Malachi is thankful for the rope to help keep their footing as they trudge through the shop. He is drawn by the strange collection of artifacts, particularly the religious charms.  He was not particularly religious himself, but he knew the value of playing a role when necessary and the value others often placed upon them.  “This..this is the shop we need to open in Talmouth, Samir. Imagine what we could sell in a store like this in the city, including your family’s wares.  We will open the gateway to a thousand worlds to the townsfolk.”

The sound of running water distracts him from his sightseeing and he moves to the back of the store to investigate the source.

Samir blinks, his attention pulled from a particular gizmo on a nearby shelf, one that he was almost certain wasn't capable of actually doing anything aside from looking like it did. Malachi's comment brings a partial smile to his face, a subtle reminder of what had gotten them all into this series of events and what might await them afterwards. 

"I would hope that most wares that we might sell would be somewhat more... authentic, however."

Hearing what seemed  to be running water ahead of them, Samir tightens his grip on the rope and calls out. "Hello? Is anyone here? Do you need help?"

Joren is taken aback at the Khorinian funeral mask, perhaps more even so than by the dagger with the emblem from his homeland.  A Khorinian soldier may have worn this mask in death because they fought someone like me.  Someone like me or... me.

The thought is strange and sobering.  Enough to distract him from getting a good look at the source of the water ahead.  Perception:  6

Continuing to growl curses at himself under his breath, he sees that the others have noticed some of the other pieces in the store, especially Ashley being drawn to the dolls, and realizes that he is not alone in his feelings of being reminded of a past phase in life.

Shaking it off, Joren grips the rope and sends his echo ahead towards what he thinks is the source of the water.

Ashley turns around as she hears Joren growl cursing to himself and she reaches over and squeezes his upper arm.  "What an odd store, isn't it?  Sure does flood the mind with memories..."  and she joins the rest as Samir shouts out for anyone to respond.

Feeling the brief warmth of Ashley's hand on his arm, Joren turns and flashes a hint of the childish smile he had worn after drinking the goat's milk she had offered him just outside Tibben.  Before the Shield Pass and all the horrors that had followed after.  "Yes.  I was just remembering things long past... as you were too I am guessing."  Gathering his thoughts, he stops grumbling and cursing and steadies himself.

His focus returned, he whispers:  "Does anyone see any hazards or the source of the water?"  He steps forward carefully, echo always 30' ahead.

Malachi puts a wounded look on his face and his hand goes to his chest “Authentic? But of course, only the finest and most quality work.  But what one person discards is another's treasure and what people believe is often more important than truth. I imagine that applies to this Razmus cult as well.”  He looks over at Joren’s question. “No, I have seen nothing yet, let’s keep looking” and he splashes toward the back of the store.

Making his way to the back of the shop, Malachi finds a wooden door. Pushing it slowly against the resistance of the water, he opens it to see a staircase leading up to the floor above. Water cascades down the wooden steps.

Then, faintly, Marion makes out ripples in the water behind them. There is something moving under the water. Something long. "Hey guys..." she says, bringing attention to it.

Instinctively, Joren moves his echo to interpose it between the party and the lurker under the water.

"Stepping up the stairs, at least some of you, out of the deeper water."  He stands as rear guard 15' behind his echo, presumably along with Marion, trying to give the others time to make it past, through the door and up the stairway.

Marion shuffles through the water, eyes on the shape in the water as she backs toward the stairs. As it gets closer, a scaled back breaks the surface, and a long jaw filled with sharp teeth opens up. Water sloughs off the crocodile's back as a hiss emerges from its throat.

Joren moves his echo to engage with the crocodile as he stands behind with Marion and tries to usher the others up the stairs.

Though part of his mind is puzzled.  Why was the crocodile not attacking us earlier?  It is almost as if by design, shepherding us upstairs.  From behind his echo, greatsword drawn, Joren attempts to discern if there is anything that seems odd or unusual about the beast.  Or if there are others.

Perception:  13

Looking at the crocodile closely, it definitely seems aggravated, but it also seems disoriented.

As Ashley ascends a couple of the stairs at Joren's behest, she turns around and sees the crocodile hiss at her friends.  Well, unsure how the beast got here, it certainly wasn't friendly.  She raises her hand towards it, grimaces a bit as the tips of her reddish fingers turn blue and she casts frostbite towards the croc.  Needs to make a CON save of 13 or 5 cold damage and disadvantage on it's next attack.

The crocodile recoils as it's wet, scaly hide takes on the crystalline sheen of creeping frost. It whips its head back and forth in discomfort, but the movement appears a bit sluggish now.

Malachi practically pushes Ashley and Samir up the stairs, trying to get the group clear of the water and the..giant crocodile?  “A crocodile?  In Tensmith? Where did that come from..and why is the water leaking from upstairs? It doesn’t make any sense. I don’t like any of this.”   Malachi glances over his shoulder and as the crocodile shakes off Ashley’s attack, he sends a spike of energy into the beast’s mind, trying to drive it away from his companions. 

(DC14 Int save or 6 psychic damage and subtract 1d4 on next saving throw)

The crocodile winces as a trickle of blood leaks from its ear canal. In retaliation, it snaps its jaws at Joren's echo, dashing it into mist before slithering forward at Joren himself.

"How did that get here??" Samir dashes up the stairs, one holding his glasses in place as his coat flaps wildly behind him. "Hurry! It probably can't climb the stairs!"

(Move plus Dash to get up the stairs quickly, not wanting to hurt the poor displaced critter lol)

(Lol, Ashley figures there isn't much they can do to help it and doesn't want it chomping on others!)

She sends her frostbite towards the croc again, the tips of her fingers getting blue as she does.

CON save of 13 or 6 cold damage and disadvantage on next attack

Trying to usher the others (except Marion) behind him, Joren re-summons his echo with a bonus action.  Placing it between himself and the crocodile if he can (otherwise off to one side).  He signals Marion to flank and attacks non-lethally from the echo's location with the flat side of his sword.

Greatsword to hit (straight roll, but hoping Marion can flank on her turn):  13
Greatsword damage:  7 (near min) non-lethal.

"Something is charming or summoning this beast.  Perhaps being more of the unwitting magic we are seeing everywhere in Tensmith since the explosion in Andra's room.  The crocodile is not belonging here.  Careful up the stairs - it may be a trap we are being herded into."

As the greatsword strikes the crocodile, its head gets knocked to the side and it goes limp in the water. Then its limbs begin to morph, stretching and changing in collour while its snout flattens into its face. Fibers sprout from between the crocodiles softening scales and weave themselves into a tunic and pants. Within seconds, the crocodile is replaced by the form of a man laying face down in the water. Suddenly he thrashes and pushes himself up, coughing water. "Oh gods! What just happened?"

Ashley stands open mouthed as the crocodile changes back to a human.  To think... she was trying to kill it.  "I... I mean, what are you doing here?  What happened?  You were just a crocodile that was trying to bite us!"  Her hair flames up with her emotions, so very conflicted with confusion, anger, relief.. she then sits down on the stairs so thankful that they didn't kill him.