"Yes, I think its finally getting a little better. My stomach is still doing turns. I hope we don't find more of them." Pluck casts a couple quick spells before continuing.
The archaeologist nods. "That smell stays with you. I'm ready to move on now, Nel."
"Hai. Let us be done with this place before the wizard loses his lunch!" Tamiro says with a grin and chuckle, before the smell assaults his nose again and he is forced to shut up, trying to breath in less.
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The cave system stretches northward, narrow corridors twisting and turning through the ground until all sense of direction fades. The acrid stench of troglodyte fades deeper into the tunnel system. A large chamber opens after around twenty minutes of walking. Half of this chamber has collapsed in a tumble of rubble and earth. The collapse partially obscures the chamber but does leave room to access the tunnel exiting on the other side of the chamber.
Pluck moves back up to the others, stomach still twisting in knots. "Looks like a straightforward path. Which probably means trouble. We'd better watch for an ambush or traps."
When Mazra goes the all clear, Pluck gets ready to follow as soon as everyone moves ahead.
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The floor is stable under footsteps and does not collapse more, though rocks comes loose and clatter to the ground under pressure. After a a gentle slope downward, the passage opens more into a tunnle, descening in a series of gentle terraces. . The rock here is extremely dense, preventing the passage from flooding, but nonetheless the constantly dripping waterand puddles seem more prelavent here, gathering in6-inch-deep pools in many places before draining into tiny cracks in the surrounding rock.
From beyond the bend ahead, a strange purplish glow emanates.
Pluck tries to walk as quietly as he can, but finds himself constantly defeated by the loose rocks. He looks curiously at the purplish glow, trying to recall if any natural effect or spell he knows would produce such a strange glow.
Pluck shakes his head at everyone else to let them know he doesn't know what the purple light could be.
Making his way over the rocks and down the slope into the rest of the passage, Tamiro's boots make crunching sounds through the rocks. Seeing the purple light, he tightens his grip on his weapons, "That does not look inviting. We should be on guard."
Moving in front of Tamiro, Nel swallows nervously. With so little issues reaching the chamber up ahead, and the sentinel's warning, all manor of nasty ambushes could be waiting for them. "We're going to come in hot. If you need any protection spells, now would be the time to cast them." Nel hisses, as she drops her nearly spent torch to don the heavy steel shield that has been strapped to her back this entire time. She pauses just long enough for Pluck and Ianez to cast two protective spells each, before advancing towards the light.
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This cavern is bathed in a strange orangish-purple glow that seems to reduce visibility rather than increase it, and in fact, seems to inhibit other light sources as well. The glow comes from a number of large rock nodules placed at intervals about the room. The eastern portion of the chamber is occupied by a still, black pool whose surface reflects the strange light.
"Look out, Tamiro--aquatic gricks!" Ianez points near the pool.
Whirling around as Ianez yells a warning to him Tamiro is caught completly unaware by the enemy, "Nani? What is a grick?!"
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Surprise Round Recap
"Look out, Tamiro--aquatic gricks!" Ianez points near the pool.
Round 1
Mazra doesn't quite perceive what Ianez notices, but just in case Mazra calls out to Cayden, "Give this Warrior the strength of a bull."
As the creature jumps Tamiro, Pluck kicks himself for not seeing it sooner. Not having any idea what they are beyond Ianez's word for them, the wizard murmurs a word and two shimmering silver lights fly from his hands toward the grick attacking the samurai.
Watching in surprise as Tamrio is attacked by giant slugs, Nel grits her teeth. "What in the world are these things?! Tamiro, make an opening!" Nel shouts, hitting her longsword against her shield. She moves beyond Tamiro, getting into position to attack the large monster.
Yells in surprise and pain as the tentacles jump on him and he feels a bite pierce his armor. Jumping to the side to allow Nel to rush bye, he turns and lays into the creature with both of his blades.
"What exactly are these things?!"
"It's a grick, and they're resistant to mundane weapons."
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Round 1, Initiative 8
Tamiro's attack pierces the creature's strange flesh and silvery blood covers his blades. However, the creature seems to pay no mind to the attack and its wounds quickly knit together.
The creature turns its bite to Nel, the inner jaw lunging forward to grab on to her shoulder. It manages to dig its teeth past her armor, leaving a strange circular wound .
It then turns its array of tentacles on Tamiro, but his armor is too tough and the creature's limbs cannot find good purchase.
Ianez moves up behind Tamiro and draws a wand, preparing to heal the samurai.
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Round 1 Recap
Mazra doesn't quite perceive what Ianez notices, but just in case Mazra calls out to Cayden, "Give this Warrior the strength of a bull."
The strange creature above Tamiro bites down on him, then tries to wraps its tentacles around the samurai. Its bite pierces Tamiro's armor with surprising force, but he manages to dodge the tentacles.
Watching in surprise as Tamrio is attacked by giant slugs, Nel grits her teeth. "What in the world are these things?! Tamiro, make an opening!" Nel shouts, hitting her longsword against her shield. She moves beyond Tamiro, getting into position to attack the large monster.
As the creature jumps Tamiro, Pluck kicks himself for not seeing it sooner. Not having any idea what they are beyond Ianez's word for them, the wizard murmurs a word and two shimmering silver lights fly from his hands toward the grick attacking the samurai.
Ianez moves up behind Tamiro and draws a wand, preparing to heal the samurai.
Tamiro yells in surprise and pain as the tentacles jump on him and he feels a bite pierce his armor. Jumping to the side to allow Nel to rush bye, he turns and lays into the creature with both of his blades.
"What exactly are these things?!"
The other grick continues to sit in the pool, starting at Pluck with murderous eyes.
"That one in the pool is really creeping me out. It's jut sitting there staring at me while we butcher its buddy." Pluck grabs his dagger and tries to skewer the one gnawing on Tamiro. The dagger falls short, crashing into the ground and tumbling for a bit before landing next to the pool.
Tamiro swings into the one trying to gnaw on him.
His katana bites deeply into the aberration, though it does not make as much of a wound as he was expecting.
Nel continues to move around the grick, as she brings her sword down in a mighty blow against the monster. "Let's keep the pressure on them. We out number them, so we should prevail." As her weapon cuts deeply, Nel watches as the beast begins to restitch some of the damage.