While Myron and Mus'ad have no luck, Pherenike blasts apart another of the remaining skeletons as the Professor moves back again at her request.
Backpedaling again, Elrisiel hastily flings another blob of acid at the remaining skeleton, but her aim is wide.
Kheled shifts 5' back and goes fully defensive.
Elrisiel misses with another bit of acid as Kheled continues to put distance between himself and the remaining skeleton.
The skeleton continues its assault upon Pherenike...
...but she is able to sidestep the attempt.
The tide firmly turned, the party members surround and destroy the last skeleton. After a few moments, a no more skeletons bursting from the ground, the Delvers regroup. A check of the building they came from reveals nothing of interest or value.
Kheled finds a place to sit for a moment. He looks down at the nasty bruise that is starting to form.
Lets rest for a moment and I can check everyone's wounds.
"I could use a quick rest. One of them knocked me about for a bit, but I should be fine in a couple of minutes. After that, we can check the house itself - or we could go round the other way and clear out the entire outer area before we go in?"
As the others busy themselves with resting, Mus'ad silently gathers the cat bones together and makes a small pile of them within the building from which they came. Murmuring benedicitions, he then covers the bones as best he can with sand.
The party takes a few minutes to catch their breath and take care of minor scrapes and such while Mus'ad buries the remains of the cats.
Touching fingers to lips, forehead and then to the sand Mus'ad finds his feet then moves over to the main building - seeking any sign of traps or dastardly surprises before opening the portal.
Shaking off his slight confusion at his sapped endurance Mus'ad changes his mind "Best look all around before try go in." then sets off to lead the group to the other side of the main building.
Myron points to the granary door.
[ b]"A quick look in here, perhaps?[/b]
Myron waits for Mus'ad to check the granary door for traps, the gets ready to open it while the rest of the group stand clear.
Mus'ad kneels at the door of the granary checking for traps. As he works slowly and carefully, he notices the faint smell of carrion mixed with dung emanating from within the domed structure. After a couple of minutes, he determines the door is not trapped and unlocked.
Kheled will place Guidance then Resistance on the first person to move into the room just before we open the door.
Maybe we should throw something into the room first? I could cast light on a rock and throw it in?
Good idea, Kheled. After the last batch of undead, I don't like that smell one bit. Smells like death and trouble. Light up the rock and stand well clear. I'll throw it in and jump back, and we'll see if something nasty comes rushing out at us.
Mus'ad looks around to show that he's ready to open the door... and when given the non-verbal symbol from his companions - swings open the door with hammer in hand.
With the Delver's plan decided, and preparations made, Mus'ad yanks open the door before Myron tosses in the ensorceled stone. For the briefest of moments before the rock lands in the soft rich loam covering the floor of the granary, you see what looks to be the remains of three human skeletons jutting out of the black soil. Also visible is a handle of some kind sticking up out of the ground within. A fraction of a second after the stone lands the soil erupts into a mass of iridescent blue-black insects, emitting a foul stench, and creating a faint chorus as thousands of clicking and clacking jaws can be heard as the swarm rushes for the open door...
The scarab beetle is indigenous to warm deserts, particularly those of northern Garund. Scarabs are small, six-legged insects with sharp protrusions on their front legs that they use to aid in burrowing. They are primarily coprophagous, eating dung for sustenance. An individual
scarab often spends days rolling a single ball of detritus across the desert until it can find the perfect place to bury and deposit eggs in the dung. Because of this practice of burrowing underground to create new life, scarab beetles have long been associated with Osirian burial rites and the church of Pharasma.
A scarab swarm comprises thousands of scarab beetles, each filthy from its constant contact with dung. Normally inattentive toward other creatures, scarab swarms subject those that get in their way to thousands of sharp bites as well as a highly infectious disease. Indeed, the bites of a scarab swarm are the least of their victims’ worries, as the disease they carry claims far more lives than their hunger.
Some religious scholars theorize that scarabs are prone to swarm because they’re drawn to the same malign energy that causes some undead to rise in Osirion, though most people regard this explanation as purely superstition. Some worshipers of Pharasma see the arrival of a scarab swarm as a portent for ill fortune and upon encountering such a sight utter quick prayers to the Lady of Graves.
Mus'ad growls something distinctly dwarven and less distinctly indelicate before asking "We move or fight?"
Unlike the last swarm of bugs we fought, I doubt these ones are going to vanish on their own. We should spread out in any event. Here' I've got something to discourage them from following us.
Myron grabs a flask of Alchemist's fire from his adventurer's sash and hurls it through the open door at the swarming mass of bugs.
He then ducks back into the small building where the skeletons were.
Kheled, having nothing to hurt the creatures with and a genuine fear of bugs screams, Close the door, maybe they can't get out! He then flees in the opposite direction.
Elrisiel likewise reaches for a flask of alchemist's fire and lobs it through the open doorway.
Mus'ad recoils from the door to clear the area, but also keeps his hammer ready to fall in case it might make some impact upon the swarming beasties...
Myron's flask sails into the granary and erupts into a blossom of alchemical flames that lick at the growing cloud of insects bursting forth from the ground. An untold number drop to the ground smoking but it seems to do little to diminish the sheer numbers of bugs. His toss made, he ducks into the doorway to his right.
Elrisiel tries to mimic Myron's actions, but her toss if off the mark...
...hitting the wall to the right of the door and exploding into a small fireball. Mus'ad suffers a minor burn from flaming shrapnel but Myron is saved by the intervening wall.
Seeing the events unfolding in front of him, Kheled shouts out a suggestion before retreating in the opposite direction.
A few spots on his clothing smoldering, Mus'ad moves away from the doorway, hammer raised in readiness.
Pherenike slams the door shut and watches to see what happens. The tiny insects begins to push their way through the various cracks and tiny openings in the decrepit mortar of the granary wall, cracks in the door itself and around the door seal. It is clear that the bugs, although slowed, will find their way out in a few moments.
Ahkenaten calls out, What are we doing? Fleeing or fighting?
Myron reaches into his adventurer's sash again, this time pulling out a small jar. A familiar repugnant smell spreads as he smears himself with vermin repellent.
The the steps forward, hoping his odor will help slow the advancing swarm.
"Do we even have a way of effectively fighting them? If not, I strongly suggest retreat. I have a single flask of alkali, but that alone is not going to cut it. The repellent I just used will keep them away from me, so you could try taking cover in one of the buildings, and I'll block the door."
Kheled pokes his head from around the corner, I say run...did I tell all of you before that I hate bugs?
"I imagine they're going to continue chasing us as long as they are aware of our presence," Elrisiel says. "I still have almost a score more flasks of alchemist's fire. Everyone take a couple while they're slowed down."
"I imagine they're going to continue chasing us as long as they are aware of our presence," Elrisiel says. "I still have almost a score more flasks of alchemist's fire. Everyone take a couple while they're slowed down."
At Elrisiel's confirmation that she has more than enough fire to put the swarm to death, Mus'ad moves towards her to seek his own supply of the same.
Myron attempts to delay the bugs longer with his repellant, while Kheled continues to put distance between him and his phobia. Mus'ad retrieves one of Elrisiel's offered flasks, as does the Professor, and Pherenike retrieves her dropped weapon.
Everyone looks to the door to see what happens next...
The bugs swarm out around the door and through the cracks in ever increasing numbers, and in a few seconds enough of them are outside to cause concern. Although Myron is the closest to the door, the swarm actively avoids him as his repellent does its job. The carpet of insects avoid the halfling and move to the cluster of three Delvers behind him.
Mus'ad and Elrisiel are immediately beset by the swarming and biting beetles. The bugs get inside their clothes, pinching and scratching their way up their bodies, threatening to cover them from head to foot. The sensation of the bugs crawling all over them, mixed with the very real threat the bugs will get inside their noses and mouths threatens to nauseate the both of them...
The muse-touched elf hurriedly bats at the swarming insects, hoping to swat off enough of the beetles to effect an escape.
Maybe if we run away some more it will confuse them?
Aristedes took a careful step back and waited for a clear shot at the swarm with his borrowed alchemist's fire.
Myron hurries after Elrisiel and all her vials of bug-killing fire.
Elrisiel joined Kheled's retreat, with Myron in hot pursuit to get his hands on some of the alchemist's fire...
Fort Save:
Growling as he maintains his calm despite the crawling legs and biting mouths, Mus'ad moves North past the stinky one before turning and lobbing his own explosive flaming missive...
Kheled readies and action to run away if the bugs get within 20 feet of him.
Mus'ad lands a direct hit, vaporizing additional beetles in a plume of flame and smoke.