"Friends," Abraxas says, "perhaps it is the opposite of what I thought at first. Perhaps fiends are only, or at least mostly, found in the water." He exhales, pats his book bags. He wonders if there is a safe place he can keep them so they will remain dry. Water is tough on books. "I think," he says, "we should ask the Wysto where they fiends are most likely to dwell and compare that with what Garu and Aisha can tell us. Perhaps the path the nets will be taken on as they are returned to town as well. They have been cut at that point as well."

"We may end up getting wet," he says. "I think I can study how to use the Weave paradoxically, so it dispels itself, tonight. I think dispelling the magic making these beings invisible will reveal them to us."

 “I don’t get the sense that the elder knows anything about the fiend that is plaguing his people.”, Garu replies. “Though it cannot hurt in asking, I feel his guesses may be wild goose chases without more understanding about what we’re up against. I wonder if we could rig a bait for the fiend without risking all their catch.”, she poses.

Aisha chuckled at abraxus Of course they will be in the water... the nets have been cut there silly... Either way, the real question is.. if these are fiends.. why have they not attacked anyone? Why are they only cutting the nets? What purpose does it serrve? Are they simply tricksters who do not realize their joke has consequences or are they intentionally trying to drrrive these people out of here? Rregardless, Aisha thinks what we need to do is lay out our cards on the table. Aisha cansense that they exist, but not where they are, and Aisha cannot 'track' in water. So, what sort of spells or skills do we have at our disposal rright now that could aid in a search.

Abrraxus has the ability to dispell, but that does nyo good if we don't know where it is when it is cast. Nor do we know for sure that it is magical. So, what else do we have that could aid in this? 

Harmony had heard Abaraxas, surprised and thinking. The fiends here are mostly found in water? That's definitely the opposite of normal fiends in Toril. She listened to everyone, hearing Aisha ask them all if they have any spells or skills that would help with a search. "None of my spells will be usable in the water, except for making minor illusions or rendering anyone incapacitated. As for searching, I don't really have anything useful either besides being good at talking to people."  she said back with a sigh, wishing that she knew more useful spells that could actually help with this.

"My situation is similar to Harmony's," Abraxas says. "The spells in my spellbook are those I've mentioned. But if there is another source of spells here . . . I am interested in learning all of them. Especially the ability to breath underwater. My Enduring Spellbook does provide protection, but my other tomes would damaged." Abraxas runs his fingers through his hair. "Garu's suggestion of setting a trap is a good one. Didn't the elder say the day's haul of fish would be brought to town soon? Could that be our trap?"

Garu smiles as a plan springs up:

”If we can get one of their nets, we can use that illusion spell you discussed to make it look full of fish. Throw in a few fish to make it smell right and set the trap. We hide and wait, some in, some out of the water. Wonder if they have anything we can use to breathe underwater.”

OOC: It sounds like we have a solid plan, I can advance once part of it is executed. The villagers will help you with anything you may need, as long as it's in their power to do so.

"I will see if they can get us set up with a net along with some fish and get it into place. 

We need some way to breathe underwater. We used to hide in freshwater ponds using hollow reeds. Maybe we can find something of the like here. Also, maybe magic?

Since your books will need to stay dry, maybe we can have you on a dock, Abraxas. We'll have you take care of the spell as we get everything else ready.

I will be underwater, either inside the net or outside. Who's with me?", Garu says, looking at the Kitsune.

(been havign issues the last 2 days, emergency, then today college stuff, will try to post when can)

Harmony was listening as Garu talked about setting a trap and who should hide in the water and out of the water. "I should probably be in the water then too so I can keep up the illusions. Then once we can tell that the fiends are close, Aisha can dispel their invisibility and I can use my spell to incapacitate them before we bring them up to the surface to question them." she had said back, feeling pretty confident that she could handle being in the water. But now she wondered if the fiends here look the same as in Toril or totally different with living in the water after all.

You find the Wysto villagers quite willing and helpful, true to the elder's word. By the time the first catches of the day have returned, they have fetched enough nearby material to fashion two rafts, each large enough to hold up to two people atop them, that are attached to the side of two underwater structures, so that they appear as attachments rather than an obvious flotation device. The nets are attached beneath this, and the shallows are clear enough that they can be clearly seen from above.

Under Garu's instruction, some of the villagers also fashion a makeshift apparatus to breathe from underwater, made from local reeds.

As preparations are being made, Mro Jus Bir scribbles into his notebook. "Fascinating. You all work as one cohesive unit, so helpful and no bickering. It will make my work so simple, for I do not need to hide these details to create an epic tale. Well...this part may not make the most epic of songs, but perhaps as a performance to small children, it will do the trick. I believe I would prefer to remain dry, so that I can chronicle this, as it happens...whatever it is. Where would you like Mro Jus Bur to be? He is a quite talented fighter, but I do not know how he does in the water," he says. "And also, I fear it to be obvious to state the obvious that you will be obvious if you are going underwater. Do you have some way to keep yourselves from being revealed?"

Abraxas is happy to be on the dock, if that is possible. Just in case, he will scan the buildings for anything that looks like a library or anything similar. He has an Enduring Spellbook, so he can leave that in his book bag. If he finds a library or bookstore, he will ask the proprietor to watch the other books he's brought with him, just ten or eleven volumes. He'll watch from the dock, but hopes to have reviewed Dispel Magic enough to cast it, if necessary.

OOC: This can all take place over the course of the day if Abraxas wants to prepare Dispel Magic. The planning can take place on the first day, and the preparations made before the catch is returned on the second day.

After securing the reeds, Garu will try to fashion a “fish-blind”  for inside and outside the nets. Given her farming background, hunting would be natural part that experience. “I would prefer to catch wherever is doing this in the act. And not kill it. “

(Sorry I had some major issues the last few days that required all my attention, family emergency, lack of sleep, etc. I coulda swore I already posted this.... but whatever.)

Aisha wasn't sure what more she could do. They already knew the presence existed, so further casting would prove useless as it told them nothing more. And she had no other spells ready that could assist. Her bow would also be useless in the water, though she originally considered taking a perch and aiming at the water for signs of movement...  So.. for the first time, in a long time, she left her bow safe inside the guesthouse. She also left the majority of her supplies there so as to make sure she stayed 'light' so that if by some chance they were drug under the water.... And told Tsavi to just stay back, and watch and do nothing else, especially to stay away from the water.

The only thing Aisha herself could do was assist in watching. So she would go out into the water herself but if there was anything she could use, especially if it was made of wood... to stay just above the surface... Digging her claws into it if possible as she stayed where she could keep hear head beneath the water, and watching for any 'unattural' disturbances in the water.. such as bubbles coming from nothing, whether it be a moving body part or exhaled and so on.

However, before she had gone into the water, she would reply to Mro.... This one does nyot think concealing ourselves is truly an issue. They have been boldly doign it whether the fisher people are there or nyot. And even when it happens in direct sight, the attacker ins't seen. So Aisha thinks they are confident enyuff to attack whether we are seen or nyot. We're just some strangers that happen to be here today as far as they know.

Aisha will keep her eyes peeled and if she does spot something, she will say There sure are a lot of fish in a sort of 'keyword' and point in the direction of the disturbance. (Aisha will just use her passive perception.)

Harmony would have helped Garu with the "fish-blind", having no clue what that is but wanting to help decorate it and agreeing with her. While planning and preparations were being done, she would have definitely taken the time to change into something more water-friendly. She had been saving this outfit for any concerts that she would have on a beach or on the water, so this seemed the perfect time to wear it after all. She changed into a pink mermaid-like ensemble with the skirt open on the side to allow for her to swim easily, very sparkly with gold, pearls, jewels, and bubbles. She also did her hair too, having it wavy with two buns. Harmony would join the others, ready to go as she takes her reed apparatus before diving into the water. She would swim by the net, casting Minor Illusion inside it to look as if there was an abundance of fish to tempt any fiends to come. She would keep this up, keeping an eye out for anything coming close but also thankful for the reed allowing her to breathe underwater and taking in all the ocean scenery.

OOC: No worries Rai, hope everything is well.

What is Garu envisioning for this fish-blind? There should be plenty of materials available for a roll to try and fashion a device to trap something, but I'd like to have a better idea of what she's aiming for so my narration makes sense.

Waiting for Abraxas to confirm whether he'd like to wait the extra day to prepare Dispel Magic.

After they/she gets settled into the net, she will use her Divine Sense to determine if anything fiend, undead, or celestial is within 60 feet. Her hand is on her holy symbol, preparing her Nature’s Wrath Channel Divinity option if she sees any tears in the net caused by an unseen force.

Abraxas did take the day to prepare Dispel Magic. He watches from the dock, having cast Mage Armor. Hoping not to use it, he has one of the reeds Garu prepared. He tries to remember the last book he read about swimming, especially all the diagrams about the dog paddle. 

Abraxas Perception: 14
Aisha Perception: 6
Harmony Perception: 10
Garu Perception: 21

The first night in the village passes by; the Wysto villagers follow their usual pattern, placing a pair of nets out overnight under guard. Once again, the nets are cut by something or someone unseen, and the following morning the party sees that each net has a single tear along one side, allowing the captured fish to swim free.

Preparations are made over the course of the next day, and this night three nets are placed; one in the center under watch by the party, and two more on the outskirts of the village, each under watch by a pair of villagers. The first hours pass by quietly, the reeds allowing Aisha, Garu, and Harmony to breathe just beneath the water while Abraxas watches patiently with Mro Jus Bir and Mro Jus Bur on the makeshift raft above. Garu extends her senses outward once everything is settled, but senses no fiendish presence within sixty feet.

Suddenly a commotion draws the party's attention to one of the other nets. The two guards swim frantically to try and salvage the fish swimming out of the familiar tear. No assailant is visible.

For Aisha and Garu: