Rune
Once A Fool
Session 2, part 2
As the dwarves cautiously press forward, they can make out what looks to be a rather large shallow boat, little more than a raft, loosely tethered to a stalagmite. The ground drops down steeply just in front of the soldiers; it is clear that one of the dwarves will have to swim over to the boat if they are to proceed in this direction.
Both Wart and Brunta step forward into the deep water and begin to splash toward the strangely convenient raft. Together, they manage to untie it and drag it back toward the shallow ground. The dwarves board the boat and begin to paddle toward the odd rocks that they noticed in passing.
All around them, outside of the range of their sight, they can hear the steady drip, drip of stalactites showering the cavern. Everywhere around the dwarves, water is in motion.
The dwarves paddle on in silence, watchful and wary.
Presently, the dwarves detect that their unstable craft is moving contrary to the soldiers' direction. They trade silent, grim glances as the realization dawns upon them that they have hit a current. A strong current.
To make matters worse, Wroth chooses this time to point out that he can see something moving in the water in front of the raft. He thinks it's a giant bug. The current is taking the dwarves straight toward it.
Pikkit chokes on her tongue (altering her voice only slightly) as she yells out, "It's huge...an' it's under th' black waters!"
When Brunta realizes that Pikkit is talking about a second creature, rising up behind them, he panics and throws his goblin prisoner at it--one less goblin in the world to worry about.
The creatures are now clearly visible as they tower over the raft; they are massive centipedes--massive swimming centipedes; their exposed halves tower fifteen feet above the water.
In unison, they strike.
At the boat. Each fractures the sides of the craft, but fortunately, neither is able to snap the craft into pieces, yet.
Wroth fires a crossbow bolt into the centipede behind the craft, while the other dwarves scramble around in an attempt to find good positions. Regrettably, there are no good positions on this craft, as Brunta finds out soon enough. His spot in the center of the boat does not protect him from the mandibles of the towering centipedes; he drops to the deck, bleeding his nature-loving life away.
His badger is the next to go; the other centipede snaps it nearly in two.
The other dwarves fight as savagely as they can in their tight space, but a new problem confronts them. The boat is rapidly filling with water.
Thrallin's intense hatred of all things mindless (except Wroth, 'cause he's kin) sees him deal crippling blow after blow against the rear centipede. Eventually, the monstrosity decides to cut its losses and retreat. The other centipede is not so fortunate. The combined might of the dwarves still standing is enough to bring it near death. In its dying throes, the creature turns belly up and floats down current with the dwarves.
After checking the bodies of the druid and his badger and discovering, to their shock, that both have stabilized, the dwarves leap on to the belly of the dying centipede, just as their own boat sinks forever into the dark, bloody, cavern lake. The centipede dies soon after.
The dwarves are now riding a swift current on a dead, thirty-foot centipede, which they cannot steer.
Thrallin feeds Brunta a potion that he has long stored and the nature-lover is restored to health--somewhat. The druid quickly heals his badger, in turn.
The dwarves' anxiety is renewed as they peer into the depthless space around them. They are clearly picking up speed--and they are also clearly arcing around a central point, far to their left. The dwarves are caught in a whirlpool.
Before the group can discuss the implications of this new dilemma, a tremendous thundering roars about them and they are tossed into the air; their centipede-craft has struck a rock and torn in half.
Wroth and Thrallin land on the front half as it floats away in the current.
Brunta and his badger land on the second half.
Wart and Pikkit are…gone.
As the dwarves cautiously press forward, they can make out what looks to be a rather large shallow boat, little more than a raft, loosely tethered to a stalagmite. The ground drops down steeply just in front of the soldiers; it is clear that one of the dwarves will have to swim over to the boat if they are to proceed in this direction.
Both Wart and Brunta step forward into the deep water and begin to splash toward the strangely convenient raft. Together, they manage to untie it and drag it back toward the shallow ground. The dwarves board the boat and begin to paddle toward the odd rocks that they noticed in passing.
All around them, outside of the range of their sight, they can hear the steady drip, drip of stalactites showering the cavern. Everywhere around the dwarves, water is in motion.
The dwarves paddle on in silence, watchful and wary.
Presently, the dwarves detect that their unstable craft is moving contrary to the soldiers' direction. They trade silent, grim glances as the realization dawns upon them that they have hit a current. A strong current.
To make matters worse, Wroth chooses this time to point out that he can see something moving in the water in front of the raft. He thinks it's a giant bug. The current is taking the dwarves straight toward it.
Pikkit chokes on her tongue (altering her voice only slightly) as she yells out, "It's huge...an' it's under th' black waters!"
When Brunta realizes that Pikkit is talking about a second creature, rising up behind them, he panics and throws his goblin prisoner at it--one less goblin in the world to worry about.
The creatures are now clearly visible as they tower over the raft; they are massive centipedes--massive swimming centipedes; their exposed halves tower fifteen feet above the water.
In unison, they strike.
At the boat. Each fractures the sides of the craft, but fortunately, neither is able to snap the craft into pieces, yet.
Wroth fires a crossbow bolt into the centipede behind the craft, while the other dwarves scramble around in an attempt to find good positions. Regrettably, there are no good positions on this craft, as Brunta finds out soon enough. His spot in the center of the boat does not protect him from the mandibles of the towering centipedes; he drops to the deck, bleeding his nature-loving life away.
His badger is the next to go; the other centipede snaps it nearly in two.
The other dwarves fight as savagely as they can in their tight space, but a new problem confronts them. The boat is rapidly filling with water.
Thrallin's intense hatred of all things mindless (except Wroth, 'cause he's kin) sees him deal crippling blow after blow against the rear centipede. Eventually, the monstrosity decides to cut its losses and retreat. The other centipede is not so fortunate. The combined might of the dwarves still standing is enough to bring it near death. In its dying throes, the creature turns belly up and floats down current with the dwarves.
After checking the bodies of the druid and his badger and discovering, to their shock, that both have stabilized, the dwarves leap on to the belly of the dying centipede, just as their own boat sinks forever into the dark, bloody, cavern lake. The centipede dies soon after.
The dwarves are now riding a swift current on a dead, thirty-foot centipede, which they cannot steer.
Thrallin feeds Brunta a potion that he has long stored and the nature-lover is restored to health--somewhat. The druid quickly heals his badger, in turn.
The dwarves' anxiety is renewed as they peer into the depthless space around them. They are clearly picking up speed--and they are also clearly arcing around a central point, far to their left. The dwarves are caught in a whirlpool.
Before the group can discuss the implications of this new dilemma, a tremendous thundering roars about them and they are tossed into the air; their centipede-craft has struck a rock and torn in half.
Wroth and Thrallin land on the front half as it floats away in the current.
Brunta and his badger land on the second half.
Wart and Pikkit are…gone.
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