Sorry things have been slow going, Real Life's been hectic the last few weeks.
Round 3 continued
The wasps continue to swarm everywhere around you, threatening to drive you away. You duck and dodge and dive, managing to evade most of the wasps. One though, truly a myrmidon, a paragon of the species, homes in and manages to sting Rowena again! Cat takes 10 points damage, and again another Fortitude save against DC 18.
Hskoro bravely stands firm in Quinta's defense. As one of the wasps tries to get in range to sting, the nagaji leaps forward and swats it away. The wasp retreats, but not far.
@Rowena: yes, spot on regarding the Fort saves for wasp stings (summary below), and you currently have 4 points Dexterity damage.
Round 1 - 2 stings; successful save for the first and failed save for the second, requiring another save in Round 2
Round 2 - A third sting, yes just failed the Fort save. A new save will need to be made in Round 3. Successful save though for the second sting from Round 1.
@Rowena - Apolgoies, you are correct. I'd made a math error back in the posts, I think on my notes I'd subtracted hit points when Zaghigoth had cast healing spells on you.
Round 2 - continued
You glance down and realize that Rowena isn't quite yet down for the count, merely being ill from the toxin. She rouses to her feet, though you can see her limbs and face are terribly swollen.
Zaghigoth ignores a painful sting as he and Oshok'arr tear at the wasps. Both drive at the wasps, inflicting some pain of their own on the insects with claw and spear. Both are direct hits.
Krolmnite spars with one wasp, using a few tentative lunges to lure in closer. He then changes the grip on his sword and nearly spears the wasp to the ground. It breaks away at the last moment, but he manages to hew away a wing and half its thorax. Second attack hits Krolm, and very nearly downs the wasp.
Quinta tumbles forward, carrying her encouraging song all the while. She lays hands on Zaghigoth's back, imbuing him with the ability to fight off the wasp sting's effects. She glances back, to see if Hskoro's watching her back. Moved in between Zaghigoth and Liliana.
Concerned about Rowena, Liliana bends low and places a hand on the half-elf to channel some healing energy at her. A wasp buzzes low over her head but she's ducked low enough to be out of the way. Rowena is flooded with a powerful restorative spell, and soon feels good as new. Unconscious or not, Cat certainly could benefit from that spell. Nearly back to full strength (I think).
Round 2 Back to the top of the round. Rowena please if you can make two more Fortitude saves for those stings, plus I think missed making one save last round (to avoid taking one point Dexterity damage). Unsuccessful rolls mean taking 2 more points Dexterity damage from one sting and 1 point Dexterity damage from the other sting. So far confirmed taking 4 Dexterity damage, one successful save for each sting is enough to halt taking poison damage from that particular wound.
Round 1 - continued
Krolmnite and Rowena battle under the fiendish attentions of the wasps. Krolmnite shrugs off one sting, even though the wasp's stinger is nearly as long as a javelin from his perspective. Rowena struggles a bit more, one venom sac sending poison coursing through her veins. Already her eyes are swelling closed and her muscles spasming. Ooh, making a double save is rough. One successful save per sting is enough to stave off more Dexterity damage, Cat you'll need to make a second Fort save for the one sting next round.
Zaghigoth growls low as he retreats a step closer to Rowena, and sends Oshok'arr in to fight. The dinosaur rears up and takes a boxer-like swing at one of the wasps. It dodges nimbly out of the way, thrumming dangerously. Nevertheless, Zaghigoth draws out a healing scroll and uses it to heal some of Rowena's oozing wounds.
Krolmnite isn't about to let these wasps push him around. With a fantastic leap he gets close enough to stab the nearest wasp, shearing off a couple legs and swatting it towards the ground. Before it can rise out of harm's way he stabs it again in the thorax. Two successful hits.
Quinta draws out her whip, even as she launches into song. Its harmony envelops each of you, bolstering hope and courage to fight on.
Liliana draws her scimitar and powers towards the nearest wasp. With a deft sweep of her blade she cuts deep into the giant insect before it can zip away with a spray of blood and ichor. Another successful hit!
Round 2
Despite the swelling and red welts on her arms, Rowena stabs out with her rapier and makes contact with one of the wasps. She may only have nicked it, but it's enough to drive it back. These huge wasps seem horrendously tough. Another successful hit, but you see it's going to take some work. Go for your second Fortitude save for that sting to avoid taking another 2 points Dexterity damage.
The wasps swarm around you, angry at your intrusion. With a concerted effort you beat most of them back, but Rowena and Zaghigoth are in trouble. As Rowena thrusts with her rapier, a wounded and angry wasp nips around and impales her with its cruel stinger. She looks at the wound in shock as she slides to the ground, unconscious. Zaghigoth takes a wound as well as a stinger punches through his tough orcish hide. One successful hit against Cat for 14 points damage, I think just taking her into minuses! Zaghigoth tries to keep up by taking 10 points damage. Please also if you can make Fortitude saves against DC 18 - again in Cat's case. Failure results in 1 point Dexterity damage for Rowena or 2 points Dexterity damage for Zaghigoth.
Hskoro maintains his defensives stance beside Quinta.
Rowena sidles up to the nearest wasp, simultaneously shooing at the giant insect and with the other angling for a swift strike with rapier. The angry droning grows louder, and with honed half-elven instinct Rowena decides to force the inevitable confrontation by plunging her thin blade into the wasp's thorax. It is a precise strike, not enough to kill the wasp outright but certainly enough to make it very mad. Certainly a successful critical hit!
All the wasps are mad! Through some means of communication, the wasps begin swarming towards you. The first wasp leaps up and swiftly stings Rowena. Another joins in, and these things hurt. Other wasps dive towards your group, and Zaghigoth and Oshok'arr
each beat back another bug. However it's Krolmnite who's surprised as a wasp latches on to his shoulders and a stinger drives through his armor. Cat takes 22 points damage, and needs to make two Fortitude saving throws both against DC 18. Fail the first and you take 2 points Dexterity damage from the poison in the wasp's sting; fail the second and take another 2 points Dexterity damage. Krolmnite please if you can also make a Fort save against DC 18. Failure means taking 2 points damage.
Hskoro leaps up the stairs, brandishing his spear. He stands ready to defend Quinta.
For a few minutes you debate how begin exploring this ediface. Most of you favor a direct approach, up the stairs and into the heart of the structure. Your guide Nkechi, however, notes the tracks scaling the walls of the building. "I suggest we try to lay claim to the top level of the ziggurat. Something's been coming and going here, and from up there we'll have a clear view of any charau-ka reinforcements coming. I will go up there, I care not for the dark energies I feel from the belly of this place." He points to the nagaji, Hskoro, and also to Yekskya. [b] "You will come with me, nagaji. You are a good climber, and my old bones might need a boost. And you - archer. We may have need of your bow. Yekskya quickly nods assent, but Hskoro objects. [b] "No! I must protect Quinta. Where she goes, I must go too." He takes a protective stance beside her, an obstinate glare on his reptilian face.
Cautiously, with Rowena checking ahead for traps, you scale the steep steps up to the first level of the pyramid. Quinta's lights bob along beside you, and as you approach the opening they quickly illuminate the space. Within, almost half of the cavernous chamber surrounds a smaller, inner structure. The ceiling has collapsed in some places, and a tangle of vines, mosses, and other plants grow in the thick mud covering the floor.
Along the far side of the chamber, lies an entrance into the inner structure. Across from that are a couple stone doors. Another pair of stone doors stand together along the right-hand wall.
All this you take in in a moment. What you notice next is the noise, and that you are not alone. A furious buzzing echoes from all over the chamber, and you spot several large wasps, as large as hounds! They seem to be industriously gathering mud from the floor, yet when they notice your presence they start thrumming angrily. It becomes clear that they don't take kindly to intruders. You only have a few moments to react before these wasps take action themselves.
Meet the welcome party! Five giant wasps.
Map Yekskya and Hskoro are scaling the slope of the outside of the ziggurat, clinging to the vines. The rest of you are just entering the structure, with the wasps gathering around you. No surprise round, I'll get Cat's action and then we'll see what the wasps have in mind.
The others members of the party also introduce themselves to Liliana. The nagaji Hskoro, who had tried to speak with Liliana earlier during the fight, merely introduces himself as Quinta's protector. The aged Mwangi, Nkechi, introduces himself as the party's jungle guide. Yekskya, another Mwangi, merely describes himself as an archer and that "he's been around for a while." What a large group you have become!
Once you've had an opportunity to heal yourselves and feel ready to move on, Nkechi suggests exploring north towards the vine-covered ruin. Along the way, you pass by several large pools. They look to be filled with dank water, but a few bubble and steam. You suspect that they may just be tar pools with a covering of rain water.
Every so often, you hear hoots and cries from various quarters of the city. They may be charau-ka, monkeys, or something else completely. However, you spot no more enemies as you trek north through the ruins.
After some time, you eventually reach the tremendous mound. A few minutes' examination confirms suspicions that underneath the dripping leaves and vegetation are the remains of a multitiered stone ziggurat of Azlanti construction. The temple must be incredibly old, as it looks like the entire structure has been slowly sinking into the earth. Only the top few levels are still visible.
A broad set of broken and uneven stairs leads up to a cavernous chamber. You also note that some of the vegetation has been disturbed, revealing paths where someone or something has used the vines to climb up to the top of the ziggurat.
Ziggurat - Outside - I think it's meant to have more plant cover than shows in the illustration.
