Enkidu has just enough strength to raise an eyebrow at Makepiece's statement but nods politely to the new arrival. Standing up, he drags his way over to Terra. "Nice job with the ground!... did that creature need to die?"
"Still, what a night." The Half-Orc responded to the Captain's reference to the dance girl. After the introductions, Morbak bowed his head slightly and continued, "A pleasure to meet you all."
Raising Dorna a little higher and looking him straight in the eye, the Lieutenant said, "Drop it." With a soft thud, the dagger hit the ground. Releasing the fey, Morbak tilted his head off to the side, "Beat it." Quickly Dorna flew off into the wood and disappeared again.
Turning to the young ones, "Yes, it did. Ettercaps may not be vermin, but they are damned close enough for me." Morbak said while his eyes seem to flash crimson for a second.
Enkidu has just enough strength to raise an eyebrow at Makepiece's statement but nods politely to the new arrival. Standing up, he drags his way over to Terra. "Nice job with the ground!... did that creature need to die?"
Terra shys away a bit from him What do you mean? It was a spider, i think. At least it sounded and felt like a spider. Oh, and thanks the earth and me have, what you could call, an understanding
Terra puts a hand on his shoulder, sorry i can't do more about the venom.
Looking in the direction of the newcomer, she whispers to Doran I don't know why, but i am not sure i trust this new guy.
Turning to his former Commander, Morbak asked, "So Captain, what brings you here to Azeem?"
"Council business, helping this lot looking into some local history. I handle the violent heroics and they take care of the more intellectual matters. Ms. Tiriael, could you fill Morbak in on our destination? You probably already know every nook and cranny of this forest, 'Bak."
Blushing slightly, Tiriael steps formward - "I believe I would be one of those in charge of the intellectual matters" - she smiles while producing the map from her pack - "This one has no scale information, I apologize for the innacurate information, but still this is where we are heading" - she points out the clearing in the map.
"You forget Captain, I was born in the mountains here." he jibbed back.
Looking at the map for a few moments, Morbak shook his head. "Of course you'd be heading there. That clearing is right smack dab in the middle of a territory dispute between the Spiders and the Ants. Craziest thing I've ever seen, vermin fighting over that smidgen of land like tribes fighting over hunting ground." The Half-Orc scratched the back of his head thoughtfully. "I can get you there, but we need to be very careful. Spiders are bad enough, but ants, there's never only one."
Doran can't restrain a wince. "More, and ants too, delightful..."
"Sounds like something is up. You see anyone else come through here?"
"That's the rub of it Captain, I haven't. This all started about a month ago, when that tower that stands in the clearing glowed bright green for a night. Since then, this Bug War has raged on."
"Spiders fighting ants... Vermin are sometimes subject to subtle influence, though they generally do not possess enough intelligence to be bartered with. This could mean this tower is exerting some sort of magic influence on them - we need to take a look at it" - Tiriael pipes in.
"Jump from the frying pan and end up in the fire... I agree, let's check it out before something worse seems to happen"
Terra just sits and listens. trying to pick up any parts of the conversation that would really concern her
ants...they are earth dwellers, right?. I might be able to find a way to collaps thier tunnels. might keep them confined for a bit in case we need the time. the biggest problem will be thier numbers.
->
->
Tiriael seems to stare off into the distance, as she searches her brain for bits and pieces of lost lore and testimonies that may allow her some insight on the details regarding the tower - "Greenish tower you say..."
"Yes, the brightest green light I've ever layed eyes upon."
"I remember reading something about this - nothing more than a legend, but it detailed that before the Void Tower came, a wizard tried to devise an object to attract vermin with a green light. The spell backfired on him though, when the creatures became one minded and apparently intelligent, proceeding in leveling the wizards' lab and himsels in the process..."
"In any case, we cannot be sure if this is in any way related - we need to investigate for ourselves - are we moving out?" - the girl finishes as she grabs her pack.
"We might as well, if nothing else we could find something useful or a place to better defend ourselves should something come looking for us."
Nebari looks back to the starlight bridge and says. "I shouldn't leave these things lying around."
He calmly makes his way back up the bridge and pauses at the end. He mutters a few words in ancient before stepping off the bridge which causes it to dissapear, he then slowly floats back to the ground.
"So you're telling me that the vermin in that area might be able to think?" Morbak asked as they began to walk west.
"This is a legend is all..."
"So we're wandering into a warzone? Sounds like the good old days," the Captain muttered to himself.
With Morbak guiding, you travel for about another hour before making camp. The Half-Orc volunteers to take the middle watch as you decide the rest of the rotation over dinner.
The night passes without incident and you set off once again. Travel on the second day is very pleasant with the sights, smells, and sound of the forest.
On the third day, thanks to careful navigation from Morbak, you arrive at the clearing just after mid-day. It is a large clearing, spanning perhaps a mile wide, with the tower standing directly in the middle of it. On the right edge you can see what appears to be massive mounds of dirt and logs. To the left, webs cover the trees in vast quantities. And in between, hundreds of ant and spider corpses in varying stages of decay.
Alaeron signals to the Captain that he is going ahead to take a closer look and to wait for his signal before coming up. Silently drawing his bow, he takes out an arrow, nocks it, but doesn't draw back the bowstring. He crouches and silently moves to the clearing, looking for any signs of life.
Taking the Ranger's queue, Morbak follows suit with loaded Double-Crossbow and heads in a different direction.
Alaeron points to Morbak on the other side of the clearing to get his attention. He grabs his ear and wiggles it and points towards the sound of the faint cry. He begins to silently move towards the cry for help keeping an eye on everything around him.
Doran looks at Alaeron and Morbak and turns to Terra. "What in the blazes are they doing?" he asks in a loud voice.
"Quiet lad," Piers says, watching the clearing intently. Periodically, he toys with the small blue-green bead hanging around his neck.
Alaeron signals the party and whistles for Nemesis and the cat comes bounding across the clearing towards him. He tells the cat to stay on guard and indicates the spider and ant. Hesitating for a moment, Alaeron bends down and tries to pull the spiders fangs out of the ant.
He removes a long stick from inside the front cover of his quiver and points it at the little ant.
Content that should be enough to stablize, he asks the ant "I am Alaeron, what's your name?"
Even though the wounds healed, the ant looks too weak to move. Hearing your question it responds, "Klikikilik........... my..... name...... is........ Klikikilik."
"What in the Nine Hells is this?!" Morbak exclaims as appeared from behind another fallen spider. "It talks! The damned thing TALKS!" He raised his weapon and aimed at the ants head, "Move out of the way, Ranger Boy, and let me dispatch it quick."
Spying from afar, Tiriael comments - "Have they found something..?"
Doran quickly walks up next to Morbak and puts his hand on the weapon, shoving it down towards the ground. "Look I know it's only been twice, but wait a few minutes before trying to kill something, please?"
The threat of Morbak slightly lessened, Doran bends down and gives the ant a friendly smile. "Hi. I'm Doran."
Alaeron raises up his hand and gentle says "Hold" to Morbak. "I do not waste life needlessly, especially after uses resources to save it."
"Hello... Klikikilik.." Alaeron has a bit of difficulty saying the name before continuing. "Can you tell us what happened here?"
Terra walking along with Doran as a guide, soon finds herself alone again.this is expected anymore.
Feeling everyone,s location Terra moves toward tnem causiously.
did you find something? she asks
Morbak grabs Doran by his shirt, and lifts him off the ground. "Never. Touch. The crossbow." The Half-Orc dropped the young man turned and walked away.
"Lieutenant," Piers said quietly from the rear of the group as he picked his way around the stinking bodies with a practiced step. His voice managed to carry regardless.
"A word please."
"It seems like they found talking antz, thats a new one for me."
Stopping in his tracks from the shear habit of hearing his rank, Morbak stood there for a few moments before walking over to the Captain. Standing at parade rest, "Yes, sir." he said with slight venom in his voice.
Running it antennae over the Ranger's boots, Klikikilik weakly responded. "You're.... not.... from.... nest.... What... are... you?"
"I take it you're aware of the irony, Morbak?" Piers said, "Or have you forgotten why we were both so loyal to the 'Dags?" If this was still the man he knew, then Morbak would figure it out soon enough. Neither Piers nor Captain Calieo before him had much patience for an officer that would not or not think on their own.
Lifted up, Doran offers no resistance meets Morbak's gaze evenly, implacably. "I'll touch whatever I damn well please if it'll stop you from killing someone before I say they can be killed."
Bent down next to Klik, he speaks. "Travellers. We heard spiders and ants were fighting."
Thinking for a moment, the Half-Orc realizes what the Captain is driving at. Doesn't mean he had to like it. "Yes I see it sir, but a talking ant ain't natural. I have no idea what's going on here but we need to put a stop to it. Sir. The Void Tower's unnatural enough as it is, this world don't more. Sir."
The seemed to surge with anger for a split second before resuming. "Eight.... Legs.... Started.... It."
Doran shakes his head. "Not good enough for me... but enough to help you out. Where can I take you where you will be safe?"
As if on queue, you all hear this.
You look up and see a large number of giant ants climb over the scattered bodies and surrounding you. They don't seem to be in an aggressive posture, it's hard to say.