Karas let out a feral and deep roar, almost akin to a dragon, as he charged forward to slash at one of the beasts with his claws.
Tchirash moves towards the things, saying a small prayer to Iomedae, ready for the thing's attacks should they come near her.
Free:
Swift:
Immediate:
Move: 30' towards the larvae
Standard: ready attack on any larvae that comes near
Ulfr moves to support Rakeesh. As he moves, he slams his weapon on the ground, creating an echoing thunder. He starts a chant. A primal cry of old Sarkoris. The Dance of Battle. A magical rush of adrenaline surges into the blood of anyone who hears.
Karas Roars and rushes into the room locating an enemy and engaging while feeling the pulse of his rage channeled through the skald's drum.
Hearing the sounds of battle Tehina rushes forward only to come to a halt when the beasts come in sight. Upon seeing the maggots it only takes her a moment to realise what they are, "Watch out people, these things are tainted by the Abyss, they aren't just vermin."
Unable to attack from her position and unwilling to move closer and risk being attacked Tehina stays put, only drawing her dagger should the need to use it arise.
"Stay out of my WAY!" Neile roars in a bellowing voice that reverberates off the cavern walls, even as it rattles inside her own skull. She begins moving forward, her footsteps falling in time with the echo of Ulfr's thunder, temporarily consumed with rage and primal fury.
Gail flutters hastily away from her shoulder, taking retreat in a small nook in the cavern wall.
Red: DEAD!
Blue: 4
Green: 0
Yellow:0
Bimbur and Rakeesh strike first, While the dwarf puts two arrows into one of the creatures, Rakeesh cleaves the head of the other in twain.
The others rush to join the battle, and then the creatures attack!
The one that has two of Bimbur's arrows sticking from it spews a stream of maggots at Rakeesh, splattering bile, acid, and wriggling vermin all over his armor and clothing. The smell is abysmal and Rakeesh has to fight to keep from loosing the contents of his stomach.
Meanwhile, the other two creatures squirm to Karas and try to gnaw on the silver-scaled tiefling. Try. They fail to even inconvenience him.
The other survivors move into the corridor, curious to see what is going on and how their new companions perform.
Ulfr's chant continues he raises his club in rhythm. The runes etched in the weapon glow slightly with arcane power as the instrument comes down in time.
Bimbur has no problem shooting into combat, having trained specifically for that purpose, and sends two arrows at the one he has already hit. But his arrows are off the mark this time, and he issues a curse.
"F8&)(ing shortbow, I am going to buy one of those longbows when I can scrape together the scratch. Too bad King Midas here doesn't have a longbow."
Bimbur points to the elf.
Red: DEAD!
Blue: GREASE SPOT!
Green: 0
Yellow:0
Ulfr's target has just enough time to look scared before becoming a blood splatter on the cave floor.
Karas's blind rage is fueled higher by the chant and he bears down on the two monstrosities before him.
Karas hears something suspiciously like "oh, crap!" just before shredding the abomination.
Tchirash moves up next to Karas, "Can't have these things making lunch out of you so soon, can we? She swings her longsword at the larvae.
Rakeesh rips his blade free from the split skull of the first Abyssal maggot and brings it to bear on the second. Before he can even move to engage it, though, it vomits forth a stream of bile and maggots all over him. He wipes the bulk of the filth from his face and screams, "Wretched verm-" before Ulfr's greatclub splatters whatever gore remained within the creature into Rakeesh's face.
Pale skin just gets even paler as Rakeesh spits out a mouthful of maggoty bile. He staggers over to the cavern wall, leaning heavily against it, and just barely avoids retching the entire contents of his stomach. "This is just... vile," he says before spitting out another gobbet of bloody gore.
"One with the swarm, no, never, can't fight it, MOVE!" Neile yells desperately, shortly before she closes the gap between herself and the last vermin, a savage, ursine roar ripping from her throat, skidding to a halt as one small, solid fist flies downward.
Neile and Tchirash rip the last of the nightmarish maggots to shreds and the cavern grows silent as its death cry's echoes fade.
Bimbur is upset he missed the creatures.
He would have to up his game if he was going to fight demons.
"Good job. Let's move out when everyone is repacked for travel."
Karas stood in the dim light breathing heavy as his rage subsided. He dropped the two halves of the abyssal maggot to either side and tried to wipe the gore from his hands.
"Well... I feel a little better I guess." He walked over to Neile and his tail plucked the rat from his pouch and presented him to her. "I think you need his help a little more than I do right now. you ok?"
He nodded to Tchirash, "I'm a harder meal to take than most it seems."
He looked over to Rakeesh and suppressed a smile.
Ulfr's song fades after just the opening bars relieving everyone of its magical adrenaline shot.
He lifts his weapon/instrument to his shoulder and strides over to Rakeesh. You got smeared good. You ok?
As Ulfr's music fades, Neile's eyes roll back and she slumps, falling against Karas' chest. "'M sleepy, Silver-Man," she mumbles, pushing herself up straight and swaying on her feet. She rubs her eyes with one hand, looking almost like a child woken in the middle of the night, her oversized coat adding to the illusion. "They wanted me to join the swarm. Too many voices; already had two, didn't need more. Not my words. Music pounds like my paw-falls in the snow; like the lashes on her back, fifty six seven eight. They showed us their insides before we turned them into their outsides."
She gives a tired grin as she takes Twitch back from the tiefling's tail. "You run fast. I think it's faster than he's used to. But he likes you. I hope he helped." She places the rat on her shoulder, and he buries himself in her scarf, leaving only his grey head visible, beady eyes watching. "Need sleep. Need Slaver to slip away. He talks too much."
Karas smiled, "Don't know when we'll get some rest but hopefully it wont be down here. Keep him close. see if he can help keep your head straight. Be easy on the anger. It doesn't always go away."
He made sure she was steady before coming over to Rakeesh and Ulfr, the gore was drying on his hands but he didn't have much of an option to clean it off. "So are we continuing?"
"You got smeared good. You ok?" "So, are we continuing?"
Rakeesh gives the pair a withering stare through a curtain of limp hair, now heavy with gore. He reaches up to press one nostril closed and blows a maggot out of the other one. "You will pardon me, of course, if I take a moment to collect myself."
Rakeesh glances around the cave to see if there is any detritus, discarded clothing or a bight of moldy cloth, that he could use to clean himself up.
The battle was over before Tehina even got a proper chance to get in on the action, might be for the best.
When she sees Rakeesh moving to where the maggots were coming from she follows him. It would indeed be good to know what the maggots were chewing on. While walking she muttered some more words under her breath and the gore covering Rakeesh, both the maggots' and his own, simply vanished. "A shame I can't fix the taste."
When she sees Rakeesh moving to where the maggots were coming from she follows him. It would indeed be good to know what the maggots were chewing on. While walking she muttered some more words under her breath and the gore covering Rakeesh, both the maggots' and his own, simply vanished. "A shame I can't fix the taste."
Rakeesh nods his thanks and admires his newly cleaned armor, flicking a stray maggot from his pauldron. "While that was easily the most... exotic... cuisine I have ever sampled. I would not highly recommend it to you."
Ulfr follows the pair with a satisfied grin on his face. For starting so badly this day was looking up!
Karas laughed, "You'd be amazed what you can eat when you're starving." He smiled at Rakeesh and followed the group.
Bimbur, intrigued, and planning on showing how tough dwarves are, actually tries a bit of the larva before moving on.
Spitting it out, he is unimpressed.
Neile grins widely at Karas, tilting her head to one side to nuzzle Twitch with her cheek. "Okay, Silver-Man. I'll try to stay awake, but Bear makes me sleepy." She yawns widely at this, the memory of a full belly and a warm den still stirring in her mind. She rummages through her pack, producing a rag that may or may not be a spare article of clothing; the tears and stains render it almost indistinguishable. Offering the cloth to Rakeesh, she explains, "You have their insides inside your insides. If you get their insides outside, you can use this. I'll make do, Grey-Man."
She readies herself to follow the group, this time hanging close to the back, walking precariously backwards and watching Anevia and Aravashnial. She makes an effort not to look at Horgus, lest Slaver speak up again.
Wiping her blade free of gore, Tchriash looks around. "There appears to only be the one way out," She gestures with her sword point, "Shall we?
Ulfr mutters a few arcane words and the fire falls off his club, leaving it pristine. Let's. Do you wish to lead again, Master Bimbur?
He catches Tehina's eye. She surely recognized the spell and he wasted to see what she thought of his casting it.
Bimbur takes point with a nod.
As Bimbur glides along, he asks:"Any of you have the armor of the arcane?"
Karas quirks an eyebrow, "Uh no I haven't learned any form of magical art yet. Terendelev did tell me a bit about magic though. Mage's Armor is not in my wheelhouse."
Bimbur nods at Karas, and grunts.
"If I get a wand or a scroll with it, can you use it?" Bimbur easily moves in the dark without a source of light, quiet and hard to see. He is determined to find danger before it finds him.
Having palmed one of the larva, Bimbur decides it may be useful for a little practical joke later. At the monastery, monks often played pranks on each other. Dead vermin made for many good pranks, often ending up in someone's bed.
Rakeesh was going to have watch his bedroll.
"Uh, I don't think so. That would be better left to Tehina and Aravashnial." He gave Bimbur an apologetic look. "I just know some things she taught me. No real magic."
He fruitlessly kept trying the wipe the gore from his hands with each hand but it wasn't much use as it started to dry.
I don't know that one in particular, but I'm sure I could figure it out if I had something to provide the right energy. Ulfr rumbles from behind.
She rummages through her pack, producing a rag that may or may not be a spare article of clothing; the tears and stains render it almost indistinguishable. Offering the cloth to Rakeesh, she explains, "You have their insides inside your insides. If you get their insides outside, you can use this. I'll make do, Grey-Man."
Rakeesh inhaled a silent breath. In his homeland, when he was still a creature of beautiful golden flame, ladies of wealth and standing had traveled great distances to offer him tokens of affection. Silks, satins, exotic furs soft to the skin... he had slept on a bed built of such gifts. Every morning when he awoke, he would bathe in a never-ending font of pure water and such gifts made of scented oils.
Today, he awoke on a bed of dirt, death, and destruction. He bathed in the maggot infested bile of Abyssal bottom-feeders. Before him stood a child of the streets, offering him what he could guess was a significant portion of her personal wealth in the form of a ratty, stained, nearly unidentifiable article of clothing.
Osiriani ladies offered such gifts in the hopes of securing a marriage. Rakeesh never thanked them. He knew their agenda. He thought it a marvelous game to see how often they would return, how many times they would try to buy his affection, how many slights and insults they would suffer...
Rakeesh awoke from his reverie to find the innocent, expectant gaze of a girl with no standing, no agenda. She offered him a dirty rag because it was less dirty than he was... inside.
Rakeesh exhaled slowly... and along with his breath, a little more of his foolish pride slipped away. He accepted the gift, carefully folding it along ragged lines, and stuffing in the overhang of his gauntlet.
"Thank you, little one," he said, bowing slightly.
As the group continues on, Anevia's breathing becomes more labored, and Horgus' scowl gets darker and darker. About two hours after facing the abyssal larvae, Aravashnial calls out to the party.
"I think we need a rest. I fear that Anevia will collapse if we keep going at this pace for much longer," the elf says.
"N-no. I'm fine," Anevia counters, her voice ragged.
Horgus looks away, muttering under his breath.
"We should leave the thief and the idiot here. They're doing nothing but slowing us down."
Bimbur stops and looks at Anevia with concern.
"Someone can carry you my lady. If no one else will volunteer, I will do it and drop back farther in the ranks. I would rather be the first in and last out of danger, but we cannot have you pushing yourself past exhaustion."
"Everyone steals. Some steal coins, some steal breath, some steal hearts." Neile tilts her head at Anevia. "What did you steal, Mrs. without your Mr.?" Her tone is curious, non-judgmental; she watches Anevia with soft brown eyes in a face of pinched cheeks and grimy tear-trails.
"And who is the idiot?" she adds, oblivious, turning her gaze back to Horgus.
"Who's stealing what now?" Karas cocks a brow at Neile. "I can carry whoever. It won't be much an issue really."
He looks back curiously at the wounded woman to see if there is any other method he could help.
"We should leave the thief and the idiot here. They're doing nothing but slowing us down'" Neile echoes in a strangely hollow voice. "That's what he said. And Mrs. Tirablade can't be an idiot. That means he thinks she's a thief. But we all steal things. I steal bread sometimes to make the hunger go away. People steal jewels, breaths, words from the mouths of others, loose lips losing letters."
Rakeesh gets very contemplative in the hours following the larvae cave. With only one path going forward, he simply meanders along, a suitable distance behind Bimbur, but well in front of the others.
When Aravashniel calls for a stop, Rakeesh looks around, recognizing none of his surroundings. He shrugs, accepting that the walls of rock all look the same anyway.
"We should leave the thief and the idiot here. They're doing nothing but slowing us down'" Neile echoes in a strangely hollow voice. "That's what he said."
Rakeesh turned to see Neile pointing towards Horgus. "Master Bimbur has not set a breakneck pace. I doubt our wounded are having too deleterious an effect."
Tehina rolled her eyes at Horgus's comment but did not react. The man tried to muffle it on purpose and she'd let him for now. When Neile opened it all up she had to react though. "Sir Horgus maybe it would be an idea then if you'd go with one of us and scout ahead? That way You'd be the first one to find the surface once we reach it and you would not be slowed down by those of us that are hurt worse than most."
Ulfr turns and frowns at the elf for saying something like that out loud among so many clearly offendable types. For being so smart, he wasn't very smart, and his just desserts come almost immediately as the group descends on him for his comment. Ulfr just stands, arms crossed, and smirks.
Bimbur uses a tried and true relaxation technique. He imagines a series of fired broadhead arrows hitting the elf in the head and pummeling the elf into unconsciousness and immediately feels better.
"Karas, thanks for your offer. I will continue to scout, and you can stay near the middle."
"It's really nothing Bimbur. You have more important things to do scouting ahead." Karas fell back a bit in line with Anevia and Aravashnial awaiting their response to his offer. "This is no place for pettiness to bear its ugly head."
Horgus fumes after spluttering for a moment. It's obvious the nobleman is more than a bit irritated by being called out for his mutterings.
Aravashnial, the elf, just shakes his head.
Anevia doesn't complain too much when Karas picks her up and carries her.
"If you don't mind, Karas, I'd appreciate it if you could help guide me."
Karas held the woman sitting on one of his arms as she steadied herself with her own arms around his head and neck. Her weight was only a minor inconvenience despite his stature. "Just hold on tight. can't have you taking another tumble today."
"Sure, It's not a problem." He replied placing one hand covered in dried gore on the elf's shoulder. He resumed his pace following the others.