IC XVI

[Koren n'Rhys]

Quint Kacie
As the tentacle slowly drags Quint towards the waiting bulk of the Mother, he realizes with a dawning horror that there is absolutely nothing he can do. The young mage kicks and struggles to free himself, and yells for someone, anyone, to help him.

Yeah... no dagger. Don't even own one. Poor planning, that. Perhaps a Strength check to break free?

[Wyzard]

Do you think that Steely Dan would work on this thing?

[thirdkingdom]

Do you think that Steely Dan would work on this thing?

My first thought was "Blasting music at it? Like what the hostage negotiators do and shit?". And then I remembered what you were talking about.

[Atlictoatl]

Tev Meren, Fighter

TK, were Tev to hold his action until all the oil was thrown, can he close with Mother to attack in melee without himself getting burned by flaming oil on her?

Are there flaming puddles on the ground that would make it difficult for him to close?

"Severi, can you cast Sleep upon the beetles? This monstrosity is the greater threat, but the insects will whittle away at us, given the chance."

[Wyzard]

Severi is already doing that. See above.

[MonsterMash]

Thurgan takes his enchanted sword and cuts at the pseudopod grasping Quint. "I too can see in the darkness, but the humans need light".

[Atlictoatl]

Tev Meren, Fighter

Furious at the putrescent pustulence's ability to break their ranks, Tev waits for an opening between spells and thrown oil, then closes with the monstrosity and lashes out at it from behind his shield. He grits his teeth against its screeching, determined to end the noise. He's thoroughly expecting this is going to hurt.

Tywyllwch, +1 sword vs unarmed +7 to hit (+3 BAB +2 STR +1 Skilled, +1 magic), 1d12+3/1d12+3 damage, Deflect 1, +0 disarm
Tywyllwch, +1 sword vs armed +8 to hit (+3 BAB +2 STR +2 Skilled, +1 magic), 1d12+3/1d12+3 damage, -2 AC vs 1, Deflect 1, +0 disarm

[thirdkingdom]

Round Two

Bruno and Semele throw their last flasks of oil. Bruno's hits the monster square on, but Semele's is wild, shattering near Quint and showering the unlucky mage with burning oil. Rhys and Thurgan both spring forward, avoiding the spattered oil; Rhy's blade slides off the pseudopod, but Thurgan brings his blade down and severs it with one stroke. Quint is free! The beetles all hiss and spit, but miraculously all avoid being hit by their spittle again. Tev strides forward, but he finds The Mother's hide to be strangely resilient, and is unable to pierce it. The Mother's flailing tentacles slap up against Vanco and wraps around him, jerking him off his feet and to the floor. Two pseudopods converge on Semele, who falls to the ground with a sickening thud and does not move. Severi utters his spell and five of the six beetles collapse in a stupor.

Quint takes three damage from splashing oil, but Thurgan manages to sever the pseudopod. Vanco is hit for 8 damage and grappled. Semele is hit twice, and slain.

[Wyzard]

Severi the Silvertongue

"Ignore that last beetle, and bring her down!" Severi goes mad with death-lust, and begins hewing at the body of the Mother.

[Alethan]

Rhys makes a sweeping cut at Mother with his longsword, howling with energy and anger.

[MonsterMash]

Thurgan encouraged by his success keeps cutting at the pseudopods to stop the creature from attacking.

[Atlictoatl]

Tev Meren, Fighter

Tev becomes more determined at seeing his comrades fall, dead or grappled, and redoubles his efforts to hew at the horrific harridan's hide.

[thirdkingdom]

Rounds Three and Four

The battle rages on. A tentacle slaps out and grasps Thurgan, spoiling his attack, whilst the other continues to drag Vanco towards a terrible fate. The adventurer's blades prove helpless against the creature's thick, gelatinous hide; Bruno is the only one able to score a telling blow, that sends a gout of ichor geysering through the air. Finally, Rhys's enchanted blade cuts through it defenses, and The Mother collapses, deflating like a spilt wineskin as her lifeblood pours out. The beetle is quickly dispatched. All is quiet in the Hall of Columns.

[Wyzard]

Severi states that the two bodies inside the bulk should be cut free if possible, and goes personally to examine the cocoon.

[MonsterMash]

Thurgan sets to the grim task of cutting bodies free from the remains of the mother.

"Maybe this will be the end of those orc creatures".

[Alethan]

Rhys runs to Semele's side to see if there is anything that can be done or if she is really dead.

[Atlictoatl]

Tev Meren, Fighter

Tev helps Vanco free himself from the tendril, informing the cleric that Semele has fallen.

[thirdkingdom]

Severi states that the two bodies inside the bulk should be cut free if possible, and goes personally to examine the cocoon.

Thurgan cuts the two -- actually, there are two more, hidden by the Mother's bulk, for a total of four -- free. The exterior of the Mother's hide has a strange, rubbery consistency; the inside is more like that of a gelatinous cube. The trapped adventurers -- for they prove to be Beso and his companions -- are all dead. Severi examines the cocoon. It is large, roughly the size of a man, and when cut open one of the larger ur-orcs unfolds, flopping on the floor and weakly scrabbling for purchase on the slick stone. Its features are curiously unformed, its skin soft and pliable.

Rhys examines Semele. She is truly dead; her neck snapped and at an odd angle.

[Wyzard]

Severi kills the scrabbling orc.

"Search them for valuables or any apparently magical gear. It's obvious they didn't escape with whatever treasure is down here; that means we could still find it."

[thirdkingdom]

The luckless adventurers have, between the four of them, 122 gold coins, two flasks filled with unidentifiable liquid and a sword with a suspiciously keen edge. One of the dead is dressed in foppish robes and carries a light, traveling spellbook.

The rest of the lair is searched and found to be empty of any remaining enemies. There is a large chamber on the second level than can only be the Mother's birthing chamber; the floor is thick with accumulated mucous, and the holes through the ceiling are evidence of where her feeding tubes once stretched.

There is a chamber off of this room in which is discovered a pile of treasure; a mound of silver and gold coins, many of the bearing unrecognizable stamps and strange designs. There are two more Steely Dans, a leather pouch that crumbles when handled, spilling forth a dozen flawless emeralds, each the size of a teardrop. At the bottom of the pile the adventurer find a scroll case of wrought brass. When opened three incredibly fragile scrolls slide out, covered in spidery, arcane writing.