A Rocky Start, part 2
So, no lie, here you are. The group has just come on the body of the engineer - and the source of the clacking, chitin-scrapin, insectoid sounds, it would appear. Two of what would appear to be some twisted form of giant black centipede wriggle their way over the motionless form on far too many legs, bat-like wings pinned to their backs not far behind what is clearly their heads, judging by four beady eyes that glint in the light of Locien's ioun torch and mandibles that drip with some sort of nasty green-looking substance.
Despite being third in line, the way her eyes are doing their best to drive her crazy has the side effect of giving her a fairly clear look at the creatures. The body. The wriggling. The.. "Oh, stars... are they eating him?" She promptly stumbles sideways, falls to her knees, and gets sick.
Despite being third in line, the way her eyes are doing their best to drive her crazy has the side effect of giving her a fairly clear look at the creatures. The body. The wriggling. The.. "Oh, stars... are they eating him?" Lysos promptly stumbles sideways, falls to her knees, and gets sick.
Ash isn't sure what to do. Normally she likes creepy, crawly things, just not so large and hungry. "I don't think we should cast spells, but I'm trying this."
She weaves her hand through some motions, holding her small holy symbol, then directing the energy towards the body.
It doesn't move, doesn't respond. "Smuldur, throw some fire."
GAME: Ashes casts Remove Paralysis. Caster Level: 3 DC: 15
Locien's view is partial obstructed by the others before him, but he still gets enough of an impression by what glimpses he manages to reach for the khopesh resting on his hip and pull it free. "So much for good fortune, I suppose..." His shield hand reaches up to the symbol of Vardama at his neck, but he hesitates, remembering the twist of magic that afflicted his companion.
"Bugs!" Smuldur points at, announces, and/or greets the creepy crawly creatures. "Engineer!" he notices second, because that one is less creepy, crawly, or lively. Wait. Didn't someone just mention fire?!
His torch is in hand; extinguished, but that's easily fixed! How so? By pulling out a glass vial of inflammable liquid and ...rushing forward! Who says you have to actually -throw- the things to make them break? hitting things with them is much more creative!
As Smuldur rushes forward into the dimness, vial of flammable liquid in hand, the bugs on the engineer's corpse visibly - look up. At you. And rush towards you in a clacking and scraping of chitin, joined by another one that you didn't see at first!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ATTENTION -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Landslide has dropped a TIMESTOP!
Please +init, then cease all roleplay and actions immediately and wait for Landslide to instruct you further. You may earn RPP by logging a scene for a GM.
For in-combat commands, type: +thelp.
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GAME: Landslide advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 23.
It is now Lysos' turn! Locien is next!
GAME: Landslide advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 17.
It is now Locien's turn! Smuldur is next!
GAME: Locien casts Bless. Caster Level: 3 DC: 14
GAME: Landslide advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 14.
It is now Smuldur's turn! Typhilipedes is next!
Locien strides forward, shouldering past Lysos and Ashes to interpose his armored form between the two and the arthropodic assailants. As he does he offers a beseeching prayer in the tongue of the angels, and his holy symbol glows bright, then emits a pulsing wave of light that washes outward through his allies, leaving each with a warmth and a sense of surety.
GAME: Smuldur RAGES!, gaining +2 to melee attack/damage/Will saves and 4 temporary HP
GAME: Smuldur rolls melee+2: (8)+5+2: 15
GAME: Smuldur rolls 1d4+strength+2+1d6: (1)+2+2+(6): 11
GAME: Landslide advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 12.
It is now Typhilipedes' turn! Ashes is next!
They said fire! She said fire! Someone said fire? Smuldur has fire, and so he brings it! "Burn!!!" he yells as he scurries up to the nearest bug. Then the vial... bursts into flames. On the outside. -THEN- he smacks the creature with it, singing, getting it with shards of glass. And then, of course, the vial erupts into more fire.
GAME: Landslide rolls 1d20+7: (2)+7: 9
GAME: Landslide rolls 1d20+7: (6)+7: 13
The rank smell of burning chitin pervades the air as Smuldur smashes the thing with his vial of fire, but as the creature clacks its mandibles at him, the fire - vanishes. In seconds, as the other two rush up to Smuldur and Locien, strange, twisted shadows take over the air a Round them, and suddenly the magical lights go out as well, plunging all into darkness. Mandibles dripping with green ichor clack and waggle at Locien and Smuldur, but nothing finds purchase.
GAME: Landslide advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 12.
It is now Ashes' turn! Lysos is next!
GAME: Landslide rolls 1d20+2: (19)+2: 21
GAME: NEW Round!
Landslide advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 23.
It is now Lysos' turn! Locien is next!
Ash takes a step back, as things get dark and the tenebrous almost-centipedes rush forward towards her allies. Smuldur exploding in a ball of fire, isn't much of a surprise. She knows how much he has wanted to. As another comes for Locien, she stares at it, focusing on the weak spots, balefully watching this thing meanace her co-worker. She hopes he prevails, she doesn't want to be bringing back two bodies.
GAME: Lysos casts Scorching Ray. Caster Level: 5 DC: 17
GAME: Lysos rolls 1d20+5-4: (12)+5+-4: 13
GAME: Lysos rolls 4d6: (12): 12
GAME: Landslide advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 17.
It is now Locien's turn! Smuldur is next!
GAME: Locien rolls melee+1: (4)+4+1: 9
GAME: Locien rolls 1d20+5: (1)+5: 6 (EPIC FAIL)
Lysos wipes at her mouth as she raises her head.. the clinging nausea serving as a good argument to not look back towards the creatures. Of course, she doesn't really notice the light dampening aura they seem to radiate.. to her, things only seem to be getting brighter. But the noises remind her she's here for a job, and that she can't very well have people babysitting her. She straightens up, looks.. flinches. Then grits her teeth. And of course with more than once person talking about fire, she decides she will bring some. She raises a hand, palm down and fingers curled slightly as if gripping a knob. "Flambo!" For the briefest of moments, she is connected to one of the bug things by a thin bar of white light.. the next moment, the line of fire is gone and the bug falls back, curling up as it cooks, adding the the already growing scent of burning chitin.
GAME: Landslide advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 14.
It is now Smuldur's turn! Typhilipedes is next!
GAME: Landslide makes Smuldur roll 1d20+5+1:(18)+5+1: 24
Locien shifts his stance as one of the insects approaches, turning a dangerous strike into a fruitless scrabble against the plate steel over his torso. He tries to reward the creature's audacity with a downward slice of his khopesh, but the moment finds the 'pede too far within his swing arc, and he ends up waving the blade feebly in the air behind it.
GAME: Landslide makes Smuldur roll 1d4+2:(1)+2: 3
GAME: Landslide advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 12.
It is now Typhilipedes' turn! Ashes is next!
GAME: Landslide rolls 1d20+7: (3)+7: 10
GAME: Landslide rolls 1d20+7: (8)+7: 15
Again, mandibled jaws snap at Locien and Smuldur, but to little effect, and the one just smacked by a club sinks its mandibles into that club, instead of Smuldur's hand.
GAME: Landslide advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 12.
It is now Ashes' turn! Lysos is next!
GAME: Ashes rolls melee: (12)+2: 14
GAME: Landslide rolls 1d20+7: (14)+7: 21
GAME: Landslide rolls 1d3+1: (3)+1: 4
GAME: Ashes rolls fortitude: (9)+5: 14
GAME: NEW Round!
Landslide advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 23.
It is now Lysos' turn! Locien is next!
BONK! There is no assuring sizzle after Smuldur hits the bug on the head, as the torch still isn't lit. It's too bad that people made him put it out. Fire is handy!
GAME: Smuldur used a Alchemist's Fire.
GAME: Lysos casts Scorching Ray. Caster Level: 5 DC: 17
GAME: Lysos rolls 1d20+5-4+1: (18)+5+-4+1: 20
GAME: Lysos rolls 4d6: (15): 15
Ashes reaches out to touch the creature on Locien, and is snapped at for her troubles. It opens a small cut on her wrist, and there is some vile looking ooze a Round the wound. "Ouch." She says, in monotone, "be nice. We could have been friends."
Still, she made contact. As she withdraws her hand she says, "This is a typhilipede, a normal insect twisted by the Hells. They are also called "Eye biters". They consume light as well as flesh. It's native to the Hells and shouldn't be here."
GAME: Landslide advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 17.
It is now Locien's turn! Smuldur is next!
GAME: Locien rolls melee+1: (2)+4+1: 7
GAME: Landslide advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 14.
It is now Smuldur's turn! Typhilipedes is next!
GAME: Smuldur rolls melee+2+1: (13)+5+2+1: 21
GAME: Smuldur rolls 1d2+strength+2: (2)+2+2: 6
GAME: Landslide advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 12.
It is now Typhilipedes' turn! Ashes is next!
GAME: Landslide rolls 1d20+7: (18)+7: 25
Lysos is still on her knees. Best place to be when your stomach is rebelling and remains convinced that you still have lunch left to lose. But somehow Lysos brings enough grit left to bring her hand a Round, "Flambo!" heralding another lance of fire that spears into the shadow bug thing on Locien. It scorches and cooks, but seems to be a bit more of a glancing blow this time. The smell is starting to get real bad.
GAME: Landslide rolls 1d3+1: (2)+1: 3
GAME: Smuldur rolls fort: (8)+6: 14
Locien tries to take advantage as the 'pede turns to snap at Ashes, but his blade skitters down the interlocking chitin plates and into the floor beneath. His movements are practiced, but lack the sureness and natural flow of one who has seen actual combat.
GAME: Locien rolls melee+1: (12)+4+1: 17
"Die!" Smuldur can't say Burn! as he bonks it again with his unlit torch.Well, he could, but right now he'd need to hit it with two sticks at once, while rubbing them together really fast.
GAME: Locien rolls 1d8+3: (1)+3: 4
The two remaining insects, in varying degrees of pain, react differently. Smuldur's is taking a beating over the head, but finall manages to sink its mandibles into the gobber's hand, a nasty-looking ichor accompanying the blood welling from the cut. The other turns tail and tries to flee, but Locien's khopesh is quicker, and it drops to the g Round, writhing in agony.
GAME: Landslide advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 12.
It is now Ashes' turn! Lysos is next!
GAME: Ashes rolls fortitude: (20)+5: 25 (CRITICAL SUCCESS)
GAME: NEW Round!
Landslide advances the initiative order.
Round Four - Init 23.
It is now Lysos' turn! Locien is next!
GAME: Ashes casts Create Water. Caster Level: 3 DC: 13
Ash makes a few gestures, and quietly says, "Aqua" and the equivalent of a bucketful of water splashes across her forearms and the cut made by the Typilipede. She does her best to wash away the venom. "Someone should step on that."
GAME: Lysos casts Scorching Ray. Caster Level: 5 DC: 17
GAME: Lysos rolls 1d20+5-4+1: (19)+5+-4+1: 21
GAME: Lysos rolls 4d6: (15): 15
"Flambo..." Lysos utters again, though her words are fading a bit in their forcefullness. Her outstretched hand directes another flaming beam that cuts into the third typilipede, the one chewing on Smuldur.. and it cuts right through it, searing it from the inside and causing it to drop from the gobber in curling, smoking ruin. Then she drops her hand to the g Round to support her as she takes deep breaths. Deep breaths of sewer stench and burning giant insect.. which probably doesn't help her a great deal.
GAME: Smuldur rolls fort: (4)+6: 10
Locien places the tip of his khopesh down on the exposed underbelly of the remaining 'pede, ready to pin the thing to the floor. He looks it over impassively. "Does it speak?" he wonders aloud, glancing to Ashes, specifically to the wounded arm. "I have a dose of antitoxin, but only one. Are you well?"
GAME: Landslide rolls 1d4: (3): 3
"I'm ok. Smuldur may need it." Ashlee says, examining her arm. She slowly shakes her head, "They don't talk. They're bugs, from Hell."
"Hah! Fire win! Bugs lose!" Smuldur lifts his torch in triumph! Then he lowers it to relight it. So he can lift it again in -proper- triumph!
The last of the bugs shrivels and dies at the touch of that fire ray, leaving only one still writhing on the g Round. After a moment, it, too, stops moving, and the aura of darkness it exuded also winks out. The fire is gone, seemingly for good, but Locien's ioun torch becomes visible again immediately. You are left in a sewer corridor with the stench of burnt insect, the engineer's corpse, and ... very little else. Except the stench of sewer. There's always that.
GAME: Smuldur rolls fort: (20)+5: 25 (CRITICAL SUCCESS)
Lysos feels almost bad about reinforcing Smuldur's fixation on the idea that fire fixes everything. "Ehhh.. could be he's right," she says, muttering to herself as she finally climbs to her feet, holding a sleeve over her nose, frowning as everything seems to darken once more.. if just a little. "I guess... I guess we should bring his body back. And.. maybe one of these bugs to show them."
Satisfied with the indicators of death from the insects, Locien nevertheless drives his blade into the creature's body once before flicking the ichor away and returning the weapon to its scabbard. Walking over to Smulder, he gives the gobbo a cursory once over while rummaging through the pouches on his belt, coming up at last with a bottle of oily violet liquid and offering it out. "If you're feeling the effects of the creature's bite, this should cleanse your blood. Barring infernal complications, of course."
Smuldur blinks as the lights come back on, then stares at his newly-lit torch. He peers harder at the flickering flames and light... even as his stomach starts making odd gurgling noises. Even for a gobber. There may even be emergency venting fluttering his cloth wrappings. On the bright side, that might distract from the smell of sewer and burnt bug?
GAME: Smuldur rolls fort: (20)+5: 25 (CRITICAL SUCCESS)
"That's a good idea." Ash says, moving over to the Engineer's body and examining it, first for explosive injuries, then bug-bites. She also checks in case he's got some demolition charges on him, it might be better to find those before the fire-obsessed Goblin does. "Some magical effect was in place at the other wall, which made him come this direction."
The engineer looks to have been insect food for some days now, chunks of his flesh missing. The maggots and worms usually present are not in evidence at the moment. She does find several more demolition charges on the man's corpse.
GAME: Lysos casts Floating Disk. Caster Level: 5 DC: 16
Smuldur finally pulls his attention away from his torch to look at the engineer, then Ashes. Of course he spies the demolition charges. His eyes widen again. "Find booms?!"
GAME: Locien rolls will: (2)+6: 8
Lysos lets her breath out, then moves to join Ashlee, waiting patiently for the skull faced mourner to inspect the body. As she does, Lysos reaches a hand out to her side. She lowers it, fingers together, palm down. "Sedenso mulo," she says, summoning a disk similiar to her protective one.. only horizantal. And larger. And it doesn't fade completely away.
"Yes. Let me hold onto them for a moment." The ashen arvec slips the demolition charges into her satchel, and then arranges the engineer's corpse. Lysos' floating disc seems a proper convenance, and she waves at Smuldur to help her lift him onto it. He can hold up the feet while she gets his torso on, then she'll lift the legs the rest of the way. She makes a small blessing on the body once it is situated.
Her expression goes thoughtful, "Examine that other wall Smuldur, we might still set the charges."
Ashlee looks over at Lysos, "Are you ok now?"
Locien steps into the area where the engineer rests, looking a Round the sewerworks. After a first cursory pass he touches two fingers to his temple, weaving a few lilting phrases in Sildanyari. The last elven word is punctuated by the eruption of a soft cyan light from his eyes. That lasts only a moment, however, before the light suddenly grows in intensity, eclipsing the light of his ioun torch, becoming harsh and blinding for a heartbeat before disappearing completely. Locien groans and staggers back, holding his head with both hands. "So...so much..."
Smuldur now has to go from booms to ...dead feet. He can't be the only one who thinks the first ones are WAY more exciting... but he helps get the poor engineer who no longer gets to explode things onto the disc. At least he went out with a bang? May he rest in pieces! A high honor.
Lysos gives a short, if curt nod to Ashes. "I'll be okay. Those were just.. gross." Also, she is notedly not actually helping with the body at all. At least, not unless it gets covered up. And the bugs she pointedly avoids looking at. "My eyes are still funny though..." She trails off when Locien staggers, her brow furrowing in worry.. "Mourner Locien!"
The sudden explosion of light from Locien's eyes draws Ash's attention as well. She stares at him, "Mourner Locien, are you all right? What did you see?"
Locien is unresponsive for a few seconds more, his body tense and hunched, breathing forced. At last he is able to lift his head and look to the others; his eyes, at least, have returned to their normal hue, and move between Lysos and Ashes with an intensity of worry he has not shared before. "There is indeed magic here...magic overpowering...and /wrong/." The last word is punctuated by a pained grimace. "It is as twisted as it is powerful, and it is beyond my ken. We need to leave and report this." He fumbles with his belt, pulling free the map and offering it to Ashes. "I...I cannot focus right now."
Smuldur skitters over to assist, which means looking at the other wall, where asked to, and then at Locien. Then back at the wall after he notes magic. "Twisted magic? Untwist with booms! Wall needs broken!" It's in the mission parameters, and they have explosives! And... he's here!
Ash takes the map, nods solemnly. She looks a Round at the others, "Our mission was to find the engineer and bring him back. I don't think we're required to complete his mission. Mourner Locien's findings might require a different approach than simply knocking down walls. Returning makes the most sense."
She holds the map up in front of her, orients to align with the party's current location. "If you all agree. I can do this. Locien you can push the disc. Lysos would you help me with the map? Smuldur, keep an eye out of things that might need fire."
Lysos nods aquiescently to Ashes. "The.. uh.. the disk should just follow me, no need for you to push it, Mourner Locien," she tells the elven man. She moves closer to Ashes to help study the map.
GAME: Ashes rolls survival: (3)+3: 6
GAME: Locien rolls survival: (17)+3: 20
GAME: Lysos rolls survival: (11)+2: 13
"We turned left coming in, so that's right to leave." Ash narrates, making to do so.
Smuldur leads the way... behind those who know which way to go. All the better to look out for things that are, or need to be, flammable.
Locien stands up straight, regaining most of his composure, and falls into his position in the rear of the caravan. He follows silently, distracted, but returns to the present when Ash points makes to turn left, glancing in both directions. "Err..." he speaks up gently, "I strongly recall turning right into this set of passages. I believe we should be going left." Peering ahead to the map in Ashen's hand, he coughs quietly. Also, the legend should be on the bottom right of the map, not the top left."
Lysos opens her mouth as if to say something... but as Locien points out the legend and where it ought to go, Lysos changes it into a polite cough. "Hrm. Sorry. Burnt bug smell in my throat." Yep, that's it.
"Oh." Ashlee rotates the map into the correct orientation. "You're correct, it's left." She starts down the passage that way.
In the end, the group steps over the rubble of the wall and makes their way back the way they came, with Locien's help. When you emerge, the sun is westering over the ocean and the city, and the heat of the day lingers, along with the rank smell of urine left at the entrance you came in behind the Guild. Smuldur will find that bright lights and colors are much more vivid even than usual, painfully so, and Lysos will find her vision reversed, the ebon film over her eyes now plainly obvious to all.
The decline in her ability to see didn't come as too much of a surprise to Lysos, as she'd reasoned out, by now, at least a little bit of it. And as the light from coming back out into the open hadn't been a sudden, onset thing, she'd at least been able to prepare for it.. though her stricken expression shows she's rather less than OKAY with it. "I can't see," she finally admits, having to hold a hand in front of her to make sure she doesn't bump into anyone.
GAME: Ashes rolls knowledge/religion: (1)+9: 10 (EPIC FAIL)
Ash touches Lysos' shoulder, then draws the touch down to take her hand. "I can lead you. We should report to the Explorer's Guild, take the engineer to the Grey Lady's temple. Someone might be able to help you there. If not, we can see you to Althea or Eluna, someone familiar with Spellblight."
GAME: Locien rolls knowledge/religion: (16)+9: 25
"AHH! Too much fire in sky!" Smuldur narrows his eyes to squint. Something's obviously wrong: there is no such thing as too much fire. Especially for the giant pyre in the sky. That one is best observed through telescopes.
Lysos nods her head, clearly trying to keep on the brave face. Faced with the reality of not being able to see in the light of day in the city was not something she'd fully been able to imagine. "Thanks, Mourner Ashlee," she manages.
Locien comes up on the side of Lysos opposite Ashes. "I would suggest the temple of Ni'essa...or Eluna, as she's called here. Considering the arcane origin I think they would have the most insight." He looks over to Smuldur as he complains. "You, my friend, might visit a temple as well. Infernal venom may not relent like conventional poison."
Reporting back to the Explorer's Guild does not take long at all, although Lysos will need some assistance navigating, and you all get more than a few sympathetic looks from those present in the Guild. When the situation is explained to the Guild representative who sent you, all color drains from his normally cheerful face. "He ... destroyed the wrong wall. Oh, dear. Dear, dear, dear. You will be paid for this, I will see to it. I must report this at once."
With that, he hops down from the chair he'd been standing on to see you, and scuttles quickly out of the door, at a fast walk that might as well be a run, leaving you to your own devices.