Malibran prays for healing as he floats. Somehow, his prayers are answered (+22 hp). He looks for anyone needing help to surface, but Xale, Hallagad, and Rool are still managing to keep their heads above water. Rool hangs on to the side of Risdac's heavily loaded boat, bringing it dangerously close to tipping. “Risdac,” Rool says to the misshapen giant, “Move the boat back towards the ledge, so I can get out of the water.” But Riscac paddles forward, toward the center passage. He hands a potion of levitation to Tanner, along with a lecture. Tanner keeps his opinions to himself.
While Rool paddles his boat (Tanner in it and and Rool hanging on to it) toward the center passage, Malibran looks for someone to help push him in that direction. The Flying Servant calmly (dice roll) obliges, pushing Malibran along as he flies above the boat.
Hallagad treads water and asks if they should go toward the center passage. He moves neither fore nor aft.
Odilo and Xale make for the ledge—Xale swimming, an odd sight in his magical armor, but making reasonable progress without his pack. Odilo rises to the ceiling and pushes his way along with his staff against the ceiling. The reach the ledge and climb up onto dry land—or float above it, in Odilo's case.
Moment later, a 20' high wall of violet flames appears right behind them. The wall hovers just above the water's surface, sending plumes of oily grey steam rising into the air, and blazes with a crackling heat that gently warms Odilo and Xale thanks to their magical rings. It's almost as if they were equipped in anticipation of being attacked by fire!
On the other side of the wall of fire, the forward party gets problems of its own. A long, serpentlike scaled thing with razor-sharp teeth surfaces from the water ahead.
It breathes a blast of boiling water up at the flyers Malibran (-6 HP) and Khogeki (save made; no damage).
To either side of them and a little below two vulture-man things appear on ledges, one on either side of the corridor, 20' above the water.
One points to Malibran and The Flying Servant. Malibran plummets, his levitation dispelled, splashing down into the water (-2 HP). He starts to sink. The other vulture-man lobs something directly at Risdac's boat. Both creatures hurry back to the rear of their ledges just in time for a ball of fire to fill the corridor. Everyone manages to shield themselves against the worst of the blast. Rool's ring furthers blunt the effects of the fire. Malibran, already under water, avoids it entirely (Risdac, Tanner: -13 HP; Rool: -6 HP; Khogeki, Malibran: no damage).
Just a few feet behind them, a toad-like face, two feet wide, emerges from the water. It smells like overfull outhouses, rotting corpses, and fear.
(Rool, Risdac, Tanner, Malibran: please save vs. paralysis. Failure means you gag and retch and are unable to attack. Success means -2 on attack and initiative).
Even as he tries to avoid depositing his lunch in the murky water—not that it would affect the quality of the water much—Rool feels something weird in the water. Big and weird. It—whatever it is—brushes against his leg. The water under Risdac's boat rises up in an 8' tall wave and overturns the boat, dumping Risdac and Tanner into the murky pool. Tanner starts to sink, pulled down by his heavy gear.
The frog thing attacks Risdac with gnashing teeth and grasping claws. In its frenzy, it bites its own arm and claws its tongue (2 fumbles, 16 points damage)! It roars in fat-tongued anger.
Hallagad, not to be left out, is punched in his underwater gut by...something (-13 HP).
It seems that all Hell has finally broken loose.
Actions?
Battle map (rough):
Status: Malibran (H LG C20[13](Pholtus)): 59/90; Khogeki (H LN M17): 51/78; Odilo (1/2E NG MU17): 25/54; Xale (D NG C14[9](Dalt)/F13): 35/75; Risdac (Giant NG MU17): 29/58; Tanner (H CG F19): 94/107; Rool (H LN T20): 50/85; Hallagad (H LG P15(Pelor)): 63/93
Effects: Levitate (Malibran): dispelled; Levitate (Odilo): 7.9 turns; Fly (Khogeki, ring)
Light Sources: Continual light coin (Tanner); Continual light dagger (Odilo)