Chapter 20: Coming Dawn

[Ken]

Belarin gasps as he sees Streko's prone, motionless body - a costly mistake as he, too, inhales a lungful of poison! As he staggers forward to get away from the cloud, one sliver of his mind tries to maintain his concentration on the invisibility he placed on Shorak.

Coughing violently, he takes a few steps to port, fighting against the strong winds, and drops to one knee near Calirataia. The motion causes an item to come loose and fall in front of him. The Tryptych of Miscibility. The warlock hacks up a glob of bloody gray phlegm and mutters, "Feck it." He slams his hand on the device's gemstone.

____________________________________

Belarin's Con save: 1d20(1) + 1 = 2. Oh, that's not good.
Concentration check to maintain spell: 1d20(18) + 1 = 19. Good time for that!
Movement: 15 feet to the port side.
Action: Activate the Tryptych of Miscibility! LET'S GO. Rolling d100: 69. Belarin gains telepathy 60 feet until the next dawn. Not great, but in this situation, not useless either!

[Jeff]

Expansion of my previous post, per Dave W's question:

The swath of "cleared air" that Calirataia has created is an area of wind actively keeping the poisonous fog at bay within that area. It's pushing away from her, so anyone who enters that area is effectively pushed toward the starboard side. Not only is this temporary negating the difficult terrain, it gives you a boost of 15 ft if you move in the starboard direction. If you move against it, though, it's still difficult terrain. See the area indicated here in blue lines.

Attachments:

[Dave W.]

Adamant sees Streko fall. He struggles against the poisonous fumes of the cloud himself but needs to help the halfling. He waves a thanks to Calirataia as her fresh breeze blows the deadly fumes past him.

Reaching his friend he reaches down a hand, "We need you up, Good Streko." and lets the healing of his goddess flow through him.

"It's not enough, I know… please try to remove this foul cloud." He says, "I will go help at the stern."

Adamant steels himself and steps forward into both cloud and storm...

---

Sorry this is quick… and possibly confusing... but it's been a day...

I think Addy starts in the cloud still… CON check
dlw32: D20 + 5#consavevscloudkill → 16(11 + 5)

Bonus Action: none
Move Action: First part: 1N to Streko; not difficult terrain because he's going with the Gust

Standard Action: Cure Wounds 2nd Level on Streko
dlw32: 2D8 + 3 → 7( (1 +3) + 3)
I should have done Lay on Hands… I debated. Picked the wrong one.

Move Action: Second part: 1E into difficult terrain
** I think at this point Addy's re-entering the cloud and needs to make a second save. He's entering the Storm Sphere for the first time and that will also need a save:
dlw32: D20 + 5#consavevscloudkill → 18(13 + 5)
dlw32: D20 + 6#strsavevsstormsphere → 17(11 + 6)
Move Action: Third part: 1E Difficult terrain

---

Constant Effects (provided Adamant is conscious):

• Aura of Devotion: Adamant and allies within 10' can’t be charmed.
• Aura of Protection: Adamant and allies within 10' gain +3 on saves.
• Aura of Courage: Adamant and allies within 10' can’t be frightened.
• Sentinel: Adjacent creatures provoke opportunity attacks even if they use Disengage.
• Sentinel: If an adjacent enemy makes an attack against a target other than Adamant, he can use his reaction to make a melee attack against that enemy.

Possible Reactions:

• Fighting Style Protection: An attack against an adjacent ally suffers disadvantage when Addy has his shield up. Adamant doesn't have the shield now.
• Sentinel: If Addy hits with an opportunity attack, the target's speed becomes 0 for the rest of the turn.

[Dave B.]

Looking at the chaos below, Shorak pulls out his hand crossbow, knowing that he can't reach the serpent with his boomerang. At first, he reaches for the gold bolts, then remembers he gave them to Kurra to examine. "Damn! They may have been just what we needed here. But, then again, those gold bolts may have created magic that would have hurt Brack and Thul." he mutters to himself. Not that anyone would be able to hear him. He loads one of his last two magical bolts and takes careful aim at the serpent.

Sharpshooter feat: Ignores half and three quarters cover.

Advantaged ranged attack vs. serpent, with +1 bolt: 1d20+11=12: 1d20+11=18. I think that hits. Piercing damage: 1d6+5=10. Sneak attack damage: 5d6=13.

[Jeff]

Shorak's bolt sinks into the serpent's coiled, net-wrapped body. It convulses in agony.

When Belarin actives the Tryptych, the colored glass panels on its side flare with their own light as the potions are consumed. Instantly, he knows he can communicate with any creature that knows at least one language telepathically, out to a range of 60 ft. He doesn't even need to see them. Even Histra.

The poisonous fume doesn't make Adamant cough (he's never coughed in his life) but he can feel it distorting his very being, sinking into his finer parts and distorting his ability to control his movement. He can tolerate it in small amounts, but if he were to linger for too long, it can surely incapacitate him. After his spell on Streko, he moves back into the clashing spell areas. 

Melethos and Shorak see the serpent is through being confined. It twists and writhes and with sheer strength (it is massive for a snake-bodied creature) bursts from the net that had been thrown around it. It's hard to see through the rain just how injured it is. This is the moment: fight or flight. Does it think it's losing? Then the men see it slither away from human and shifter and skeleton—

The Halfdrow and tiefling can see it is punished for the sudden retreat, but it accepts the blows and slithers alongside the gunwale of the ship back toward them. Either it is stronger than it looks, or it has something else planned? Its body coils and pushes around the folded wing on the port side. Kal can't see much else through the fog, but he can see the serpent coming directly toward him, its green head-gem gleaming through the rain.

Belarin can see it, too, as can Calirataia and possibly Starg.

• Belarin takes 22 poison damage
• Adamant takes 13 (halved to 6) poison damage
• Streko regains 7 hit points and is no longer unconscious (but he remains prone)
• Serpent's Strenght check to escape net: 25 (success)
• Serpent moves.
→ Thul's opp attack: 10 (miss)
→ Brack's opp attack: 27 (hit) / 5 slashing damage
→ Skeleton's opp attack: 19 (hit) / 8 slashing damage

Cloudkill only deals damage once on your turn (if you start in it or enter it for the first time), so Adamant didn't need a second Con saving throw this round. He successfully saves against Storm Sphere, so no damage there either.

Round 5 continues:

22 - Kal & Tangat
20 - Streko
20 - Brack, Calira, Starg, Sem, Histra, Kurra, undead servants
20 - Thul
14 - Shorak
13 - Belarin
7 - Adamant
3 - foes
1 - Melethos

Attachments:

[Brian]

Through the rain, Melethos can barely see but he does spot the serpent break free of the net biding him. His gaze tracks it as it moves along the hull toward Kal.

He maneuvers the soarsled south until he is parallel to the serpent. The tiefling doesn't understand the mechanics of the creature's green light weapon, but he fears for Kal.

Throwing his arm out, he gnashes his teeth as he spits out the arcane words that send bolts of energy at the serpent. Two of the beams seems to hit the serpent. Unsure of how much the creature can take, Melethos twists his arm, clenches his hand into a fist, and unleashes three more beams of red energy laced with threads of black.

____________________________

Movement Action: Melethos moves the soarsled thirty feet south.

Standard Action: Melethos casts Eldritch Blast at the serpent.

Melethos: repeat 3 D20 + 7 #attack rolls against the serpent → 24; 12; 22(17 + 7);(5 + 7);(15 + 7) That should be two hits

Melethos: repeat 2 D10 #force damage from Eldritch Blast → 5;1 Six points of force damage

Melethos uses Action Surge to attack again with Eldritch Blast

Melethos: repeat 3D20 + 7 #second attack rolls → 27; 22; 17(20 + 7);(15 + 7);(10 + 7) Two, maybe three hits. One is a critical hit.

Melethos: 2D10 #damage from critical hit → 10(5 +5) Ten points of force damage

Melethos: repeat 2D10 #damage from other two attacks → 8;5 Either eight points of force damage or thirteen points of force damage, depending on if a 17 hits.

[Jeff]

Most of Melethos's fiery red rays strike the serpent. Kal now spots his tiefling friend soaring up in the rain thirty feet above the deck and now out over the water itself!

So the serpent has an AC of 18 under normal circumstances, I don't mind saying now.

Round 6:

22 - Kal & Tangat
20 - Streko
20 - Brack, Calira, Starg, Sem, Histra, Kurra, undead servants
20 - Thul
14 - Shorak
13 - Belarin
7 - Adamant
3 - foes
1 - Melethos

Attachments:

[Ken]

Belarin knows he can't make his voice heard over the rain, so he projects his thoughts at the Serpent:

You're three-fourths of a corpse. Snake with a bellyache! HAHAHAHA! Time to leave. Finish it off - no reprieve!

[Darren]

Jeff, a couple of corrections...

Kal isn't in the right spot on the map. He moved east three squares on his last turn, so he's actually in the Storm Sphere now.

Also, I believe he should have 8 Sorcery Points left (the sheets shows 6). He used 2 to quicken a spell and 1 to empower a spell. That said....

_____________________

Kal sees the serpent coming for him. He feels fear, but something else overrides it. Responsibility. To his friends. If the fiend attacks him, it's not attacking them. So he'll suffer, if he must. He slashes his arm towards the snake, a bolt of lightning leaping from the Storm Sphere even as it vanishes from existence, the deck suddenly becoming (relatively) quiet. Kal raises his arms and lifts off the deck, heading into the air over the ship. He points his staff down at the snake, his dragonmark blazing as a bar of electricity crackles from the end of the weapon towards the snake.

___________________
Kal will use his bonus action to attack the snake with the lightning from Storm Sphere.

Attack roll is a 13, so that's a miss.

Kal will then dismiss Storm Sphere and cast Fly. He'll go 30' straight up and 10' north. (That should put him 2 squares east of where Adamant is, and 30' up).

Kal will use 2 Sorcery Points to Quicken a casting of Lightning Bolt.

Damage is 24.

Kal will use another sorcery point to re-roll 3 of those damage dice (the two ones and a three).

New damage is 29. Half on a successful Dexterity save (DC 15)

Kal should now have 5 Sorcery points remaining.

[Joe]

Streko is no longer in the deadly cloud. Further, thanks to Adamant's ministrations, he is awake once more, having felt the chill grip of death closing on in his soul.

He feels weak and powerless. Worse, he can't see many of his teammates or his adversary due to the dense haze of death.

Streko calls out to Olladra, his voice struggling to vocalize his faith. Warm orange light emanates from his hands and enters into his body, giving him the chance to live a bit longer.
________________________________________________________

Streko casts Cure Wounds on himself and heals → 28 hp..

EDITED

[Jeff]

Kal's lightning impales the serpent and flares brightly where it hits the water behind it.

---

Darren: sorry, sorcery points fixed. I may not have reset it to max after the last rest.

Joe: Again, the Cloudkill is opaque; where Calira did not part it with her Gust of Wind, it cannot be seen through. Streko cannot see the serpent, and to cast Guardian of Faith (is that what you're casting? please name the spell) you have to be able to see where you're placing it:

A Large spectral guardian appears and hovers for the duration in an unoccupied space of your choice that you can see within range.

Attachments:

[Dave B.]

Posting out of turn. Assuming the serpent is still a target when it's Shorak's turn. If not, will edit post tomorrow night.

Shorak watches the serpent move around the ship, Kal the obvious focus of its attention. He takes aim again with his hand crossbow, using his last magical bolt. He thanks Belarin, silently, for the invisibility and fires the tiny bolt at the large creature.

Advantaged ranged attack vs. serpent: 1d20+10=15; 1d20+10=18. Piercing damage: 1d6+5=11. Sneak attack damage: 5d6=25.

[Joe]

EDITED STREKO'S LAST POST.

[Jeff]

To Belarin's disappointment, the serpent has ignored his telepathic jest.

Streko, still off his feet, finds himelf pushed by the wind harmlessly away and all the way up to the gunwale of the starboard side. Sem, too, though he's still on his feet, is too small to resist and slides with him. But Streko is able to heal himself significantly. Kurr, too, is pushed against the wind, and she rushes to push back against it again. She readies the rod in her hand...

Calirataia redirects her magic wind, then, and it pushes away another wide swath of the poisonous cloud, clearing the area immediately around Adamant. With a clear line of sight now, Kurra's rod flicks and magic missiles explode from it, pulsing into the serpent, whose scales are finally getting blasted and scored from its wounds. Dark red, almost black, blood spatters in the rain.

→ Streko's Strength saving throw vs. Gust of Wind: 11 / Streko is pushed 15 feet
• Streko regains 28 hit points
Beacon of Faith would have maximized the healing, but since it's a concentration spell, it dropped when Streko fell unconscious.
→ Sem's Strength saving throw vs. Gust of Wind: 8 / Sem is pushed 15 feet
→ Kurra's Strength saving throw vs. Gust of Wind: 11 / Kurra is pushed 15 feet
• Kurra moves and Readies
• Calirataia redirects Gust of Wind. Adamant will not have to save against the Cloudkill but will need to make a Strenght saving throw to avoid being pushed 15 feet (well, 10 up against Brack's cabin's all)
• Kurra's Magic Missile vs serpent: 14 force damage to serpent

Brack whirls around, hurries back to where he dropped his bow, retrieves it, and looses two arrows at the serpent. Thul, too, gives pursuit, but the slick deck and rain remain a force to push through. The skeleton hurries past both living men and even climbs creepily up onto the gunwale to get closer, poised for the next attack. The undead tauth dive-attacks again, but the serpent snakes its head down quick to avoid it.

• Brack's arrow attacks vs. serpent: 24 (hit), 27 (hit) / 7 and 9 piercing damage
• Thul moves and Dashes
• Skeleton moves and Dashes
• Tauth moves and attacks serpent: 6 (miss)

Shorak takes aim, counting on the fact that his enemy cannot account for him at all; he is high above and unseen. The crossbow bolt clicks and fires, and without any fanfair the bolt sinks perfectly into one of the great serpent's eyes, destroying it utterly. The creature seizes up, then the head drops heavily, smacking into the gunwale; the body is still coiled around the wing of the Dragonfly, so even when it goes limp, it does not drop.

But then its body starts spasming violently.

• Shorak's attack disabled/killed/defeated the serpent?

Round 6 continues:

22 - Kal & Tangat
20 - Streko
20 - Brack, Calira, Starg, Sem, Histra, Kurra, undead servants
20 - Thul
14 - Shorak
13 - Belarin
7 - Adamant
3 - foes
1 - Melethos

Attachments:

[Ken]

Belarin is already beginning his rhyme by the time Shorak fires his devastating shot: "Villain that is consumed by greed, your life is gone, I'll watch you bleed!"

The warlock releases three blasts of red-and-silver energy from this dagger. As soon as he completes the spell, he reaches out mentally to Histra. Come up! The fog is fading!! Once the poisonous cloud is away from the ladder to the galley, Belarin moves toward it.

__________________________

Belarin attacks the Serpent with three eldritch blasts.
Attacks: Belarin: repeat 3D20 + 8 → 10; 11; 26(2 + 8);(3 + 8);(18 + 8). Looks like only the last one is a hit.
Damage: 1d10(7) +4 = 11.

[Dave W.]

Adamant still struggles against both the pitching deck Calirataia's summoned wind. He quotes the scriptures, "I am the rock against which my foes are crushed." The words are lost in the storm but he draws determination from them.

He moves stiffly against the winds and makes it to the railing. Seeing the creature dead but stil twitching he is reminded of trolls regenerating, "Thul!" he shouts, "we need fire! Let Syndra burn the body!"

Just in case the Serpent's weakness is not fire, he brings holy light to bear.

---

Sorry this is quick… and possibly confusing...
STR check vs Gust of Wind
dlw32: D20 + 6#str save → 20(14 + 6)
Looks good.

Bonus Action: none
Move Action: 2S

Standard Action: 2 attacks. I think since it's just lying there I get advantage. If not, just take the first roll in each...
dlw32: 2D20H1 + 8 → 23(high 1 of 15; 10 = 15 + 8)
dlw32: 2D20H1 + 8 → 25(high 1 of 11; 17 = 17 + 8)

Just to be paranoid, he'll add a 1st level Smite to the first hit:
dlw32: D4 + 4 + D8 + 2D8 → 25(2 + 4 + 8 + (8 +3) )
6 Bludgeon, 19 Radiant
dlw32: D4 + 4 + D8 → 14(4 + 4 + 6)
8 Bludgeon, 6 Radiant

---

Constant Effects (provided Adamant is conscious):

• Aura of Devotion: Adamant and allies within 10' can’t be charmed.
• Aura of Protection: Adamant and allies within 10' gain +3 on saves.
• Aura of Courage: Adamant and allies within 10' can’t be frightened.
• Sentinel: Adjacent creatures provoke opportunity attacks even if they use Disengage.
• Sentinel: If an adjacent enemy makes an attack against a target other than Adamant, he can use his reaction to make a melee attack against that enemy.

Possible Reactions:

• Fighting Style Protection: An attack against an adjacent ally suffers disadvantage when Addy has his shield up. Adamant doesn't have the shield now.
• Sentinel: If Addy hits with an opportunity attack, the target's speed becomes 0 for the rest of the turn.

[Jeff]

Dave: the Storm Sphere is already gone, so need for saves there. And he's not in the Cloudkill at the start of his turn. Adamant's hammer smacks into the snake's body and starts to split it open. It does not react, and it does not regenerate.

The poison cloud does not quickly disperse on its, own but it is beginning to drift away toward the starboard side. Before a portion of it washes over Sem and Streko again, Calirataia turns druid-wind to push away more of it, clearing the area above the open hatch. Belarin immediately sees that the red cloud still swirls around in the galley below. It is not fading fast.

How are you...? Histra asks in Belarin's mind, clearly puzzled by the sudden telepathy. I am well. We have closed the door in the cabin, to keep the poison out.

The serpent's body finally slows down its twitching, and then Thul hits it hard with Syndra, who Adamant can well imagine is screaming at the human to do so. The fire scorches it.

Brack turns his attention to the wheel. "Kurra, help me get these snares off us!" he calls out. "And anyone else, cut."

Calirataia calls out in a clear voice, still trying to be heard in the driving rain. It has not relented during this fight. "No! I will loose them! Wait, Bracken."

Out of combat mode.

[Darren]

Kal braces for the attack he knows is coming. No matter what he might think, he is not as strong as his friends. He will not survive this. When that snake turns its full attention on him, he will perish. He is ready. He closes his eyes, hovering in the air and waiting to accept his fate.

The air swirls around Kal's body and he waits.

He opens one eye, looking around cautiously, then the other. He looks down and sees the corpse of the snake creature. Relief washes over him. He grins as he floats down to the deck. "I knew we would be just fine," he says to everyone." He smacks the snake's hide with his staff for good measure.

"Alright, Captain, it seems we have quite a few large corpses on board now. Into the river, or can we make use of them?" He looks around for Histra. "Belarin, where is Histra?" He turns again, thinking perhaps he has missed her. "We need her up here." He also eyes the large gem in the snake's head. "Shorak, Belarin...see what you can make of that? Is it valuable? Can we claim it?"

[Joe]

Streko nearly vomits yet again from the poisonous cloud as it drifts over him and beyond the deck he feels pushing against his back. All he hears now is the pounding rain, as Kal's storm sphere has dissipated. The rain continues to pour and soak him, although, in a moment of vanity, he notices pearls of water beading and chasing each other across the dragon scales.

Once the clod above-decks disperses, he sees the body of the serpent directly in front of him. To his right, the massive corpse of the crab.

Gods above and below, why is my first thought that there will be crab meat for weeks now...and we are just getting ready to go on a long journey. What a boon!!

Streko then yells out "IS EVERYONE ALL RIGHT?" Not expecting an answer he rises and still feels Calirataia's wind pushing him against the ship's side.

He makes his way over to the snake and shakes his head. "Well, Rhashaak won't be too happy about this, I suspect," he says.

[Ken]

"Get away from it, Streko!" yells Belarin as soon as he realizes that the fog is not dissipating. "Never trust a dragon -- or a serpent that acts like one!" He speaks a few syllables, and a ghostly hand flies from his outstretched arm and clutches the Serpent's head. "It's NOT DEAD!"

__________________________

Belarin already identified the nature of cloudkill, so he knows it's a damn concentration spell. He casts chill touch.
Attack: 1d20(20) + 6 = 26. Natural 20!
Damage: Belarin: 6D8#chilltouchcriticaldamage → 30(6 +2 +8 +4 +6 +4) = 30 points necrotic. The Serpent cannot regain hit points until the start of Belarin's next turn.

[Dave B.]

When the serpent drops from his well-shot bolt, Shorak pumps his fist in the air and yells, "YES! Did you see that?" Then realizes with an invisible sheepish grin, that nobody can hear him from up there and he is still unseen. Still, it is satisfying to know that he is as responsible for much of the carnage around them as the rest of his friends. Friends? Yes, friends. Although, he still has a long way to go before he can trully open up to them. It has never been his way to...share. As, it seems, so many of them are wont to do.

He waits up in the crow's nest for any signs of other enemies, as more blows are felled upon the serpent. Less than a minute later, when Belarin's spell wears off, Shorak climbs down to the deck to examine the gem in the serpent's head, that Kal called about. Shorak stops himself when he sees and hears Belarin, casting more damaging magic on the serpent. He draws his boomerang, just to be safe.

[Joe]

At Belarin's warning, Streko leaps back and finds himself being pushed yet again toward the starboard side of the ship. He finds himself almost directly midship. He instinctively calls out to Olladra and suddenly, a rain of fire cascades down upon the snake's body.
________________________________________________

Streko casts Sacred Flame. Radiant Damage → 14 hit points if snake fails DEX saving throw.

[Brian]

Hovering thirty feet over the ship's deck, Melethos watches the serpent go down... at least, he thought so, until Belarin shouted his warning.

The serpent isn't dead.

Indeed, killing it had seemed too easy. Clutching the crystal hanging from his neck, he raises a hand, ready to cast a spell should the creature move.

[Jeff]

Belarin's warning notwithstanding, the serpent's body does not react when Streko's holy fire hits it, nor when the skeleton hacks at the body. Thul gives it another heavy whack with the Hammer of Syndra, then spits at it, and turns away. And now the poisonous fog does begin to dissipate. Whatever this creature's relationship to the spell, or with its powers of poison, it is now fading. Belarin sees the red haze thinning and evaporating in the galley beneath the hatch at last.

And in this moment of sudden calm—as calming as it can be in a swaying ship under heavy rain—those who earlier stood within the serpent's baleful glare now feel it.

Shorak, Streko, and Sem begin to cough, each in their own time. The gnome doubles over, grips the gunwale and looks like he's going to retch. But he doesn't. He just looks miserable. Shorak and Streko feel the rush of battle fading, but right now just want rest. A chill comes over them and a headache starts up. Even Adamant feels like his internal components feel misaligned, though there is no outward sign that anyone could see: he still stands tall, but when he looks at his halfling and halfdrow friends, he can see that their breathing is becoming labored.

Calirataia returns to the sterncastle and resumes her "communing" with the kelplike vines that have entangled the back of the ship. They slowly writhe, and continue to untangle themselves.

When the space below the hatch looks safe enough to enter, Belarin hurries down the ladder. The galley is calm, and he looks across and sees the door to his and Histra's cabin open. She sits in the doorway now, panting as though happy to have clean air to breath. Tangat is lying with his head in her lap, on the edge of consciousness, and the woman is absently scratching his ears. A strange physical affection Belarin's never seen from her before. She gives Belarin a weak smile. "We are alive. Is everything else dead yet?"

Attachments:

[Dave W.]

"Perhaps it knew a different version of the spell that does not need it to maintain it?" Adamant replies to Belarin. "But it does appear to be properly dead."

Seeing people looking sickly and feeling somewhat sickly himself, Adamant goes over to Streko, "Are you unwell? You look unwell. For that matter I feel unwell. Let me take a look at you," Adamant examines the halfing for signs of lingering poison or disease but whatever is wrong with himself is making it hard to focus.

---

Medicine check on Streko
dlw32: D20 + 6#medicinecheck → 7(1 + 6)
Nope, he's fine…

[Ken]

Belarin bends down to scratch Tangat's head, and then he kisses Histra's forehead. "Yes, all dead. That Serpent really didn't like us taking that chest. Greedy bastard."

He sends a thought to Kalarian. Kal, Histra and Tangat are all right. Weak, but all right.

[Darren]

Kal watches his companions pour their fury into the dead snake next to him. The smell of the thing creeps into his nostrils, and even with the foul air drifting away, Kal finds himself wrinkling his nose in disgust. "There is a phrase I've heard in Kaarnathi circles, something about beating horses that have already died," he says to Thul. "I suppose that's common amongst the regular army?" He grins at the other man, knowing it will rile him up. In spite of himself, Kal laughs, then immediately regrets it when he gets a lungful of the stench of dead snake.

I am grateful. Thank you, Kal says to Belarin. He thinks about how normal it has become to have other people's voices in his head. I wonder if this is what Belarin feels like all the time?

[Brian]

When the serpent appears right and truly dead, Melethos considers drifting down to the deck. Then he frowns. He has a few more minutes of flying time left. Might as well make use of it.

Obeying his mental commands, the soarsled glides higher into the air. The wind, while not terrible strong, does have more impact this high up. When he is about one hundred feet above the Dragonfly, he stops, hovers, and looks around to see if he can spot anything useful or important.

[Jeff]

Adamant doesn't know what to make of Streko. It might be the rain, it's making everyone look exceedingly soggy in a way that he knows he, as a warforged, does not. So he can't even tell if the halfling is clammy or not. It's no use.

Kal can't help but wonder what Belarin is doing with the ring of telepathy, which he knows Melethos should have. He used it only a short while ago, when communicating with the tiefling.

Melethos finds it disturbing how quickly the Dragonfly half-vanishes in the rain below. Through this gusty and rainy storm, there's just no seeing very far. It's on wonder that Brack brought the sail down and just tries to ride it out. He can't even guess how close the ship is to either shore of the river, much less anything else useful. On the other hand, the rain feels good right now. He's reached a point where no part of him is dry on the outside, so he hardly notices it.

[Darren]

Belarin, when you can, come up top. Bring Histra with you. I want to know what we can salvage from these bodies so we can get rid of them.

"Adamant, take Streko and Sem below and put them in their beds." He sees an odd glow in the warforged's eye gems. "Are you feeling alright? Or...functioning correctly?" Despite the amount of time spent in his presence, Kal can't help feeling somewhat uncomfortable around 'forged. He's seen what they can do. He suppresses a shudder. There's work to be done. "Shorak? You going to be okay?"

Kal takes to the air himself and heads just behind the ship, looking at the potential damage that the vines have caused. He may not be a sailor, but he may be able to see something that Brack can't from his vantage point. Damage to the rudder will slow them down, and they are so very close to the end of this leg of the journey. There's no time to lose.