Troubles in Paradise

(After counting the spells, it looks like Hansel now only has two lvl 4 spell slots)

Ten minutes passed. Nothing - and nobody - disturbed the group's peaceful rest in this beautiful place (it was beautiful - with colourful glowing corals of all imaginable shapes). Beautiful, but surprisingly empty - everyone had a chance to check it. Aside from the lighting source (that turtle "rock"), there was nothing of worth here.

"Best see where we can go from here." Davis says, matter-of-factly. He walks around the chamber, checking to see if there are any passages or doors that lead elsewhere.

Trudie would give a nod of appreciation to Hansel. While Davis does his walk about, Trudie swims over to check out the shell.

Nameless one let herself float gently to the ground. She walked over to the body and began pulling crossbow bolts out of it. She looks to Hansel, "Thank you for the healing."  To Davis and Yusko she nods, "Very impressive fighting, especially given we're underwater." 

Finally she looks to Trudie, "You are a mystery, wrapped in an enigma. Glad you're on our side." 

Matter of fact compliments awarded, she turns and goes, ready to follow Davis. 

Definitely a shell! Down to the last bamp on the shell, the look, the shape - it is not "life-like" it is as alive as any other turtle Trudie had seen in her life. An older one, about the age when wanderlust dies out and turtles return home to form the family. If not for the light emanating from the shell, there would be no doubts at all if the "rock" is an actual live sleeping (?) turtle. 

When nameless would address her, the old tort's lips would pull to an all knowing smile. "I'm wrapped in a shell darling." She'd then nod, indicating 'likewise', glad to be on the woman's side. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to unwrap this glowing shell..." She'd brush off the front of her.

"Oh... Yoohoo!" Trudie would call out, then gently tap the top of the turtle shell.

To the touch, the shell felt very much like a turtle shell too, though, Trudie did not have much time to analyze her feelings. The moment her hand meet the shell, the light began to rapidly fade away. The corals were still glowing but most likely not for long. In that soft glow, those paying attention to Trudies manipulations could see the "rock" transforming into a turtle - a bit bigger than Trudie and with a very confused look on his face. The turtle's head jerked as if sudden awakening underwater was unexpected and he was choking, but then the words of the spell, that those familiar could recognize as a water-breathing, were spoken with a slow, deep resonance - and a fully awaken and still confused turtle looked around. "Who are you? Where are we?" He slowly turned his head looking at each member of the group without fear but with a great deal of curiosity. "If you don't mind me asking," added the turtle apologetically.

They always say there are plenty of fish in the sea but sometimes one may have to search the deepest depths to find their tort in a shiny shell...

He moved almost as slow as her! "Oh my." Trudie bats her eyelashes as she'd watch and listen to the tortle. She smiles then offers her hand. "I'm Trudie."

Then the old tort gestures to the others. "I've been tagging along with these mighty adventurers." And takes it upon herself to introduce them. "This dashing young man is Hansel." She'd motion to their cleric. "Our silent, but deadly Davis." She'd nod to the large warrior. "Our efficient Yusko." The tortle would gesture to the monk. "And this lovely lady." She move up next to nameless and gives her a bump with her hip. "I call her Sugar and Spice!" Trudie chuckles before swimming back.

"We are in the deepest darkest depths of the ocean." She'd admit the obvious. "And I was drawn to your light like a moth to a flame." Her lips would pull into her 'all knowing smile'. As if the male torts manners were already rubbing off on her, she'd politely add. "May I ask your name?"

Trudie was right about slow - deliberately or not, but the freshly awakened turtle moved and talked ... without rush, let's call it like this. The most polite smile slowly appeared on his face. "My name is Vadok." (The "a" sounded a bit prolonged) He lowered his head in a short bow. "You have the most lovely names. And faces. I think I am beginning to remember now... I was on the way home to Chult, to fulfil my purpose in life and pass my knowledge to the young. Then I remember a sudden storm where nothing predicted one. The ship was drowning and I called to Eldath begging to protect the souls of the crew..." He thoughtfully slowly shook his head. "What happened then I can not tell." He looked at the group with even more curiosity "I would not presume Eldath sent you to rescue me... May I ask what brought you to this most inhospitable place?" Vadok has not seen half of it yet but probably "deepest depths" were enough to tip him about the hospitality of the surroundings.

"You broke my lantern!" The accusatory interjection came from a creature that seemed to be walking out straight from the coral wall. It looked as bizarre as the monsters you saw so far and was accompanied by two ... actually you could not say who or what it was. At first, they looked like the seals which were made of glass or water but the moment creatures stopped moving, they got lost against the background. Their nightmarish master resembled a bloated mermaid with a wide red scaly tail, bright ruby-red claws and a humanoid head with a fish-like mouth full of shark-teeth, and large, saucer-like yellow eyes. From the top of the head grew a protrusion that was shedding a pale blue light, shimmering off the scale and thick sea-weed-like "hair". In one of the clawed hands, the creature had a peculiar rod - sharp at one end and decorated with a glowing crystal on another.

"And you killed my girl." The creature pointed at the body on the coral floor. "She was useful." Yellow eyes examined everyone staring the longest at Vadok that meet the gaze with calm curiosity. "Did surface creatures come to my house to destroy it? Or kill me?"

Every time the word "kill" was mentioned, Vadok flinched a bit. Though, with the attention on the creature, it was unlikely someone would notice his discomfort.

"I expected as much." The creature did not attack, however, still studying the group with unblinking fish eyes and probably expecting some answers.

"I think that depends." Davis says, returning from his seemingly fruitless attempts to find other exits from this chamber. He stands a bit away from this new threat, eyeing them. "Are you the one sending forces to attack and sink islands?"

Yellow eyes focused on Davis as expressionless as shark's. The voice was not much better - cold monotone with just a hint of raw hatred of a hurricane, which does not care who or what to destroy. "It is time for the sea to take what is rightfully belongs to debts. The islands will sink. Your mountains will take their place at bottom of the endless sea." The "mermaid" looked at everyone again. "You can help, you can join and live here. Like my girls. They chose right. Or you die. I will use your corpses then. They can be useful too." She pointed at the shark-headed body near the "girl". "Choose." Creature crossed her arms waiting.

Vadok, meanwhile, seemed to miss the bigger part of the speech staring at the spot where "seals" had disappeared. "Amazing! I only heard about the existence of shimmering seals. To see them or, better say, not to see them with my own eyes! This is amazing!"

The Nameless girl looks around at the rest of the group, her eyes finally settling on Trudie. Silently she places her bet, yes. Trudie's reply is likely to be the most interesting. 

She thumbs her crossbow handle, the finger on the trigger, a hair away from firing upon the creature.

Hansel had to intention of staying in this cold, dark, underwater world forever, never to see the light of day or feel the breeze on his skin. He was sure the others would also rather die fighting than choose to stay here, and merely on the threat of an ugly sea monster, but also waited for Trudie or someone else to voice the group's determination...

“Vadok.” Trudie repeated before getting enraptured by the fellow turtles strikingly familiar tale. So much so, she’d fall silent outside of the occasional blink, and not always both eyes at the same time. 

Slowly her head would tilt and she’d seem to finally acknowledge the creature that appeared. It had been yammering on, something about girls and bringing down the house. Truthfully, Trudie got lost along the way. Though, she still heard the words and felt the weight of the choice resting on her shoulders. 

Choose.

“I’m flattered luv.” Old nan would fan herself. “But it’s not you. It’s me.” She’d muse. “Starting off with an ultimatum is a bit of a red flag, and that’s not the type of relationship I’m looking for right now.”

While this conversation with Vadok started, Yusko had pulled out his healers kit and begun patching himself up the rest of the way.

(Not even going to roll as it's 1d6+13 and the plus 13 alone brings to max)

As the new mermaid began speaking, Yusko began putting his pack away.  "You are right in that debts owed need to be paid " Yusko said in a very matter of fact kind of way.  He begins to swim pace and continues "I mean I could help, and then you'd be in my debt and you'd owe me right?  Lot of gold and silver and jewels and what not right?"  He stops, smiles and looks at her.  "But if you sink the world, where in the Nine Hells would I spend it?"

Nameless One grinned at the old turtle woman.  Well, that did not disappoint. Things seemed about decided...but before she pulled the trigger past it's latch point, she waited to see if the evil monster thing had anything else to say.

Davis also waits on any response from the mermaid creature.

At some point in life, every turtle's story is the same - this is their nature: to get back where you were born to give life to the next generation, teach the younglings all you learned in your travels and pass away surrounded by the loving family, knowing you did everything right. Vadok was definitely the epitome of "right"!

"Bad choice." The idyllic thoughts were interrupted by the unpleasant voice of the creature where despite the general monotonous tone, you could hear hints of annoyance. "But you have chosen. If death is what you prefer over life under the sea, so be it. The endless see can find a use for all - greedy and stupid alike. Join me in the main hall when you are ready."

The Nameless girl did not have time to pull the trigger, the creature stepped back into the corals and disappeared in it, and so did the corpses and - probably - the transparent seals. At least nothing immediately attacked anyone.

However, the creature's disappearance was not the only effect: the corals around the entrance to the room threw shoots across the space, covering the only exit with the rocky wall, that was getting thicker as you looked. It seems, "when you are ready" was meant as "when you can break out of here". 

"I don't think so..." Davis says with an anoyed grunt. he strides to the exit and slams into it with his massive shoulder...

Athletics: 26

By now, Davis returned to his normal size. Does not mean he could not assume the large form, of course, but slamming with just his medium-self shoulder felt as if he slammed it against the solid wall. Quite a spiky wall too, I should add - the armour protected him well enough but it felt like the best bet would be using some instruments or weapons to tear down the newly erected obstacle.

Obviously, the creature did not plan for you to get out of that improvised prison instantly.

"Corals," slowly nodded Vadok. "Both hard and fragile. I would recommend something blunt and heavy." By the way, the turtle himself did not carry any kind of weapon with him. "A truly inhospitable place. And creature too. It reminds me of something... some legends... Though I might be wrong. Anyway, I think to destroy corals you would need something blund."

It seemed the corals on the floor and along the walls grew a little? But the room is big and (now) not lightened that well, maybe it is just imagination.