[OOC: Works for me, Kraven, would have been happy with a shiny button. :) ]

The water level is starting to rise, at the rate that it rose for the last chamber if you look into the other chamber you all will be underwater before leaving.  Do you wish to try the other door or do you want to try to leave?

Kuatho looks at the climbing water, “Perhaps we should leave now, while we can?”

"That's probably for the best. You lot don't do as well underwater as some of us," Mist muses as he seems to have finished gathering himself and assessing the situation.

"We got what we came for. As m' ma always said, 'He who fights and floats away lives to float another day...'"

Not seeing any other means of egress, Mist follows the Archimandrite's lead and flees through the center door.

Varlan stows the pearl, the looks around the room as the others start to leave. "Better part of valour, eh?"

He scans the cabinet with the crystals, scooping up any unbroken ones that he can reach, then moves to follow the others out of the room.

Kraven moves toward the exit and goes into the door looking around to see what there is to be seen.

Perception if needed: 24

Kuatho accompanies Kraven, readying himself for any final attacks or traps that Kalvikodas has set prior to their escape …. to where?  He has no idea, he just wants off this ship. 

Inside the circular chamber, dozens of living eyes of many colors and sizes line the petrified flesh walls of the room.They are all open, staring blankly ahead and occasionally blinking. A single enormous eye is set in the floor of the room. When you enter, the eye opens and pivots to look at you, but does nothing.

Through the next door an enormous mouth holds fragments of ships, both partial and whole, that the Leviathan has consumed but not yet fully digested. The gullet is a truly cavernous room, filled with seawater and great jagged teeth that emerge from the murky water like spires of serrated stone. The chamber is utterly dark, and the remains of centuries-old ships can still be seen stuck in between the towering rows of teeth. 

The mouth is starting to fill with a roiling influx of water as the Leviathan breaks up, belching great bubbles of oxygen back into the sea. A Blackrift vessel and your own ship are currently the only ships wholly intact in the gullet. The crew is still there, they have been forced to subsist on whatever food and water remained on board. 

As you get to the ship the mouth starts to open more, the creature lets out another tremendous belch and a great bubble of air engulfs the ship as they are forced out and into the water beyond.  

With an explosive POP! the bubble surfaces, sending the party’s ship bobbing back above the waves. This ship shows signs of damage from its rough journey, and is leaking in several spots below the deck, but is no longer in imminent danger. Floating wreckage and enormous bones bob to the surface around the party’s ship but there is no sign of the lich or his minions. By all appearances, the strange vessel and its passengers have sunk to the bottom of the sea. Of the Archimandrite or the rest of the Blackrift fleet there is no sign...for now, at least.

All repares can be done by the Oahtu that are on the ship with the reckage around it.

With the final star fragment in your possession, you attune it to the astral compass and learn the direction of the Fallen Star. The compass’ readings are undeniable. Consulting the ship’s charts reveals that you will have to pass the Serene Deeps - the territory of the merfolk.

Go ahead and level up.

Is there any RPing that is wanted to be done before we get to the next section?

(also sorry for the delay and lack of info I was at a wrestling tournament and my daughter's birthday party all weekend, and yesterday I had to take the day to catch up on grading.)

Varlan spends the remainder of the day helping with the ship repairs then in the evening retires to his bunk to study the book of spells. It will be a long effort to make sense of them, but in the long term he is sure it will be useful.

Morning finds him refreshed and invigorated and working on some kind of ritual. When he finally comes on deck he is wearing an unusual cloak that seems to be made from the whole skin of a Manta Ray. His shield also looks a little more impressive -- no doubt the result of his tinkering.

He heads to the bow of the ship, staring intently forward, wondering what new torments the days ahead will hold.

The astral compass has pulled you farther than ever before - to the region known as the Serene Deeps. The astral compass begins being more speratice, then starts spinning wildly.

There is no island in this location. It seems likely that the Fallen Star is somewhere far beneath the waves.

Those who look into the ocean notice what seems to be a gleaming golden spire, deep beneath the waves. Upon inspection the spire is connected to a much larger structure in the ocean. The spire is made of choral and covered in gold leaf. Its delicately worked surfaces catch the sun’s rays and reflect dazzling beams of light into the water below. Some can recognize the spire as a beautiful piece of merfolk architecture, leading them to conclude there must be a merfolk settlement below you.

4 loud thuds hit the ship, then you feel it being pushed away from the city.  After about a mile the pushing stops.  A female merfolk who wears a red-detailed uniform denoting her rank. Her skin is dark cerulean and she keeps her purple hair cut very short comes out of the water somewhat riding a giant sea horse, along with her are 8 guards, each on a sea horse.  She speaks, with a harsh whispy voice, "Three other Black Rift ships have meet the dark deep from me, do you wish to be the fourth? You will find no easy prey in Tesora d'Mar."

Varlan raises his empty hands, "Rest assured that we do not come to prey on your people."

He then looks at Mis'tuv, awaiting some kind of response.

As an experienced sailor, Jecob is able to speed up the repairs. Since gaining the paladin Aura of Protection, there are fewer accidents onboard while he is around. (He doesn't know whether the crew consider that "good luck" or are creeped out by the witchery involved.)

After Varlan parleys with the merfolk, Jecob joins in.
"I will protect this crew from dangers of the sea, but as Varlan said, we are not here to harm you..."
After realizing that he doesn't know the crew for very long, and thinking of their sometimes odd behavior, Jecob will add in a murmur, "... I think."

Kraven moves to the other side of the boat and looks over the side to see what he sees and then addresses the merlady, "We are no pirates, just an adventuring band seeking wealth that has been unclaimed."

Then he chuckles and looks at the rest of his party while saying, "Our leader here," pointing to Mis't, "Can explain everything better than I."

A slightly winded Mist hastily clomps up to the gunwale, half dressed, brow furrowed and clearly frustrated. Stuffing a wadded-up bundle into his pocket, he doesn't look so good. You've heard the term "green around the gills" but while there are no gills, he seems to be taking the rest quite literally. One ear is distinctly green, as is the skin around his hairline, and a swath of one cheek looks as if the color is partially concealed by makeup.

His arms flail wildly above his head as he begins to shout at the merfolk. At this point you can clearly tell he's outgrown his clothes as an olive green midriff pokes out from under a tunic stretched tight over his overgrown-babylike physique. He's most certainly taller than he was when you met him - nearing 5 feet.

"Oi! Why're you lot impedin' our travel? 'Aven't done nothin' to yis, 'ave we? We're jus' floatin' along all peaceful-like an' 'ere you are insertin' yourselves into our cartographic equations!"

He puts his hands down and straightens his tunic with a self-conscious glance around to see if anyone noticed. He mutters out the side of his mouth to Kraven, "We should talk about tellin' folks we're looters at first meetin' at some point." Then he barrels on.

"I don't know who yer Tessa Demare is but we got no beef...er...tuna (no that's chicken...whatever) with her. An' fer the love of Gideon or Scur or whoever, can ya not see the sails? What made yeh think we're Bleak Raft? Not like we're droolin' on ourselves an' yellin' 'yarrr' or makin' sods walk the plank o're 'ere. Now if you would kindly be on yer way, we've got a rock we need t' find what fell into the water somewheres 'round these parts."

He makes a shoeing motion with his hands and stares expectantly at the merfolk leader.

And here we go, Kraven thinks as he waits for the merfolk to respond.

Varlan raises an eyebrow then catches Kraven's eye, shaking his head slowly. Gods help us. He glances around at the crew, trying to assess their reaction to this unorthodox negotiation.

Kuatho helps to organize the Oahtu repairs and assists as he is able.  He is excited to be free and back on their journey.  

As they approach the merfolk city, and feel the pushing of the ship, he gains his balance and moves to the edge to see who is addressing them.  His antennae bend toward the merfolk, the ranked official sent to meet them and he also listens to Mist’s missive.  He says simply “We mean you no harm.  We are explorers.  Perhaps… you could help us?”

He consider’s the merfolk officer’s response and intent toward them.

Kuatho insight : 12 

Kuatho what you can gather is that she is an officer or guards and she is looking to protect her city from any type of invadors.

Mist go ahead and make a Persuasion check for me, I'll give advantage seeing as you have had a little help from others.

Persuasion: 27

The officer responds to Mist, "Tesora d'Mar is not a person, it is our city!  Seeing as you are not Black Rift I will take you to meet Regenta Pominguez, the city’s ruler. She is the only one who can grant surface-folk the right to dwell in the city.  And I am  Azel."

She pauses for no where near enough time for you all to respomd and she says, "Well come, come, lets get in."