Joetaro smiles and rests as well.

OOC: Joetaro is going to take Shield Master feat.

"What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger!" Declared well rested Sekkar. "A friend once told me that. Thought it was stupid then, still do not believe it now" May be it was stupid, but Sekkar did look like a definition of strength and health. "So... Where are we going? That another kuo-toa village on the north might not be a terrible idea. Some fishfolk knows the ways up and I might know that particular village, though our friend is right about them being relatively the same."

"But since we can pay as far as Bligdenstone ... The only problem with svirfneblin's cities - aside from being shot on sight - is that it is raided regularly both by drow and kuo-toa. Guess gnomes make good slaves. And we lost Jimjar - our guide in that place."

Zeno’s eyes light up at the items in his pack.  “Don’t speak so quick Sekkar” he says with a wry smile.  He will also study the items, and show them to the more magically inclined if necessary to identify them.

He will sign back to Hemeth, in Thieve’s Cant, Weapons are good, and in short supply.  Perhaps we can reach an arrangement. Is there a high demand for underground weapons? (He smiles to himself at his terrible pun,)

After the rest he wakes, stretching, feeling a bit more limber, perhaps from the panicked fleeing, checks his weapon, then joins the others in planning. “Gracklstugh sounds good to me. I’m sure we can work out payment...as long as it’s fair.”

Hemeth signals back to Zeno: If Glacklstugh be our destination, then we can discuss business.

Kaylyn and Kastix can both read the scroll, and recognise the spell as Crown of Madness. Kastix tastes the potion and identifies it as a Potion of Water Breathing.

As the group rises, they briefly take counsel and agree to make for Gracklstugh. Voicing their concerns to Hemeth, he responds: I can steer us clear o' the fishfolk city and ... its dangers. He agrees to guide them through the Darklake, either for 400 gold in advance, otherwise he accepts their boat as payment when they arrive.

The group prepares to depart, packing the boats with their few belongings. They have barely launched, however, when they find the boats surrounded by half a dozen figures, who burst halfway out of the water weilding harpoons. They have fins and scales like the kuo-toa, but their faces are far more savage and monstrous. In a language only Rhayna and Kastix can understand, they cry out: Igazi kunye netyuwa kwiNkosana yeedemon! as they strike at the travellers.

Just a little skirmish to try out your new stats. Roll Initiative as well as Perception check vs Merrow Stealth (20) to avoid being surprised. I have Hemeth/Kastix/Joetaro/Rhayna in one boat, and Sekkar/Sarith/Zeno/Kaylyn in the other. Let me know if you prefer otherwise.

 Merrow Initiative: 18. Wow. OK, I might as well post my attacks now.

BOAT #1
Merrow1 v Kastix: Bite: Attack: 23 Damage: 11; Harpoon: Attack: 25 Damage: 12
Merrow2 v Joetaro: Bite: Attack: 12 Damage: 8; Harpoon: Attack: 22 Damage: 12
Merrow3 v Rhayna: Bite: Attack: 23 Damage: 12; Harpoon: Attack: 21 Damage: 14

BOAT #2
Merrow4 v Sekkar: Bite: Attack: 22 Damage: 10; Harpoon: Attack: 25 Damage: 9
Merrow5 v Zeno: Bite: Attack: 12 Damage: 8; Harpoon: Attack: 20 Damage: 13
Merrow6 v Kaylyn: Bite: Attack: 16 Damage: 8; Harpoon: Attack: 19 Damage: 14

Sekkar Perception: 17 (out of curiosity - should not it be passive?)

Initiative: 19

If it works: full attack on Merrow 4

Bonus: Ensnaring Strike (Str13)  4

Attack: 25 Damage: 11

Attack: 12 Damage: 15 + 3

Plus a bite: Attack: 15 Damage: 11

Joetaro is going to attack Merrow2 with a guiding bolt.

Attack: 7 Damage: 16

Zeno Initiative: 18

Perception: 5

As the merrow leap out of the water at them, Zeno feels one clamp down on his arm with razor sharp teeth, and he draws it back.bloodied, but as a harpoon Stan follow from the dark water, he moves faster than he had felt himself move before and just manages to dodge the brutal force of the pike.  Zeno then draws his sword and slashes back at #5.

Attack: 26 Damage: 10

Sneak Attack (if applicable, assume there are others in melee, but ok if not): 10

(OCC: Rhayna has the Alert feat, so she cannot be surprised, and attackers do not have advantage against her as a result of being unseen.)

 Rhayna Initiative: 26. Perception: 7

With her newfound awareness of the environment, Rhayna sensed the creatures coming, but she did not have time to warn her companions. So she brings forth her pendant and casts Bless on Hemeth, Kastix, and Joetaro (the folks on her boat).

"Friends!! These creatures are also being influenced by Demogorgon, just like the kuo-toa cultists!" Rhayna informs the group.

Initiative - 13

Pensive hisses as Kaylyn is struck by the creature and blood flows from a couple wounds.  As a BA she suddenly glows for a second as she heals herself for 14 hp.

She then casts Invisibility on herself.

Kastix Initiaitive: 6

Perception: 24

How does a tie work in this situation?

Forgot 

Perception

15

@Shodai_Kishi In a tie, I'd probably say you are NOT surprised, but as BlueBayou pointed out, I should also take your passive Perception into account, so no-one is surprised. The Stealth roll was terrible anyway. Kastix can act, but Rhayna's Bless doesn't take effect on his first turn.

Kastix will fire of sorching rays at all three of the merrow attacking his boat.

1st  Ray Attack: 16 Damage: 9

2nd Ray Attack: 24 Damage: 6

3rd Ray Attack: 11 Damage: 5

ROUND 2

Kastix and Joetaro both retaliate against the merrow attacking them, with mixed success. The paladin's divine bolt flies wide, but all three merrow receive a scalding from Kastix's spell. Kastix manages to avoid the merrow's next attack, but Joetaro is stabbed with a harpoon and pulled close enough for a bite from the hideous creature. Rhayna is bleeding profusely from the bite and stabbing she received, but has the presence of mind to call for Selune's aid. Hemeth gasps at the unexpected surge of divine help, and with the light of the unseen moon in his eye, he lashes out at the merrow attacking Rhayna. The fiendish fish-monster latches its jaws onto his hand, and with a sickening crunch it rips Hemeth's hand away, and he falls back into the boat bleeding and crying out in pain.

The merrow's attempt to pull Sekkar overboard with its harpoon backfires spectacularly, as the lizardman uses his proximity to savagely retaliate, and leaves the creature sinking out of sight into the dark water, wrapped in vines and bleeding from multiple stab and bite wounds. Zeno takes advantage of the help from Sarith to slip a blade deep into his attacker's neck, and it slips back under the water and swims away. As Kaylyn suddenly vanishes from sight, her attacker then switches its attention to Zeno, piercing him with its harpoon and pulling him close enough to draw blood with its teeth.

There are still three merrow attacking the lead boat, but only one on the other boat. Rhayna, Zeno and Hemeth are severely wounded.
Kastix, Joetaro and Hemeth are blessed

"I hate the water," Kastix will cast Healing Word using his Twinned sepll to heal Zeno and Hemeth .

Heal for Zeno: 8

Hemeth  Heal: 9

Rhyana cannot believe she still conscious after the bite that took a bit chunk out of her flesh, and the stab from the harpoon that left a couple of big wounds on her as well. She is bleeding everywhere, and she tries to remain calm through all this. She sees that she is in the worst shape of all her companions, so she has no choice but to take care of herself before she becomes a burden.

She keeps concentrating on Blessing her companions, then she heals herself. (Healing Word (lvl2): 10)

Sekkar glanced at the place where Kaylyn was just standing - he did not see her been dragged under the water, yet she was not here. But first thing first - attack on the last merrow clinging to our boat:

Attack: 12 Damage: 10

Joetaro is going to Lay on Hands himself and use all of his 20 points.

Kaylyn focuses her magic on the creature attacking Zeno and sends a bolt at it.

Attack: 28 Damage: 14

ROUND 2,3
No post yet from GoodShepherd, so will bot Zeno this round.

Those in the lead boat have taken heavy damage from the attacking fish-monsters, and call on their respective powers for healing. Hemeth nods a brief thanks to Kastix, then picks up the spare oar with his remaining hand, and with a hefty swing knocks the harpoon out of the claw of one of the monsters. Kastix manages yet again to fend off the teeth and harpoon, while Joetaro takes a piercing blow to the leg. The now-disarmed fish-creature bites another chunk of flesh from Rhayna's forearm, and she cries out as her attacker hisses something in Abyssal about 'descending to the spiraling depths'.

In the rear boat, Kaylyn's celestial bolt burns out an eye on the remaining monster. Subsequent sword thrusts from Sarith and Zeno are apparently too much, and cause the creature to twist away and sink below the dark surface.

Rhayna must make a concentration check to hold the Bless spell. If Joetaro and Kastix are making attacks or saving throws, for now please roll your Bless roll separately, otherwise I can't tell if you've used it or not as the dice-rolling tooltip still isn't working.

No attackers left on Sekkar/Zeno/Kaylyn/Sarith, but still three on Kastix/Joetaro/Rhayna/Hemeth.