Each bubble of water that formed moved off at its own sedate pace. Floating 2 feet above the water the bubbles floated effortlessly through narrow cavern tunnels and through widening spaces. Aramil in the lead saw the tunnel ahead disappear but the bubble of water floated down the small waterfall and continued its smooth journey. The other water bubbles followed.
The water bubbles continued their journey, deeper and deeper into the complex of tunnels and caves, side tunnels and wider openings could be seen to either side but the bubbles didn't stop.
Aramils bubble, followed by the other bubble seemed to squeeze through a narrow opening then shoot forward faster around an island on which a small building could be seen (P16). Karion and Anor noticed that Bandur and Fabiens bubbles were taking a separate course to the others but were powerless to help them. Anor saw the bubbles deposit them on a ledge before his bubble was whisked past to follow the others.
Aramil was at the top of a high waterfall, his bubble didn't slow but plunges down the torrent of water. Then it levelled out and skimmed over the surface of a huge underground lake. He was heading towards an island in its centre (P20).
Aramils bubble burst and deposited him in 5ft of water.
He waded ashore. 3 waterfalls fed the cavern. 2 he could see, the third beyond his sight. In the centre of the island was a 20 foot diameter rotating ball of water, slightly suspended from the ground. As he moved to his right slowly around the island, he observed a bubble of water forming out of the larger sphere and float off across the lake then remained motionless. Another bubble burst and Aramil was joined by Eihcra.
As he moved further he could hear some kind of chanting. He moved further, suddenly a blast of magical energy flew past him as the priestess prepared another magical attack,
Aramil quickly responded, all 4 magic missiles struck home. Aramil was struck during the battle of magics but he hit the priestess again.
Suddenly a large wall of ice 60 feet long, 20 feet high and just as thick formed across the island. The priestess satisfied she was safe started her incantation again. By this time Eihcra, Aerie and Zindra had arrived. Zindra took the trident 'Wave' out of her quiver, touching the weapon made her eyes gleam. One by one the others arrived. No one made any comment that Bandur and Fabien were missing. Aerie stepped forward, placed her hands on the ice wall and uttered a prayer to Aerdrie Faenya. The Ice Wall collapsed into water at their feet. Aramil attacked again, joined by a crossbow bolt from Karion. The priestess stopped in mid sentence just looked at the bolt protruding from her chest and collapsed in a heap, dead.
By now the group started to move around the island. Aramil sat and thought for awhile, yes now I remember.
Aramil: "It's a portal, I've seen something like it or read about it in a book at Blackstaff Tower, it's a portal to the Elemental Plane of Water."
Aramil had moved closer to the edge of the island looking into the gloom, he could hear the 3rd waterfall but not see it. He suddenly was unsure of his footing as a wave of nausea swept over him. Mind control, someone was trying to charm him!
Aramil: "There's something or someone here trying to charm me....beware!"
Tentacles ripped out of the water and struck Armamil. HE managed to dodge out of the way, as he did so he notices each tentacle had a bluish claw at the end, from which a greenish icor dripped.
Aramil: "Watch the tentacles, the claw is poisoned.....or worse!"
Garet moved to attack but his 'flying feet' dagger and sword only found air. Aerie faired little better as she took to the air and fired an arrow.
Just as quickly as it had begun the tentacle attack stopped as the tentacles disappeared back into the water. Grog cast a healing prayer on Aramil. The group took up position around the island, Aerie still airborne, covered from above.
Just as suddenly a creature burst from the water and attacked Aramil, who stood alone. He was struck severely by jagged spear like appendages. Grappled he just managed to fling his head to one side as small tentacles lashed out from the creatures mouth. He could just about taste the poison dripping from the tentacles. More healing. Karion cast a spell and the creature started to glow with a green luminescence. It took the combined efforts of several of the group to kill the 'green' creature before it collapsed into the shallows.
Garet remembered the Old Mans story at the party in Womford, freely given, freely given.
Garet: "Zindra cast the trident into the portal, end this now."
Zindra: "I offer this gift back to you of my own free will...........but I don't think I'll do that for this is mine, all mine".
Garet realised that Zindra was attuned to the trident, he thought when did that happen? She was cursed, like Bandur with his damn battleaxe curse! Aerie landed and tried to reason with Zindra. Zindra told her to look with her eyes not her hands, the trident was hers. Zindra backed away to the edge of the water.
Suddenly tentacles whipped out of the water and struck Zindra. Aerie turned to assist as Garet closed in. Zindra dived into the water, her only escape from Aerie and the tentacles. But Zindra had taken fatal injuries, her life energy was ebbing away. Aerie once more flapped her wings, in a blur sped to grab the trident, which was floating on the surface and not sinking to the bottom, weighty though it was. She made a grab for the trident half turned in mid air and flung it as hard as she could towards the portal.
She shouted out...
Aerie: "I offer this gift freely, take it back"
Aerie could only watch in horror as the 4 tentacles tried to catch the trident in mid-air. To know avail, they failed to grab it and the trident passed through the portal and back to the Plane of Elemental Water.
No sooner had the trident passed through the portal than a shock wave spread outwards from where the portal stood. The two attacking creatures where forced back into the depths and the group were knocked prone.
Aerie was the first to react, ignoring Zindra, she was airborne and cast a mass healing prayer, who was still floating face down in the water. Garet shadow stepped to Zindra, then forgot how deep the water was, he sank to the bottom some 5 feet below Zindra's floating body. Zindras eyes popped open, surprised to see Garet below her and under water, she swam to the shore.
Garet soon followed, one of the creatures was quick to react and charged Aramil who had just stood up.
Pincers slashed into his body and tossed him to one side, dying, prone. Anor and Grog rushed in.
Aerie launched and arrow, Zindra fired two, Grog and Anor both swung and hit the creature, reeling from the hits and damage it was Karion, firing his short bow, who delivered the killing blow. The arrow
sped true and buried itself deep inside the creatures armoured carcass. It flopped down with no ceremony into the water.
Grog reached over and healed Aramil with another prayer. Karion just shrugged his shoulders and turned away. Aramil wondered just how many more time he would be near to death in this God forsaken hole.
Aerie and Garet were firing arrow after arrow at the remaining creature until it too could take no more damage and succumbed to its many wounds. Karion tried to remember if he knew anything about these creatures, he couldn't. Grog looked deep in thjought, I think that one with all the tentacles is called an Aboleth, very dangerous, those blue hooks cause disease if your hit by one, uses mind control to take over a creature before it eats it. The other two are called Chull, they're nasty too. Those small tentacles in their mouth secrete a virulent poison.
The water kept receding. So much so that before long their island was a small rise in the centre of a cavern. The 3 waterfalls meant a climb of some 60 to 70 feet out of the cavern to get back to the tunnels. They sat and rested. After a short while they heard a familiar hello. Fabien and Bandur were stood at the top of the waterfall the rest had descended not so long ago in their water bubbles.
Fabien: "So....what you been up to? Doing nothing by the looks of it, just sitting around waiting for the boys to turn up, Well we're here, so what now?"
Garet just shook his head.
Aramil's bubble had really burst now.
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