Liamae gags when she sees Turante get coated in vomit. "That's just rude!" she says. The elf moves up beside her princess and tries to daze the offending gremlin.
The princess slashes again, but while she managed to keep her lunch down, being splashed with grimple vomit obviously affected her composure somewhat.
Iagon grits his teeth at another miss, and moves forward to be within close range of Attai's enemy. Once within range, he lets loose with another volley.
Kytes attacks the bug nearest him once again. With the number of foes present, he'd like to be able to down this critter quickly and engage another, but first things first. His best fencing thrust misses, and he grits his teeth in frustration. He does side step to his right a bit, to keep the grimple from sneaking up behind him, if at all possible.
Attai smiles a feral grin as the creature misses him, and retreats.
Though retreat it may not truly be...
Nevertheless, the sylph presses forward, drawing forth two cards and swinging his morningstar in his main hand. Perhaps he should have let the fate of nature take precedence, distracted as he is by an attempt to favor causality the sylph misses more than completely...
Swift Action: Judgment (smiting)/Improvised array, Eyes of the Harrow
[+2 Str, +1 BAB, +1 mwk]
[+2 Str]
Turante cuts through the grimple. Although it seems to resist the blade at first, it has been staggered by the blow. It’d probably turn tail and run if it could, but Liamae keeps it still by clouding it’s feeble mind. Although her light source with Attai moves further away in the other direction, Turante’s elven vision gets a better view of the room beyond the grimple. The hardpacked clay floor within lies littered with animal bones.
Our other heroes are less effective. Kytes can hear the sound of grimple voices down the tunnel to his left. Sounds like the alarm has been raised.
Attai feels a resonance emanating from his cards , but he’s caught up in the moment, not taking into account the low ceiling, and his Morningstar deflects off the hard clay above his head. He too hears a commotion of voices coming down the tunnel to his left. Furthermore, with each step he takes, the terrible stench becomes more overwhelming.
While Kytes battles the remaining roach, he notices a black slick of oil forming on the floor to his left. He may recognize the Grease spell Roger used against the goblins by the river.
Then, a rock sails out from the dark tunnel.
Dink! It bounces harmlessly off Kytes’ breastplate.
Attai’s foe hisses and bites at him again.
The fleet-footed Attai kicks it away again. Again, it hops backward down the tunnel. Something his grandmother said about the Harrow and reading cycles in time comes to the sylph’s mind.
While distractions fly out at him from his left, the roach bites at Kytes.
He is just barely able to knock it away at the last moment.
Liamae moves to get a clear shot on the wounded grimple, hoping to put it down and free up Turante to engage other foes.
Turante manages a quick "Thanks!" before she turns to the other enemy nearby.
Kytes mutters a quick prayer as his armor and shield protect him from damage once again. Driving his weapon at the roach once again, but again his steel is turned aside by the bug's outer shell.
"There are more grimples this direction," Kytes cries, pointing with his sacred blade. "But watch yourself. Their magic has created a slipper spot."
Iagon looks about, taking in all of the frantic confusion. He moves into the room and looks to the left tunnel. Focusing his will, he calls upon the roots buried in the soil, willing them to fly into place to block at least some of the opening.
Attai knows he might be being lured further into danger, but there is little to do but press the attack.
Liamae puts down one grimple, letting Turante join Kytes in the fight against the everlasting cockroach. Their teamwork is somehow ineffective against the bugs uncanny knack for survival.
As the grimple falls, arrow protruding from its swollen belly, something jumps out from the darkened room behind it. Another dog-sized bug, this one with long dangly legs and sharp jagged mandibles, pounces onto the dead grimple, sinking its jaws into the corpse.
Finally, Attai nails his grimple foe, crushing it beneath his morningstar. However, as he steps forward, he exposes himself now to the tunnel to his left. Perhaps unsurprisingly, another grimple is there waiting for him.
Iagon forms plugs up one tunnel, and the grimples behind the barrier turn and run back and out of sight.
Attai's new foe opens its mouth and unleashes a jet of putrid vomit.
Attai quickly puts his back to the wall and avoids the projectile bile.
The roach now lashes out against its new threat.
Is this going to be a stand-up fight, sir, or just another bug hunt?
"Ew!" Liamae shudders as the giant flea appears. She shoots at it before falling back beside Turante.
The ranger swings again, and again misses.
Attai grins again as the spew misses him. He swings hard at the new foe...
Liamae's arrow sinks deeply into the clay wall as Turante has trouble finishing off the roach.
Attai, along with the groups' light source, disappears down a side tunnel and wallops another grimple. The strange creature takes the hit but is badly hurt.
Iagon is left standing in darkness.
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Iagon moves a step forward, to aim down the southern tunnel at the bug therein. He lets loose another blast, glad to have an open shot so he didn't run the chance of hurting his allies.
Iagon targets the darkness.
He can’t tell if he hit or not, but it sounds like a miss.
Sensing warmer bodies than the one it’s feeding on, the giant flea flings itself onto Iagon. Iagon is practically blind, and doesn’t see it coming.
Iagon feels the body of the flea hit him at incredible speed and its mandibles pierce into his hardened flesh. The injury burns for just a moment as his body resists the disease harbored in the flea’s saliva.
Unaffected by the sudden darkness falling as Attai zips off after the many foes, Kytes keeps his attention on the roach nearest him. He drives his longsword down with gusto, trying to finish off the insect.
: Before the ichor from one bug can dry on his blade, Kytes spins and moves next to his ally, Iagon, trying to draw off the venomous bite of the great flea.
Kytes finally puts down the roach, yet there are other bugs to deal with, so he joins Iagon at his side.
The badly hurt grimple before Attai hops backward, pointing a gnarled finger at Attai's morningstar.
Attai finds his weapon coated in a slippery substance, yet he maintains his grip.
Two more grimples appear in Attai's sight. They are armed with rocks which they quickly chuck at the sylph.
Both rocks bounce harmlessly off Attai's armor.
As well as things are going for Attai at the moment, he begins to feel a tickling sensation across his body, as if tiny little bugs are crawling over his skin. The tickling then becomes an itch, which begins to distract him.
Iagon curses at the darkness. Though he senses Kytes at his side, he takes a step back to get an angle on the insect. He lets loose with another blast, hoping that the creature still inhabits the spot it had before.
Túrante moves past Iagon and attempts to aid Kytes in fighting the giant bloodsucker.
Liamae follows Attai down the tunnel, seeing the trio of grimples threatening him. "Allow me," she says, squeezing past the sylph. She steeples her gloved fingers as she whispers the words of a spell, then holds them outwards like a fan, sending a wave of fire out over the two closest gremlins!
"Be my guest milady" Attai returns easily. Seeing his weapon slimed with grease Attai tosses it and brings his longspear to bear, stabbing out at the nearest grimple...
[ooc]If the yellow, near grimple Attai wounded is not killed by fire, stab from current position with reach. Otherwise, is there room in the two half spaces directly adjacent to Liamae to stand and attack blue? If not, and yellow is dead, move to that space and stab past blue at purple.
Move Action: Either draw weapon or move past Liamae and draw weapon.
Free Action: Drop greased morningstar.
Standard Action: Attack!
+1 BAB +2 Str, +1 harrow]
[+3 Strength, two handed]
Turante keeps up the momentum and slashes through the giant flea's carapace, spilling recently consumed blood on the dirt floor.
Liamae goes the grimple route and as she steps past Attai, a fourth gremlin comes into view. Her cone of fire can only get two of the rascally creatures.
The closest grimple catches a full face of flame and falls to the ground, a smoldering pile of burnt hair and flesh. The one behind it twists out of the way, what magical fire does catch it seems ineffective.
Attai and Liamae perform a synchronized dance in the tight tunnel as the Sylph squeezes past her now and stabs at one of the rear grimples. What would have been a grievous attack is easily avoided.
Iagon tries to focus on the sound of Turante's blade cutting through the flea, but his shot is wild in the dark.
The badly injured flea withdraws with a mighty leap back into the chamber it appeared from.
"Lady Turante," Kytes calls to the elven princess. "Can you guide Iagon into the light? Without the magic near him, he is blind i this darkness, though I can see clearly. I will pursue the bug, if you will lend him whatever aid you can!"
That said, Kytes trundles off after the flea. Knowing that the beast's leap has outdistanced his own ability to chase, Kytes steps to the mouth of the cavern and looks around, making sure no more foes are lying in wait before proceeding if the coast is clear.
Stopping just short of the chamber entrance, Kytes peeks his head in to see yet another dog sized flea to his right. To his left is a true monster, a flea about the size of a horse stands before yet another side tunnel. A flickering light like that of a torch
just barely illuminates this massive insect from behind. Kytes is wise to go on the defensive.
Meanwhile, the grimples unleash an onslaught on Attai.
One surprisingly beans Attai in the head. The nasty critters heckle the sylph with raspy laughter.
"As directed," says Túrante in response to Kytes. "Iagon, this way! Kytes, do not fall too far behind lest you are surrounded!"
She prods Iagon with her elbow, since her sword and shield hands are both occupied.
Attai resists the urge to scratch his lice-infested, rock-bounced bonce and curses good naturedly.
"Little bastards."
He places a hand on Liamae, whispering "Shoot well!", then moves past and around the grimples to put one of the creatures between himself and the elf and within reach of his longspear.
Standard Action: Bit of Luck on Liamae
You can touch a willing creature as a standard action, giving it a bit of luck. For the next round, any time the target rolls a d20, he may roll twice and take the more favorable result. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.
Move Action: Move up and around grimples to end up adjacent diagonally to the northwest of purple and two squares north of green to allow reach on blue and green.
[+2 Dex, -2 ACP]
Liamae smiles as she feels Attai's hand on her shoulder. She wouldn't mind if he wanted to place his hands on other parts of her body...
Forcing herself to focus on the fight, she raises her bow and shoots at the closest grimple.
Aha! That's better!
Able to see now, Iagon grins in spite of their dangerous situation. He looks to Turante and nods, eager to make himself useful. Together, they move in with Kytes, Iagon standing at the Paladin's side. Upon sight of the flea ahead of them, he launches a blast at the insect.
Two grimples nip at Attai’s ankles as he moves past.
But he’s getting used to this sort of thing by now and knows exactly when to kick them away. As Attai moves around the grimples, he passes another side tunnel, from which he gets another whiff of that horendous oder. Something awfully wretched must be in the next chamber over.
Behind him, Liamae uses his good fortune to sink an arrow into the closest grimple just as its distracted enough. It should be enough to put the creature down, but somehow, it still stands, moaning in pain, clutching the arrow in its chest.
Turante leads Iagon towards the light, and the fight, where he can now see. He fires off a blast which catches the far grimple near Attai and knocks it dead. Turante then steps past Liamae and closes with the injured grimple.
Elsewhere, Kytes is now facing down a lair of oversized bugs. The biggest one barely has enough room to move in the cramped burrow, but manages to hop forward and lunge out at Kytes.
Kytes has his shield raised already and holds off the piercing mandibles.
The badly injured flea is still on the run, and leaps across the chamber. The other one, though, is perfectly healthy, if not hungry, and leaps at Kytes.
Nothing can get through Kytes’ defenses.
Knowing when he is outgunned, Kytes backs up quickly, keeping his shield up to protect against any other attacks. He speedily withdraws towards the sound of the battle and the light emanating from the side tunnel.
"Fleas!" he cries as he spies Iagon and the others. "One the size of a horse! I fear they are pursuing me!"
Kytes regroups just fine, but there are bugs on his trail. Standing in the tunnel junction where he is, he gets his nostrils full of something foul coming from the tunnel to his right.
Seeing the group now approaching en masse, the grimples try for a getaway.
One first spews vomit at Attai.
Attai finds himself splatterd with chunky, warm, putrid bile, but is able to keep down his breakfast. The grimple then runs for the far side of the chamber, giving Attai an opportunity to strike.
He strikes the grimple down as it tries to flee.
The other grimple sees its fellows being struck down left and right, and being cornered between Attai and Turante, gnashes out at the elven princess.
In its panic it misses entirely.
Having dispatched one foe fleeing, and hearing Kytes call serves only to relax Attai and strengthen his resolve - he stabs again at the last grimple.
Standard Action: Attack!
[+1 BAB +2 Str, +1 harrow]
[+3 Strength, two handed]
"Hold firm, Kytes," Liamae says. She squeezes past Iagon, bare skin incidentally brushing against him, and reaches out to bolster Kytes's sword.
Attai impales his spear straight through the remaining grimple.
Iagon moves to stand next to Attai, keeping his eyes on the tunnel to the east of their location. He wrinkles his nose and leans in to his ally. You smell horrible...you okay?
Attai's light doesnt penetrate far passed the narrow tunnel and Iagon can't make out much in the dark. But, for a near instant he sees two fiery red orbs moving about in the next chamber over.
"Need more light down here," says Túrante while she glances toward the red eyes in the dark.
"Coming!" Attai replies. Then: "Kytes?"