Side Quest One: A Slight Xenomorph Problem...
[2024/01/28 15:11] Sonja Bikergrrl: MidnightMinion Cyberstar was invited to the conversation.
[2024/01/28 15:12] Sonja Bikergrrl: Right, as I recall it we assembled a pussy, I mean, a posse, but, before we set out, we need some kittium to help us with the psychic damage we may receive
[2024/01/28 15:12] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: :)
[2024/01/28 15:13] Sonja Bikergrrl: and, with that out of the way, the six drow, plus the pair of you, are joined by a low level priestess and one of Lolths' many many-legged minions, to ensure greater glory to the silken Goddess.
[2024/01/28 15:13] Sonja Bikergrrl: I hope you got a good plan in mind...
[2024/01/28 15:13] Alicia Frakture: *Whew, yarn resisted, but barely*
[2024/01/28 15:13] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: I recall mentioning hit and run tactics to weary the humans down and pick them off one by one.
[2024/01/28 15:14] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: though it occurs to me that everyone in the posse actually outranks Atilla....
[2024/01/28 15:14] Sonja Bikergrrl: Mmhmm.... you found two ways so far, one: the cave with the wall and gate, two: the narrow fissure
[2024/01/28 15:15] Sonja Bikergrrl: The six warriors are male drow, only the priestess is female. Technically she's in charge.
[2024/01/28 15:16] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: The narrow fissure was both very tight ground to fight in and the active site they were defending, right?
[2024/01/28 15:16] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: well
[2024/01/28 15:16] Sonja Bikergrrl: You had great difficulty scraping through.
[2024/01/28 15:18] Sonja Bikergrrl: /me is trying to be impartial, and won't "assist"; up to you what route you go, but you can be sure there's -some- plan made
[2024/01/28 15:18] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: "The two approaches to the humans camp are their gated walls, with patrols and defenders on there, and the partially collapsed fissure that we last fought them at. I suspect if we try the fissure, they'll have posted guards to pick off whoever is squeezing through. The walls will be a more obvious approach, but we'll at least have room to operate. As well, they have poor ceiling defenses." He glances over to the many legged one but would never presume to issue orders in that case.
[2024/01/28 15:19] Alicia Frakture: Skamos looks at the soldiers."Okay, gonna call you canon Fodder, 1,2, abs 2 and 4... Oh my. The rest of you.. we'll see
[2024/01/28 15:19] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: "So one option is to do a stealthed assault on their walls, picking off their patrols, and slip an infiltrator or two further in to either cause more havok or open the gates from inside.
[2024/01/28 15:19] Sonja Bikergrrl: Priestess: "It would seem a frontal approach is best. Perhaps we should spread out and see what we can see first."
[2024/01/28 15:20] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: He nods in agreement to the frontal approach suggestion. "Skamous, humans are weak to being blinded by darkness. Do you have smoke or other blinding bombs?"
[2024/01/28 15:21] Alicia Frakture: Skamos nods."And keep an eye out for freaky chest bursting lizard things."
[2024/01/28 15:21] Sonja Bikergrrl: Priestess: "...what?" she turns to Attilla with a frown. "What is this thing babbling about?"
[2024/01/28 15:22] Alicia Frakture: Skamos looks through her supplies. She has molotov cocktails, can she make adjustments to turn it from more fire to more smoke?
[2024/01/28 15:24] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: "When we last fought in the fissure, we encountered a priestess on her own, injured or infected by some sort of salamander creature. It had... gotten inside her somehow, and burst outwards nearly the same moment the humans attacked us. It skittered away during the skirmish."
[2024/01/28 15:24] Sonja Bikergrrl: The priestess looks at you half incredulously, half as if you were mad
[2024/01/28 15:25] Alicia Frakture: *Ohhh invention idea. Skamos is going to find some fresh moss while Attilla explains. Dump about 9/10ths of the oil and stuff the moss in there. Wet plant matter will smoke as it burns more than get all flamey and bright... as far as she knows.
[2024/01/28 15:25] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: "The nature of the creature is beyond my ken, priestess."
[2024/01/28 15:26] Sonja Bikergrrl: Priestess: "Okay. We spread out, scout that wall, report back."
[2024/01/28 15:27] Alicia Frakture: Skamos makes another "Smoke bomb" in case the first one works.
[2024/01/28 15:27] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: He salutes in confirmation. "Yes Mam'm."
[2024/01/28 15:27] Sonja Bikergrrl: Where is everyone right now?
[2024/01/28 15:29] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: Atilla is likely in the front ranks of the scouting effort as they move to the walled cavern
[2024/01/28 15:29] Alicia Frakture: Once Skamos has her things done she is moving to the other wall away from the soldiers
[2024/01/28 15:31] Sonja Bikergrrl: The cavern has clearly been prepared. There's bright light, nullifying your darkvision. There's lots of rock formations, many are slick and damp. The gates are firmly closed, and you see no one at the walls, but you got that feeling they know you're there.
[2024/01/28 15:31] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: what shape are the rock formations?
[2024/01/28 15:32] Sonja Bikergrrl: Mostly conical, tapering up, although the ones on the ceiling taper down.
[2024/01/28 15:33] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: so the usual cavern stagmites and stalactites then
[2024/01/28 15:34] Sonja Bikergrrl: So far as you can tell, yes. Along with bright light, which is rather less usual.
[2024/01/28 15:34] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: What's generating the bright lights?
[2024/01/28 15:35] Sonja Bikergrrl: You can't see a source. Chances are high it's magical.
[2024/01/28 15:36] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: Fortunately drow darkness is magical too, but Atilla... we haven't had long enough to rest for his once-per-day to come back, yes?
[2024/01/28 15:37] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: Also, how long of a lighted approach do we have?
[2024/01/28 15:37] Sonja Bikergrrl: indeed, you're "exhausted" on that point.
[2024/01/28 15:37] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: Ok, he'll use the stagmites for cover and check for traps as he advances
[2024/01/28 15:38] Sonja Bikergrrl: It'll probably be a full combat round at least to reach the walls, assuming you hurry; going slower and more carefully will take longer, but, not likely to give much advantage.
[2024/01/28 15:38] Sonja Bikergrrl: you'll advance? Skamos?
[2024/01/28 15:39] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: as stealthily as possible, favoring the cover offered by the terrain over treading open ground before he's inspected the approach
[2024/01/28 15:40] Alicia Frakture: Same. keeping the first smoke bomb in her hand for if it is needed
[2024/01/28 15:42] Alicia Frakture: Trying to be as quiet as possible as she is a tiefling with hooves
[2024/01/28 15:42] Sonja Bikergrrl: You enter the lit area; while the drow spread out in the darkness. There's no reaction to your presence - at first, but you quickly notice two things very quickly. 1/ There's two rather large rounded oval rocks... or they LOOKED like rocks, but the tops just... peel open, in four lobes or petals. 2/ The gates are creaking open, and you can hear panicked voices.
[2024/01/28 15:44] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: Skamos readies his bow to deal with whatever is about to come out of those trojan rocks that are opening up
[2024/01/28 15:45] Sonja Bikergrrl: and Atilla? :P
[2024/01/28 15:45] Alicia Frakture: And Atilla is casting mirror image on the soldiers to make the army look bigger
[2024/01/28 15:46] Sonja Bikergrrl: Mirror Image... mmm... works only on you
[2024/01/28 15:46] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: oops, right
[2024/01/28 15:46] Alicia Frakture: Then never mind
[2024/01/28 15:46] Alicia Frakture: Skamos is going to hold her action for now then to see what is going on
[2024/01/28 15:48] Sonja Bikergrrl: "mirror image causes -himself-...."
[2024/01/28 15:48] Sonja Bikergrrl: Nice idea, if you had illusion magic!
[2024/01/28 15:50] Alicia Frakture: *You gave skamos the spell of mirror image but right now.. just gonna wait and see.*
[2024/01/28 15:50] Sonja Bikergrrl: The "rocks" with the open tops seem to have something writhing about in them, as far as you can hear. They're still a bit far, but no obvious target. Meanwhile the gates open and a rather panicked mob bursts out. There's a few surface dwellers, some greenskins, a couple of dwarves. All quite unarmoured and unarmed, but fleeing... whatever is behind them.
[2024/01/28 15:51] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: Sounds like a naturally occuring pincer operation then.
[2024/01/28 15:52] Sonja Bikergrrl: Actions?
[2024/01/28 15:52] Alicia Frakture: Do these look like the previous slaves that were given to the top siders?
[2024/01/28 15:52] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: any of the surfacers seem important?
[2024/01/28 15:53] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: that is, like they hold some sort of rank?
[2024/01/28 15:53] Sonja Bikergrrl: Hard to say... they were dwarves, and there's only a couple of dwarves that you can see
[2024/01/28 15:53] Sonja Bikergrrl: Again, hard to say... they're unarmed/unarmoured and apparantly fleeing in panic
[2024/01/28 15:54] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: Atilla will aim for one of the greenskins then, assuming he sees no duergar in the set, and loose an arrow to center mass.
[2024/01/28 15:54] Sonja Bikergrrl: Skamos?
[2024/01/28 15:55] Alicia Frakture: Skamos is going to run with the crowd."Where are we going?"
[2024/01/28 15:55] Sonja Bikergrrl: They're in front of you, approaching but still some distance away -_-
[2024/01/28 15:56] Alicia Frakture: And as they get to her she is going to do that
[2024/01/28 15:56] Sonja Bikergrrl: oh-kay...
[2024/01/28 15:56] Sonja Bikergrrl: The priestess isn't taking changes. "Cut them down!"
[2024/01/28 15:56] Alicia Frakture: To her this is brilliance. She can try to get info, without tackling someone and possibly both being trampled, as well as see if they have been operated on.
[2024/01/28 15:57] Sonja Bikergrrl: I'll do it statistically to save time...
[2024/01/28 16:00] Sonja Bikergrrl: With about fourteen inbound arrows, nearly all the fleeing figures go down. Two lumber on - and given the way they ignore the arrows stuck in them, it's clear these are zombies. (That leaves none for Skamos to quiz! The zombies are of course not talkative.) And that's when whatever it is in the rock just -bursts- out; Atilla gets a brief glimpse of something small, with many long limbs and a huge tail flying towards him. It sails past - at about the same time another such creature skitters out and slinks aside from the other rock.
[2024/01/28 16:01] Sonja Bikergrrl: Roll d20 Atilla, roll less than INT
[2024/01/28 16:01] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: natural 20
[2024/01/28 16:01] Sonja Bikergrrl: You hear a HISS... it sounds just like the thing that attacked you earlier. But this is overhead.
[2024/01/28 16:02] Sonja Bikergrrl: Now what?
[2024/01/28 16:02] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: Shit! He'll reload, back up, and aim at the source of the hiss, loosing arrows at it.
[2024/01/28 16:02] Sonja Bikergrrl: Skamos?
[2024/01/28 16:02] Alicia Frakture: Skamos will draw her Sabre of light and if possible backhand a zombie with it.
[2024/01/28 16:03] Sonja Bikergrrl: okay... 2x d20 from Atilla... and a d20 from Skamos
[2024/01/28 16:03] Sonja Bikergrrl: let's see who hits what :)
[2024/01/28 16:04] Sonja Bikergrrl: 12 hits the zombie...
[2024/01/28 16:04] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: 11 and 3
[2024/01/28 16:04] Sonja Bikergrrl: 14 hits whatever it is...
[2024/01/28 16:05] Sonja Bikergrrl: Damn... the dice gods do not favour you.
[2024/01/28 16:06] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: eeeep
[2024/01/28 16:06] Sonja Bikergrrl: Two arrows clatter against rock and you hear a hissing and a skittering. A wild swipe with the sabre of light misses a zombie. Another round of arrow fire sees to the zombies, and then there's skittering.... and sudden curses from the drow to one side. Something is attacking them!
[2024/01/28 16:07] Alicia Frakture: Skamos takes off in that direction
[2024/01/28 16:07] Sonja Bikergrrl: Attilla?
[2024/01/28 16:09] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: Atilla moves to get vision on the drow being attacked, firing arrows at whatever it turns out to be.
[2024/01/28 16:10] Sonja Bikergrrl: For all the world, it looks like they're... fighting small many-legged minions of Lolth... but that can't be right.
[2024/01/28 16:11] Sonja Bikergrrl: They stab wildly, clearly rattled, but both miss. Atilla, 2xd20, roll over 13
[2024/01/28 16:11] Alicia Frakture: Skamos is going to run up and try to grab one from behind and pull it off\
[2024/01/28 16:11] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: 8 and 10, seems like it's not working
[2024/01/28 16:12] Sonja Bikergrrl: that'll be a roll of 15 on a d20
[2024/01/28 16:12] Sonja Bikergrrl: Two arrows clatter against the cave wall beyond the melee.
[2024/01/28 16:12] Alicia Frakture: *Does that count with any attack bonuses*
[2024/01/28 16:13] Sonja Bikergrrl: Skamos grabs at... whatever this mis-shaped, off balance thing is, but it moves fast and you grab air.
[2024/01/28 16:13] Sonja Bikergrrl: The things just spring up at the two drow and miss, falling down nearby.
[2024/01/28 16:15] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: if I go in with swords would my hit target be higher or lower?
[2024/01/28 16:15] Alicia Frakture: Since she has her sabre of light still out, gonna try to hit one of the buggers.
[2024/01/28 16:15] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: oh right, I don't actually have a second sword for some reason, but I do have the wyvern tail whip
[2024/01/28 16:16] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: stowing bow, switching to sword and whip, trying to hit the skittering monsters with each
[2024/01/28 16:16] Sonja Bikergrrl: -something- however just isn't happy. The huge figure of the "drone" that attacked you earlier drops down takes wild sweeps at the two drow, who quickly dodge. You see it clearly now, a tall thing, black and shiney like wet obsidian, with a long tail, huge claws, an exaggerated elongated skull and ribs and spines protruding from the back. Other than a huge mouth full of sharp teeth and slime, you see no features or sense organs. It towers a full head over the two rather shocked drow fighters.
[2024/01/28 16:17] Sonja Bikergrrl: Attilla: to hit is the same, whichever you use
[2024/01/28 16:17] Alicia Frakture: As skamos takes the swing she looks up and her eyes go wide."PUPPY!"
[2024/01/28 16:18] Sonja Bikergrrl: Intentions?
[2024/01/28 16:18] Alicia Frakture: hit one of the small things with the Sabre of light
[2024/01/28 16:19] Sonja Bikergrrl: Skamos is attacking with sabre, that's d20 and must roll over 14
[2024/01/28 16:19] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: still swinging with the closer weapons to conserve a limited arrow supply
[2024/01/28 16:19] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: 8 and 5
[2024/01/28 16:19] Sonja Bikergrrl: Attilla makes two attacks, 2x d20, and must roll over... oh.
[2024/01/28 16:19] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: thinking we might call to fall back to the cavern mouth
[2024/01/28 16:20] Sonja Bikergrrl: Skamos manages to hit one.... d8 and d6
[2024/01/28 16:21] Sonja Bikergrrl: Whatever these little things are, they aren't tough. It explodes in a green spray that splatters a rock, which at once starts to HISS loudly and dissolves instantly.
[2024/01/28 16:22] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: How are the other drow fairing?
[2024/01/28 16:23] Sonja Bikergrrl: The two drow attack, one hits the huge... thing... the sword hacks in, injuring it... there's a spray of green, which unfortunately catches the attacker. He stumbles back with hissing green gloop burning through him, his sword dripping and corroded as he yanks it back. It looks miraculous that he's still alive.
[2024/01/28 16:24] Sonja Bikergrrl: The priestess points and the many legged thing lumbers forward. Arrows hiss past; two hit the thing, and more acidic green gloop drips out.
[2024/01/28 16:24] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: one or two hostiles visible?
[2024/01/28 16:25] Sonja Bikergrrl: The remaining little creature with long limbs leaps up and literally wraps itself about the other drows' head, and he staggers about, struggling and screaming. The swipes with it's claws... the dice gods do not look favourably on -him-, miss and miss.
[2024/01/28 16:25] Alicia Frakture: Skamos is nuts but not stupid. She casts hypnosis on the big nasty xenomorph thing. If successful she is going to hypnotize it to be her puppy
[2024/01/28 16:26] Sonja Bikergrrl: There's one big wounded creature, and one small creature covering a drows' head as he flails about, screaming and yelling
[2024/01/28 16:26] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: Atilla is going to move forwards and use his sword to cut through the beasts legs and try to pry it off him, mindful of the toxic blood.
[2024/01/28 16:27] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: Keeping the other drow alive is something of a bonus goal compared to making sure the nasty critter dies.
[2024/01/28 16:27] Sonja Bikergrrl: "hypnotism - become susceptible to a brief suggestion". I am not sure that thing speaks drow.
[2024/01/28 16:28] Alicia Frakture: She speaks common as well, this one thinks
[2024/01/28 16:28] Sonja Bikergrrl: oh-kay
[2024/01/28 16:29] Sonja Bikergrrl: 2x d20 for Attilla
[2024/01/28 16:29] Sonja Bikergrrl: What's the suggestion you're going to make, Skamos
[2024/01/28 16:30] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: 5 and 2
[2024/01/28 16:30] Alicia Frakture: You are my puppy
[2024/01/28 16:30] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: the dice seem to have decided we should not be in combat right now
[2024/01/28 16:30] Sonja Bikergrrl: /me facepalms, what did you DO to annoy the dice gods...
[2024/01/28 16:30] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: insufficient polishing and a lack of snackrifices
[2024/01/28 16:30] Sonja Bikergrrl: Skamos casts her spell, says her suggestion. The creature ignores it.
[2024/01/28 16:31] Alicia Frakture: She will try to stab it with her sabre."BAD PUPPY!"
[2024/01/28 16:32] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: Is the drow it's on still flailing and screaming?
[2024/01/28 16:33] Sonja Bikergrrl: Many-legs skitters by, knocking you both aside, and bites into the creatures' midsection. That's a rather hard bite that nearly tears it in half... but then there's the literaly explosion of green acidic gloop. Despite getting a mouthful, it is only slightly injured.
[2024/01/28 16:34] Sonja Bikergrrl: More arrows hurtle by, another two hits. There is more acidic gloop scattered about, but this thing is tough! It's still up and hostile.
[2024/01/28 16:34] Sonja Bikergrrl: The drow on the ground gives a stifled scream and you hear choking and retching, then the body starts convulsing as if having a fit
[2024/01/28 16:35] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: So now they're prone!
[2024/01/28 16:35] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: Time to drive a sword straight through, the drow it's on is presumed dead at this point.
[2024/01/28 16:35] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: 8 and 15
[2024/01/28 16:36] Sonja Bikergrrl: You see the big monster do something you've literally never seen before. It opens it's mouth, and, a set of jaws just shoot out and slam into the body of the many-legged one. A big bite is ripped out! Injuring it.
[2024/01/28 16:36] Sonja Bikergrrl: okay... you're attacking the drow with the thing on his head?
[2024/01/28 16:37] Alicia Frakture: Goingt ot ry for another hit with her sabre
[2024/01/28 16:37] Sonja Bikergrrl: and Skamos... attacking the big guy?
[2024/01/28 16:37] Alicia Frakture: /me nods
[2024/01/28 16:37] Sonja Bikergrrl: 15+ to hit
[2024/01/28 16:38] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: I'm attacking the thing on the drows head, to be clear
[2024/01/28 16:38] Sonja Bikergrrl: and... looks like Attilla hit the drow on the ground. d2, Atilla
[2024/01/28 16:38] Alicia Frakture: *Swing and a miss*
[2024/01/28 16:38] Sonja Bikergrrl: on the head? okay
[2024/01/28 16:39] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: yeah, attacking the drow advances zero of my goals right now
[2024/01/28 16:39] Sonja Bikergrrl: still hits... d4
[2024/01/28 16:39] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: you don't have a d2, rolling a d4 / 2
[2024/01/28 16:39] Sonja Bikergrrl: correct
[2024/01/28 16:39] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: 2 natural, 1 left over
[2024/01/28 16:40] Sonja Bikergrrl: The whip is +1, so, the damage to the thing on his head is considerable. Green acid spills out, and there's a muffled scream and a HISS as his head is eaten into, and then he goes limp. The thing crawls off, trailing smoking green gloop.
[2024/01/28 16:41] Sonja Bikergrrl: Another round of arrow fire and a bite from the many legged one, and the two are finally finished. Although... your side has been quite badly harmed.
[2024/01/28 16:42] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: "Have you ever seen a monster like that before, mam?"
[2024/01/28 16:42] Sonja Bikergrrl: you now have four surviving drow, the priestess, an injured servant of Lolth, and... you're still outside the surface-dwellers' base.
[2024/01/28 16:43] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: are the panicked surfacers anywhere in view?
[2024/01/28 16:43] Sonja Bikergrrl: The priestess stares at the thing. "By Lolth... that thing... is -vicious-..."
[2024/01/28 16:43] Sonja Bikergrrl: They're all dead outside the (now closed) gates.
[2024/01/28 16:44] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: "The surfacers -had- claimed to be in possession of a terrible weapon. Could that have been it?"
[2024/01/28 16:45] Sonja Bikergrrl: The priestess jerks her head at one of the warriors, who slowly approaches and nudges the thing aside. It looks... like nothing you've seen before. Unless you've seen many giant humanoids sprouting ribs and spines with long limbs and huge claws and elongated skulls with jaws inside the jaws....
[2024/01/28 16:46] Sonja Bikergrrl: The priestess looks from it to the quivering corpse of the little many limbed thing, cut almost in half and with an arrow stuck in it
[2024/01/28 16:46] Sonja Bikergrrl: "That would seem to be their weapon..."
[2024/01/28 16:47] Alicia Frakture: Skamos checks to see if she has a spare vial and if so begins collecting the acid blood
[2024/01/28 16:47] Sonja Bikergrrl: Gain two vials of green acid.
[2024/01/28 16:48] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: "And it seems like even they struggle to control it," he gestures at the dead ones out on the field. Can the sounds of distant battle be heard?
[2024/01/28 16:48] Sonja Bikergrrl: And this seems like a good spot to call our usual cliffhanger :)
[2024/01/28 16:48] Sonja Bikergrrl: There's no sounds of battle, indeed the surface dwellers' base is unnaturally silent.
[2024/01/28 16:50] Sonja Bikergrrl: The dead ones are a mix of bodies... human, dwarf, goblin, hobgoblin, even a drow. None armed, or armoured at all, all showing signs of malnutrition and rough treatment.
[2024/01/28 16:50] Alicia Frakture: *Good cliffhanger and we are in a looooootttt of trouble with these things*
[2024/01/28 16:50] Sonja Bikergrrl: /me just smirks
[2024/01/28 16:51] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: we need to get a bunch of gelatinous cubes on hand, they should be a strong type matchup against xenomorphes
[2024/01/28 16:52] Sonja Bikergrrl: good luck with that...
[2024/01/28 16:52] Sonja Bikergrrl: interesting idea, though
[2024/01/28 16:52] Sonja Bikergrrl: right... time I weren't here
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