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*Elthan is smiling slightly, a rare occurance. He appears to be enjoying a chance to see an extra-planer species at work. He walks around and tries to find the best place to observe the formain work.*
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Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by erikun
Aww, a griffin! Cute!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Collin152
Heyheyheyheyheyhey.
If griffin-hugs are going around, I want in on them!
Quote:
Avery: What are you, some kind of grammar nazi?
Millie: Yep. I've just invaded Grammar Czechoslovakia and duped Grammar Neville Chamberlain, and now it's off to Grammar Poland and Grammar World Conquest!!
The chirrurrurr sounds continue, and when Linda looks down she realizes that her robe has been cleaned and mended. Likewise, Darius, Sheyra, and the Elthans all find that their clothes and boots have been repaired and made almost as good as new. The formians' light touch is almost feather soft, but they seem to be quite good at making general repairs. The harvesting of the luminescent mushrooms into perfect geometric shapes continues ...
When Fizahn starts moving towards one of the exits, the formians around him gently nudge and bump him back into the center of the circle. He tries dodging between them and hopping over them, but each time, the formians gently nudge him back toward the others (or perhaps they are nudging the others towards him - same result).
In order to join the conversation, Achkby wades through the formians, who part to make way for him. Soon, Aeroz, Achkby, Fizahn, Lissa, and Lumpy all find themselves standing together in a perfect 20 ft diameter circle, otherwise unmolested in the sea of formian workers. The workers that form the border of the circle stare at them unblinkingly while their antennae wave gently ...
"Do they have superiors? Things that can actually speak? If they are waiting for anyhting besides more formians, I think we should try to leave. Do you think if we all move at once, maybe they'll let us go? They could just be trying to keep us together in a single place because we're a sort of... imperfection to them..." he trails off with that, hoping that someone will have something insightful to say...
__________________ DON'T PANIC
(Arthur Avatar by the Losar.)
GO BLUE
The biggest problem with the alignment system is that it encourages us to choose.
"I did say WERE. How the hell do ya think I ended up wandering around here alone? Liked the decor so much I decided ta stay?"
Lumpy grits his fangs as he responds, his gaze starting to scan the encircling formians like a caged animal. Twisting his grip on the haft of his flail, he paws the stone floor with one foot, evoking both a metallic scrape, and an image reminiscent of a bull preparing to charge.
"Yeah, circle. That was cute fer about five seconds. Take yer stupid mushrooms and get out'a the way."
"Calm down Lumpy. Its just like bees. If you dont bug them, they don't bug you. But the thing about repairing Dwarfy's armor or Linda's robes really confuse me." Aeroz jests as he awaits the ant's next move. "Man I wish Miles was here. I'm fairly sure he could speak ant. Anyone here speak ant or have a clue about what is going on?"
Lissa seems to be coping okay by keeping her eyes closed, but her posture and voice still betray a great deal of nervousness. "Huh, they were assassins? I bet they were pretty good, actually. The best folk in the Business always look harmless and act trustworthy." She flinches back as an antenna brushes her arm. "Nnnnnh... um, so the giant bugs repaired armor and clothes? How strange! And does anyone have an idea as to why some of us are in this stupid circle and some aren't?"
(OOC: Remember, Lissa's had her eyes closed for a while to ward off giant-insect-phobia. She didn't see the mending going on.)
Bursting out of the foliage, the lizardkin sees the source of the strange chittering and his packmates herded apart by them.
..Ants!?..
The befuddlement clearly showing in his face. Giant ones.. ......I do not sense them disturbing the balance so they're not abominations
Seeing droves of them hacking the growth towards him, He decides to move sideways in the cavern. Away from the formians and the area they're interested in and sneak up as close on his packmates as possible and study the situation further.
Eventually, Hajih is also nudged and jostled by the workers over into the circle. "Umm, hi everyone! It looks like these ant-people want me to join your little party here!"
As the mushroom harvesting continues, a number of larger formians enter the cavern. Unlike the workers, these formians are almost human-sized and appear to have thicker carapaces. Instead of "hands", their first set of limbs end in large, serrated claws.
The eight larger formians move through the sea of workers, who make way for them. The larger formians ignore Thokk, Daruis and the others, instead heading directly toward the circle enclosing Achkby, Hajih, Aeroz, Lissa, Lumpy, and Fizahn.
The worker formians continue about their business ...
*Speaking All Known Languages*
"Ach, whatever ye may be, can ye help us or tell us how to get out of yer way?"
*Thokk is being abnormally polite, possible because his armor was fixed, or he does not want to start trouble (unlikely) or perhaps even he admires the formains, with everyone in a strict ridged part of society...*
*Elthan is happily observing the formain work. He looks behind him to see how the others are doing. He then see's the larger formain moving forward.*
Hmm, it would appear that the taskmasters have come to deal with us now... Mybye we could get some verbal help here. Wait a second... those claws.. Taskmasters dont have claws, only.... sh*t
*Elthan shouts out urgently*
"Everyone, move now. Move to the nearest exit as fast as possible. Don't wait, don't fight, just run."
Damn it! We've steped into the anthill and now we're about to get bit!
*Elthan procedes to move towards the left exit of the cavern, hoping that the rest of the group will choose the same direction.*
(OOC: You know how there are those ants that you can watch all day and they'll never bother you, and then there are those ants that if you get close enough to, they'll jump on your leg and bite? Well, we've encountered the former, now the later is here, and we didn't just casually walk by them, we've stomped right on top of thier mound.)
__________________
Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by erikun
Aww, a griffin! Cute!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Collin152
Heyheyheyheyheyhey.
If griffin-hugs are going around, I want in on them!
Quote:
Avery: What are you, some kind of grammar nazi?
Millie: Yep. I've just invaded Grammar Czechoslovakia and duped Grammar Neville Chamberlain, and now it's off to Grammar Poland and Grammar World Conquest!!
At Elthan's shout, Lissa's eyes pop open. *Upon seeing the tallfolk-sized, clawed formians, she can't hold it in any longer. *She shrieks, the incredibly high-pitched, ear-piercing shriek that only a smallfolk's vocal cords can produce. *Even as she screams, the gnome is whirling around, grabbing hold of Lumpy's armor, and literally climbing up the surprised half-orc. *Once she reaches his shoulders, Lissa leaps for dear life, over the worker formians in Elthan II's direction.
(OOC: I don't have Tumble, but I do have Climb and Jump! *Sorry, bhdrake; Lumpy's the highest point she can reach. *If he decides not to cooperate, I'm sure DR can modify the skill checks accordingly.)
Peering from his hidden position, the eyes of the lizardkin narrow as he spots the new ant-giants and the claws they sport.
Those are not mere workers..
He looks for Sheyra and his neck slows in its bulging up and down. Semuanya be praised.. the key.. the bait to our hunt is unharmed and.... safe.... for...now
He spots Fizahn among the group being cordoned off... The little pinkskin..
Memories of 2 other pinkskins rise unbidden, a warrior with the heart of a drgaon and a pinkskin who embraced the Eternal Balance... No.. he mentally announces. His face hardening as he rises and casts a spell that would delay the ant-giants.
OOC: we'll make a honorary druid of you, KoG. I cast entangle centred around the soldiers. let's hope this works.
Darius runs to the Lizardkin and whips out his bow, he spins around to face the soldiers.
"If the ants attack, I'll launch an arrow into your spell." he says, going over a plan in his head. "That'll give them a little trouble... especially if all the mushrooms catch on fire."
Darius nocks a flaming arrow to his bow and pulls back the string, he readies an attack to fire but waits until the formians attack him or any of his companions.
__________________ Currently Playing: Lotho Vendara, Halfling Rogue, in End of Ages IC/ OOC
Achkby tenses up, ready to make a run for it, waiting to see what the ants do to those who do try and escape. His eyes narrow, and dart around nervously, as he tries to watch both the larger, advancing insects, his running companions, and the now-sorcerous Lizardkin.
I wish so much that I could merely wing my way to safety...
After an indecisive moment, he tries to attune himself to the magic of the half-orc, trying to anticipate his effect.
[OOC]Spellcraft @ +8 to figure out Ss's spell...[/OOC]
__________________ DON'T PANIC
(Arthur Avatar by the Losar.)
GO BLUE
The biggest problem with the alignment system is that it encourages us to choose.
Looking extraordinarily dumbfounded by Lissa's manuever, Lumpy does little more than stand there for a moment. With all the running, shouting, and assorted other chaos going on, the orc quickly regains his bearings, glancing towards the ant-warriors. His expression immediately hardens, from his displeased scowl to a determined.. well, scowl. He's evidently had enough, and his husky voice mirrors that, "I'd get ready ta run if I was ya."
His shoulder drops, a chuff more worthy of an animal than a man escaping his throat, as he charges in the general direction of the others, looking to bowl a path through the workers.
(OOC: I don't really know the mechanics involved here, so do what you have to and we'll see how it goes. Those of you who aren't giant half-orcs might want to follow through the path he clears, or push on his back or something.)
Taking a hefty swig from his flask, Hajih draws his two weapons. His jacket tails fluttering behind him, he looks towards the warriors and promptly moves as fast as he can in the other direction."Well folks, I ain't staying here, them claws aren’t made for a banquet."
Fizahn takes one look at the warrior's claws, and redoubles his efforts to get out. He draws his "short sword" and starts dodging among the ants again, trying to get to the left passage they originally decided on. "This is just great! I knew we should have left when we had the chance!"
The lizardman gestures, and tendrils rise up out of the stone, entangling the formian warriors, along with dozens of workers. Achkby nods appreciatively at the lizardman's magic.
Lissa leaps from Lumpy's shoulders into the sea of workers. Lumpy chooses to bulldoze his way through the workers instead, knocking them aside like bowling pins. The others (Aeroz, Fizahn, Hajih, and Achkby) follow in Lumpy's wake. The workers resist passively, slowing your progress, but they do not otherwise show aggression.
Two of the warriors wriggle out of the entangling tendrils and continue their singleminded pursuit of the chaotic members of the party.
The rest of the formians continue harvesting mushrooms as if nothing is happening. They continue to ignore Thokk, Darius, Sheyra, Linda, the Elthans, Sedryn, and the lizardman.
The screaming continues as Lissa leaps into the sea of formians, though now she sounds as much angry as scared. She wriggles and squirms through the crowd of workers in Elthan and Darius' direction at top speed, shrieking truly vile curses in Gnomish.
With a frustratedly muffled roar, Lumpy continues driving through the crowd of workers, throwing the occasional glance back towards the status of the warriors still approaching.
"Their kind of order is completely without mercy," Sheyra says in response to Aeroz. She makes her way through the formians and towards the tunnerl.
__________________
And then they made me their cheif.
Scrambling through the formians is like wading against a strong current, but the entangle effect manages to slow down the formian warriors enough to allow the chaotic characters to make it to the small exit toward the left of the chamber.
The other characters have less difficulty making it to the opening. Neither the workers nor the warriors interfere with their progress.
As you back into the tunnel, Darius keeps the opening covered with his bow. The two warriors who escaped total immobilization eventually make it to the opening, but they do not pursue.
None the worse for the encounter with the formians (and in some cases cleaner), you work your way down an irregular tunnel. This tunnel is narrower than others you've been in. On average the passage is 5 ft wide, but in many places it is even narrower. On occasion, some of you are forced to doff your backpacks in order to squeeze through.
Maintaining a constant downhill grade, you follow the recommendations of Hajih and Lumpy at any decision point. When the two do not agree, a coin is flipped.
The darkness and tight quarters are oppressive. Perhaps more so in contrast to the openness and relative light of the fungus cavern. The air smells damp, and the ground is wet again. A hint of saltiness suggests that the Sea might not be far away.
After another long mind-numbing period of marching (who knows how much time has passed?), the party agrees to break for a meal. There isn't any widening of the passageway, so everyone just sits down where they are in a single file line.
Thokk, scouts ahead but returns quickly with news. He has encountered some light up ahead and some voices that might have been speaking Undercommon. Everyone quickly douses their light sources and stays as quiet as possible. Once everyone's eyes become dark adapted, the party creeps forward until a faint glow is indeed visible up ahead ...
*Elthan tries to stay as quiet as possible. He wispers in his mind, afraid his thoughts might even be too loud.*
If we stay quiet enough, mybye they'll just pass us by. I just hope that no-one stands up like an idiot and announced where we are. I wonder what could be down this far anyway?
__________________
Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by erikun
Aww, a griffin! Cute!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Collin152
Heyheyheyheyheyhey.
If griffin-hugs are going around, I want in on them!
Quote:
Avery: What are you, some kind of grammar nazi?
Millie: Yep. I've just invaded Grammar Czechoslovakia and duped Grammar Neville Chamberlain, and now it's off to Grammar Poland and Grammar World Conquest!!
The halfling hunkers down against the cold rock, edging farther into the middle of the group. He sticks close to the ground so as not to be seen, and pulls his wand from its holster.
What now? I don't know if we can take another fight... do they have waystations in the Underdark?
"Can you see anything?" he hisses softly to the people at the front.
__________________ DON'T PANIC
(Arthur Avatar by the Losar.)
GO BLUE
The biggest problem with the alignment system is that it encourages us to choose.
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