Chapter 15: Empire Under the Earth

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra slumps slightly, snoring.

[Inferno]

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






Noble Garrin selflessly offers his Argosian sword to his companions and Loche the Pict accepts it gratefully. (+1 longsword)

Cruloc the barbarian treats their wounds, Tjoruy prays that Osorus watches over them, and then the explorers succumb to bone-numbing exhaustion and drift off into blessed oblivion.

All is quiet. The watch passes uneventfully... in the material world.

But beyond the veil of sleep, the outlanders dream of vile Zargoth, ever watching from beyond the threshold of the waking world.



His vast, alien, malevolent intelligence seeks them as ever, but his sleepwalking slaves cannot reach them deep in the warrens of the giant ant colony!

Then, late in the final watch, the infested corpses suddenly jerk to life! Thrashing and flailing unnaturally, like puppets whose strings are being shaken by a willful child.

On duty, Cruloc and Kiri attend and witness in horror as the writhing dead suddenly give birth to dozens and dozens of heinous wriggling giant grubs!

The hideous squirming ant larva abandon their dead hosts, burrowing out of their cold pale skin in search of fresh flesh upon which to feast: the adventurers that lay sleeping nearby!


Actions, Cruloc and Kiri?!


Map Detail:

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


Non-required Reading (rolls and rulings):

Party surprised? (1-4): [1d6] = 5 No. Party sees the heinous grubs emerge.
Who's on night watch? (in alphabetical order): [1d9] = 2, [1d8] = 3 Cruloc and Kiri. So it must be last watch, because Kiri requested it.
So I'll assume everyone has their healing from the night.

PC Status:

• Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 4/14, Spells: 7/7 1st lvl, 3/3 2nd lvl
  Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 2: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 8/35, Torch planted on ground
  Garrin: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 3(1), HP: 26/26, Laying Hands: 0/1
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 14/14, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 25/25
  Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 7(5), HP: 10/10, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
  Tjoruy: Verulian Osoran Cleric 4: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 4/31, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 4/4 2nd lvl
  Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 3: Move: 17", AC: 6(4), HP: 16/16
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 3: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 3/21

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: 29 rounds
  Invisibility (Mako): Target: self

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)

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

"Morrigan's arse!" the hill-born savage bellows. "Awaken, fools, and behold what new horrors beset us!"

"On your feet!" Grasping up his torch, Cruloc kicks at the slumbering Xorxen. "Rouse the others! Set these maggots alight!"

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

Mako rises and moves away from the corpses.

[ravenn4544]

Amethu wakes and moves away in horror - and kicking himself for not thinking of burning the infected bodies.

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra springs up, instantly awake. She takes a moment to light a torch, then moves in to burn the parasites.

[SocraticLawyer]

Garrin does likewise.

[ChubbyPixie]

Kiri will toss one of the vials of oil on the mass of squirming larvae, the image of which he will never be able to erase from his mind ( ) and stand back as those with the torches do their work.

2nd action:
If that doesn't prove enough oil, he'll also use the other one.

[Inferno]

Hatching Chamber, Giant Ant Colony, Beneath the Underground City
Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Eight. Before Midnight?, 21st day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia






Suddenly, the parasite-infested corpses of the explorers' slaughtered enemies give birth to swarms of hideous giant larvae!

Had the night watch been less vigilant, the adventurers would have shared the horrific fate of the fallen and been riddled through with squirming gigantic flesh-eating maggots!

Cruloc the barbarian shouts his sleeping comrades awake! They rouse into a waking nightmare.




As Amethu and Mako retreat in revulsion, Cruloc, Garrin, Kiri and Zahra set upon the disgusting grubs with oil and torches!
(Kiri, please deduct two oil flasks)




With high-pitched shrieks, the heinous wriggling brood are devoured in the hungry holocaust!

A wall of flames divides the explorers! Black roiling smoke and the stench of burning flesh begins to fill the low chamber!

And from the south enter gigantic worker ants!



Recently deprived of any reason to live, some vestigial remain of animal instinct compels the ants to respond to the piteous screaming of the doomed colony's young.


Actions?!


Map Detail:

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





PC Status:

• Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 4/14, Spells: 7/7 1st lvl, 3/3 2nd lvl
  Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 2: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 8/35, Torch planted on ground
  Garrin: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 3(1), HP: 26/26, Laying Hands: 1/1
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 14/14, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 25/25
  Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 7(5), HP: 10/10, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
  Tjoruy: Verulian Osoran Cleric 4: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 4/31, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 4/4 2nd lvl
  Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 3: Move: 17", AC: 6(4), HP: 16/16
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 3: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 3/21

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."
  Invisibility (Mako): Target: self

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)

[ravenn4544]

Amethu hears the cries of the insidious slugs - and the warning alarm it seems to raise for the worker ants. He will weave a Verulian ruse to attempt to fend off the incoming ants.

cast silence 15' radius on the larvae.

OOC: I think on your spell list, Amethu has used all is CLW

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

Mako retreats west to the niche just below Kiri.

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra spits a curse when she sees the worker ants. She drops her torch on the dead and dying grubs, and readies her sword. Hold your blades! They may yet not attack.

_____________________________
HP recovery: pecentile [1d100] = 58

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen snaps out of a long funk that enveloped his mind, shaking his head and readying his weapon for a possible oncoming ant attack.

He keeps an eye on the eastern tunnel in case anything approaches from that direction.

Sorry for somehow spacing out on this one.

[SocraticLawyer]

Garrin moves to intercept, sword and shield ready. He does not attack unless the ants do so first.

[ChubbyPixie]

Kiri also backs towards the wall and remains quiet, He watches the worker ants carefully, weapon ready but not attacking unless it becomes necessary.

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

The tanned and well-muscled Northern barbarian stands motionless in front of the flames, his intent gaze focused on the giant ants, his gleaming sword held in a vise-like grip.

This flawless image of heroic fantasy adventure is undone by the look of confusion which creeps across Cruloc's rugged countenance. He exaggeratedly opens and closes his mouth as he looks down at the flames and then with increasing alarm at the other occupants of the room.

Why can he not hear anything?!

[Inferno]

Hatching Chamber, Giant Ant Colony, Beneath the Underground City
Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Eight. Before Midnight?, 21st day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia






The northeast tunnel pulls at the black smoke of the roaring conflagration!

The adventurers trapped on the northern half of the hatching chamber are forced to crouch low else smother to death!

While from the south, immense worker ants enter, drawn by the screeching of the giant larvae in the bonfire of infested corpses!



"Hold your blades!" cries Zahra the amazon.

Garrin the Atlantean moves to intercept the intruders, but stays his terrible sword.

Before the confused insects can act, Amethu the masked sorcerer-priest weaves magicks ancient and sacred, bestowed upon him by Uthoth the inscrutable.



Cruloc, Kiri and Zahra are suddenly struck deaf as the shrieking of the grubs and the roar of the flames are silenced to every ear!

Without the piteous squeals of the doomed colony's young to rouse them from their aimless torpor, the giant ants resume their meaningless, hopeless wandering. Once more, they are no threat to their destroyers.

And in that terrible silence, the nest's final generation is consumed.


Actions?! ...and new experience points award is here (please scroll to the bottom of that post). Thanks, everyone


Map Detail:

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

Map:



Non-required Reading (rolls and rulings):

No initiative rolls. Demoralized giant ants always strike last in a combat round.

PC Status:

• Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 4/14, Spells: 7/7 1st lvl, 2/3 2nd lvl
  Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 2: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 10/35, Torch planted on ground
  Garrin: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 3(1), HP: 26/26, Laying Hands: 1/1, Torch
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 14/14, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 25/25
  Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 7(5), HP: 10/10, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
  Tjoruy: Verulian Osoran Cleric 4: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 4/31, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 4/4 2nd lvl
  Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 3: Move: 17", AC: 6(4), HP: 16/16
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 3: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 3/21

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."
  Invisibility (Mako): Target: self
  Silence, 15' Radius (Amethu): Duration: 5 rounds. Target: the burning giant grubs

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)

[ChubbyPixie]

When he sees the worker ants once again wondering aimlessly, Kiri relaxes his guard. He immediately sits down where he is and begins to study his spells for the day, knowing they will need all the resources they can muster to find a way out of this maze of ant tunnels. He wonders idly if they will ever manage to get back to their true task of destroying He Who Shall Not Be Named.

Once he has studied sufficiently, he once again summons his ancestor. "Come, Grandfather, wake up, please. We have much to do today," he says.

Casts Unseen Servant.

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

Mako stands quietly still in his corner.

[ravenn4544]

Amethu watches the final flames..."Perhaps we can rest and recover now?"