Chapter 15: Empire Under the Earth

[OGRE MAGE]

As he again fails in his attempt to aid the injured barbarian, Xorxen is amazed at the huge mans ability to fight so well under the very worst of conditions.

Attack w/ +2 Javelin of Men-khetu [1d20+2] = 3+2 = 5 Dam [1d6+3] = 4+3 = 7

[Scott308]

Loche

The Pict strikes with his dagger, but is unable to penetrate the chitonous carapace of the giant beetle.

Jeweled Dagger +1/ +2 vs. Undead (20): [1d20+1] = 7+1 = 8; Damage: [1d4+1] = 4+1 = 5; Damage, Large: [1d3+1] = 3+1 = 4

[ravenn4544]

Amethu sweeps the attacking creatures with his lantern to try and distract them for a second or two and allow the fighters an advantage.

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

Lights the room for the other while keeping an eye on Kiri's backpack.

[Inferno]

Giant Ant Colony, Beneath the Desecrated Temple of Osorus, The Underground City
Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Eight. Dawn?, 21st day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia






Cruloc the barbarian rakes a ferocious giant soldier ant with his great blade, carving havoc and fury across its thick exoskeleton! But the enormous arthropod warrior fights on! Amethu focuses his lantern beam at the mammoth underdweller's multi-segmented eyes as it fails to seize Xorzen in its rapacious mandibles! But the masked monk too cannot land a blow!

South of them, Mako's steadfast vigilance is rewarded. He watches in astonishment as Kiri's backpack opens again by itself! A torch flies from it and impossibly lights itself in mid-air with hovering flint and tinder!

South of Mako, none of the adventurers can pierce the impervious scintillating armor of the lumbering scarab giants!



Except Zahra, whose cruel sword of the pharaohs sunders apart one iridescent leviathan slave in a brutal ruin of ichor and gore!

Worker ants dutifully drag away slave carcasses of scarab and human alike with single-minded, remorseless productivity. Into that newly formed gap charge two unrelenting giant worker ants!



Loche and Zahra narrowly evade the tenacious fury of their assault!

But on the far edge of the battle line, Garrin of Atlantis is ripped open by the voracious jaws of an elephantine scarab beetle! (4 hp damage)



Actions?!



Map Detail:

One square = 10 feet. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.

Map:



Non-required Reading (rolls and rulings):

Initiative: Party: [1d6] = 5, Monsters: [1d6] = 1 Party wins.
Giant Soldier Ant attacks Cruloc? (1) or Xorzen? (2): [1d2] = 2 Xorzen. Has a -1 to hit due to Amethu flashing his lantern beam in its eyes.
Giant Soldier Ant bites Xorzen: [1d20-1] = 1-1 = 0, damage: [2d4] = 4 Misses.
No critical hits or fumbles in this game.
Giant Worker Ants charge Loche and Zahra: [1d20+2] = 5+2 = 7, [1d20+2] = 2+2 = 4, damage: [1d6] = 4, [1d6] = 3 Both miss.
Giant Scarab Beetles attack Kiri and Garrin: [1d20] = 2, [1d20] = 20, damage: [2d6] = 4, [2d6] = 4 Garrin is hit for 4 hp damage.

PC Status:

• Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 12/14, Spells: 4/7 1st lvl, 3/3 2nd lvl, Lantern
  Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 2: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 19/35, Torch near ground
  Garrin: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 3(1), HP: 13/26, Laying Hands: 0/1
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 7/14, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl, Torch
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 15/25
  Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 7(5), HP: 10/10, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl, Light Spell
  Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 3: Move: 17", AC: 6(4), HP: 15/16
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 3: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 11/21

PC Magic:

• Protection from Evil (Garrin): -2 to AC and +2 to saving throws against evil, in a 10 foot radius around Garrin.
  Healing Mists of Osorus (Garrin, Kiri, Loche, Mako and Xorzen have breathed of the mists): All lost HP recovered with 8 hours of sleep. Wakeful rest, or sleeping less than 8 hours, enables recovery of 1 HP per hour. Duration: "months."
  Unseen Servant (Kiri): Duration: 65 rounds
  Light (Mako): Duration: 17 rounds

Player Resources:

• The Struggle To Survive (the story so far)
  Mysteries Strange and Deadly (player clues and notes)
  Hieroglyphs (the story so far, in images)
  An Age Undreamed Of (maps and realms of the World of Hyboria)

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

"Kiri, what sort of arcane sorcery is this!?" he says watching in amazement at the floating objects.

[Urson]

Zahra

Zahra is in full battle rage, almost seeming to dance as she moves forward to attack the Ant facing her.
att [1d20+4] = 20+4 = 24 !!!
sword vs lg [1d12+3] = 11+3 = 14

She shrieks in glee and moves to face her next opponent.

[Scott308]

Loche

Unable to land a penetrating blow, the Pict hopes that all his flailing is able to distract the giant bug enough to prevent it from harming him.

Jeweled Dagger +1/ +2 vs. Undead (20): [1d20+1] = 9+1 = 10; Damage: [1d4+1] = 2+1 = 3; Damage, Large: [1d3+1] = 1+1 = 2

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

The mighty barbarian loses his footing in a dark pool of ichor!

Attack w/longsword [1d20+2] = 1+2 = 3

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen attempts to slay the wounded ant attacking him and Cruloc so they can focus on the next target in line.

Attack w/ +2 Javelin of Men-khetu [1d20+2] = 16+2 = 18 Dam [1d6+3] = 1+3 = 4

[SocraticLawyer]

Garrin attacks the beetle that stung him...

To Hit with +1 Long Sword: [1d20+1] = 7+1 = 8; Damage: sm - [1d8+1] = 4+1 = 5; lg - [1d12+1] = 4+1 = 5

...but is too distracted by the pain to land a blow.

[ravenn4544]

Amethu is frustrated at his inability to make a difference. With no option to attack or throw a spell, he instead throws his oil flask over the ants attacking. (He'll try to throw over the first row ant to hopefully splash on the ground or on the second..)

[ChubbyPixie]

“Do not be alarmed, Maako, it’s... just... grandfather!” says Kiri as he lunges with his Claw of Chobek. Distracted by his things spilling to the ground once again, he swipes wide and fails to connect:

Attack with Trident +1, Claw of Chobek (THAC0:19): To Hit: [1d20+4] = 3+4 = 7 Damage vs. s/m: [1d6+8] = 5+8 = 13, vs. Lg: [3d4+7] = 10+7 = 17

[Inferno]

Giant Ant Colony, Beneath the Desecrated Temple of Osorus, The Underground City
Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Eight. Dawn?, 21st day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia






In the mad maelstrom of blood and slaughter, the giant ants of the collective hunger for their death!

With alarm, Amethu hurls an oil flask into the second ranks of the creeping doom, but it shatters against the wall!

Xorzen dodges the deadly mandibles of a ferocious soldier ant! But Loche, Zahra and Kiri feel the murderous jaws of the immense insects rip, tear and lacerate their flesh! (4hp damage, 3hp damage,and 3hp damage respectively)

The insectoids' exo-armor remains invulnerable to the onslaught of blades! With two exceptions...

Xorzen's javelin stabs deep, adding another wound to the voracious leviathan that besieges him and Cruloc!

Deep in her blood rage, fury makes a hellish mask of Zahra's face. Her sword sings its death song and in one wild assault, her crawling foe is splintered, mangled, dead!

But more enormous ants scurry frenetically within the chamber, eager to take their brother's place!


Actions?!



Map Detail:

One square = 10 feet. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.

Map:



Non-required Reading (rolls and rulings):

Initiative: Party: [1d6] = 3, Monsters: [1d6] = 4 Monsters win.
Giant Soldier Ant bites Cruloc (1) or Xorzen (2)? [1d2] = 2. Attack: [1d20] = 9, damage: [2d4] = 5 Misses Xorzen.
Giant Worker Ants attack Loche and Zahra: [1d20] = 19, [1d20] = 16, damage: [1d6] = 4, [1d6] = 3 Loche and Zahra are hit for 4hp damage and 3hp damage respectively.
Giant Scarab Beetles attack Kiri and Garrin: [1d20] = 14, [1d20] = 11, damage: [2d6] = 3, [2d6] = 9 Hits Kiri for 3hp damage.
Amethu oil flask, to hit: [1d20] = 14 Misses soldier ant.
Amethu miss: Distance and direction: [1d6] = 2, [1d8] = 2 Two feet to the right of the soldier ant.

PC Status:

• Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 12/14, Spells: 4/7 1st lvl, 3/3 2nd lvl, Lantern
  Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 2: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 19/35, Torch near ground
  Garrin: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 3(1), HP: 13/26, Laying Hands: 0/1
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 4/14, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl, Torch
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 11/25
  Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 7(5), HP: 10/10, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl, Light Spell
  Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 3: Move: 17", AC: 6(4), HP: 15/16
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 3: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 8/21

PC Magic:

• Protection from Evil (Garrin): -2 to AC and +2 to saving throws against evil, in a 10 foot radius around Garrin.
  Healing Mists of Osorus (Garrin, Kiri, Loche, Mako and Xorzen have breathed of the mists): All lost HP recovered with 8 hours of sleep. Wakeful rest, or sleeping less than 8 hours, enables recovery of 1 HP per hour. Duration: "months."
  Unseen Servant (Kiri): Duration: 64 rounds
  Light (Mako): Duration: 16 rounds

Player Resources:

• The Struggle To Survive (the story so far)
  Mysteries Strange and Deadly (player clues and notes)
  Hieroglyphs (the story so far, in images)
  An Age Undreamed Of (maps and realms of the World of Hyboria)

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

Since grandfather has things covered here Mako heads west to check on the others.

[SocraticLawyer]

Garrin swings his blade at the beetle attacking him.

To Hit with +1 Long Sword: [1d20+1] = 8+1 = 9; Damage: sm - [1d8+1] = 5+1 = 6; lg - [1d12+1] = 5+1 = 6

As before, the paladin's blade misses its mark.

Garrin is rapidly approaching Storm Trooper levels of incompetence. I don't know why I bother rolling at this point....

[ChubbyPixie]

“Agh! ... Grandfather! I’m busy with something right now!” shouts Kiri upon receiving his new wound.“Would you please keep the torch aloft and also carefully remove the vial in my pack with the symbol of Osorus engraved upon it? If I fall, please pour its contents into my mouth, thank you.” His dialog coming from behind his raised shield, he suddenly lunges with his enchanted trident at the armored brute in front of him.

Attack with Trident +1, Claw of Chobek (THAC0:19): To Hit: [1d20+4] = 12+4 = 16 Damage vs. s/m: [1d6+8] = 5+8 = 13, vs. Lg: [3d4+7] = 8+7 = 15

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra turns her bloody attention to the giant scarab.

att [1d20+4] = 20+4 = 24
sword vs lg [1d12+3] = 2+3 = 5

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen backs up slightly when he sees Amethu trying to get into the action, all while still attempting to skewer the giant ant trying to make a meal out of he and his friends.

Attack w/ +2 Javelin of Men-khetu [1d20+2] = 11+2 = 13 Dam [1d6+3] = 4+3 = 7

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

Attack w/longsword [1d20+2] = 1+2 = 3

"Morrigan’s arse!"

Having slipped in a pool of dark ichor, Cruloc drops his sword and gropes for it among the shadows!

OoC: Two nat 1s in a row?!