The Gray King

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

Stealthy Irthos and bold Oliver reach a clearing ahead at nearly the same time. In that clearing is a strange and horrible sight. A small dragon with translucent, sea-green scales, perhaps the size of a horse, is entwined with a horrible ten-foot long glistening thing that seems to be a length of intenstine. Yet it moves under its own power, and part of it is clamped on the dragon's neck.

Dark blood trickles from a wound there, and from the deep red color on that end of the thing, it seems to be draining the dragon's blood. Despite its seeming fragility, the worm-thing has the upper hand in keeping the dragon wrapped up, preventing it from lifting off and binding its claws.

Around the dragon stand four barefoot miniature elven-like beings, their skin green as grass, no taller than halflings, dressed in armor that is seemingly made of small leaves, wooden bucklers on their arms. They wield minature bow and arrows and are looking for a clear shot to hit the worm-thing without hitting the dragon. A few hits in its fibrous length seem to slow it slightly, but with dragon and worm-thing now thoroughly intertwined, it's nearly impossible to hit one without the other.

One of them suddenly drops his bow and draws a sword seemingly made from twisted thorn branches. He begins to stalk forward, his sword angled to cut the dragon's throat...

 

[EvolutionKB]

Oliver, Human Binder

Before the creature can finish it's intended task, Oliver steps from the base of the trees. "Stop!" he yells. He knew the intestine thing was unnatural, but that was his companion's area of expertise, so he did what he could to draw their attention to him. His rapier is held down, non-threatening, but he is still ready to defend himself.


Move into clearing and take total defense. AC 27

 

[Forgefly]

Kurst, Human Wlk/Art 2/1

About as quiet as a House Cannith Foundry, Kurst crashes through the bushes, trying to reach the source of that awful plea. As he enters the clearing he stops short, momentarily shocked by the scene. In that brief moment, his eyes harden and then flash red as he raises his hand pointing at the sickening monster. In the brief moment of concentration dark energy seems to gather about him from places unseen, before arcing toward the dragon's captor.

OOC:Eldritch Blast +3 or +4 if within 30' with Precise Shot helping, right? (ever hopeful) 1d6 damage

 

[Erekose13]

Maavnod moves forward with Kurst and the others, once there he'd charge in to wrestle the thing off of the dragon though the situation may change by that point.

 

[FreeXenon]

Arrgha'n (Half-Daelkyr Kin-Hunter); HP: 27/27; AC: 19

Arrgha'n slips into the clearing with the rest of the group, drafting if you will, behind the massive Maavnod. He steps between the faerie creatures and the grappled dragon looking to delay things so that we can figure out what is happening and to decide who to kill.

"Does anyone speak their language or have any clue as to what in Kyber is going on? We may not want to anger the faerie overmuch. We are in their lands."



[OOC: Do I have any clue as to what this grappling creature is?
+7 Know (Dungeoneering) OR Survival +7/+9 ]

 

[stonegod]

Irthos waits to see what the little one will do. When the others trudge up, it answers, "It ssspeaks Draconic. It asskes for the otherss to kill the thing..."

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

Many things happen quite quickly. Oliver storms through the trees, causing a sudden break in the action as everyone, faerie creatures, worm-thing, and dragon, to pause at the interruption. Kurst's hands glow with eldritch power and he hastily releases a bolt to try to singe the hideous thing. Unfortunately, in his eagerness, he hits the ground right between them rather than the worm itself. But that does have the effect of getting the worm-thing's attention.

It momentarily lifts itself from the dragon's neck, and you can see one end of it has a toothy, suckery, lamprey-like mouth, red with gore from the horrible gaping wound in the dragon's throat. Arrgha'n recognizes the thing now. It's a

Spoiler

gutslug, a blood-draining creature that resembles muchly a length of intenstine. Once used as a kind of weakening agent by daelkyr, they long ago lost control of their creations. As gutslugs are constantly hungry and grow very fast, the Gatekeepers try to kill them on sight or seal them away to keep them from spawning. The blood they drain was sometimes used in experiments, if someone could get to the fresh blood quickly. Gutslugs often attack from hiding, going after their prey when it is sleeping or unaware. They are vulnerable to to salt, which dessicates and harms it, and alcohol poured on it makes it difficult for it to grapple its prey.

Maavnod, wasting no time leaps forward to grasp the thing in his four hands. Struggle as it may, it cannot resist the implacable strength of Maavnod's hands, and soon the goliath finds his hands full of ten feet of sticky, bloody, strongly muscled toothy intestine.

Valerian, looking thoughtful, suddenly begins to dig through his backpack, bringing up a small bag of the salt used to season his meals.

"Bring it here, this will kill it!" he calls authoritatively.

Yatrax, on the other hand, keeps an eye on the four faerie creatures and the wounded dragon. The little ones start to help the dragon to its feet, while one feeds it what seems to be a packet of leaves. Immediately the wound in its neck starts to close. The other three place themselves between the dragon and the party, bows out and drawn towards the worm.

OOC: Kurst, sorry, rolled a 1 for your attack. Arrgha'n got a 25 on his Knowledge (dungeoneering) check. Maavnod got a 22 to the worm-thing's 14 on grappling, so now he's the one wrasslin' with it. Valerian got a 27 on his Knowledge (dungeoneering) check.

 

[FreeXenon]

Arrgha'n (Half-Daelkyr Kin-Hunter); HP: 27/27; AC: 19

"We cannot let this Gutslug escape. Use any salt and alcohol on it.

Maavnod get me an opening near its throat and mouth."

He steps up to Maavnod and the struggling intestine-slug-like creature waiting for the right moment and stabs it

(+5 Long Sword [1d8+2 (d6 SA) (+2 vs Aberrations]).

 

[Erekose13]

Maavnod uses the leverage of his four arms to wrench the thing around towards Arrgha'n and Valerian. "Do it quickly. If it bites me, Ill tear it in half."

 

[Forgefly]

Kurst, Human Wlk/Art 2/1

Kurst watches the grapple and waits, having seen what happens to those things unfortunate enough to end up in Maavnod's deadly embrace. He also strives to keep an eye on the dragon and its minions.