Paridon Book II: A Taste For Power (IC)

[Neurotic]

"Skyler move aside, NOW!"

Eugene runs to the narrow passage inhaling deeply. As he releases his breath bright line of fire shoots down the corridor.
Breath Weapon (2d6=4)

OOC: pathetic damage

[Rhun]

At Eugene's words, Skyler ducks low and moves to let his companion past him.

[InVinoVeritas]

Eugene leaps into action, sending flame down the corridor. It lights up the tunnel, coursing its way down the passage at the worm-man. An odd, acrid smell wafts its way back down the passage, as the fleeing creature lets out a scream and flops in place, unmoving.

(He was viciously stabbed, after all.)

Skyler and Eugene take stock of the situation. The tunnel narrows and shrinks to the point that the worm-creature fills it left-to-right, and top-to-bottom like a pustulent plug. An unarmored human could probably squeeze into the space. Behind the police, worms crawl all over each other randomly and mindlessly, as the sack heaves and blubbers.

Then, the worm-man corpse begins to move. Something deeper, past the corpse, is pulling it further into the tunnel.

[Rhun]

"More flames!" cries Skyler.

[Neurotic]

"Sure thing!" Eugene inhales again, surprised how fast his energy replenished itself.
"Must because I didn't use it for some time."
He fires another line down the tunnel keeping the focus low so it hits anything that slithers on the ground.

Feeling his fires exhausted for the moment, he takes two flasks from his belt passing one behind to Sykler.
"These are alchemist fires. Throw it down the tunnel if you see something. I'll try to clean out the worms."

Eugene focuses and ghostly hand appears in front of him and starts waiving among worms throwing down those on top of the pile.

Delay (1d4=1); Fire damage (2d6=11)
Breath Weapon delay (1d4=4)

OOC: much better...

OOC2: if mage hand cleaning doesn't work, he'll throw alchemist fire on the swarm. Idealy, he'll see what's behind and blast it.

OOC3: is the tunnel wide enough for us to squeeze through it?

[InVinoVeritas]

Eugene lets forth a major cone of flame, burning away the corpse, with the alarmingly increasingly familiar stench of charred hair. The corpse curls into a tight, black spiral, revealing darkness beyond. A couple squeals and some scrambling are heard in that darkness.

* * *

The other police make their way out of the kitchen, and start back towards HQ. The way back takes the police by the sewer entrance, one of those places that the mind edits out. Yet this time, there is a slight unexpected movement...

In the sewage exiting the grate, small writhing worms can be seen.

[Theroc]

OOC: I'm assuming we all can notice the strangeness coming from the grate, if that's not the case, correct me.

Rhia was slowly recovering from the gory scenes that had unfolded at the mansion on their way back to headquarters to discuss what had happened. Though, she had to wonder what happened to the other two.

"Hey, shouldn't we wait for the others?" She commented partway to HQ, near a sewer grate. As she stops there, she noted movement from the corner of her eye, turning to look directly. "What the... aren't those the worm things from Lord D'Marosso's Manor?" She blurted, pointing towards the sewage.

[jkason]

Originally Posted by Theroc

"What the... aren't those the worm things from Lord D'Marosso's Manor?" She blurted, pointing towards the sewage.

Ru grimaced at the sight. "I hate to hope so, but since the alternative is that we're looking at a much wider infestation, I suppose that's just what I'm doing. The others were after whatever went down the sewers. I wonder..."

With that the monk falls silent, straining to see or hear anything other than the worms on the other side of the grate.

((OOC: Spot and Listen +8))

[Neurotic]

Eugene causes his ghostly hand to pick up the torch and sends it out into the darkness. He cocks his arm for throwing and cautiosly advances to see what's causing the commotion.

"Skyler, would you hold my belt, just in case something tries to pull me through?"

After the hand winks out of existence, some 15' ahead and if no threat is visible, he withdraws, pulling small stone from his pocket and letting it go. It flares up with light and starts circling his head.

"Let's check the bag."

[Rhun]

"Indeed," says Skyler, wiping his sword down with an oiled rag from his own pack to clean the gore off of it. "Though I must say, this certainly wasn't what I expected when I joined Rose Company."

[InVinoVeritas]

Ru notes the sounds of his compatriots reverberating off the walls in the distance...

Eugene sends the torch down the tunnel. There is something lightly heard, like a scuttle, but the light illuminates a slender continuation of the tunnel, rounding a bend and sloping downward. Nothing can be seen other than dirt.

The bag continues to quiver, and worms still trickle out of it. Opening the bag, it is, as expected, filled with writhing masses of worms, easily at least a hundred pounds of worms.

[Rhun]

"Strange indeed," says Skyler, viewing the contacts of the sack. "Well, this is most certainly evidence. We should take it, and rejoin the others."

[jkason]

Ru stiffens and says, "I hear them. I think they must be close. Skyler! Eugene! Can you hear us?" he calls out.

[Rhun]

Hearing Ru's echoing call, Skyler smiles. "Yes!," he shouts back. "We'll join you in just a few minutes!"

[InVinoVeritas]

Skyler and Eugene hoist the sack. It shifts its weight, as if it were alive itself, but between the two police, the sack can be brought to the light.

[Rhun]

Skyler helps Eugene carry the strange sack back to the sewer entrance, where he takes a few moments to explain to the rest of Rose Company exactly what they had found.