Chapter 15: Empire Under the Earth

[ravenn4544]

Amehtu wonders if this was indeed the right path - it's now the only path. He will follow Mako and the light down the tunnel towards the commotion and what is hopefully the party.

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

"Looks like we are trapped. Nowhere to go but forward. Let us proceed with caution. Remember, reckless action is worse than wise restraint. It's a lesson our group has yet to learn."

[Urson]

Zahra Edited
Zahra throws one of her javelins at the wall/roof over the Southeast tunnel, with an intent of starting a small collapse to close that tunnel.

att [1d20+4] = 13+4 = 17
javelin [1d6+3] = 5+3 = 8

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

His brain screams at him that his senses lie. "By what corrupt hand could mere ants grow to rival in size a Nemedian stallion?!"

As his body weakens and the ants advance innumerable into the rough-hewn subterranean chamber, the icy grip of horror begins to take hold of his barbarian soul. But this is Cruloc, reared in a land where to admit defeat is to bow one’s neck to death. Cruloc, whose mighty thews are the hope of his friends and the terror of his enemies! With fear-born strength, he thrusts his sword deep between ebony exoskeletal plates!

Attack w/longsword [1d20+2] = 18+2 = 20
Damage vs. L [1d12+3] = 8+3 = 11

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen continues to spin, dodge, thrust, and parry with his amazing gift of the ancients, plunging his magic javelin into another nearby ant.

Attack w/ +2 Javelin of Men-khetu [1d20+2] = 17+2 = 19 Dam [1d6+3] = 5+3 = 8

[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





Alarm! Alarm! We are invaded!
From antenna to antenna, the dire message spreads like wildfire across the collective mind of the swarming colony!

At the front line, the fearless warriors defend their home with razor sharp mandibles, fearsome poison, and ultimately with their lives!



Two more gigantic ants race into the low vaulted chamber; one a worker, one a warrior. The former helps drag back a newly slain sister from the front line!

The despised raiders drop their torches to fight, and one remains afire.

Underlit, with their immense shadows looming even higher than their gargantuan forms, the soldier ants sow havoc among the adventurers!



Xorzen is seized by the crushing jaws of one mammoth insect (5hp damage)! Its frightening stinger impales him, filling his veins with a toxic poison! (-1hp more. Please save vs Poison or suffer another 6hp in damage!)

Garrin too is crushed in the vise-like mandibles of a giant arthropod (8hp damage!), and injected with lethal venom that burns him from the inside! (-1hp more. Please save vs Poison or suffer another 7hp in damage!)

Mako's mystical light illuminates his path as he and Amethu race down the strange circular tunnel! At its end they are startled to discover enormous ants! ...as tall as men! ...and engaged with their companions in a ferocious battle of life and death!

Zahra the amazon hurls a javelin with all her strength into the roof trying to trigger a cave in! But the ant-forged structure holds!

The ants' armor proves just as invulnerable. Neither Loche's dagger, Garrin's sword nor Kiri's trident can penetrate the thick natural plating of these unflinching myrmidons!

But Xorzen's javelin pierces a thorax, delivering a devastating wound that does not stop his relentless enemy!

And Cruloc the barbarian decapitates his maimed foe in a gruesome shower of translucent yellow ooze!


Actions?!


Map:

One square = 10 feet.


Non-required Reading (rolls and rulings):

Two dropped torches go out? (1): [1d2] = 1, [1d2] = 2 One remains lit.
Initiative: Party: [1d6] = 2, Monsters: [1d6] = 3 Monsters win again.
Ant charges Kiri (1) or Xorzen (2)? [1d2] = 2. Attack: [1d20+2] = 11+2 = 13, damage: [2d4] = 5 Hits Xorzen for 5hp damage.
If Giant Ant succeeds with mandible bite, it may also try to sting:
Giant Ant stings Xorzen: [1d20] = 12, damage: [1d4] = 1 or [3d4] = 7 Hits.
Giant Ant bites Loche (1) or Garrin (2)? [1d2] = 2. Attack: [1d20] = 17, damage: [2d4] = 8 Bites Garrin for 8hp damage!
If Giant Ant succeeds with mandible bite, it may also try to sting:
Giant Ant stings Garrin: [1d20] = 20, damage: [1d4] = 1 or [3d4] = 8 Hits.
Giant Ant bites Zahra (1) or Cruloc (2)? [1d2] = 1. Attack: [1d20] = 12, damage: [2d4] = 6 Misses Zahra.
Zahra attack: sand/rock of roof Saves vs blow (10): [1d20] = 15Roof successfully saves. No cave in.
Loche attacks with dagger: [1d20+1] = 1+1 = 2, damage: [1d3+1] = 3+1 = 4 Misses. No fumbles or critical hits in this game.

PC Status:

• Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 12/14, Spells: 6/7 1st lvl, 3/3 2nd lvl
  Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 2: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 13/35, Torch
  Garrin Locke: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 3(1), HP: 17/26, Laying Hands: 1/1
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 14/14, Spells: 2/3 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: 1/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl, Light Spell
  Tjoruy: Verulian Osoran Cleric 4: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 1/31, Spells: 2/5 1st lvl, 4/4 2nd lvl
  Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 3: Move: 17", AC: 6(4), HP: 10/16
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 3: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 16/21, Torch

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: 76 rounds
  Light (Mako): Duration: 28 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)

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra gives her cat-snarl warcry, leaping at the nearest of the gigantic ants.
att [1d20+4] = 6+4 = 10
sword vs lg [1d12+3] = 1+3 = 4

[Scott308]

Loche

The Pict, grumbling to himself, tries desperately to find a gap in the ant's natural armor with his dagger.

Jeweled Dagger +1/ +2 vs. Undead (20): [1d20+1] = 14+1 = 15; Damage: [1d4+1] = 3+1 = 4; Damage, Large: [1d3+1] = 2+1 = 3

[ChubbyPixie]

Shield up, Kiri shifts to his left, trying to get behind the ant they are battling. He lunges when he sees an opening, but his trident is batted away at the last second.

Attack with Trident +1, Claw of Chobek (THAC0:19): To Hit: [1d20+4] = 5+4 = 9 Damage vs. s/m: [1d6+8] = 6+8 = 14, vs. Lg: [3d4+7] = 6+7 = 13

“I will make a break for the northern opening. I cannot hear Tjoruy anymore. I fear he is lost.” he shouts.

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

"Amethu switch places with me. Our comrades need your divine blessings if they are to survive."

[OGRE MAGE]

Save vs. Poison 12 [1d20] = 19

With no oil flasks at his disposal, Xorxen continues pressing the attack against these monster ants.

Attack w/ +2 Javelin of Men-khetu [1d20+2] = 9+2 = 11 Dam [1d6+3] = 6+3 = 9

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

[SocraticLawyer]

Save vs poison (11) [1d20] = 19

Shaking off the effects of the ant's poison, Garrin again attacks his foe. Again, he fails.

To Hit with +1 Long Sword: [1d20+1] = 2+1 = 3; Damage: sm - [1d8+1] = 7+1 = 8; lg - [1d12+1] = 11+1 = 12

[ravenn4544]

Amehtu will work his way to the injured and help who he thinks is at most risk.

CLW on Xorzen Cure Light Wounds [1d8] = 5

[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





The colony of gigantic ants urgently mobilizes against the dire threat of the human raiders!

At the invasion point, ferocious soldier ants battle on without fear or mercy or doubt, buying precious time for their teeming brethren to marshal their forces.

Two worker ants clear away the dead as another soldier charges to the front!

But no more reinforcements enter the chamber, for now!

Loche the Pict and Zahra the amazon evade the deadly jaws of the immense warrior arthropods. But Kiri is savaged by enormous crushing mandibles! He feels his ribs cracking in their vise-like grip! (7hp damage)



His frightening assailant's abdomen stinger injects deadly venom into Kiri's struggling form! (-2hp more. Please save vs Poison or suffer another 4hp in damage!)

Amethu advances past Mako and calls upon the holy blessings of Uthoth! He strains and struggles to barely reach Xorzen to heal him! (+5hp)

Once more, none of the human raiders of the colony can penetrate the impervious, thick exoskeletons of the gigantic soldier ants!

“I will make a break for the northern opening! I cannot hear Tjoruy anymore! I fear he is lost!” Kiri Khutan shouts, nearly lost himself.


Actions?!


Map:

One square = 10 feet.


Non-required Reading (rolls and rulings):

Initiative: Party: [1d6] = 2, Monsters: [1d6] = 3 Monsters win again.
Giant Ant bites Kiri (1) or Xorzen (2)? [1d2] = 1. Attack: [1d20] = 20, damage: [2d4] = 7 Hits Kiri for 7 damage.
No critical hits or fumbles in this game.
If Giant Ant succeeds with mandible bite, it may also try to sting:
Giant Ant stings Kiri: [1d20] = 17, damage: [1d4] = 2 or [3d4] = 6 Hits.
Giant Ant bites Loche (1) or Garrin (2)? [1d2] = 1. Attack: [1d20] = 6, damage: [2d4] = 3 Misses Loche.
Giant Ant charges Zahra (1) or Cruloc (2)? [1d2] = 1. Attack: [1d20+2] = 4+2 = 6, damage: [2d4] = 7 Misses Zahra.

PC Status:

• Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 12/14, Spells: 5/7 1st lvl, 3/3 2nd lvl
  Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 2: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 13/35
  Garrin Locke: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 3(1), HP: 17/26, Laying Hands: 1/1
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 5/14, Spells: 2/3 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: 1/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl, Light Spell
  Tjoruy: Verulian Osoran Cleric 4: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 1/31, Spells: 2/5 1st lvl, 4/4 2nd lvl
  Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 3: Move: 17", AC: 6(4), HP: 15/16
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 3: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 16/21, Torch

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: 75 rounds
  Light (Mako): Duration: 27 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)

[ravenn4544]

Amethu sees Kiri take a crushing hit. He will pray to the ancient gods to lend aid...

Cure Light Wounds [1d8] = 2

...

[Urson]

Zhara
Zahra attacks the nearest if the ants again.
att [1d20+4] = 14+4 = 18
sword vs lg [1d12+3] = 9+3 = 12

Her sword cuts deep into the insect, ichor gushing from the wound!

[SocraticLawyer]

Garrin strikes out again at the giant insect.

To Hit with +1 Long Sword: [1d20+1] = 15+1 = 16; Damage: sm - [1d8+1] = 4+1 = 5; lg - [1d12+1] = 4+1 = 5

This time, his sword breaks through the ant's chitinous exterior.

[Scott308]

Loche

Loche is once again unable to find a weak spot in the ant's exoskeleton.

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

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

Fighting alongside the sleek Verulian lioness, Cruloc inflicts on the giant ant a minor wound.

Attack w/longsword [1d20+2] = 18+2 = 20
Damage vs. L [1d12+3] = 1+3 = 4

"I am glad not to walk the road to Hell alone!"