VIII. Tree Cave - Third Visit

[drpete]

Rainey growls. "They'll hold... come on guys, you can do it!"

[dmw71]

Round 4
The beetles continue to attack with impressive quickness, but both Keebler and Junius manage to fend off the powerful mandibles snapping in their respective directions.

The parties efforts are equally unsuccessful, as no one appears able to weaken their adversaries.

E02R04.jpg (71.23 KiB) Viewed 1712 times

The same two beetles remain; one attacking Junius (FB #1) and the attacking Keebler (FB #3).


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Actions?


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Possessions Left Behind

• Latest List

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Date: 29 Februarius, Year 7102
Time: 10:30 (Sunrise: 06:37, Sunset: 18:22)
Temp: 79F
Conditions:

• Warm
  Humid
  Light Rain

Light Sources:

• AdaRue's Lantern (AdaRue) (Extinguished)
  Mila's Lantern (Mila) (Extinguished: 29 Februarius @ 19:27)
  Canun's Lantern (Canun) (Extinguished: 30 Februarius @ 10:18)
  Hastin's Torch (Hastin) (Extinguished: 29 Februarius @ 11:18)

Known Conditions/Spells in Effect:

• Mila's 'Shield' spell on Keebler (Dispelled: 29 Februarius @ 10:49)

Character Status

• Mila | MU: 1 | Mv: 120/40 | THAC0: 19 | AC: 9 | HP: 5 | Armor: Unarmored | Weapons: Dagger | Spells: 1st: 1, 0 (Shield)
  Keebler| : Elf: 1 | Mv: 90/30 | THAC0: 19 | AC: 4/3 | HP: 6 | Armor: Banded, Shield | Weapons: Longsword, Longbow (17) | Spells: 1st: 1 (Sleep)
  Junius | Dwarf: 1 | Mv: 90/30 | THAC0: 19 | AC: 4/3/2 | HP: 10-8 = 2 | Armor: Banded Mail, Shield, Dex -1 | Weapons: Scimitar, Sling (10), Shortbow (18)
  AdaRue | Cleric: 1 | Mv: 60/20 | THAC0: 19 | AC: 4/3 | HP: 5-3 = 2 | Armor: Banded Mail, Shield | Weapons: Mace, Staff | Spells: 1st: 1 (Light)
  Canun | Cleric: 1 | Mv: 60/20 | THAC0: 19 | AC: 4/3 | HP: 4 | Armor: Banded, Shield | Weapons: Mace, Sling | Spells: 1st: 1, 0 (Light)
  • Nelly | Mule: 2 hd | Mv: 120/40 | THAC0: 18 | AC: 7 | HP: 9 | #Attacks: 1 (kick or bite) | Damage: 1d4 or 1d3 | Morale: 8 | Carrying: 0 pounds | Max Load: 400 pounds
  Rainey | MU: 1 | Mv: 120" | THAC0: 19 | AC: 10 | HP: 3 | Armor: Unarmored | Weapons: Dagger | Spells: 1st: 1, 0 (Sleep)

The Lost or Fallen

• Tom | Halfling: 1 | Mv: 60/20 | THAC0: 19 | AC: 5/4/3 | HP: 5-4 = 1+3 = 4-5 = -1 | Armor: Chain, Shield, Dex -1 | Weapons: Handaxe, Shortbow (16), Dagger
  Omdog | MU: 1 | Mv: 120" | THAC0: 19 | AC: 9 | HP: 3-4 = -1 | Armor: Unarmored | Weapons: Quarterstaff, Dagger | Spells: 1st 1, 0
  Watts | Thief: 1 | Mv: 90" | THAC0: 19 | AC: 8/6 | HP: 5-1 = 4-3 = 1-5 = -4 | Armor: Leather, Dex -2 | Weapons: Longsword, Longbow (11)
  Hastin | Fighter: 1 | Mv: 60/20 | THAC0: 19 | AC: 4/3 | HP: 7-8 = -1 | Armor: Splint Mail, Shield | Weapons: Long sword, Javelin (3)
  Tippin | Halfling: 1 | Mv: 90/30 | THAC0: 19 | AC: 4/3/2 | HP: 4-8 = -4 | Armor: Banded Mail, Shield, Dex -1 | Weapons: Short sword, Shortbow (18)[/strike]

Marching Orders

• Scout:
  • Keebler
  5-foot:
  • Junius
    Keebler
    AdaRue
    Mila
    Rainey
    Canun
  10-foot:
  • Junius
    Keebler
    AdaRue & Mila
    Rainey & Canun

Rolls

• R04: Initiative: Players: [1d6] = 3, Monsters: [1d6] = 4
  R04: FB1 vs J (16): [1d20] = 3 [2d4] = 7 | [2d4] = 4
  R04: FB3 vs K (15): [1d20] = 2 [2d4] = 6 | [2d4] = 6

[/list]

[Zhym]

Keebler regains his balance and strikes again.

Long sword (THAC0 19): [1d20] = 19, [1d8] = 4

[onlyme]

Junius swings, but just cant find the ability to hit the damaged bug.
: Scimitar attack [1d20+1] = 9+1 = 10 ; damage [1d8+1] = 2+1 = 3

[Bluehorse]

Mila

Tries another dart, but 2 things become obvious: 1) the little witch is definately rattled, her innate cowardness showing once more. 2) she needs practice.

Dart. To hit [1d20] = 11 Damage [1d4] = 4

[dmw71]

Round 5
Keebler and Junius refocus their efforts and act more quickly than their multi-legged adversaries. The dwarf continues to be too weary and weakened from his gruesome wounds and slashes wildly with his scimitar. The elf, however, finds his focus and cuts deeply into the beetle confronting him, causing it to reel back and vacate the area Mila targeted with her latest errant toss.

While the rest of the group in back consider their actions, the beetles decide they've had enough abuse and quickly turn and flee down the same side passage from which they emerged.

E02R05.jpg (106.6 KiB) Viewed 1706 times

The party, at least for now, is safe.


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Actions?


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Possessions Left Behind

• Latest List

---
Date: 29 Februarius, Year 7102
Time: 10:31 (Sunrise: 06:37, Sunset: 18:22)
Temp: 79F
Conditions:

• Warm
  Humid
  Light Rain

Light Sources:

• AdaRue's Lantern (AdaRue) (Extinguished)
  Mila's Lantern (Mila) (Extinguished: 29 Februarius @ 19:27)
  Canun's Lantern (Canun) (Extinguished: 30 Februarius @ 10:18)
  Hastin's Torch (Hastin) (Extinguished: 29 Februarius @ 11:18)

Known Conditions/Spells in Effect:

• Mila's 'Shield' spell on Keebler (Dispelled: 29 Februarius @ 10:49)

Character Status

• Mila | MU: 1 | Mv: 120/40 | THAC0: 19 | AC: 9 | HP: 5 | Armor: Unarmored | Weapons: Dagger | Spells: 1st: 1, 0 (Shield)
  Keebler| : Elf: 1 | Mv: 90/30 | THAC0: 19 | AC: 4/3 | HP: 6 | Armor: Banded, Shield | Weapons: Longsword, Longbow (17) | Spells: 1st: 1 (Sleep)
  Junius | Dwarf: 1 | Mv: 90/30 | THAC0: 19 | AC: 4/3/2 | HP: 10-8 = 2 | Armor: Banded Mail, Shield, Dex -1 | Weapons: Scimitar, Sling (10), Shortbow (18)
  AdaRue | Cleric: 1 | Mv: 60/20 | THAC0: 19 | AC: 4/3 | HP: 5-3 = 2 | Armor: Banded Mail, Shield | Weapons: Mace, Staff | Spells: 1st: 1 (Light)
  Canun | Cleric: 1 | Mv: 60/20 | THAC0: 19 | AC: 4/3 | HP: 4 | Armor: Banded, Shield | Weapons: Mace, Sling | Spells: 1st: 1, 0 (Light)
  • Nelly | Mule: 2 hd | Mv: 120/40 | THAC0: 18 | AC: 7 | HP: 9 | #Attacks: 1 (kick or bite) | Damage: 1d4 or 1d3 | Morale: 8 | Carrying: 0 pounds | Max Load: 400 pounds
  Rainey | MU: 1 | Mv: 120" | THAC0: 19 | AC: 10 | HP: 3 | Armor: Unarmored | Weapons: Dagger | Spells: 1st: 1, 0 (Sleep)

The Lost or Fallen

• Tom | Halfling: 1 | Mv: 60/20 | THAC0: 19 | AC: 5/4/3 | HP: 5-4 = 1+3 = 4-5 = -1 | Armor: Chain, Shield, Dex -1 | Weapons: Handaxe, Shortbow (16), Dagger
  Omdog | MU: 1 | Mv: 120" | THAC0: 19 | AC: 9 | HP: 3-4 = -1 | Armor: Unarmored | Weapons: Quarterstaff, Dagger | Spells: 1st 1, 0
  Watts | Thief: 1 | Mv: 90" | THAC0: 19 | AC: 8/6 | HP: 5-1 = 4-3 = 1-5 = -4 | Armor: Leather, Dex -2 | Weapons: Longsword, Longbow (11)
  Hastin | Fighter: 1 | Mv: 60/20 | THAC0: 19 | AC: 4/3 | HP: 7-8 = -1 | Armor: Splint Mail, Shield | Weapons: Long sword, Javelin (3)
  Tippin | Halfling: 1 | Mv: 90/30 | THAC0: 19 | AC: 4/3/2 | HP: 4-8 = -4 | Armor: Banded Mail, Shield, Dex -1 | Weapons: Short sword, Shortbow (18)[/strike]

Marching Orders

• Scout:
  • Keebler
  5-foot:
  • Junius
    Keebler
    AdaRue
    Mila
    Rainey
    Canun
  10-foot:
  • Junius
    Keebler
    AdaRue & Mila
    Rainey & Canun

Rolls

• R05: Initiative: Players: [1d6] = 6, Monsters: [1d6] = 1
  R05: Morale (7): [2d6] = 11

[/list]

[onlyme]

Junius breathes a sigh of relief, but the pain is evident. He goes about cutting out the light glands for the crew.

[Zhym]

"Cut out the beetles' light glands," says Keebler as he scowls at the bodies of Tippin and Hastin. "It's all they're good for, other than turning my friends into corpses."

He sets himself to the grim task of going through Tippin's belongings. He retrieves 18 arrows, 50' of silk rope, a lantern, 5 flasks of oil, 4 trail rations, a crowbar, and a 100 gp promissory note. The hobbit also wears new hobbit-sized banded armor, for what little good it did him. Keebler restocks his own arrow supply, offers 2 to Junius, and saves the other 13 for later. He offers the other supplies to anyone who needs them. "At least we know he wouldn't have minded," he says of the hobbit who took a set of armor from another dead friend's back.

"Let's get the hell out of here," he says. "Do we dare try to carry the dead out with us, or should we burn them where they lie?"

[Rusty Tincanne]

With tears of grief running down her face, AdaRue steps carefully past Tipping and Hastin's bodies, and prays to the Mother for Junius. She doesn't know what to say to Keebler's question. Of course she wants to bury her friends, but she is too depressed to take up the task. Maybe the others will do it, or a pure in the next room...

Cure Light Wounds [1d6+1] = 3+1 = 4

[drpete]

Rainey shakes his head sadly "This sucks. We need a better plan next time, like a net or something."

[Zhym]

"I should have cast my sleeping spell when the bugs were in the corridor," says Keebler, his voice full of regret.

I don't know why I didn't. I think I'd forgotten he hadn't used it yet. That or I'd forgotten how deadly those damned beetles are.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Seeing the elf's angush, AdaRue rushes over and gives him a big hug. Oh Keebler... is all she can manage.

[Zhym]

With whatever help he can get, Keebler drags Tippin and Hastin to the surface and buries them before returning to town.

He is silent most of the way back, lost in his thoughts and his grief. He thinks about all the people he knew, or barely knew, that died—Tom, Omdog, Watts, Hatin, Tippin. Bernie, before them. Humans and hobbits. Children, all of them—even the "old man" wasn't even a century old. Such a waste, he thinks.

When town is within sight, he sighs and speaks. "I don't want to die in that hole," he announces. "Actually, I don't want to die at all," he allows, "but delving into that hole greatly increases the odds of that happening in the near future—to me or to someone I care about. So I'm going to go try to find some way to feed myself that doesn't involve an unreasonable risk of being eaten by a giant bug."

"Good luck, everyone. Try not to get killed."

[Rusty Tincanne]

AdaRue assists with burying Hastin and Tippin. And hearing Keebler's desire to leave the group is heartbreaking, though completely understandable. She agrees to escort him back to town, wondering the whole time if she should bother returning as well.

Sorry for the lack of response. I was waiting to see where everyone else falls. With no one else chiming in though, I'll jsut say that it's fine to head back to town again.

[drpete]

Rainey helps to gather up the bodies, intending to bring them back to the surface for burial. He'll help carry the bodies, since he won't be worth much in a fight.

"Lets go back to town and get some reinforcements. We need more muscle if we're going to do this. Seems like we're being outmatched by vermin."

[AleBelly]

"I should have cast my sleeping spell when the bugs were in the corridor," says Keebler, his voice full of regret.

I don't know why I didn't. I think I'd forgotten he hadn't used it yet. That or I'd forgotten how deadly those damned beetles are.

"Hubbard teaches that mistakes don't always kill those who make them. Many times they kill those we care about" Canun adds unhelpfully.

The pudgy cleric helps bury the bodies and returns to town with the others.

"Killing beetles is entirely unprofitable" brays the not-so-humble servant of Hubbard. "I'm with Keebler. There must be more profitable ventures out there somewhere."