Farm Aid

Just another Guild job, except this one was a bit more spontaneous. A hand at Feldoun Farm bursts into the guildhall, yammering about giant bugs attacking the farm and how the rest of the hands and the family are trapped in the top floor of the barn. For the more chivalrous amongst you, that is enough. The more commercially minded with a little inquiry, can easily find that the Feldoun Farms is the product of a Gustavian immigrant whose artifice farming techniques have created massive crop yields that have helped to support the flood of immigrants into Alexandria in the recent years, thus quite a lucrative employer to come to the rescue of.

It doesn't take a particularly long time to get the large farm. The hand escaped in the artifice-powered horseless wagon that apparently needs no need to stop or rest, even at full pace. The hand settles at the top of a hill overlooking the farm and sets the brake on. "This is close as I get, they seem to go for the sound. One of them chased me almost a mile."

Zoob hops off the wagon, ears flapping, and readies his thunderbelcher. "Giant bugs you say? Sounds like we've just become exterminators! Because we'll be killing bugs that is, giant ones. Does that make us giant exterminators?" He thinks for a second. "No! Because we are not giant, only the bugs are! Let's go!" He sets off.

Lorien settles away and from the wagon, as he grabs his Ray from behind his belt, and slips it free. The youth takes a cursory glance, and then gives a nod towards Zoob, as he flicks a wave towards the Farmhand, "We will take care of this," he says, and then nods a bit towards the others, "Sound, we will have and keep that in mind."

Dragomir straps on the over-sized gauntlets and mechanical arm actuators to the harness enclosing his shoulders, letting off a low thrum as the arcane energy is connected and flows through them. "Da, we can be quiet on way in." he says, as the towering Tsuran steps off the wagon and stretches his armour-clad arms into the air.

Rhar and Gurr don't need wagons. They have legs and paws to walk on! Mostly it's Gurr that does the walking, since he's the bigger and stronger one. Rhar does like to run, too, and has to to try and keep up with Gurr. All the way to the farm. Sometimes Rhar throws a chewed-on ball. Sometimes she's the one chewing on it.

Smythly, of course, was one of the more chivlraous! That's perhaps unusual for a goblin to most eyes, but he was eager ot get a move on and get to the farm. "I understand. Be safe. We will deal with the threat and rescue the good farmers. ALl will be well. I swear it." The goblin's voice is not squeaky!

The approach is uneventful for the most part. Actually idyllic. The countryside is peaceful and quiet. And not even the too quiet kind of quiet. Just the birds chirping and the wind blowing and distant voices yelling....Okay, the last part is neither peaceful, nor quiet. But it is easy to pinpoint. The barn, roughly 150 yards away, has it's granary door open with several people yelling something and gesturing wildly. Wonder what it could be...

GAME: Zoob rolls perception: (5)+0: 5

GAME: Rhar rolls perception: (13)+11: 24

GAME: Dragomir rolls perception: (16)+8: 24

GAME: Lorien rolls perception: (10)+0: 10

GAME: Smythly rolls Perception: (15)+3: 18

<OOC> Hassan says, "Hit up inits. Those of you that rolled 15 or better on your perception check, you aren't flat-footed this round. You can barely feel a rumbling under your feet. Something large is moving underneath you and fast."

GAME: Zoob rolls initiative: Roll: 2 + Bonus: 4 = Total: 6

GAME: Lorien rolls initiative: Roll: 19 + Bonus: 2 = Total: 21

GAME: Dragomir rolls initiative: Roll: 17 + Bonus: 2 = Total: 19

GAME: Smythly rolls initiative: Roll: 7 + Bonus: 1 = Total: 8

GAME: Rhar rolls initiative: Roll: 18 + Bonus: 3 = Total: 21

GAME: You roll initiative for Bugz: Roll: 13 + Bonus: 0 = Total: 13

Rhar sees people waving their arms and yelling. Must be bugs in the air! But then the ground is moving under her paws. "Earthshake!" She hops up onto Gurr. Less paws to shake, and he's more stable on hers.

Lorien seems a bit confused, as he glances about. The young man blinks at Rhar and seems a bit confused, "What?" he asks. Though, he will realize it, it does leave him with a precarious position to be taken advantage of.

Dragomir quickly pulls a ripcord on his harness, which sounds a muffled roar through his armour's mechanisms as it powers up to full strength. "Below us, there is something moving!" he shouts, holding a quartz-bearing spherical device aloft as he brings one foot down in a hefty stomp on the dirt, his eyes focused downwards as he tries to see where it will rise up.

GAME: Hassan rolls 1d20+7: (14)+7: 21

GAME: Hassan rolls 2d6+4+1d4: (10)+4+(2): 16

GAME: Dragomir rolls 2d6: (12): 12

GAME: You damaged Dragomir for 16 points. 16 remaining.

GAME: Hassan rolls 1d20+7: (9)+7: 16

GAME: Hassan rolls 2d6+4+1D4: (6)+4+(1): 11

GAME: You damaged Lorien for 11 points. 14 remaining.

GAME: Hassan rolls 1d20+13: (16)+13: 29

The threat that Rhar and Dragomir detect is only seconds away, something that Dragomir and Lorien quickly discover. The rumbling of the ground grows stronger and for the briefest of moments, is audible. And then in twin sprays of dirt and soil, two gigantic horse sized roach-creatures with mandibles dripping with sizzling green ichor burst from the ground. The first sinks its mandibles into the giant Tsuran's leg, but is rewarded with an electric shock that leaves it smoking and sizzling, reeling away. Lorien fares about the same, though he is lifted aloft and held in the second creatures mouth as it emerges from the ground entirely on six spindly legs.

"Oh, hells," says Smythly. He's yoinked his hammer from across his back. It's ridiculously large for a goblin to be using, but he's managing it well enough. That's one strong goblin. His flopy gobber ears are standing up, too.

Zoob spins around as the ground erupts, shocked. "My gosh! The bugs are bigger than I expected!" He manages not to fall over as bugs climb out and attack.

GAME: Rhar rolls 1d4+4: (3)+4: 7

GAME: Rhar rolls 1d6+3: (3)+3: 6

GAME: Rhar rolls 1d20+6: (8)+6: 14

"Let pack go!" Rhar asks the giant bug nicely. By bonking it with her stick. Gurr chomps down on a leg... thing, too. Now maybe it will listen!

GAME: Lorien rolls CMB: (17)+3: 20

Lorien grunts as he wiggles about, and then he gives a gutterl growl, shouting, "Eluuuuuuuuna!" The youth then gives a shove of his arm, swivels his leg, and manages and free himself from the grapple, as he gazes at the bug, and then grabs at his Ray, waiting for the next bit of battle.

GAME: Dragomir rolls melee+2: (17)+6+2: 25

GAME: Dragomir rolls melee+2: (7)+6+2: 15

GAME: Dragomir rolls 2d6+5: (5)+5: 10

GAME: Dragomir rolls 2d6+5: (10)+5: 15

Dragomir's foot stomp seems to have done its trick, if getting bitten was the plan. Normally not a plan conducive to survival, but the electricity that arcs off his armour and into the bug proves it was a plan with some merit. "Ahh, my leg!" he shouts in a mixture of pain and annoyance. His two mechanically-empowered fists are brought down onto his attacker's carapace, the first making a loud crunch as it slams the creature into the dirt, and the over-sized gauntlet of the second wraps around its head and squeezes, crushing it into a mess. "Nyet!" he adds as he kicks the carcass aside.

GAME: Dragomir rolls reflex: (2)+6: 8

GAME: You damaged Dragomir for 13 points. 3 remaining.

GAME: Rhar rolls reflex: (13)+5: 18

GAME: Rhar rolls 1d20+7: (13)+7: 20

GAME: You damaged Rhar for 6 points. 29 remaining.

With it's fellow bug destroyed, its meal broken free from its maw, and the other meals behind it breaking its poor carapace, it feels rightly threatened. Scuttling back a bit, some of its chitinous plates swell for just a moment and then a thin stream of bright green ichorous acid sprays from its mandibles. While Rhar's mount is spared, the halfling takes a bit across the shoulder as she leans out of the worst of the blast, leaving the rest for Dragomir to take square in the back, sizzling and burning.

GAME: Smythly rolls 1d6: (4): 4

GAME: You damaged Dragomir for -4 points. 7 remaining.

"Oh, hells," says Smythly. He swiftly rushes towards Dragomir, seeing how badly injured he is, and smcks him on the side with his hand. "Inthe name of the forge, be healed!"

Yes. He really said that.

GAME: Zoob rolls ranged+1 (touch): (6)+7+1 (touch): 14

GAME: Zoob rolls 1d10+1: (9)+1: 10

Zoob spins in place, ears flapping wildly, and looses a blast from his thunderbelcher at the remaining bug. Shot peppers it, leaving it bleeding goo. "Take that, bug! Feel the wrath of Bessie!"

GAME: Rhar rolls melee+1: (17)+8+1: 26

GAME: Rhar rolls 1d20+6: (17)+6: 23

"No spit!" Rhar yells. It burns. Obviously a nasty bug. She konks it hard again and cracks open the shell. Gurr chomps down on the melty center. Then again. Meat is meat.

Lorien blinks as the battle is finished. He takes out his rifle instead, loads a cartridge, and then takes a pot-shot at the bug corpse as the mana-lines gleam on the Thunderbelcher with an Eluna symbol on it. Then he rolls his shoulders. What fun.

GAME: Dragomir casts Cure Light Wounds. Caster Level: 4 DC: 14

GAME: Dragomir rolls 1d8+4: (8)+4: 12

GAME: You damaged Dragomir for -12 points. 19 remaining.

Dragomir is busy scraping the caustic substance off his coat, but eventually nods to Smythly in gratitude. "Thank you! I did not think it would spit too." he says, as he pulls another device from his pockets; this one looks rather dangerous, sporting an array of sharp edges on articulated little limbs. Casually he places it on his leg, and with little whirring noises it begins stitching up the wound before it collapses into its component parts and a puff of mana.

Zoob blows an imaginary wisp of smoke from the muzzle of his firearm and then reloads it, holding it ready. "That was a good start, we should hurry to that barn there, it sounded like someone was in more trouble." He takes his own advice and starts out at a trot.

Lorien follows along!

Rhar was lucky. Her fur is thick and the layer of dirt almost as thick. Insulation AND protection. "Where is trouble? Why people yell for help?"

GAME: Smythly rolls 1d6: (4): 4

GAME: You damaged Lorien for -4 points. 18 remaining.

GAME: Lorien used a Potion.

GAME: Lorien rolls 1d8+1: (3)+1: 4

GAME: You damaged Lorien for -4 points. 22 remaining.

"Go! Do!" Rhar agrees. Gurr does, too. He's the one that bounds for the excited people. Rhar is now just along for the ride.

"Ready to go," says Smythly, glancing at the others. "We can ill afford to wait much longer." Those people do need help, after all, and the grim-faced gobber paladin is definitely going to do his damndest to solve this problem.

Dragomir gathers up the pieces of his expended contraption and catches his breath as the exertion of his titan armour wears off. "Yes, let us finish the job." he adds as he heads off with the rest.

Once the lot of you are healed by potion, artifice, or the grace of Reos and weapons reloaded, you move on to investigate the barn of the sprawling farmland. One the way you see another smaller ankheg, caught up and smouldering in the artifice electric fence that surrounds the crops, burnt to a black husk by its misfortunate move, along with the carcass of a half eaten cow and a few sheep laying in the field. Gouts of churned up dirt break up the rolling countryside and grazing lands on the way there, but the people in the barn aren't yelling at least. In fact by the time you get there, the bottom door slides open and an old man with a thick bushy mustache and a Gustavian accent, presumbly Feldoun is beaming, "So Eric (The Fieldhand) found us some help, I knew we could count on him...and you fine adventurers of course. I don't know what happened. They just started attacking this morning all of the sudden. We've had problems with an attack by one every now and again, but nothing like this. Maybe one of the new pumps got them riled up? I don't know. But you got the three of them dealt with, and we are all grateful."

Lorien gives a soft nod towards the one that greets them, and offers him a quiet smile, as he tilts his head a bit. The youth heaves a sigh with thoughtful regard, "Pleasure, do you know anymore about this pump, or have anyone that may know more about what may have brought them?" he asks.

"Indeed! Good Sir Eric was quite persuasive about the need for help here. We are more than willing to dal with whatever threat emerges. It is possible that your equipment could be causing trouble, but I can not say for sure. You say you have had at tacks every now and again before? How did you deal with those? They were quite dangerous." Smyhtly is concerned, of course.

Zoob bounces forward. "Bugs you say? Do you know what kind they are? I've heard of Ankhegs before but these seem smaller than I was told, then again adventurers tend to exaggerate the size of stuff they fight and these did spit acid so they fit the description otherwise and perhaps they were just undersize compared to ones back in the mountainswhere I heard about them and do you think that these could be Ankhegs?" He takes a breath finally. "Does payment for this include lunch?"

Dragomir turns about in a full circle to assess the terrain once more, pausing on each carcass, until he's once again facing the Gustavian. "If you suspect the pump, we could inspect it to be sure. We won't be surprised so easily now if they attack." he offers.

"Bigger bugs?! Where?" That's Rhar. Gurr is still too busy chewing on bug guts to talk. They're really chewy. "Pump? Where pump?" Hey, people aske for help so she's going to go where the help needs to be.

"Oh, we usually have one of the hands up in the top of the barn with a crossbow on watch during the spring. Grounds too hard for them to move in the winter. They might grab a cow or a sheep, but a few bolts would send them packing. After a while, they learned there were no easy meals here so we really didn't get any more trouble out of them before now, when those four came in on a rampage." He grins at the gun-toting goblin, "Yes, I think we can manage lunch. Especially since we haven't eaten all day getting chased up into the barn's loft like a pack of raccoons." To Lorien and Dragomir, he nods his towards around the barn, "Of course, you seem competent in the ways of artifice. We had it put in to pull up water for irrigation for new land we bought this winter."

Lorien nods, and he adjusts the strap to his rifle, "I would like and take a look at this artifice-craft well, should anyone be able and show the way," he says. He doesn't seem that hungry, though.

Zoob nods firmly. "Lunch when we get back then, is it? We'll have a look at this pump and see if we can figure out what is drawing the bugs in. It might be that or it might be unrelated but either way we'll see about getting it sorted."

"Yes. LEt us have a loot at this pump and see if it could be the cause of your roubles," says Smtyhly. "I do not hunger." With the stick he might have lodged up his rear, it's probably no surrprise. He's a stiff.

It's not very far, just around the barn to a large, pump powered by steam and artifice, with pipes running hundreds of yards down the hill to the fields below, ready to be planted. "We've tested it a few times already and it worked fine, without drawing those creatures...I don't know what went wrong this morning." Feldoun opines, rubbing his mustache. Meanwhile Eric the farmhand idles up behind the group in the cart, "I didn't hear any shooting, so I came to see if everything's alright. Did you chase off that last..." *BANG* The artifice-engine backfires with a bone-shaking pop, overworked from the trip to Alexandria and back at top speed. Eric winces and turns the machine off, "The last bug. I only counted 3 on the way in."

And in the briefest of moments to let that sink in, the ground begins to rumble. All of it, dwarfing the shaking that the ankhegs produced. And it doesn't take long for that last ankheg to appear. Broken, bloodied, and ragdoll, in the earthen hands of a gigantic humanoid creature forming from the soil itself, jagged rocks and loose stones jutting from its fifteen foot body in regular intervals. The elemental spies the lot of you, tosses the ankheg aside like a rag doll and surges forward. Eric barely makes it out of the horseless wagon before it's knocked over with a crash and shower of magicite sparks...DUN DUN DUUUUUN.

GAME: Smythly rolls initiative: Roll: 15 + Bonus: 1 = Total: 16

GAME: Zoob rolls initiative: Roll: 6 + Bonus: 4 = Total: 10

GAME: Rhar rolls initiative: Roll: 9 + Bonus: 3 = Total: 12

GAME: Dragomir rolls initiative: Roll: 8 + Bonus: 2 = Total: 10

GAME: Lorien rolls initiative: Roll: 5 + Bonus: 2 = Total: 7

GAME: You roll initiative for Rocky: Roll: 1 + Bonus: -1 = Total: 0

GAME: Smythly rolls 1d20+8: (8)+8: 16

"Well," says Smythly, "I guess the Council wasn't kidding when they issued a 'be on the look out for rogue elementals' warning. Wow." And that's when the hammer is out again and the tiny goblin is rushing forwad. He brings the hammer down on the elemental. It bounces off it. Sarcastically, the stoic goblin responds, "It is almost like it is made out of stone."

GAME: Rhar rolls melee+5: (11)+8+5: 24

GAME: Rhar rolls 1d20+8: (5)+8: 13

GAME: Rhar rolls 1d4+3: (4)+3: 7

"Dirt get back in ground!" They can't have dirt up an walking around! What would the plants do? "Get dirty!" Rhar yells and spurs Gurr to bound in. She whacks with her stick , but Gurr is bounding too fast to get a mouthful of Dirty.

GAME: Zoob rolls ranged+1: (16)+7+1: 24

GAME: Zoob rolls 1d10+1: (10)+1: 11

Zoob lets loose a blast of shot into the massibe earth mound, leaving small divots scatteres across its backside. He looks from his gun to the critter. "Maybe I should switch to solid slugs from the buckshot I'm using now, it might work better in situations like this." He reloads the barrel quickly, fingers flying.

GAME: Dragomir rolls melee+2+2: (11)+6+2+2: 21

GAME: Dragomir rolls 2d6+5: (10)+5: 15

Dragomir looks slack-jawed for a moment as the elemental rises up from the dirt to saunter forward with a menacing gait. Seeing his allies ready themselves for battle he takes in a deep breath and exhales out any uncertainty he may have harboured. Looking up at the beast he speaks with his heavy Tsuran accent. "I will break you." and then launches himself to deliver a mechanical punch at the elemental's side.

GAME: Lorien rolls ranged + PBS: aliased to ranged + 1: (2)+4+1: 7

Lorien draws out the Ray that he has, and then he hefts it up. As he prepares and fire, he slips and gives a yelp, the shot flying wild off into the blue yonder as tries and regain his composure, "Eluna!" he exclaims, as if he's calling for her assistance, or uh. Something.

GAME: Hassan rolls 1d20+14+1-3: (20)+14+1+-3: 32

GAME: Hassan rolls 1d20+14+1-3: (5)+14+1+-3: 17

GAME: Hassan rolls 4d6+28: (14)+28: 42

GAME: You damaged Dragomir for 42 points. -23 remaining. (DEAD)

GAME: You damaged Dragomir for -10 points. -13 remaining. (DYING)

GAME: Rhar rolls melee+1: (14)+8+1: 23

GAME: Rhar rolls 1d20+6: (14)+6: 20

GAME: Rhar rolls 1d20+6: (19)+6: 25

GAME: Smythly rolls 1d20+6: (7)+6: 13

If the elemental had eyes to narrow at the Tsuran that just knocked a chunk of it off it's body, it would. But all it has is stone and dirt in abundance. So with a growl that sounds like Tom Waits gargling hot asphault and gravel, it raises an earth fist and brings it down in a crash on Dragomir, creating a cloud of dust. When it clears, the Tsuran artificer lies prone and broken. It begins to shift it's massive bulk away, taking a step back, but brings down an onslaught of halfling and goblin fury down upon it!

"No. Hurt. Pack!" Rhar makes the last part louder. With bonking of stick. Gurr lunges in for a nice solid mouthful of Dirty dirt this time. He pulls off a big mouthfull right around the ankle. Since the ankle rock is no longer connected to the foot stone, Dirty falls down!

GAME: Smythly rolls Acrobatics: (11)+-1: 10

GAME: Hassan rolls 1d20+16+4-4+1-3: (17)+16+4+-4+1+-3: 31

Smythly is brave! He draws the attention of the elemental for a moment, then gets knocked the hell back by it. Soon, he's on his way back, grunting. "...there are times i despise being so small! But you know, the smaller the size, the bigger the HAMMER." And he's got his ready again. Ready to deliver a hammer down.

GAME: Rhar rolls 1d20+7: (8)+7: 15

"Rhar!" She growls loud. To introduce herself. "Make you get back in ground! Pack! Go for throat! Go for belly! Go for stones!"

<OOC> Hassan says, "Zoob. Gimme a perception check!"

GAME: Zoob rolls perception: (18)+0: 18

You paged Zoob with 'There is a large collection of hay bales roped together and hanging off a jib arm in the back loft, above the earth elemental. Just twirlin in the breeze.'

GAME: Zoob rolls ranged +1: (15)+7+1: 23

GAME: Zoob rolls 2d6: (8): 8

Zoob looks around, now that the elemental is prone and surrounded it makes a very poor target. Spotting a large bundle of haybales hanging from the rafters he aims upwards and discharges the other barrel of his thunderbelcher, bringint it down in a rush of hay and twine, covering the elemental in fallen bales. "Well, maybe buckshot is good for something after all."

GAME: Lorien rolls ranged+1-4: (15)+4+1+-4: 16

GAME: Lorien rolls 2d6 + 4 + 1: (9)+4+1: 14

GAME: Hassan rolls 1d20+9: (20)+9: 29

Lorien lifts up the Ray, and then takes an aim. Even though it is prone, he hefts up his other finger to slide on the trigger. A burst of blue energy and frost slams right into that elemental and freezes up the dirt which begins and crumple a bit, "There we are!"

GAME: Hassan rolls 1d20+10: (6)+10: 16

GAME: Smythly rolls 1d20+12: (5)+12: 17

GAME: Smythly rolls 1d10+4: (4)+4: 8

GAME: Rhar rolls 1d20+11: (3)+11: 14

GAME: Rhar rolls 1d4+3+4: (2)+3+4: 9

The elemental, prone...well as prone as a vaguely humanoid pile of dirt and stone can be, besieged on all sides, including aerial hay assault, takes a wild downward swing of it's limb at the mounted halfling, which is expertly dodged, it starts to rise for just a moment before Smythly and Rhar bludgeon it into what appears to be a completely normal, hay-covered, half-frozen, hammer-and-stick pounded mound of dirt, but your adventurer senses tell you this isn't over yet....

"Do you feel that rumbling?" says SMyhtly, warily, backing up. He's got his hammer at the ready again. "Do you /feel/ that?" HE asks again, a bit more harried in his tone.

"It won't stay down?!" Rhar isn't sure. She and Rhar are circling, staring and sniffing at the ground.

GAME: Zoob rolls heal: (10)+-2: 8

Zoob runs over to Dragomir and pulls out a rag. He starts dabbing at the crushed adventurer in a futile manner. It has little effect.

GAME: Hassan rolls 1d20+23: (5)+23: 28

Seconds later, the elemental emerges again in a spray of stone and dirt, rising directly upwards underneath Lorien's feet and sending him flying into the air....time slows down....(As everybody takes their readied actions to attack).

GAME: Smythly rolls 1d20+6: (15)+6: 21

GAME: Smythly rolls 1d10+4: (7)+4: 11

"Oh!" That's what Smythly's reaction when the elemental returns is. He lunges forward, having prepared about as well as you can for a giant elemental leaping through the ground to bash it. And he does. Successfully, for once. Stone dust and and pebbles go flying in all direction when he drives his massive (for a goblin!) hammer into it.

GAME: Rhar rolls melee+1: (12)+8+1: 21

GAME: Rhar rolls 1d20+6: (14)+6: 20

GAME: Rhar rolls 1d4+3+4: (4)+3+4: 11

GAME: Rhar rolls 1d6+3: (4)+3: 7

GAME: Lorien rolls ranged+pbs: aliased to ranged+1: (16)+4+1: 21

GAME: Lorien rolls 2d6+4+1: (9)+4+1: 14

GAME: Hassan rolls 2d6: (7): 7

GAME: You damaged Lorien for 7 points. 15 remaining.

Lorien is taken by the bull rush and then flung up in the air. As he does though, he gives out a yelp and then swings his hand about the barrel of the Ray. His finger flicks at the trigger as he splays his form and then takes a shot, "Eluna guide you back to your home!" he exclaims, a beam of frost and blue light zoom downwards and freeze what is left of the rest of that elemental as others are taking to it with fury. And then he blinks, and starts arching downwards, "This gonn' hurt!" he shouts, and then lands with his form smashing clean into the ice and shattering it!

Zoob finishes dabbing at Dragomir's wounds just in time to look around and see Lorien swan dive into an ice block. "Wow, that was really cool! You should do that every fight!

With the earth elemental, apparently the instigating factor to cause the ankhegs to come to the surface to escape, vanquished by bullet, bludgeon, and blasts, Feldoun and the rest of his farm hands come out from hiding a second time, helping to patch up the fallen Dragomir and the other wounded. The Gustavian is happy to put you up for a night while the horseless wagon is fixed, offering up a delicious meal, as well as a sizeable purse for saving his farm twice in the same day. But let it never be said that exterminating pests and working the soil was an easy job.

FIN.