Carran hops out just after Luke, though he seems more nimble in his approach as he leaps out the car about 5 feet further than Luke and readies his bow.
"Wheeeeee!" Figwidget says as they're going down. After the cord snaps and the cart slows down, he says, "Nothing to worry about, the braking mechanism is functioning as intended. We're safe. It will make getting back up a bit harder, but, whatever, that's the future."
He will climb out of the car and look around. Assuming it's (still) dark, he'll get out his Ioun Torch and set it to orbiting around his head.
The chittering noise is soon accompanied by the sound of falling rocks and something hard scarping against stone…standing poised, you wait for whatever is coming…and then, with a bellowing noise, two huge beetles (each more than twenty foot in length) emerge from the side passage trying to push past each other and towards the waiting party…
Nike charges the closest beetle.
Tychi then sends his whip sword into the beetle.
Whilst Nike and Tychi hold up the first Beetle, the second one moves to engage Major Luke Rand...it's horns spearing the unprepared Major.
Following the first two beetles, a second pair emerge from the side passage...rocks falling as they rush forwards...eager to feed....
Carran takes a 5-foot step back and shoots either at the beetle fighting Luke (nr 2) or at the beetle that's coming up behind it (nr 4).
"Careful Luke, we need to kill them not the other way around."
"For Alkenstar!" Shouts the major as he moves into the fray. Weaving through the enemies, he will move next to both of the front ones, dodging as he goes, before finally striking one.
"These things are HUGE," Figwidget exclaims. "Look out! They'll try to trample you and finish you off with horns!"
As he's saying this, he's running forward and pulling out a bomb. He throws the bomb at the closest beetle. Unfortunately, his throw is off, a little long and to the right. He doesn't hit the beetle directly, although it is caught in the explosion of his bomb.
Move updated on map.
Throw a bomb at beetle #2. He'll throw it at the corner closest to him, so the splash damage won't even hit Major Luke Rand. , .
If he misses, the splash damage will certainly affect the beetle... and depending on where it goes, it might affect Major Luke Rand as well. Splash damage is now 13hp, with a DC 22 reflex save for half damage.
...aaaaand, he did miss, that was a nat 1.
That means far and to the right, from Figwidget's point of view (down and right on the map). So, only the beetle is subject to the splash damage.
Blow after blow lands on the carapace of the first Beetle, the wild Tengu killing the over-sized bug whilst barely breaking a sweat…
Carran looses a flurry of arrows, two of which break through the shell of the second beetle. Cautiously moving into a better position, Major Luke Rand lands another blow and, as the creature stands vulnerable, Figwidget slips at the last moment and splashes his bomb against the wall of the tunnel…debris smashes into the side of the beetle but it is not enough to fell the creature.
The heavily wounded beetle attempts to skewer Major Luke Rand on its horns for a second time but this time it's prey evades it…
Clambering over the corpse of the first beetle, the beetle following moves to trample the smaller creatures in front of it…
The fourth beetle to attack struggles to land a blow on Major Luke Rand as the huge creatures start to get in each other's way.
Scuttling behind the latest enemies to join the fray, a further two beetles emerge from the tunnel….
Nike 5ft adjusts, making it harder for any other beetles to overrun her. Then she rears up and hits the beetle with both hooves before driving her horn into it.
Tychi then releases a full flurry with his whip sword, slicing into the beetle.
Figwidget throws a bomb into the cluster of giant beetles near Major Luke Rand.
Throwing at the NE corner of #2. This will catch both #3 and #4 in the splash damage. But, it's more than 20ft away, so I have to take a range penalty. It's exactly 30ft away, so I still get to use Point-Blank Shot.
Edit: Oops, the range penalty should have been -2, not -4, so add 2 to this attack roll.
Splash damage is 13hp, halved with a DC22 Ref save.
Luke will flurry into #2, hitting him until it drops, then if it does take a 5' step adj. to both 3 and 4.
As the enormous insect tramples on Tychi, his mount and the Major, it is subjected to a number of blows to it's softer underbelly...this, followed by a flurry of attacks from the Tengu and the Unicorn are enough to topple the beast. It crashes down on top of the corpse of the first beetle to have died; the tunnel starting to become clogged with dead beasts...
The next two creatures fall to the combined attack from Figwidget, his thrown bomb far more accurate at the second time of asking, and Carran...
With his companions dealing with the bugs at the front of the tunnel, Major Luke Rand vaults over the dying beetles and, shield held aloft, moves to hold up the final beetles who have appeared from around a corner… Yet his shield is not enough to prevent the horns of the large beasts slicing through armour and leaving him perilously close to unconsciousness…
Thundering forwards one of the remaining Beetles looks to trample all in it’s path…
Whilst the other beetle attempts, and narrowly fails, to skewer the staggering Major…
Assuming he can still stay at least 10-15 feet away, Figwidget will run forward to close with the beasts, and throw another bomb. He'll target Beetle 5, but try to throw at a square of it so as not to catch any of his friends in the splash damage, but if possible to catch the other beetle in the damage.
"Those beetles don't know when to quit." Carran says as he loads another volley onto his bow, targeting beetle nr 6.
Reeling from the force of the Beetle’s attacks, Major Luke Rand still has the presence of mind to strike out at the Beetle that has ignored him, moving off to find softer prey…this side swipe is the least of the beetle’s troubles though as, arcing through the air, Figwidget lobs another explosive flask…the smell of burning sulphur and chitin fill the tunnel…
Seeing that the closest of the beetles is well covered by Figwidget and by Tychi, Carran lets a volley of arrows fly against the farthest of the beetles…
Luke will hit the beetle nearest him until it stops moving, then move towards the other one..
Luke's shield smashes into the beetle again and again, mashing it's head into a grotesque pulp...it slumps to the floor stone dead.
Nike swift action Lay On Hands on herself.
Tychi then releases a full flurry with his whip sword, slicing into the latest beetle.
With a final flurry of steel, the last beetle crashes to the floor...green tinged blood seeping through a multitude of cracks within it's carapace. Thankfully, it appears that the nest that you had somehow disturbed is now empty...a cursory check along the corridor that they emerged from confirms as much. It would seem that you have time to check wounds and, where necessary, allow for healing.
With no further threats emerging, you clamber back into the cart and, releasing the brake mechanism, glide down the rails for a further half a mile or so...Tychi and Nike keeping pace easily...
The noise of machinery grows in volume as you approach the end of the tunnel...a sturdy wooden barricade built across the rails...stopping, hopping out and peering through the wooden planks, you can see into a dimly lit cavern - the rails past the barricade continuing north west into the gloom (from where the sound of machinery appears to originate) whilst a small opening in the cave heads to the south.
It is from this southward opening that you hear the first signs of activity...the sound of something heavy crashing to the floor followed by several gruff voices laughing uproariously at a whimpering voice begging for mercy...
Nike chivvies everyone into a circle (using horn, or even bites if they argue), and then a pulse of blue-white energy explodes out of her body.
Then she touches her horn to Tychi.
Tychi then remounts, and spends a Ki pool point to grant Nike 26 temporary HP.
Figwidget looks meaningfully at the others and holds his fingers over his lips. He then looks down the hallway, head cocked to one side listening, trying to determine if he can ascertain any details about the creatures making the noise the party is hearing from the noises they're making. He won't spend to look at this before looking at Caran and making a show of walking on his tiptoes, attempting to suggest a course of action....
Carran nods silently as he sees the motion of Figwidget. He shoulders his bow and crouches down before he moves down silently towards the source of the sounds.
When he comes to a point that gives him more vision of the surroundings he'll take a good look before returning to the others.
Nike notices that Rand is severely wounded again and not telling anyone. As they move forward, she surrupticiously pins him against the wall of the cave.
"Stupid human..." She mutters, and taps her horn not very gently on the top of his head. *whack* *whack* *whack* "Next time, you can die from being stupid and not asking for help..." She gives a last warning.
Once everyone is healed up, Tychi will step up to the wall, and leap to the top, holding a rope he takes from his pack, for others to climb over it.
Through a combination of clambering over and judicious dismantling of the barricade, everyone is able to pass into the cavern proper. Without the barricade obscuring your vision, you are able to see a little further...the dim light within the mine illuminating possible routes to the north, the south and the west.
More pressingly, the noises in the cave to the south seem to be becoming increasingly violent...stealthily approaching the passage to the south, you are able to see at least two ogres crowding around a small figure staggering around...the more this figure trips over and falls, the more the ogres laugh...
Whilst moving forwards, Nike accidentally dislodges a rock which crashes to the floor...the two ogres immediately turn and look in your direction...one of them grunts to the other and hefting a large club in his hands, moves along the passageway, intent on discovering the cause of the rockfall...
Tychi would have remounted once the barricade was bypassed.
As soon as Nike hits the rock, she shakes her head, and then releases a piercing challenge at the ogre coming toward them. Tychi's weapon is out, and the two charge the lead ogre.
Tychi brings the whip-sword down on the ogre as well.
Nike's horn takes the ogre in the throat, ripping the beasts neck open and sending a spray of black blood that paints the stone walls wet and dark.
As Nike's horn and Tychi's whip sword cut and slash at the Ogre, a vile acid spray accompanies the blood...acid pustules across the ogre's body burst as it is wounded...
With blood pooling on the floor before it, the ogre starts to laugh manically and, abandoning any attempt at subtlety, whirls it's club at it's foe....
Carran takes aim at the second ogre as he sees the filth spewing forth from the first ogre when Tychi and Nike engaged it in combat.
He then takes a 5-foot step to the western side.
"Tychi! Nike! Step back before I take my next shots!"
The farthest of the ogres grunts and pulls something from it's belt, tossing it forwards, it arcs and fizzes before bouncing off Nike's flank and coming to rest against a wall of rock...where it continues to fizz...
Figwidget says, "That thing's gonna blow sometime in the next 15 seconds... I recommend staying away from it!"
Figwidget moves to where he'll have a clearer shot at one of the ogres, and tosses a bomb over Tychi and Nike.
"See, you big ugly brutes? That's how you make a real explosive!" he taunts.
Carran’s flurry of arrows whistle through the tunnel, several clattering off of the wall, but his first arrow finds it’s mark…a howl of pain ringing out from the Ogre…
Figwidget’s bomb smashes against the chest of the Ogre, it’s defences lowered as it pummels Tychi…the detonation is ferocious…flinging the Ogre backwards down the tunnel where it lands prone, and lifeless…
The major moves into the gap left by the dead ogre, climbing over it's body before doing a leap attack off it on the other ogre.
As Major Luke Rand moves into attack, the Ogre wildly swings his club at him, missing the airborne brawler…
The Major clatters his shield against the head of the Ogre and lands poised for combat…looking up at the Ogre, he realises that two of Carran’s arrows found their mark; one embedded in either shoulder…