Having 'saved' his companions he focuses on 'his' swarm grinning as much of a grin that is possible and just starts slashing carelessly at the swarming creatures. "Come and get some...."

Last Rites Attack: 28 Damage: 24 (adding Bless and Emboldened Bond, GWM power attack).

Last Rites Attack: 15 Damage: 25 (adding Bless, GWM power attack)

Divine Fury 8 - apply to the first hit

If he destroys this swarm as well he will swim ahead to help Gulp taking the chance to slash at the final swarm as well

Last Rites Attack: 26 Damage: 26 (adding Bless, GWM power attack)  (not a crit - reduce by 8)

(@MuggsHill: I believe you get an extra Brutal Critical die for that second attack, so here it is: 8)

Bubbles continues to attack savagely, defying the swarm to come at him. It takes the barbarian two more attacks to get the job done. A ray of divine light sparks from Last Rites with the first attack. A second thrust is mostly a clean up job. (Sahuagin Hatchling Swarm #2 takes 36 magical piercing and radiant damage and is DEFEATED.)

Bubbles then moves closer to the last swarm {AH-41} and unleashes one more attack. (Sahuagin Hatchling Swarm #4 takes 11 magical piercing damage.)

Gulp welcomes the assist and continues to strike at the last few enemies as well. His movements this time are almost as reckless as Bubbles'. The effort pays off and all four of the monk's strikes hit their mark. At the end of it all, only a handful of hatchlings are left alive. (Sahuagin Hatchling Swarm #4 takes 18 magical piercing and bludgeoning damage.)

(@Ori: I'll read Gulp every time you mentioned Barnacle in your last post.)

Seeing an opportunity to finish this fight, Undertow grips Shoreseeker and moves closer to the last swarm {AG-42}. With two simple slashes, the ranger cuts down the last few hatchlings. (Sahuagin Hatchling Swarm #4 takes 9 magical slashing damage and is DEFEATED.)

By the time Riptide arrives to assist its master, all enemies are already defeated.

For a moment, Sandlot thinks that he'll have to go on the offensive again, but the fight ends just before he has to make that call.

WE ARE NOW OUT OF INITIATIVE. YOU MAY DO AS YOU WILL.

As the adrenaline levels die down, the locathah keep an eye on their surroundings. Although the natural colors and lights coming from the coral in this area look just as vibrant as before, the sources of tiny movements among the coral have ceased. Those who can see farther away also report that the environment looks generally the same on the far end of this large chamber (to the northwest), including another mostly destroyed and engulfed-by-coral shipwreck.

Talking briefly and revising their options, the group lists their potential paths forward. The group can either explore the large shipwreck to the northeast, or backtrack and go down one of three other unexplored paths within the mountain.

MAP UPDATE:

"That Gar and his minions are quite the barnacles on the arse! No offense Barnacle." Gulp looked over his light but numerous injuries. "Still think he is east somewhere?" The monk looked around the empty room and squinted at the far end. "Let me just glance over there..." Gulped picked up his globe of light and moved to the entrance of the ruined ship.

(Where arrows split to 4 and 5)

Panting from the exertions of battle, Barnacle offers his thanks to his companions.

"No... Offense... Taken... Catch... You... Up... In... A... Moment..."

Reaching into a pouch, Barnacle removes an innocuous jar. Opening it, he smears a generous amount of a thick and pungent ointment over his wounds. Slowly the flesh re-knits, a paler colour than his usual skin tone.

(OOC Spending a use of Keoghtom's Ointment to heal 12 hp. Have 2 uses left.)

Shanty prods at the bite he took, and shrugs.

"Not too awful.  Onwards to the shipwreck?  Or back?"

Sandlot puts a hand to the top of his head and shook it, looking mildy exasperated after Gulp."So it would seem, Young Shanty... The shipwreck being our course... Though if given a moment, this one is... Mending I can give... to all at once." He looks to the rest. "If all are amicable that is, this one would ask.... Ten minutes, this one would need though." He admits as much.

(If all are in agreement of waiting, healing roll in spoiler

 In either event, Sandlot, having said regarding paths, would follow the majority without much more complaint.

OOC: Bubbles has been surprisingly lucky with damage, but topping him up to full HP would be welcomed...

As the last of swarm fall to the groups attacks Bubbles looks fondly at his weapon and comments on his own performance "Too easy" and then starts poking at the swarms with Last Rites to make sure they are indeed all dead as the others gather to discuss where to go next, swimming a little further into the area to investigate whether there is anything worth claiming from the area

Investigation: 9 (nope!)

At the mention of healing, Bubbles looks up from the remains of the swarms he was poking around in and then glances at the few scratches and bites he has received before nodding to Sandlot in agreement "If we can spare the time, I'll take your healing prayers"

The party takes a moment to regain their strength. While they do so, a few other things happen:

• Barnacle relieves most of his immediate pain with a timely application of his Keoghtom's Ointment. (Barnacle recovers 12 HP.)
• Bubbles celebrates the group's and his personal victories and swims toward the other end of this large chamber just in case he comes across anything that might be of interest. Apart from the marvelous colors all about, the barbarian returns to the group empty-handed.
• Shanty starts the conversation about the groups next path. Gulp says he'll collect some visual info on the shipwreck to the north before the group decides.
• Sandlot asks for less than a dozen minutes so he can pray their aches away. The time necessary for accomplishing this coincides with the time the rest of the party is using on their own investigations and conversations, so the ritual proceeds. (Undertow recovers 12 HP; Riptide recovers 12 HP; Barnacle recovers 12 HP; and Gulp recovers 12 HP.)

Here's what Gulp sees during his exploration (using passive skills and without actually entering the ship):

Front of the ship (Path 4): This half of the broken ship is wide open and seems more accessible. Lines with large hooks hang from the top of the inside, stretched from floor to ceiling and secured at either end. Large dead fish are impaled on many of these hooks. The food looks fresh.

Back of the ship (Path 5): A dense curtain of sea shells, apparently fashioned to act as a kind of doorway, block your view into the rest of this area.

Straight ahead: In between the two halves of the ship, the is a sandy path sloping steeply upward. You cannot see beyond the slope.

"Quite the quarters over there!" Reported Gulp as he swam back to get his portion of healing too. "Thanks, old friend, that's much better." He watched the scratches disappearing and continued: "Food storage, something behind some fancy curtains and a path up, all sandy and cozy. Should I be Gar, I would definitely live right there. I say we go check it".

"Doubt, this one still has.... Likely.... more sahuagin given...." Sandlot slowly looks down to the many slaughtered bodies, and cannot help but grimace. "The young.... But, come this far.... we have.... So, explore for a bit, we must... if nothing else, perhaps.... eliminate ally of Gar.... or turn them, if not...." He said, but would bow his head head solemnly at the very prospect.

(OOC: Since no one named a specific path, I'll assume the group would start with the most accessible of the option.)

After some healing and conversation, the party swims toward the large wreck to the northeast. Most of the party is peering into the front half of this large sunken ship for the first time, but Gulp points out to them what he had seen as they enter the ship proper. Lines with large hooks hang from the top of the inside, stretched from floor to ceiling and secured at either end. Large dead fish are impaled on many of these hooks. Everything looks quite dutifully maintained.

@Gulp & @Sandlot: with your high passive perception you notice thin tripwires that have been strung up throughout the area. You can only assume that they trigger some sort of device intent on protecting the fresh food stores. Undertow would have noticed them too.

Gulp raised the globe a bit, showing the tripwires and gesturing "stay away". "Good food but we have enough for now," decided he for everyone. "Want to see what's behind the curtains?" He swam to the opposite room and (watching for some kind of traps too) moved aside a few stings, though not with his hands but with the dagger.

Moving around the trip wires, Barnacle helps with a very careful look, and definitely not touching, of the contents of the room.

Investigation 6

Investigation : 1

As soon as Sandlot pieces together a reason for the wires, he bowed his head and sighed in both relief and mild disappointment. "Not here.... Good... Good, this one thinks..." He murmurs just loud enough for anyone close by to hear. Just as he's about say more aloud in hopes of guiding the group elsewhere, seeing them move on for the curtain, he frowned a little, but wouldn't deny them their investigations.

He'd just follow in their wake, keeping a more active ear and current sensors out for any signs of returning owners or Gar on approach.. with a little guidance from Eldath. Though with the latter's shown ability to move through the coral itself, Sandlot wouldn't hold out much hope.

Perception: 15. (Roll includes guidance.)

DM's Screen:

Gulp and Sandlot do their best to point out the tripwires. While the cleric stay for a while longer, the monk soon turns his attention to the other half of the shipwreck. Gulp swims in that direction and lightly pushes aside with his dagger the curtains that have been strung up to act as a kind of doorway. Peering inside, past the dense curtain of sea shells, he sees that the area has been modified to provide comfortable accommodations. Two hammocks are strung across the back of the chamber to serve as underwater beds, and a variety of hooks have been driven into the walls with netting attached to serve as shelving. Entering and looking about in a cursory manner, Gulp sees a slew of interesting items hanging from hooks or caught in the many pieces of netting. The monk fails to take in or even understand many of what he sees initially, mostly because his eyes linger on two of the strange items in particular. The first one is a tiny sketch portrait of a goblin, pressed on both sides by glass as to be protected from the water. The second item is a properly framed sheet of parchment upon which is drawn a complex mechanical contraption.

Back in the food storage half of the wreck, the rest of the party continues to look about. Barnacle ventures deeper into the front of the ship, being as mindful as he can concerning the tripwires. That said, it soon becomes clearer to an observant Sandlot that the fighter is not fully aware of all of the trap triggers. Half a second after the cleric catches a glimpse of a pair of small ballistae, so far obscured by large hanging chunks of fresh fish, Barnacle leans forward a bit to eagerly while trying to examine an iron pot. A trip wire snaps and two robust bolts rush toward the party.

-> Rolling for secondary target (alphabetical order), which can be anyone except Barnacle (primary target) and Gulp (in a different chamber): 2

-> Ballistae Trap vs. Barnacle: Attack: 28 Damage: 47

-> Barnacle's CON saving throw {DC 12}: 23

-> Ballistae Trap vs. Riptide: Attack: 24 Damage: 21

-> Riptide's CON saving throw {DC 12}: 24 

With two separate loud thuds, Barnacle and Riptide are violently impaled and thrown against the wooden ship. The octopus is only caught in one of its tentacles, but the locathah is hit in the gut. There are, nonetheless, some silver linings in it all. First, whatever nastiness the bolts were laced with does not seem to have an effect on the injured duo. Second, all other tripwires in the "room" went slack once the trap was triggered. (Barnacle takes 47 piercing and poison damage; Riptide takes 21 piercing and poison damage.)

The party stands with mouths agape for a second, trying to understand what just happened.

"By the sharks, what are you doing back there?!" Gulp swam out of the cozy room as fast as he could. He looked at Barnacle, at the bolts, covered with something obviously unhealthy, and click his tongue, "Headless mackerel! Who keeps poison with the food!" He searched his backpack for a few short moments and produced the vial, filled with crimson liquid regularly pulsing with dull light. Gulp offered the vial to Barnacle "Here, helps to stop the poison." Then he pointed to the other room "Someone should check the other room. Don't know why Gar keeps a goblin's portrait in there - his teacher, maybe? - but there are some schemes and ... something in there. No traps, though."

Whether others decided to check on the other room or not, Gulp himself curiously checked on the food. Must be helluva food, to take such precaution to protect it!

Perception: 11  Investigation : 15

Shanty sighs, and moves forward to check out the mechanical contraption.  He'll try to remember if he'd heard anything about it before.

History: 18