Move 299: Bath Time
Grell Nest--Midday, Day 28 (Marpenoth 13)After the treasure transport and a little more spellcasting was done, it was decided that bathing was the next order of business. The group headed over to take a closer look at the large pool that they had seen earlier in another part of the cave system. Since there was no glowing moss stuck in the walls in the immediate area of the water, it was shrouded in darkness until they approached with their lights. The pool itself looked calm and quiet once it was lit.
Azrun looked out at the pool, then reached down and picked up small rock. "Well, I guess we should see if anyone is home." With that he gave the rock a toss so that it bounced at the shoreline and then into the water. He watched to see if the water stirred anymore after that.
Jana put her hand on her sword. "Blacky, I think you and I'd better go check it out. Hmm. Y'know, it might be a good idea to tie a rope around our waists, just in case. Probably I'm just being paranoid, but with the freaky-ass stuff we've seen already..." She looked over at Blacky for his input.
"Just in case the grells turn out to be as bad neighbors as we think they are and there's nobody living in that pool," Arachne asked, unlacing her boots, "who besides me knows how to swim?" Barefoot and kneeling, she began removing her very tired and filthy clothing. "It's not as if this dress is _protective_," she muttered, "even if anything _should_ turn up." (She did locate herself with Jana or Blacky between her and the pool.)
"Stargazer hath read a tome or two on swimming," Aloysius offered. "And I once spent an afternoon studying the way mallards propel themselves across the surface of a pond. But," he added uncomfortably, "ne'er have I really tried to do it myself."
He cleared his throat. "The swimming, I meant, not the propelling as clearly I . . .have . . .no. . .feathers or . . . webbed feet." With that he started taking off his clothes.
"One of us should have that water breathing potion in our hand in case we get dragged in." He said taking up the grell spear in his right hand. "Water conducts lightning, right? I mean my mom always told me to stay away from it during storms. I've got an idea." With that he moved toward the edge of the water, staying as far away as the spear would allow. Blacky poked the tip in the water and concentrated on releasing a charge.
Echo shook her head. "I can't swim very well." She stayed back while other people checked the water.
"How 'bout a bow?" Jana asked, holding out her shortbow. "I'm not very good with it and I like my sword better. This way, you could fight without getting in too close, which is good since you prob'ly wouldn't like wearin' the kind of armor you'd need for that sorta fighting anyways."
Jana noticed Blacky about to prod the water with his spear. "Hey, hold up, let's do the rope thing first." She asked for some rope for each of them and tied one end of hers around her waist and gave the other end to Olaf. "Renn, can you and Azrun hold Blacky's rope?"
After he stowed away the bowstrings and holy water he'd retrieved from the cottage, Renn followed everyone to the pool of water.
"Certainly Jana," Renn nodded as he tossed one end of the rope to Blacky, then he tied a knot in the end of the rope and waited for the festivities to begin. "It'll feel nice to be clean again," he sighed gratefully.
Blacky stopped just before he was about to prod the water. He moved back and tied the rope around his waist, then back to his position by the water. "You guys ready? This is bound to piss something off if it lives in here." With that he poked the end of the spear into the water and let loose with a charge.
Azrun's tossed rock did not seem to cause any commotion in the pool. As Blacky turned back around to go back for the rope, however, a huge eel lunged out of the previously calm water and locked its jaws around the fighter's torso. The eel had scarred, pitted skin and, estimating from the part of it that was visible above the water, was likely to be at least 25' long.
“Shit!" Jana yelped. She drew her sword and hacked at the eel's body a couple of feet from Blacky.
As Blacky heard the water stir he got a 'that figures' look on his face and tried to turn back and face his opponent. The look was quicly replaced with a grimace as he stabbed at the eel with the spear trying to shock it into releasing him.
By this time down nearly to just his loin cloth, Aloysius cast a spell at the eel.
Looking up from her disrobing, Arachne got an "I wonder if that would work?" look on her face...
Echo took an involuntary step back when the eel came out of the water. She started casting a spell.
Azrun's jaw dropped as the critter came out of the water, "That's it no more rock throwing for me." He pulled his bow loose and moved off to the side so he could get a shot at the eels body where it came out of the water.
Renn muttered a curse under his breath and jumped forward as the eel grabbed Blacky. He drew his sword and attacked from the side.
Olaf leaped to his feet and charged the beast, sword swinging.
Previous Move
Next Move
Back to Move Summaries
Back to Night Below Main Page
