The Ankheg's exoskeleton blackens considerably from Sejanus' blast and it turns from Jord to him and catches his arm in its mandibles. The acid burns his skin and the mandibles bite deep, savaging his arm. Thankfully the rest of you react quickly and skilfully, surrounding the beast, chopping off legs and breaking through its tough exoskeleton to pierce the flesh underneath. Jord delivers the killing blow with his morning star to the Ankheg's head and it drops with its legs still jittering for a few seconds.
Jord casts cure light wounds on Sejanus
"Be soothed my friend, Kurgess will heal you.
Grumbling and muttering in his own little world, Morgan is the last to react to the giant insect, and it is dead before he can attack it.
"I do not know this thing, does it hunt alone or in groups? We should get moving before we find out, although I am still not sure of the way"
"Looks like it has a hard shell.. could it be good as armour? he says examining the beast
"Can you skin it . . . relatively quickly before more such creatures come." He looks about if the corn might attack.
The hide of the Ankheg could be turned into armour with someone specialised in handling exotic materials, not just any smith. Unfortunately you would need more that 1 creature's worth. From this creature there would only be enough for a shield. Perhaps 4 creatures could make a full suit of armour. It would count as masterwork and could only make medium or heavy armour because of the thickness of it.
"Skin it. We will be the fanciest pirates in the Shackles."
"All right then." the doctor says, "I've done a few dissections in my time, this shouldn't be too different."
You keep going through the field of corn, keeping away from the direction of the fire and smoke which is now starting to get a lot bigger and spread a little faster. You do eventually make it to the edge of the field. There is a gap of maybe 100 feet before the forest begins. Hopefully the fire won't be able to spread from the field to the forest and burn the entire island. Then again, with ghouls and infested botflies around, maybe purifying the island wouldn't be the worst thing...
There is a little path into the jungle that looks more like it was made by animals than humanoids. Some leftover scraps from feeding off of the corn is found too. Perhaps the pigs you killed earlier, or something else. Whatever is is must be elsewhere because you encounter nothing until you come to a 50ft. wide hole in the ground. It's edges almost vertical. Below you see dark churning water about 50ft. below. The water being dark indicates that it is quite deep with no rocks near the surface.
On the edge of the cliffs you see a scrap of ripped cloth caught in a bush. It is dirty but not old and ragged like that worn by any of the ghouls you encountered. It could easily be from one of your missing crew.
Jord is looking al around as he progresses through this island.. trying not to be gripping his morning star tightly all the time.
"Down there on the edge of the cliffs a scrap of ripped cloth caught in a bush. It could be from one of our missing crew." he says pointing
"Well, then. Let's go take a look."
Reinald looks at the group as if assessing capabilities. "Are we set. If this is our crew it means might be stepping to a tough fight. I am not familiar with the limits of magic."
"I have lots of healing.. and we need to protect Sejanus he can throw fire all day. I'll try stay back and heal and protect el blasto." he says with a steely determination in his voice, as if he is convincing himself of it.
"Well I still have a few arrows, so I be ready. We don't know what is down there. Do ya wanna lower me first? I'm lighter than Reinald an Kurgess, an still able to hold me own. If we tie the rope round me and you guys hang on as me safety, I can climb down."
"From the stockade tree, I saw some o' those little buggers we fought on the ship, so be ready I guess."
"And there we are," the doctor says, standing up and wiping the ichor from his gloves. "I was able to get the largest plates off completely intact. What's next on the agenda?"
"First to jump Sharky we'll set you easy and keep you covered." Reinald looks to the others, "Do we still have rope?"
Reiald ties off the rope and preps to lower Morgan.
Sejanus edges to the precipice. "I will fry anything that tries to attack you on the way down."
Checking his weapons are safely stowed, but easily accessible, and that the line is secure around him, Morgan heads I've tried those holding the line. "Right, I'll try and climb down, this is just for safety. So let the line out gentle like. If I need help I will shout, if I am safely down I will give 3 tugs on the rope." and with that he heads over the edge and into the hole.
Jord always ready to help will hold the rope , he is hoping Reinald will assist as well.
"I got ya... kinda..Kurgess give me strangth." Jord uses Strength surge +2 str on himself.
"We've got you." Reinald moves to help.
"Looks like there may be strong current down there." the doctor muses to himself as he looks down over the edge. He picks up a nearby twig and drops it into the hole, the better to judge the flow of the water at the bottom.
Morgan carefully climbs down the cliffs, slowly but surely until he is nearly at the water. He slips and is about to fall into the water when the superhuman grip of Jord and Reinald bring him to a stop inches above the water. As he looks up he notices there are small holes scattered around the cliff face and there are now 8 sets of eyes looking down at him from them. 4 of them swoop towards Morgan.
These are stirges! Large bat-like mosquitos that will attach onto their target with their barbed legs and drain the victims blood until it is full when it will fly away satisfied. They are also carriers of diseases.
"They don't look friendly. . ." He yells, "Up or down? They might not like the water."
Working his way down the increasingly slippery rocks, Morgan is just about managing to hold on, when his hand slips on something best not thought about. Falling towards the water, he scrabbles against the rock before being brought up short by the rope with a rib bruising jerk. Spotting the little eyes he grabs for his cutlass and starts slashing at the line in an attempt to free himself. As the eyes close on him, he lets off slashing at the rope and tries to fend off the creatures as they approach.
"Down, definitely down, you ain't strong 'nough to pull me up quick 'nough."
"Stirges!" the doctor calls down the hole, "Bloodsuckers, carry disease, watch yourself!"
He moves to take the rope from one of the others at the top, so one of the main fighters can go down next and give Morgan some support.
Sejanus takes aim and lobs a ball of fire at the northernmost flying thingie.
vs touch AC, fire damage.
Morgan cuts the rope holding him above the water and he makes a small splash. The water is coming in from the south, swirling around this large hole and escaping through a second opening to the west. It looks like both openings are shallow enough to stand on the rough rock floor. The west opening leads towards the ocean though the passage curves and Morgan cannot see its end. That means the tide must be going out towards low tide. You can see where the watermarks are on the walls and the moss and plant growth that there would be very little breathable air down here at high tide. You have perhaps 7 or 8 hours before it is likely you would have to leave or drown.
When Morgan cuts the rope Jord and Reinald are not prepared.
Sejanus blasts one of the stirges and it becomes a ball of smoke and plummets into the water. Another stirge comes out of its nest and joinds the other 3 swirling around Morgan's head. They don't seem too keen to get very close to the water and don't attack, mainly hovering a few feet away from the range of his weapon.
"Hold on, Morgan!" Sejanus looses another ball of fire. He targets the stirge NW of Morgan.
Vs touch AC.
fire damage.
Flailing briefly after cutting the rope, Morgan quickly gains control of his brief freefall and lands easily in the water, making very little splash. Kicking easily to the surface he orientates himself and his enemies, before calling out. " I be all right, they don't seem to like the water. Tide is going out, so we have maybe 7 hours or so, to explore. I'm gonna swim a little farther and see if I can stand"
Morgan starts to strike out for the southerly tunnel, but catches the waves wrong and catches a mouthful of seawater, quickly halting his progress.
Reinald once free of the rope grabs his crossbow and fires at one of the Stirges harassing Morgan careful not hit the sailor.
Reinald crops to 1 knee to steady his shot and fires again.
"Whoooah!... Ooooof."
"Crossbow," the doctor mutters to himself, "I suppose I ought to get me one of those." He picks up a fist sized rock and lets fly at the southernmost stirge.
More fireballs sizzle into the water missing the tiny creatures following Morgan. Reinald has better luck and pierces one of them through and it sinks into the swirling water. Genade's rock also does nothing but splash harmlessly.
Morgan starts swimming towards the southern tunnel.
The stirges keep swarming around Morgan but keep their distance.
Jord doesn't really have anything to do, he doesn't want to lose a javelin in the water on a very hard throw and he has no other resources to help Morgan with atm.
Sejanus tries again!
Vs touch AC
fire damage
Morgan continues to push his way towards the southerly tunnel, but a surprise wave catches him, filling his mouth with seawater, quickly halting his progress.
Reinald reloads and fires again. He smiles at the hit but quickly blanches at its almost unnoticeable damage.
The good doctor keeps it up with the rocks.
Morgan goes underwater.
This time a fireball does hit a stirge and its flaming body drops into the water. The Doctor and Reinald both wound another which flies away clumsily back to its nest. Unfortunately there are more stirges that come to take their place and harass Morgan. Jerieth decides to jump in and help Morgan. She is like a fish in the water.
Jord will look for a rock like Genade and then lob it at a Stirge
Reinald reloads and fires again.
"I can do this all day!... And I may have to."
Vs touch AC
fire damage.
Breaking the surface with a splutter, Morgan shakes his head to clear the water and keeps swimming for the shallows.