"I d-don't think it w-works like that..." Marigold responds, not quite sure if Kikinnin is just joking or not. "B-But it *would* be nice to learn their language...we never kn-know when it m-might be handy again!"
"If nothing else, it is good at using illusions to get an idea across."
"Any guesses as to where the Duergar might have gotten to from here?"
"Focus, Professor. Make sure the fairy knows it needs to set off the shriekers, then lure the Grey-Faces back towards us. Then you won't need to worry about where they are." Kikinnin's gloved hands try and make pantomime gestures at Juraan, encouraging Juraan to make pantomime gestures at the fey.
"Okay. All I can do is try."
Juraan will try to pantomime to the faerie to get the idea across we'd like it to draw the Duergar toward us:
"Phah! It probably thinks we're all raving morons! I'll give it another go!"
"I think I got the idea across a bit better that time."
"I really should try learning the languages for down here!"
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Tired and frustrated at the end of a very long day of backtracking and so far fruitless searching, Ryan draws his dagger and begins drawing on the ground.
First indicating the ruins, with a mushroom figure next to it and lighting bolts emanating from it. pointing at it when he finishes that part he makes a bad face and covers his ears, sure that he looks an absolute fool and the fey creature knows more of what is going on than he does.
Drawing some duguer beyond the ruins with a question mark for now he leaves them be. <bad faces>
then he draws the tunnels they just came from and makes marks<good faces>, pointing to each of them in turn as he makes the marks.
finally he makes a set of fairy wings, indicating the fairy, and then mimics them using their ranged attack, , against the shreikers, and leading the duguer back into their ambush....
Kikinnin points at the priest. "There we go. Someone knows how to use his head. Wouldn't have thought to do that, myself. Good on you, Ryan. Let's see if it understands enough."
Maxim eyes the drawing with a wry smile;
"Missed your true calling Taskerhill... Artiste extraordinaire!"
The dwur looks to the fae, waiting to translate any of its chatter...
The faerie looks confused at first, but Ryan's drawing seems to clear out what Juraan is trying to tell it. "Abadesish tolouat calambiret? Atla!"
"Quieres que me meta en los hongos para atraparles? Probemos!"
As the faerie enters the shriekers area, the strange creatures start to yell horribly. The sound is so loud you are forced to cover your ears while you run for a cover place behind rocks.
At first, nothing happens, but after one minute of the faerie flying around bothering as much as it can to the fungi, a ramble becomes noticeable under your feet.
Be it by the ramble or just because they get tired of the faerie, the shriekers stop yelling their cry.
The ramble increases and becomes audible now the shriekers are silent. The faerie looks at you confused like saying 'What now?', and you look at each other behind your rocks.
A couple of seconds later, the ramble becomes a terrible tremor and you have to hold yourself to the rocks in order to avoid falling to the ground.
An instant later the ground where the shrikers were yelling
You barely can see the faerie looking down as the gargantuan mouth of the beast clasps around it and swallows it whole, including shriekers and stone structure!!! The remaining pieces of the building collapse around the beast with a !!!
The worm looks around as its body completes crawling up through the new hole in the ground and moves its head in the direction of the rocks ahead of it. Precisely and exactly at the place where Kikinnin lies rubbing his armor against the stone in an effort not to fall down.
This creature is a purple worm. Purple worms are giant scavengers that inhabit the deepest regions of the world, consuming any organic material that they encounter. They are notorious for swallowing their prey whole. It is not uncommon to hear of a group of adventurers vanishing down the ravenous maw of a purple worm, screaming as they disappear one by one.
"Run!" cries JJ
Marigold Round 1
Marigold shrieks with horror as the enormous purple worm crashes through the floor of the cavern, engulfing the poor faerie in one bite. Though she has no idea what this thing is, she's almost positive that it's not something they can afford to tangle with.
As exhausted as she is she turns and starts racing back towards the way they'd come, moving much more slowly than normal.
______
Ryan gulps reflexively as the creature swallows the ruins, faery, mushrooms and all. Abadar protect us, this isn't good
chanting the beginning of a spell he mimics throwing a weapon at the overgrown worm, finishing the spell a large hammer appears between him and the worm.
Ryan backs away slowly trying to stay between the creature and Marigold's own retreat.
"I agree!"
« ჯადოსნური სარაკეტო » . .
After hitting the huge creature, Juraan backs up away from it.
AC = 23
HP = 64/64
Weapon Equipped = +1 Dwarven Greataxe
Condition(s) = None
Kikinnin's eyes widen as large as they've ever done so. His mouth opens and closes slowly, like a fishes'. He understands the reaction of the shriekers, but stands flabbergasted that such a creature would erupt from nowhere, now of all times.
From Ryan and Juraan launching their magics to discourage the behemoth from a distance, to Marigold and JJ beginning a wise retreat, the black-beard can't quite figure out where to put himself, especially as the creature seems to point itself in his direction. If he stands his ground, he faces certain death. If he runs, he brings certain death along and upon his friends.
He takes a half-way course of action. He retreats, but makes sure to join Ryan, while keeping himself between the thing and the others.
While JJ and Marigold immediately start running, Ryan and Juraan perform a couple of sorceries facing the gargantuan enemy.
Juraan's magical missiles infallibly travel up to the body of the creature and impact on it, barely producing a scratch in the skin. The beast moves its head towards Juraan. That is when Ryan's mace hits the giant worm. Despite the precise attack, the natural armor of the creature seems so thick that it deflects the force spell.
It is then Kikinnin reacts and joins Ryan on the defense line of the retreat.
Despite its failure to wound the creature, the worm gets distracted with the flying mace and wipes it with its tail. When it sees the force conjuration remains on place, the worm tries to bite it, swallowing it whole.
The force mace magically reappears hovering next to Ryan. The worm emits an unworldly roar of frustration and starts to crawl closer to the group.
JJ continues his retreat, staying just a step behind Marigold as he does so.
No big worm is going to eat his little sister.
Hell's Teeth! Ain't fit to run... Got to slow the thing down!
As the gargantuan worm bursts forth, Maxim shifts to get a better line of sight of the beast , he draws his pistol and loads powder and bullet .
The gun-mage levels his handgun, but instead channels his spell-casting through the weapon, utter words of power;
"Zuur Pijl!"
Acid Arrow!
As he utters the incantation an arrow of fizzing acid spirals forth from the pistol toward the behemoth;
:
:
"It strikes as a spell, not as a weapon, so for example, it can damage creatures that have damage reduction."
Just checking, the damage was negligable either way that round, but then again every little bit will help :)
Ryan watches the huge worm swallow his hammer only to have it reappear beside him. With a smile, likely one of few within this combat, Ryan sends the hammer back at the creature attempting to distract it once more as the other continue their retreat.
meanwhile, he cast Magic Vestment to prepare for the creature's attack. New AC 20/ duration 5 hours
Realizing that her friends are either moving more slowly than she or are trying to help cover their escape, Marigold grits her teeth and advances toward the worm but only a few feet. She flings her hand towards it and a small ball of fire zips towards the gigantic creature!
______
"It's huge but slow, from the looks of it."
Juraan moves towards the others and shoots at the purple worm again:
« ჯადოსნური სარაკეტო » . .
AC = 23
HP = 64/64
Weapon Equipped = +1 Dwarven Greataxe
Condition(s) = None
Kikinnin pulls a throwing axe, and moves away, readying a throw, should the creature begin to close the distance quickly. He stays alongside the others.
"I can't tell if we're enraging it or discouraging it!! You've begun the bleeding, but we need to stay one step ahead of it, otherwise we end up in its gullet! Move, move, move!!"
"MG, gentlemen, I can't keep him busy much longer we need to go"
Maxim too adds his voice to mix;
"Hell's Teeth some o' us are tuckered out... We need to distract it afore we bolt for it!"
"Can you make an illusion, or a loud sound in another direction? Something that might distract it?" puffs JJ who looks on in horror as Marigold stops and heads back towards the beast.
Kikinnin turns back to hear the others speak, and takes some heart. "Professor, it seemed to stare me down. Can it do more than see us? Can it feel us in the ground? Should we stand still and stop making noise? Can we all outrun it?"
Maxim blasts the creature with acid. The gargantuan worm results an easy target and its natural armor helps nothing to avoid the acid corrosive nature that burns its skin.
Ryan sends his force weapon again against the worm. Once more, the weapon seems unable to effectively hit in a tender area of the target. It seems the worm skin is well armored despite easily vulnerable to force effects.
The cleric casts a new spell magically reinforcing his own armor.
Marigold does not resign to look and uses her own power to face the worm with flying stars that blast the worm!
The worm tries to avoid partially the stars, and only a small area is set afire.
Juraan sends forward another set of magic missiles that blast the creature with force. The worm seems to enrage even more and forgets about the force mace.
An axe flies through the air as Kikinnin passes to the attack. The heavy blade makes short hitting the worm without strength. Despite being an easy target it seems only some spots are easily damaged.
The worm charges onto the party trying to swallow Kikinnin. The gargantuan mouth makes short for barely ten feet and clasps in front of the dwarven pair with a dry sound.
Weary, but determined Maxim shifts forward a tad , then squints as he aims his pistol at the gigantic worm approaching Kikinnin. With a utterance of arcane words he charges the weapon with magic energy
Grim set, the gun-mage squeezes the trigger
:
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Then moves back behind the nearby rock
:
Juraan moves to one side and shoots another spell at the giant worm:
« ჯადოსნური სარაკეტო » . .
"We need to back up and keep hitting that thing at range from different angles."
"It furious at any one of us for hitting it."
"But too dim to know which of us is the greatest threat."
"Our spells are hurting, but we can only do so much of that!"
"The tunnels are small. Run." says JJ, directing this mostly at Marigold who seems to be heading in the wrong direction.
"There is no way it can get through them as fast as we can. In these open areas we are just prey. "
Still, he doesn't move until Marigold does, staying stubbornly between her and the giant worm. Although his hands maybe shaking just a little bit.
Having spent what little truly offensive magic she had, Marigold nods frantically as the others seem to be indicating that they need to try their best to make a run for it. Turning back towards the way they'd came, she tries her best to hoof it towards safety.
______
AC = 23
HP = 64/64
Weapon Equipped = +1 Dwarven Greataxe
Condition(s) = None
Kikinnin watches Marigold slowly amble away, and a realization begins to dawn. The fairy was one thing, but his friends were entirely another. The creature understood this region better than any of them, and didn't seem to be hobbled in any other way, other than what his mates just leveled against it. Even his throwing axe turned out useless.
"Keep running!! Let's trade for time here!!"
The black-beard charges the big worm, disregarding the creature's easy reach of such little prey He pats his side, checking for his dagger. Finding it, he readies himself for a world of pain.
Maxim pull's the trigger and let's a volley of pellets fly. The dwarf's pulse is bad, but the worm is so close and big he scores a full hit that breaks through the armor. That is the power of the gun at that close distance.
The acid in the skin of the worm, keeps burning.
Juraan calls for more magic into his fingers and three force missiles fly and burst the worm's front!
Marigold runs as fast as she can, while JJ moves behind the halfling's back.
Finding its prey into his mouth the worm looks to make a lunch of it.
Still fighting, Kikinnin, the black dwarf, disappears through the beast's throat.
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Despite, or because of, the risk, Juraan moves closer to the purple worm:
« סקאָרטשינג זויער » . .
Not wanting to gloat, with life of his friend Kikinnin in jeopardy, Juraan tries to cast the same spell again
« ცეცხლმოკიდებული ცეცხლი » . .
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Marigold screams in horror as Kikinnin disappears down the beast's gullet, surely a sign of the fate that awaits the rest of them if they don't get out and fast. But with Juraan's sudden explosive burst of magic, she realizes that maybe...maybe...there might still be a chance to save their friend.
Instead of continuing to hustle towards possible safety, Marigold instead angles towards the center of the path. "ಡಾನ್ ಫ್ಲವರ್, ದಯವಿಟ್ಟು! ನಮಗೆ ಸಹಾಯ ಮಾಡಿ! ಕಿಕಿನ್ನಿನ್ಗೆ ಸಹಾಯ ಮಾಡಿ!" she cries as she calls upon a blessing for herself and her remaining companions. But to her surprise, perhaps in answer to her call, she feels something else welling up inside of her...
"Dawnflower, please! Help us! Help Kikinnin!"
______
Kikinnin sees it coming. But too slowly. He didn't figure the creature would be able to do more than simply bite at him, not suck him into his mouth, in one fell swoop. When the monstrosity then exerts its throaty muscles to suck him down, the black-beard focuses deeply on the hardest thing he has to do- let go of the Axe, and begin reaching for his second masterwork throwing axe.
Abadar, let these eyes not go as black as my beard. I'll grant You, my beard will likely turn white by the time this is over, but You understand what I mean. If You have more work for me to do, I hope to pass from this beast's belly with most of my guts intact.
Kikinnin closes his eyes, resisting the worm's digestive juices, and he prays really hard.
Throwing axe in hand, Kikinnin takes one final slash from inside the Purple, hoping beyond the Darklands that Someone hears his prayers.
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Maxim watches as the worm is hit with a volley of spells, before his fellow dwur is swallowed like a child's sweetmeat!
"Hell's Teeth an' God's Be Damned! That one ain't fer yer gullet ye purple basterd! Give him back y'hear!"
The gun-mage loads another alchemical cartridge as he moves forward , then following the scaly professor's lead, brings his magic to bear as he bellows words of power;
"Gloeiend Straal!"
Rather than a bullet, a gout of arcane flame is fired from the glowing barrel of his pistol;
:
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Round 3
"Foul creature you're going to regret answering that dinner bell, it was not for you." arcane words grace Ryans lips as his free hand goes through the proper gestures, ending pointed at the huge worm. cast Doom DC15 Will
Round 4
Rushing forward Ryan swings his weapon of choices for the monstrosity.
As Kikinning vanishes down the giant worms gullet JJ is overcome with a moments hesitation. Then, from somewhere deed within a reservoir of energy bursts forth. With a battlecry on his lips he leaps forward, the enchanted silver blade in his hands.
Ryan's mace fails by very little to hit the thick skin of the worm.
The cleric then calls for Abadar to doom the creature, and the prayer is heard. The worm seems shaken by the divine force.
Being by fear to Kikinnin's fate, or inspired by the dwarf's sacrifice, the Cauldron dwellers counterattack in a last heroic wave of frantic madness!
Marigold is embolden by the sudden rage of her companions. She stops her retreat and moves back again to the combat calling for a prayer to all gods for the Cauldron ones not to perish here today.
The halfling feels her faith answered as new power comes to the tip of her fingers.
Maxim looks to unleash as little else power he has yet missing, and following Juraan's example, a ray of powerful flames emerge from his gun as he completes the spell. The flame jet bursts the large worm scorching it where it lands.
The worm roars in pain!
In an heroic effort Ryan moves forward, mace at hand and fighting against his own fatigue thanks to his higher mobility.
The now enraged worm, clasps its mouth around the cleric's shield arm and tears it apart, breaking the human as if it was a branch. Fate wants it, the inertia of the charge and Marigold's prayer, helps the cleric complete an arc with his mace, opening a large wound in the worm's mouth, and forcing it to spell it out of its grab when all seemed lost for him. The broken unconscious body of the cauldronite falls to the ground.
JJ hesitates after seeing Kikinnin's and Ryan's fate, but feeling a celestial force clearing his mind and muscles from the fatigue, he suddenly finds himself running towards the gargantuan beast. While the worm roars in pain, the young human jumps over it and stabs it with his family shortsword as deep as he is able. A jet of worm blood springs from the body smearing JJ all over.
You suddenly find yourself engulfed by the juicy and meaty viscera of the worm. Without time for disgust, you hand your handaxe and hit with force the tender meat of the worm, opening a crack on its body. Despite it is too small to go out, you see a small ray of hope as your eyes go off when a sudden spasm of the worm's esophagus cracks your bones.
More than scared, the now mortally wounded worm seems enraged. With a sweep of its tail it attempts to remove JJ from the face of Golarion.
The tail hits the young man in his chest, and a sting injects some ill substance into its blood system.
The worm roars promising death to anyone not running away!
Celestial blue light spills from the massive wound in his chest. But No way was JJ going to let the worm swallow not one but two of his friends.
Rapidly weakening from the poison, JJ strikes out with the little force he has left within his body.
His first strike is weak, but the second seems to have managed to find a crack in the horrible worms armor.
As the Watchers continue to take punishment at the bite and sting of their titanic foe, Maxim again shifts forward keeping his pistol leveled at the beast as he imbues it with magic energy .
Grim set, the gun-mage curses and pulls the trigger;
"Die! Ye God's Damned legless basterd ye!"
:
:
The quickly reloads with an alchemical cartridge
Juraan shouts at the worm
And casts another damaging spell at it, after moving up at an angle.
« მდნარი მჟავა » . .
Understood! I'll take that penalty since I think our adventures are about to come to an end...whether permanently or for the day, remains to be seen!
As Marigold realizes that her prayer has been answered, a ghostly form shimmers into being behind the gigantic worm, wielding a scimitar. It strikes at the worm, attempting to put an end to it once and for all!
But all miracles come with a price. Staggering forward, Marigold feels the majority of her remaining spell energy drain away to power their ghostly ally...
______
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JJ swords spin, one of them deeply entering into the worm's skin. More of the dark blood of the worm springs all over the young man.
As well resolved Maxim trigger's his gun once more. The cartridge discharging its magically fueled contents over the worm, opening extra wounds on it.
Again, Juraan black scales bristle as he casts one more ray. The acid impacts the worm on its base burning yet more skin. The worm seems stunned and falling apart.
With a resounding noise, the purple worm collapses dead to the ground of the cavern forcing JJ to help himself and Ryan out of the trajectory. The force shape disappears.
The silence comes back to the cavern.
On the right side of the worm's corpse, you see what seems a crevice in the skin, with the glitter of a small axe blade protruding from it. The axe remains immobile.
You do know the purple worm poison is specially difficult to resist.
Also, you do know it is often possible to find rests of debris inside the worm's guts. That debris is the rests of those ones that hard its juices are not able to consume. Those are usually very valuable gems.
As his strength rapidly fades away, JJ rushes forward, reaching inside the worm to grab hold of its latest dwarven meal and pull him out.
As he does so, celestial blue light runs down his arm and into the unmoving hero.
"I don't feel so well.."
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Kikinnin continues to marinate in wormgut juice.
The other boys dared him to, that's why. What was he going to do, after they dared him? The caverns were plenty porous, and there were several ways around, rather than take this narrow hole through. But the other dwarven youth knew they could make it, because they were puny, hardly any girth to them. Kikinnin, on the other hand, was a little too rotund to think himself capable of squeezing. But then the dare. He wouldn't give 'em another reason, another nickname to bully him with. So he turned sideways, and started pushing.
And he kept pushing, stubbornly. Until he couldn't push any longer. Then he couldn't pull, either. Stayed there the better part of two days, before For found him, and larded him up to get him unstuck. Either way, he lost, as several new nicknames sprouted through the youth of Malachite, all unimaginative permutations involving lard.
Lard wasn't something that you could clean off easily, especially for how much Pocca used that morning. A smell to it, too, since his father wouldn't think to use freshly rended. His lard was already turned, so he walked the corridors of the fortress with a porky smell.
That smell... it was back, like it had never left, except this time, it was the smell of dwarf flesh breaking down in gut acids. The narrow cave walls were back, except this time, they were muscular, and twitched even after the great worm's death.
The black-beard's nose twitches, and his eyebrows furrow, though his eyes do not open.