second time ? Ye sure ye be a cook, or rather an executioner ?
Anyway, thanks fer wakin' me up, I been a bit away.."

Gilius then observes the tunnel which he had not seen before. If it's high enough, he will propose Pugwash again to climb on Rocky if he wants to. Rocky will then remain in the second line, ready to step forward to help and protect if needed.

He will use his Wand of Secrets to help locate any secret in the tunnel.

Should any threat appear, he will use his cudgel while Rocky will fight (prioritizing the back over the front should enemies surround us).

Still morose from the mortal revelation, Pugwash will follow his crew-mates towards the final battle with the Aboleth.

While doing so he will keep an eye out for monsters that threaten the party. Ogre-like monsters will be attacked with hardened bolts, the rest with ordinary bolts. Stun bolt bombs and explosive bolts will be saved for the Aboleth.

Pugwash will take no action against drowned ones because crossbows are no good at beheading zombies.,

If Pugwash still has use of his music box, he turns it on now.

If the Aboleth is encountered and the rest of the crossbow wielders are unsuccessful at stunning the Aboleth, Pugwash will use his one remaining stun bolt bomb against it. Otherwise he will fire explosive bolts at it.

Mission 4 - Turn 6
*Next turn starts 3 AM UTC, 13 December

NOTE: The Gillyweed has expired; Weapon Oils expire end of Turn 7. (Aylar = Acid; Argy, Mighty = Fire)
Aeshma's protection field expires in 2 turns. Moving previous roll results here and adding additional post results.

-----
(roll dice) Aylar cuts down the zombie trying to pull Gilius away and beheads the one Argy's lantern had frozen while remembering the last place the Crew had run into the Denuvo, and a certain door in a tower that led to another tunnel. Denuvo, a cavern, an iron wrought door... Portals, likely to the places the fish had best control over... "Oi, Mighty! Do ye still have those guard keys? Can ye pass em to Cracker and send him me way? Got an idea!" Aylar calls out while concentrating a bit more magick into the wards.

Mighty searchs the pockets of his leather armor. In one of them among several pieces of eight and old banana peel (Mighty will need to talk about this with Monkey) he pulls out a set of keys and passes them to his parrot. "Cracker will take those keys and fly to Captain Aylar, he needs them."

Cracker, not thrilled by the idea of delivering smelly keys, grabs them and drops them off in Aylar's direction.

(roll dice) Aylar grabs the keys out of the air and weaves and dashs his way to the iron door, cutting down another zombie on the way. (roll dice - Luck) Studying the keys briefly, he finds the second one he picks works. The door is unlocked.

Beyond the door is a cave tunnel that looks to wind around with a faint glow in the distance and the smell of the sea.

Count Karnstein leaves the protective circle and dashes quickly to intercept the ogre while it is still somewhat confined by the path and stands in the ogre's way. (roll dice - Luck) He jumps back, nimbly dodging the wide hammer swing, (roll dice) which collides with the wall. Count baits again and waits for the right moment. There it is, an overhand swing this time. (roll dice - Luck) The hammer comes down with ground-shaking force. (roll dice) With startling speed Count is already on the hammer and running over the ogre's arm. (roll dice) He cuts off the tentacles sent to catch him with one swing of the saber, although one brushes him (roll dice) the poison does not affect him. (roll dice) He uses the momentum to slash the beast across an eye. (roll dice - Luck) Without slowing down he jumps off the ogre's shoulder, landing behind it and instantly rolling to the side. (roll dice) Enraged and half-blind, the ogre strikes out with a sweeping spin of the hammer (roll dice) managing to sweep four Chuul off the path, (roll dice) killing two, and smashing another into two more behind it, killing that one instantly. (roll dice) Count finishes the job by driving Frostbite though the ogre's heart, killing it as the heart becomes completely frostbitten. Seeing Aylar opening the iron door and Crew moving swiftly to the cave tunnel, Count runs back to join the Crew at the door, having delayed the Chuul.

Grog'tial is getting seriously peeved at his mermaid. What is her deal anyway? From what Clíodhna and the old woman had said, it might have something to do with his attempt to get her to join forces with him, going against her oath or somesuch - but if that was such a problem, then why wasn't she now fulfilling her oath? Besides, that old woman was one of the Aboleth's illusions anyway, and so completely unreliable, right? His mind is twisting itself into such knots that Grog'tial is glad not to have to dwell on it too much, as the ongoing fight needs his attention, but he feels anger at the unfairness of it all churning in his gut. All he ever wanted to be was to just be in control, to guarantee his own safety and not let anyone else tell him what to do, and now it's all going wrong due to this annoying stupid ugly fish!

With some effort focusing on the here and now, Grog'tial shoots another Drowned One heading for Argy with an explosive bolt. (roll dice) The bolt explodes, taking out its neck and shoulder while also blowing off half the face of the one next to it. As he sees Aylar opening the iron door and Count Karnstein moving there, Grog'tial runs to join them, urging Bellandra and Pugwash to come along, and for the others to guard their rear but ideally come along as well. He calls out that once they're all through the door, that should make a much more defensible bottleneck than their current position, and might even be barred from the inside to buy them precious time. Once through the door, he recalls the iron bound door and the tunnel leading away from it underneath the tower at the very first mission, which now feels like a lifetime ago. He notices with dwarven interest how the construction of this tunnel is much older, and while not dwarven, was obviously constructed by those knowledgeable in reinforcing underground passages against such things as shifting ground, water and possible battle damage.

Grimacing at being struck by the Chuul tentacle, Bellandra stops trying to find hidden things and instead concentrates on the very visible enemies all around them. "Good showing, friend rabbit," she mutters to her rabbit's foot which had stopped the Chuul in the moment. Thankfully she recovers quickly and de-claws the Chuul. She had planned to pick up the mirror from the ground when she had the chance - it was a loan after all - but thankfully Argy had already taken the opportunity and rescued it. Having cut out the Chuul's legs, she's ready to follow up with more strikes when Mighty's cudgel cracks its skull. "Good teamwork, Mighty!" she compliments. She notes Durik fighting near her and teams up with him, continuing to fight against the Chuul, especially the stunned ones.

Mighty nods to Bellandra, continuing to crack Chuul and Drowned One skulls.

Bellandra turns to see reinforcements of Chuul and drowned ones, and even an Ogre-Chuul, which Count Karnstein is swiftly moving to attack. Moreover she sees that Argy and Gilius are both in danger, with Gilius especially not even responding. Hearing Aeshma's cry to Aylar, she realizes the aboleth has finally been found. It seems to her the aboleth is trying to stall them. It would seek to overwhelm them with foes, for as long as it could summon them. They need get to it, and soon, and end this battle. Aylar has cut down the Drowned Ones immediately threatening Argy and Gilius, but more are coming from the water's edge. (roll dice) Bellandra fires a stun bolt at the largest bunch, hitting a group of five. (1d4 = 2 turns) (roll dice) She retrieves the mirror from Argy and helps her get Gilius to the tunnel where the Captain is waiting for them.

Argy helps Gilius keep his balance and pulls him back into the protective circle. Seeing him looking a bit absent or possibly dazed, she uses her pepper grinder to waft a bit of garlic pepper into his nostrils, hoping to bring him back to awareness, then helps him get through the iron door.

Gilius regains his senses just as Argy looks concerned about him. He suddenly sneezes several times violently as the smell of pepper invades him strongly. Once his sneezing calms down, he says to Argy, "I'm fine, I'm fine ! I'm dead already! Are you trying to kill me a second time ? You sure you're a cook, or rather an executioner? Anyway, thanks for waking me up, I was a bit away..."

Aylar calls out to the Crew, urging them to leave the straggling targets be, and to get through quickly! (roll dice) Mighty, Durik and Bellandra quickly finish off the stunned Chuul and Drowned Ones and run for the door. Once the Crew is through, Aylar closes it, and then calls on the magicks to help him fire melt the door into the frame, hopefully turning it into an impassable roadblock preventing any further pursuit.

Clíodhna 'hears' and takes a moment from the Ship's battle to focus even more energy through the link to Aylar. *Aye, just be sure ye have a way out. Back away!*

Aylar ushers the Crew back just in time. (roll dice) The door not only melts into the edges, but an inferno lights up in a wall of flame just this side of it, and the Crew backs further away from the searing heat. (roll dice) It reminds Aylar of another time he's seen just such a wall of flame in his mind and as he turns to regard the tunnel in the fire's light he notices the uncanny similarities, but this tunnel is not blasted in wind and flame.. Yet.

(roll dice) Aeshma pulls Captain Baldbeard along with her into the tunnel and shakes him as he is looking a bit not there again. She summons a wind elemental to push forward ahead of the Crew to blow down anything in their way, and as the gust of wind barrels down the cave tunnel ahead of them, Aylar's mind turns again his memory ... and the fact the Aboleth has been playing with time and fate.

(Coninued below ...)

(... continued from above.)

Aylar starts the Crew down the tunnel after the wind elemental, all senses on high alert. The smell of seawater leads him to quickly check his compass, as he be thinking, mindful of some of their precautions running to a close as the Gillyweed is about to expire. Be they moving away from the coast and underground the sea floor? (roll dice - Luck) His compass spins wildly, settling on the coordinates he recognizes from five of the scrying pools results, only to spin away wildly and then settle at the same again.

On the other side of the iron door, Bellandra proceeds quickly down the tunnel with the rest of the party, using her knowledge of puzzles to try to detect where the aboleth might be hiding something. (roll dice) She manages to disable two traps along their way. Seeing Aylar hesitate, she offers to help decipher the compass, surmising that the stars she had seen might somehow be related to the coordinates he seeks.

Mighty proceeds with crew in the tunnels, He is on lookout for any problems and crew members in need of help.

Durik went alongside Mighty. His only plan to follow the crew and prepare to fire Dakka at the Aboleth. (per PM)

Still morose from the mortal revelation, Pugwash follows his crew-mates towards the final battle with the Aboleth. He turns on his Music Box.

Gilius observes the tunnel which he had not seen before. As the ceiling is high enough, he proposes again for Pugwash to climb on Rocky if he wants to. He instructs Rocky to remain in the second line, ready to step forward to help and protect if needed. Gilius then uses his Wand of Secrets to help locate any secret in the tunnel. (roll dice) There are none beyond the two traps Bellandra disarms.

-----
The Crew exits the tunnel through another iron door, but this one is already open. Beyond it is another cavern, approximately 256' (78m) along a wide curving mostly rocky with some sand shoreline and approximately 50' (15.24m) deep from the back of the cavern to the water's edge, lit with a few torches which provide sufficient light and a few bushes along the walls and by the pillars. To your left is an incline up to a slight ledge. There are some rock pillars and stalagmites and stalactites, but most of the area is open with the bones of a wrecked ship partially covered with seaweed along one part of the shore ahead of you, its hull holed and completely caved in by something massive. Across on the far side is another iron door, closed and barred. Parts of the shore are shallows with a little seaweed, but the main channel of the water is deep and wide enough to sail into and there is the definite scent of the sea.

There is a disturbance in the sunken hold of the wrecked ship, and Aeshma whispers a spell to dispel illusions, revealing the two dozen Drowned Ones coming up out of the water to stand between them and the wreck, along with two more Chuul ogres leading six Chuul each at each end. The Aboleth does not intend for the Crew to be able to get to it easily and must be beneath the surface of the water, but what disturbs Aylar is the overwhelming sense of evil and a feeling of something familiar. Then he hears the cackling voice.

"Hello sweetie, couldn't resist coming back to me I see." A hideous Sea Hag reveals herself from what was once the forecastle of the wreck to taunt Aylar, her flesh rife with warts and oozing cankers. "Be a good boy and come give us a kiss now and I might forgive you." Her gaze shifts, "Or you'll do too, dark and handsome." She beckons to Count Karnstein. (roll dice - resisted)

The Crew feel a strong presence pushing at their minds, trying to find a way in. The Aboleth is definitely here and within sight range of them. (roll dice)

(roll dice) Grog'tial shoots a bolt at the Ogre on the left, penetrating it's heart. (roll dice) It falls, not dead yet but dying all the same.

(roll dice) Pugwash shoots a hardened bolt into the skull of the Ogre on the right, dropping him dead, and begins to reload while concentrating on the music.

(roll dice) The Sea Hag notices Grog'tial and fixes him with a stare. "Well, well. I believe you have something of mine boy. Why don't you just come here and bring it to me nicely." (roll dice) To his horror, Grog'tial finds himself captured by the Sea Hag's gaze and starting to walk towards the wrecked ship and her while his dirk glows strongly in warning.

-----
There are currently 24 Drowned Ones, 10 Chuul and a Sea Hag between you and getting to the Aboleth, which is hiding somewhere in the wrecked ship.
Sea Hags usually disguise themselves, but Aeshma has dispelled illusions. They have deadly claws but many prefer to use daggers. Looking upon a sea hag can inspire fright so overwhelming that it saps strength. Their evil eye gaze can have dire effects on those they glare at if already frightened, causing death, paralysis or a dazed state. Your mental resistance potions and staying near the Music Box and Aeshma's protection fields will all help, as does your resist Evil charms.

-----
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 = Cavern
Kyp = Dragon Turtle
Mighty = Cavern
Pugwash = Cavern

NPC
Aeshma = Cavern

[via PM] 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.

Grog'tial was being drawn out away from the Crew, walking ever closer to the ship and the Sea Hag. It is beyond his control, except for the voice in the back of his memory. Clíodhna's voice, telling him to be calm. Calmly, Grog'tial ... It feeds off fear. The Captain starts taunting the Sea Hag and glowing again, and Grog'tial's own charm begins that slight glow again as well. Then he's released as the Sea Hag turns her full attention to Aylar and Grog'tial moves quickly towards the back, keeping himself out of her sight a ways behind the Crew.

-----
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.

Grog'tial suddenly feels a presence behind him. Turning, he sees a cloaked shadowy figure standing behind him on the ledge. An unseen smile of pure malice spreads across the figure's face as Grog'tial feels the breeze on his knees. Looking down he finds his things gone! Instead Grog'tial notices 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.

-----
(NOTE: To answer a question - you don't see the dice, you DO see the shadowy figure and Grog'tial in his pink tutu.)

As the sea hag's gaze drills into Grog'tial's brain and takes over control of his movements, he 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, 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.

===

Before he's had a chance to fully catch his breath, Grog'tial feels a presence behind him. It's the same shadowy figure who took away his half-brother right as Grog'tial was about to shoot him! How? Where? ... He feels the breeze on his knees... and is completely flabbergasted by his sudden change of clothes. 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!

===

If Grog'tial still has his weapons, he tries shooting the shadowy figure from point-blank range, and stabbing him with his dirk. (What, you thought he'd have learned better than to go up against powers far beyond his comprehension? Alas, that's just not something anyone in this family is capable of.)

If the shadowy figure disappears again, after several moments to calm his racing heart, Grog'tial will move to the middle of the group (still keeping at least one half-orc positioned between himself and the hag) - not even noticing how the presence of his crewmates has somehow translated into a feeling of safety and security for him - and start shooting Chuul with hardened bolts, regretting the lack of further explosive bolts to take out drowned ones with. If he sees the possibility of shooting the hag in the back, he'll take it, but otherwise he'll try to remain beneath her notice.

(ooc: For anyone wondering where the pink tutu came from: this should answer that, though sadly Grog'tial does not have a web browser available to him, so will remain baffled.)

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.

Argy will throw her remaining cupcake at the Chuuls and join the fight against the drowned ones. She will also hand the mirror to anyone requesting it. Else she will pocket it, she'll need both hands in combat, for the pan and the lantern.

After exiting the tunnel, Count sighs heavily, seeing another 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 it instead.

Hearing the Hag's proposal, Count spreads his hands in helpless gesture: "Sorry to disappoint, ma'am, but Aylar will 'ave suffice. I'm already taken."

Seeing enemies not attacking so far and listening to Aylar's bickering, 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 then taken aback when half-dwarf suddenly stops and retreats behind the crew and wonders what made him abandon the plan while he was so far off already. He'll have to ask him later.

When few moments later Count looks back, he 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!"

At that moment he notices shadowy figure standing on the ledge above. "Who's there?!" Not waiting for answer, Count rapidly takes a whip and tries to catch shadowy figure's leg and pull it down the ledge. If he succeeds he will put the blade to their throat and demand explanation and stating their intentions.

Next Count turns to Sea Hag. "Enough of the idle chatter. Ye know what we came for. Now move away, ye ol' seaweed bag, an' do not interfere or ye might receive yer kiss. But one that stings."

If Hag turns aggressive, Count will fight her focusing his eyes on her hands and avoiding looking at her face. Except the one moment, when he may grab a fistful of dirt and throw it at the Hag's eyes.

If Hag doesn't engage in fight, Count will focus on zombies and chuuls in order which of them are closer to him.

When the shore is secured, Count will approach the ship wreck, looking inside through holes from the distance.