In the filth and dank of the troglodyte's cave, Joanna, Arsith and Briana do what they can for the stricken tribe. In total, there are some twenty four 'Children of Zevgavizeb' sheltering here in the caverns - each and every one of them suffering from the advanced symptoms of filth fever. At first they are suspicious and wary of the group - especially those that did not witness the end of Uggilo - but their trust is soon gained as their discomfort is eased.
Between the group, I am assuming that there has been enough healing to at least stabilise the worst affected of the Troglodytes - buying them some time.
Joanna's words, translated through Teldon, have little effect - as Teldon translates the croaked responses, it appears that there is a deep-seated mistrust now of the sun-dwellers' gods... and a fear that these are the very same gods served by the metal women who allied with the boggards. One or two of the troglodytes seem to take Joanna's words well but, if the Iomedean is truly intent on converting the 'Children of Zevgavizeb', it will likely take some time.
Once the friends have provided the healing that they are able to, the pair of troglodytes who had first guided the friends into the caves show the group the extent of the devastation that has been wrought upon the tribe. The cave to the west, beyond the pit, is much drier than elsewhere... the side-effect of the large fire pit burning brightly - and, within the pit, the charred corpse of a dead troglodyte. And the more they look around, the more burnt bones the friends see...
That is not the worst of it, moving now to a different cave, the friends are shown the aftermath of a boggard attack upon the caverns themselves... the ground in this cavern is a slimy mess of mud and fungus - and several trampled mud nests mixed with the bloodied fragments of leathery eggs lie around the room.
...and finally they are shown to the tunnel at the back of these caves that leads "down to the Lady's Light". Through Teldon, they are warned that the way is guarded by a nest of “giant snapping grabber bugs” which are quite adept at eating troglodytes and that the boggards apparently have some sort of “magic juice” they use to make the grabber bugs docile.
"'Magic juice'? Sounds like it might be something made with alchemy or maybe even a potion,"[b] Briana whispers. [b]"But I guess we'll just have to take our chances until we have a better idea of what the 'grabber bugs' are."
Going to assume that you folks are following the troglodyte's instructions and heading into the tunnels?
With Ziomarra's lights providing a ghostly illumination, the group head into the tunnels that lead away from the troglodyte's caverns... clambering over the detritus, foul-smelling and rotten, of the tribes feeding habits, they start to head downwards. On and on the tunnel leads - coarse and apparently naturally formed - the friends head further into the darkness.
Until, after maybe a mile, they arrive at an intersection of four tunnels forming a sizeable cave. The domed ceiling rises to a height of twenty feet, while near the center of this cave stands a monument made of polished black basalt, seven-sided with the same great rune carved on each face. The top portion of the monument has broken away, revealing what appears to be a hollow space within in the shape of a female figure.
An astounding number of strange albino insectoid creatures, each the size of a man’s finger, scuttle and scurry along the walls... and, as Ziomarra's lights approach, they seem to recoil into the darkness - almost flowing along the walls like an ebbing tide.
CG Female Human (Azlanti) Witch (cartomancer)/VMC Cleric of Desna 5/Evangelist 2
stats:
hp 46/46 | AC 17; touch 17; flat-foot 12 | Fort +5; Ref +7; Will +9 | Init +5 | Perception +9
"This is interesting."
Zee peers at the runes on the seven faces of the monument, pondering if she's seen them before and what they might mean.
Knowledge (arcana):1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21
Zee pauses a moment and takes out her Harrow deck. She casts a spell, drawing one card which glows with a pale bluish light. She then holds the glowing card before one eye and closes the other, seemingly looking through the card as if it were a lens. She seems to be examining the monument.
male Human Investigator [empirist] (VMC Magus) 7 | HP: 52/52 | AC: 18/13/16 | F +4, R +8, W +7 (+9 v Illusion) | Init +2 | Perception +17 (+20 v traps)
Teldon also examines the rune (from a distance) trying to recognize or decipher it...
1d6 ⇒ 4 taking 10 (as usual), that 29 linguistics or 28 for know(arcana) or spellcraft...
The rune carved on each of the seven faces is the ancient rune of lust and of enchantment. The monument’s surface is warm to the touch and seems to pulse with energy — and Ziomarra's investigations detect reveal a faint aura of enchantment.
Knowledge (arcana) DC28:
The monument, and the runes and inscriptions across it, are the physical remnants of an unusual variation of a binding spell — until the monument was broken, it kept something imprisoned within.
The hollow left by this once-imprisoned creature appears to be that of a beautiful winged human woman...
Knowledge (engineering) DC15:
From the dust and debris across the floor suggests that the monument broke many months ago.
...and now the rattling and chittering of the insects across the cavern walls is growing louder.
Sorry for not posting last night. I was so tired when I got home, I almost passed out right after supper and couldn't see straight.
As they leave, Joanna wonders aloud if Desna might be more to their liking, given her dominion over the stars, and thus night.
As they spy the bugs though, she and halli move a little closer together and try not to be too nervous about the sheer number of them. Once they are in the chamber, Joanna notices the chittering growing louder.
"I think the bugs know we're here," Joanna says as she draws her sword and readies her shield.
male Human Investigator [empirist] (VMC Magus) 7 | HP: 52/52 | AC: 18/13/16 | F +4, R +8, W +7 (+9 v Illusion) | Init +2 | Perception +17 (+20 v traps)
"This whole monument was an elaborate means of binding some kind of winged woman.." Teldon remarks, "any speculation on what was bound would be mostly a guess, but it could have been a succubus or an erinyes... we had better pay close attention to our surroundings..."
I'm assuming that Jo knows enough to know what a succubus and an erinyes are.
"Great, so where is our fiendishly good looking friend," Joanna asks, not at all happy to hear that. She brushes the tips of her fingers over the holy symbol around her neck and then tells Halli to keep an eye out as her eyes begin to glow.
Female Human (Shoanti) Geokineticist 7 | AC 22, T 16, FF 18 | DR 6/adamantine| Fortification 15% | hp 80/80 (21 nonlethal) | Fort +13, Ref +11, Will +5 | CMD 21 | Initiative +6 | Perception +13 | Burn 3/9 | 3 Hero Points
Shadlah watches the bugs scuttle away from the lights, craggy features furrowing into a frown. "Then let them come," she intones, feeling the movements of the earth under her bare toes.
Joanna - nothing seems to be particularly evil here...
Teldon's examination of the insects reveals that they are relatively common arthropods...and that the various species come in different sizes...
Knowledge (nature) DC11:
Solifugids are sometimes called “camel spiders,” “wind scorpions,” or “sun spiders,” despite the fact that they are neither spiders nor scorpions but rather their own unique species. They have large pedipalps near their heads, used to grab and hold prey while they feed with their twin sets of vertically aligned mandibles. When hunting in groups, they prefer to attack targets already grappled by other solifugids. The various species of enormous solifugids generally have eight legs, although the front two appendages are large enough that they can easily be mistaken for an additional pair of legs. Some species, like the albino cave solifugid, have fewer legs, but all solifugids are aggressive vermin.
And then, as the insects become quiet, four dog-sized spider-like creatures rush into the cavern... scuttling along the ceiling - some fifteen feet above the floor, their front legs end in immense, grasping claws and their mouths sport a pair of huge vertical mandibles.
"They're called 'solifugids'," Briana offers as they study the scuttling insects. "Even though they look a bit like spiders, they're not actually arachnids. Not to mention these tend to come in all sorts of sizes..."
And then when the four larger creatures suddenly scuttle into the room, she takes a step back. "Like that. Don't let them grab you, they'll gang up on grappled prey!"
As the solifugids advance, Briana focuses on her own brand of power over the elements to call forth a small orb of fire into her hand. The light from it flickers brightly as she prepares to throw it...
_______________
Spells and Powers:
3rd - Dispel Magic, Magic Circle against Evil
2nd - Cure Moderate Wounds, Lesser Restoration, Spiritual Weapon
1st - Bless, Heightened Awareness, Obscuring Mist, Produce Flame
Orisons - Create Water, Dancing Lights, Guidance, Stabilize
Wandering Spirit - Waves
Spirit Ability - Wave Strike (Su): As a standard action, the shaman can perform a melee touch attack that drenches a creature and pushes it away. The opponent takes 1d6 points of nonlethal damage + 1 point for every 2 shaman levels they possess and is pushed 5 feet directly away from the shaman. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. A shaman can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Charisma modifier. At 11th level, any melee weapon she wields is treated as if it had the quenching weapon special ability.
Spirit Magic
1st - Charm Animal (N) or Hydraulic Push (Wa)
2nd - Barkskin (N) or Slipstream (Wa)
3rd - Speak with Plants (N) or Water Breathing (Wa)
CG Female Human (Azlanti) Witch (cartomancer)/VMC Cleric of Desna 5/Evangelist 2
stats:
hp 46/46 | AC 17; touch 17; flat-foot 12 | Fort +5; Ref +7; Will +9 | Init +5 | Perception +9
Zee shrieks in alarm, pointing at them. She then positions herself under them, casting a spell. She casts her entire Harrow deck at them, and the cards burst into flames, creating a fiery cone, immolating them. The cards then reappear in her outstretched hand.
Casting burning hands. It's a 15-foot cone, but in this case, I'm casting it straight up, and the bugs are at the apex. Can I say that, on the ceiling, this is the effect of a 15-foot diameter circle? If so, how many bugs can I catch in the effect?
Fire damage:5d4 ⇒ (3, 1, 3, 4, 2) = 13 Ref save DC 14 half
Casting burning hands. It's a 15-foot cone, but in this case, I'm casting it straight up, and the bugs are at the apex. Can I say that, on the ceiling, this is the effect of a 15-foot diameter circle? If so, how many bugs can I catch in the effect?
Hmmm... let's say that Ziomarra would definitely be aiming for more than one - and she gets, by waiting until the optimal moment: 1d3 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2 bugs.
The flames from Ziomarra's cards billow out across the rock ceiling... but the huge insects are fast, and move away from the worst of the inferno...
Giant Albino Solifugid 1, Reflex Save vs Burning Hands: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20, saved
Giant Albino Solifugid 2, Reflex Save vs Burning Hands: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15, saved
"Why is it always bugs! Why not fluffy puppies and kittens! I know how to handle those," Joanna mutters as she takes a moment to overcome her initial shock at the size of the beasties' mandibles.
Halli whines as they come, not too keen on getting too close. Those things look like they'd hurt.
Female Human (Shoanti) Geokineticist 7 | AC 22, T 16, FF 18 | DR 6/adamantine| Fortification 15% | hp 80/80 (21 nonlethal) | Fort +13, Ref +11, Will +5 | CMD 21 | Initiative +6 | Perception +13 | Burn 3/9 | 3 Hero Points
Sorry. Timezones.
"Joanna, there is nothing wrong with bugs," Shadlah grins, spreading her feet against the earth and drawing on its power, before launching a barrage of earthen shards at one of the injured insects.
Move action to gather power, standard action to hit 1 or 2 with an empowered earth blast. Empowered earth blast:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25Includes point-blank shot, deadly aim, elemental overflow damage:3d6 + 12 ⇒ (3, 2, 1) + 12 = 18x1.5 = 27 points of damage.
male Human Investigator [empirist] (VMC Magus) 7 | HP: 52/52 | AC: 18/13/16 | F +4, R +8, W +7 (+9 v Illusion) | Init +2 | Perception +17 (+20 v traps)
just a friendly reminder: with my reach weapon I threaten the ceiling in here... not the whole thing, obviously, but like a 5-10' radius around me (depending on how you draw your 3D threatening ranges). I have 3 AoOs each round, please let me know if/when I can use them...
Shadlah's blast crashes into one of the scorched insects, cracking carapace and sending splatters of yellow gunk over a wide area below it, but it doesn't kill it...
...and then, propelling themselves from the ceiling, the insects pounce. Dropping on to the friends with mandibles clicking and hooked legs slashing, the insects - surely the apex predators within these caverns - attack. Ziomarra gets the worst of it, one of the insects that she attempted to immolate sinking two claws into her flesh and then, pulling hard at her, rending... the ferocity of the attack leaves her at the very edge of unconsciousness.
A disabled character may take a single move action or standard action each round (but not both, nor can she take full-round actions, but she can still take swift, immediate, and free actions). She moves at half speed. Taking move actions doesn't risk further injury, but performing any standard action (or any other action the GM deems strenuous, including some free actions such as casting a Quicken Spell spell) deals 1 point of damage after the completion of the act. Unless the action increased the disabled character's hit points, she is now in negative hit points and dying.
Giant Albino Soligufid 3, Pounce vs Teldon
Teldon - you may make an AoO vs the Soligufid (AC15). Giant Albino Soligufid 3, Bite vs Teldon (Pounce): 1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 7 + 2 = 17, missing Giant Albino Soligufid 3, Claw vs Teldon (Pounce): 1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 7 + 2 = 19, hitting for 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4 Giant Albino Soligufid 3, Claw vs Teldon (Pounce): 1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 7 + 2 = 17, missing
male Human Investigator [empirist] (VMC Magus) 7 | HP: 52/52 | AC: 18/13/16 | F +4, R +8, W +7 (+9 v Illusion) | Init +2 | Perception +17 (+20 v traps)
"These things are tough." Teldon calls out when Shadlah's blast fails to kill one, "Instead of just attacking the one fighting you, everyone focus on killing them one at a time- they'll do us less harm overall that way!" Then, heeding his own advice, he takes a step towards Shadlah while charging his spear with arcane power and, studying the stark white insect fighting her, he stabs at it...
As the bug drops down onto Teldon he manages to cut into its carapace... slowing its descent a little and buying himself time enough to avoid the worst of its attacks... and then to focus upon the badly damaged soligufid attacking Shadlah. And, even though Teldon misses, the insect doesn't last much longer - Shadlah's blast crushing the insect into so much goo...
GM Only:
Giant Albino Solifugid 2 = 31/45
Soligufid 1 is dead - three remain.
Waiting on actions from Joanna, Arsith and Briana.
"Zee, hold on!" Briana cries. Trusting that the others will handle the bugs for a moment she steps towards her friend, willing her wounds to close.
Healing Hex (Zee):2d8 + 5 ⇒ (2, 4) + 5 = 11
Spells & Powers:
3rd - Dispel Magic, Magic Circle against Evil
2nd - Cure Moderate Wounds, Lesser Restoration, Spiritual Weapon
1st - Bless, Heightened Awareness, Obscuring Mist, Produce Flame
Orisons - Create Water, Dancing Lights, Guidance, Stabilize
Wandering Spirit - Waves
Spirit Ability - Wave Strike (Su): As a standard action, the shaman can perform a melee touch attack that drenches a creature and pushes it away. The opponent takes 1d6 points of nonlethal damage + 1 point for every 2 shaman levels they possess and is pushed 5 feet directly away from the shaman. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. A shaman can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Charisma modifier. At 11th level, any melee weapon she wields is treated as if it had the quenching weapon special ability.
Spirit Magic
1st - Charm Animal (N) or Hydraulic Push (Wa)
2nd - Barkskin (N) or Slipstream (Wa)
3rd - Speak with Plants (N) or Water Breathing (Wa)
Oooopsie... I misinterpreted Teldon's Combat Reflexes as not being flat-footed when the Soligufids attacked... he got away with me missing two attacks and a rend!!! Lucky!!!
Between them, Joanna - with some help for Halli - and Arsith crush vicious dents into the insect's torso... for a second, it looks like it is down. But, with bent legs and seeping wounds, it somehow continues its attack... as the floor around the group starts to teem with small insects scuttling from various nooks and crannies. Teldon and Joanna, helping their companions, pay the price for ignoring their attackers... each taking a flurry of blows to the back as the insects clamber against them...
Joanna grits her teeth against the pain for a moment before letting out a roar of fury. She wasn't going to let this thing attack Zee again and she could patch herself up later if she had to wait.
"Kill it Halli!"
Attack Joanna vs. the one that attacked Zee:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18 Damage:1d8 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
Halli, however, has other ideas and turns on the one attacking Joanna with a snarl.
Attack Halli vs. the one that attacked Joanna:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8
male Human Investigator [empirist] (VMC Magus) 7 | HP: 52/52 | AC: 18/13/16 | F +4, R +8, W +7 (+9 v Illusion) | Init +2 | Perception +17 (+20 v traps)
Teldon grunts and grimaces as the spider following him tears into him twice more, but he remains committed to his plan. Assuming Jo and Zee finished off the second one, he steps over to flank the next bug with Halli. Then, after quickly studying the new enemy, he thrusts his longspear at it...
studied attack (arcane pool/flank):1d20 + 6 + 2 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 6 + 2 + 1 + 2 = 18 for:1d8 + 4 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 4 + 2 + 1 = 8
Joanna quickly deals with the stricken bug attacking Ziomarra - her sword impaling the insect before it can attack again - allowing the rest of the friends to focus on the beast assailing Joanna from the rear... Teldon, Ziomarra with a flung card and Arsith all slow the creature in its onslaught... but they can't end it...
GM Only:
Giant Albino Solifugid 4 = 20/45
...and still the insects attack. Clambering over Teldon's back, one of the large creatures attempts to sink its teeth into his neck... but Teldon shrugs the attack off with ease. Joanna, focussing on pulling her sword free from the twitching insect corpse, is caught off guard - and is struck several times.
"Hold still Teldon, I'll get it!" Briana calls as she takes aim with a second orb of fire that appears in her hand. She brings her arm back and attempts to throw it...
Bleeding from several painful wounds, Joanna turns on her attacker with a vengeance, taking a moment to use her goddess' blessings to keep her in the fight just a little longer.
male Human Investigator [empirist] (VMC Magus) 7 | HP: 52/52 | AC: 18/13/16 | F +4, R +8, W +7 (+9 v Illusion) | Init +2 | Perception +17 (+20 v traps)
Teldon shifts to be flanking the injured insect with Arsith then stabs at it twice- once to do injury and once to create an opening for the priestess...
studied combat (arcane pool/flank):1d20 + 6 + 2 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 6 + 2 + 1 + 2 = 20, for:1d8 + 4 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 4 + 2 + 1 = 11 aid other:1d20 + 6 + 2 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 6 + 2 + 1 + 2 = 14 Arsith gets +2 to her attack roll
With only two of the grotesquely bleached insects still standing, the friends modify their tactics and simply aim to end this fight as quickly as possible... Teldon and Joanna both landing telling blows upon their attackers...
GM, you can have Shadlah continue to just blast things rather than skip her. I really don't mind. :P
If I was only running a couple of games then I'd be fine doing that when needed but with seven active GM'd games right now, I sometimes have quite a limited capacity to GMPC folks - obviously I do it when the odds are heavily stacked against the group (which they definitely aren't in this fight) but otherwise I will tend to prioritise on getting a daily post in each of my games...
With a final flurry from Shadlah and from Arsith, the latter with steel and the former with a devastating avalanche of stone, the large insects lie dead and scattered around... and then, glinting in the light of Ziomarra's lights, the swarming insects that crunch underfoot - perhaps now sensing that there will be no food here - quickly disappear into the nooks and crannies of the cavern...
Combat Over
Actions? More examination here or heading towards one of the exits (south-east, south and western directions).
"Is everyone okay?" Briana asks as she clenches her hand, snuffing out the fire that rested there. "Hopefully that's the last of the 'grabbers' the troglodytes were talking about."
Noting that Joanna took a beating just now she reaches out and places a gentle hand on the warrior's shoulder, willing the wounds to close.
Healing Hex (Joanna):2d8 + 5 ⇒ (8, 6) + 5 = 19
"I think we'd already managed to see what there is to see here before the bugs showed up, so we should probably get moving again." Briana thinks for a moment, trying to remember roughly which direction the Lady's Light would lie from their current position.
Survival:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20
Spells & Powers:
3rd - Dispel Magic, Magic Circle against Evil
2nd - Cure Moderate Wounds, Lesser Restoration, Spiritual Weapon
1st - Bless, Heightened Awareness, Obscuring Mist, Produce Flame
Orisons - Create Water, Dancing Lights, Guidance, Stabilize
Wandering Spirit - Waves
Spirit Ability - Wave Strike (Su): As a standard action, the shaman can perform a melee touch attack that drenches a creature and pushes it away. The opponent takes 1d6 points of nonlethal damage + 1 point for every 2 shaman levels they possess and is pushed 5 feet directly away from the shaman. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. A shaman can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Charisma modifier. At 11th level, any melee weapon she wields is treated as if it had the quenching weapon special ability.
Spirit Magic
1st - Charm Animal (N) or Hydraulic Push (Wa)
2nd - Barkskin (N) or Slipstream (Wa)
3rd - Speak with Plants (N) or Water Breathing (Wa)
Although the tunnels that led to this chamber were somewhat roughly hewn, they were at least relatively straight and the friends are fairly confident which way is north... it is therefore a simple deduction that the western passage - opposite to the direction in which they arrived here - is the most likely direction of the Lady's Light.
"Okay, right - we want to keep heading west to reach the Lady's Light," Briana announces. "As to where the other tunnels might go, I'm not sure," she shrugs. "We could check them out to make sure there won't be more nasty surprises at our backs, but it might be better to make sure we can actually get inside the Lady's Light first."
"Thank you, Briana, and you too Halli," Joanna says as her wounds close, leaving just the welts. She scratches the wolf under her chin before turning to look down the westerly passage.
Following the tunnel westwards, the group increasingly have to clamber across rock collapses and skirt around crevasses... they deduce that they are still below the lagoon when they encounter a small pool fed by several narrow, submerged passages filling part of an alcove. The salt water is crystal clear and a half‐dozen blind fish meander through its depths.
Eventually, after a mile or so, the rough cave walls give way to a chamber of worked stone, with walls made of blue-veined white marble. The ceiling is supported by columns masterfully sculpted to depict voluptuous warrior women wielding two-headed guisarmes, with each column unique and strikingly detailed. At the centre of the room, a ten-foot-square shaft leads down into the darkness below.
male Human Investigator [empirist] (VMC Magus) 7 | HP: 52/52 | AC: 18/13/16 | F +4, R +8, W +7 (+9 v Illusion) | Init +2 | Perception +17 (+20 v traps)
I wonder if all of these columns are load-bearing... there's a small fortune to be made if all these statues could be brought to market...
"About ten-thousand years," Teldon answers, "from the late Thassilonian period. I have to assume these were elite soldiers of the Runelord of Lust... either real ones or representations. Zee, perhaps you could check for magic, to make sure none of these are animated? I'll check for constructs but everyone should be on their guard- if I discover any they'll likely attack quickly..."
