A Mountainous Exploration Part 11
GAME: NEW ROUND!
Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Four - Init 26.
It is now The Walls Have Eyes... and ears... and tentacles..'s turn! Munch is next!
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+23: (2)+23: 25
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+23: (10)+23: 33
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+23: (2)+23: 25
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+23: (17)+23: 40
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d6+4: (6)+4: 10
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d6+4: (3)+4: 7
GAME: Garak rolls weapon15+4-3: (19)+14+4+-3: 34
GAME: Garak rolls weapon15+4-3-5: (10)+14+4+-3+-5: 20
GAME: Garak rolls 1d8+9+9+4+2d6: (1)+9+9+4+(9): 32
Garak chants a word, and then stabs at the nearest wall with his lance. Powered by the various enchantements and held in both hands the weapon spears through a tentatcle and then pins it in place against the wall. "We have to keep moving!" he urges. "This is no place to fight!"
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Four - Init 23.
It is now Munch's turn! Seldan is next!
GAME: Munch rolls weapon28: (18)+20: 38
GAME: Munch rolls weapon28-5: (20)+20+-5: 35 (THREAT)
GAME: Munch rolls weapon28-5: (4)+20+-5: 19
GAME: Munch rolls damage28+1d6: aliased to 1D12+13+1d6: (9)+13+(3): 25
GAME: Munch rolls damage28+1d6: aliased to 1D12+13+1d6: (3)+13+(3): 19
Munch chops at the wall. Well, the thing covering the wall, pretending. Well, not pretending any more. Now it's just a regular monster, that's getting chopped. A lot. By an axe that oozes lime green acid. Into the walls eyes. That's all sorts of unplesant. For the wall.
It isn't like the 'wall' isn't trying to hit back, anyway. Though chunks of it lay wiggling on the floor at this point, it's tentacles have slapped Munch hard several times, leaving the golems'z exterior shifting like it *wants* to warp.
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Four - Init 15.
It is now Seldan's turn! Stjepan is next!
GAME: Seldan rolls weapon1+5-3: (12)+16+5+-3: 30
GAME: Seldan rolls weapon1+5-3-5: (20)+16+5+-3+-5: 33 (THREAT)
GAME: Seldan rolls weapon1+5-3-5: (12)+16+5+-3+-5: 25
GAME: Seldan rolls 1d8+6+6+6+1: (5)+6+6+6+1: 24
GAME: Seldan rolls 2d8+12+12+12+2: (10)+12+12+12+2: 48
By now, Seldan is well covered from head to foot in gore and other ugly things, so much so that were he not laying about with that sword as vigorously as he is, he might be little more than a moving blood creature with ice-blue eyes. Thee chaos creature doesn't yet seem to have touched him, for all the mess it has made upon him, and this time is no different. Finding a few, soft spot of eyes yet untouched, he lays into it with all his strength, once, then twice, sinking the weapon deep into an orange-toned eyeball and putting it out forever.
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Four - Init 15.
It is now Stjepan's turn! Rhar is next!
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Four - Init 11.
It is now Rhar's turn! Olek is next!
Rhar growls at the wall, with its evil, flailing testacles! She points her sharp pointy stick at it/them. "Rhar, Testacle Slayer, no let you hurt pack!" She threatens it with the sharp pointy stick as Gurr moves, urging those ahead forward while Rhar urges everyone. "Pack! Move!"
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Four - Init 10.
It is now Olek's turn! Malik is next!
GAME: Olek rolls 1d20+22: (10)+22: 32
GAME: Olek rolls 1d20+17: (8)+17: 25
GAME: Olek rolls 1d10+14+1d6: (9)+14+(1): 24
GAME: Olek rolls 1d10+14+1d6: (8)+14+(6): 28
Olek shield up, axe out, shouting defiance in crude Khudzul. He has zero class. Possibly negative class. However he wields the dwarfish greataxe with a deadly ferocity, rage fuelling his blows as he hacks at the wall with the adamantine weapon, itself glowing with rage-fuelled holy power. Heavy blows fall with full follow-through as he hacks into the wall with all the power he can muster, slashing through an eyeball and splattering more mess everywhere.
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Four - Init 8.
It is now Malik's turn! The Walls Have Eyes... and ears... and tentacles.. is next!
GAME: Malik casts Haste. Caster Level: 13 DC: 17
GAME: Malik rolls 1d20 + 13 + 4: (17)+13+4: 34
Malik frowns, once again wrapping the party with the magic that speeds them through the fight, allowing them to be more nimble and graceful. "I think," he calls, "we should maybe find another corridor."
GAME: NEW ROUND!
Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Five - Init 26.
It is now The Walls Have Eyes... and ears... and tentacles..'s turn! Garak is next!
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+23: (15)+23: 38
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+23: (2)+23: 25
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+23: (16)+23: 39
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+23: (9)+23: 32
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d6+4: (5)+4: 9
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d6+4: (6)+4: 10
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d6+4: (6)+4: 10
GAME: Munch rolls fort: (19)+18: 37
It still seems grievously offended by Munch.
For whatever reason, it's just... /focused/ on the golem, pseudopods lashing out at him again and again and again, battering the golem's exterior and leaving it slightly warped all the same as before.
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Five - Init 24.
It is now Garak's turn! Munch is next!
GAME: Garak rolls weapon15+2+4+4+1-3: (18)+14+2+4+4+1+-3: 40
GAME: Garak rolls weapon15+2+4+4+1-3: (1)+14+2+4+4+1+-3: 23 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Garak rolls weapon15+2+4+4+1-3-5: (18)+14+2+4+4+1+-3+-5: 35
GAME: Garak rolls 1d8+9+9+4+2d6: (3)+9+9+4+(3): 28
GAME: Garak rolls 1d8+9+9+4+2d6: (6)+9+9+4+(6): 34
Garak takes a few steps to one side, glances up and down the line of the party and then takes one step further, until he's closer to Munch. He stabs the wall on each side. Then he settles, watching for any sign of incoming tentacles.
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Five - Init 23.
It is now Munch's turn! Seldan is next!
GAME: Munch rolls weapon28: (4)+20: 24
GAME: Munch rolls weapon28: (13)+20: 33
GAME: Munch rolls weapon28-5: (20)+20+-5: 35 (THREAT)
GAME: Munch rolls weapon20-5: (15)+0+-5: 10
GAME: Munch rolls weapon28-5: (7)+20+-5: 22
GAME: Munch rolls damage28+1d6: aliased to 1D12+13+1d6: (1)+13+(1): 15
GAME: Munch rolls damage28+1d6: aliased to 1D12+13+1d6: (2)+13+(6): 21
GAME: Munch rolls 3d12+39+1d6: (27)+39+(1): 67
Munch is really more a loner sort than a pack member, but does find Rhar's urgings motivational. But this section of tunnel with eyes seems as good as any other, so he stays put to hit harder. His axe flashes, taking out another chunk, as tentacles try to convince his torso to join the Goo Side. "No thank you. Amorphours versitility has it's moments, but a structured form has a more durible baseline and higher constructive capabilites. I'm perfectly happy as a Solid Citizen." the tentacles continue to press, and the golems eyes flash red. The massive great axe sweeps overhead, slicing open the eyes peering from above, and slams down into the floor, splattering a mass of ooze "I -said- 'NO THANK YOU'!!"
GAME: Munch ends his rage.
GAME: Olek ends his rage.
GAME: Whirlpool removes the timestop.
...well, the good news is that the good has lost its cohestion. The bad news is that this means it's now more like a mass of independent horrigble writhing things that are much smaller, going in every conceivable dir ection.
The 'okay' news is that the tunnel you're in is no longer quite so narrow, as much of that was composed of the creature. It also reveals that you're not in a single, narrow tunnel, but rather in the midst of a windy set of passages that all look alike.
In any event, there are now various off-shoots to the tunnel you're in, though a quick glance reveals that a few of them are aborted tunnels that weren't 'finished' by whatever dug them.
Olek looks around, wheezing a bit, and leans on the long handle of his waraxe. "What in the world -was- that?" he wonders. Apparently too winded to swear. When he catches his wind, he'll look around thoughtfully, wondering, "Where have we gotten ourselves to now?"
Garak's lance disappears and he looks around slowly. "I have no idea," he admits. "Thankfully we all seem to be in one piece." He peers at the newly revealed tunnels. He reaches up and adjusts his monacle and then looks again. "But look at these - they don't seem finished. Perhaps we are close to whatever it is that is making them."
Munch sighs, exhaling a small cloud of smelly, but probally non-toxic fumes. "Damn converts get pushier all the time..." He chest plate wobbles a little, but seesm to be solidifying. "Everyone okay? ...as much as can be expected under the circumstance?"
Malik looks a bit on the pale side, mouth pressed into a tight line. As if concentrating on something other than the tunnels. He looks around at the others, considering a moment, then nods, though it doesn't look like his heart is truly in it. "I think," he finally says, "that we may be out of our depth. We should seek an exit."
Munch buzzes and shrugs. "I don't know, this place doesn't seem so bad. I mean sure, the walls try to kill you and there's an oppressive unseen evil that seems out to destroy everything we hold dear, but what place doesn't have it's little quirks?"
"I am untouched." Other than being utterly covered in blood and gore, sure. Seldan lowers his blade and looks around, especially at Malik. "A thing easier said than done, I think." He looks around them, and wipes a spot of goo off of his face. "Certainly this place is not to be taken lightly."
Olek nods to Malik, and says, "That seems like a good plan. So which way do we go?" He looks around at the maze of twisty passages, all alike, and relies on his dwarfish intuition about caves and stonework. Or he tries to, but comes up blank. To Munch, he says, "That's a bit more quirk than I'm looking for in my hearth, thank you. I'll take ale and hot stew for a preference."
"We're not that far from Alexandria," Garak remarks. "And perhaps even more troubling, not far from the Planar Cannon." He peers at the tunnels. "But our best tactic remains to stay together. I can grant the Wind Walk blessing again, if any are willing. It will allow you to move quickly, and to fly. At the cost of being harmless in battle," he adds in a lower voice.
GAME: Olek rolls perception: (6)+16: 22
Stjepan stands, hunched over and smeared with gore and filth. "I'm tiring of this. Let us bring it to an end, or depart."
Olek is peering at the various tunnels, and says, "Those tunnels." he points, "don't go very far, I think. Our likliest way out, if this were a normal cave, is that way or that way," he points to the likely options.
Munch nods in the second direction Olek indicated. "I like that way. It had more green eyes. Green eyes are lucky."
Malik nods. "When we've rested, we can check the remainders," the wizard suggests. "But for now, we..." He grows quiet, listening to Munch, the thin-lipped grimace turning into a small smile. "Maybe we go with the metal man's suggestion. We could all use some luck. Preferably better than what we've had so far."
You take a moment to gather yourselves and then begin to head down the latest tunnel you've located. As Olek said, this one seems to continue on for quite a ways, but iut begins to wind, and then... spiral.
It's spiralling down into a slope, deeper down.
This may not be where you want to go. On the other hand, it's not like you /know/ the way out, either, and it's hard to say whether or not this will eventually bring you to the exit you need to find.
Olek heads downward, it's as good a direction as any just now. He peers into the darkness, for what he can see.
Garak marches along in the midst of the party. He keeps his eyes peeled for new menaces and also does his best to keep track of where they've gone. "I wish we'd started a map," he suddenly says. "To record where we've gone and what we've seen so far."
Munch buzzes and shrugs. "With all the illusions and pits, not sure a map would help."
Down, down, down...
...down some more...
...down a bit more...
It's a spiral, and it's getting a little dizzyingly narrow.
Stjepan keeps spiralling downwards. "This is dizzymaking. If I trip, I'm taking you all with me." A grunt to Munch. "I think you're right. Not sure a map would have helped, not without it being carved out of illusion."
Olek nods to the others, though he continues on. He'll reach out a hand to steady Stjepan, though he can only reach like his hip. "Hang in there, we're getting out of here," he assures him.
Garak follows the others. He sighs as the spiral gets narrower. "I wonder what will be at the end of this spiral," he thinks back to the magicite golem.
...and then just like that, it starts to widen again.
Widen considerably. Widen like /whoa/. These tunnels are getting *big*, the circles longer and longer. Great.
Munch shrugs. "Maybe we'll fall out the bottom? Almost did that in Rune, when it started flying."
Olek smiles, breathes a sigh of relief, and says, "It's getting easier going, anyhow. If the bottom drops out, I'm OK."
Stjepan laughs. "If the bottom drops out, I'm holding on to your thighs!"
GAME: Olek rolls perception: (11)+16: 27
GAME: Stjepan rolls perception: (15)+20: 35
GAME: Munch rolls perception: (15)+20: 35
GAME: Garak rolls perception: (14)+19: 33
...so, you know, you've been moving in these for a while and it's just getting wider. FInally, you notice that the ground you're walking on is...
Oh, hey. That's not stone anymore. That's actually some kind of... chitin?
That's when the ground rumbles and /starts/ to move. The problem is that its taking you with it.
You're oin the back of a purple worm. Better hold on tight.