Augustus will reach a hand up to Vinn, pointing at the crowbar to request it back, then wedge the chisel end under the lid of the chest. He'll allow his body to rise a bit in the water before a current suddenly shoves him back downwards as he pushes, attempting to free the lid. (Strength Check: 14) As the sounds pierces through the water, he'll drop the crowbar suddenly and re-secure his earplugs in his ears, looking up towards the others and towards the hole in the side if the hull looking for the source of the sound.

<nods to Sir Beauregard>
Ziegler prepares himself to back-up Sir Beauregard should he decide to get back up on the deck.

With the assistance of Vinn's spell casting, Augustus forces open the chest.  A large air bubble rushes out, and a packet, wrapped and sealed in waxed fabric, rises up after it.

Vinn is able to easily snatch the package before it floats out of reach.

August, looking into the chest, finds a cloth pouch filled with coins (55 GP) and three turquoise gemstones (10 GP each) and a pair of fine boots of sleek design that seem untouched by time or water damage.

Meanwhile, Ziegler, Sir Beauregard and Morlock linger near the hole in the deck where they can feel the vibrations of something large touching down somewhere on the structure above. No question about it. You've definitely got company up there.

Sir Beauregard swims over to the steps to be ready to go up out of the water.  He’ll watch and wait for Vinn and Augustus to be ready to leave the water either by the stairs or the rope and hole.  He readies his shield and sword and watches from under the water.

Ziegler awaits Sir Beauregard to lead the way and will follow along right on his heels...fins?...behind him. :D

Morlock tries to be stealthy and all croc like with just his eyes poking out to see what's above deck.

STEALTH 17

Augustus will collect the items within the chest, carefully packing them into his things so they don't get lost under the water. He'll give Vinn a pale thumbs up, and with another look around at the hole in the side of the ship, he'll look up to see Sir Beauregard moving towards the stairs, and push off from the bottom as the water pulls him upwards to join him. He'll offer a hand to Vinn as he passes if he wishes to be pulled with.

Vinn's heart races as the wax packet shoots out of the sunken chest, and he immediately grabs it. He waves it at Augustus as excitedly he can underwater, and lets out a whoop. Pockets of air quickly escapes his mouth and Vinn quickly shuts his mouth. The taste of salt is overwhelming, but the young genasi doesn't care.

Vinn quickly swims up to meet Augustus, Sir Beauregard, and Ziegler at the surface. He accepts Augustus's offer to be pulled up, and thanks him, but purposely avoids eye contact-- looking straight forwardly to the rest of the party.

He wants to share his excitement, but senses the tension the group holds. Whatever that beastly sound was, must be quite closer than Vinn realized.

He shows the wax packet to the group, and pockets it.

Morlock pokes the top part of his head out of the water through the hole, but sees no sign of anything on the lower deck... at least nothing he can spot in the dim light. He does, however, notice the shafts of light passing through the deck from above are occasionally disturbed by the shadow of some living creature... What sort of creature is it, and where is it positioned? It's hard to say.

Just then, he sees everyone else quietly rising up to the surface together, near the stairs. The group lingers for a moment to catch their breath and get their bearings... but it's hard not to be distracted by whatever's upstairs on the main deck. With your ears plugged with wax, it's hard to hear what's up there or where it's positioned... but something's definitely up there. You can sense it.

What would you like to do?

Sir Beauregard adjusts the wax in his ears to be sure it is tight and then smiles at the others.  He gestures up with his sword and then leads the group up the stairs to meet the lady of the house.

Following Sir Beauregard's lead, Ziegler takes the stairs as quietly and carefully as possible (stealth: 24).

Clinging to the knight's shadow, crouched to make his form smaller, and following the exact steps of the knight, Z prepares to strike if the situation calls for violence.

Vinn follows suit.

Morlock readies himself as he follows along. 

Augustus, knowing he has no chance at a stealthy option, will elect for a loud one away from the others. He will allow everyone else to ready themselves on the stairs to the top deck and then as they begin to move up, he will move back under the water as the party works their way to the top deck. As he walks down the stairs, the water swirls around him. It pulls him quickly to the bottom, positioned below the holes made by the heavy chest. The water surges around Augustus in a heavy current before launching him upwards and into the air. Holding his spear in his hand he readies it as he passes through the open hole above him, as he begins to slow at the peak of his leap, he stabs at the deck with his barbed fishing spear, hoping to make purchase in the rotten wood and prevent himself from descending back into the lower deck.

Sir Beauregard & Ziegler - You ascend the steps into the welcome "fresh-er" air and immediately recognize the creature you've been expecting, perched on the quarterdeck near the ship's wheel. Its wings and legs resemble those of a mangy vulture (or, in the spirit of the holiday, let's say a bald eagle), while its head, torso, and arms look almost like a human female. She has a clear line of sight on you as you step out of the lower deck. Her cruel eyes lift and lock onto yours with keen interest she pauses from gnawing on the humanoid leg bone in its mouth, ready to pounce...

Meanwhile, down in the lower deck, Vin & Morlock notice the procession up the stairs suddenly coming to a halting stop, but before they have a chance to react, they see the figure of Augustus launch himself out of the flooded hole in the deck and up through the ceiling.

Augustus - As you breach the second hole, you find yourself briefly in the Captain's Quarters once again just long enough for you to stab into the deck with your spear.... unfortunately the blade cuts right through the wood of the floor like a knife through wet cardboard and you fall backwards, straight down into the lower deck again. You won't take any damage, but make a DC 15 Acrobatics Check to avoid falling prone.

Sir Beauregard & Ziegler - A second after emerging onto the main deck and locking eyes with the harpy, a loud thud in the captain's quarters suddenly grabs the attention of all three of you. A loud screech above your head, in the direction of the crow's nest 50 feet above tells you it's grabbed the attention of a second harpy as well, though it is mostly obscured from view

INITIATIVE

1. Harpies (the one above has the surprised condition)

2. Party

To be continued in the Discord #combat channel (some time tomorrow)...

Sir Beauregard stows Old Scratch and goes to Vinn, laying on hands for his last hit point of healing. “Sune watches over you it seems.”

With the harpy menace defeated, you all start to breathe a sigh of relief.

That relief is shattered when you hear a heinous cry emanating from the nearby water... The noxious sound resembles the cross between a screaming human and a screeching bird. Peering over the port bullwark, you see the pathetic form of the mortally injured harpy trying to pull herself onto a nearby wreck... 

However, much to her shock and horror, she's being pulled back under the waves by several pairs of rotted, water-logged limbs reaching out from the reef. Zombies. A dozen at least.

The harpy struggles desperately, but there's no hope... She's grossly outnumbered. Before anyone has a chance to react, the undead limbs finally overwhelm her, pulling her into the depths to share their eternal misery. One final unwitting act of revenge from the corpses of the sailors she doomed.

A moment later, silence returns to the deck.

What would you like to do?

Silver will adjust his Raccoon skin hat, fluffing the fur back up where it was pressed down by the crossbow. He'll then sit crosslegged in the middle of the deck and retrieve the boots from his pack, giving them a look-over, inspecting the make and searching for the cause of their resistance to age and the harsh salt-water.

Vinn gets up and thanks Sir Beauregard with a pat on the back. "Tell Sune I owe her a drink at the bar... or altar, whatever." 

He then limps over to the stairs that lead back to the lower deck. "Guess what I found when I landed?" He announces to the group and pulls out a crow bar of his own. "I'm... going to dig around for some well deserved treasure."

Vinn heads down below and opens the remaining crates.

Sir Beauregard grimaces.  “I will accompany you, Vinn, as none should be alone here.  But gather your treasure quickly.  We should take that packet back to the monastery to examine it and the drowned ones may yet have a say in that.”  He returns below and assists Vinn.