010. Tear

[Corwin]

#t

[21:54] <@Kotono> The light and colors surprise Inari, before she blink-blinks. Gah! She takes a mouthful of water, struggling not to choke. In her daze she can see she's by the stone tablet on the sea floor once more. But her water breathing spell seems to have given up the ghost during the time.
[21:56] <@Inari> They weren't in there that long, were they? Maybe the wrap-around cave did something funny with time... in any case, she kicks her legs firmly beneath her and starts swimming straight up!
[21:57] <@Kotono> OOC: Fort.
[21:58] <@Inari> roll 1d20+6
[21:58] <Serith> Inari roll for Serith < 12 > [d20=6]
[21:59] <@Kotono> Inari swims up. She greedily sucks in air, but her head hurts. She has a headache and her joints painfully begin to ache. At least she can see the ship from here.
[22:00] <@Inari> Something's definitely wrong, she knows she can hold her breath better than that! Taking a moment just to rest her limbs she then starts to paddle towards the ship.

[Corwin]

#d

[21:53] * Annerose frowns. "Hey, T, let's make sure we clean the blood off ourselves without getting the salt out."
[21:53] * Annerose puts Prestidigitation to use there, while relying on T to make sure she doesn't miss a spot.
[21:54] <@Kotono> T does the same, looking the two over.
[21:54] <@Kotono> roll 1d20+8
[21:55] <Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 16 > [d20=8]
[21:55] <@Kotono> "I think we're good," T finally says.
[21:55] <Annerose> "Alright. Together?" And then she steps through!
[21:59] <@Kotono> T follows. There's light around the two and then and then they appear. Gah! Seawater. Breating seawater is bad. You're right by the slab again, sans water breathing. T chokes and gurgles, before starting to swim straight up.
[22:00] * Annerose follows!
[22:00] <@Kotono> OOC: Fort saves, you two.
[22:00] <@Kotono> roll 1d20+9 T (+3 inspiration 4/5)
[22:00] <Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 11 > [d20=2]
[22:01] <Annerose> roll 1d20+7
[22:01] <Serith> Annerose roll for Serith < 24 > [d20=17]
[22:02] <@Kotono> Annerose and T make it to the surface. They can see Inari climbing onto the deck, though T looks a bit green. "Ugh..." he mutters, coughing.
[22:03] * Annerose supports T, taking her time to swim to the boat. "Alright there? Was it the travel?"
[22:04] <@Kotono> "Yeah, maybe," T grunts, coming over to the side with Annerose. Soon enough they're up with Inari, as Athear comes out of the captain's cabin towards them. OOC: Go ahead, y'all.

[Corwin]

#ed

[20:02] <@Kotono> Thus does the trio head on down. Captain Burke comes on over and peers down as minutes pass. "There's bravery and then there's going into the sea after you offend Umberlee," he remarks neutrally, watching the waves to and fro.
[20:04] <Athear> "Well, if she has something to say on the matter, she can say it." Athear responds. "My companion made her a donation anyway, so perhaps she will look the other way this once."
[20:06] <@Kotono> No reponse to that, the captain seemingly content to watch the waves for now. OOC: ARe you going to do anything but wait?
[20:08] <Athear> OOC: I suppose I can go pray and think about what I've done for now
[20:08] <@Kotono> OOC: Down in your bunk, I presume?
[20:08] <Athear> OOC: Yessir
[20:09] <@Kotono> OOC: Okay. Go make a Wis check.
[20:09] <Athear> roll 1d20+2
[20:09] <Serith> Athear roll for Serith < 22 > [d20=20]
[20:16] <@Kotono> Athear goes to pray and meditate. It comes easily to him this time, like slipping back asleep after stirring in the middle of the night. His mind begins to drift, concious thought giving way to a mindless reverie. He feels cool mists around him, the click on feet on crystal. A mountain. Emerging from the mists and burning them away is a mountain. It stretches higher than any mountain Athear
[20:16] <@Kotono> could imagine. In this reverie, it is all Athear can do to sit and watch it. In spite of that, there is a pull, a calling to come climb it. But he stays seated where he is, drinking in the mountain's light. For the summit is obscured in blindingly bright light, a light that burns away Athear's worries and doubts. Calm envelopes him, such that he barely notices when his eyes open and his
[20:16] <@Kotono> normal senses return. OOC: You gain the benefit of a good hope spell until further notice.
[20:18] * Athear blinks once or twice. That mountain again. Could it be...?
[20:18] <Athear> roll 1d20+6 Can he recall this mountain?
[20:18] <Serith> Athear roll for Serith < 9 > [d20=3]
[20:18] <@Kotono> OOC: Does that include the morale bonus to skill checks from good hope?
[20:19] <@Kotono> OOC: Also, K:P or K:R?
[20:19] <Athear> OOC: It does, since he has an Int penalty at the moment.
[20:19] <Athear> OOC: Sorry, K:R
[20:20] <@Kotono> It's something important - but in Athear's headachy and brain-damaged way, he can't quite recall. It slips through his fingers in frusturation, making his head pound.
[20:21] <Athear> Ah, oh well. He can always ask someone else later. He takes a breath and will go back up the deck of the ship to see if there's been any news.
[20:26] <@Kotono> Athear returns to the deck. No sign of the party. Captain Burke's back at the wheel, but not much is happening otherwise.
[20:28] <Athear> "Hm." Can they not return? Or is there only water down there? He should have faith in his allies... but what if they need someone with dragonblood again? Bah. "Captain! I am going to go check on them. It may be a time before I return."
[20:31] <@Kotono> "Good fortune. May you court Tymora but not Beshaba." Captain Burke calls.
[20:32] <Athear> He nods. He only has his scimitar... but that will have to do! He takes in a breath and goes to swim back for the vortex.
[20:36] <@Kotono> Down Athear swims, once again holding his breath. He finds the slab where it was before - but no sign of the vortex that was opened up, nor of his friends.
[20:37] <Athear> Oh dear. Well, this is going to be a problem. Athear looks at the slab to see if anything's changed on it.
[20:38] <@Kotono> On a glance, the slab seems unchanged.
[20:39] <Athear> He tentatively reaches out to touch the last thing T did when it opened. Maybe it's not locked again, it's just closed?
[20:42] <@Kotono> OOC: Any ranks in UMD?
[20:42] <Athear> OOC: Nope! Stupid skill that only like three people get :(
[20:44] <@Kotono> Nothing happens. The slab seems unresponsive.
[20:45] <Athear> Damnit. Well, he doesn't have much of a choice, so he will swim back to the surface for now.
[20:48] <@Kotono> OOC: Fort.
[20:48] <Athear> roll 1d20+14 (+2 if it's evil seawater)
[20:48] <Serith> Athear roll for Serith < 33 > [d20=19]
[20:50] <@Kotono> Athear returns to the surface. He's a touch sore and light headed, but nothing serious. The sunshine feels good on his scales, as does the sea breeze.
[20:51] <Athear> He really has no other thing he can other than wait. He tread water for now and look down to where the slab is to see if a vortex just happens to spawn.
[20:54] <@Kotono> Thus Athear settles into wait. As he watches for any sign of a vortex, the captain approaches again. "Play cards at all," he asks, conversationally.
[20:58] <Athear> "Ah..." He furrows his brow. "Not usually, but in the absence of anything productive I could myself, I will indulge."
[21:03] <@Kotono> You're lead back to the captain's cabin. As you learn a rather simple game, "How'd you find out about all this," he asks idly, dealing the cards.
[21:03] <Athear> "All of this what?" He asks as he draws a card.
[21:04] <@Kotono> "Sea diving and salvage," Captain Burke does the same, scowling at his hand. "None of you seem that experienced with this."
[21:05] <Athear> "We killed a half-dragon servant of Tiamat." Athear answers with a hint of pride. "He had a bottle with a note in it that pointed us here."
[21:06] <@Kotono> "Tiamat, that's a fierce one," He murmurs as he draws more cards, "To that statue of the Bitch Queen?"
[21:07] <Athear> "No, there is something else down there. We believe it to possibly be a green dragon's hoard." Athear says as he puts two cards on the table. "However... the way to get in has closed itself up. I am unsure of how they get back out."
[21:12] <@Kotono> "Good bleeding luck," Captain Burke slowly shakes his head, putting a few cards down and drawing again. "If a dragon comes up, this ship's heading back."
[21:13] <Athear> "I suppose I could not blame you for that." Athear says. "If one does, however, I will fight it."
[21:14] <@Kotono> "Sure. Greet Bahamut for me afterwards, for I fear you won't be talking to anyone else when you're dead." Here the Captain smiles a little bit, putting down his cards. "First game's mine."
[21:15] <Athear> "I do not intend to waste my life." Athear says as puts his hand in a pile. "I sincerely doubt there is actually a dragon here."
[21:16] <@Kotono> Another hand is dealt. "Best be right. That's the sort of thing that being wrong on costs blood."
[21:17] <Athear> "I have faith." Athear responds.
[21:21] <@Kotono> "I'd rather have safety," Captain Burke says. "My father sent me to a seminary. I failed out for not having any faith and being more interested in reading the library than studying Gond's word or constructing his devices. I'd rather do something myself than hope for it to work out."
[21:23] <Athear> "Of course, but if you have faith in yourself as well as what you believe, you accomplish any goal you set your mind to." Athear responds. "It..." He rubs his forehead once. "It is helpful to have both types."
[21:25] <@Kotono> AS more cards are drawn and laid out, "Best to have steak and crab rather than one or the other," he murmurs. "Why not both?"
[21:26] <Athear> "You see? Already you are moving to a better direction." Athear says with a nod. "I do not wish to tell you what faith to follow, but I see no reason you could not combine your passions with the same ones a deity oversees."
[21:30] <@Kotono> "That was sarcasm," Captain Burke says drily. "Umberlee's Queen of the Seas, and she's such a bitch that she takes it as her title."
[21:31] <Athear> "Is it fear or pragmatism?" Athear asks.
[21:32] <@Kotono> "Both." He answers right back, "Any sailor worth his salt fears Umberlee and is pragmatic enough to pay up."
[21:35] <Athear> "Hm. I did not think people to venture the seas to be so easily led by the nose." Athear says with a frown. "Have you truly lost all hope that you only see yourself as a slave? You should not have to 'pay' anything to roam the seas. Umberlee did not put the seas here and surely cannot make a claim as such."
[21:36] <@Kotono> A pause and a slight sigh. "No matter if she did and she didn't - and some of hers claim she did - she has the power to do it. How do you stop someone with that sort of power?" Here Captain Burke puts his hand down, spreading his arms out. "Even if you don't kindle her wrath, her clergy's thick as fleas at the ports. You might cut down a few if it goes south, but they have money and
[21:36] <@Kotono> reinforcements. It seldom ends well for challengers and defiants."
[21:38] <Athear> "So it is only an intimidation tactic." Athear says as he puts his cards on the table. "I am not saying you need to fight Umberlee or curse her name. But is it so impossible for you to want to follow your own faith? Perhaps my goal here is to simply lift the other clergy that run counter to Umberlee up so that more good can be done."
[21:46] <@Kotono> There's a longer pause as Athear takes the hand and cards are shuffled, "Maybe. That Selune you mentioned?"
[21:48] <Athear> "She is one choice." Athear says. "I'm sure there are more that would count the seas as their domains."
[21:52] <Athear> roll 1d20+6 actually, can he think of any other notable names that would have something to do with the sea or sea travel besides Umberlee?
[21:52] <Serith> Athear roll for Serith < 13 > [d20=7]
[21:53] <@Kotono> Athear's head just aches. Stupid brain damage.
[21:53] <Athear> He shakes his head. "I'm sure there are others."
[21:57] <@Kotono> "It's still..." The captain hmms at this, seeming to lose himself in thought a moment or two.
[21:59] <Athear> "What are you worried about?" Athear asks.
[22:03] <@Kotono> As thet wo talk, there's a knocking on the door, "They're back, Captain!" A sailor calls.
[22:04] <Athear> "We can discuss the...theo... ...religion later." Athear says.

[Corwin]

[22:04] <Annerose> Now safely on board, Annerose checks the magic on all of them.
[22:05] <@Athear> "Are you all all right? You were gone for some time." Athear says as he approaches.
[22:05] <Annerose> "How long was that, give or take?"
[22:06] <@Inari> Inari does likewise, fearing she's been cursed!
[22:06] <@Inari> roll 1d20+11 spellcraft
[22:06] <Serith> Inari roll for Serith < 24 > [d20=13]
[22:06] <@Athear> OOC: A few hours?
[22:06] <Annerose> OOC: It was 10 minutes for us, subjectively
[22:06] <@Kotono> OOC: Yes Athear.
[22:06] <@Kotono> Inari doesn't see any unusual magic on her.
[22:07] <@Athear> "I had time to meditate and pray. I would say some hours." Athear says.
[22:07] <@Kotono> T goes to the side and promptly throws up into the sea. He heaves a few times and comes over, "Ugh. I thought teleportation was instantaneous."
[22:07] <Annerose> "How curious. It was just a few minutes for us-- and they are, but the first trip was a vortex. Perhaps then?"
[22:08] <@Kotono> roll 1d20+7
[22:08] <Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 9 > [d20=2]
[22:08] <@Inari> "But shouldn't the water breathing spell have ran out at the same time as we experienced?" Inari says. "Or were we insensate for a time without realising it?"
[22:09] <@Kotono> "Possibly so," T finally says with a mutter, "Maybe some sort of travel time?"
[22:09] <Annerose> "I just don't know," Annerose admits. "It's unlikely it happend after, since I kept using Light and it doesn't last that long."
[22:10] <@Athear> "So what exactly transpired?" Athear asks. "Where did it lead?"
[22:12] <@Inari> "There was a cave that wrapped around itself," Inari begins, "But we found a way out that led to a room with some aggressive skeletons, a teleport platform, and a locked door. The platform took us back out where we started and that's as far as we saw." Unless T and Annerose explored more before following her?
[22:13] <Annerose> "We managed to confirm a way to travel to other places, but Inari was already gone so we hurried after her as quickly as possible. Which means we can go again?"
[22:14] <@Athear> "Are you certain you wish to risk the curse again?" Athear asks. "But perhaps there is something down there that only reacts to dragonblooded types."
[22:16] <@Inari> "Something strange definitely happened after I returned, I ran out of breath far faster than normal," Inari volunteers. "If that keeps up it could be dangerous."
[22:16] <Annerose> "Maybe that was because we didn't try holding our breath before we stepped through?" Annerose suggests. "T felt the same way."
[22:18] <@Inari> "I suppose it could just be that," Inari concedes reluctantly.
[22:19] <Annerose> "If we do go there, we could try bringing a leaf with us. If there is one on the ship?"
[22:19] <@Athear> "A leaf?" Athear questions. "Does that have something to do with the circle?"
[22:20] <Annerose> "It's a magical key."
[22:20] <@Athear> "A key? ...Hold a moment." Athear winces once, but he has to see this one through. "The note... It said gold, right?"
[22:21] <@Inari> "Oh, I see. Gold might be key to another destination!"
[22:21] <Annerose> "Worth a try! Or a drop of blood, I was thinking. There's a ritual we might come up with."
[22:23] <Annerose> roll 1d20+11+5
[22:23] <Serith> Annerose roll for Serith < 32 > [d20=16]
[22:23] <@Kotono> OOC: What for, Annerose?
[22:24] <Annerose> OOC: K/A for draconic blood being used in a ritual to open the underwater gate
[22:25] <@Athear> OOC: Can I do a K:P on why this hoard is setup this way?
[22:25] <@Kotono> Annerose can tell it's possible. Draconic blood is a powerful magical reagent and all that.
[22:26] <@Kotono> OOC: What would planes have to do with it, Athear?
[22:26] <@Athear> OOC: No idea! I don't really have anything else to go on. Strike the request.
[22:26] <@Athear> "I suppose we should bring a gold coin or two with us, then." Athear says.
[22:26] * Annerose nods to herself. "Even if gold doesn't work, I could make us a key. The only question is if we try to rush it today, or slepe on it."
[22:27] <@Athear> "I am still feeling light-headed from earlier, so it may not be an unwise decision to wait. But I can go, regardless."