Woa Alexandras new thirsting blade evocation almost makes the blade too thirsty, and she barely stops her pact weapon from flying out of her hand as she strikes the darkmantle who missed her twice. Or tries to anyway.
Maybe I need to monolouge at the enemy? Or maybe at it? She wonders
As the darkamntles attacked their party, Kalanzar reacted with channeling his magic at one of those on the ground. Numbing frost began to form all over the creature.
Hue tried to pry the dark mantle from off his body by shoving the spear upward. He wriggled this way and that but could barely move. He could feel his face going red as panic came without air to accompany it.
Hue struggles mightily against the creature engulfing his head. He stabs and wiggles, and it's not quite enough. Then, suddenly, there's a deep thump from beside him, and the darkmantle suddenly goes limp. Something strong pulls it from Hue, and he looks up to see Whispers, which had leaped over Alex and Precious, to land beside Hue and come to his rescue.
The darkmantle that had failed to land on Alex's head (and had been blasted by her) skitters towards her in an uncanny way, and wraps itself around her legs and feet. She can feel her bones creaking from the terrible pressure and torsion of the creature.
Maddy's foe fails to connect, as do a few of the other darkmantles. The duergar swarm around the darkmantles on their own people, and from the sounds of it, it's not going well for the monstrosities.
When more darkmantles drop from the ceiling, Maddy is dismayed to see one fall on Hue and on Kip. She continued to cut her way forward through the creatures as she tried to free those in trouble.
Her eyes widened slightly when one of the steeders came to Hue's aid but she didn't look a gift spider in the mouth and turned her attention to getting to Kip.
Meanwhile, Kip thrshed around and defended himself as best he could against the unexpected grappler. His tentacles whipped about to rip the threat off its head.
Growling, Precious lifted the now-limp weight from his head, struggling for a moment as the tarp-like webbing between the creature's tentacles got stuck to the tines of his antlers. He managed to dislodge the dead beast after a few more curses and took stock of the situation. A number of these whatever-the-hells-they-were had dropped on the caravan, apparently at random, and several groups of people were fighting them off.
He saw Maddy and her new creepy little friend fight nearby and decided to steer well clear of that particular battle. Maddy could get ferocious and was the least likely of them all to need help in a scuffle... and he didn't quite trust her carrion-devouring pet to be able to tell friend from foe.
Seeing Alex whack at one of the creatures with her conjured blade, Precious rushed the creature from behind, clobbering it with his blessed staff while the mystic cut at it from the other side.
Dark Goddesses, protect us and lead us through the Darkness to the Stars. The druid utters these words in a half-whisper, and the stars on his body, made with the thinnest scarring, begin to glow with white starlight again. But some burn brighter than others and the most experienced travelers from the surface could identify the Archer constellation on this unusual star map.
Kalanzar makes a gesture with his hands and sends two arrows of this starlight to the one of the darkmantles. The first arrow, shining brighter, explodes with a flash of light, which, however, is soft enough not to burn the eyes of even underground inhabitants. The second arrow, not so bright but also bringing death to the enemy, flies after the first one...
Alex falls prone and takes a fair bit of damage
Ouch, by Malcantets padded breasts
She snarls as she stand up (move action) and slashes at the creature with her blade
If Hue and or Kalanzar take out the darkmantle attacking her
Maddy cut through a darkmantle that was unsuccessfully attacking one of the duergar, and got through to Kip. The carrion crawler was lashing out at its attacker with tentacles, and biting it from the inside.
Kalanzar's first bolt blew a hole right through one of the darkmantles, freeing the duergar it had wrapped itself around. His second bolt helped with another darkmantle on one of the steeder handlers.
Alexandra was rolling around, trying to get up, stabbing at her attacker. Precious leapt to her aide, and between the two of them, they kill the darkmantle.
A few more seconds, and it's all over. The duergar guards and merchants alike, dispatch the last few darkmantles, and soon everybody is panting in Dawn's bright glow, waiting to see if the ceiling would continue to attack.
It did not.
Ouch Alex is limbering and stretching a bit.
Friends, you think you could make cloaks out of them? The hides are pretty tough for sure, and they already come nearly cloak shaped?
Alex seems to be rather business oriented.
As soon as the sounds of battle ceased, Maddy was at Kip's side looking for any injuries. Finding none, she gave him an affectionate pat and said quietly with a chuckle, "I guess your dinner is served."
To the group at large she asked, "Is everyone ok? Did we lose anyone?"
Hue threw his arms around Whisper's front leg.
"Whispers! You were amazing! Who's a pretty steeder? You're a pretty steeder."
As the giant pack-spider moved it's leg it easily lifted the 'shroomer off the ground but didn't disturb his adoration.
Kalanzar shrugs his shoulders. We were lucky.
He looks at Maddy strangely, as if remembering something, and then his face clears. But he doesn't say anything about his conclusions.
Instead, he walks up to Kip, casts a simple spell, and tries to talk to it.
Who are you? From where? Where did your previous master go?
To the group at large she asked, "Is everyone ok? Did we lose anyone?"
”Well enough,” Precious answered, giving a dead darkmantle a kick.
”Nasty buggers... ye wanna wear what tried to eat ye, Alex? Guess we could try an’ skin ‘em. An’ we could scrape ‘em on the go. Soakin’ an’ stretchin’ would be a bit o’ a stretch on the move. An’ no chance to cure or tan ‘em. Still, might we worth a few coins on our next stop?”
But that could wait, as there were wounds aplenty among them. The ranger muttered quick invocations to conjure up handfuls of berries and distributed them among those in need, hesitating to offer them to Maddy’s strange new friend but managed to steel his resolve.
”Maddy, ye wanna make sure yet ride won’t take off me hand ‘long with them berries, aye?”
I sure do, thats one way to show them who is on top of the food chain. Without actually eating them. They dont look very jummy, but I may be wrong!
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The injured duergar took the goodberries with a combination of suspicion and gratitude. At Alexandra's prodding, they gathered up a few of the darkmantle carcasses and strapped them onto the steeders for transport. Kip made good use of two other corpses, using its tentacles and mouth to eat/absorb them.
Whispers didn't seem to mind the halfling wrapped around its leg, but its handler made Hue unwrap himself before they headed out. "Never seen anything like it," one of the other handlers muttered to himself, before awkwardly patting his steeder on the head.
Kip moved its many-eyed head around at Kalanzar, as if trying to see the drow with all eyes at once. Its language was a combination of tentacle motions and moist burblings. "Be Kip now. From tunnels, many many meals of travel away and down. Far down. Rider got off, making mouth noises to nobody, walked into black waters. Alone until new rider." It swings around to gaze towards Maddy.
After wounds are bandaged up and the animals are fed, you continue on your way. The rest of the journey passes quietly (if you don't count the eerie sounds echoing wetly off the large cavern).
Travel continues this way for several more days. At one point the steeders find a nest of something they found edible, and the handlers let them scurry into a dark crevice to feed. They return a few hours later, visibly fatter and somewhat sluggish. Kip then squeezes in to finish up the remains.
As you travel more-or-less along the northern borders of Darklake, Stool becomes increasingly agitated. He senses that you're getting closer to Neverlight Grove. Finally, a little more than a week into your journey, he starts to pull on Alex's hair (he took to sitting on her shoulder when Maddy was on Kip - the myconid didn't like the experience of riding sideways and upside down on the walls and ceiling). ::Stop! Please, please, let's go this way. Home is this way!:: Stool points to tunnel that leads sharply north at a steep incline, away from the caravan's route. ::It's only a few days away, I can feel it! I want to go home.::
Fashion shall prevail! Lady of the Dark, grant me thy blessing to create beauty from our fallen foes! Alexandra intones softly
By my blade, we shall claim what can be transformed into beauty
And purify it from the remains of its past existence
We shall expand its being to take on new forms and...
Psst Kalanzar, I dont quite know how the prayer continues, but I am honestly amazed I did a pretty good job so far
She whispers to Kalanzar
Maddy grinned at Precious when he asked about Kip taking off his arm, ”I make no promises. But from what I’ve seen, as long as you’re alive then Kip won’t bother you.”
Maddy’s eyes widened and she looked at Kip, ”Your rider walked into the lake? How horrible!” She gave the carrion crawler a comforting pat. ”And you can call me Maddy.”
She got increasingly more comfortable riding on Kip as the journey progressed, although riding upside down still made her dizzy if done too long. She watched with a mixture of horror and fascination as Kip squeezed into what seemed like an impossibly small crevice to eat the remnants of what the steeders had found. Part of her was relieved that she couldn’t ask Kip what had been for supper.
When Stool practically screamed in their heads about the direction to Neverlight, Maddy reined in Kip to rejoin the others. ::If we follow that path then we leave the duergars. Is everyone okay with that?::
When Stool practically screamed in their heads about the direction to Neverlight, Maddy reined in Kip to rejoin the others. ::If we follow that path then we leave the duergars. Is everyone okay with that?::
::The li’le ’un has had ‘nuff disappointments already. I think it’s time to try an’ see ‘em home.::
Alexandra, She doesn't need formulaic words. Just speak from the heart. Druid pats her on the shoulder. Look for the light of the moon and stars in your heart, even in such a darkest place.
_____
Kalanzar gathers all the members of the original squad together, moving a little away from the duergars. I thought for a second that we were going to have a difficult choice. But then I realized that there was no choice. Stool has done so much for us that we just can't let the kid down. He looks at everyone with a steady gaze. We have to get him home. There are two options. We go by ourselves or we somehow convince the duergars to get out of schedule and come with us. What can we offer them? Any ideas? And the second question. Jimjar, will you come with us or will you go with duergars to your home? I would recommend the latter, but it's up to you.
Hue was talking but not really listening to his own words. He was mostly staring off into the distance, "Of course we're taking Stool home. We all wan' to be home and here's our chance to do i' for Stool. We had a chance to (well, maybe a chance) and we passed i' up. Nows the time to do i' righ'. We promised. The Duergar have been nice and all. We will have to leave their protection sooner or later ..." He seemed to start to listen to what he was saying, "Oh, one second there. The steeders are going with them? Um ... we could ride with them a little longer???"
In agreement, you tell the duergar that you'll be leaving them. Most of them don't seem to care one way or the other, and a few seem relieved. Whisper's handler seems sad to see Hue go, and gives him a package wrapped up in a red cloth. "It's one of his baby-fangs. I thought you might like it. Just don't jab yourself with it, there's still enough venom in it do poison you."
Jimjar chooses to travel with you. "I bet these clowns don't make it to Blindingstone in one piece. You top-siders are lucky. I'll stick with you."
Stool is exuberantly grateful that you're taking him home. Bounding on Alex's shoulder, he points you ahead into the dark, urging you to move faster, faster. Home is just ahead.
Just ahead turns out to be several more days of travel. As you have turned away from the Darklake, water is starting to become an issue.
At least Stool seems to know where to go. He leads you confidently onward, and though he has never been in these specific tunnels, he doesn't lead you into any dead ends.
A few days after leaving the steeders behind...
Before the two groups parted, Precious did his best to question the duergar about the road ahead. After all, assuming escorting Stool home went well, there was a chance that doubling back to this point would be their best chance of continuing towards the deep gnome city – getting lost without a guide was something the dwarf didn’t feel like adding to their troubles, if he could pester his deep cousins for some useful information to mitigate the risk.
With Stool providing them with a direction, Precious and Hue took turns leading the party on, both rangers in their way attuned to the strange environment under Faerun’s surface. Steering them clear of dangers, finding something edible to add to their stock of foodstuffs – Precious might be able to feed the party with his spells, but even if his brain accepted a single enchanted berry a day would keep him going, he knew from experience his stomach would soon be rebelling at such perceived mistreatment.
The going had been surprisingly peaceful, almost enough to lull one into a sense of false security, before some echoes from ahead reached the dwarf’s ears, well attuned to the ways tunnels might twist and even amplify sounds.
::Hol’ up. Something ‘head. Shouts… laughter? Anyone else hearin’ that?:: he sent via Stool’s telepathic link, half-suspecting he might be imagining things after days of wandering along unknown paths, expecting some new horror of the Underdark to launch itself at them at any moment.
"I bet these clowns don't make it to Blindingstone in one piece. You top-siders are lucky. I'll stick with you."
Maddy grinned down at Jimjar. "I bet it's more of a case that you actually enjoy being with us rather than us being lucky. I think we're growing on you." She was secretly happy that they were all staying together. She knew that she would be worried the entire time about Jimjar if it wasn't her that delivered him safely to his home.
As they got closer to Stool's home, the lack of water was concerning. Maddy did what she could be this wasn't the terrain she was familiar with. If they had been topside, she would have been much more helpful.
Maddy was scurrying along the wall on Kip when Precious mentioned hearing something. She rejoined the others and cocked her head to the side. ::I don't hear anything::
She strained to hear what Precious was hearing.
Hue went slackjawed.
"Whispers widdle baby tooff." He cradled it fondly and then found it a home amongst his things as he nodded about the warning concerning live poison. "I don' know wha' to say. Thank you. Um. please, take these." He looked through his things and bundled up a small assortment of mushrooms from their collection.
As they parted ways he walked backward and waved for a moment past his last sighting on them.
"Bye Whispers ... by steeders ... bye"
He turned to rush back to the middle of the pack and daydreamed of giant spiders.
-
Hue was feeling kind of dreamy after his time with the steeders. He kept mulling over his time with them and it was in distraction that he misidentified mushrooms, lichens, any of the ingredients he used to make poultices. Whenever he took the time to gather or mix them he went off into a dream, or pasted them for too long, or mixed black root and bumble-spore and just made a mess. He eventually managed two poultices of some value.
When he attempted to help Precious guide the group the best he seemed to be able to do was take his friend's advice and follow through on his suggestions. Which he did happily.
-
::Hol’ up. Something ‘head. Shouts… laughter? Anyone else hearin’ that?::
::HMMM?:: He stowed the spear he was using as a walking stick and strung his bow as he wondered if Precious was just imagining noises.
I dont hear anything
Straining to hear in the darkness, Maddy can hear the echoes of shouts, a strange sort of shriek, and definitely giggles.
A moment later, you hear a loud scraping sound from just ahead. A large, terrifying creature squeezes out of a side passage that barely admitted it passage. Almost ten feet tall, the creature has a vaguely avian head, with thick, cruel beak and small eyes. It's forelimbs were long, chitinous scythe-like blades, not unlike those of a preying mantis. A thick shell on its back protected it from behind. It seems startled by Dawn's light, and it turns in surprise to look at the party, shielding its eyes with its forelimb hook.
You hear more scraping, and it sounds like a second creature is about to come through the narrow passage as well.
Maddy's eyes widened as a thing of nightmares emerged in front of them. There was nothing funny about this creature so what was the giggling about?
Expecting trouble, Maddy unstrapped herself from Kip and she readied Dawn in case it came for them.
Hue squinted. "Wha' are they? ... they sure don' seem the giggling kind."
Hue pressed himself against the side of the cave and notched an arrow.
Raise your blades
for the lady of the dark
Alexandra sings as her eyes turn purple and she is ready to start blasting.
She does not however lash out yet.
They dont look very friend shaped guys
Hue focused his eyes, "AHHH! I recognize them! They're called Hooked Horrors. They'll ea' anything!
"I mean anything!
"Bu', one for ten, they're after my mushrooms! They love lichen, especially spore baring!!!"
He through his pack tight to protect it and its' mushroomy contents and began firing his bow as he backed up slowly, giving the front creature the careful 'evil eye' his mother taught him.
Two arrows embed themselves in the hook horror's softer underbelly as it stands there, startled by your appearance. It shrieks in pain, and you hear a howl of laughter echoing from further away, but coming cloer.
The hook horror shrieks and takes a few steps forward. It brushes a hook over the arrows, breaking them off. Behind it, the second monster scuttles across the hallway behind it and squeezes into the narrow (for it) opening on the other side.
The injured one steps forward again, swiping once with each hook. The first one scrapes the wall just past Precious's antlers, but the second catches Kalanzar a nasty gash across his chest.
It then steps back and begins to squeeze through the crack, following the other one. It's slow going, and is still half-sticking out. From the other side of the tunnel (where it had come from), the mad giggling gets louder.
Miss
Hit
Kalanzar looks in shock at the laceration on his chest. It was brand new clothes, freak. He says it softly, in a half whisper, and there is something sinister about it, something of the legacy of those drow he has been running from for so long.
The stars are shining on his body, and he shoots two magic arrows at the monster.
Maddy. Please finish this abomination.
Kalanzar? You stupid bug thing! Get away from him!
Rushing in, she strikes with her great sword pact weapon
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Maddy had never seen such a creature but it was clear that it was a threat. She was also concerned about Hue's warning. In her mind it meant that Stool was at a greater risk than the rest of them.
Encouraging Dawn to shine as brightly as she wanted, Maddy moved forward to attack. She tried to do her best to interpose herself between the hooked horror and the others.
Dawn was singing happily in her mind as Maddy attacked. It was almost like Dawn was moving through the air of her own accord, slashing upwards and then down in an arc.
Hue fired two arrows in quick succession as he continued to inch backward, "Take tha' you mushroom assassins!" His arrows came so close to Kal's person that they shot through part of his robes. The sudden near death from behind was enough to spark a little more fight in Hue's drow friend. "AAAAH! Sorry Kal!"
The dwarf cursed as he dodged a heavy swipe that might just have taken his head clean off had it connected. Luckily the thing had come at them on its own, and was now in the receiving end of a whole plethora of spells and blows - Precious very much didn't welcome anything approaching a fair duel with beasts like this!
Muttering a quick invocation the ranger thrust his staff at the creature, not wanting to risk a wide swing with all the people in such a small area. He hit... but it was hard to be sure if he managed to do more than merely annoy the thing.
The hook horror becomes jammed in the crevice, and cannot evade the arrows, swords and clubs that come for it. It jerks and shrieks as the killing blows come, and then slumps in death. The corridor its wedged in is tight enough that it stays upright, blocking the passage.
A moment later the giggles turn into howls of laughter, and figures start popping out of the crack behind you. Tall, but not as tall as the hook horror, the furry creatures stand on two legs and wear ragged pieces of clothes and armour. They carry spears, and giggle and cackle, almost maniacally.
If they're surprised to see your party standing around a dead hook horror, they don't show it. One, two, three, four; they keep popping out of the narrower hallway. One of the cackles loudly, then says, "Desanna foz Yeenoghu!" The three who'd banded together to finish off the hook horror suddenly found themselves surrounded by laughing, stinking gnolls.
Holding their spears two-handed, they stab at the nearest foe. All four spears find their targets, the smell of blood is suddenly thick in the air.
As the hooked horror dies, Alex gets hit again, but something of its essence heals part of her wounds!
Hexblade's Curse
Starting at 1st level, you gain the ability to place a baleful curse on someone. As a bonus action, choose one creature you can see within 30 feet of you. The target is cursed for 1 minute. The curse ends early if the target dies, you die, or you are incapacitated. Until the curse ends, you gain the following benefits:
You gain a bonus to damage rolls against the cursed target. The bonus equals your proficiency bonus.
Any attack roll you make against the cursed target is a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20 on the d20.
If the cursed target dies, you regain hit points equal to your warlock level + your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1 hit point).
You can't use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.
Yenooghu sucks flacid pimple that it thinks is its genital Alex replies in Abyssal as she seeks to strike down the gnoll attacking her
He is so much of a twerp, even Baphomet, Malcantet and effing Orcus agree on his general suckitude, and he is so weak none of the good gods even take him serious!
Alexandra says in poor undercommon, before repeating this, with a lot more argot expletives thrown into the mix, in much more proficient Abyssal.
Alexes shadow probably has demon wings and horns right now, as its "my Demonlord is better then your demonlord" time as well as "my demonlord can beat up your demonlord" on top of that. Not sure if the Gnolls see that.
The pain was intense as two spears pierced Maddy from both sides. She shrinked back from it and felt something pushing forward in her mind until she was pushed out and into blackness.
Maddy's form seemed to grow in size as Lidelse took over while Maddy nursed her wounds. The pain never bothered Lidelse. In fact she settled into it and revelled in it.
"You mangy mutts will regret that. I'm going to turn your giggling to whimpering," Lidelse growled.
Precious groaned in pain as the gnoll's spear punched through his leathers and cut deeply into his left shoulder. Gritting his teeth, the dwarf pushed back, stepping to stomp a heavy boot on the gnoll's extended foot, then bringing his enchanted staff from below to smash it into the foul creature's jaw with a crunching impact.
Kalanzar fires two arrows woven from starlight at the farthest gnoll.
Alexandra, hold on!
Hue screeched as the gnolls appeared from the crack. An arrow already armed fired off wildly ...
Before he could bother to check for where his arrow went he was fumbling to get another on the bowstring. That's when he remembered to try to give the gnoll out front the eye. He squinted at the gibbering creature looking away from his bow and accidentally fired it off. It glanced off a rock and then shot upward into the gnoll.
The party hacks and slashes at the attacking gnolls, almost every blow hitting its mark.
The gnoll that had spoke looks up when Alexandra mentions the demonlord, but otherwise looks confused. .
Alex's thirsting blade drinks deep of her foe, killing it. The gnoll dies with a smile on its thin lips. Hue shoots at the gnoll fighting Precious, and between the two of them, they fell the cackling hyena-man.
The other two gnolls, both badly injured, continue to fight even though running would be smarter.
The furthest gnoll, hit by Kalanzar's spell, looks around bewildered, trying to figure out where it came from. Not noticing the drow, it spies Stool instead, sitting on Alex's shoulder. It stabs its spear at the little myconid. Stool shrieks in pain, both aloud and in your heads, then goes silent. The gnoll whips his spear around, trying to shake Stool's form from it, and the myconid sprout rolls down the corridor.
The other gnoll continues to attack Maddy, stabbing into her shoulder, drawing yet more blood.