IC: Dichotomy's Age of Worms Redux, Part I

[Dichotomy]

Trenton bravely steps to the side and lights his torch. Even in the wetness, he is able to get it started.

In defeat, Alexis and Boldak both start sprinting away from the office. Before long, they are both over the wall surrounding the building's yard.

The swarm of spiders, content with the meal they still have, congregate atop of Nav's unconcious form and continue to feast on his flesh. The sight is most disturbing, as Nav's blood begins to pool on the ground.



[sblock=OOC]Trenton: full-round action to light torch with flint/steel; 5' step
Alexis: runs 80'
Boldak: runs 80'
Swarm: congregates on Nav; auto swarm damage-2 (lowest damage so far); poison save-1!, auto fail, 3 STR damage
Nav: stabliziation roll-64, fail; bleeds for 1 hp

Init & status
Trenton: 12 damage; 3 STR damage [only just now remembered to put this here]
Alexis: 5 damage
Boldak: 9 damage
Swarm: 4 damage
Nav: 11 damage; 3 STR damage; unconcious and dying[/sblock]

 

[worthley]

Realizing he's the only one left, Trenton runs, in hopes of catching up with the others.

 

[michael_noah]

Stumbling over the crumbled wall, Boldak jogged on away from the mine office. Soon overtaken and left behind by his larger companions, he continued on as best he could on the slick ground. When it seemed that the horrible insects must surely be left behind, he let up in his running and attempted to assess the situation.
[sblock=Thought Bubble]I have never seen anything like that in the mines. Spiders, sure. Even those with no business being as large as they were, but nothing like that conglomeration of things that practically crawled through us on its way to dinner. There must be something strange going on at that place in order to bring about such a thing. And if nothing else, that fellow was interesting, perhaps it would be worth it to go back and see what’s left of him. I had best catch up with that woman, though, and get patched up back in town.[/sblock]
Redoubling his attempts at speed, Boldak attempts to catch up to Alexis.

”Hold up there, girl. We shouldn’t get too far apart, we’re not that close to the safety of town,” he shouts to her in a crass attempt at sarcastic humor.

 

[o3caudata]

Alexis appears for a moment as if she intends to continue running but she slows to a stumble and collapses to the ground sobbing.

Gradually her breath comes to her more evenly and rigidity begins to creep back into her frame. After a time she rises, dusts her self off and, through a horse throat, says "Boldak you are right. It is not safe in these woods. We should return to town."

She turns and stoically beings to walk in what she believes is the direction of town, never looking over her shoulder.

 

[Dichotomy]

Having regrouped, the three of you that remain trudge back in the direction of Diamond Lake. As if to echo the emotions of losing Nav, the rain worsens. You can barely see much more than colors and shapes on the landscape before you. Fortunately the road is easy enough to follow.

[sblock=Ti]As you follow the frantic raven away from town, the light rain that greeted you on arrival turns much worse as you head out. Shavora stays only a little ahead of you. After only a few minutes, though, the raven sets on your shoulder, since the rain has made it terribly burdensome to fly. The creature points its beak in the direction of the road you've been on and squawks "Follow!"

About half an hour outside of town, as you struggle to see through the sheet of rain, you find yourself almost on top of a group of three travelers on the road. Even before Shavora squawks "Them!" at you, it is apparent that these three must be the ones that left the other behind. They look weary, despite the fact that it is not yet even lunchtime, and while the woman looks alright, the man and the dwarf look on the verge of death, as both are soaked with blood from fresh wounds.[/sblock]

As the trio trudges along, about a half hour outside of town, they find themselves almost on top of a tall man coming up the road toward them.

 

[TiCaudata]

Ahead of you is a quite tall human male. Months on the road have left him rangy, but muscular. His long hair is behind his cloak's hood, but the strands that hang out in the rain are brown to the verge of black with shocks of bright red hair streaked within. It is often kept back with a strip of cloth, but occasionally he leaves it to hang around his shoulders. His face and hands are tanned from days in the sun. His eyes are a soft golden color similar to those of a falcon, his features are somewhat sharp and angular which only adds to the slightly birdlike appearance. He is dressed in well used traveling clothes which he keeps neat and in good repair. He has a backpack with a bedroll attached beneath and a quiver of darts slung over his left shoulder. He wears a ring on his left hand that is mostly unremarkable. There is also a sizable raven sitting on his right shoulder.

"You three look as though you could use some help. What has happened to you?"

 

[michael_noah]

"Aren't you an insightful one," Boldak grumbles. The site of someone outside the surreal drama he'd experienced so far this morning quickly brings him back to reality, and he realizes the extent of his wounds. With pain hitting him from every part of his body, and weakness washing over him in a wave, he stumbles to the nearest stationary verticle object and falls to the ground.

Leaning there, he continues, "You're obviously not a highwayman, or you'd be done by now. What are you doing out here?"

 

[TiCaudata]

"Finding you it appears."

The man walks over to Boldak, looking to see if there is anyway he can help staunch the flow of blood.

"Diamond Lake isn't too far back, we should get you all somewhere warm and dry. Is there a cheap inn in town?"

[sblock=ooc]Breth tries to help field dress the wounds on both Boldak and Trenton, using whatever cloth might be available. If conditions are too severe outside, he'll help them get back to Diamond Lake however he can. Once in town he'll try to secure a room where they can properly rest.[/sblock]

 

[worthley]

"There really aren't any other type inns there. You are right though, we should hurry back to town, and find out who you are on the walk back." Remarks Trenton, leaning on the shaft of this scythe like an elderly man with his cane. "Bye the way, I am Trenton." Reaching out his free hand as a greeting

 

[michael_noah]

Boldak jumps up gingerly, and adresses the stranger, "Found us, did you? I'd like to know why you were looking. Follow me." The dwarf turns up the path and continues on toward civilization.

He makes the rest of the journey in grim silence.

Upon reaching the town, Boldak heads for the Dog, where he hopes a little dried on mud and blood won't get them in too much trouble. There he finds a table and orders an ale, ignoring any suggestions that they find somewhere to rest or get patched up, responding with, "We've plugged our holes. If you've any fancy magic left, I won't turn it away, but I'm not about to hole up somewhere before we figure out what those things were, and what to do about them."

At the table, steeling himself with a long draught of ale, he turns to the newcomer and says, "Well, start talking."