The Cave Beneath the Tide

As Liska ends her song, the tide quickly recedes, pulling with it part of the cliff and beach. In its wake, stone steps emerge—slick with seawater and time—spiraling down the cliff face like a forgotten promise. The four companions descend in silence, the salt air thick with anticipation.

Each must test their footing on the treacherous descent. A DC 10 Athletics check determines whether they slip on the slick stone or reach the cave mouth unscathed.

Merisiel (Athletics +4) d20 = 17+4. Passes
Valeros (Athletics +7) d20 = 3+7. Passes but just
Kyra (Athletics +1) d20 = 13+1. Passes
Ezren (Athletics +0) d20 = 18+0. Passes

As the cave mouth yawns open before them, a figure emerges from the mist—bipedal, crustacean, and unmistakably alien. Its glowing eyes fix on the intruders, and the sonic spear it carries hums with a warning: this place is not meant for them.

The Asquenti’s eyes flare brighter as it raises its sonic spear. With a sudden, fluid motion, it lunges forward—its movements more tide than muscle.

Roll a d4 to determine the target of its first strike, 1= Merisiel, 2= Valeros, 3= Kyra, 4= Ezren, roll =3

The Asquenti strikes, (combat round 1).

The Asquenta has the element of suprise.

Its sonic lance hums with resonance as it lunges toward Kyra, the vibration distorting the air around it. The blow lands—Kyra reels as the weapon connects, taking 6 points of damage, but she grits her teeth and resists the disorienting pulse. Her training holds: she passes the DC 18 Fortitude save, avoiding the Stunned 1 condition.

(Stunned 1 means she would have lost one of her three actions on her next turn—momentarily overwhelmed by the sonic shock.)

The creature then shifts sideways, its chitinous legs clicking against the stone, positioning itself squarely between the companions and the cave’s deeper passage. It’s not just defending—it’s guarding something.

With a second strike, the Asquenti targets Valeros. The spear arcs toward him, but the penalty for a follow-up attack throws off its aim. Valeros sidesteps with practiced ease, his armor deflecting the blow. He too resists the sonic pulse, passing his Fortitude save without falter.

🔥 Round 2: The Tide Turns

Initiative Order:

1. Kyra (27)
2. Asquenti (25)
3. Ezren (13)
4. Merisiel (10)
5. Valeos (8)

Kyra acts first.
The startled companions barely have time to regroup before Kyra steps forward, her voice rising in a sharp incantation. Flames spiral from her fingertips, coalescing into a roaring cone of fire that engulfs the Asquenti.

• Spell DC: 17
• Asquenti Reflex Save: 12 + 8 = 20 → Success
• Damage Roll: 2d6 = 12 → Half damage
• Result: The Asquenti takes 6 fire damage

The creature shrieks—a sound like grinding glass—as its carapace blackens and cracks. Though it twists away from the worst of the blast, the heat leaves its sonic hum faltering..

⚔️ Round 2 Continued: The Guardian Strikes Back

The Asquenti, its shell still scorched from Kyra’s flames, retaliates with precision and fury.

First Strike – Kyra
It lunges again at Kyra, sonic lance vibrating with a low, discordant hum. The attack glances off her armor—11 vs AC 16, a miss—but the resonance is enough to rattle her senses. She fails her Fortitude save, becoming Stunned 1, losing one action on her next turn.

Second Strike – Merisiel
With a swift pivot, the creature targets Merisiel. Despite the -5 penalty, its strike lands true—22 vs AC, a hit. The blade bites, and Merisiel takes 4 damage, her agile form barely avoiding a deeper wound.

Third Strike – Valeros
The final attack, rushed and desperate, arcs toward Valeros—but the creature overextends. The blow is wild, the roll a natural 1, and Valeros sidesteps with a grin, untouched.

Ezren has the Telekinetic Projectile cantrip.

Ezren spotted a jagged stone near the cavern wall and raised his hand, fingers twitching with arcane energy. With a sharp gesture, the rock lifted and spun midair—then shot forward like a bullet.

“Let’s see how you like this,” he muttered.

The projectile struck true, slamming into the Asquenti’s carapace with a resounding crack. Ezren’s spell attack roll of 27 (natural 20 +7) beat the creature’s AC of 17 by exactly ten—triggering a critical hit.

• Damage: 4d6 bludgeoning
• Result: 13 damage dealt
• Asquenti HP: Dropped from 34 to 21

The creature reeled, its shimmering shell now marred by a deep fracture. Ezren’s precision and power turned a simple cantrip into a decisive blow.

With the Asquenti drifting just shy of thirty feet away, Merisiel wasted no time. The elven rogue darted forward, her boots silent against the mossy ground, closing the distance in a single fluid motion. Her short sword gleamed in the dim light as she struck, (d20 = 4 +7, a miss)—but the creature twisted unnaturally, and the blade glanced off its ethereal hide.

Undeterred, Merisiel adjusted her stance and lunged again (d20 =15 +7 -4, a hit) . This time, her blade found purchase, slicing through the creature’s shimmering form. The Asquenti let out a low, resonant hiss as the blow landed—six points of damage carved into its essence, leaving it visibly weakened. Its health now teetered at 15 HP, and the tide of battle began to shift.

Whether the rogue’s boldness will provoke a counterstrike or force the creature into retreat remains to be seen. But for now, Merisiel stands her ground—blade ready, eyes locked, waiting for the next move.

With the Asquenti drifting just shy of thirty feet away, Merisiel wasted no time. The elven rogue darted forward, her boots silent against the mossy ground, closing the distance in a single fluid motion. Her short sword gleamed in the dim light as she struck—but the creature twisted unnaturally, and the blade glanced off its ethereal hide.

Undeterred, Merisiel adjusted her stance and lunged again. This time, her blade found purchase, slicing through the creature’s shimmering form. The Asquenti let out a low, resonant hiss as the blow landed—six points of damage carved into its essence, leaving it visibly weakened. Its health now teetered at 15 HP, and the tide of battle began to shift.

Whether the rogue’s boldness will provoke a counterstrike or force the creature into retreat remains to be seen. But for now, Merisiel stands her ground—blade ready, eyes locked, waiting for the next move.

As Merisiel’s blade left the Asquenti reeling, Valeros surged forward—his longsword already drawn, eyes locked on the creature’s flickering form. The rogue’s assault had opened a narrow window, and the fighter seized it with practiced precision.

With barely enough space to swing, Valeros stepped into range and unleashed a powerful strike. The blade arced through the air, catching the Asquenti squarely with a critical hit—a roll of 28 that cleaved through its defenses. The impact was devastating: 18 points of damage, enough to shatter the creature’s spectral form in a burst of light and shadow.

The Asquenti let out a final, echoing cry before dissipating into the ether, leaving behind only a faint shimmer and the scent of ozone.

Merisiel lowered her blade, nodding to Valeros with a grin. “Nice timing,” she said.

Valeros shrugged, wiping his sword clean. “Just didn’t want you hogging all the glory.”

Ezren and Kyra join their two companions, the entrance to the cave yawns before them, damp and silent, its breath cool against their skin. Merisiel slips ahead, just beyond the torchlight’s reach, her elven eyes adjusting easily to the gloom. She moves like a shadow, short sword drawn, every step measured and silent—ready to scout whatever secrets lie within.

Behind her, Kyra holds the torch aloft, its flickering flame casting long, dancing shadows across the cave walls. Her scimitar gleams in her free hand, ready to strike if the darkness proves hostile. Ezren follows close, dagger drawn, his gaze flicking between the stone floor and the strange symbols etched into the walls. He mutters arcane observations under his breath, already piecing together the cave’s forgotten story.

Valeros brings up the rear, longsword in hand, shield raised. His stance is solid, protective—watching the passage behind them as much as the one ahead. If anything dares follow, it’ll meet steel before it meets skin.

Together, they descend into the cave’s first chamber, the torchlight revealing tide-worn murals and a shallow, glowing pool. The air is thick with salt and silence. Somewhere deeper, something waits.

The narrow passage opens into a vast chamber, its ceiling lost to shadow save for a jagged skylight above. Sunlight spills through the gap, catching motes of dust and salt in the air, casting shifting beams across the stone. Carvings line the walls—weathered figures and symbols worn smooth by centuries of tide and time. Statues stand sentinel in alcoves, their features eroded but still noble, watching in silence.

At the chamber’s heart lies a shallow pool, its surface glowing with a soft turquoise light. The water ripples gently, though no breeze stirs. Steps carved into the rock lead to raised platforms and shadowed recesses, each torchlit and waiting. The air hums with quiet reverence, as if the cave itself remembers.

I ask the oracle if the room is otherwise empty, and get No (and)… I roll on the Twist table and get ‘An NPC acts oddly’. Neither Liska and Menhemes entered the cave system, they stayed on the shore well away from the danger, but one of them must have followed, 1,2 or 3 its Liska, 4,5 or 6 its Menhemes, I roll 4, its Menhemes, he has followed and goes from friendly to hostile, but why?

1 = Hidden agenda
2 = The Pools Influence
3 = Fear Turned to Fury
4 = Illusion or Doppelganger
d4 roll = 4.
I read that as ‘the liminal spirit called his name again and now wears his face, it does nor want the companions in the cave’.

A flicker of movement catches Valeros’s eye—someone stands at the edge of the chamber, just beyond the torchlight. It’s Menhemes. Or at least, it looks like him.

He steps forward slowly, eyes wide, lips parted in a silent snarl. “You shouldn’t be here,” he says, voice low and wrong. The cadence is off. The words feel rehearsed.

Kyra’s torchlight catches his face—and something shifts. For a breath, his features ripple like water disturbed. His eyes flash silver. Then the illusion snaps back into place.

Ezren’s breath hitches. “That’s not him,” he whispers.

The figure lunges.

As the tide-cleft chamber echoed with the spirit’s mimicry, Valeros stepped forward, shield raised. The creature lunged—its form flickering between sea mist and stolen memory—but the fighter was ready.

With a roar, Valeros struck true:

• Attack 1: Natural 20 +9 vs AC 18 → Critical Hit → 20 damage
  The spirit reeled, its form destabilizing, voice warping mid-scream.

Without hesitation, Valeros followed through:

• Attack 2: 19 +9 vs AC 18 → Critical Hit → 13 damage
  The longsword sliced through the spectral veil, scattering fragments of stolen memory like seafoam.

The liminal spirit staggered, its essence flickering—21 HP remaining—but not yet banished.

Liminal Spirit’s Turn

• Attack 1: Hits (18 total) → 1 damage
  • Valeros succeeds Fortitude save → no permanent HP loss
• Attack 2: Misses (-5 penalty)
• Attack 3: Hits despite -10 → 6 damage
  • Valeros fails Fortitude save → permanently loses 2 HP
  • Liminal Spirit recovers 2 HP
• Liminal Spirit HP: 21 → 23

Valeros is still standing strong, but that last hit stung—both physically and metaphysically. The spirit’s ability to siphon vitality adds a nice eerie twist, especially with the permanent HP loss. It’s like it’s feeding on the memory of his strength.

The Banishing Blow

• Kyra channels divine energy, her healing spell searing the liminal spirit’s stolen form for 8 damage, then follows up with a scimitar slash for 6 more.
• Ezren, cautious but committed, slips in with his dagger and lands a lucky 2 damage.
• Merisiel, ever the opportunist, circles behind the faltering spirit and drives her short sword deep—7 damage, just enough to end it.

The spirit lets out a soundless cry, its form unraveling into mist and seawater. It does not die. It retreats—fleeing toward the tide, waiting for the ritual that will truly send it back

The tension doesn’t fully lift as the spirit fades—there’s still the salt in the air, the ritual unfinished, and the weight of what just transpired. But then: footsteps. Urgent, uneven.

Kyra turns first, scimitar still slick with seawater and spirit-light. Valeros shifts his stance, ready for anything. But it’s Liska, cloak flapping behind her, and Menhemes, breathless but determined, their eyes wide with relief and purpose.

“You did it,” Liska says, voice low but fierce. “We felt the shift. The tide’s wrong. It’s not over.”

Menhemes clutches a bundle of scrolls and ritual tools, half-soaked from the sprint. “The spirit’s gone, but its anchor remains. We need to finish the rite before moonrise.”

Ezren nods, already stepping back to make space. Merisiel flicks her blade clean and grins. “Then let’s make sure it doesn’t come back.”

The Ritual Chamber

The cave narrows, then opens into a vaulted chamber carved by centuries of tide and time. Bioluminescent moss clings to the walls, casting a soft green glow over ancient carvings—waves, eyes, and spirals etched into the stone. The air is heavy with salt and silence.

At the center lies a shallow pool, ringed with worn stones. The water is still, but wrong—dark, almost oily, as if the spirit’s presence lingers beneath the surface.

Liska kneels beside the pool, unwrapping the sea glass talisman, its surface flickering with trapped light. Menhemes lays out ritual scrolls, his voice steady as he begins the chant. The party forms a protective circle, weapons lowered but ready.

“This place remembers,” Liska murmurs. “We must remind it what belongs—and what does not.”

Kyra adds her voice to the chant, divine energy pulsing through the chamber. Ezren traces sigils in the air, guiding the flow of arcane power. Merisiel and Valeros stand watch, eyes on the shadows.

As the ritual builds, the pool begins to churn. The spirit’s remnants rise—shimmering, resisting. But the sea glass glows brighter, drawing the essence inward. With a final surge of light and sound, the water stills. The talisman dims. The cave exhales.

The liminal is gone.

Note: This short adventure was designed as a practice run to explore Pathfinder 2e’s combat and magic mechanics. It’s a bit brisk in places, but served its purpose well—and now I’m ready to dive into something grander.