Catastrophe!

[CrimsonFlameWielder]

[sblock=For Corragan]

The crystals contain tiny life-forms that you have heard of only briefly in the past. They are called Mitocytes. From what you can recall about them, they come in several varying sub-species dependent entirely on the environment they live in. The specific species you have discovered in the rock are called Mitocytus Terra, and are known for their ability to burrow through stone by eating it. If one were to be seen outside of the glowing rock in inhabits, it would look like a tiny flake of iron or steel, depending on the mineral they live in.

The Kruthik, it seems, are eating the stones that these Mitocytes live in, and in so doing, are absorbing the Mitocytes ability to form mineral barriers on their exoskeleton like shells.

In a strangely symbiotic twist... once the kruthik has disposed of the excess eaten mineral/rock in that natural biological response to solid food, the leavings are the perfect environment for the Mitocytes to live in and develop until such time as they are old enough and strong enough to burrow into the rock near them.

The small glowing rocks that the adventures have been playing with (and Ignatz has been...eating...) are the leavings of the kruthik that have developed into a Mitocyte development hive.

[/sblock]

 

[Medina]

Corragan studies the crystals carefully, engrossed for a moment before he looks up to his companions. Seeing Ignatz returning and gnawing on the crystals, he pales slightly.

"You might not want those near your mouth, Ignatz," he says, amused even as his stomach churns at the thought. "They're not for eating. Those purple crystals, they're.... well they're the droppings of these creatures."

"Come," he says, "I don't think this is what we're looking for. One of the other tunnels must turn and lead us to this orb we're looking for."

 

[Son of Meepo]

Dina continues to concentrate on the ring to see if the general direction has changed to give her.

Dina didn't care about the infant kruthiks. She

The deva then retraces their steps slightly, studying the tunnels twists and turn through the earth. But even with the power of her magic crown, this sort of thing does not come easily to her.

Finally she decides to take a quick look at the purple rocks.

"Perhaps we should take some with us, so that we can study it when we have more time."

Arcana (1d20+15=22) - Examine Ring

Dungeoneering (1d20+12=14) - Examine Tunnels
Dungeoneering (reroll) (1d20+12=16) - Reroll with Philosopher's Crown

Arcana (1d20+15=25) - Examine Purple Rock

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3380825/

 

[WEContact]

Corragan studies the crystals carefully, engrossed for a moment before he looks up to his companions. Seeing Ignatz returning and gnawing on the crystals, he pales slightly.

"You might not want those near your mouth, Ignatz," he says, amused even as his stomach churns at the thought. "They're not for eating. Those purple crystals, they're.... well they're the droppings of these creatures."

"Come," he says, "I don't think this is what we're looking for. One of the other tunnels must turn and lead us to this orb we're looking for."

Ignatz shrugs. "Dun bother me none. Too hard to eat ennyvay, see?" He taps a crystal against his fang demonstratively, and smiles. He starts back down the tunnel the way they came, though he takes a slow, meandering pace until everybody has started following along with him.

 

[jbear]

Boris, eager to leave, falls in beside the barbarian. "I say we take the left tunnel ... when we first arrived you sensed danger came from there. Perhaps that is the way to their queen and the path of our prophecy."

 

[Medina]

Corragan smiles a Ignatz, "I don't want you getting sick from eating them, but no matter since you can't. Curious little things though."

When Boris speaks, Corragan agrees, "Left seems as good a route as any to me; there's some logic to it. Since the ring isn't going to account for twists and turns in the tunnels, we could almost be picking them at random."

 

[VanderLegion]

Corragan smiles a Ignatz, "I don't want you getting sick from eating them, but no matter since you can't. Curious little things though."

When Boris speaks, Corragan agrees, "Left seems as good a route as any to me; there's some logic to it. Since the ring isn't going to account for twists and turns in the tunnels, we could almost be picking them at random."

"Left works for me as well. If nothing else, we end up having to backtrack one more time to find the correct tunnel."

 

[CrimsonFlameWielder]

As you travel down the left path, the walls and floor become more and more saturated with the purple rock. The path seems to go on forever with twists and turns that slowly circle you completely around the other two tunnels, curving to the south. Here the walls make a drastic change. Instead of being tunnels that have been dutifully carved by hundreds of kruthik claws, the purple and grey rock walls of this part of the tunnel are melted and singed black. Thin layers of now-solid rock have sloughed ever down toward the floor, making it look like the walls could drip on you at any moment.

After a hundred feet of traveling through the "dripping" tunnel it makes a sharp u-turn to the north. It is here that Dina's ring begins thumping at her so frequently that it actually vibrates her hand and gives off a low humming sound. As she gets closer and closer to what looks like the entrance to a wide and deep cavern, the ring begins to emit a dull blue light as if to say "HEY! PAY ATTENTION TO ME!".

In answer to the ring, you can see the matching glow of the orb in the distance within a pile of rock. Beside the pile of rock is a HUGE solidified boulder of purple crystal rock atop which sits the largest kruthik you've come across yet. It looks over at you intently, sizing the threat of the intruders that have dared to enter her chambers.

This Kruthik Queen chitters and squeeks at another large kruthik that sits beside, but not on top of the glowing purple crystal. In return, this kruthik emits a high-pitched scream that sets the cavern echoing with the reverberations of her voice. The ground rumbles.

You now notice that what you originally mistook for white and brown stones mixed into thousands of other rocks of various types are actually the eggs laid by the Kruthik Queen. With the cacophony of sound coming from the female kruthik leaders, the eggs burst open and hundreds of tiny gnashing baby kruthik eager for their first meal coalesce into a swarm of biting, chomping, slashing fury!

As the freshly hatched kruthik begin their rampaging swarm, several other kruthik pop up from the ground all around the cavern to see what is happening in the Queen's chamber. Seeing the intruders, they ready themselves to attack!

OOC: Please roll your initiative and make sure you have your latest statblock shown in your post so that I can update your info in my notes.

[sblock=initiative and Status]

The Kruthik have rolled an initiative of 17. If you beat that with your initiative, feel free to take your turn.

Terrain: All of the rocks are difficult terrain unless you have a climb speed or can hover/fly over them.

STATUS:

Kruthik Queen - Normal
Kruthik Princess - Normal
Kruthik Sentinel 1 - Normal
Kruthik Sentinel 2 - Normal
Kruthik Sentinel 3 - Normal
Kruthik Sentinel 4 - Normal
Kruthik Swarm 1 - Normal
Kruthik Swarm 2 - Normal
Kruthik Swarm 3 - Normal

Kruthik Queen Stats:
HP ? AC ? Ref ? Fort ? Will ?
- MBA: Claw +11 vs AC; 1d10+5 damage
- Hive Frenzy (Aura 2): Kruthik within the aura deal double damage with basic attacks.

Kruthik Princess Stats:
HP ? AC ? Ref ? Fort ? Will ?
- MBA: Claw +9 vs AC; 1d10+4 damage
- Hive Frenzy (Aura 2): Kruthik within the aura deal double damage with basic attacks.

Kruthik Sentinel Stats:
HP ? AC ? Ref ? Fort ? Will ?
- MBA: Claw +7 vs AC; 1d8 damage and the target is grabbed. While grabbing a target, the Sentinel has +2 AC and Reflex, but can only attack the target grabbed. The target being grabbed takes 6 damage (instead of 2 damage) from it's Gnashing Horde aura if it ends its turn adjacent to the Kruthik Sentinel.
- Gnashing Horde (Aura 1): Enemies who END their turn adjacent to the Sentinel take 2 damage (see MBA above for exception).

Kruthik Swarm Stats:
HP ? AC ? Ref ? Fort ? Will ?
MBA: Claw +7 vs AC; 1d6 +2 damage.
Aura 1: Enemies who START their turn adjacent to the Kruthik swarm take 6 damage!

[/sblock]

 

[VanderLegion]

OOC: Initiative roll.

[sblock="Stats"]Sha'kar Menoth Male Genasi Artificer
Initiative: +2, Passive perception: 20, Passive Insight: 14, Senses: Normal

Defenses:
AC: 19, Fort: 17, Reflex: 16, Will: 16
Resist 5 Psychic

Vitality
HP: 46/46, Bloodied: 20, Surge Value: 11, Surges Left: 4/10
Action Points: 1/1, Second Wind: unused

Languages:
Allarian, Tsugo

Basic Attacks:
Melee Basic Attack: +4 vs AC - Quarterstaff 1d8
Ranged Basic Attack: +5 vs AC - Point Blank Repeating Crossbow +1: 1d8+1

Powers:
At-Will: Magic Weapon, Thundering Armor
Encounter: Burning Weapons, Shocking Feedback, Healing Infusion: Curative Admixture, Healing Infusion: Resistive Formula, Void Assumption
Daily: Icebound Sigil, [-]Restorative Infusion[/-]
Item: Point Blank Repeating Crossbow +1 (Encounter), Warmage's Uniform Leather Armor +1 (Daily), Alchemist's Fire (0/0), Tethercord (1/1)

Weapons:
Quarterstaff - 1d8
Point Blank Repeating Crossbow +1 - 1d8+1 (Equipped)
Current magazine: 7 bolts
Full Magazines Remaining: 13

Conditions:

Crossbow Caster - Use Crossbow as implement for implement attacks
Voidsoul - Resist 5 Psychic damage
Arcane Empowerment - Empower magic item once per day + once per milestone (Augment Energy or Impart Energy)
Augment Energy - A weapon gains a +4 bonus as a free action once. A weapon can't be infused twice (lasts until next extended rest or until used)
Impart Energy - Recharge a daily magic item. An item can't be recharged twice in a day.
Arcane Rejuvenation - When an ally uses a daily magic item they gain 4 temporary hit points.[/sblock]

 

[jbear]

"Let them have everything you have. And don't get too close to me for a moment."


[sblock=Actions] TCO uses Crimson Blade to shift 3 to W58; you don't want to end your turn next to him. [/sblock]

[sblock=The Cursed One]

Human Hybrid Paladin | Warlock 3 (temporary)
Passive Perception/Insight 10
AC:19, Fort:16, Reflex:15, Will:16, Speed:5
HP: 37/39, Bloodied:19, Surge Value:9, Surges left:7/11
Initiative +2
Action Points: 1 (encounter):

Conditions:

Powers
MBA: Eldritch Strike +9 vs AC, 1d12+5 damage

Divine Challenge:
Warlock's Curse:
Eldritch Strike, Ardent Strike, Dire Radiance
Blade of Crimson:
Valorous Smite:
Otherwind Stride:
Asassin's Shroud: 2/2 uses left
Second Wind
Crown of Stars:
Bless Weapon:
Fullblade of Defense:


Combat notes: Fullblade of Defense: Resist 1 vs All dmg;
TCO will use his Fullblade of Defense Daily power to halve damage of an attack will reduce him below 0.
[/sblock]