Troubles in Paradise

Grandma took her time to get up and mosey her way through the quarters, eventually being picked up and settled into her room. She made herself comfortable where they happened to have set her down, content smile on her face all along. Once out of sight and in her own space, Trudie would pull out her pipe and pack it. Snapping her fingers, she'd light it and take a deep inhale, holding it in, then exhaling a large thick cloud. She'd wheeze, then cough, patting her chest. A satisfied grin pulls at her lips and eyes.

Settled into a crosslegged position, puffing away, the old druid would waft the smoke around her, making it dance and swirl with a mix of her magic. She'd play with it, making gestures grand and small. Trudie would allow her instincts to take her through her preparation, expressing her thoughts through magic and smoke. Visual representation allowed her to work through them, sifting through what best felt right for the situation, taking into consideration what skills the others displayed. Old nan wanted to compliment these mighty warriors and be adaptable to the environment.

Trudie managed to remember to conjure herself some fresh berries before slipping into her meditative transition. Having eventually toppled over from falling into a slumber, she'd wake up amongst the pile. Ouu! Perhaps still fresh enough to keep through the first leg of their mission. Finding herself on her back, the Old Tort would feel around for her staff. It was out of reach. Thankful for a good rest, she'd have to dip into her early morning energy, it was literally time to rock and roll. It'd take a second, but she'd gain enough momentum to get herself back up onto her feet. Upon her success, she'd perk, having a little pep in her step to retrieve her staff and supplies before making her way for the door.

After finding herself out of a walk in closet, Trudie would eventually navigate herself to the right way out of her room. A potentially concern servant would find her, ushering her along to catch up with the others. "Oh! That breathing bucket..." She'd go to turn back around to go back to get it. Her assistant would send another nearby coworker to fetch it for her. "Why thank you dear." They'd tuck it under her arm.

Grandma Trudie would arrive just in time for the Doctor to make his declaration. Oh my. She'd grin, padding her way over to the group. "No one's touched me like that in years." Musing mostly to herself, she'd chuckle taking in the scene unfolding as she made her way over.

Having to take a double look at the not-so-bus-girl Nan would smile warmly. "Lookit you, sugar and spice!" She'd pivot to take a closer look at the confident woman with genuine glee. "How nice!" Then as if noticing something at the corner of her eyes, Trudie would lick her thumb and reach up to the woman. "You got a little shmootz there luv... Lemme get that for ya..."

Hearing a gentle splash of Hansel into the water, Trudie would turn. "Oh! Is it time to dip?" Pitter patter!

"Funny." Davis says, clearly assuming the physical, and signing of paper, were but a joke. he dons his own helmet, then steps up to the side of the ship. With two members already in the water, and one in full plate as well, he sighs and steps over. I would imagine he sinks like a rock... Let me know.

Davis did not sink. Maybe it was the magic of the helmets (Brados did not exaggerate the usefulness of them a bit!), but both he and the young cleric in shining metal suit found themselves feeling lighter and more maneuverable underwater. Swimming in these warm (at the top at least) full of sunshine waters felt almost like a flight, as if natural gravitational pull lost its hold over the bodies. Needless to say, not-a-bus-girl in her lighter version of the armour plate covering and completely un-armoured Yusko felt light like feathers in the gentle breeze. And if Grandma Trudie ever wandered about her sea-born relatives, she learned the immense pleasure of free movement in absolutely any direction with no "up" or "down" to restrict you.

Well, there was "down", of course, though far below you. The sun rays could barely get that far but you could figure out the sea bottom still. The smooth like the top of the table surface stretched endlessly to the east, north and south, but to the west, you could see the dropoff, the side of the trench Kalis mentioned. It did not take long to reach that side but only to find out, that you can not see even half the way into it (or was it a third? a tenth? there was no way to tell). However, you found the source of the strange darkness, that "dark water" the captain of Relentless pointed you. It was coming from the trench, like a pillar of black ... on the surface, you would say "smoke" but here it looked like a dark cloud, that neither dispersing nor mixing with surroundings in any way. It was possible to see through that darkness, but at this level, all you could see (within promised 60ft) is more dark water. Lifeless but seemingly harmless by itself. If there was something here, it was waiting for you deep down, in the cold darkness below.

Not a bus girl attempted to speak to the others. “Does this work?”

Actually, it does. The sound is deeper and more voluminous, but it carries around seemingly better than on the surface. Maybe too good, even? Considering most of the creatures around here (and you saw quite a few) are silent (to your ears).

"It does." Davis says, his head on a swivel as he looks for possible water-based threats. He nods to the trench ahead, and the pillar of darkness rising from it. "Looks like we have our destination... Are we ready?" He looks to the others, then would nod if they confirm their readiness, then he would move on down into the trench.

After having put away his papers and jumping into the water, Yusko jumped in a the later.  It took him a moment of flailing around in the water with the helmet before he figured out the proper way to move with it.  Soon thereafter, he was was snaking his way through the water at incredible speeds until he caught up to the others.  

The nameless girl swam forward smoothly and quietly through the water, difficult to spot with her cloak matching the surroundings.  "Perhaps I shall roam ahead a bit. I may be able to spot any enemies before they spot us."  Without waiting for a response, she swims ahead of the group, trying to stay close to the trench wall where she can use the shadows and terrain to hide.  She'll proceed about 60 feet ahead of the group, just at the edge of their vision. 

Stealth : 25 

Perception : 12

Wow, look at her go... Hansel says admiringly to the others as the busgirl swims away... or rather... don't... because... I can't see her. Did anyone catch her name?

The girl-in-the-cloak disappeared for the group, invisible from above against the ocean floor (and from below, against the sunlit surface). She was not that invisible from the sides but the group was not looking from the sides either. Yet, the "six" sense the girl used to rely on, was telling her, that in this darkness and silence creatures should have developed some other ways of sensing surroundings, and that group most likely did not have these senses.

The dark cloud had quite clear bothers: there was some space between the face of the cliff wall of the trench and the "column", and then the "wall of darkness" continued into the trench. Which was quite wide, by the way, with no way of telling how far the opposite wall is. 

For a while, you could swim down along that bother, but once the seafloor shelf was left behind and you submerged fully into the trench, the light died out, taking away the shadows, the no-a-bus-girl was counting on. It was only darkness now with the only difference between the "dark pillar" and the water outside is the myriads of small flickering moving lights here and there as if you were swimming through the thin clouds of fireflies. It was cold too. The magic of the helmet protected you but the realization that all that is standing between you and the tons of ice-cold water of the deep is the light helmet on your head added to the sense of vulnerability. You could see in front of you, true, but there was nothing to look at, only blackness above, below, to the sides, with a clear feeling, that one extra move away and you would lose sight of your companions, and get lost in this emptiness forever. 

After minutes of this scary descend, the feeling of "being watched" became almost unbearable, and the scouting girl could sear she saw some movement in the "darkness" (at this point that name for the pillar was pretty much pointless). Something was there, no, not something - someone. Big, and not alone.

(In short: you have not reached the bottom of the trench where the "darkness" is coming from but there is something lurking in the "darkness")

The nameless girl awaits the other to join her, and then motions for them to be silent.  She casts a spell upon the group...Pass Without Trace and says, "I'm going to scout just a ways into the darkness...."  She moves towards the wall of darkness, sneaking as best she can in this underwater domain, and tries to figure out if she can see into the darkness or if it's just going to be blind / pitch black.

With the magical sight, it makes no difference whether the party looks through the "darkness" or the naturally dark waters. Hard to compare, though - the trench wall is in the normal water, and the only object visible in the "darkness" at this level is that shadows. But you have a feeling the promised darkvision works fine in the "darkness".

She scouts 50 feet ahead of the rest of the group as she heads straight into the darkness. 

Trudie padded on behind the others, putting on her helmet in haste, she'd close her eyes and prepare to hit the water. It never came. "Forgetting a passenger calls for a poor report to Lyft..." She'd muse outloud to herself with a low chuckle. Bending at her knees and lifting her arms high, the old tort would limber up and with a final wiggle of her bottom, she'd leap step off the ship. "Cannon ball!" She'd exclaim with arms and legs wide. Misjudging the height of the boat, she'd hit the water fast. Belly flop. She still made quite the splash!

Once in the water, Trudie moved with ease and grace compared to when she's out of water. "Wee! I 20 years younger..." She'd do loop de loops and spins before eventually settling into a glide. The buoyancy relieved pressure on her old bones and it took less effort for her to move around in the water. After some time her head would turn side to side. It was dark. Like dark, dark. She double checked to make sure she opened her eyes. Check. The druid expected darkness, but this was odd even for the sea. She should at leas be able to see the others next to her, right? Going to give her head a scratch, she'd remember the helmet. She'd turn it around. "Oh, much better." Now she could see the others. No matter how much she squinted though, she couldn't find Sugar and Spice.

While stationary, Trudie would try her hand at analyzing their environment. Perhaps they couldn't see anything, but that doesn't mean that she can't find them if she didn't try. She'd hum a druidic tune to herself. First she'd do a full scan of her surroundings for any danger that may have been missed, before moving on to other thoughts. Next, if she can't see anything, she would be figuring what creature they may be able to expect to run into, in most likelihood. She also wondered if there was any hint of vegetation within reach, perhaps some seaweed or something they may be able to expect deeper into their travels.

Perception: 21 + Guidance: 14
Nature: 10 + Guidance: 14 

Whoops...
G1: 4 G2: 2

(Oh, had to say it: if you happen to know anything about marine biology (or any "ology", really), please, forget it right now. Suffice to say that corals here are considered plants. So, that will pass for vegetation)

Trudie did not get lost. The less stealthy group formed a quite visible small school of adventurers and was swimming not that far ahead. Seawater, though returned that lightness and nimbleness of youth did not add more senses, long lost in the evolution of turtle folk. Still, Trudie found out that her eyesight is above perfection and she could listen quite well. Oh, and the upper waters were teeming with life! The lower too, actually, though a bit more sparse. "The life" was keeping its respectful distance from unfamiliar creatures, and fortunately was represented by small fish, a few giant jellyfish (pretty death was floating far away) and - most importantly - not by the sharks. At least now, but you knew perfectly well, that the apex predators of the ocean are somewhere around.

It was too deep here for seaweed to grow but in the trench, the group eventually lowered to the level where first deep-sea corals could be found. The dark vision allowed to make up the shape of these delicate creatures, leaving the colours invisible, but they were here and Trudie could enjoy the view.

When "the girl" left others to pretend to be some innocent part of the trench wall and carefully moved into the "darkness", she found out that a) she could still see them, b) "the darkness" could see them too. Five pairs of eyes were scanning the area where the group was floating, clearly aware of the group's existence in this area. The eyes belonged to the four heavily armed sahuagin and a shark of enormous size.

Perception: 10, 19, 7, 8, 7

Please, everyone, Stealth check.

(If you plan to hide)

Hansel's initial delight at the ability to glide through the water so effortlessly becomes tempered as they moved deeper and darker, until he falls quite silent. The worst thing about this darkness, is that no-one can see me! he thinks to himself. When the warning comes from the busgirl, Hansel whispers: Okay, shall we just wait here then, er... sorry, didn't catch your... but before he can finish the girl swims away again. Hansel does his best to stay quiet after that...

Stealth (with disadvantage from armor): 4 +10

Nameless one stealth : 34

Davis stealth: 14

Davis follows the not-a-bus-girl into the darkness, staying back enough to let her scout, but trying to keep close enough to be of assistance if she ran into trouble.

Everyone seemed to be diving straight into the darkness.  It was a trap of course.  If there isn't some place to hide, you alter the environment or create a distraction to be able to hide.  This was that, but Yusko was also adept at concealing himself.  Confident, he swam down into the darkness.

Stealth 13