Chapter 4: The Waters of Menehune

The sentinel manages to knock aside Reaver, while the Defender Blade sinks into a soft area of seaweed---doing no damage.

Cordey's cutlass and Regan's hammer manage to land firm spots and the seaweed creature sputters in reaction to the blows. (seaweed: 25 damage)

JIn fires two bolts of Eldritch energy into the mass, while Tasya pulls her shortbow and aims an arrow between the the others at the creature. (Seaweed: 36 damage)

Upon the barrage of blows from the party, the animated hulk of seaweed mass makes a desperate heave, shooting dozens of tendrils out from its bulk. They shoot toward the party but instead fall short as the creature releases a final bellow and its hulk sinks into a wet oozy carpet of seaweed on the tunnel entrance floor. Under the mundane effects of gravity, slimy seaweed rolls and spreads between the feet of Regan, Cordey, Admiral, and Jin.

The tunnel beyond the limp seaweed carpet is dark and foreboding.

"Now we can see what is beyond." as huge Cordey puts away his cutlass.

"Yep!" Admiral hops across the dead seaweed and into the dark tunnel beyond.

"Say, Regan," he says, looking back over his shoulder at Regan as he begins to lead the way through this new tunnel. "This is perhaps not the best time for chit chat, but I’ve been meaning to ask you about your hammer. I saw you vanish it earlier, just like my sword does." He flips the older, more weathered of his two swords over in his hand and it vanishes into thin air, as a demonstration. He resummons the sword and tilts his head at Regan, curious. "Where’d you get it?"

Regan gets into his pack, and goes about lighting a new torch before he moves into the darkness behind the seaweed. As he does so, he shrugs. "Part of a deal struck while I was escaping slavery. A means to an end, if you will."

With that, the torch sputters to light and bathes the area in its warm glow. Nodding in satisfaction and clutching the warhammer in question in his dominant hand, Regan steps through the opening the seaweed was guarding.

"Oh?" says Admiral, clearly interested in hearing more if Regan is willing to share it. "What kind of deal?"

"A deal that provided me enough power to allow me to escape."

Admiral forges ahead deeper into the tunnel as he continues the conversation. "Sure, but a deal implies two sides. What did you offer in exchange?"

"For many beings, belief and power are the same. As word of my actions spreads, its power will grow. That said, I could ask you the same."

"Aye, you could," says Admiral. "But I didn’t strike a deal. I inherited one. Reaver used to belong to my captain. I don’t know what kind of deal he made or if he even made it — maybe he inherited it too. He spoke, sometimes, of the blade’s master, but he never said who or what that was or what they wanted."

Regan chuckles. "I'd be wary... some beings will argue you also inherited the debt along with it. May be something to look into at some point."

"Oh, I’m certain I did," Admiral replies. "I can feel it sometimes. The debt. That’s why I was curious about yours. I thought you might know more about these kinds of deals."

"Not really. I just know I was out of options, and when one presented itself I jumped at it... but I still tried my best not to swap one slavery for another," Regan recounts as they move through the tunnel. "I guess time will tell, eh?"

On Regan's words, only time will tell, the party comes to a tunnel fork.

The air past the defeated seaweed sentinel has been more humid and and carries a briny aroma. Slimy and moist tunnel walls are spotted with a variety of green, brown, and black algae, some of which emit a dim ethereal glow.

At the fork, not too far down the left and right tunnels, the party can see--the humans seeing vaguely by torchlight--long kelp like plant life growing off the walls; the plants wave back and forth as if underwater, although there is no sign of water being present.

"That's weird. Not sure if its our path, or a misdirect... let's go find out."

With that, Regan looks between the two tunnels a few times and shrugs. He heads off down the right-most tunnel, holding the torch high and his hammer at the ready.

Admiral follows Regan down the right-hand path. "I sure wish we'd thought to ask those kids for a map..."

"Now that is rather unexpected. This place is much larger than I thought it to be." He follows along ever so ready for action. His hazel eyes watching for movement.

The group follows Regan's lead and takes the right tunnel.

As each walks by the kelp like plants on the tunnel walls--that seem to by waving as if moved by water current--the plants wave in response to the party's passing as if the party's movement is displacing water and effecting the plants' movement. A few of the plants sprout a number algae limbs as the party walks by. The limbs extend out in the direction of each passersby.

The tunnel bends ahead. Around the bend it appears the amount of plants waving on the wall increases significantly.

Admiral narrows his eyes at the kelp sprouting from the walls up ahead. "Let’s proceed carefully and try not to touch the walls, aye? I don’t like the look of that kelp."

"It looks like the vile one has touched here." He keeps alert has drawn out his cutlass for action.

Weapons drawn, on alert, the party proceeds carefully around the tunnel bend into the area of dense kelp. At first, the plants do nothing but wave in imaginary water. But when Admiral--who took the lead through--makes it to the center of the dense area a bloom of spores are released with a hiss that fills the tunnel the party walks through.