Thiy and Artaxes' Excellent Adventure!

[raixel]

Thanks. The only thing I dont like about maptool is taht its actually a VTT (virtual tabletop) and not mapmaking software. So for someone who just wants to make and upload maps its needlessly complicated. They take about an hour to draw out, but the cool thing is once their made you can just click and drag player/monster token around and it actually counts steps out in feet-increments. So once theyre set up, I can just move and repost at the end of round, in like 5 mins. I think it would be really cool to actually get all of us on a VTT map on Maptools so we can do a realtime game. But due to the ginormous time difference, I just dont think its gonna happen

Updates when I get back home (either tomorrow(sun)nite my time, or mon morn my time. I think thats like 5-6 AM mon, or late afternoon mon your time) cuz I forgot to drop the doc with the actual stats for the rats/npc in this battle on my flash drive. Derp, me.

[raixel]

Can you guys do me a favor and post the grid letter/# where you are moving? I'm trying to make it as clear as possible, unfortunately the way Maptools works makes it so trees block the gridlines, unless you want to put them in the background which is annoying cuz then they dnt look like a barrier. I'll move you this round based on what I think you meant, let me know if I'm wrong.

ROUND 2

Init:

Ktch'klik: 21
Thiy: 17
Swarm 1 (fighting Ktch'klik): 16
Artaxes: 13
Swarm 3 (fighting Artaxes before move- in Thiy's square at rounds end): 8 1/2
Swarm 2 (fighting Thiy before move, in Artaxes' square at round end): 8

Ktch'klik again starts spinning in a deadly dance of steel, whirling and thrusting with his many arms at the horrific creatures which surround him. The blades cleave again and again into the rats, causing fur and severed parts to fly all over the clearing and carving the remaining swarm into pieces. Suddenly the spider-man chitters loudly. The humans can see the last three rats still moving have jumped on one of his hands, biting at his three stubby fingers holding the blade. Ktch'klick snaps that arm forward, flinging both rats and blade away from him. The creatures and steel slam into the side of the nearby wagon with a sound like snapping twigs, leaving straks of blood as they slide down to the ground. The spider looks around and steps towards his discarded dagger.

Thiy feels nauseous for a split second as she feels the squirming mass against her and sees the disgusting black-ichor streaks the rats are leaving on her flesh and robes.. She draws upon her training and the feeling soon passes. She aims a couple strikes at the milling rats, but having to steel herself against their bites and the potential of hitting her companion is too much, and the swarm flows around her ineffective strikes without any damage.

The monk realizes that the rats might not want to enter the recently-lit fire and still smoldering coals under the bed of wet ash, and nimbly leaps out of the swarm and across the firepit. A couple rats cling to her robes, but she shakes them off mid-jump, and they pitch into the coals filling the air with the scent of charred hair and flesh, although the coals are not hot enough to do any real damage and they scurry back to their bretheren on charred stumps of legs.

Artaxes feel dizzy for a second and steps out of the swarm milling around him. Sweat beads on his forehead as the world tiilts crazily as his gorge rises, but the feeling passes. He turns and strikes out at the rats, but the swarm flows out of the way as if it is made of water.

The rats that were milling around Artaxes' legs surge towards the monk and are upon her within seconds. She hears them coming and quickly sweep-kicks them. Rats spray everywhere like drops of water from the force of her blow, and some lay unmoving where they land. A large amount of the rats are dead, althoug still enough remain that the monk feels several tiny bites as the disgusting squeaking forms scurry over her legs. You take 4 points of damage. That was a near crit! BTW, might want to put your AC is 15 on your char sheet. (10+2dex +3wis for monk wearing no armor)

THe other swarm turns towards the mercenary. He can see the black ichor drooling out of their mouths spattering the ground as the swarm moves towards him. He panicks slightly and swings too soon, missing the main body of rats aby a few inches. Suddenly they are upon him, climbing up his armor to tray and find chinks in the leather.The fighter sweeaps the climbing bodies off his legs with his blade, and they fall back into the main mass before they can bite him.

The canvas of the other wagon is buckling and heaving. The humans can see small tears appearing in it as the creatures inside gnaw their way through the cloth. The female lizar guard-leader runs into the circle, her chitin armor half on and spear head ready. "Ttthheessee arre tthhee fffood whagonnsss!" she shouts in dismay to the humans. Thhraxxxis is right behind her, along with two other half-dressed guards wielding spears. The guards run over to the esnared lizar and point their spears at him. "Ssss'klatha, nattthhallixxxa k'll sssthidakki!" they shout at him. He just sneers and says "Nethosss, haass'natha ko'sss".


Thhraxxiss and the lead guard head towards the other wagon. Just as they arrive, the tears in the canvas get wide enough to allow rats to come boiling out of that wagon as well, popping through the hole and falling to the ground in a wave of falling putrid bodies.

Im still messing raound with the resolution on upload trying to get it looking good. IF its too small let me know. The two guys next to the pinned lizar are guards, the brown things next to the rat wagon are swarms, and Thraxxiss and the guard leader are labled http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/6968 ... d2rats.png

[oh_brother]

Arataxes flew into a rage as the swarm kept on biting and crawling over him. He continued swearing and lifting his sword over his head with both hands he brought it down repeatedly on the swarm. "You like that, you little shits?" he roared, his face red with rage. Those he couldn't reach with his sword he stamped on with as much force as he could muster.

Attack was 11 + 7 = 18, damage was 5 + 3 = 8, +1.5 for longsword two-handed, don't know if that rounds up or down. AoO was a pretty poor 2 + 7 = 9.
I can see the map perfectly, very nice - I almost missed the guards that were not labelled, but now that I know what to look for it should be fine.

[ian_scho]

Thiy is steadily being eaten alive and is forced to consider her options carefully, over the time period of a rapid heart beat.

One. She sees the pit but didn't realise that there were still hot embers under the wet smouldering surface. It was an ideal method of both eliminating a large quantity of rats and training one's mind to mental suffering. She had seen goblins run across a bed of hot coals as part of their training... For becoming a chef. They were supposed to be cooking the food at the time but one always falls in the pit, under the dripping, burning fat of a huge unfortunate carcass on a spit.

Two. With the lizar trapped by the spiders web she could try to flee next to him and let the rats engorge themselves on his tied up body. It would be the preferred option if it was a human male!

She opts for the former, jumping into the pit, then smacking all or any that follow her in. She hops and jumps and kicks the burning embers into their little fur bodies. (1d20+2=22, 1d6+1=7) It was a fantastic plan were it not for the burning sensation through the soles of her sandals. Those initial rats that followed seemed at first very apprehensive at being in the heat and were easily catapulted out of what had become Thiy's favourite domain when being engulfed in a swarm of little furry teeth. This was almost fun!.. Apart from the heat.

OOC - The next AoO attack. (1d20+2=17, 1d6+1=5)

[ian_scho]

"Come and join me!" she shouts to Artaxes. Ouch ouch. "Roll around and see what happens." Ouch ouch ouch.

[oh_brother]

Artaxes paused briefly in mid-swing to look over his shoulder. His eyes narrowed as he focused on the nun. "No need. I can see what happens from here. Your feet catch fire."

He turned back, swinging through the swarm , while still processing what he had seen. After a few seconds he seemed to come to some realisation, looked back to Thiy and growled. "Gods, you're not one of those martyr types, are you? Because I don't fancy carrying you around for the rest of the trip."

[raixel]

ROUND 3

Init:

Ktch'klik: 21
Thiy: 17
Thraxxiss: 16
Artaxes: 13
Swarm 4: 10
Guard Leader: 6
Swarm 5 : 3


Ktch'klik picks up the blade that slipped out of his grasp, chittering loudly. He seems annoyed at his clumsiness, and as soon as the steel is back in his hand he rushes over to the newly-forming swarms of the second wagon. "Chk'!nath'clik, hasst!" he yells to the guard leader and Thhraxxiss as he moves. For those of you who aren't familiar with languages, a "!" is used to represent a kind of click-pop sound by anthropologists when transcribing some African tribal languages. If I could figure out how to do the upside-down questionmarks and exclamation points used in Spanish on here, Id use those instead. Thraxxiss nods back, although the guard leader looks breifly concerned.

Seeing her chance, Thiy jumps directly into the firepit. The diseased rats swarming around her are no match for the monk's sweeping kicks as she forces the mass of disgusting rats under the layer of cooled ash, beating them into the coals again and again with her powerful legs. The beasts squeal in agony as they are roasted alive. A sizzling sound fills the air, along with the smell of burnt flesh. Occasional pops are heard as the internal fluid of the creatures begins to boil, seeking an escape through the skin. The monk's elation at the swarm's demise is short lived, however, for as the last rat expires in a pop of steaming blood her sandals begin to smoke and her feet become uncomfortably hot. Looking down she realizes that not all of the burning hair and hide stink is coming from the rats. Some of it is coming from the hem of her slightly-smoking robe and the soles of her feet. Ian, I need a reflex.

An old lesson is brought to mind. In her training she once spent an entire night on the rim of an active volcano. The initiates were to stand with toes over the edge and look into the mouth of the roiling caldera, illuminated only by the hellish orange glow of the magma within, and meditate on the meaning of FUL and the fiery power of Chaos. An older monk stood nearby, chanting praises to the elements, and begging the Lord of Disorder for his blessing. Thiy stood with the other initiates, the burning sulfur stench choking and searing her lungs. One initiate was too weak, and collapsed from the poison air and extreme temperature. Thiy remembers him pitching forward to fall into the volcano mouth, his black robes fluttering around him like bird wings until he hit the seething magma and disintegrated nearly instantly in a puff of flame and smoke due to the power of FUL. Although the firepit was nothing like the intense all-consuming heat of the volcano, her feet dont seem to notice the difference as burning pain sweeps up her legs.

As soon as Ktch'klik is out of theway, Thhraxxiss raises his hands high overhead and makes a mystical sigil with his fingers "UM FUL IR" he shouts. A small fireball streaks from his fingertips and impacts the swarm, blasting scorched rats everywhere and adding to the burned hair small. The scattered swarm quickly regroups, some of the remaining rats charred black.

Artaxes lashes out in rage, swearing up a blue streak as he feels the furry bodies squirm against him and many tongues licking the blood seeping from the bite on the back of his leg. He lashes out with his sword, pulverizing the rats into paste and stomping and kicking at the ones underfoot. Within a few seconds there is only one rat left, and Artaxes kicks it solidly. It flies off into the depths of the tree-line with a loud squeee, the sound growing fainter as it sails away.

The semi-charred swarm rushes the mercenary as the last rat sails away, apparently enraged by its pained shriek. Ktch'klik manages to lash out with one of his arms at the passing rats and skewers a few on the end of his curved blade. There are only a few rats left, and they leap at artaxes as the mercenary ineffectually tries to bat them out of the air with his sword. The rats gnaw briefly on the human's armor, their yellowed teeth visible in their charred faces, although they cant get enough purchase to bit through the leather.

The guard leader charges around the side of the wagon to the rats massing there and jabs with her spear,using the weapons long reach to stab at the creatures from a distnance/ However a thrusting weapon isnt a very effecient way to fight a swarm. The massed rats cling to the end of the spear, their combined weight bogging the tip of the weapon down until she can shake them free. Nat 1, she loses her STR bonus to hit next round.

The disgusting creatues use the spear like a bridge, rushing up it to leap on her face and hands. The guard hisses in pain as the sharp teeth penetrate her scales, and blood begins to dribble from the tiny punctures. She grabs at a few rats crawling on her, but the nimble creatures scurry out of the way.

The pinned lizar struggles, and the two guards jab him with their spears. He stops and hisses at them, his eyes wild and feral. Other guards are up and moving around te camp, on the lookout for attacks coming from elsewhere.

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/4097 ... ratsze.png

[oh_brother]

Continuing to lash out with varying degrees of effectiveness, Artaxes occasionally eyed the prone lizard. In his current state of mind all his thoughts of revenge were bloody and unusual. Just a few more rats, and you are mine he thought, as he crushed a rat that had gotten to close to his face with a gloved hand.

Catching sight of the guard leader being swarmed and bleeding, he shouted out to those behind him "I can handle these - you go and protect the dragon lady."

Attack was 5+ 7 = 12. Attack of opportunity was 8 + 7 = 15, don't know their AC but damage was 8 + 3 = 11 (+1.5) in case that hits. I don't know what happened with IC - I made an AoO that was 13 (and would definitely have hit) but it seems to have disappeared from my character.
I did not know about the clicking sound, so noted. For the upside thingies, you could just copy and paste ¿ ¡

[ian_scho]

OOC - This is great. I learn a useful factoid each time I read one of raixel's entries ¡Entertaining stuff! (Note: Writes on a Spanish keyboard)
Reflexes (1d20+5=19)
Will have to post later tonight Love the scene.

[ian_scho]

Thiy was satisfied yet literally burning with desire to escape from the fire pit. With the imminent threat gone she immediately took the opportunity to swing on the metal bar that was used to hang the pots (or something deceased) over the fire. She didn't have a perfect exit, but it wasn't bad.

Thiy hears that Artaxes has relieved himself of his rats as well and is already pushing himself into the fray once more. Part of his training was to do such a thing, or was it just being headstrong? She did as she was told and cautiously moved to help those away from Artaxes.

Not sure she'd get to attack this round, but if so... Approaching the other swarm she assaulted it with what she had (1d20+2=14, 1d6+1=4), albeit being a bit reserved with her fervour as she was not ready to risk her skin for these strange people. This was probably their war and she doubted that she would receive any benefit from it.

OOC - AoO (1d20+2=17, 1d6+1=2)

[raixel]

I get it from my dad. Hes the type with a million factoids hes always goin on about, and I somehow acquired the same nature. Genes, maybe! Sweet, thanks for the upside-down marks. My keyboard wont do it, and although the ! is used right side up IRL, this *isnt* RL, so I can type it however I want! So, ¡ is a *click*, and ¿ is a *pop*. BTW, you guys charatcer's interactions are *great*.

ROUND 4


Ktch'klik: 21
Thiy: 17
Thraxxiss: 16
Artaxes: 13
Guard Leader: 6
Swarm 5 : 3
Thing in wagon:???

The second wagon's canvas is still roiling as if something is pinned under it, although no more rats are popping out of the tears. Ktch'klik rushes over to it and aims for one of the seemingly-connected moving lumps, stabbing out with his daggers at whatever is under there. His daggers slice neatly through the fabric and pierce the unknown creature. There is a loud squeal and the canvas bucks wildly, a slow-spreading red stain on the fabric. "Kk¿ssathha otth thhaalakk sss¡'ta! the spider man shouts, his mandibles moving rhythmically in agitation.

"Hhhe sssaysss whhhattevverrssss inn ttherre issss huge!" the guard leader screams to the humans. At that moment, a gleaming red eye is visible peering out through one of the rips in the cover for a second, although it quickly vanishes. The eye is easily a few inches across.

Thiy grabs the metal spit-bar and nimbly flips out of the firepit, fortunately not getting burned. The same cannot be said for the charred lumps of leather that were once her sandals or the now ragged and sooty hem of her robe. She quickly rushes to the aid of the swarmed guard, grabbing rats and crushing them in her strong hands as fast as she can. She manges to kill a few rats, and even gets a perverse sense of satisfactiion at the popping sound the rats make as she squeezes them to death.

Thraxxiss looks around, then realizes it might not be a good idea to cast magic, as the rats are swarming his companions and would be hit by whatever he cast. Instead he rushes over to Artaxes and pulls a small bulbous flask (about the size of a golf ball) made of some incredibly thin clear substance with odd cloudly swirls in it and filled with bubbling yellow fizz out of his pocket, which he smashes over the fighter's head while shouting "KU".

The fighter expects to feel a thump and shattered glass cutting him, but instead there is only a slight tinkling and a feeling like soft sand mixed with liquid running down his cheeks, although there doesnt appear to be anything there. Suddenly he is infused with great strength and clarity. It seems that he can clearly see every single hair on every rat in the swarm, and everything appears to be moving much slower. Or perhaps he is moving faster. Artaxes lashes out, seeming to chop many rats into tiny bits with each strike. Time slows down as he hacks and rips at the rats surrounding him, taking ot his frustration at being trapped in this filthy alien swamp on their furry bodies. When he comes back to himself, he is surrounded in a pile of gore, his hands and sword slimed with blood, black goop, and chunks of fur. The magic strength still infuses him, and he feels he could take on the world. Artaxes gains +2 STR points (so +1 mod) for 1 more round.

The guard leader drops her bogged-down spear, as theres no way she can strike at the rats milling around her feet and on her body with it. She rips a rat off of the hilt of the short-sword at her waist and throws it, before drawing the weapon and striking at the filthy creatures milling around her feet. However, she seems repulsed by the feeling of many tiny feet scrabbling upon her and is unable to do more than sweep a few rats off of her to the ground.

The swarm mobs the guard, chewing and biting at her armor. There is a disgusting scraping noise as hundreds of tiny teeth come into contact with the oitu-chitin making up the guards armor, although the rats are unable to break through the strong substance. However, a few of them manage to find gaps and chinks where the chitin doesnt cover, and the guard hisses in pain as the rats sink their teeth into her scaled flesh. Thiy can see blood spots well up, and the rats fight to crowd around the wound so they can lap at the seeping blood.

Wooo! you guys are doing great! One more to go, although I wonder whats stil in the wagon! http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/2443 ... d4rats.png

[ian_scho]

OOC - Yay! Squeezed to death. Not done that before. Will need to follow that up.

It was a moment of bizarre satisfaction at being able to concentrate on just one rat, for a fraction of a second, and really squeeze it to produce the maximum pain before it's death. With the hundreds of rats swirling around her for just one moment she was able to concentrate and turn off one being's life with her own bare hands, looking directly at it's face. Pain. She shouldn't dwell on the feeling but couldn't deny her own training at the monestary to feed off the feeling and use it to inflict yet more suffering. It was something the fighters guild couldn't teach you, it had become reflexive. She couldn't deny what she felt, and may regret it later when it was all over.

More assaults on the mass of bodies continued (1d20+2=13, 1d6+1=6), suddenly understanding that she was attacking individuals and not a single entity. It made a difference only at the emotional level yet it helped feed her zealotry that she had been hiding from over these days of her ronin type wandering.

OOC - AoO (1d20+2=8, 1d6+1=2) Whups!

[oh_brother]

Artaxes started to run towards the last swarm, but with so many bodies and caravans in the way - not to mention incredible amounts of rat guts - movement was slow. Irritated that he could not make it to aid Thiy in time, he stopped halfway and swore in their general direction. Realising that he was beside the moving tent he decided to vent his frustration on the occupant.

"Well you can piss right off, whatever the hell you are" he snarled, as he randomly stabbed through the canvas at whatever was inside.

Moves to square I-12. Attack through canvas was 20 + 7 + 1 = 28, damage was 7 + 3 + 1 = 11 +2 for two handed = 13. I have lost track of what criticals do nowadays, in 2nd edition it was double damage. In 3rd I believe it was max damage or an extra attack or something, in the...*ahem* other editions it is presumably something else.

[ian_scho]

OOC - Oh, forgot. Remain at K14.

[raixel]

Check OOC for info about how I'm handling crits. I was meaning to mention this but forgot.

ROUND 5

Ktch'klik: 21
Thiy: 17
Thraxxiss: 16
Artaxes: 13
Guard Leader: 6
Swarm 5 : 3
Thing in wagon:???

Ktch'klik continues beating at the thing under the canvas with his daggers, striking out with all four arms at the moving lumps. One of the daggers sinks to the hilt with a "thwokk" sound, followed by a loud screech of pain from the creature. Whatever it is convulses violently in pain, and needle sharp claws appear through the canvas then withdraw. It is obviously trying to tear through the fabric so it can attack its tormentors.

Thiy falls into a a soothing rhythm. Grab a rat in each hand, squeeze until it pops and crunches in her fist, drop it, and repeat. The feeling of power at taking life suffuses her, just like she learned at the monestary. *squeeze* *pop* *thud* This was better than using a sai, or a shiruken, as she could feel the exact second their little life-mana leaves their bodies. *grab* *squeeze* *crunch*. After a few seconds of reveling in the slaughter, she comes back to herself to find a greatly diminished swarm of rats on the guard, a pile of crushed rat bodies, her hands slimed with gore and black ichor, and a confused and slightly frightened looking lizar guard staring at her.

Thraxxiss pulls a small dagger and runs over attempting to try and help Thiy and the guard, but as he passes by the wagon, the canvas rips about a 6 inch hole next to him and a huge disgusting pinkish-brown paw lashes out. It is hairless and covered in weeping boils and festering greenish sores. About an inch past the wrist joint, mangy black oily fur with clumps missing covers the limb all the way up to where it is hidden by the canvas. The fur is matted with black ichor and rat shit hangs in large clumps off of it. Yellowed needle-sharp claws snag the snake-mans robe, and he pulls away with a surprised hiss. Thraxxiss lashes out with his dagger, missing the limb but causing its owner to pull it back under the canvas.

Artaxes runs up and times his blow carefully. He waits for the eye to appear at one of the many rips in the canvas, and drives the blade through the hole as soon as he sees it. There is a satisfying "SHLUP" as the sword strikes home. As the blade is withdrawn, a large skewered eye can be seen on the tip of his blade, like the chunk of meat on knifepoint he once saw a barbarian mercenary roasting over an army campfire. The canvas bucks and strains as the thing inside screeches in rage and pain.

Suddenly, the weakened canvas lets go completely as some kind of spines rip through it, and the fighter is staring into the face of the largest, most disgusting rat he has ever seen. The thing is easily the size of a wolf, with patchy black fur, scaberous skin, and crusted sores coating its body. Its lips are drawn up, exposing huge yellowed incisors, and black ichor streams out of its nose and mouth, causing bubbles to burst from its nostrils at it growls wetly at the human. Its back has a row of odd black spines down it, the tips coated in gore and blood as if they just burst out of the beast's flesh. One angry red eye glares at him, the other nothing but an empty socket due to the precise blow. On its forehead there is a patch of hairless skin, but due to the rat's thrashing, Artaxes cant make out what it is.

When the webbed lizar sees the beast, he starts a maniacal hissing-cackle. "Ssssahta'ssht, diiraa ne'thha hhaa gaasst Kaa-osssii"! he shouts, cackling madly all the while. One of the guards steps forward and hits him solidly in the head with his spear-butt, and the maniac slumps forward in his bonds as he is knocked out.

The guard leader strikes at the rats milling around her with her short-sword, carving many of them to pieces. A few more remain, and continue gnawing at the guard's scales. She hisses in pain as tens of tiny teeth prick her repeatedly, although their numbers are greatly reduced.

Heh. Heh. Heh. Have fun! . Btw, I love the descriptions. You guys have almost got it, just as long as the giant rat doesnt eat your arms off or something. http://img545.imageshack.us/img545/1966 ... d5rats.png

[oh_brother]

After today, Artaxes would never look at rats in the same way again. Even the lizard things seemed pleasant compared to what he had seen - the rat swarms were revolting, and this thing...well it was enough to turn his stomach. Granted the fact that he had plucked out an eye did not make it any prettier, but even with all eyes attached it would still be a highly unpleasant sight. Artaxes briefly wondered if there were sapient rat races out there somewhere. If so he hoped he would never meet them.

He continued to try to take down the creature but just could not get into a good position, and ended up swinging more to keep the rat at bay than to actually deliver damage.

Attack was 2 + 7 = 9. well, at least it was not a fumble!

[ian_scho]

Thiy screeches with pleasure, losing her self composure somewhat as she rarely gets to appreciate what some of her more esoteric teachings were for. Hours were spent in monasteries training in the art of 'tormenting' carcasses of slaughtered animals were coming to fruition. It seemed a bizarre practice at the time, beating the lifeless hulks hanging from the ceiling all while inhaling exotic incense and to the tune of strange chanting and the beating of a fast drum. It was exhausting and completely pointless, so she thought. Now she would not stop until each rat was dead or mortally wounded.

Now she was happy for more. More fists, heels of feet and even a few elbows continued in what was know as a tumultus ictibus in some ancient tongue. Not sure how this one works but it goes well with the previous paragraph ->Flurry of Blows, -2 next round and for the AoO as well (1d20+2=6, 1d6+1=7, 1d20+2=5, 1d6+1=5). It was obvious to those who knew the technique that she possessed the enthusiasm and the quickness of wit yet lacked the final skill of the routine. She would make contact with nothing or perform little injury to those that did receive a glancing blow. Thiy would be mentally exhausted over the next few moments in time.

OOC - AoO (1d20=13, 1d6+1=2)

[raixel]

*snicker* This is a great battle, btw. Everytime I think its cant get anymore insane, it does. And OB, I LOL'd at the rat-beings comment. And I'm going to refer to flurry of blows as tumultus ichtibus from now on!

ROUND 5

Ktch'klik: 21
Thiy: 17
Thraxxiss: 16
Artaxes: 13
Huge ass gross rat: 9
Guard Leader: 6
Swarm 5 : 3




Ktch'klik stabs out with all four arms in a corkscrewing dance of edged steel. Unfortunately the enraged giant rat keeps on backing up as the blades come in, only to lunge forward and snap angrily at them as they pass. The spider-man hisses in frustration, his fangs dripping a clear liquid as he gets progressively more angry.

Thiy snaps her fists and feet out the way she was taught in a quick blur of snapping kicks and jabs. However her own bloodlust has gotten in the way of precision, and although her attack is a beautiful, deadly displa, it fails to hit a single rat.

Thraxis shouts "FUL'isssa, nathhodiraasss, ess!" The guard leader frantically cries "Nhosss! Nhoss!" back to the scholar, but the snake man has already raised his arms above his head and begun chanting in his twisting language. "UM FUL IR" he finishes triumphantly, as a small fireball arcs from his entwined hands into the rat. The flame impacts the rat in the sid of the head and it screeches angrily as one of its ears crumples and chars from the heat, leaving a deep black and red pit on the side of its face.

It turns and hisses deep in its lungs at Artaxes, and the fighter lashes out with its sword to keep it away. The edge of the wagon is making it hard to get a clear shot, and so the mercenary's swing goes wide, doing no damage as the disgusting creature ducks behind the sideboard of the wagon. The rat opens its mouth wide, revealing a slimy purple tongue covered in white sores. Its chest puffs out as it inhales and a gurgling noise comes from within its guts. Suddenly it makes a choking sound and vomits forth a black goopy slurry at the fighter, spraying whatever was leaking out of its nose and mouth forcefully outward. The stuff nails Artaxes in the face, and immediately starts burning as the hydrochloric acid in it contacts his unprotected skin. He feels slightly dizzy and nauseous from the fumes, but the feeling passes quickly. You take 10 points of damage. However, the rat seems on its last legs. It totters unstabily, shaking its head back and forth.

The guard leader finally manages to bring her sword across the rats climbing all over her, and cuts enough down so far less than half remain. However, the quick movement from Thoy agitates the creatures, and they leap from the guard to her. She is ready for them, and knocks a few to the ground, crushing them to a bloody pulp. A few manage to cling to her hands, biting her, although not severely. You take 2 points of damage.

[ian_scho]

Our monk takes a mental deep breath and attacks the swarm in the same way once more. She is not as focussed as before but could see the end to this swarm of rats soon. Flurry of blows (1d20=1, 1d6+1=3), 2nd attack (1d20=1, 1d6+1=5) It all went terribly wrong, however, as a combination of mental + physical fatigue plus the fact that she slipped on some carelessly strewn rat entrails made her jar her ankle into a large rock on the floor which just happened to be both brown and menacing in her mind at the time which would soon be changing of opinion.

"Ouch!"

The pain of humiliation was worse than being bitten by a hundred mouths. She had twisted her ankle and completely disregarded her training in an attempt for glory. It was a classic neophyte mistake she had seen before, only not in an as awkward situation.

OOC - Two one's! I rolled two one's! Tell EVERYBODY on the internet.
AoO (1d20=9, 1d6+1=2)

[raixel]

Oh, boy. I need a sec to think about this one

[ian_scho]

Thiy realises that rats aren't smart creatures but as she is flailingly falling onto a mass of brown furry bodies she manages to catch a glimpse of just one of them pop their head up out of the maul and cock it in a sort of what-the-fuck-are-you-doing? look.

[raixel]

Holy shit I'm still laughing at that!

[oh_brother]

The spew of bile into his face was not only revolting, it was also surprisingly painful. And the smell was almost as bad as the pain. If Artaxes was angry before he now was beyond furious. He went into a rage, and raising his sword over his head with both hands he brought it down repeatedly on the things head, shoulders and torso.

"You - filthy - piece - of - shit!" he swore, punctuating each word with a a wild, downward swing.

The only other thing that managed to get his attention was the sight of Thiy, lying prone and swarmed by rats. First dancing in hot coals, now rolling on the ground with the vermin. This self-mortification was going too far.

Attack was 13 + 7 = 20, damage 8 + 3 = 11 + (1.5...is this 1 or 2?). Lovely image of the one-eyed rat with festering wounds vomiting on Artaxes btw . And a double 1 Ian...wow, don't think I have seen that before!

[ian_scho]

OOC - GREAT comment OhB.

[raixel]

ROUND 6

Ktch'klik: 21
Thiy: 17
Thraxxiss: 16
Artaxes: 13
Huge ass gross rat: 9
Guard Leader: 6
Swarm 5 : 3

Ktch'klik strikes at the rat with his blades, severing the creature's scaly tail in two chops. The rat screeches in pain and rears up as the remaining stump gushes blood. The severed tail twitches spasmodically for a few seconds before laying still.
Thiy lurches sideways as a shooting pain screams up her leg from her wrenched ankle. She instinctively drops her weight onto her other foot to try and catch herself. There is a loud sqeee and the footing becomes unstable as the rat she stepped on shoots out from under her sandaled foot. She totters for a second, then falls foreward to faceplant in the milling rat-swarm. Fortunately, there was no where near as many as rats as there used to be. Unfortunatly, she is facedown in a pack of rats, who instantly leap on the easily accesable meal.

You are now prone in a mass of rats who are sitting on you gnawing at your earlobes! Heh Heh Heh.

Thraxxiss shouts something in Zaangaardian when Thiy falls and runs to her side, attempting to pull the remaining rats off of her. The rats just scurry all over her body, and he cant get a good grip.

Artaxes angrily lashes out with his sword repeatedly while swearing aloud at the nasty vermin. The mercenary's weapon thunks solidly right behind the rat's neck, partially severing its head from its body. It lets out one final screech before collapsing to the ground. The mercenary watches it for any sign of life, breathing hard, with gore-covered sword at the ready, but it remains unmoving. He notices the stuff on his face is continuing to sting, and small blisters are starting to develop.
Oh, I though I mentioned. Its 2.

The guard leader crouches down next to the faceplanted Thiy and tries to get the rats off of her as well. Fortunately, she is a bit more adept than Thraxxiss and is able to crush the last few remaining rats by sweeping them off the monk then stepping on them.

After that is done, the camp is quiet, compared to the sounds of battle and screeches ringing through the air earlier.

You guys did it! Only now Artaxes is covered in blistery goop and Thiy is face down in mud, rat carcasses and rat shit. But hey! You guys did it!

The guard reaches down and helps the monk up, her nostril slits sealing shut at the shit and gore smell coming from Thiy's now heavily stained robes. She also walks over to Artaxes, handing him a waterskin to dump over his head and hopefully wash some of that caustic vomit off.

"Ssso. Wwhhatt hhaapened hheerre?" the guard asks the two. Thraxxiss approaches and says something to the guard, who nods back. The snake man takes a piece of odd greasy chalk from his robe and draws a circle in the mud that encloses the two humans within it. Oddly the chalk doesnt act like any other chalk the humans had seen. It appears to break off and actually dye the mud it touches white. After that is done, Thhraxxiss draws osme mystical runes around the perimiter. He then touches the chalk line and says "ON OH EW". The line flares up, making a white dome around the two humans.

From her teachings, Thiy recognizes the spell as a modified version of a simple language spell taht allows the caster to be able to understand, or give the ability to someone else to understand, any spoken language around them. She can feel the magic settle onto her with a slight tingling in her eras, and an odd feeling that makes her tongue want to move of its own volition.

Artaxes has no idea what the snake-man is doing, although Thraxxiss nods in reassurance when the fighter glances at him. Suddenly a white dome flares up, nearly blinding the fighter. His tongue starts writhing in his mouth, a very annoying and odd sensation. There is a tingling deep within his eardrums Have you ever had that annoying itch in your throat/ears? Its that, that makes him feel like he has to scratch the inside of his throat.

Suddenly the feeling ends, although the dome reamins, and Thraxxiss still stands with his arms raised as if he is funnling mana into the circle.

"*clk*id ik wor*klk*?" says Ktch'klik.

"Onhsss minsskkte." replies Thraxxiss. The feeling suddnly comes back, extremely intensified. Both the humans feel like their their tongues are going to protrude and begin writhing around outside of their lips if they dont keep their jaws clamped firmly shut.

"Hssi saave kto khange tkha field, slightly. There!" the snake man says triumphantly as he lowers his arms. The feeling ends again, and the dome winks out with a slight subsonic *pop*.

"Great!" Thraxxiss exclaims. "How do you feel? I know the feeling of that spell can be un-nerving. I'm sorry I wasnt able to let you know, but I had to save all my remaining energy for the casting of the spell. That is a new one, it takes a lot out of me. If you don't mind, I'd like to go rest." he says to the two, slightly winded-sounding. Oddly, he has no accent whatsoever. It is very disconcerting to hear perfect common, as if spoken by a middle-aged human male, coming from the snake-man's forked tongue and scaly mouth.

"Good." says the guard leader. Her heavy accent is gone, and she sounds like a sultry human female in her 20s, a very sharp contrast from the deep, hissing voice the humans know she has.

"Thraxxiss, thank you." she nods to the runescholar. "Go rest if you want. I think we can handle it, now that communication wont be a problem."

The snake man bows low to the humans, says "Ma'am" to the guard leader, and walks out of the wagon circle, a bit unsteadily.

"Now," she says, turning back to the two. "What happened here? Ktch'klik woke us all up by shouting about a traitor. And then all these rats! I fear our food supplies are ruined."

[ian_scho]

Thiy looked around her from the ground with her mouth somewhat open. With her face-plant to the floor full of rats she had assumed that getting back up again was going to be non-event yet here she was lying in the mud and rat remains unscathed from the experience. "Thanks" was all she could muster in gratitude to the others. She had fully humiliated both herself and her school of training and now they were asking to explain her actions. Thiy wasn't in the mood to talk and was never the most lively of conversationalist anyway. So she pointed.

The infiltrator was still attached to the wagon, and still hissing. "Perhaps you should ask your enemy."

She sighed to herself in resignation, it had all gone to shit once more and she was the victim. Thiy was accustomed to such eventualities and had cried her way out of any thoughts of self pity a good many years ago. "I was on watch with the spider-fella and your enemy dude took a step out of the swamp towards the camp. I rushed out of cover to advise both the Muscles from Bruscels(*) here and Ktch'kliklky-lik unnoticed. Had we not taken the rogue by surprise I think things would have been much worse." She brushed herself down as if to gain some semblance of dignity. "We won."

(*) From Thiy's origins the Fighters Guild building in each town or city was collectively know as a Bruscels. They were also known for having more traffic through their doors from women of ill repute than those of the more muscular profession.

OOC - Have a free d20! (1d20=16)

[raixel]

Bruscels has been added to the glossary! Thats great!

[oh_brother]

It was unnerving having someone alter your perceptions, especially without giving consent. And yet their motivations seemed innocent enough - merely to aid communication at an important time, so Artaxes was unsure how to respond. He finally decided on a frown as a suitable course of action, and so glared indiscriminately at everyone in range for a moment before continuing.

He washed the foul-smelling acid off his face, taking a few good gulps of water when done. "I am okay" he responded to Thraxxiss, and nodded in acknowledgement as the snake man leaves.

"What happened?" he responded to the guard. "That thing put some metal disks under the tents. And then swarms of rats appeared. I saw one of those metal disks flying through the air - rats were pouring out of it as it flew. I don't know where they were coming from - they seemed to be appearing from the air itself."

That thought seemed to spur him into action. Walking over to the pinned lizar he drew back and kicked him hard where his ribs should be. "Maybe you would like to tell us what happened, eh?"

[raixel]

The-dark-green-with-beige speckled prisoner coughs at the kick, slumping back against the side of the wagon and webs which coat his torso and arms. He has a raised lump under his scales on the back of his head, obviously the contact point where the guard hit him while he was ranting earlier. Artaxes can see satsfied smirks on the face of the two spear-weilding guards as the lizar struggles to regain his breath.

The guard leader approaches and looks the prisoner over, then pulls out another flat bit of reed-paper and examines the glyphs inscribed into it.

"Our records indicate he is Sssaar, a trader from Makan who is coming back from Kelt after overseeing a transaction. He has no noble house affiliation and is a self-merchant, not affiliated with any of the commoner trading groups." the guard reads aloud from her papyrus. "He boarded the caravan at T'kir'taap's yard in Kelt, with no goods."

She listens to Artaxes' explanation of the disks and nods at Thiy after both of the humans say their piece. "Yes, I think asking him exactly what is going on here would be a good idea."

She turns to the prisoner and bares her sharp conical teeth. "So. Why don't you make it easy on yourself? Tell us what you know, and you will not be harmed. What was your purpose here? Where did you get the disk, and what is it" she orders him.

Sssaar bares his teeth back at her, his scaled lips drawing up around his gums in a feral snarl that brings to mind the crazed lizar on the night of the ambush, but says nothing. She shakes her head and shrugs "Well, I gave you the option, but I guess we're going to have to do this the other way."

Addressing the two guards, she says "Hssilaa, Kasssil, I think the four of us can handle this from here. Go tap two of the others for watch, and have everyone else stand down."

"Yes, Kassah" they say as they give an odd fist-over-heart salute and turn to leave.

Kassah raises a hand to stop them. "Oh, and one more thing. Lets keep this amongst ourselves until we assess the damage and find out exactly whats going on here. No use in panicking the other passengers. And he might have accomplices. We dont want to tip them off until we have to, and the RA orb wont awaken for about 3 bells. If anyone asks, tell them a lasstiir got into our food supply, attacked a grahhssk and had to be driven off. I heard one hunting while Artaxes and I were on watch earlier, it would be believeable."

The two nod, salute again, and walk out of the circled wagons back to the tent area.

Once they are gone, Kassah blinks her nictating membrane across her eyes, and sighs heavily. "Honestly, this is a bit out of my knowledge as caravan pathfinder. We are trained to know the routes through the swamp, what tribes of swamp-lizar are hostile, proper campsites, and deal with wild animals. That kind of stuff. We arent really trained to deal with this kind of planned maliciousness. From a swamp lizar, I'd expect it. From a Makan, it...its just...." She trails off. The humans get the sense that she is extremely horrified by the actions of Sssaar.

Ktch'klik steps forward. "I propose we search his tent, and whatever he has on him. And then maybe, if he isnt willing to talk, we could, perhaps, make him more willing to do so." It is the first time Artaxes and Thiy have heard the spider-man's translated voice. Surpringly, Thraxxiss' spell makes him speak in a rich and smooth baritone, far different from the high pitched chitters and clicks oi his natural speech. However, the unfolding of his fangs and drop of venom that appears on their tips leaves no doubt as to the meaning of his words, regardless of how cultured he sounds.

The pathfinder bares her teeth again. "Yes, that may work. What do you humans propose? I know nothing of your people's ways beyond what I have picked up in learning your language and the ocassional mammal traveler. Do either of you know any methods for...getting someone to talk? We dont want him dead, mind you. He needs to be taken to Makan and handed over to the runescholars. They can use their mana to pull whatever knowledge out of his head that they want. But I would like to get as much as we can here. We especially need to know if we are still in danger. And the runescholars only need him alive. They dont need him in one piece" she says viciously.

Sssarr loses some of his sneering bravado at the pathfinder's words, and struggles in his bonds for a second until Ktch'klik steps forward and thrusts his black fangs an inch from the traitor's eyes. "I wouldnt suggest you try and escape. Theres no way you can possibly outrun me." the spider says softly.

"So, we need his tent and belongings searched, as wel as getting him to give up any information. I propose we take him out of the wagon area, a bit into the swamp, so that in case it gets kind of....loud...the other passengers wont be alarmed. With all four of us guarding, he shouldnt be a handful. But, if you think it would be better to leave him here... I just have no experience in this." she says, a bit uncertanly.

So basically, decide what you are going to do. Ktch'klik and Kassah will go along with whatever you guys decide. If you want to split up, take him out in the swamp, search his tsuff first, whatever. Regardless of how you decide to do it, can you each roll a search and a d20?

[oh_brother]

Ktch'klik's mention of torture brought a grin to Artaxes face for the first time since he had been in camp, and he looked at the spider with grudging respect. "Yeah, a bit of pain might get us some answers." he agreed. "Pain for the prisoner, that is" he clarified, looking at Thiy with the hint of a smile on his lips. "No need to start whipping yourself, or jumping into fires again."

He saluted the guards back, even if it had not been intended for him, bringing his open hand up to his forehead. "I agree, lets take him outside. But not too far, we don't want to be ambushed by any of his crazy friends. Searching his tent is a good idea, you never know what we might find" He walked up to the lizar and gave him another blow to the stomach, just to soften him up a bit. "And don't worry, he will talk. They always do."

"I recommend taking an eye first. That gets their attention. Does anyone have a knife? I don't fancy using my thumb, it gets even messier."

So search roll was 5, random d20 was 16, and I also rolled an intimidate: it was 7 + 4 = 11.