The passage forks up ahead, and you've been keeping to the right hand side any time you've been presented with the option, to stay as close to the lakeside as possible. Stena moves to head in that direction, but Galingal sees a flash of movement up ahead on the right before the tunnel twists out of sight. Silence other than dripping water from both.

Sarith is either unconcious, or doing a very convincing impression of being so.

There is a paddler at the front, that you are near, a dead KT between you and Sarith, and a paddler behind him.

They are sticky and stringy, but it might be possible to break or slip free. You may decide to roll into initiative when you want.

Sarith doesn't seem to see the dagger, but perhaps if he's peeking through his eyelids and only feigning unconciousness, he might have seen it fall, but if he did, he'd have to climb over you and the dead KT to reach it.

just so i understand - could Thom attempt some escape rolls and then a grab-the-dagger roll while not in the initiative of the actual combat? Or would I need to roll initiative in order to attempt those things?

Can Thom make a check to see if he can tell if Sarith is faking dead?

Initiative to do anything besides cower, doesn't mean you're in combat just that way I have somewhere to put you so I don't end up skipping your turn or letting you do too many things before other things happen.

Gotcha, ok perfect. Well, if it's not too late (and totally understandable if it is), then here's Thom's initiative roll. 

3

If it's too late, Thom will be more than happy to cower!

Thanks Spider

Nope, not too late, essentially we just hadn't defined your spot in the turn order and were skipping it each round until you wanted to hop in. Don't think I explained it well from the jump.

The two of you move slowly along the passage, but Stena scuffs a rock and a flurry of legs and chitinous exoskeleton scurries farther into the tunnel.

Nature checks?

There's more splashing and more things being thrown or loosed at your captors, and a lot of yelling.

Thom, you may act if you wish, though your action can still be to cower if you wish!

For Thom's turn, he would like to use an action to see/actually confirm if 1. Sarith is conscious and 2. if Sarith noticed the dagger and 3. if Sarith is noticing Thom notice him. There's lots there, so I will roll a perception check if needed for all of it. Perception 24

Thom would also like to use his second wind since technically we got a short rest, yes? Here's the roll for HP. -> 5

I assume Thom's action surge is also reset because of the short rest? (he is saving that, just want to confirm he has it available)

Thanks!

Sarith doesn't seem to be faking, in which case, he's likely not noticed either you or the dagger.

You both jump to 'juvenile carrion crawler' upon seeing the many legged creature scuttle away.

Like that their ability to identify the creature was so bad that they're actually confident in what they've come up with.

blast. guy's ko'd or dead. fack.

Ok, is that Thom's turn for that 'round' then? 

There's further commotion, and Thom, you feel your boat run aground, crunching against gravel. 

Lia, yours is similarly beached, and the KTs that are paddling them are scrambling to take the fight to their assailants. More projectiles arc towards them, some of the errant ones splashing into the water, or thudding against the side of the boat.

Galingal hucks a rock, and there's a bit of scrabbly skittering, then all is silent.