The party head up onto the deck where the crew is assembled... minus Skald who seems to have skulked off somewhere.

Avner is also there, still bound, and he is visibly shaken.

"I understand. I get it now. It is obvious," he says as he turns to the party.

"I was the target of this crime!" His voice quivers as he continues. "As the highest ranking noble on this ship, it should have been sent across in the basket first - the assassin was after me!"

"Oh come on now!" exclaims Amella. "You're not the only noble on board this ship. What about Miss Lidui?" she askes, pointing at the oracle.

"Ha! Crazy old Anagati? She can't really be Worrin Lidu's daughter, she's too old. Anyway, she's not on the family registry so she'll never inherit!"

"Well..." The first mate looks at Kassius. "What about young master Cadogan? He's definitely in line to inherit."

"Oh pleeeeeaaaaase!" says Avner, rolling his eyes to the heavens. "When assassins start targeting the stevedores then we'll really know we're in trouble!"

Celene looks at the nobleman with a furrowed brow "I doubt anyone would need to be that subtle about your demise given the current climate." she said "We have to assume the fate was meant to for one of us." she quipped as she motioned to her long time companions. "Perhaps someone who thinks a tragedy might save the from whatever lies on the Isle of Dread? Or perhaps someone harboring an old grudge?"

Angati did not know what to think, it was not normal that Avner planned this as he might have been the first to go to the other boat....
She looked at Alohan, he was the captain there, his first was already punishing the bosum which was probably right thing to do but, she couldn't help feeling bad about it.

OOC: Investigations just don't seem to work right for us here...

Kassius shakes his head dismissively.
"I'm not the heir, Brutus is. Thank the gods."

Kinstal decides to let Skald cool off a bit but before long he makes his way to find him.  Kinstal had a few questions he wanted to ask Skald.

The party decide that there isn't much more to be done to track down the saboteur - if indeed that was what happened and it wasn't just Skald's sloppy maintenance of the rope that was the cause. There is one significant result of the incident though. Alohan doesn't through Avner out of the captain's quarters. The barbarian is actually thankful to be in the forwards bunkroom with some of his old friends (Logan, Kassius and Kibeti are also bunking in there) watching each other's backs.

A week of smooth sailing passes with fair weather and pleasant winds. Kinstal finds a quiet moment when Skald has calmed down a bit and questions him (see other thread). The journey passes pretty much as per plan until day eight.

Shefton Rosk comes on deck one morning holding a bucket of water. "Ugh! Taste it! It's turned in pure filth!" It turns out that the water has been drawn from one of the barrels carrying the Sea Wyvern's water supply and it has turned foul. Shefton reports that ALL of the barreled water that they purchased in Sasserine just over a week ago is no longer drinkable.

Angati, of course, has not been wasting the last week and has used that time to spread her charm around the other people on board the vessel. At first it is hard going - Skald just refuses to talk to her, and the other sailors seem tight lipped as well since she is a friend of the captain's and they assume that whatever they tell her will get back to him. The ship's cook is the only exception - he happily tells stories about his colleagues.

She makes break through when she realizes that one of her old acquaintances from the shrine of 'Love and Beauty' is on board. Old sister Agnes (yes, the NPC mentioned in the first post of the first Angati thread) is on board, although the old lady doesn't recognize Angati at all. Apparently the shriveled old woman is on the way to Farshore to serve as the new clerk in the hall of records out there. The old busybody is full of information on everbody on board and very happy to tell all what she knows.

LEADS
- Shefton Rosk (the cook) has noticed that there are some dates missing from the ship's stores. Dates are a very expensive, so this is no laughing matter, and he'd been saving them to make a fancy desert for Mistress Celene! Shefton has seen Logan hanging around the stores a couple of times and thinks that it might be him who is stealing them.
- Shefton Rosk says that he has seen Skald having nightmares when he sleeps.
- Sister Agnes has noticed that one of the female passengers who claims to be sailing to Farshore to work as a fishmonger only has 'fancy lady' clothes with her.
- Sister Agnes has noticed that Lirith is spending a lot of time around Avner.
- Sister Agnes has noticed that the cabin boy Tavey Nash is spending a lot of time in solitude with the first mate Amella. It just doesn't seem proper!
- Sister Agnes has noticed that one of the sailors, namely Kinstal, spends an inordinate amount of time in the head. Why does he spend so long in there!
- Amelia thinks that someone has smuggled Zzonga powder on board - a lot of the colonists seems dazed and confused.
- No leads on Lirith. If she did smuggle something on board she is doing a good job of hiding it.

OOC: Any character can peruse any lead they find interesting. This will be at the same time that we handle the spoiled water situation.

Angati asked Kassius and Logan along with he ship's surgeon to inspect the water, take samples and empty all the bad barrels to check the bottom for depots of something... see if they could identify through their different knowledges what it was that had caused the water to go bad... "As for spells causing that... there is something that goes the opposite way of purify water... and I don't know of anyone other than Father Feres perhaps that could do this.... it is important to know if it was done through some substance or through magic... it's always safer to think that we are being sabotaged" she told her companions in private.

As for the different leads, she suspected that Tavey Nash was indeed a girl... and maybe she had some kind of relationship with Amelia, she'd check on the other ones to see if anyone had actually seen the 'boy' pissing downwind....

Angati will work harder with Lirith, she will go inspect the room where she was when they first arrived to thoroughly search when no one is around, or ask Logan as he'll be probably better doing that kind of search.

She will also call up all the colonists to deck. While they are up, have someone inspect their belongings to see if there is any of the drug or anything dubious. Have the captain give them a speech on the fate of whoever is caught using up any drug of that sort. On the positive side for the colonists ask if they need anything. Also start putting people against each other, say that the water has been contaminated by someone (even if we don't have prove of this), whoever finds prove of sabotage of any kind will get a handsome sum of gold... our survival depends on all working together and that kind of speech.

Lirith and Avner, Angati would try to find Alohan in private (that includes everyone in the group). To see if we can make a little whole to the captain chamber from which we can spy and keep track of his meetings and conversations. We can make him go out at some time, and profit that time to make the whole.... I am thinking about an unpleasant stomach issue there might do the thing.

No residues are found at the bottom of the barrels and the ships cleric/surgeon (Father Feres) seems clueless about what might have caused the water to become foul. "Oh bless us all, perhaps it is dark magic at work here?" is all he can offer.

Celene and Urol set out to analyse the water for added substances. The gnome takes a goodly sized sample of the bad water and runs it through his meth lab alchemical equipment, with the sorceress assisting. At the end they produce... nothing. Urol declares that nothing was added to the water - maybe Father Feres is right, and it was dark magic.



OOC: Damn it Beni, was it so obvious?!!

Indeed, no-one has seen Tavey pissing. This is rather unusual since pissing overboard is one of the few passtimes open to the those onboard.

OOC: But that doesn't mean he/she is innocent.



Angati goes down to the lower hold and searches, but doesn't find anything. Then she brings down the rogue down and Logan starts ripping up the floorboards with such abandon that she is worried he will spring a leak in the bottom of the ship!

But they find what they are looking for. Not contraband. But a cache of various weapons, tools & equipment that an assassin might use. Vials of poison. A serpentine dagger. A garrotte. Smoke bombs. A potion of gaseous form. And a strange looking book embossed with shark skin.



Do you still want to do this? Seems like there is more serious things to worry about than zzonga powder.



This is set up and proves very instructive. Lirith is VERY interested in Avner and has started an sexual relationship with him. The couple spend all of the time that Lirith is meant to be 'guarding' Avner in Alohan's bed making the sheets dirty. Alohan isn't there to actually watch this, do you tell him?

Celene will spend some time with Sister Agnes trying to figure out her motivations. It would seem she is just an insufferable gossip but maybe something is true among her tales.

15:02, Today: Celene rolled 25 using 1d20+7.  Sense Motive.

15:01, Today: Celene rolled 13 using 1d20+9.  Diplomacy.

Celene's diplomacy doesn't dig up much - Sister Agnes has passed on all the information she has, but Celene does get a better feel of the woman after spending a gossipy afternoon with her.

This horrible lady is just a gossip, Celene estimates. There will be a little bit of truth in each of her tales, but they will be exaggerated out of all proportion.

Logan calls and a quiet meeting with the other party members after the twin revelations about Lirith cavorting with Avner and the weapons hidden in the hold arise.  "Do you think the two are connected?  Lirith was suspicious about 'checking the provisioning' when we first got on the ship.  And now with Avner?  Was she sent to sabotage this whole enterprise?  And now maybe she's shacking up with Avner to play a different angle?  What's she playing at, you think?  And should we confront her now, or keep a close eye on her?  If it's her, she'll know that someone's caught on to part of her game by the fact that all the 'supplies' hidden down in the hold have been confiscated.  Maybe we should just watch for anyone acting paranoid after that little discovery.  Of course, if there are all those supplies, there may have been more.  Maybe something to foul the water?"

Logan looks to Celene and Angati.  "Are there any spells that do that?"

Logan's going to skulk around the ship, particularly belowdecks, and try to note anyone who is going down to the provisions (or wherever they found that stash of weapons).
15:53, Today: Logan rolled 24 using 1d20+14.  Stealth.

Kassius can cast both create water and purify food and drink, so we can fix up the water easily enough.


Kassius also casts locate object to try and find the Zzonga powder.

Logan hides in the shadows below decks for a couple of days but no-one comes down there.

Kassius summons up a clear mental image of some zzonga powder and then casts his spell (how does he know so much about Zzonga powder?!). The spell tells him that none of the drug is within range.

The party also get together and try and work out the water situation. Unfotunately, Father Feres is not able to help out as he says his god has not granted him the appropriate spells, but both Angati and Kassius can cast 'Create Water' and make 12 gallons each time they cast, and they can both cast it unlimited times a day. And Kassius can furthermore purify the water at an amount of 48 gallons per casting - again with unlimited castings so...

...suffice it to say that the water situation is soon sorted out, and a guard is put on both the food and water. Colonists are used for this - two at a time to keep them honest.

OOC: G'damn paizo, how challenging was this meant to be for 6th level characters? Shouldn't've the villain have known that? Bah! Whatever...

The next day brings the expedition its first real encounter with bad weather as a thick fog springs up shortly before down. Urol claims that fog banks like this often occur along the jungle coast in this region and normally burn off by midmorning, but the thickness is nevertheless oppressive. The passengers head below deck, and the crew grows silent as all ears strain to the port side, marking the distant sound of breakers on the shore as this is now the only trustworthy method of ensuring that the expedition doesn't draw too close to the shallows while still staying parallel to the coast. The fog grows thicker, and soon even the Blue Nixie, only a few hundred feet ahead, is lost to vision.

Then the entire Sea Wyvern lurches as though it has struck a reef. Alohan calls out and Amella, who is at the helm, spins the wheel hard to starboard, but it is too late, the Sea Wyvern has hit something.

One of the sailors (nameless sailor #1) peers over the side. "She's caught on some sort of flotsam, skipper. It doesn't look too bad..."

A giant green transparent tentacle made of ooze rises up out of the water and slams down on the man, knocking him almost senseless. A second later the sailor is pulled of his feet as his entire body is adhered to the slimy creature, and the tentacle rises up to drive him down back onto the deck.

The party see an enormous glob of transparent protoplasm filled with drift wood, animal carcasses, ship fragments, rocks and other flotsam stuck to the side of the ship. As they watch it tries to ooze its way up onto the deck.

OOC: Yuch.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:54, Tue 07 Feb 2017.

Logan draws his weapons, staring at the creature - thing? - trying to hoist itself onto the deck.  "What the frac is that?"

---

Actions: Roll Init

---

HP: 39/39 AC: 21/16/16 CMD:19  F2 R12 W4

Abilities: Invisibility, Resiliency, Smite Evil

---

09:37, Today: Logan rolled 17 using 1d20+5.  Init.

Anansi was blindingly fast on her reaction, she took a step back and started summoning a Lantern Archon.

---

Free : | Swft : | Move : | Stnd :
15:44, Today: Angati rolled 22 using 2d20+2, dropping the lowest dice only.  Initiative (Temporal Celerity).

---

HP: 56 |  AC: 22 | CMD : 15 | Saves: 4/4/5

Special Notes:

  (De)Buffs :
 Conditions :
  L1 Spells : 6+1/6+1 CLW, Ill Omen, Protect from evil, Obscurring Mist, Divine Favor, Summon Monster ,Sanctuary, Liberating command
  L2 Spells : 4+1/4+1 Oracles Burden, Cure Moderate Wounds, Spiritual Weapon, Restoration Lesser, Instrument of Agony
  L3 Spells: 4+1/4+1 Cure Serious Wounds, Bestow curse, Summon monster III
  Abilities : Misfortune, Fortune, Starlight Agility (dodge), Time Flicker (3/3 minutes blur),Temporal Celerity

Lantern ArchonCR 2
LG Small Outsider (archon, extraplanar, good, lawful)
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +4
Aura aura of menace (DC 13)
Defense
AC 15, touch 11, flat-footed 15 (+4 natural +1 size +2 deflect vs. evil)
HP 13 (2d10+2)
Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +0; +4 vs. poison, +2 resistance vs. evil
DR 10/evil Immune electricity, petrification
Offense
Speed fly 60 ft. (perfect)
Ranged 2 x light rays +3 touch (1d6 ignores DR)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 3rd):
  At Will—aid, continual flame, detect evil
Statistics
Str 1, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 10
Base Atk +2, CMB -4, CMD 6
Feats Improved Initiative
Skills Diplomacy +5, Fly +14, Knowledge (planes) +3, Perception +4, Sense Motive +5
Languages Celestial, Draconic, Infernal, Truespeech
Special Abilities
Aura of Menace (Su) Any hostile creature within a 20-foot radius of an archon must succeed on a Will save (DC 13) to resist its effects. The save DC is Charisma-based, and includes a +2 racial bonus. Those who fail take a –2 penalty on attacks, AC, and saves for 24 hours or until they successfully hit the archon that generated the aura. A creature that has resisted or broken the effect cannot be affected again by the same archon's aura for 24 hours.
Gestalt (Su) Nine lantern archons can fuse together as a full-round action, becoming a single Large entity that is more powerful than the individual archons that make up its parts. Looking like a whirlwind of dancing firefly lights, the gestalt has all the powers and abilities of a Large air elemental plus the following: archon, good, and lawful subtypes; archon traits (aura of menace DC 16); 2 light rays (2d6); DR 5/evil and magic. The archons can remain in this form for 2d4 rounds. When the gestalt separates back into individual lantern archons, its remaining hit points are divided evenly among them; if it had less than 9 hit points, some of the component archons die when the gestalt ends.
Light Ray (Ex) A lantern archon can fire beams of light to damage foes. These light rays have a maximum range of 30 feet. This attack overcomes damage reduction of any type.

Logan gets the jump on the ooze (it is just a slightly congealed puddle of slime after all) and may move first.

OOC: No need to roll for initiative. You all get to act before the start of the creature's next round.

Without further thought, Logan runs forward and attacks the nearest appendage of the ooze-monster.

---

Move: 3 squares?  Adjacent to Ooze.
Attack: Two-weapon fighting.  18 damage vs AC 23, 12 damage vs AC 24

---

HP: 39/39 AC: 21/16/16 CMD:19  F2 R12 W4

Abilities: Invisibility, Resiliency, Smite Evil

---

14:15, Today: Logan rolled 6 using 1d6+1.  Short Sword Damage.
14:15, Today: Logan rolled 12 using 1d6+6.  Rapier Damage.
14:15, Today: Logan rolled 24 using 1d20+8.  Rapier Attack.
14:15, Today: Logan rolled 23 using 1d20+8.  Short Sword Attack.

knowledge nature applicable?
21:22, Today: Kassius rolled 7 using 1d20+6. knowledge (nature).
Ehh, guess it doesn't matter if that's the right skill... :-(

Kassius fires a pair of arrows at the Ooze, uncertain if they would do anything against the strange creature. Kibeti dashes in behind the arrows, grabbing a chunk of disgusting ooze in his mouth and ripping it out.

---

Kassius

---

HP: 37/37  AC 19(20) (FF=14, Touch=15(16)),
21:26, Today: Kassius rolled 16,17,9,12 using 1d20+9,1d20+9,1d8+6,1d8+6.  Rapid shot attack, damage.
Swift Action: Animal Focus (tiger)
Full Round Action: Rapid Shot
Saves+8/+11(12)/+6
Spells Slots: 1st: 5/5; 2nd: 4/4;  Animal Focus Minutes Left: 5/6, Door Sight 6/6
Current Buffs: Animal Focus (tiger,+2 dex)

---

Kibeti
21:27, Today: Kibeti rolled 25,9 using 1d20+7,1d6+7.  charge attack (bite) attack, damage.
Action: Charge Ooze (if I don't have a charge line, reduce attack bonus by 2)

---

HP: 42/42AC 21(19) (FF=17,Touch=14), Saves+7/+9/+6
Current Animal Focus: bull(+2 str)
Current Buffs: None!

Logan jumps forward and finds that the ooze is an easy target - and despite its amorphous structure meaning that he isn't able to target any particular weak spot in it (no flanking or sneak attacks possible) it is child's play to carve large chunks off it with his rapier. His short sword however sails through a spot that he would've sworn was a tentacle and thuds into some driftwood instead - it is confusing where the flotsam ends and the slime begins (12 hp damage - shortsword attack misses due to 50% concealment).

Kassius is likewise tricked by the creature's grubby camouflage. The first arrow connects (9 hp), the second passes right through the creature and out into the ocean. The hunter must have aimed at a spot that was more sea water than foe.

Kassius thinks back through his experiences in the canals and tries to recall ever facing something like this before... he hasn't. Oh sure, there were little slimes and molds that had to be dealt with,  but this thing is an irregular blot of jelly almost 15' in diameter!

Kibeti takes a large bite out of the ooze and spits it out onto the deck disgustedly (9hp),

OOC: Angati is busy summoning, so that leaves Celene and Knstal. Please go ahead and make your own concealment check from now on. d100 and 1-50 is a miss.

Celene scowls at the creature as the others leap into action. Two lines of purple fire erupt from her out stretched fingers and stream towards the ooze. Neither one if particularly well aimed but she was hoping it's massive size would negate the issue.

---

Free :  | Swft :  | Move : None | Stnd : Cast Scorching Ray | Full :

10:26, Today: Celene rolled 66,60 using 1d100,1d100 with rolls of 66,60.  miss chance.

10:26, Today: Celene rolled 12,3 using 1d20-1,1d20-1 with rolls of 13,4.  Rangd Touch x2.

Maybe 1 hit against it's touch AC. Also this is assuming I am -4 due to it being in melee.

10:27, Today: Celene rolled 11 using 4d6 with rolls of 1,1,5,4.  Fire Damage.

---

HP: 29/29 |  AC: 10/10/10  | CMD : 12 | Saves: +4/+4/+9

Special Notes:

  (De)Buffs :
 Conditions :
  L0 Spells :
   - Unlim. : Dancing Lights, Daze (DC15), Detect Poison, Drench, Flame Burst,
              Light, Mage Hand, Message,
   - 1/day  : Detect Magic, Light, Prestidigitation
  L1 Spells :
   - 10/10  : Burning Disarm (DC 16), Burning Hands (DC 16),
              Charm person (DC17), Enlarge Person, Grease (DC 18), Hydraulic Push,
              Mage Armor, Magic Missile, Summon Monster I, Vanish
  L2 Spells :
   - 5/6    : Create Pit (DC 19), Glitterdust (DC 19), Scorching Ray,
              Summon Monster II
  L3 Spells :
   - 4/4    : Slow (DC 18)

  Abilities : Flame lance (8/8), Wand of Magic Missile (41),
              Wand of Alter Self (25), Wand of Cure Light Wounds (50)

Kinstal, quickly rushes to grab his shield and sword from his bunk.  His attack as soon as he can get back is.

45, Today: Kinstal Minare rolled 7 using 1d8+3.  Dmg.
10:45, Today: Kinstal Minare rolled 35 using 1d100.  Miss chance.
10:44, Today: Kinstal Minare rolled 19 using 1d20+10.  Attack ooze.

Without my armor my AC is 15.

Celene sends out two purple rays of radiant heat. One lasers across the surface of the ooze (11 hp), cutting a path through the middle of it and sending up clouds of stinky steam. Her second beam is sent astray when she needs to divert it out of the way of a sailor joining the melee fray (unnamed sailor #5 apparently has a deathwish) - and it scorches the gunnel instead.



OOC: Kinstal wears his sword at his side at all times - this is the sea of dread we are talking about after all!



OOC: Bah! This is D&D! You are fully armoured while on deck despite the searing tropical heat.

Kinstal joins the combat with glee but merely cuts through a piece of rotting meat that he thought was part of the creature.

<END OF PLAYERS' ROUND ONE>

HIT POINTS & MISFORTUNE
Kinstal AC:23/T14/F21 HP: 78/78 <MF NOT USED>
Angati  AC:22/T13/F20 HP: 56/56 <MF NOT USED>
Logan   AC:21/T16/F16 HP: 39/39 <MF NOT USED>
Celene  AC:10/T10/F10 HP: 29/29 <MF NOT USED>
Kassius AC:19/T15/F14 HP: 37/37 <MF NOT USED>
Kibeti  AC:21/T14/F17 HP: 42/42 <MF NOT USED>
Omi     AC:14/T14/F12 HP: 28/28 <MF NOT USED>

Alohan  AC:17/T16/F13 HP: 52/52 <MF NOT USED>

Flotsam Ooze AC:14/T6/F14 <MF NOT USED> -12 -9 -9 -11

(De-)Buffs
Whole Party
None
Alohan
None
Angati
None
Logan
None
Kassius
None
Kibeti
None
Celene
None
Omi
None

<START OF ENEMYS' ROUND TWO>

The battle closes in around the ooze which backs off a little, slipping down into the water to instinctively limit the number of attackers that can hit it in melee at one time.

It randomly chooses one of the beings chopping into it at close range... a green sludgy tentacle appears from the mass slams down onto sailor #5. The poor man immediately adheres to the tentacle and is lifted off his feet as he screams at the top of his lungs (DEATHWISH GRANTED MY LITTLE FRIEND). Sailor #1 is pummelled repeatedly into the side of the ship until his screams blessedly fall silent.

"Dat is it! Keep at it!" yells Alohan over the combat as he runs down from the helm to join the combat. A geyser of water erupting from the starboard side of the vessel brings him to an abrupt halt as the other half of this particularly nasty ecosystem reveals itself.

One after another, draconic heads on the top of long sinewy necks appear out of the water roaring in defiance and ripping men off the deck with their gigantic mauls. (targets selected at random between Kassius, sailor #2 and sailor #3). Three of the heads target a startled Kassius, who had been leaning over the side of the ship to get a better shot at the ooze. All three heads hit, and the hunter is soon in danger of being ripped apart as he is bitten in the arms, shoulder and leg (17hp damage). Sailor two actually IS ripped in half, and each piece is swallowed by a hungry head. Sailor three is merely killed.

The eight headed hydra is in a good position - from this angle it will not be possible to target its body with melee weapons (unless you dive overboard into the water!) and to have a shot with a missile weapon the firer would need to be right on the edge of the vessel.

OOC: Yee-ha!

<END OF ENEMYS' ROUND TWO>

HIT POINTS & MISFORTUNE
Kinstal AC:23/T14/F21 HP: 78/78 <MF NOT USED>
Angati  AC:22/T13/F20 HP: 56/56 <MF NOT USED>
Logan   AC:21/T16/F16 HP: 39/39 <MF NOT USED>
Celene  AC:10/T10/F10 HP: 29/29 <MF NOT USED>
Kassius AC:19/T15/F14 HP: 20/37 <MF NOT USED>
Kibeti  AC:21/T14/F17 HP: 42/42 <MF NOT USED>
Omi     AC:14/T14/F12 HP: 28/28 <MF NOT USED>

Alohan  AC:17/T16/F13 HP: 52/52 <MF NOT USED>

Flotsam Ooze AC:14/T6/F14 <MF NOT USED> -12 -9 -9 -11
8-headed Hydra AC:18/T9/F17 <MF NOT USED>

(De-)Buffs
Whole Party
None
Alohan
None
Angati
None
Logan
None
Kassius
None
Kibeti
None
Celene
None
Omi
None

<START OF PLAYERS' ROUND TWO>