Final F-ant-asy: Lion Edition

Log Info

• Title: Final F-ant-asy: Lion Edition
• Emitter: Patch
• Characters: Andelena, Chemas, Eztli, Lysa, Magpie, Slixvah
• Place: Northeastern Farms
• Time: September 21st, 2022

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=    The Players    =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Andelena           6'0"     180 Lb     Human             Female    
    Redhead with steel-grey eyes and powerful build.                           
Chemas             6'9"     259 Lb     Orc               Male      
    Powerfully muscled and tall black-skinned male orc.                        
Eztli              4'6"     140 Lb     Sith-Makar        Female    
    A two-toned, short sith-makar.
Lysa               5'9"     140 Lb     Human             Female    
    Honey blonde hair. Beautiful and fit Young            
Magpie             3'4"     36 Lb      Gnome             Female    
    A blond gnome woman wearing a motley of                       
Slixvah            5'8"     130 Lb     Eaglefolk         Female    
    A rust red/white Egalrin covered in veils, ribbons, and shawls.     
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  As the GM  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Patch              4'8"     100 Lb     Dawn Elf          Female    
    A blond Llyranesi with a port-wine stained face. 
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

Time & Setting: Midday - Outlaying Farming Community - Northern Alexandros

This rescue party was brought together in the hopes of launching an expedition to search for several villagers that seemed to have disappeared. It is likely in connection to a hole that opened up two days ago on the community's edge. The guild representative in charge of this case is Valial, a short human man with a shiny bald spot. He balds with dignity. Or so that is his excuse.

Not having wasted time, the first callers to answer the emergency summons were selected, as people know in such cases, time is of the essence. "Well, I really don't know what needs be telling at this point." Valial says, looking over the party as he had them gather near the homes of the farm's effected. "Two adults, and a child have all gone missing. The only thing out of place was some ground disturbances and mud shifting before it happened." the man notes in a dry tone. "I'd blame the rain, but... " his hope there already seeming to be dashed. "The job is simple. Some tracks and belongings were found at the opening to the hole, and one of the villagers claims he saw something moving in the dark within. Go figure it out, and find the missing people if you can." he says in a drab tone. "Any questions? I'll answer what I can."

It seems a villager is waiting for the briefing to end, hesitantly standing off to one side. "Oh, Edgar here will show you to the hole." Valial says, introducing the young farmer.

Amongst the party is an eccentric looking egalrin woman. Wings decorated with an entire rainbow of ribbons spanning the whole spectrum of hue. Her feathery brows knit, and a hand rests on her beak. Slixavh grimaces slightly, egalrin and tight places are exactly best of friends. "Two adults and a kiddo," she echoes, tone smooth. "Ya said they saw some belongings? What exactly was a left 'round tha' hole?"

When you spend most of your life in the city, one might possibly be weird about the country. In Magpie's case, she volunteered for the job the moment she heard the word 'farmer,' because the countryside is always *amazing,* and if you're lucky there're even animals to pet!

Her jubilance was quashed, of course, the moment 'child gone missing' penetrated her daydreams, making this a much more urgent request than usual. The result has seen the young Gnome shifting on her feet all through the briefing, spotted with occasional glances at the common pastures, as if hoping at least a *look* at something cute and, preferably, soft.

Her attention snaps back, when questions are asked for. "What're their names? Because I mean, calling for them when we're in might at least help them know someone's looking for them?"

An armored woman bearing the white cloak and colors of a Sunguard frowns gravely, steel-grey eyes squinting as she considers the man's words. Her helmet is held in the crook of her arm for now, her copper-blonde hair allowed to stream freely in the wind. "Good questions," Andelena says as she looks to Slixvah. "Nobody's got a grudge or somethin' against the people who disappeared? Or against the community at large? Figure not, but when missing people are involved, you have to ask /why/ they're missing. Could be some fuckin' mage--"

The longsword sheathed on Andelena's back buzzes a little, drawing an exasperated sigh from the Sunguard. "Could be some magic-slinging donkey decided to take something out on someone, and ended up getting a whole lot of someones."

Chemas answered the call along with the handful of others that arrived on the scene. He's a huge black-skinned orc dressed for battle with his jet black hair braided in a warrior's style with a mix of dreadlocks and trinkets in his hair. With a scarred breastplate worn over leathers and furs there is the unmistakable symbol of Kor emblazoned on his breastplate for all to see.

With his great axe held in one hand he listens to the briefing, his gaze going over the various villagers around before he looks to the others in the group to nod in greeting. Not speaking just yet he instead listens to the questions being raised and the answers that follow.

Eztli waited patiently off to one side, again thankful for how easy it was for a sith-makar to hide what they were thinking or feeling. Still, it obviously wasn't sitting right with the small makari, at least a bit.

"The sooner we're out there, the better." Eztli sighs. "Well, we should get going, then. You could also tell us where the hole is, if that would work better? If something is taking villagers out there, it might be easier for us if we don't need to worry about keeping you safe, too."

"The rosters, and paperwork are unclear. These people were part of a resettlement, and..." Valial's frustration clear as he takes out a piece of paper from his pocket, unfolding it. "We know the child and the mother's name. Anya, and Lileigh Stromding. The man, we don't..."

"His name is Torgid, and he's a swell guy. No one disliked them. Missus Anya just got married to him." Edgar says quickly, picking up the slack. "No one had anything against them. We all were just making home, and settling in." he explains. The Egalrin woman taking Edgar's attention then. "Oh yeah! One of Lileigh's shoes, and when I tried to go in.. I got run out by something. I couldn't see what was going on in the dark, but it tossed me like a stick, and chittered at me something fierce. I... I didn't try again. We called for help."

"Did you just say... 'magic-slinging donkey'? Is this an expression, or an experience?" Valial raising a brow to Andelena, his eyes weighing her with something akin to disbelief. Just not entirely. "Anyhow, Edgar knows the most. As you heard... he's been there."

"I'll show you, yes ma'am." Eztli earns from Edgar, the man seeming eager to aid.

Slixvah, the egalrin, swoops her gaze over the others as the villagers talk. But it snaps over to Edgar. "... chitters. Dark. Flung ya. Noted," she hums, shooting a glance to Andelena as she giggles.

She looks over Chemas, then the Sunguard, then back to the Korrite. "Gift for you!" she decides, walking up to him. Gloved hands flit about before poking him on the arm.

A gentle breeze wafts over him.

Back to the center of the group, she holds a hand up. It glows a soft white hue. "Aight, one of ya's gettin' a light!"

GAME: Slixvah casts Light. Caster Level: 5 DC: 14
<OOC> Slixvah says, "also, Hex: Ward on Chemas (if you want it). +2 resistance bonus to saves and +2 deflection to AC. Goes away if hit or fail a save"

Ll --Transition (A Giant Hole)--

"Oh, those magics are handy." Edgar says of the light, leading the party towards the edge of some farmland. He takes them through the barren fields, and off to one side there it is. A giant hole, a sinkhole to be precise. It has reduced dirt to near sand, the sixty foot slope looking steep and without footing. "It took me a while to climb out, but looky there!" a hand pointing to a tunnel that sits near the bottom. Right down there I found the shoe." he affirms.

It's a big hole. That's what the party currently knows. It also has a tunnel into darkness.

Andelena takes point, putting her helmet atop her head and drawing her sword. "Alright," she says. "Everyone behind me. I'll keep everyone alive and if someone or something decides the rest of you look tasty, they gotta go through me, first. Stick close and holler if you spot something."

She goes in, but cautiously. As much as she can, anyway.

GAME: Andelena casts Light. Caster Level: 5 DC: 13

Slixvah flips out a wand with a feather on it, gives it a twirl between her fingers, and bops her beak with it. A wind passes over her, ruffling her feathers.

The wand is put away, and she peers down the hole. "Down in a hole..."

She inhales, bobbing her head towards Edgar. "Aight. I guess whoever it was got theys shoes knocked off from getting smacked. We'll be back!"

She follows in slowly. "Feelin' so small..." she chitters quietly, looking at the walls of the tunnel, going through her skull on what could make such a big hole.

GAME: Slixvah used a Wand of Mage Armor.
GAME: Slixvah rolls knowledge/nature: (19)+8: 27

"Oooh nice," Magpie says, holding up what has to look to Chemas like a baby's version of a club, a morningstar with perhaps a foot-long haft. Once the light is transferred to the weapon, she grins, bobbing and swooshing the weapon well away from the group as Edgar leads them toward the hole.

Once there, she leans over, peering down into the darkness. "Y'know... last time I climbed down a hole like this?" She opens her mouth to speak further, but seems to decide against it, shaking her head and following Slixvah in. "We'll make sure they're okay," she promises Edgar in passing. "Cross your fingers for us. And toes. Eyes, if you can do it. Nosehair if you're *really* awesome."

Chemas follows along without light for himself, his dark form and dark clothing and armor swallowing him up in the darkness as they move. It's not until they reach the hold in the ground that he pauses and walks back into the party's light while he looks down.

With his axe at the ready he nods to the others before following, sliding a bit but holding on to the dirt and rocks to keep steady, his axe and the haft used to help with the decent until they're all making there way deeper within. "Do you want me to move closer to the front?" His deep voice rumbles softly in the depths, kept low and pitched for the party's ears in an attempt to keep anything else from hearing.

Eztli is able to keep up with the others, until they reach the large entrance into the ground. The small makari peers over, and shakes her head. "Whatever made this, is either big, fairly powerful, or there's a lot of them. I'm not sure which option is best, but none are really good, are they?"

Eztli waves her hand over her clothes so they shimmer once before returning to normal. "Lets be careful, alright?"

Slix slows a bit, a hand touching the wall of the tunnel before they get too deep. "You can stay near the tall buff lady," she gestures to Andelena. "You two will make a good wall..-"

She stops, squinting. "... this is an antlion trap." More squinting, looking further down the tunnel. "... but its not anymore. Was antlion. Some other bug is here. Weird. These bugs shouldn't be here. Ain't native."

She nods towards Eztli. "Cutie ova there got the right of it. Take care, watch out for bigguns. Maybe lots of little un's."

GAME: Andelena rolls Reflex+2: (20)+2+2: 24 (CRITICAL SUCCESS)
GAME: Magpie rolls reflex+2: (8)+3+2: 13
GAME: Chemas rolls reflex+2: (6)+2+2: 10
GAME: Slixvah rolls reflex+2: (10)+3+2: 15
GAME: Eztli rolls reflex: (10)+5: 15

The group commiserates about how to proceed, exactly, and eventually it's decided: an anchor point and a rope tied to it to make the descent (and hopefully the return) nice and easy.

Andelena's the first, as she insists, and she takes the rope and rappels down safely like she's done this about a million times. Maybe she has. There's a determination in her steel-grey eyes as she reaches her destination, not congratulating herself on the back.

Chemas tries to use the rope along with his axe to make the decent into the darkness easier but he is too large, too heavy, not agile enough to keep it together. Sliding free he goes into a tumble, roll, fall that takes him to the bottom faster than expected to land hard on the ground. Groaning softly he shakes his head and slowly gets himself to his feet.

Edgar gets a confident wink and a wave as Magpie takes hold of the rope, then swings herself around to begin her descent.

Her foot slips immediately, and rather than a cool slide down the rope, there is yelling, and cursing, and random noises made as she bounces against the soft sand of the pit, ending in a loud, coughing exhalation as she tumbles into Chemas' back, flopping to the floor with a groan.

Dignity is a lie told by people who aren't adventurers.

Slixvah blinks as others make their way down in various manners. "Down in a hole..." She grabs the rope. "Loosin' my soooul."

A taloned foot digs into the floor, wings flare out, and she slides her way down, slowed by the buffeting air. "I'd like to flyyyy," she continues, giving those that tumbled a once over before patting Chemas again. "But my wings have been so denied." The wind wooshes by again.

Then Magpie flops down. She can't help but laugh and offer a hand to lift them to their feet.

Eztli is one of the last down the rope, and she's able to see the rest of them as several tumble to the bottom. The small makari blinks, and descends as well, though she's at lest able to grip a bit better with her feet.

"Are you alright?" Eztli asks. "That was quite the tumble. If you are, now's the time to mention it, when we go further in, they might react to noise, so we should keep any talk to a minimum."

That noble attempt looked professional by one, and trained by two. It's a dazzling display, but to those that failed, Edgar doesn't laugh. "Yeah, no! Those slopes suck. I'm glad you at least thought to get the rope." admitting his own folly. Yes, he feels their pain.

As for the tunnel into darkness, it's there, but the party isn't formed as they had wished before a clicking sound can be heard coming from deep within it. Andelena was on point, able to face the threat. Eztli no longer brings up the rear, but is next to Slixvah behind Andy. Magpie and Chemas sorting out their dogpile at the rear. No attacks, no surprises. Just clicking and an inhuman droning noise. (Skills and Free Pose)

GAME: Andelena rolls Perception: (11)+8: 19
GAME: Magpie rolls perception: (16)+7: 23
GAME: Slixvah rolls alertness: aliased to perception+2: (1)+11+2: 14 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Eztli rolls perception: (10)+5: 15

Andelena, aided by the light that is coming off her sword thanks to a small spell cast onto it, stares into the darkness... and her squint turns into a look of pure astonishment. "Shining Knight's light on the backside of a bull's fucking /balls/, first it was bees and now it's fucking ants," she hisses, longsword and shield drawn. "That's a gigantic fucker, too."

Her longsword rattles in disapproval every time she swears, which gets a, "Come off it, you'd be cussing too if you had eyes," from the Sunguard.

Grabbing hold of the hand and levering herself to her feet, Magpie groans again, massaging a sore spot on her back as she takes a grumpy look around the tunnel. "Good point," she mutters to Eztli, then freezes at the glimmer of divine light off chitin.

"...Okay thanks, Andie," she says at the Sunguard's cursing. "Now I know I didn't have the bad cheese for lunch, and uh... is it... *scared* of us?"

The small makari blinks once, then sighs. "Yeah, I don't think all of us are seeing shapes in the distance." The small makari grumbles. "And, I guess it has seen us now anyways. Maybe it's worried about us, and is trying to figure out what to do? It could go back to warn the rest, if there are more of them."

Slixvah was a bit too busy snickering to catch what Andie spotted. She stops sharp at the makari's warning. She whirls around, the feathers on her wings growing a few feet and waft silently behind her on an unseen wind. "I don't see... oh."

She tilts her head to the side. "... is it? Hrm... I don't speak critter, but ya want me to see what's up?"

GAME: Chemas casts Bless. Caster Level: 3 DC: 15

Chemas gets back on his feet and makes sure Magpie is good too, smiling at and nodding to Slixvah. Listening to the noise and the response from the rest of the group he lifts his hand to place it around the symbol of faith he wears at his neck and speaks out a rumbling prayer in his native tongue, a wave of power flowing out from him as the blessing of Kor ripples over the group. Nodding he grips his axe in both hands and falls in line with the group.

At Slixvah's question, Magpie makes a sound, like a gasp in slow motion. "Waaaait! D'you think that maybe the ants rescued the family and thought that Edgar was going to hurt them, and are holding them here just to make sure everything's okay so they can give them back to people who can treat honorably with the new Ant Queen? That would be an *awesome* story!"

And then the wave of Kor-fed power washes over the gnome, and her head tilts to one side. "...Or we could punch em in the nose and take the people back? I--wait what did I just say?"

Magic. Yelling. So much stimulus even for a large ant. It shakes, and crawls into a recess in the wall. It doesn't disappear, or try to really hide. It simply takes cover, and peeks at the party with its inhuman glance. It's hard to tell what an insect thinks, but this one doesn't seem to be too hostile. Not now that you have a good look at it.

Andelena looks... aghast at the suggestion of diplomacy with an ant. "I'm not fu..."

Then she looks at the ant again. She tilts her head to one side, then the other. "Fuck me sideways," she says, "it's... not hostile. Gods damn it, Bry will /never/ believe me. Umm."

She draws in a sigh. "Okay. Hi. Ant. Big fucking ant. BFA. Can you take me to where the people are? Kind of look like us and not like you?"

Slix blinks at Magpie. ".. yeah. Sure, that's totes what's happenin-"

She's stymied a beat, then shakes her head, shuddering out in a grumble. "Been a while since I felt something like that," she mentions in a gruff tongue, nodding towards Chemas. "Thanks."<Yrch-Speak>

Her attention shifts to Andie, and the ant's reaction. "Y... yeah lets uh, keep it calm so we don't spook it," she says quieter. "Yeah, shiny lady just wants ta know where our buddies went, ya know?" she tacks on, getting into a crouch with her hands on her knees.

Chemas nods back to Slixvah at her thanks, smiling a bit at hearing her speak in his native language. "Who speaks with ants? I mean, their language." Looking around he adds softly, "Ants aren't known for being alone. There could be a whole colony down here. I'd hate to get made into food."

"Well, I don't know, but it doesn't seem very hostile right now. Will that change if we go further in?" Eztli shrugs. "You mentioned an antlion before didn't you Slix? Maybe it's afraid of that?"

"I didn't even know there were giant ant lions to begin with so, I'm not sure. But if it's not harming us, maybe that means the villagers are okay? I can hope, at least." Eztli remarks while the others seem to attempt to converse.

If the ant understands any of this talk, it doesn't do a thing or answer. The insect just watches and keeps a distance. Soon its peeking stops, and a scraping sound can be heard from within the recess. It seems it's moved on with other things. Though before gone too long for the party to act, it reappears, dragging the remains of one of its kin. Looks to have been snapped in half, and this poor creature is on clean up duty. Yes, it isn't hostile, but it doesn't seem inclined to help the party either. More, the adventurers haven't warranted harassment. No sign of the people lost. One thing for certain is that it seems to struggle with its work.

Slixvah hmms. "The ants are from a different region, mo warm. They ain't wanna get out cause it's cold out. Prolly been here and rooted out the antlion. Maybe we can skirt by it without issue? Just like, no magic or sudden movements."

Andelena sighs and relents a little. "Sure. Okay. Walk by it real nice and slow-like. I can do that. Little bastard just better not bite me. I can go first."

The Sunguard does as promised. Or attempts to. She is a bit noisy in that armor of hers.

"Worth trying?" Magpie says, bobbing her head. "As much as I suddenly want to start a bar brawl, proooobably it'd be better if we had a less open place to start some noise. Unno, I just... don't like the idea of getting into a fight where it could be nothing but bugs, everywhere you look. *Again.* At least they're not zombie fungus mutants. Let's see where it's going?"

GAME: Slixvah rolls handle animal: (6)+3: 9

Chemas hefts his axe and watches the ant as it works. Seeming to agree with the plan of moving on past without bothering it he falls into place and moves with the group, eyes watching the ant as they past to make sure it doesn't change its mind on leaving them alone.

The party isn't bugged by the ant, other than Slixvah earning a few clicks of mandibles. It continues dragging its deceased kin, and lets the adventurers pass. It's not long down this dimly lit tunnel until they come to a larger round room, three pathways splitting off. There is a pile of dead ants, mixed in size in one corner. It seems this is a graveyard of sorts. No other living ants are yet seen, other than that one working slowly behind the party. The tunnels all seem solid and intact, no signs of an antlion. Just now you know you're in an ant nest.

GAME: Magpie rolls perception: (14)+7: 21
GAME: Andelena rolls Perception: (16)+8: 24
GAME: Lysa rolls perception: (12)+9: 21

"That's... a lot of bodies." Eztli notes once they reach the 3 way crossroads. "Whatever it was that attacked them, it took a lot of them out. I kind of feel a bit bad for them, assuming they aren't the cause of those missing villagers."

"And we didn't see a body for whatever caused it, did we? It might still be around, too. I just hope there aren't any bigger ants that will attack us, if this one is just a worker."

Having been bringing up the rear, Lysa, the Paladin of Daeus who is all about being helpful and supportive of her fellow adventurers, moved forward to examine the bodies of the dead ants. She drops to one knee as she examines them... and then her head cocks to one side. "Are you being hearing that?" she asks as she surges to her feet, her large sword being drawn from her back-scabbard as she angles towards Tunnel number 3. "A child is being in distress." she adds as she moves that way.

Andelena pauses, squinting as she listens to what's around them and looking at what's around them. She looks to the fellow Daeusite as Lysa enters the scene and nods. "Well met, Redeemer," she says. "I hear that, too. Let's go." She follows quickly behind Lysa.

Chemas isn't or hasn't been hearing anything. Standing at the ready he looks to the others and then nods in agreement with Eztli. Pointing with his axe head to Andelena he follows as they start to move.

"Yeah," Magpie murmurs in answer to Eztli. "Kinda makes sense why that one wasn't looking for a fi--"

At the same time as Lysa and Andelena, she stops, cocking her head. But since the call to move is already made, the gnome simply slips the glowing morningstar from her belt, clenching and unclenching her free hand and giving it a shake, limbering up her castin' fingers.

Slixvah was a bit busy chittering back repeated clicks and clacks to the ant, her getting agitation in return. "Okay okay, yeesh," she surrenders before others join them. And there's a worrying observation. She follows quick behind the group, taking up the rear.

As the party goes rushing down that tunnel, the ant that just reached the room after them chitters like mad when they choose to go that way. It's not an angry chitter. This is different. The ant doesn't go after them, tossing its half-eaten friend onto the pile just south of that tunnel. It's a shame he couldn't tell them why he's doing that. It would of been relevant.

The tunnel narrows, but not tight enough to cause discomfort, just that the party is now forced to walk one by one.

As Lysa reaches the end of the tunnel, it drops off abruptly, another silt sand pit consuming the way forward. You're on one of it's edges, the light not penetrating enough for you to see the bottom. Off to the left is the remains of an ant-chamber still intact and holding its shape. It seems the ant lion has been busy since the hours when the call for help went out. Deep in the darkness a child can be heard sobbing, her words now clear. "Please, help!" she calls, but not to the adventurers. It's just a random call into darkness. It seems she has not been eaten, but her cries come from beyond the party's ability to see.

The Ant-Chamber and partial structure is 15ft away. The drop to the ant lion being the consequences of failure.

Slixvah tenses as the passage getsbmore narrow, her wings tucked tight behind her. She wasn't super claustrophobic, but still was a bird in a tight place. But that's cast to the wayside. "Shoot. Theys close, yeah? Can't we just pile in?" she whispers, raisin her voice or casting anything would give them away.

"Oh no, is that Anya?" Magpie whispers, arms outstretched against both sides of the tunnel. Still fairly roomy for a proper smol like herself, after all... "What's out there? Can we get to her? Why's everyone stopping?"

Crouching down and trying to peer past everyone's legs... failure. So many tall people...

GAME: Lysa rolls perception: (14)+9: 23

Reaching into her haversack with one hand, Lysa withdraws her coil of Spiderskil Rope. "Either we need to be finding an anchor point up here and I am being going down, or I am being the anchor and someone else is being going down there. Either way, we are not being having a lot of time."

Peering across the pit, Lysa narrows her eyes, "We are not being having much time. Is anyone being able to cross over to the far side tunnel being on the left? Is anyone being having Spider-Climb, or some other magical way to get over there?" she asks as she pulls the aforementioned Spidersilk rope out of her haversack and peers around, seeking an anchor point.

Nodding her head, Lysa says, "Can you be being flying over with one end of this rope to tie it off over there that we might being using it to get the rest of us across?"

GAME: Slixvah rolls fly: (1)+8: 9 (EPIC FAIL)

"Okay. Be being coming to the front." says Lysa towards Slix. "But first..." she withdraws a handful of stoppered vials from her pack. "These are being curative potions. If we are being unable to reach the child before they are being injured, whomever is being reaching them first will be being needing to heal them. So everyone be being taking one with them in case you are being the first to reach the child."

GAME: Lysa rolls strength: (1)+3: 4 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Slixvah rolls reflex: (18)+3: 21

It was not a good thing for Slixvah. She couldn't make a sharp turn as it was cramped. She had a bad start all around, one that led to the woman clipping the wall. The poor Egalrin falls into the ant lion pit, but luck would hold. She does not sink to the bottom. No ant lion. Yet.

Slixvah brushes past the others, her look oddly serious as she squeezes up to the front with Lysa. "We don't have time ta pass those out, sunny," she chirps. A hand pulls out a heatless torch from her robes, shedding more light to see better. "Toss me."

If only it was a different kind of tossing.

The egalrin spreads her beribboned wings out as she's thrown. They stream behind her, elongated feathers fluttering in a trail. "I'm comin'!" she calls out, a wing curling in to take a sharp turn.

Slix. That's a. Slix that's a- SLIX! WALL! >THUD< "Fiddle-fuck."

>Thud-thud-thud-cssh!<

Slix is dazed in the pit. "...Don't... don't tell my brotha 'bout that fuck up..." <Auran>

"What fuck up?" asks Lysa as she uncoils her rope and wraps it about her waist before tossing the other end out into the pit, "Be being grabbing on if it will be being helping." she suggests.

Most people don't look up, all that much. The wee folk... tend to have more occasion to. As the ceiling of the tunnel catches Magpie's eye, a thought occurs. "So uh, hey... could you hammer it into the ceiling, maybe use that to hold some weight?"

"That didn't sound good at all." Eztli says as she tries to look around everyone stuck in front of her. "Slix, you alright?" She adds, feeling frustrated in her ability to help at the moment. "I really need to work on this sort of thing, burning a chasm won't really accomplish much, will it?"

"Hammer it into the ceiling?" Andelena muses aloud, and she shakes her head. "We are losing time. Who all's in favor of just jumping in and killing the damn thing?"

GAME: Slixvah rolls fly: (13)+8: 21
GAME: Slixvah rolls reflex: (6)+3: 9

Slixvah finally gets herself pulled together from the daze, not unlike a bird smashing into a window. She shakes her head. Hearing people from above figuring out what to do.

The witch stops fast. Everburning torch shedding light on her situation. Options splay out before her.

Fly up? No, not enough room, could screw it up.

Climb up? Girl, have you seen your chicken wings?

Siphon the life force of the rocks? Maybe, could probably fend off the-

People still talking. "With all the love in my heart," she calls up, grabbing the rope and digging her feet into pit. Wings flare out. "Tie a rope to an arrow or bolt and shoot it out, cast light on it, pre tie pitons along it," she rattles out ideas before taking flight. She scuffs the jump, but manages to hover over the pit, rope in one hand, torch in the other as she tries to find a place to anchor it to.

Slixvah easily find a location, and it will be only a little tricky.... but with a good fly check, and an okay shot, you think you can hit a bit of collapsed tunnel near the back wall away from where the ants were seen.

One problem. A few moments after Slixvah's launch the ground below lurches as the beast stirs and coils below sand. Not peeking, but churning and eroding more earth to slide its way. Nothing yet falls in, but it is a reminder of what is waiting.

Roiling a bit, Lysa nods her head, "Okay. I am being having a dagger I can use as a weight." she says as she unfastens the rope from her waist and draws her small weapon to start tying it of. "Can anyone be being casting the spell of light upon it?"

"I can cast a light," Andelena offers, moving over to Lysa to cast light onto the dagger. It's just a matter of a simple prayer.

GAME: Andelena casts Light. Caster Level: 5 DC: 13

"I am being having no pitons, but there is being a dagger." says Lysa as the spell is cast upon her dagger's blade. Then she turns and attempts a sidearm throw to get that end of the rope onto the ledge on the other side.

GAME: Lysa rolls ranged-2: (6)+8+-2: 12

"I've got a crossbow on me, if that might help. If it was possible to tie a rope off to it." Eztli attempts to suggest. "I can't see what's going on out there, but it seems like Slix isn't getting by."

GAME: Andelena rolls Athletics+3: (12)+1+3: 16

Slixvah is doing a wide turn, careful and slow, the beats of her wing stirring up silt. She looks down, shuddering at the monster before movement of light catches her attention. She swoops over and down, landing to where the dagger was. She pulls out a complicated contraption, pulls a few levers, and a hammer pops out before the dagger is >DING DING BANG<.

Feathers unfurl and wrap taught around the rope. "Piton the other side!" she calls out. "I'm holdin' it down here!"

"Is anyone else being having rope we can use to secure ourselves to the traverse rope?" asks Lysa as she looks back, and then Andelena does her best daredevil routine.

"Some?" Magpie says, digging a thin coil of plain rope out of her backpack, and holding it up. "Might work, but it's not gonna hold the same weight as those ship cables you all lug with you?"

GAME: Lysa rolls athletics+3: (9)+-2+3: 10
GAME: Lysa rolls reflex: (18)+9: 27
GAME: Lysa rolls athletics+3: (10)+-2+3: 11
GAME: Lysa rolls reflex: (9)+9: 18

Andelena does indeed do her best daredevil routine, but she manages it. Barely. Somehow. "Damn, I gotta get better at that, she murmurs to herself."

GAME: Lysa rolls athletics+3: (13)+-2+3: 14

Finally making it across the pit.. fifty pounds of armor slows one down in such cases... Lysa emerges from the rope loop, and turns to throw it back across... or more slide it back along the rope. Then she goes to help and make sure the forward end stays anchored.

GAME: Magpie rolls athletics+3: (13)+-1+4: 16

"Okay... okay... you can do this," Magpie says, clapping her hands together and taking several deep breaths, eyes locked on the rope and *not* the pit, especially after the last three people to try and cross had such trouble. "Never mind that you skipped physical fitness every time it came up as an elective, and double that every time it was required. It's a wizard school, you said, who needs to climb a rope? A ha ha haaaaa, hells with it."

And the gnome makes a mighty leap, grabbing hold of the rope, then curling up to hold with her legs as she wraps the free loop around her waist, and ties it off in something that might at least hope to have a chance of being secure...

Then inch inch inch, over the yawning pit and the hungry monster at its base.

"...I will never doubt you again, Proctor Thompson," she says, shakily, upon reaching the other side.

GAME: Eztli rolls athletics +3: (5)+0+3: 8
GAME: Eztli rolls reflex: (14)+5: 19
GAME: Eztli rolls athletics +3: (18)+0+3: 21

Well, everyone else was over, leaving Eztli by herself on one side of the drop. After a moment of deliberation, she decides to cross as well. The small sorceress grabs the robe and works on shimmying across, deciding that her feet would be better served digging into the wall as she went. At least it seemed that way until her foot kicked off a loose bit of soil and dirt, and sent a small rockslide from above down as well, smacking into their hands. It takes them a moment to re grip the rope and hurry across, in case it made the anchor point unstable, as well.

Once everyone gets across, Lysa leaves the rope attached, loop and all. After all, they will... in theory, still need a way out later on. But she releases her hold on the rope and moves to make sure everyone is safe and secure. "Now we are being needing to go save the child." she says, drawing her sword once more.

Slixvah lets out a sigh as others get across, her talons scraping the rock and earth underneath her, animated feathers from her wings holding taut to the rope. A dagger in a stone was a backup plan, not a surefire thing. As the more hearty folk get to her side, she releases the rope as Eztli falls.

Don't worry cutie, I got you," she coos, feathers reaching out and plucking the small mixed scale out of the hold and places them next to her.

The party struggled, but managed to safely clear the first gap. The issue is the failures stirred up the beast below, and the sands and antics cause more of the ground and pit's edges to give way.

The girl in the distance shrieks, a scuffling sound heard that causes the ants to chitter in the dark. "What's happening?! Why is the ground shaking?!" unaware of the true threat that lurks below her. "Mom!" she calls.

Timer: 9:00 Minutes Left

Bless has worn off, and the party is now faced with a new predicament. A 35ft gap on the other side of this decaying ant chamber. They're about out of rope to use, and the sand creeps ever closer. This creature cornered its prey well, having backed them against rock. Ants nor human have an escape.

And since she couldn't see the second gap, Lysa facepalms almost literally when she turns and sees the -next- gap to cross. She sighs and shakes her head, "Perhaps we should be being simply doing what someone else was being suggesting and go down and slay the beast."

"Yeah, that someone was me," Andelena says with a snort. "But we're here now, so might as well keep going. I can get another prayer going to bless all of us, if that'd be helpful?"

Slix tenses as the ground shakes and scuffles, the girl screaming. She looks down. "Fuck me gently," she curses, pointing to their ledge sloooowly decaying. "The bug is makin' its pit now. These edges are fallin' away. We gots maybe like, nine minutes left?"

GAME: Andelena casts Bless. Caster Level: 5 DC: 14

Slix is pacing. Well, pacing as best you can when you have only one square foot to move around in. Suggestions are being thrown around. She could just fly over again? No, that's too risk-

She whirls over. Wait. Do what with Magpie?! She grinds her beak, trying to not discard far fetched ideas so quickly. "Don't have time ta weeble wobble on this shtuff," she shakes her head, pulling out a knife. Slix flips it inverted as she hands a parasol off to Magpie. Clockwork gears gently whirl. "Take this ta glide once ya hit ya apex."

A hand reaches out to Lysa. Grabs at nothing in the air. She twists. She pulls. And the knife gets wedged between two unseen threads as she gently spools them over each other. "Count to three, throw on three. I'll do my shtick on two."

There's tension on that knife.

Nodding her head, Lysa grins, "This is being just crazy enough to work." she says as she follows the Eagalrin's lead. "Let us be being doing it." And then she does as suggested on the right counts.

GAME: Lysa rolls ranged-2: (14)+8+-2: 20
GAME: Lysa rolls ranged-2: (10)+8+-2: 16

Cross one rope and suddenly you have the best ideas.

This is the best idea.

Okay no this is the best idea *they can come up with,* big difference. And yet.

Magpie is trying very, very hard to give enthusiastic support of her own stupid plan. If she doesn't show confidence, who will?

The parasol is taken reverently, and hugged to her chest... One hand near the trigger mechanism. Slixvah's manipulation of invisible threads, however, does take someone the tension away from her shoulders, for if a renegade arcanist wielding powers no mortal should manipulate for the integrity of their soul has you back... they mean it.

"This is a *terrible* plan," she blurts, then claps one hand over her mouth.

"I really don't like this plan either, to be completely honest." Eztli huffs, looking to the gnome and frowning. She reaches to take a shiny silver ring off her finger and handing it to the gnome. "Here, put this on, just in case. If something happens, you won't get hurt by the fall. Just make sure your clothes are all secure, that's all."

Andelena just says a prayer for Magpie's continued survival, a prayer that... Daeus answers. "The Knight gives me the weirdest shit to witness," Andelena mutters to herself. "I guess that's my lot in life now."

The sword buzzes on her back again. Andelena just rolls her eyes. "Fuck off," she tells the sword. "Like I said earlier, you'd say it too if you had eyes. And a mouth."

Back north in the lands of Stormgarde, there are log toss competitions. Lysa has never thought about a Gnome toss event. But perhaps she will suggest one in the future.

She takes a step back... and then moves forward as she effectively shot-put throws Magpie. She fully expects to hear a squeaky scream as the gnome flies.

Maybe they will start a new pgrase... as the gnome flies. Maybe not. It's pretty silly.

Slix twists the knife, as unseen threads twang from being sliced and fold back on themselves, fate ahead sealed for better. Hopefully.

This was just the *worst* idea.

Magpie's eyes are the size of dinnerplates as she sails upward, utterly lacking in any motive force to keep her going in that direction. This is a problem. (Note to self: Study magical flight. ... ..... Conditionally, if I survive this anyway.) Then she feels her upward momentum begin to trail off, and in that sick moment before freefall, she clenches the fist bearing the ring, and mentally nudges it to life.

There's a point where she knows she can't help but land on the ledge, and it's at that moment that Magpie begins to loose long, hysterical laughter. "AHAHAHAHAHA OH THANK THE GODS I'M NOT GONNA DIE. HANG ON, ANYA, ADVENTURERS ARE COMING FOR YOU!"

The ants near Magpie are not happy, they chitter and stare after the gnome from the dark corners of this chamber. The girl is deep within, barely seen by the gnome's lowlight vision. The ants haven't harmed her too much. She's been roughed up and dragged about, but she hasn't been stung, or eaten. The ants don't move to attack Magpie, perplexed and unsure as the woman's presence alone doesn't seem to spark their ire. Instead, three more large ants are noticed, along with several workers trying to clear through rock and hardened earth before the pit can consume them. Sadly, the party already knows this is an act in vain.

"Adventurer?! Thank the gods!" the girl's excitement jarring the ants more. "Where is my mother, have you found my new dad?"

Sadly - Life Intrudes - To be continued another day.........

Combatty

First map: https://www.mipui.net/app/index.html?mid=m4isdlq7zcg

Second map: https://www.mipui.net/app/index.html?mid=m6gw9eg7fuo