Chapter 4: The Waters of Menehune

Regan stands up and walks into the cavern, eyes alert and weapons ready.

The sahuagin guard (S5) that Regan walks past is surprised by the knight's sudden and bold entrance. It awkwardly raises its trident-like spear and follows behind Regan. With it's attention on Regan, it does not notice Cordey and Admiral's quick movement into the hall.

Regan stands firmly and states:

"You, musician, do you take requests? Do you know, 'The Day the Hag Died?' I love that one."

The Fossergrim, still under the hag's enchantment, looks at Regan with a mixture of confusion and concern. His devotion to the hag is evident in his eyes, yet there is a flicker of doubt as he hears Regan's words.

The fey replies, "Stranger, you do not understand the beauty and majesty of my queen. She is the light in the darkness, the beacon of my existence. I would never play her such a ghastly tune about a dying hag."

Despite Regan's request and his own chains, the Fossergrim returns to playing his violin after responding to Regan, though his music now carries a hint of tension. The soulful melody that once filled the cavern is now tinged with a sense of unease.

Turning his attention to the hag herself, Regan continues. "So, there's a small problem. Seems like that area outside was a popular play area for a group of kids before some hideous old bag chased them out. I'm here to "ask" you to give it back to the kids and be on your way."

A grin creeps across the mans face as he spins his hammer, still moving forward. "Please say no."

The hag's eyes narrow with a mixture amusement and slight irritation. Her beautiful facade almost falters as she returns a sinister grin that envelopes her facade of beauty. She regards Regan:

"You insolent wretch! Do you not think I was expecting you?" she taunts as she pets the octopus at her feet. "You dare to mock me in my own domain? Your bravado will be your undoing. As a testament to your foolishness my guards will tear you apart and cook you in the fire. Your bones will join the others after I enjoy your tasty flesh."

She gestures sharply to the Sahuagin guards. "Seize the fool! Show him the true power of your beautiful queen!"

Two Sahuagin guards (S3, S4) move to flank Regan, their weapons at the ready, while the hag leans back on her throne, a sinister smile playing on her lips as she watches the unfolding confrontation. She gestures to her other two guards (S1, S2) to protect the stairs to her throne.

Meanwhile, with the guards' attention on Regan, Admiral, with his feline agility, is able to stealthily dart across the length cavern chamber, slipping through the guards that move to protect the stairs to the hag's throne dais. At the same time, Cordey is able to haul the heavy mirror deep into the hall, only feet away from the fire pit.

The hag hisses at the site of Cordey hauling the mirror into the center of the chamber and her eyes go wide as Admiral appears before her.


Stats
Admiral--Current HP: 36, Temp HP: 5, Spell Slots: 2/2, PP: 0/4, Pact Tally: 53/400. HD, 0d8
Regan--Current HP: 39, Temp HP: 6, Warlock Spell Slots: 2/2, Pact Tally: 0/150, HD: 0d10, 3d8
Cordey--Current HP: 42, Temp HP: 0, SD: 4/4, HD: 3d10

S1 -- HP: 22
S2 -- HP: 22
S3 -- HP: 22
S4 -- HP: 22
S5 -- HP: 22
Hag -- HP: 130, Hexblade Curse
Octopus -- HP: 10

"Good luck, boys," Regan says with a smile, glancing at the sauhagin on either side of him as his form begins to waver and shift.

Admiral tries not to obstruct the hag’s view of the mirror as he steps in close and slashes at her with Reaver.

Huge Cordey with his 200# of mirror charges forward to the Hag.

THE ACTION:

Regan, shifting and wavering, attempts to slip by the Sahuagin guards (S3, S4). Confused, they swipe at his blurred form as he passes. As he shifts quickly past them, they cannot seem to make out exactly where the solid parts of him are. Consequently, their weapons swing only at the air.

Cordey rushes the rest of the way across the hall carrying the heavy mirror. His charge through the guards between him and the hag (S1, S2) results in his large body easily knocking the two aside as if they were just tiny wooden pins in a game of ninepins. One stumbles backward and the other falls to the cave floor. Despite the fact that Cordey tries to keep the mirror safe in the charge, it does take some of the brunt of the blow. Cordey hears a loud cracking sound (not a shattering sound though) as the mirror pushes aside a sahuagin. The hag, hearing it too, laughs at the sound and waving her hand her throne made of seaweed begins to shift. Animated tendrils begin to extend from the throne and start to form into a protective barrier around her. Some move to cover her face and eyes.

Cordey, continuing past the guards, leaps up the staircase in nearly one step and lands in front of the hag just as Admiral swipes at the witch with Reaver. A seaweed tendril blocks Reaver from making contact to her. Her laughter intensifies. The seaweed growing around the edges of the dais also begins to shift and animate menacingly toward Admiral and Cordey.

"Get them!" the hag howls at the sahuagin.

THE GUARDS RESPOND:

Sahuagin 1, who remained on its feet after Cordey's charge, rushes up the stairs and attacks Cordey. Cordey knocks aside its spear, but it manages to scrape him with its claws. (Cordey 3 damage.) The other picks itself up off the cave floor.

Sahuagin 3, rushes on the heels of Regan and and tries to pokes at his blurred figure with a spear and swipe at it with its claw. Again the creature cannot make sernse out of Regan's position and misses both attacks.


Stats
Admiral--Current HP: 36, Temp HP: 5, Spell Slots: 1/2, PP: 0/4, Pact Tally: 53/400. HD, 0d8
Regan--Current HP: 39, Temp HP: 6, Warlock Spell Slots: 2/2, Pact Tally: 0/150, HD: (0d10, 3d8), Blur
Cordey--Current HP: 39, Temp HP: 0, SD: 4/4, HD: 3d10

S1 -- HP: 22
S2 -- HP: 22
S3 -- HP: 22
S4 -- HP: 22
S5 -- HP: 22
Hag -- HP: 130, Hexblade Curse, Hex
Octopus -- HP: 10

Regan will continue moving towards the stairs, until he realizes a sahaugin guard is in his way. The man attempts to remove the obstacle blocking his path with a swing of his hammer.

Admiral snarls as the seaweed deflects his blade. Glancing over his shoulder, he sees that Cordey has managed to get the mirror up to the dais, but that the hag is still shielding herself with the seaweed. He takes a few steps back from the throne, toward the pile of bones, and, with a flick of his sword, strikes at her with a crackling flash of lightning.

Admiral's lash of lightning energy grabs hold of the hag as her protective seaweed barrier is still forming around her. It rips her off her throne and pulls her toward Admiral who shifted to the edge of the dais near the bones. The astonished witch gasps as lightening pulls her between Cordey and Admiral on the platform. (Hag 3 damage)

Huge Cordey alertly rotates the enchanted mirror so the evil Hag may grasp the ugly sight of her own self in it.

The fossergrim--who had stopped playing when he realized Regan with two others rushed his mistress on her throne--starts to protest while pulling on his chains, "What foul play do you intend for my beautiful queen!?"

...

The hag gasps in horror as she realizes she has looked into the mirror and seen her true grotesque form.

"I command you to..," continues the fossergrim, but he cuts short his words as the hag's disguise begins to fade.

She screams, "No! No! This can't be!" and her composure shatters. "You! You changed the mirror back! You did this to me!" She seethes with anger, focused on Admiral and Cordey, as her facade of beauty fades and is replaced by her true grotesque hag form.

She raises her hands and screeches a hideous call that feels like it rips directly into ones mind. The octopus responds to the hag's screech and slips off the dais; its tentacles pulling itself quickly toward the cavern lake.

The sahuagin are confused. They lower their weapons and stand lost and dumbfounded.

With a hissing show of her teeth the hag continues to raise her arms into the air. The lake to the left of the dais begins to wave and rise, seemingly in response to the movement of her arms. It appears she is flooding the cavern!

The seaweed on the edge of the dais and the seaweed that makes up the throne becomes even more animated.

A long seaweed tendril lashes out from the throne at Cordey and wraps around the big elf's waist. (Cordey takes 3 damage and must make a DC 12 STR check to avoid being grappled)

A patch near the stairs tries to shackle Regan's ankles. He kicks the seaweed away before it can get a grip.
A patch near the bones tries to grapple Admiral's arms. He is able swipe it aside with his blade.

Admiral hears the muffled annoyed sarcastic voice of the imp from his bag. Its intonation fluctuates as Admiral shifts to deflect seaweed and the orb bounces in the bag. "Oh. Great well thought out plan, these geniuses. Might as well just hand me back to the witch. I bet the fools let her pet slip away into the water."


Stats
Admiral--Current HP: 36, Temp HP: 5, Spell Slots: 1/2, PP: 0/4, Pact Tally: 53/400. HD, 0d8
Regan--Current HP: 39, Temp HP: 6, Warlock Spell Slots: 2/2, Pact Tally: 0/150, HD: (0d10, 3d8), Blur
Cordey--Current HP: 36, Temp HP: 0, SD: 4/4, HD: 3d10

Seaweed 1 -- HP 50 (Attacked Cordey)
Seaweed 2 -- HP 50 (Attacked Regan)
Seaweed 3 -- HP 50(Attacked Admiral)
Seaweed 4 -- HP 50

Hag -- HP: 130, Hexblade Curse, Hex (STR)
Octopus -- HP: 10

These sahuagin are confused and not currently taking action:
S1 -- HP: 7
S2 -- HP: 22
S3 -- HP: 22
S4 -- HP: 22
S5 -- HP: 22

"We get all of them." Regan's tone makes it clear -- it wasn't a question.

He hops down and heads toward the octopus, almost feeling bad as it pulls itself along.

Almost.

As the pesky seaweed tries to hold onto strong Cordey, he places the cumbersome mirror next him as he forcibly releases his huge self from the entangling seaweed. As he breaks away for gripping mess, he quickly traverses the soon to be flooded floor to quickly close in on the evil Hag while drawing up his faithful cutlass.

He doesn't have the required time to quickly chase down the pesky dry land octopus pet as much as he wishes to. Future thoughts to hard press squeeze the slimy octopus till it fully stops squirming pass though his simple mind.

LOL. He probably only moved 5' or 10' and there was no circumnavigating (gotta love that word). I took a few moments to get my records of his HP right with yours. Mine was faulty.

Seeing that Regan is taking care of the octopus, Admiral focuses on the hag. Reaver bites deep into the hag’s flesh and, within moments, the wound begins to fester with necrotic magic.