"Ah, very good, lots of work to be done then."
Armelio returns from his prolonged squat in the woods... it is a meditative time for him which he will not allow to be rushed. He sees everyone has arisen by his return... including the odd newcomers who turned out, in fact, not to be a vivid scene of last nights dream.
"Morning.. Armelio Rovil here... pleased to meet you. Hey ya know... don't know about you folks, but I am just about ready to hit that dusty trail."
Suny does take time to explain and expand upon what she saw during the night. Though, with little more to go on than "It were all a glowin'.", her explanation would seem to do little in the way of enlightening folks.
She would be interested in trying to work out what, if anything, is known about things in said direction. It's not on/in their path of travel, is it?
"There was a large glowing light on the horizon next to where the sun rises, alongside the sun."
"Ooh. If they're making themselves out of metal, I imagine that lightning hurts a fair bit... good to know..."
He finishes winding the chair and returns the key to around his neck.
Oozula, in response to your question, that is Steel Eater territory the glow came from.
Daisy looks refreshed and eager to get a move on as Arwen hitches her to the carriage. The grim cargo underneath the carriage, in its long dark box, wrapped in chains, slid around a bit in the underbelly of the wagon, drawing all eyes to it for a brief moment.
Daisy whiffs through her nose and taps her hooves, as anxious as a young colt despite her middle-aged horse years. She seems more vivacious and sprightly ever since the cool spring of the cave water.
With Arthur riding alongside, you all clamber into the damaged carriage. Unless you go in single file, some of you will need to take 10 on climb checks to carefully get in through the half-destroyed doors. Thankfully, very little of your actual supplies were caught in the ooze's path.
The day is clear and bright, although the sun doesn't seem to be throwing off quite as much heat as it did in weeks past, as is normal this time of year. Still, the slight chill in the air reminds some of you of Erwin's grim face as he described the threat of the Steel Eater's machinery.
You travel through the morning through a mostly unchanging landscape of roots, shrubs, pint-sized trees, and the occasional cacti.
A few times, your carriage passes by underneath some desert pheasants as they hop from tall rock to tall rock above your head. They chirp incessantly as they play their own little game of tag.
Off in the distance in front of you, you see the Kodar Mountains as the foothills begin to rise slowly around you. The ground here is treacherously fragile, it seems, as those of you who are more perceptive notice that bits and pieces of the ground appear to occasionally break and simply fall into some chasm below. This gives you the feeling as if you are all walking on an enormous eggshell.
"Woah... This can't be too safe..."
oozula says, rather nervous.
"What's that in the box and chains?"
He asks as the rattling happens.
"We can hitch me up as well if we've got the space. Take some of the strain off the old girl."
"I'll see if I can do some repairs on the wagon when we get to a stopping place."
"This does seem a bit precarious."
He steps the strider into the obviously thicker places.
Jaxx examines the earth.
You know it's earth.
The body of a recently killed Weird Orc, to give to the mages for research. replied arwen.
"The metal ones? Wonder if I could use him as scrap..."
Yes one of the metal ones and No you can not have it. replied arwen not really looking at arthur
Caln pulls the wagon to a halt. Arwen, are we to drive right over these cracks and faults? I'm worried that the wagon may fall through and be lost. Could we scout out a firmer path?
"Didn't mean that one... there will be others."
"I could look ahead. Compared to most of you, i weigh almost nothing."
Alright. Full stop, we wait what the scout is doing the scouting then Arwen agreed
"Alright. One moment."
she removes a small quilted cloth armor from her bag, dons it, and carefully heads out. Everything on her & her combined, she only weighs about 30 lb.
Oozula skips along the dry earth easily, feeling as if her weight is making very little impact. After making her way a fairly good distance from the wagon, she kneels experimentally and puts her sensitive ear to the ground, knowing that that is the best way to get a feel for the situation.
Oozula, you hear two distinct sounds coming from the earth beneath your feet. One is the faint sound of rumbling, and you think it's coming from the direction you're traveling to, the mountains.
The other, more worrying sound, is a rapid-fire series of clicking coming from multiple sources. Judging by the volume of the sounds, some of them could be coming from nearly beneath your feet. It sounds as if something with many legs is walking around on the ceiling of the enormous cavern you're standing on.
she returns to the group quietly, as to not agitate whatever is below.
"Alright, there is something below the ground. It seemed to crawl atop the ceiling of the ground."
Suny shivers/shudders, "Ugh! Bugs!"
"Indeed. One moment."
oozula pulls a candle out of her backpack.
"Insectbane. It'll keep most insects away while it's lit. Though, it probobly doesn't work on bigger creatures, it'll keep the small one's away. Less annoying that way."
"Can we be goin' 'round?" Suny asks
"I don't know how wide it is...."
"One of my more useful creations," he comments pridefully at the mention of the insectbane candle.
"Did you find a thicker place? The Strider isn't exactly light..."
"Insectbane candle, eh? Color me curious. Does it repel or weaken them?"
"It's simply, as far as i know, disgusting to them, and they stay away from it. So Repel. Though, larger insects may just ignore it. Also, no, i didn't. I just presented what i had just figured out. I'll look around gain for a thick spot."
"It's the smell. A burning chemical called 'citronella.' Releases a smell the little beasties can't stand. Won't go near it. Some of the bigger pests shrug it off, but I imagine that it bothers them too. Actually if you..."
He goes off into the logistics and process of making the candles, how to make them cheap, why they are the color they are... you could either be put to sleep or if you pay attention, learn to make insectbane candles...
As Arthur prattles on, his voice echoing across the space between the foothills, anyone who is listening for the clicking and not his voice hears the clicking start to come around closer.
oozula tuned Arthur out a while ago. He can be annoying like that.
"Shut up and listen."
she says as she looked out the space where the clicking came from.
"Let's move back. This can't be good..."
As Arthur prattles on, his voice echoing across the space between the foothills, anyone who is listening for the clicking and not his voice hears the clicking start to come around closer.
Caln's nerves are on edge due to the presence of these new unknown deputies so he reacts quickly to the clicking sound by rapidly turning the wagon around and urging Daisy to move back to firmer ground.
Arthur stops talking and raises his hands into the "don't shoot" position.
He follows Calm back as he turns around, not saying anything about it.
Suny, perched atop the wagon, keeps a wary eye out as the wagon turns and begins to trundle off in a different direction.
Armelio reaches into his pack and fashions one end into a lasso... a little mundane preparedness...
"Suny my dear, be careful up there. If the ground starts crumbling beneath us..."
Suny waves away Armelios' concern with a smile and a wave,
"Pshaw! I in't wearin' nuffin' heavy. I be quick enough ta' be jumpin', don' ye worry none." She replies, though her eyes continue to look for any signs,
"It be tryin' ta' step on'a bugs with jus' me bare feet." She explains.
Better to face those bug now than later. said arwen calmly whie getting down to the ground and casting a Shield of Faith
oozula silently takes a rope with a large chunk of tar tied to the other end out of her backpack.
As people gear up Arthur elbows the side of the Strider and a heavy crossbow pops out of the side preloaded.
He has his hand over a green button on the arm of the chair.
Oozula, Arthur, and Arwen, make Reflex saves.
Almost simultaneously, the skittering creatures that Oozula heard beneath the thin surface burst their pointy legs through near your feet! None of you are actually struck by the sharp implements, though that doesn't appear to be the creatures' intention.
The hole the bug-creatures make in the ground causes you to slip and fall through. You pass by a network of stalactites pointing down from the ceiling, and horrible-looking giant centipede-things clinging to them, for a brief moment as you fall.
Looking down, you have time to see a dark, open lake. There's a small island in the center of the lake, with a hut on it.
You fall 60 feet into the lake.
Falling into sufficiently deep water causes you to ignore the first 20 feet of fall damage, and converts the next 20 feet into nonlethal damage. This means you take 2d6 lethal and 2d6 nonlethal from the drop.
Meanwhile, up top, cracks begin forming in the soil dangerously close to your wagon's wheels. Daisy, sensing the danger, rears up on her hind legs and whinnies in fear, kicking the air with her hooves.
Three of the centipede-like creatures (reference pic) climb up onto the topsoil and begin advancing on you hungrily.
Battlemap. Be sure to describe where you are starting your action from in your battle post.
Suny, Armelio, Jaxx, and Caln, roll for initiative.
Armelio immediately starts rattling his shield to coax forth the frosty cloud of vapor. "Cooome to me if yer goin down!" The centipede, and crumbling earth at his feet was starting to get his heart rate up.
Wasting no time, Suny simply leaps/jumps/vaults from the wagon,
And races over to where she saw her companions disappear into the earth.
"I dun't like BUGS!"
She yells out to no one in particular as she frantically searches.
Caln will attempt to calm daisy enough to drive her to solid ground and then to hurry to help his companions.
Initiative
Skill (handle animal)
oozula is already wounded horribly just form the fall, almost unconscious. She also can't swim. She goes underwater, not able to keep her head up.
Fraxx!
The gnome raises his crossbow, snapping a shot off at the bug nearest Daisy.