Toki taunts the water bug, Come on, bug! I'm going to crack you open and look in your head!
Dur once again lines up his longbow, aiming for the vitals to ensure a critical strike (advantage+disadvantage)
Beordt dips low and the slashes high bringing his new scimitar up in a upper slash. When the blow hits and lifts the creature slightly he leans in letting go of the sword with one hand to inflict some pain with his weight an leverage.
Springing to attack. Dacknar slides his sword between the plates of the creatures armor finding a soft spot on the creature.
And then stabs again with his dagger. But his dagger did not sink deep enough to strike a vital organ.
"It's like fighting plate armored foes. Look for the kinks in the armor plate than strike. He calls out.
"Fire cares not for scale!"
Seeing the area around the beast becoming more crowded Lily moves back to give them room, and prepare for healing... or ranged attacks.
A loud *clang* echos through the cavern as Dur's arrow bounces off Beordt's raised scimitar. The wide blade provides the perfect surface for the little ratfolk as he uses it to deflect his arrow into a weak point of the scorpions outer shell. The blow also seems to have the added affect of adjusting the barbarians initial strike and instead of glancing off the shell, it lands with a carapace cracking crunch which is followed up by cracking shell sounds as Beordt sinks his teeth into the creature.
Dacknar wades into the deeper water as well. The agile elf slips in under the scorpions waving claws to jam his twin blades into the fleshy parts of the main body. On the opposite side Rilkus slams his hammer into the scorpion. Bits of shell and scorpion meat burst forth, showering the gearforged, Toki, and Beordt in the sticky stuff.
Lilly retreats from the immediate fray, waiting to see if anyone might need aide. At the same time N'Dateh throws more fire upon the water beast, but this time the flame strikes a mostly submerged bit of leg and fizzles out causing little harm.
Accosted on multiple fronts, the hungry beast simply doubles down on those in front of it. A big claw swipes at Toki, but the bard easily dodges the blow. A second claw reaches out and grabs onto Beordt. The rows of hard shell hooks on the claws inner surface tear at the ursine's flesh as it holds him tight.
Giant Water Scorp: 52/93 HP
With a *click* that showed his displeasure for the beast still being alive, Rilkus slammed his hammer down upon it again. It caused much less damage the second time around, as it did not hit the carapace at the exact right angle like before.
Dur tries once again to trick shot an arrow at this menace, not feeling like he'd be able to help out his bearfolk friend except by killing this thing faster
Dacknar stabs at the over sized prawn. His sword and dagger moving like a dance in the air.
He tries to remember what type of creature this is.
Swing, swing, swing, you won't catch me! Toki continues...
Beordt responds to being grabbed by the creature.
N'Dtahe concentrates to get a stronger flame under control, but when the bigger flame springs, it's big enough that it surprises her and her aim is off.
Lil calls forth more holy damage from the ether, and attempts to damage the creature.
Sacred Flame DC12 DEX to negate
Radiant Damage
With an angry roar, Beordt breaks free of the scorpion's grip before it can bring its poisonous stinger down upon his grappled form. As the ursine staggers back and regroups from his escape, Dacknar and Rilkus continue to pummel the beast from the sides. Dur clang's another arrow, this time off of Rilkus' iron frame and another feathered shaft sinks deep into a fleshy opening created by the the gearforged's hammer.
D'Nateh conjures a larger ball of flame, but her aim is off as she slips on the submerged rocks just as she releases the spell and it fizzles harmlessly in the water behind the beast.
Toki's enchanted insults wash across the scorpion and cause it to become even more agitated, wild, and aggressive. While Lilly's holy flame scorches a small spot in the scorpions outer shell, the creature shifts left, then right, then left again and lashes out at the vocal bard. Although it's mind is muddled, the rage fuels its hunger and instincts and the big claw rips into Toki and capturing the bard in its hooked grasp.
A second blow simply bounces and slips away from Rilkus' hard iron frame.
Water Scoprion: 34/93
Ooof, me and my big mouth! the Northman laughs, positive that a rib might be broken...
Squirming and struggling, Toki curses, By Heimdall's Horned Helm! Beordt, finish this bloody thing already!
Beordt shakes himself roars in fury and barrels down on the creature.
Rilkus felt the claws scratch against him and realized that he wasn't in any real danger. Against flesh and blood such pincers would be deadly enough, but they weren't going to get through his steel plating. As such he took the time to study the beast and to find where it was weakest. Slowly and deliberately he raised his hammer, and...
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With the creature thrashing left and right. Dacknar times his strikes, but just as he plunges the blades into the creatures unprotected flesh. The creature spins away, not allowing the blades to bite deep enough to cause any real damage.
Isn't this thing done yet? We've beat the hell out of it!"
"I think we need some type of melted butter to finish it off."
Dacknar calls back to Dur.
"For some reason, I fear my flame might not even melt butter! Now let me try this..." replies N'Dateh as she tries a different type of movement to flick a ball of flame at the scorpiobster.
"That's just worse..."
The big stinger flashes over Toki's head as the creature readies itself to inject the bard with a massive dose of poison. Unable to slip free, the bard can only look on in horror as the foot and a half long spiny needle looms closer and closer.
A bear like roar echoes in the cavern and the scorpion staggers as Beordt rejoins the fray. The bearfolk barbarian crushes a leg beneath with its jaws and slices another with his oversized scimitar.
There's a brief pause and then the sound of metal crushing shell. Cracks radiate out from the center of the iron man's blow all along the creatures carapace. It's like the entire exoskeleton just suffered a massive structural collapse. Huge chunks of shell break free and leave the scorpion's innards exposed. All the beast can do is shudder with oncoming death. Dur and Dacknar combine to finish the beast off as the rat folk bounces another arrow right into the remnants of the scorpions small brain.
Finally it collapses with a soft splash into the water as its remaining legs no longer receive adequate commands to keep the body upright. Toki, still caught, tumbles into the water under the weight of the dead creature.
Beordt roars still in his furry grabs toward the claw and rips it open.
Toki wriggles free of the claw, holding his ribs, I don't feel so good...
"Be reforged." Rilkus intoned in his metallic voice, as he put a hand on Toki. His steel hand seemed to glow with a golden light from within as the bard's wound knitted and healed.
Blessed by the magic of the dvergr! Many thanks, Rilkus! Toki stands quickly, bending at the waist and turning. It's a little tender, but much better!
Inside Rilkus beamed a smile. Sadly, all that meant was the expressionless helm that was his face stared impassively at the bard.
Toki smiles at Rilkus, regardless of the blank stare, hoping that the stone(?) dwarf was in a good mood.
Shall we move on?
"On our way out we could salvage some of this meat for dinner tonight?"
Dacknar says, as he pokes at the dead shellfish with his sword.
Only if someone knows how to clean this thing... I swear that stinger's probably got some venom, and I do not relish consuming that. Maybe the meat in the claws could be tasty, but without knowledge of the creature, I am not confident in my ability to do so... Toki lends what wisdom he can, Perhaps our amphibious companion has knowledge of these creatures?
Qwerbrac slowly crawls down from the perch on the wall where he leaped to when the scorpion appeared. He shakes his head toward the nearly submerged creature.
"Qwerbrac never seen one that big before. Bobogluup sometimes catch smaller ones in nets." He sticks his tongue out and shakes his head in a universal sign of disgust. "Very bitter, overly salty taste and if not properly harvested can cause very bad issues." His hands go to his stomach indicating just what kind of issues he means. Of course, all of this is from a creature who everyone has seen snatch larger moths and other insects out of the air as he's made the trek back north.
Noticing a slight rise in the water level, Qwerbrac finally hurries everyone along to avoid getting caught by a rising tide. After another few hundred paces you find yourselves staring up toward a winding spiral path that extends several hundred feet up through the center of the rock outcrop. Water continues to drip steadily from high above and even along the path.
Qwerbrac points up. "Leads up to cellars and holding pits. A long climb. Be careful, it can be slippery."
His ribs obviously still bothering, the young skald slips often and has to take stops to catch his breath more than you'd expect...
N'Dateh makes a poor show of climbing. She tries, but she is hopeless on the rocks...
Beordt climbs steadily occasionally helping others if needed.
Rilkus quietly ascended and then reached a hand down to help the others up.
Being used to climbing the rigging of ships. Dacknar shimmies up the path.
Somewhat unsurprisingly, the rat is good at climbing walls, and often does his best to help others up.
Athletics (STR)
Lil is able to keep her footing by carefully watching where others stepped and held on. Her height and strength paid off in the arduous climb.
It takes time, sweat, struggle and some solid teamwork, but finally you reach the end of the slippery, winding, narrow track up the center of the great rock. The path ends at a narrow landing with a large gap in the stone wall that leads to another chamber. The gap appears to have been a natural fissure that's been expanded by others over time.
A dim light flickers beyond the gap, but much more than that can't been seen as the opening is partially blocked by several large crates.
Unfortunately, the voices are cut off by a much louder grumbling shout and the sound a cracking whip.
Toki waits for Dur to go in first, as he is the smallest, and prepares to follow...
Rilkus likewise waited for his turn to enter, knowing that given his bulk it didn't make sense for him to take point.
"Voices ahead and the tell tale sound of a whip."
"Guess I'll go first! I'll screech if I run into trouble!"
I'll be right behind you, friend, Toki puts a reassuring hand on Dur's shoulder.
N'Dateh looks to Qwerbrack and whispers: "Where are we? What do we hear?"