To Varielky’s question, Benita answers, “Those drug families are rolling in gold and can afford whatever magic they want, I bet. I’ve never tangled with them before except for the occasional thug who put his hand in the wrong place.”

When Auger pulls out the amulet which Izilmeddur gave you, you all see it is dimly glowing, which, according to what the Azhvuv told you, means you are in proximity to their Queen. 

The Oasis Crypt

You rest for one hour, binding wounds and catching your breath before Auger sends Py to its pocket dimension, and you unlock the padlock and pull the chains blocking the glyph-encircled door,  the chains rattling loudly through their heavy rings molded into the doorway. The last link comes out and falls to the stone floor with a crunching clank which reverberates in the small chamber. Listening intently for any response to this noise beyond the door, you all hold your breaths, but hear nothing. Steeling yourselves, calming your breathing, weapons and arcane energies at the ready, you throw the heavy double doors open. Chilly air escapes, causing the torches in the first chamber to gutter in the breeze it creates. 

Beyond the doors lies a second chamber, long and flat, its ceiling supported by strong columns. Three round pools, evenly spaced on the chamber’s dank floor, their surrounding stone borders 2-feet high, containing still water, lead your eyes to the far end of the room where, straining to see in the distance, you spy another staircase circling down and out of sight. A short set of stairs, this one only 15’ long, leads from the door you just entered to the chamber’s floor. The walls are plain stone, but you see etched upon them, at intervals, a line of yin-yang symbols, each one perhaps 4-inches in diameter, spaced three feet from its neighbor, the yang giving off a subtle red glow. Glancing down, and up, you notice more yin-yangs, like the others, in the floor and ceiling. Auger and Ednyss understand this means that the walls, ceiling and floor are all warded in the same way as the door through which you have just entered. The air smells of mold, and something else putrid, like sewage, or as Benita whispers, “Flock! It smells like half the rats in Kalahata have come here to die!” Her whisper itself seems to die before it has travelled three feet. 

Stepping carefully within, you stop at the last stone step, for Ednyss has heard something and motions for total silence. Craning your ears once again, you hear distant moaning, like ocean waves breaking against a quiet beach, each wave the sound of someone’s final shuddering breath. 

You are now situated like so.

Varielky will roll 3 hit dice. 19 HP regained.

Varielky stops. She looks forward, but if anything is in the room, it looks like her light doesn't illuminate them. "Stay back, alert me if something jumps at my back." She whispers. Well, if there really is something inside, it's surely aware of her anyhow.

She walks foreward slowly, through the room, checking if anythin is around. She tries to listen and be aware of any dangers, being on edge, she's ready to jump away at the first sign of danger, or if someone alerts her.

Perception, if needed: 8.

Auger sits down and communes with the Sea of Stars. In his mind he floats through the endless sea, seeing the power, feeling its nature. Slowly and carefully he drinks from the energies, and finds himself replenished (OOC: Pact Magic returns! 1 Sorcerer HD: 3). As he opens his eyes and stands he sips at some water and nibbles at a ration for a moment. His disquiet at their strange resting area evident to any who watch. Finally as he fully recovers himself he steps over to the crack in the ceiling and examines it. Seeing that with an hour having passed, the water is beginning to melt, Auger again freezes the area. "One hour and then the water will start again," Auger says to no one in particular.

Dismissing Py and then stepping through the door Auger has the sudden realization that this room seems familiar. Seeing walls and floor covered by a symbol, he finds he is bracing himself for something more. Perhaps another strong sense of being driven into the ground as the room itself begins to move. Auger tries to think of a quick warning but it catches in his throat as he hears Varielky's whisper. That -- that probably will not happen again anyway he thinks. Looking at Varielky and around the room Auger has another thought. If these wards keep undead out, then how were they going to free the Queen? Perhaps the intent was to keep undead in. Whispering to Ednyss Auger says, "We might need to figure out a way to deactivate these wards." Offhandedly Auger re-summons Py. Stay on my shoulder for now, he sends.

The plangent death-rattle continues its slow, hypnotic, watery rhythm as Varielky steps onto the damp floor, her footstep plopping into a shallow puddle, and as her foot rises and falls again, stepping slowly forward, the water drips, echoing eerily across the chamber and back. 

“Flock this,” whispers Benita, “I’m coming with you,” and, weapons at the ready, she walks slightly to the right of and behind Varieky.

But the pair have only taken a few steps, through this terrible silence, nearing the first pool and peering over its edge at the dark, rancid water within, when Ednyss whispers another warning. You all look to the right and left and see what he noticed: tiny candle lights grow near the walls directly north and south of the stairs — grow, and rise, and brighten, floating upwards and hovering. 

Benita and Varielky turn to look at them, and Auger and Ednyss notice that as the lights — eight Will’o’wisps — begin to drift toward the stairway, a shape begins to rise from the first pool: the water, in complete silence, takes a form like a splash of blood on the floor — like the spider-web cottony gauze Auger has seen upon diseased tree leaves — with thin liquid filaments connecting larger blobs whose surface tension vibrates like mercury, and this shape grows up from the pool, towering behind Varielky and Benita, quivering in brutal, deathly anticipation. 

It is a water elemental, Ednyss and Auger know, but something about it is all wrong, for it stinks with rottenness and death. Varielky and Benita see the warning in their comrades’ eyes, and are aware of the threat even before they see it. And you all feel an electric charge growing in the air as the undead surround you and silently attack. 

You are now situated like so. You have the initiative. 

Please state actions for Round 1.

Auger is horrified to see the strange watery shape form up behind Varielky and Benita and with so many things in the room he is momentarily unable to decide on the right course of action. Reaching through the Sea of Stars and his connection to waters and the lake of Ever, Auger feels physically repulsed by the strange creature before them. Sensing no ability to influence this water elemental, Auger reaches for his twisting energies and assuming they will attack, waits for Benita and Varielky to take their actions. After they have taken their actions, Auger sends his twisting blasts into the water elemental. Py becomes invisible but stays on Auger's shoulder for the moment.

"Ednyss, can you hold against the Wisps?"

Hit Dice: 18

Ednyss replies shortly to Auger, "Yes." and raises his shield to the air. As he does, the divine command of Takal Demesh ripples outwards and attempts to turn each of the glowing lights. Knowing that he will not affect them all, Ednyss also summons a spectral shield atop the water elemental and smashes it downwards. He then steps in front of Auger and takes a defensive stance in front of the warlock. To Varielky and Benita he calls, "Be careful in attacking this creature directly. There is something unclean about the water that composes its body."

Varielky turns to face her foe, but she's immediately puzzled when she realises that... she probably can't cut the water, nor push it with her shield. It's water, after all. The lights that surround them don't look like better opponents either. She prefers the Jlassi warriors a hundred times over these... things. "What else can I do to it?" She could throw the one handaxe she still has on it, but that probably wouldn't change much either. 

(Since I assume Auger's blast did something...) Seeing the others' attacks have some effect on the creature, Varielky decides to take a different course of action. "Move back!" She orders Benita. "Protect the others in case the lights come to attack them!" Not that Ednyss really needed someone's help in melee combat, but the idea was an excuse to get Benita away from danger. As for herself, Varielky remains there, hoping to hold off the creatures until the others take it down and make sure it can't come close to them... somehow. For now, however, she's ready to avoid any... attacks? Anything she can avoid from these waters, really.

Round 1 Results

Ednyss moves in front of Auger and succeeds in turning six Will’o’Wisps, leaving only #4 and #8. His spectral shield appears and swishes down on the elemental, parts of which falls off and splashes onto the floor, painting an oily stain on the gray stone.

Varielky dodges. She hears Veleif’s voice in hear head shouting, “What are you doing?! Attack! I will wound it!”

Auger’s twisting blasts shoot into the towering elemental, inflicting full damage and punching holes in the being, however, the pushback has no effect for the beams penetrate and extend through the it smashing into the chamber’s rear wall, and the holes in the dark liquid seal themselves though the elemental is visibly hurt by the potent magical attack.

Benita is already engaged by the elemental and holds her ground despite Varielky’s command, whipping her weapons at it and slicing off oily tendrils which splash down to the floor, inert. 

Will’o’Wisp #4, glowing brightly, darts at Auger, touching him for an instant and discharging an electrical shock which engulfs the warlock, but is absorbed by his magical robes. The other Will’o’Wisp, #8, attacks Ednyss, but the Shield of Takal Demesh likewise absorbs the electrical discharge.

The Elemental forms itself into a tower of putrid water and slams down on Varielky and Benita. The shield-maiden dodges the blow, but Benita is buffeted by the wave and suffers 12HP damage. The watery undead being roars forward, folding both women within its stinking form, and Benita is grappled by it, takes 7HP damage, and begins to drown as the elemental forces itself into her lungs. 

(OOC: Varielky must make a DC 15 Strength saving throw. On a failure, she takes 19 bludgeoning damage, and is also grappled (escape DC 14). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained and unable to breathe. If the saving throw is successful, the target is pushed out of the elemental's space in a random direction.)

You are now situated like so. 

Please post around 2 actions. 

Confident in Ednyss' abilities to deal with the two remaining Wisps, Auger reaches into the Sea of Stars and again brings the strange red deathly Dragonfly into existence and sends it inexorably into the terrifying water creature, sapping its strength. Then he refocuses into the room and again sends his twisting blasts into the thing.

Py, clear out of here - don't fly ahead of the first fountain, we do not know if you will set off more of these defenses.

Ednyss commands the shield to slam into the back of the elemental and continue to weaken it. Meanwhile, the war cleric himself decides that getting the warlock to a place where he could blast with impunity was more important than trying to see if these orbs of light took damage directly from his Pick. Therefore, the dwarf quickly hooks his weapon back to his belt and grabs the human by the scruff of his robe. He then runs up the stairs with the warlock in his arms to get Auger out of range of the will-o-wisps. From his new vantage point, Auger should be able to get a clearer shot at the elemental. "Now shoot. I'll protect you."

(OOC: This is one of the courses of action I was considering, and it works out in regards to continuity because Auger already rolled the attack rolls straight (without being in melee with other creatures).)

Varielky frowns at herself. She should have trusted Veleif and the gods to help her fight any foe. At the very least, she should have tried first. When she jumps away from the attack, Varielky swiftly slashes with her sword downwards on the water.

Strength Save: 20. (Ouch.)

Varielky gets engulfed by the water, and immediately, she realises how bad the situation is. She was never great at holding her breath for long. First, Varielky tries to push Benita away from the water. Benita would probably be able to free herself, but it didn't matter to Varielky. She wanted to make sure her friend is out. Then, once she succeeds, Varielky uses the reversed momentum created by pushing Benita out to try swinging her sword, within the water, to hopefully hurt something in it? Then, Varielky tries to swim out of the water, followed by, hopefully, a deep breath to regain her strength.

Reaction: Riposte manoeuvre against EL. Should be before she is restrained so no disadvantage. Attack: 27 Damage: Unable to parse dice roll..

Action: Attack. Swapping the first attack for a shove to get Benita out of the water.
Usually, one can choose to fail their check and automatically get shoved. In case Varielky makes the check against the elemental, though, which makes sense I guess, here's the Athletics roll: 9.
If the shove got Benita out, Varielky will use the second attack to attack the creature. If it failed, she tries to shove her out again.
Athletics if shove: 16.
If it's an attack, Varielky will also use Menacing Attack manoeuvre, if she hits. Attack: 14 Damage: 17. On a hit, EL needs to succeed on a DC15 Wisdom save or be frightened of Varielky until the end of her next turn.
Action Surge: Varielky tries to break out of the EL's grapple. Athletics: 25.
BA: Second Wind, healing 9 hit points.

Round 2 Results

Varielky’s riposte hits before she is engulfed by the elemental, splattering its rancid liquids across the room; she is then engulfed and spends the round pushing Benita out of the creature’s drowning embrace, and then freeing herself from it. 

Auger and Ednyss send a rush of arcane and divine attacks at the liquid being, buffeting it terribly.

Benita, falling out of the elemental into I-6, coughs up putrid bile and then attacks the creature weakly but does not connect. 

The two Will’o’Wisps attack Ednyss, but his shield deflects them both. 

The Elemental slams both Varielky and Benita with heavy waves of oily water, but Varielky deflects it with her shield and Benita dodges nimbly away. The wave then rushes over them both again. This time Benita (pushed out of the creatures space in a random direction) leaps up and repels off of the pool’s surrounding wall into J-5, evading the attack, but Varielky is overwhelmed and takes 13 bludgeoning damage and must make the same save as last turn (STR vs DC14 with advantage, for the creature is Hexed) or be restrained and unable to breathe once again. (If the saving throw is successful, Varielky is pushed out of the elemental's space in a random direction.)

Auger & Ednyss think the elemental will soon succumb to your assault. 

You are now positioned like so.

Py flies invisibly to F10, but then back to F8 and messages, ‘I wasn’t sure at first, but from here, I see another elemental is rising from the second pool, master.’

Please post round 3 actions.

When Varielky deflects away the oily water, she retaliates with a quick attack of her own. However, because she did that, she is too slow to avoid the slam of the water. Will she be able to avoid getting in the water?

Strength Save: 12. Nope.

The water engulfs Varielky, and struggling for air, she tries to break free. Whether she manages to do so or not, Varielky then draws healing energy from the Dreyen sword, hopefully enough to keep her up for a bit longer.

Reaction: Riposte manoeuvre against EL. Attack: 24 Damage: 17.

Action: Trying to break free from the grapple. Athletics: 19.

BA: Lay on Hands from the Dreyen sword, healing 10 hit points.

Seeing Varielky and Benita struggle with the water beast Auger continues blasting at it as much as needed. "Another of the things rises in the distance! Don't step forward, more things may rise!"

Following Varielky’s riposte and Auger’s first attack, the putrid elemental loses its cohesion, shudders, and like a popped balloon, explodes into a dark waterfall and is defeated.
Auger’s second blast shoots across to the second Elemental, shooting a hole through its dark form. 
Ednyss still has his round 3 actions to post. I’ll bot after 7pm ET. 

With the warlock safely behind him and the first elemental destroyed, Ednyss turns his focus to the two glowing orbs in front of him. The dwarf lets go of the warlock and redraws his war pick from his hip. Leaving the spectral shield floating above the defeated form of the elemental, Ednyss just swings his war pick violently at the two undead that resisted his original force.

Round 3 Results

Varielky’s riposte damages the creature, but it’s hold on her continues, buffeting her within its form and pushing its putrid liquid into her lungs. Finally she breaks free as Auger’s first attack causes the putrid elemental to lose its cohesion, shudder, and like a popped balloon, explode into a dark waterfall, defeated.

Auger’s second blast shoots across to the second Elemental as it rises out of the next pool, punching a hole through its dark form.

Ednyess, with magnificent aim, hits the closest bobbing light point with his shining war pick, stunning the Will’oWisp, then his second strike bats it away, and PEEEEWWWW!, it arcs across the room before plunking into the north wall and crumbling to dust.

Benita moves toward the staircase and slashes twice with her rapier at the remaining floating light, barely tagging the tiny undead for 7HP damage. 

The Will’o’Wisp strikes back at Benita, its electric discharge frizzing out her hair and causing 5HP damage in return.

The second Elemental rushes forward, taking the place of its fallen twin, rises up, and slams into Varielky with tremendous force, then wallops her a second time, causing 9+12 HP damage.

You are now situated like so.

Please post round 4 actions.

With the light attacking an ally other than him again, Ednyss gives a frustrated grunt as Benita gets zapped. The frustration is quickly replaced by determination as he sees Varielky get knocked down by the second elemental. Seeing her fall unconscious, Ednyss sends a word of healing in her direction before turning his attention to the irritating Will'o'Wisp and attempting to dissipate it the same way that he did the first.