The kobolds move forward into another long narrow passage though the chance of more survivors seems to be dwindling. Suddenly, they come to another cave-in ahead. Apparently, all routes deeper into the mountain have been destroyed in an effort to prevent the monsters from pursuing. A futile effort given the fact that the xill can phase through solid rock.
"They built themselves a tomb." Drahlneep says heavily. "I suppose we could try and get through, but why don't we backtrack first and see if there is another way?"
When the kobolds turn to leave, the pair of xill young spotted earlier in the pit rise from the floor to block their exit.
Jeji:
Perrik:
Kricker: ;
Drahlneep:
foe:
The kobold-sized aliens lunge at Drahlneep and he is bitten.
"These things are really starting to aggravate me... Drahlneep snarls as he levels his pistol at one of the two and blazes rapid fire laser beams at it.
Perrik calls forth a blessing to support the party.
Kricker whacks at the same one Drahlneep shot with the crowbar he has in hand.
Drahlneep fires pointblank at one of the xill young hitting it once before it ducks inside his firearm. Perrik gives a word of blessing by calling out the numbers one and zero in various combinations. Kricker smacks the xilling closest to Drahlneep. The creature is small, but tough. Though injured, it keeps fighting.
Hoping that ganging up on one of them would finish it quickly, Jeji joined the others in attacking the one on Drahlneep.
Rising from the floor behind Jeji unseen, the adult Xill attacks just as the kobold steps forward to help her companions. She is bitten and injected with the alien's paralyzing venom.
The little xills keeping attacking Drahlneep. He tries to ward off the many claws coming his way, but three get through his defense and he suffers another bite.
Drahlneep continues to resist the full toxins, but worries he will eventually be over whelmed by the poison. He lets his anger go, finally ready to really lay into these creatures. He spins around to face the adult which has shown itself again.
Jeji nearly jumped out of her own scales as the creature bit into her. Instinctively she turned around to see the adult xill standing behind her. Not liking being this close, she dove to the side and tried to escape the creature's reach, but her attempt was clumsy in her near panic state.
Jeji tries to flee, but has to push past Perrik as the kobolds are confined in the tunnel. She receives another bite.
Drahlneep releases his adrenaline and starts shooting at the bigger Xill. The red beam hits it once.
Jeji loses control of her voluntary muscles, bumping off of Perrik as she falls helpless at Drahlneep's feet.
Kricker tries to concentrate on getting at least one of these little ones down before switching to the more dangerous big one. He continues swinging at the hurt little one.
Perrik emits a high-pitched burst of sound, which further enhances the party!
Something in the young xill crunches under the impact of Kricker's wrecking bar, but it continues its desperate offense. It tries to grab Kricker inflicting deep scratches on the kobold. The other goes after Drahlneep just as the big one steps past Perrik to flank. The little one hits with two claws. The big one hits with three claws, but Kricker ducks a bite. Jeji's panting is shallow and fast with fear as she cannot a claw to assist or flee!
Perrik emits another high-pitched whine and taps Kricker, pouring healing energy into the priest.
Drahlneep continues to ignore the smaller creatures, seeking out their mother instead. He empties the laser pistol in a cascade of light beams aimed at the creature.
Something in the wounded xilling crunches under the impact of Kricker's wrecking bar, but it continues its desperate attack on Drahlneep. It tries to grab the kobold inflicting deep scratches. The other goes after Kricker just as the big one steps past Perrik to flank. The little one hits with two claws. The big one hits with three claws, but Kricker ducks a bite. Jeji's panting is shallow and fast with fear as she cannot a claw to assist or flee!
Drahlneep fires again at the big alien burning it with the laser beam.
Kricker surmises that these aliens must have some sort of tremorsense to detect their prey from within the rock.
Since none of Kricker's offensive spell tricks will work against these things, he gets desperate and tries to heal himself. He steps 5 feet to get out of the flank and casts cure moderate wounds on himself defensively.
The narrow tunnel is limiting the kobolds' maneuverability. Perrik cannot reach Kricker without stumbling over Jeji and risking the multi-clawed fury of the adult Xill. Likewise, Kricker is pinned between the Xill with no way to avoid them in the tight passage. He manages to maintain his focus as he dodges claws and casts a healing spell.
The critically wounded little Xill goes after Drahlneep again while the kobold focuses on the big one. Drahlneep is slashed twice. Kricker continues to bear the brunt of the assault from his perilous position pinned between a full adult and juvenile Xill. He easily avoids the reach of the young one, but the adult is big and fierce. Kricker is clawed twice and bitten.
Kricker swings at the little Xill trying to clear some space and reduce the incoming.
The wounded Xill goes down as Kricker's crowbar cracks open its shell like a blind crayfish back in the kobold delves.
Drahlneep drops the spent laser and pulls out one of the Smiler's firearms, hoping to punch a hole through the tough carapace.
Drahlneep switches to the powder gun and fires pointblank with a blast that nearly deafens everyone squeezed in the tunnel. The bullet rips through the big Xill leaving a critical wound.
Perrik shifts toward the end of the tunnel angling to get enough space between himself and the alien to use his long spear. Kricker remains pinned between the big and little Xills. Fortunately his heavy armor deflects the claws, but the little one manages to sink its fangs in a an unprotected spot.
Kricker stays up, but he looks a bit fragile...
The Smiler gun clatters to the floor as Drahlneep grabs the last of his brace of pistols. With a scream of fury he pulls the trigger into the face of the alien.
Drahlneep's second bullet passes through the adult Xill's head with a spray of chitin flakes and ichor leaving only the last youngling to molest the kobolds.
Kricker lines up an attack on the small one that bit him.
and swings wildly and ineffectively.
Perrik steps over the fallen Xill lunging at its offspring. ;
The creature steps back and begins merging into the stone floor.
Kricker finds his range:
Kricker's crowbar smashes into the stone phasing li'l xill cracking its skin. Perrik jabs, but the spear doesn't even scratch it. It disappears into the floor.
Kricker gathers the wounded around himself and calls for the aid of his god.
And then he taps himself with one of his wands of Cure Light Wounds.
and again
He then goes over to Jeji and tries to judge when the paralysis is likely to wear off.
And to top it all off, now that any silence has been shattered by the shots of Drahlneep, he tucks away the crowbar and readies his chainsaw (but not activated).
…drool...
Kricker isn't particularly skilled in healing and afflictions, but Perrik is. He lets the koboldroid study Jeji while he stands guard with the chainblade. Perrik says, in his normal draconic, that the paralysis should wear off soon .
Unfortunately, the kobolds don't quite get that long as another creature rises from the stone floor just as Jeji begins to blink and twitch his claws.
This is a new creature, as wide as it is tall. It also has six limbs, but arranged symmetrically. Three arms radiate from around the top of its egg-shaped body and three legs form a tripod around the bottom. It has a big mouth filled with big grinding teeth at the top and three big eyes alternating with its arms. You spot a xill leg dangling from its maw which makes grating and crackling noises which might be speech.