[IC] Industrygothica's "The Hive"

[Mista Collins]

"Well met Shaimon. My name is Tanith." Pointing to the half-elf holding the axe, Tanith continues with a smile. "And her name is Courage. She is an Ehlonnan. Never thought I'd see that."

Pointing to an empty spot at the table, Tanith looks back to Shaimon. "Feel free to sit down and have a drink with us. We are a friendly bunch."

 

[jkason]

Shaimon Hu'u, barbaric human druid

"Well met Shaimon. My name is Tanith." Pointing to the half-elf holding the axe, Tanith continues with a smile. "And her name is Courage. She is an Ehlonnan. Never thought I'd see that."

Pointing to an empty spot at the table, Tanith looks back to Shaimon. "Feel free to sit down and have a drink with us. We are a friendly bunch."

Shaimon perks back up at the invitation, and plops down in the seat. "Why, thank you again. Don't mind if I do. Oh!" Here the man half-stands, letting out a quick, high whistle. From the shadows under the table he came from, a large wolf lopes over, its tongue lolling out of its mouth, each step jingling from the chain barding it sports. The wolf moves without really acknowledging the others, laying at the large man's feet.

"This is Dyspeer. He's with me." Shaimon says. "Dyspeer, these are friends."

The wolf raises his head upon hearing his name, and looks where Shaimon points to the others, but then returns to laying down, apparently uninterested in the humanoids' conversation.

 

[industrygothica]

The next morning...

Rhanett greets you with a hearty breakfast of bacon and eggs that are probably not from a chicken. She placed a huge mug of dwarven ale in front of each of you, apparently forgetting that most of you are not dwarves, and do not have dwarven stomachs, with the exception of Shaimon. Regardless, you eat, and some of you drink. Then Rhanett gives you directions to the small trade trail that runs through the Thokkari Hills--about half a day's travel east. The trail is mostly burried in the overgrown terrain, but still should be fairly recognizable when you see it.

Assuming you leave right away...

Half a day's march east, and true enough you discover a small overgrown trail heading due north. The trail cuts through the rugged wilderness, passing under the boughs of the wind-weathered oaks and through natural ravines of tortured limestone as it winds its way deeper into the Thokkari Hills.

At this point, the sun will set in a couple of hours, and you can hear tell-tale sound of battle farther ahead.

 

[Kobold Stew]

Courage places the axe back on the counter, nodding thanks, but saying, "I shall have to wait before I purchase a weapon like that."

She crouches in front of the wolf, "Greetings, Dyspeer." and then, from her corouched position, loooks up at Shaimon. "And greetings to you. Are you a traveller as well?"

 

[Mista Collins]

Looking to the others, Tanith motions towards the noise. "We should investigate!"

 

[Eva of Sirrion]

Jonas could only roll his eyes at Tanith going gaga over the big fellow. Frankly he'd expect better from a wizard, but it seems the female propensity to fall for strapping musclebound lunkheads applies regardless of profession.

Jonas Cleighton, priest of Olidammara, at your service Shaimon. We're fixing to make a journey into the hills. If you feel up to it, my services are at your disposal.

[sblock=Next morning] he brings up the rear along with Tanith. Watch yourself Tanith. Your new boyfriend would be saddened if anything would befall you.[/sblock]

 

[industrygothica]

As you travel farther up the trail and round a bend, you discover a shallow depression near the trail, some 20 feet across and lined with boulders. Atop the largest of these boulders is a wounded dwarf dressed in dirty chainmail and wielding a dwarven waraxe. With the exception of the blood and gore clinging to it, the axe looks similar to those that were on display in Rhanett's tavern.

The dwarf is fighting three giant ants that have gathered around the boulder's base. Judging from the two already-dead ants lying in crumpled heap nearby, the dwarf is a capable enough fighter, but he is obviously injured and tiring, and currently in serious danger.

Neither the ants nor the dwarf notice you at this time.

 

[Mista Collins]

Drawing her crossbow and loading a bolt, Tanith gets ready to take aim and fire at the enormous ant.

 

[Eva of Sirrion]

Looks like someone has a bug problem. Not to worry, the exterminator is in the house. Jonas readies his blade, for what is sure to be more fighting alongside Miss Bloodstone and with Tanith backing them up.

 

[industrygothica]

(ooc: As you all know, I'm still learning the ropes of DMing here. I'm going to try to take a page out of Endur's book here and see how that works for me. Maybe it'll speed things up a little. I'm using real dice here though, not Invisible Castle)

IC:

Surprise round:
The battle is approximately 60 feet from your current location.

Tanith takes aim at the nearest giant ant and fires (-4 penalty) and misses (14+4,-4=14).

Round 1:
Three giant ants attack the injured dwarf. 2 miss, but 1 hits with a nasty bite.

The injured dwarf swings his axe at the ant that bit him but misses. You think you can hear him curse something in the dwarven language. Even those that can understand the language probably wouldn't dare repeat it.

20 Skodi Karakus
18 Ants
17 Injured Dwarf
16 Shaimon Hu'u
14 Courage Bloodstone
12 Jonas Cleighton
3 Tanith Dathius