(Arc 11-1) Tigers are ko! (I ran dry on Eye of the Tiger riffs. Dammit.)

[Anastasia]

Including a bit of OOC chatter first since it sets the stage for this.

> ---
> Oh wait. Wasn't Berli buying a spell from Stronger from the sounds of it?
<Shamal> He needs her to cast Water Breathing on her.
* Shamal can turn into a Sea Elf and I can donate the potion I got from Mia to Lyselle, so we're okay.
<Shamal> And Laika can turn into a crocodile!
<Berlioz> ... you have all the neat spells. @_@
<Shamal> I am a full caster!
<Shamal> Well, more of a half and half caster, really.
* Berlioz shakes fist!
<Shamal> We should ask around the harbour first as well.
<Shamal> Talk to people who've been molested.
> Okay, I'll set you up.
> ---
> So the three heroes gather at the docks. It's a warm day, the newly minted captains getting many looks of envy and salutes.  Most seem to know them now, stepping aside dutifully or smiling. The harbor is ahead, the green water sparking in the sunlight.
* Shamal cheerily returns any salutes she's given as she strolls along with Laika and her two human companions. "Well, shall we try the tavern and see if we can find anyone who's had an encounter with the hag lately?" she suggests.
* Lyselle offers smiles and salures, nodding as she pauses with Shamal. "Drunk sailors and harbor men are...notoriously loose with their tongues."
<Berlioz> "May as well. This is kind of a wild goose chase as is", the bard deadpans.
<Shamal> "I'm sure we can find suitable bait if the need arises," Shamal positively beams at Berlioz before heading towards the public house.
* Berlioz mumbles. "I am -not- serving as bait."
> The harbor is a fine and busy place, as is the tavern. Sailor themed, it has plenty of people hustling around and settling in. A few men sit at the bar, drinking it up. Including a faintly familiar harbormaster, nursing a mug of ale and looking a head thoughtfully.
<Shamal> "That's the harbourmaster," Shamal points him out for Lyselle and Berlioz, before approaching, at least this time in a fully official capacity. "Harbourmaster Rossman?" she greets him, "Might we have a moment?"
> "Hm" He looks up, tiredly gazing at Shamal. "Oh yes, I've heard. Guess I got a good value on my future favor," Smirking before straightening himself, he salutes. "Captains. By all means, sit down."
* Lyselle offers the same professionally warm smile as she sits, eyeing the man curiously. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," she offers politely. "I'm Lyselle."
> "I've heard of you. With all the noise about Lord Salman's visit and the upcoming trial, of course, who doesn't?" Smiling back, "That's Berlioz?"
* Shamal returns the salute with her customary negligence before sitting down. "It's nice to be popular," she opines innocently, before getting to business. "We're here about the recent occurances of men turning up on the shore all dazed and disoriented. Unless there's some other problem plaguing the docks we've not heard of, yet?"
> "As a matter of fact, your timing is heavens-sent." Stroking his chin as he eyes, "Yes, the hag is a problem, but we do have another...issue. I suppose your timing is too good to pass up, since you do owe me a favor."
<Shamal> "If it's within reason," Shamal nods her head agreeably.
> "Well then," Stroking his chin, "I've only seen this myself, and with the guard being so busy the last week, I: haven't managed to get resources on it yet. One of the ships...there's a problem."
<Shamal> "What sort of problem?" Shamal asks curiously, leaning on the bar and gesturing for Laika to lie down at her feet while they talk.
* Lyselle listens carefully, but not actually knowing the harbourmaster herself, lets Shamal speak uninterrupted.
> "It's a cargo ship officially." Waving as the party sits, "Unofficially..." Shaking his head, "It's transporting some sort of giant cat creature - like a panther but much worse. Apparently one of the wizards in town needs it for something, from what I was able to gleam. Mihail, I think is the one that's mentioned. The thing is...it's...ah...difficult. Very difficult."
* Berlioz snickers. "Sounds like a challenge for your animal taming skills, Shamal."
<Shamal> "Well why hasn't the Mihail collected it?" Shamal asks, wondering why it's causing such a problem at the docks.
> "He apparently left town in a hurry - urgent business. So we're at a very loose end. It's very strong and getting very cranky - we're afraid it's going to manage to get out. That won't do at all. But since it's still held and all this Lord Salman business is going on, it's been brushed off as a noncrisis."
<Shamal> "Very well, I suppose I could take it off their hands until Mihail returns... I don't suppose you know when that is?" Shamal asks, hoping a big cat will get along well with her various dogs and rabbit.
<Berlioz> "... I would think twice before accepting that, Shamal. What if that cat is the size of a mammoth?"
<Shamal> "I know a spell that makes animals shrink," the blonde deadpans.
> "I wish I did." Harbormaster Rossman shakes his head in disdain.
<Shamal> "Well, what ship is the cat being held on?" Shamal asks, wanting to get this resolved so she can take care of the more pressing business of the hag.
> "The Desert North Star. It hails from the Desert Fiefdoms," With that, he stands, "It's docked on the very end."
<Shamal> "Okay then. Shall we?" Shamal rises, glancing to her two companions.
* Lyselle nods, standing making a bit of a face. "Might as well see to this kitten..."
<Shamal> "I wonder what Mihail wants with it, anyway," Shamal wonders, wracking her memory for what she knows about that particular mage.
> The boat is indeed docked at the end. It's a low masted ship, spread out like an upside down mushroom on the water. There isn't much deckspace, but lots of underdeck areas. The few men on deck are all tanned to a shining bronze skin tone, dark hair cut so short as to border on baldness. They work, muscular deckhands. A boarding plank is out, waiting.
> OOC - Knowledge: Arcana
<Shamal> roll 1d20+9
<Reiko-chan> Shamal rolled : 1d20+9 --> [ 1d20=7 ]{16}
* Shamal approaches the gangplank and briefly tries to remember naval etiquette... "I'm Captain Shamal Velka, Crimson Guard. Permission to come aboard?" she calls up to the men on deck.
* Lyselle stands behind Shamal, looking as...intimidating as an officer in gnomish plate armor can look. She hopes.
> One of the crew members stops his labor, wiping his brow with the back of his arm. "Captain Sarmesh will be coming!" he calls back, going and heading into the ship's interior.
* Shamal waits on the other captain!
> IT takes a moment - he wears a blue surcoat and brown trousers, a captain's hat on his head. An eyepatch is worn, a cane used by the eldery man. His skin is weathered and dark, bordering on so brown as to lurk towards black. "Finally! We've been waiting a week fors ome help! We've nearly ran out of tiger food!"
<Shamal> "A tiger?" Shamal gasps. "In Balmuria?"
> "We've carried it in our hold the entire way here! And not just a tiger, oh no..." Smiling quite nastily at this, "I hope you aren't taking this lightly! This is serious business!"
<Shamal> "Of course, of course," Shamal nods agreeably, before smiling nicely. "Can I see it?"
> "If you like," The captain waves, "Come on if you want."
* Lyselle just shakes her ehad. "How big of a tiger would necessitate a druid's interference...?" she asks, half to herself, raising an eyebrow as she follows Shamal wherever her fellow captain intends to go.
* Shamal strolls up the gangplank, following the one-eyed captain. "Really, even a tiny little tiger would be exciting to see here," she tells Lyselle brightly.
> "This isn't a tiny tiger...oh no." The captain snickers at that, "We lost half a dozen getting this behemoth in." The snicker fades to a serious voice, as you  head into the cabin. One of many, you note. "It's as long as two and a half of me lying down in a line, and weighs enough to be all our ballast!"
<Shamal> "Is it a dire tiger?" the blonde asks, sadly just not that familiar with large felines compared to bears and dogs.
> "That's the term," Agreeably, the captain leads you down two sets of wooden stairs. Down into the hold, a small room here with a giant three part door.  It's about twenty feet wide, taking  up almost all of the wall. There are two small, barred windows, lanterns hanging on the walls nearby. "Take a peek if you want."
* Shamal peeks in through the window!
<Shamal> "Oh, my... it's a beauty," Shamal gasps at the sight, reaching into her beltpouch for a piece of jerky, which elicits a whine from Laika. "Sorry, Laika, you'll get your lunch later," she consoles, before glancing at the bard. "Music soothes the savage beast, right Berlioz?" she grins, before carefully presenting the jerky through the window, keeping eye contact with the tiger and making soft soothing noises.
* Lyselle blinks, going to the other window, and taking a little peek of her in at the tiger.
* Berlioz winces. "Um... I could -try-. I cannot guarantee the success of your endeavor even with bardic abilities, though..."
<Shamal> roll 1d20+8 wild empathy (circumstance bonus for food, please!)
<Reiko-chan> Shamal rolled : 1d20+8 wild empathy (circumstance bonus for food, please!) --> [ 1d20=15 ]{23}
* Lyselle closes her viewport, taking a step back, and leaving this to Shamal. Definitely, DEFINITELY Shamal's department.
> The door jarrs slightly, creaking.
<Shamal> "I suggest everyone stand back," Shamal tells the others present, before she casts Speak with Animals. "Hello?" she greets the tiger. "My name is Shamal - if you step back from the door I'll come in and we can talk?" she offers nicely, hoping she's been able to get on its good side.
> The door quakes again, hints of a foot long claw poking out, raking against the steel that somehow holds firm. Then...
<Shamal> "Please be calm, noble khan of the jungle," Shamal soothes. "I will take you out of this cage, but you must calm your anger - soon you will be able to hunt again, but not until I've taken you far from this cage and others like it."
> "What a sight," the captain observes, "Are you talking to the infernal beast?"
* Shamal nods distractedly to the captain before giving the tiger her attention once more. "Out of this cage is much prey, but you must promise me you will not hunt until I take you far from here - if you do then you will be put back in the cage, and I will not be able to stop it from happening."
> The growl that comes out of the holes in the door isl oud enough to sound like an explosion.
<Shamal> "This is no demand, Khan," Shamal shakes her head, giving the tiger an appropriate name considering its assumed station. "It is so you understand, though - you were put in this cage before, and if you hunt too soon, you will be put inside it again. That is why I must take you to hunting grounds far from here, and you must be patient. Please, trust me."
<Shamal> "Then let us be away from here at once," Shamal concludes, before turning to the others. "He is upset, but will come peacefully with me - I'll take him to a hunting ground I know well where he can stretch his legs and hunt without disturbing any people," she explains.
> "...are you mad?" The captain sputters at that, "You're going to FREE it without being able to..."
<Shamal> "Please, sir," Shamal meets the captain's gaze calmly, "I understand animals - if he says he will follow me then he will. A gentle touch can sometimes achieve far more than the harshest measures."
> In reply to this, the captain gives you a look and scurries well up the stairs and away. "If you're wrong, I'll pray for your soul's journey across the river of the dead."
<Shamal> "It's a decent journey out of the city, but you can come along if you wish," Shamal tells Lyselle and Berlioz, seeming quite unperturbed as she goes to unbar the door. "Stay close to me, Khan, and I shall take you away from here," she promises the overgrown feline.
> Khan just growls to this, waiting.
* Shamal opens the door, while Laika whimpers a bit uncertainly at the close proximity of such a gigantic cat.
* Lyselle shakes her head, staying back a little. "We'll see..." she answers, staying well back from the likely exit of the animal.
> It's larger than the dire bear. This is a great impact, as it's over 13 feet long and it's shoulder comes up past your heads. The tiger walks out, towering. From the top of the stairs, you hear, "There's a cargo bay in the back to get it out, if you're truly this determined."
<Shamal> "Aren't you people the ones that wanted me to take him off your hands?" Shamal mutters under her breath, reaching up to gently touch the tiger's flank. "This way," she encourages softly, heading to the cargo bay indicated.
> The tiger's tails wishes out, making a heavy breeze as it does so. He follows along, as soon the party finds itself out the hull of the ship, right out on the dock! The tiger sniffs the air, looking down into the water. "Fish." Khan says, with a singlemindedness as he peers down.
<Shamal> "There aren't many fish here in the harbour, but there's a stream at the hunting grounds I'm taking you to that's very well stocked," Shamal smiles a bit, gently guiding the tiger along, heading for the nearest exit from the city - sooner out from the crowds the better. "I'll introduce you to some friends of mine on the way once we're out of the city."
* Lyselle follows Shamal from a slight distance, keeping a safe margin between herself and the tiger. Might as well listen and watch.
> Oh, the looks! People stare in open shock, several flat out running.  It's like you just got a one hundred foot radius of personal space that no one dares to invade. People melt around and away from you, Khan following.
* Shamal smiles uneasily at the fleeing populace as they stroll along, glad at least that cats don't have the 'chase' reflex dogs do. Deciding to get some use out of her spell while it's still running, she makes conversation with her new friend, "What are the jungles of your home like?"

I think a snippet may have been lost here. The continuty of logs in general for this segment is fishy.

> ---
> So Shamal, what were you doing with the GIANT FREAKING DIRE TIGER?
<Shamal> Grabbing the wolfpack and then heading into the woods. Lets say there's a nice grove about three hours or so out of town and far from any farms or whatever where I like to go hunting myself, that's where I'll take him. Then I'll use my scroll of speak to animals and explain to the tiger that he can hang around here and shouldn't go back in the direction we came from (and be nice to the wolves)
<Shamal> And I'll tell the wolves to keep an eye on him and basically try to get rid of any people that come close. Then we go back to town to resume the hag-hunt. For reference, I'll come out here for a few hours each day to start training the tiger over the next few weeks.
> Okay. IT's a funny sight, really. Watching Khan hunt is like a mouse caught by a cat - except large deer are the mice, tossed around by lazy claw flicks. Fish are batted out of streams in pairs and triplets, mother nature's full fury showing. Khan seems more agreeable now, batting around a deer's head, antlers broken off for chewing toys. When the party returns to the gate, you notice poor Wedge and Biggs are there, simply staring in anticipation, even if Khan isn't there.
> simply staring in anticipation, even if Khan isn't there.
* Shamal smiles and waves to the pair. "Admit it, you thought we weren't coming back?" she asks, sounding quite chipper.
> "W-w-what was that thing?!" The younger of thet wo blurts, "A cat from hell?"
* Lyselle snorts quietly, just shaking her head. "They occur naturally, not by some fiendish influence," she remarks, shrugging. "I think," she adds, glancing at Shamal.
<Shamal> "Just like you get dire wolves and bears, so too do dire tigers exist," Shamal explains. "Some wizard got it brought in here for some reason... quite why I don't really know, but I'll have to ask him when he returns to the city - even if I was able to calm him down, Khan isn't really the sort of animal we should have running around the city."
> "I believe that's a given!" The older nods agreeably, "Sirs. Commander Oberuth sent word that he would kindly like to know WHY the guard has received dozens of reports about a hellish beast wandering the streets with the Crimson Guard."
* Shamal winces. "I suppose I should take the brunt for this one... I'll meet you two at the docks and we can resume our investigations into the sea hag when I'm done?" she asks Berlioz and Lyselle.
> Berlioz nods blandly, "...hm. I would rather go, if you do not mind, Shamal?"
<Shamal> "If you wish to share in the dressing down I'm about to surely receive, then by all means," Shamal shrugs worriedly.
* Lyselle shrugs a little, blonde captain tracing her braid. "I don't know, we can't really start the hag hunt without you, so might as well try to soften the impact."
> Berlioz shrugs, even blander. "Then we should all go and soften the impact between us?"
<Shamal> "Okay then," Shamal nods, seeming relieved at the show of support, before offering a salute to Biggs and Wedge and heading through the gate and towards the garrison.
> "Good luck," Biggs and Wedge salute lightly as you pass through, speaking at the same time. "I'll bring peasant bread for lunch if you get busted back down to gate duty!" The younger adds this quickly.
<Shamal> "Thank you, Wedge..." Shamal gets out unhappily as she marches through the streets, Laika trotting along at her heels.
* Lyselle makes a bit of a face, kept to herself as she follows Shamal back into Balmuria. Peasant food...
> So the heroes return to the garrison. They find Commander Oberuth instructing with training cadets, bashing them around in sword practice. He wears a breastplate and uses a shield, a wooden sword held. Despite this, the cadets wince each time they make a mistake, leather armor or a breastplate doing little to stop the skilled warrior.  A dozen watch, the Commander just finishing up with one in the dirt courtyard.
* Shamal certainly isn't about to interrupt things! Lingering by the crowd, she simply waits until the commander ends practice.
> As the last cadet goes down in a moaning heap, Oberuth lets his sword drop. "Dismissed, go rest up for the rest of the day. You heard the reports, you'll need to be ready for anything."
> The learning cadets slink off, many looking quite the worse for wear.
<Shamal> With the cadets departing, Shamal approaches her superior officer and salutes as smartly as she can manage. "Captain Velka, reporting as ordered, sir," she rattles off officiously.
* Lyselle quietly watches, a faint smile reaching her lips as she eyes the various guards to be. They'd sweat through eventually. "Captain Armasea, reporting," she adds to Shamal's greeting, her face sobering.
> "Captains," Commander Oberuth notes, quite cool and calm. "I'm sure there's a very good reason that what I reckon to be a dire tiger caused a near panic in town?"
<Shamal> "Of course, sir," Shamal nods dutifully. "A resident of Balmuria had requested the delivery of the animal, but is currently out of the city and unable to accept it. The harbourmaster appealed to us to take the tiger off his hands, as the sailors were unable to deal with it properly. I assure you, sir, the animal was under my control the entire time, and posed no threat to anyone."
> "...who in the NAME OF THE ABYSSIAL HELLS ORDERED A GIANT TIGER?" Commander Oberuth glowers, staring a hole into the back of Shamal's head. "While I do not doubt your skill, I do question your mind. Did you not consider some way of NOT marching the tiger on a tour of the entire city? Even if it was in control, even if I could handle it and the three of you could handle it, there are countless people that may as well be looking onto the face of a demon prince when they see that! Couldn't you have just made it invisible? Isn't that a relatively simple trick for magic?"
> face of a demon prince when they see that! Couldn't you have just made it invisible? Isn't that a relatively simple trick for magic?"
* Shamal shrinks back a bit in the face of Obureth's fury. "I don't know that particular spell, sir..." she apologises. "I do know one that can shrink an animal, but I didn't have it prepared, and I considered it best to remove the animal swiftly, before it escaped more violently."
<Shamal> "As to the first," she adds after a moment to collect herself, "It was a wizard named Mihail."
> "...If it isn't Stronger, it's that damned hermit..." Oberuth blows out a breath, balling his fist up. "Alright. Don't do that again. If you absolutely have to bring something like that through town, we'll make arrangements next time. Captain Armasea?"
<Lyselle> "Sir?" Lyselle asks, a touch nervous and a little taken aback by the violence of the whole speech, holding herself rather perfectly still considering the nature of things at the moment.
> "While you're here, has any progress been made on notable matters?" Oberuth takes ab reath in and out, letting his fist go neutral. "How DID you get invovled with this random affair, too?"
<Lyselle> "We went to the harbourmaster to discuss the pressing problem of the hag, the harbourmaster asked a favor of us in the meantime, one apparently also owed by Captain Velka, and thus we thought it best to most expediently remove an extremely irritable and rather massive predator from the harbour," Lyselle explains in a quick, formally informative tone. "We were to adjourn to hag hunting once finished here."
> "Oh yes, the hag. A bit of advice?" Oberuth ponders, "I searched for her in the day with little luck. I believe the attack we know of occured in the evening. It may be nocturnal."
<Shamal> "Perhaps it's a good thing we were delayed, then?" Shamal looks on the bright side! "Perhaps we should meet up in the evening and resume our search?" she suggests to Lyselle and Berlioz.
* Lyselle nods a little, smiling faintly as she looks back to Shamal, relaxing just a bit. "We would then perhaps need a bit more preparation."
> Berlioz nods blandly once more.
> "Alright. Also, question. Are you waiting on Seira to investigate other matters?" Commander Oberuth inquires, face returning to it's normal light red tint.
<Shamal> "It's more that I learned some magic that lets us search beneath the waves and wanted to try it out," Shamal admits. "Hopefully we can deal with the hag quickly and then turn our attention elsewhere."
> You get a terse nod back. "We hope she'll return soon, but who is to say?" Oberuth agrees, "Good luck under there."
> So the party returns to the docks after the sun has set. Strangely, Commander Oberuth requests the presence of Berlioz for an unrelated matter, so he is absent.
> The docks are quiet, the sea green sea smooth under the black blanket of the night. A few lanterns hang from ships, but the depths are largely lost in gentle caress of nightfall.
* Shamal casts mage armour to protect herself and Laika first of all. "Let's walk around to see if we can see anything before we get wet?" she suggests to Lyselle.
* Lyselle nods, hefting the longer of the two spears she brought with, and glancing around, keeping an eye out as she usually does, even if she's not the best at this.
> OOC - Sure, spot checks if you want.
<Shamal> roll 1d20+10 Shamal
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+10 Shamal and gets 30." [1d20=20]
<Shamal> roll 1d20+5 Laika laf
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+5 Laika laf and gets 22." [1d20=17]
<Lyselle> roll 1d20+1
* Hatbot --> "Lyselle rolls 1d20+1 and gets 19." [1d20=18]
> The docks are quiet - well, barring the few taverns, but they keep most of it inside. So it's easy for the party to focus, especially Shamal. The water is quiet and dark, the evening silent. None of you see anything too interesting in the waves.
* Shamal leads the trio on a circuit of the docks, ending up where she left Quapeth before his unfortunate aquatic encounter. "Well, nothing we can see from here, so looks like we'll have to get wet," she concludes. "These spells will last us just under an hour, so should be plenty of time to explore the surroundings of the harbour - are you ready, Lyselle?"
* Lyselle finishes pinning her hair back up and completely out of her way, glancing at Shamal. "I don't see anything either," she agrees, nodding as she follows Shamal. "Ready, Mistress of Wood and wilderness."
* Shamal intones something in Aquan that sounds like the crashing of the waves before she gestures at Lyselle, who seems more streamlined afterwards, her visible appendages showing faint hints of webbing.
<Shamal> That done, she casts another spell that causes the blonde druid to shrink slightly, her hair turning a transluscent green while her skin turns blue, pointed ears suddenly poking up through her tresses. Laika's change is far more dramatic, however, the furry canine elongating and lowering to the ground as green scales erupt, turning her into a slightly confused looking crocodile!
<Lyselle> "...I'm very glad this will go away," Lyselle remarks softly, a certain level of distaste at the changes to her features, sighing.
<Shamal> "How do you think we feel?" Shamal asks, looking at Lyselle with almost glowing green eyes as Laika experimentally snaps her oversized jaws.
<Lyselle> "I thought a druid and her companion might be somewhat used to such things," Lyselle offers with a faint shrug, moving over to the edge of the dock. "Well, we'd best get on with it, shouldn't we?"
<Shamal> "One moment," Shamal follows up by casting Light on the amulet dangling from her neck, and then Message on Lyselle. "Just mouth the words and the spell will let us talk even underwater," she explains. That done, she and Laika both carefully lower themselves into the depths!
* Lyselle nods, following Shamal in, getting used to the whole thing, and the chill as she heads into the water.
<Shamal> Bobbing on the surface of the water, Shamal blinks a moment. "Oh, I completely forgot!" she exclaims, before fumbling in her clothes and handing a glass vial over to Lyselle. "Water breathing," she explains.
<Lyselle> "...oh, yes, thank you," Lyselle agrees after a moment of shock, downing the potion quickly. "That could have been bad."
<Shamal> "Okay, let's try exploring the area just past the harbour entrance?" Shamal suggests, before she upends herself and submerges, pacing her swimming to let Laika and Lyselle keep up - sea elves are pretty fast swimmers!
* Lyselle nods, diving under the water to follow along, keeping her eyes open for anything that looks out of place beneath the waves, swimming along her patrol with Shamal.
> The water is freezing cold at first, but you find that you warm up with your magically enhanced abilities. Breathing water is like breathing in salty sea winds, leaving a taste of the ocean in your throat. Despite this, you begin to explore outward. OOC - Are you just going to look or get into the ground and search?
<Shamal> OOC: just look, although we'll be deep enough that we can see the seabed
> OOC - Okay, spot checks again.
<Lyselle> roll 1d20+1
* Hatbot --> "Lyselle rolls 1d20+1 and gets 7." [1d20=6]
<Shamal> roll 1d20+10 Shamal
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+10 Shamal and gets 13." [1d20=3]
<Shamal> roll 1d20+5 Laika
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+5 Laika and gets 8." [1d20=3]
> The party notices a few minor things here and there - a half rotted barrel, a dead fish skeleton, that sort of thing, but nothing as they head out offhand. The bay expands outward, a lot of potential ground to cover. The seabed right near the harbor is soft and sandy, but it soon turns more jagged.
<Shamal> "Let's investigate the rocky area - that's a more likely place for the hag to reside if it lives close by," Shamal mouths, her message spell transmitting the words to Lyselle as she kicks her feet and angles in that direction to explore the area further past the harbour-mouth.
* Lyselle nods, touching her spear to make sure it's in place before kicking off to follow Shamal, strong msucles using the enhancements of Shamal's spell to move under the waves far better.
> OOC - Search checkhere, I think.
<Shamal> roll 1d20+3
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+3 and gets 16." [1d20=13]
<Lyselle> roll 1d20+2
* Hatbot --> "Lyselle rolls 1d20+2 and gets 5." [1d20=3]
> It's hard going in the water. After a few precious minutes, Shamal finds something. Resting in a little cranny, it looks to be a shoe. A fairly new leather shoe, not too damaged by the water exposure yet.
* Shamal picks up the shoe and has a look to see if there's anything notable about it. "Isn't it meant to be an old boot, by the cliche?" she wonders aloud.
> Its' an old leather shoe. Looks like something a sailor might wear, or a guardsman if boots aren't used. It's quite sturdy.
* Shamal tosses the shoe negligently behind her, letting it slowly drift back to the seabed. "Let's head back to the harbour and take a look around the interior? The spells have a while left to run, but there's too much ground for us to usefully cover out here."
<Lyselle> "Sure," Lyselle agrees plainly, having little idea of what to look for with creatures of the wild, turning to go return their search towards the harbor. "What exactly should we be looking for?" she mouths back.
<Shamal> "We really have to hope we catch the hag herself," Shamal admits, swimming along. "It's impossible to leave tracks in the water, after all."
> So the party heads back, to the sandy, deep water ocean floor, below the docks...OOC - Search checks.
<Shamal> roll 1d20+3
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+3 and gets 10." [1d20=7]
<Lyselle> roll 1d20+2
* Hatbot --> "Lyselle rolls 1d20+2 and gets 10." [1d20=8]
> You poke around. You find that the wall of the natural harbor is somewhat rough, lots of little crags and nooks. It's well worn by the years, lots of little trash on the bed beneath.
<Shamal> "I wonder..." Shamal muses. The barrier wall *is* pretty thick. "Let's see if there's any caves around the harbour wall?" she suggests to Lyselle, commencing a circuit around the wall and then, if nothing is found there, checking out the wall from the outside of the harbour as well.
* Lyselle nods, follow Shamal's lead to run an inspection of the walls of the harbour, looking for any caverns or other things unusual. There might even be a smuggling operation, given a few of the stories.
> OOC - Search or spot, whichever is better here.
<Shamal> roll 1d20+10 spot Shamal
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+10 spot Shamal and gets 14." [1d20=4]
<Shamal> roll 1d20+5 spot Laika
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+5 spot Laika and gets 17." [1d20=12]
<Lyselle> roll 1d20+2 search
* Hatbot --> "Lyselle rolls 1d20+2 search and gets 6." [1d20=4]
> Laika finds something! As she searches, her eye catches something still shiny in the seabed. Resting there is a ruptured bag of coins, silver and gold lying on the seabed around it.
<Shamal> Laika makes some pained and incoherent noises before realising that she just can't bark, and settles for nudging Shamal with her elongated snout. Chuckling a bit, Shamal descends to scoop up the currency. "We're meant to be looking at the walls, Laika, but I suppose this is nice, too."
* Lyselle just smiles, continuing to check the walls. "How much?" she mouths to Shamal.
* Shamal tries to make a rough guess, not wanting to take the time to count it all while they're on the clock.
> It looks to be about 15 silver coins and maybe 40 gold ones?
<Shamal> "About forty golds worth," Shamal concludes, dumping the bag and scooped up coins wholesale into her own money pouch before resuming their search. "I hope the hag isn't taking tonight off. I'd hate all this to be for nothing..." the current sea-elf opines.
<Lyselle> "This isn't particularly enjoyable, no," Lyselle agrees, starting to swim onward again, searching for...whatever a hag looks like.
> OOC - You can spend more time to search if you want. You've been in here about 30 minutes or so, say.
* Shamal makes a few more circuits of the harbour's surroundings, intending to give up when she has about five minutes left on the spells, giving time to get back to the harbour and climb up to dry land.
* Lyselle follows the lead of the druid with her superior knowledge of what's sustaining them, moving around in a last effort to locate the thing's lair.
> OOC - Search checks again. You can also take ten, but that'll take longer.
<Shamal> roll 1d20+3
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+3 and gets 12." [1d20=9]
<Lyselle> roll 1d20+2
* Hatbot --> "Lyselle rolls 1d20+2 and gets 16." [1d20=14]
> More time passes. 40 minutes and nothing. You think you could try another search if you hurried, but you'd be cutting ic lose.
> *it close.
<Shamal> "Let's make one last circuit and then we'll head back?" Shamal suggests. "We don't really have time for anything more, I'm afraid..."
* Lyselle nods. "Yeah, if worst comes to worst, I could probably still swim my way to shore on the surface," Lyselle agrees, making another quick dive around.
> OOC - Search once more.
<Shamal> roll 1d20+3
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+3 and gets 11." [1d20=8]
<Lyselle> roll 1d20+2
* Hatbot --> "Lyselle rolls 1d20+2 and gets 15." [1d20=13]
> You continue to search the cracks and crevasses. While it does look like there could very easily be a cleft or cave somewhere here, you just can't seem to find them. 50 minutes or so underwater now.
* Lyselle sighs at their fruitless neight, heading up towards the surface to swim back in to shore.
<Shamal> Shamal cuts things short a few minutes before they hit fifty. "Come on, we only have a minute or two left, let's get out of here," she tells Lyselle, not sounding thrilled at all as she angles towards the nearest ladder up onto the docks.
> This is done, fresh air gotten as you break the surface of the water. Air fills your lungs again, the craggy harbor wall left below.
* Lyselle nods, pushing into ehr swimming a bit more to reach the docks. "This would get mighty inconvenient if I had to swim in my armor unaided."
* Shamal has to struggle a bit to help Laika up, but soon they're on the surface, their forms morphing back to human and dog respectively. Huffing a bit, Shamal proceeds to cast prestidigitation to clean and dry everyone off. "Just in time, really... What a waste that turned out to be, though," she laments.
<Lyselle> "Yeah..." Lyselle winces, rubbing at her forehead as she shifts back to fully human. "If Oberuth sends us back in, I'll cover it," she offers, coughing a little. "Wish we could've found something..."
<Shamal> "Well, it might still be too early. Want to patrol the docks for a while just in case anything happens later on?" Shamal suggests.
* Lyselle nods, smiling a bit. "Might as well make better us of the time," she agrees, getting up to go about their patrol of the dry side of the hag's apparent hunting grounds.
> OOC - Where are you patrolling/on the look out for anything?
<Shamal> OOC: basically the docks themselves, and we'll be mostly looking out for any creepy enchanted seeming men
> About 11:30, a few hours past your splash and swim adventures, you notice the taverns are starting to thin. But one brawny sailor heads towards the dock's edge, peering and sitting.
* Shamal points him out to Lyselle, moving closer to loiter nearby in case he suddenly goes for a dip but not wanting to disturb him just yet - he could just be clearing his head with some fresh air before he goes back to his ship or something like that.
* Lyselle nods, following quietly, but generally focusing on appearing more just like an unobtrusive patrol than trying to be truly silent as she moves by, keeping an eye on the sailor.
> He's well tanned and bare chested - on a glance he looks like one of the Sailors from the ship Khan rode on. His feet dangle down, dancing across the surface of the water. He looks down, most interested in the water.
<Shamal> "Reminds me of Quapeth before... hmm, there's a thought." Shamal proceeds to cast detect magic to see if there's any enchantment at work, here.
> There is a faint aura around the man's head.
<Shamal> roll 1d20+13 spellcraft
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+13 spellcraft and gets 15." [1d20=2]
<Shamal> roll 1d20+15 nature
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+15 nature and gets 22." [1d20=7]
* Shamal snaps her fingers. "Definitely enchanted. Let's watch," she whispers to Lyselle, "Quapeth acted like this for a while before the hag struck, so it might not reveal itself just yet. Also, be careful - the sight of a hag can sap your strength," Shamal cautions.
* Lyselle nods, fortifying herself, and just waiting for the monster. "One can hope for a quick solution to our problem, though."
> OOC - Where are you headed?
<Shamal> "I'll summon some creatures in the water to distract her, but we'll probably have to get wet - I don't think I can conjure enough to take a hag down," Shamal admits.
<Shamal> OOC: we're still loitering nearby, away from the water so anything down there won't see us
> About ten minutes pass. When out of the blue, the man stands up! He smiles from ear to ear, tensing his legs, clearly about to leap into the water.
<Shamal> "Quick, grab him!" Shamal blurts out, darting forward and beginning to cast a spell, trusting Lyselle to stop the man from leaping into the water.
> OOC - I'll give the two of you a surprise round since the other side isn't really expecting you. Go ahead and take an action each.
* Lyselle runs forward with most haste, grabbing onto the man and yanking him back, or at least trying to set him off balance from that jump!
> OOC - Grapple, unless you wanna bull rush him into the water.
<Lyselle> roll 1d20+9
* Hatbot --> "Lyselle rolls 1d20+9 and gets 21." [1d20=12]
<Shamal> "Patient hunter of everglades, I summon you to defeat my enemies!" Shamal chants, conjuring forth a crocodile looking much as Laika did earlier into the water, whereupon it promptly dives to attack any hags that happen to be nearby!
> roll 1d20+2
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+2 and gets 15." [1d20=13]
> Lyselle wraps her arms around the man, in a grapple with him! He's held back, blonde warrior keeping him at bay with expert strength and moves! OOC - 1d3+str damage, subdual.
<Lyselle> roll 1d3+3
* Hatbot --> "Lyselle rolls 1d3+3 and gets 4." [1d3=1]
> Wrestling him down, Lyselle does a good deal to dampen this enthuiasm! Meanwhile, Shamal casts her magic! The gator appears in the water, where it can see something about twenty feet down or so, not quite in focus for it - yet. It can go at it if it wishes.
<Shamal> The crocodile does indeed swim towards this target with powerful broad strokes of its tail, jaws lunging out to clamp onto its prey!
<Shamal> roll 1d20+10 charging
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+10 charging and gets 27." [1d20=17]
<Shamal> roll 1d8+8
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d8+8 and gets 14." [1d8=6]
<Shamal> roll 1d20+8 improved grab grapple check
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+8 improved grab grapple check and gets 27." [1d20=19]
> OOC - First, make a fort save.
> OOC - Croc.
<Shamal> roll 1d20+8
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+8 and gets 18." [1d20=10]
> roll 1d20+8
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+8 and gets 13." [1d20=5]
> Chomping down, the crocodile is able to resistthe horrific visage! INstead it takes a heavy bite out of her, jaws closing around a ghastly leg! OOC - Initiative here, I think.
<Shamal> roll 1d20+2 Shamal
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+2 Shamal and gets 8." [1d20=6]
<Shamal> roll 1d20+3 Laika
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+3 Laika and gets 15." [1d20=12]
<Shamal> roll 1d20+1 Croc
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+1 Croc and gets 9." [1d20=8]
<Lyselle> roll 1d20+2
* Hatbot --> "Lyselle rolls 1d20+2 and gets 6." [1d20=4]
> roll 1d20 man
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20 man and gets 18." [1d20=18]
> roll 1d20+1 hag
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+1 hag and gets 15." [1d20=14]
* Retrieving #evildunes modes...
<Shamal> Laika whines a bit from next to Shamal, unable to see the threat beneath the waves and certainly not about to leap in without explicit orders.
> Beneath the waves, the evil hag turns to the crocodile! It's evil eye looks on horrifically at the summon! OOC - Will save.
<Shamal> roll 1d20+2 laf
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+2 laf and gets 11." [1d20=9]
> OOC - Fort save.
<Shamal> roll 1d20+8
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+8 and gets 19." [1d20=11]
<Lyselle> Lyselle keeps a hold of the man that was about to dive, trying to bash his head into the dock so he'll go unconscious. Yeesh!
<Shamal> "Porpoise, I choose you!" Shamal calls, gesturing forth as a small dolphin appears in mid-air, does a somersault, and then dives straight down to attack the hag. Hopefully it's smart enough to close its eyes as soon as it sees her horrific face and instead rely on its sonar.
<Shamal> roll 1d20+6 charge
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+6 charge and gets 17." [1d20=11]
> OOC - Hit.
<Shamal> roll 2d4+2
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 2d4+2 and gets 9." [2d4=3, 4]
> Slam! The hag is bodyslammed hard, considerable damage done to it from the strangled cry that escapes the water! Meanwhile, Lyselle attempts to keep the man held! OOC - Sec, need to check that.
> OOC - Forgot the guy's turned, but he's trying to escape. Opposed grapple checks.
> roll 1d20+2
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+2 and gets 5." [1d20=3]
<Lyselle> roll 1d20+9
* Hatbot --> "Lyselle rolls 1d20+9 and gets 11." [1d20=2]
> But the grapple is held strong! He's not budging in the least bit! OOC - Laika and the hag are up.
> The hag's underwater battle rages! The hag attempts to cast her evil eye at the dolphin, but nothing happens! OOC - Croc is dazed. Shamal/Dolphin.
> OOC - Oh yes, I'm sorry. You can continue to deal damage if you want. My fault.
<Lyselle> roll1d3+3
<Lyselle> roll 1d3+3
* Hatbot --> "Lyselle rolls 1d3+3 and gets 6." [1d3=3]
> With this grapple, the man is subdued and out! He slumps down, beaten into submission with a vicious choke hold!
> OOC  - Shamal and the 'phin are up.
<Shamal> The dolphin continues to pummel the hag with its snout while Shamal snaps her fingers, releasing a trio of glowing green spheres which hurtle down into the water to hit the shadowy form that isn't shaped like a dolphin!
<Shamal> roll 1d20+4 dolphin attack
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+4 dolphin attack and gets 23." [1d20=19]
<Shamal> roll 2d4+2
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 2d4+2 and gets 8." [2d4=2, 4]
> OOC - Caster level check, Sham-chan.
<Shamal> roll 1d20+5
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+5 and gets 24." [1d20=19]
<Shamal> roll 3d4+3 MM
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 3d4+3 MM and gets 10." [3d4=3, 3, 1]
> With a strike and a flurry of missiles, the hag's body goes limp!  It begins to sink into the depths of the water, unmoving!
<Shamal> "Alright, we did it!" Shamal cheers as the fatal blow is struck, putting an end to the hag's reign of terror over Balmuria's harbour!
> Slowly it slips out of sight, sinking down into the black, dark nighttime water.
* Shamal assumes the porpoise would continue its attack if she were only playing dead, and so is quite satisfied with that. "We'll probably need to do something about the body... having it dragged up by some fisherman would be far worse than what happened with people seeing the tiger earlier," she notes thoughtfully.
* Lyselle nods. "Could your porpoise drag it up? I wouldn't want to let it sit or heal if it can at this point..." she frowns, looking down at the murky depths.
<Shamal> "I used up all my animal speaking magic earlier," Shamal replies sadly. "We'll probably have to get a net and try to drag it up."
* Lyselle nods, humming. "Well, no real danger in doing that now, is there?" she proposes, shrugging. "I just wouldn't like it to get away or somehow revive down there."
<Shamal> "Best to do it now rather than the middle of the day, unless we want another dressing down from the commander," Shamal agrees wryly. "Let's see if we can comandeer a net from one of the fishing boats?"
* Lyselle nods, offering a faint smile at that. "Yeah," she agrees, moving to get a net so they can drag it up.
> This only takes a minute or a little longer. Not too terribly long to return to where the man lies unconcious, to where the hag has slipped deep intot he dark waters, out of sight.
* Shamal moves the man away from the water's edge while Lyselle is getting the net, leaning him against a lamppost.
<Lyselle> "Hmmm...well, watch over my armor?" Lyselle asks, the obvious candidate for the task as she takes off the suit of plated armor, spear and net in one hand, torch in the other, and waiting for Shamal's agreement before diving in.
<Shamal> "Sure thing," the blonde agrees, making sure no suspicious types are around, looking to steal Lyselle's armour at the slightest opportunity!
> There aren't. The docks are quiet out here. Quite serene as a matter of fact. Just some scant moonlight from above.
* Lyselle dives down and down, using the torch for light to go towards where the hag should've dropped, cautiously moving forward.
> OOC - Swim check.
<Lyselle> roll 1d20+!2
* Hatbot --> "Lyselle rolls 1d20+!2 and gets Error: Numeric values only." [1d20=2]
<Lyselle> roll 1d20+12
* Hatbot --> "Lyselle rolls 1d20+12 and gets 14." [1d20=2]
> Lyselle takes two rounds to descend. (Keep track.) As she brings light into the dark water, she sees the sandy bottom. It's quite an interesting bottom, full of little junk and bits of things from the harbor. However, there seem sto be a distinct lack of sea hag here.
* Lyselle frowns, searching a bit more down here, looking for clothing, ichorous blood, or any other sign of the hag.
> OOC - Search check. This'll take another round.
<Lyselle> roll 1d20+2
* Hatbot --> "Lyselle rolls 1d20+2 and gets 11." [1d20=9]
> Lyselle notes no clothes. The sand at the bottom does have a small imprint as if something landed there recently, however. Something human sized or so.
* Lyselle frowns, taking a very close look at the muck to see if it seemed like it just hit and disappeared, or if it moved around.
> Lyselle peers down. The dirt looks quite disturbed, and freshly so. In fact, there are a few bits that are lightly stained a darker color. OOC - Another round.
* Lyselle reaches down, prodding the dark spots with her spear, then looking around for a trail of any sort.
> OOc - Spot check in the circumstances. Another round, FYI.
<Lyselle> roll 1d20+1
* Hatbot --> "Lyselle rolls 1d20+1 and gets 7." [1d20=6]
> Lyselle can see a few spots leading away, but she can't make out any useful or coherent trail. It does head back towards the harbor wall, however...
<Lyselle> Cautiously, she starts to follow it, moving towards the harbor wall in the vague direction given, just looking now. They'd have to come back at this rate, but during the day.
> It leads to the wall. There's a lot of wall ehre, no obvious pointer in a direction. OOC - Another round, and you can make a search check if you wish. That will take another round more.
<Lyselle> roll 1d20+2
* Hatbot --> "Lyselle rolls 1d20+2 and gets 10." [1d20=8]
> Lyselle pokes around a bit, using her time underwater well, but she can't seem to find it.
<Lyselle> Guess they'll have to come back. Lyselle plants her spear into the harbor floor as deeply as she can before heading straight to the surface, wanting two points of refference at least.
> Lyselle returns to the surface, fresh air found and a waiting druid at the dock.
<Shamal> "Get it?" Shamal asks, looking down towards Lyselle.
* Lyselle shakes her head, marking off her current location in her mind before heading to a ladder and going back up. "Found where it hit sea bottom, there's some blood or whatever down there that looked like it might've headed to the inner wall, I planted my spear at the farthest point I got to. We might want to search again, during daylight now that we have a refference," she informed the druid, plopping herself down on the side of the dock
<Lyselle> .
<Shamal> "Oh, bother, she'll be long gone by then!" Shamal complains. Stepping closer to the edge, she again casts her last decent druidic spell for today. "Porpoise come back, we miss you so!" she calls, another happy little dolphin appearing at her call. "Go, search the harbour for evil hags!" she commands, the dolphin proceeding to zip around the harbour to do just that.
> OOC - Search check. It's very well suited to underwater searching, so I'll give it a +4 competency bonus to this roll.
<Shamal> OOC: that's basically a +0 given it's int. Doesn't blindsight negate the need for searching?
> OOC: It can see, but so could you guys before. That said, you raise a point that search doesn't capture it's reasonable skill here. Make it a spot check instead.
> The dolphinl ooks around a bit - there's a small crevasse neatly hidden by two overlapping flaps of rock, almost flawlessly hidden. At the end of it's range, it can tell that there is a living being there.
<Shamal> Finding its prey, moves closer before it pokes its head out of the water right next to the crevasse and squeaks loudly alert Shamal to the fact that it has found a potentially evil hag. "If you do find her then attack!" Shamal calls in reply, prompting the porpoise to chitter away and dive under to slam into the hiding creature!
> The first round is spent doing thus, the second going as it heads into the crevasse! Here is a narrow flute into the rock filled with salty water, easily swam down. It soon comes up to the end of the water, a clearing in the bowels of the eart. It's only about seven feet vertical, but it's moderately wide. A natural sea cave, going deeply into to the rock. The hag is resting on the shore, it's wounds closing up. It's visage is horribe to look at for mortal eyes.
> It's visage is horribe to look at for mortal eyes.
<Shamal> Unable to do much if the hag is out of the water, the porpoise retreats, poking its head up out of the water again and making frustrated sounding squeaks. "What's that flipper?" Shamal asks, cupping a hand to her ear, before sighing and shaking her head. "I don't think it was able to do anything."
<Lyselle> "Well..." Lyselle nodds, thinking. "It's blocked by something then, but at least we have a better idea of where to look?" she proposed lightly to Shamal, offering a wry smile. "We can go during daytime and try to hunt it in its lair."
<Shamal> "That's true," Shamal smiles. "And we certainly gave it a good beating, so I doubt it will be fully recovered by tomorrow. Let's go rest up and come back first thing in the morning?" she suggests, taking note of the current location where the porpoise is.
> It's fairly close to one of the docks, so it's not hard to pinpoint. You shouldn't have trouble finding it tomorrow.
* Lyselle nods, smiling a bit more to Shamal, and moving away from the docks to put her armor back on before resting. Productive at least.
<Shamal> "We should buy potions against fear as well, to help counteract its horrifying appearance if we fight it at close range," Shamal nods. "Shame about the crocodile... Anyway, yes, let's get rested up for tomorrow."

[Anastasia]

> So a night of rest has passed. Berlioz and Shamal gather at the harbor, sailors going to and back. Lyselle is on unexpected duty with Khardon, unavailable despite it. The harbor bustles in the late morning sunshine, people hurrying along next to the green waves.
<Shamal> "I think she fled into a cave or something right below here," Shamal explains to Berlioz, standing directly above where her last dolphin of last night tried to get her attention.
> Said place is deep in the harbor, rich green waters flowing. Deep below, you can see a spear thrust into the ground, a marker left there.
* Berlioz squints his eyes, trying to not lose sight of the location. "Seems awkward."
> The two get an amazingly wide berth, sailors giving you tons of space No one comes close, but you do get a lot of faraway stares.
* Shamal nods. "The sight of the hag can sap the strength from the strongest person, and she did something to paralyze one of my summoned animals last night, so I think I'll send a crocodile in first while we follow up." Reaching into her belt, she produces two potions and hands one to Berlioz, "I picked these up at the temple on the way here - they'll make it easier to resist her horrifying appearance."
* Berlioz sighs, dangling the potion between his fingers a bit. "You know you're hopelessly bound to being single when potions are made specifically to resist such dashing good looks. Regardless, should I chug this now or hold onto it until a bit later?"
<Shamal> "Just hope the hag doesn't find herself interested in those looks of yours, Berlioz," Shamal ribs back. "Anyway, it's good for half an hour, so no harm in drinking it now - you ready to get wet?"
* Berlioz shrugs, shortly consuming the potion. "No point arguing otherwise."
<Shamal> "If you have any other protective spells you want to cast, now'd be a good time," Shamal suggests, proceeding to cast Protection from Evil on both herself and Berlioz (also affecting Laika) and then Mirror Image on herself, which results in several Shamals and several dogs suddenly appearing.
<Shamal> roll 1d4+1 mirror image
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d4+1 mirror image and gets 2." [1d4=1]
* Shamal downs her potion and then hops into the water with Laika!
> Splash! The water is still quite cool, making wolf and magess shiver. Brr.
<Shamal> Shamal's magic sling wards off the cold at least! Also, Laika is not a wolf. Those points satisfied, Shamal dives under to look for any egress a hag might escape via.
> OOC - Search or spot check, whichever is higher.
<Shamal> roll 1d20+10
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+10 and gets 30." [1d20=20]
> (2 rounds underwater) With a location and area selected, Shamal has a much easier time. There's a small crevasse in the wall, hidden by two overlaying, smooth flaps of stone. Almost impossible to stumble on, a narrow passage into the rock found. A channel to follow, water filled.
* Shamal then surfaces for air. "Found it - coming, Berlioz?" she asks, looking up as she treads water.
* Berlioz gasps, narrowly reaching the surface. "I have been in better shape, but yes."
<Shamal> Telling Laika to follow, Shamal dives under once more, swimming into the passageway!
> So the party swims! It takes two rounds to get into the passage, one to reach it and another to wiggle in. As you swim down it, a third round spent, you find it goes into the rock, into a little natural seacave. It's barely seven feet wall and not very wide, but the stone floor has had bits of sand placed on it, making it softer. The water ends here, lapping against the side of the cave. You see no hag here, only a narrow passage heading deeper in.
> passage heading deeper in. There is barely any light here, the only illumination coming from a bit of sunlight that just manages to spill in.
* Shamal sighs and casts light on a copper coin as she pulls herself out of the water, looking to see if any footprints in the sand are heading deeper into the cave. If she's swam off they might well never find her...
> There are plenty of footsteps in the sand, mostly heading deeper into the cave. All the same type, bare feet and small. As you look at the sand, you see a few bits have a darkened, stained color.
<Shamal> "Looks like she's still here... wonder how deep this goes?" Shamal whispers quietly to Berlioz, not wanting to broadcast their presence too loudly.
* Berlioz grumbles, but refrains from commenting any further. It would indeed speak ill for them if pointless banter revealed their whereabouts to the hag.
* Shamal begins to cautiously advance into the mysterious cave below the harbour, hoping to find the hag while her protective spells are still running!
> OOC - Move silently checks, I think.
<Shamal> roll 1d20+2 shamal
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+2 shamal and gets 6." [1d20=4]
<Shamal> roll 1d20+3 laika
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+3 laika and gets 9." [1d20=6]
> roll 1d20+1
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+1 and gets 9." [1d20=8]
<Berlioz> roll 1d20+1 moving and stuff?
* Hatbot --> "Berlioz rolls 1d20+1 moving and stuff? and gets 3." [1d20=2]
> The passage drops to about six feet high or so, just tall enough to admit. It slopes downward, more sand here muffling footsteps. You have to step around a few small rock pittings and the like, but within about thirty feet you come to another chamber! Here is a small recess, about twenty feet wide before you see a small inlet of water. (More)
> Herein to the left side is a pile of sand. Amid bits of dried seaweed and plants is a makeshift bed. In the bed, you note a few sparkling things, but you don't get much of a look! Here is the hag, just getting up! It's about five feet tall, skin tinted a sickly blue. Horrible, stringy white hair, long and greasy. A warty face, a foul smell amid it. "Huuummaaaans!" it gasps, getting up! Even as you see it, however, you feel a chill run down you rspines! OOC - Fort save, bonuses against fear apply.
> run down you rspines! OOC - Fort save, bonuses against fear apply.
<Shamal> OOC; and evil?
<Shamal> roll 1d20+13 Shamal
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+13 Shamal and gets 17." [1d20=4]
<Shamal> roll 1d20+13 laika
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+13 laika and gets 30." [1d20=17]
<Berlioz> roll 1d20+11? Not sure if I upgraded my fort save <_<
* Hatbot --> "Berlioz rolls 1d20+11? Not sure if I upgraded my fort save <_< and gets Error: Numeric values only." [1d20=7]
> But the party is uneffected! The hag wears a tattered black dress, covering her loathesome frame! OOC - React and initaitive.
<Berlioz> roll 1d20+9
* Hatbot --> "Berlioz rolls 1d20+9 and gets 13." [1d20=4]
<Shamal> "You're under... By Mielikki, such a thing should not exist in this world!" Shamal winces, cutting off her arrest speech and just resolving to kill it.
<Shamal> roll 1d20+2 Shamal
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+2 Shamal and gets 3." [1d20=1]
<Shamal> roll 1d20+3 Laika
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+3 Laika and gets 16." [1d20=13]
> roll 1d20+1 hag
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+1 hag and gets 18." [1d20=17]
* Retrieving #dunes modes...
<Berlioz> roll 1d20+1
* Hatbot --> "Berlioz rolls 1d20+1  and gets 7." [1d20=6]
> The hag backs up to the edge of the water, staring at the humans! She glares, her eyes on Laika!
> OOC - Will save, Laika.
<Shamal> OOC: mirror image, she has to roll 1d3 and roll 1 to hit the real Laika
> roll 1d3
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d3 and gets 3." [1d3=3]
> One of the image suddenly freezes and drops dead, before vanishing away! Yet the real Laika is unhurt! OOC - Wolf.
<Shamal> OOC: can Laika reach the hag while staying within 25 feet of me?
> OOC - Yeah, it's a small chamber.
<Shamal> Growling, the DOG bursts forward, bringing its remaining illusory duplicate with it as both lunge at the hag to bring her painfully down!
<Shamal> roll 1d20+9 charging
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+9 charging and gets 19." [1d20=10]
<Shamal> roll 1d6+4
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d6+4 and gets 9." [1d6=5]
<Shamal> roll 1d20+4 trip
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+4 trip and gets 21." [1d20=17]
> roll 1d20+4
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+4 and gets 11." [1d20=7]
> With a quick movement forward, Laika takes the hag down! She trips her up, her body at the very edge of the water! The bite into her tears off part of her midsection, dark blood gushing out! "Ooooooohehehehe! Bad dog! BAAAAD!" It wails, flailing! It's voice is shrill, unpleasing! OOC - Berlioz.
* Berlioz sighs and begins muttering the dystics for Tasha's Hideous Laughter. "Maybe that insufferable complexion of yours will soften up with laughter, old hag."
> roll 1d20+4
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+4 and gets 19." [1d20=15]
> The hag writhes as she is knocked down, but the laughter from the cynical bard fails to catch!
<Shamal> "Snapping reptile of rivers and swamps, I call you once more to take revenge on the hag who defeated you last night!" Shamal calls, raising her hand as a large crocodile suddenly appears between the hag and the water, whipping its powerful tail to the side as it lunges to bite into her!
<Shamal> roll 1d20+8 fort save first I guess
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+8 fort save first I guess and gets 22." [1d20=14]
> OOC - Passed that, attack.
<Shamal> roll 1d20+12
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+12 and gets 21." [1d20=9]
<Shamal> roll 1d8+8
> OOC - Hit.
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d8+8 and gets 12." [1d8=4]
<Shamal> roll 1d20+8 grapple check improved grab
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+8 grapple check improved grab and gets 25." [1d20=17]
> roll 1d20+7
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+7 and gets 27." [1d20=20]
> The hag's leg is nearly bitten off! Blood spurts out, the hag sorely wounded! The crocodile can't hold on, but he gets a full serving of hag flesh to chew on instead! But as you watch, you notice that the hag's first injury is already starting to mend! Downed, she turns to the crocodile in her way, staying down and pointing! Her hand crackles, a fiery ray coming from her, not even a word spoken!
> roll 1d20+7 ranged touch
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+7 ranged touch and gets 25." [1d20=18]
> roll 4d6
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 4d6 and gets 19." [4d6=6, 5, 3, 5]
> The beam scorches it's entire jaw, burning the inside into a perfect haze of red pain! But the crocodile lives despite this, alive and still kicking! OOC - Laika.
<Shamal> The two Laika's show no inclination to cease their attack, biting fiercely into the hag's hideous flesh without restraint!
<Shamal> roll 1d20+11
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+11 and gets 19." [1d20=8]
<Shamal> roll 1d6+4
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d6+4 and gets 10." [1d6=6]
> With that vicious bite, the hag goes down! It cries out, "Baaad...baaaad..." it tries to scold the dog with a weak, flailing smack at it, but it's body stills! Mostly, but youc an see it's injuries still reparing...
> OOC - Goa head and act for the moment.
<Shamal> OOC: Laika and croc are going to keep attacking, and my action is dependent on PM answer
> OOC - Roll damage, Croc.
<Shamal> roll 1d8+8
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d8+8 and gets 14." [1d8=6]
> Another chomp takes off more of the hag's flesh! Despite this, it's still mending, even as it's body is clearly past the point of normal death.
<Shamal> "I think we're going to have to burn it... it must be half-troll or something equally disgusting who's parentage I really don't want to think too much about," Shamal comments to Berlioz.
* Berlioz winces at the unpleasant sight. "This looks terrible. We might have a bit of trouble getting this wench to burn, to make matters worse."
> Meanwhile, the hag is staining the water besides her with her dark blood, but even then, it comes flowing steadily.
* Shamal waggles a finger at the bard. "You're naive, Berlioz. This briny bint is no match for the purest flames of the inferno given life." Holding her hand aloft as a heat haze momentarily shimmers around her, the witch calls out, "Hear my call, avatar of fire! Reduce this hag to ash!" Upon her words, a small figure composed entirely of flame appears above the hag, and promptly starts doing just as Shamal asked!
> With a hissing series of blows, the hag is ripped apart! Seared and cooking flesh is spread, her neck and head charbroiled! This gets the vile healing to stop, the fire elemental's roasting filling the room with a most unpleasant odor.
<Shamal> "Ugh," Shamal fans the air in front of her nose, while Laika whimpers and retreats behind her mistress. "I suppose that takes care of that, then."
* Berlioz coughs unpleasantly. "You just can't win it all. Better than dealing with the regeneration, though."
* Shamal nods. "Anyway, let's take a quick look around and then get out of here - I think I saw some gems or something where she was sleeping."
<Shamal> roll 1d20+3 aid another for Berli taking 20?
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+3 aid another for Berli taking 20? and gets 21." [1d20=18]
<Berlioz> roll 1d20+1 hey what's the harm
* Hatbot --> "Berlioz rolls 1d20+1 hey what's the harm and gets 14." [1d20=13]
> Going through the hag's bedding, the party finds the following:
> Several copper and silver coins, as well as a few gold ones. Three tiny gem shards, sparking bright. They look to have been miniscule parts of a greater gem before, a red ruby perhaps. At the very bottom, you find a bracelet dotted with pearls, a greencast metal with beautiful white dots every inch or so.
* Shamal casts detect magic on the off chance of fun.
> The gem shards have very faint, lingering magic.
<Shamal> roll 1d20+13 spellcraft
* Hatbot --> "Shamal rolls 1d20+13 spellcraft and gets 25." [1d20=12]
<Shamal> "Hmm... those shards have a lingering aura of evocation on them," Shamal notes, frowning a bit. "You remember how she shot that blast of flame earlier without casting a spell?"
* Berlioz nods. "Well, yes. That might explain it."
<Shamal> "What a waste if she found one of those gems of imbued spellcasting..." Shamal briefly glares at the ashes where the hag's corpse was. "There's still some magic on the shards, but it's just a fading trace... I'm not sure if they'll be any use, to be honest." Nonetheless, Shamal does gather up all the valuables - at worst, the shards could have value as simple jewellery.