Chapter 15: Empire Under the Earth

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen keeps his back to the wall and continues the fight as best he can in the cramped conditions.

Attack w/ +2 Javelin of Men-khetu [1d20+2] = 10+2 = 12 Dam [1d6+3] = 2+3 = 5

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra has little breath to spare, but she grins a fierce grin. We'll have a mighty honor guard of those we've killed.

[ChubbyPixie]

Save vs. Death/Paralysis/Poison (14): [1d20] = 15 Whew!

In great pain, yet somehow able to shrug off the poison, Kiri strikes out wildly with his Claw.

Attack with Trident +1, Claw of Chobek (THAC0:19): To Hit: [1d20+4] = 6+4 = 10 Damage vs. s/m: [1d6+8] = 2+8 = 10, vs. Lg: [3d4+7] = 7+7 = 14

The blow glances off the carapace of his giant foe. He changes his mind about breaking for the north, instead opting to fight for his life...

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

Mako does what he can by holding up his quarterstaff to light the opening for his comrades.

[Inferno]

Giant Ant Colony, Beneath the Desecrated Temple of Osorus, The Underground City
Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Eight. Dawn?, 21st day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia





Beneath the underground city, within the subterranean colony of gigantic ants, the adventurers bare steel against a crawling doom of fearless, highly organized, and ruthlessly efficient warriors!

Amethu pushes past Xorzen to reach Kiri and bestow upon him the desperately needed blessings of Uthoth! (+2hp)

Mako holds his sorcerous radiance high, to light the wild, perilous battle for survival! Their enemies thus lit, the human invaders of the nest find chinks in the impregnable armor of the giant ants! Garrin amputates a leg with a deadly slash, but his stalwart adversary fights on without dismay or hesitation! And Zahra and Cruloc hack asunder a mammoth arthropod, killing their fearsome foe instantly!

One enormous worker ant drags back the valiant slain, as the other worker charges unflinchingly to war!

Xorzen, Zahra and Garrin beat down rapacious mandibles and venomous stingers with spear, sword and shield! And another minute passes when swarming reinforcements do not arrive!


Actions?!


Map:

One square = 10 feet.


Non-required Reading (rolls and rulings):

Initiative: Party: [1d6] = 6, Monsters: [1d6] = 2 Party wins!
Soldier Ant bites Kiri (1) or Amethu (2) or Xorzen (3)? [1d3] = 3. Attack: [1d20] = 8, damage: [2d4] = 6 Misses Xorzen!
Soldier Ant bites Loche (1) or Garrin (2)? [1d2] = 2. Attack: [1d20] = 8, damage: [2d4] = 5 Misses Garrin!
Worker Ant charges Zahra (1) or Cruloc (2)? [1d2] = 1. Attack:[1d20+2] = 10+2 = 12, damage: [1d6] = 4 Misses Zahra!

PC Status:

• Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 12/14, Spells: 4/7 1st lvl, 3/3 2nd lvl
  Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 2: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 13/35
  Garrin Locke: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 3(1), HP: 17/26, Laying Hands: 1/1
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 7/14, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 25/25
  Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 7(5), HP: 10/10, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl, Light Spell
  Tjoruy: Verulian Osoran Cleric 4: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 1/31, Spells: 2/5 1st lvl, 4/4 2nd lvl
  Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 3: Move: 17", AC: 6(4), HP: 15/16
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 3: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 16/21, Torch

PC Magic:

• Protection from Evil (Garrin): -2 to AC and +2 to saving throws against evil, in a 10 foot radius around Garrin.
  Healing Mists of Osorus (Garrin, Kiri, Loche, Mako and Xorzen have breathed of the mists): All lost HP recovered with 8 hours of sleep. Wakeful rest, or sleeping less than 8 hours, enables recovery of 1 HP per hour. Duration: "months."
  Unseen Servant (Kiri): Duration: 74 rounds
  Light (Mako): Duration: 26 rounds

Player Resources:

• The Struggle To Survive (the story so far)
  Mysteries Strange and Deadly (player clues and notes)
  Hieroglyphs (the story so far, in images)
  An Age Undreamed Of (maps and realms of the World of Hyboria)

[Scott308]

Loche

The Pict flails at the giant ant with his dagger, but once more is unable to harm his insectoid opponent. This damned blade is tae wee! Ah cannae thirl thair armor!

Jeweled Dagger +1/ +2 vs. Undead (20): [1d20+1] = 6+1 = 7; Damage: [1d4+1] = 3+1 = 4; Damage, Large: [1d3+1] = 1+1 = 2

[ravenn4544]

Amethu, seeing himself facing an abomination of an ant, forgoes his healing ability and strikes out to defend himself!

To Hit (THACO 20): [1d20+2] = 19+2 = 21
Staff of Uthoth - Damage: = S/M/L: [1d6+2] = 3+2 = 5

[ChubbyPixie]

Kiri lets out an atypical cry of frustration as he brings his Claw down full force in a slashing motion at the juncture between the creature's head and body.

Attack with Trident +1, Claw of Chobek (THAC0:19): To Hit: [1d20+4] = 13+4 = 17 Damage vs. s/m: [1d6+8] = 6+8 = 14, vs. Lg: [3d4+7] = 6+7 = 13

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen continues his attack on the ants, finding his strikes to be more defensive in nature than he would prefer.

Attack w/ +2 Javelin of Men-khetu [1d20+2] = 7+2 = 9 Dam [1d6+3] = 4+3 = 7

[SocraticLawyer]

Garrin attacks the giant insect again.

To Hit with +1 Long Sword: [1d20+1] = 12+1 = 13; Damage: sm - [1d8+1] = 5+1 = 6; lg - [1d12+1] = 9+1 = 10

Yikes, I hope that's a hit!

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

Attack w/longsword [1d20+2] = 6+2 = 8

"Crom devour their black hearts!" curses Cruloc as his sword whistles wide of the mark. "My next blow will split its skull!"

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

Mako continues to light the opening for his comrades.

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra says nothing- just tossing her head to flick sweat from her eyebrows.

att [1d20+4] = 13+4 = 17
sword vs lg [1d12+3] = 2+3 = 5

[Inferno]

Giant Ant Colony, Beneath the Desecrated Temple of Osorus, The Underground City
Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Eight. Dawn?, 21st day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia






There is a deafening crash as sword blades flame with summer lightning against the impervious armor of the ants!

Another gigantic insect charges into the murderous battle, joining his wounded sisters at the front line! He is of the worker caste, the light cavalry of the nest. His mandibles are smaller than those of his amazon sisters, his armor thinner, his body lower to the ground, but he is just as fearless and violent in defense of the colony!



Mighty Kiri's sorcerous trident parries his lunging attack and then tears open his chitinous throat, killing the charging worker ant instantly!

In the wild fray, beneath the horrific alien visages of emotionless multifaceted eyes and writhing antennae, Zahra's enchanted sword wounds another worker ant in a blur of silver!

The huge voracious mandibles of a titanic soldier ant brutally crush Loche (3hp damage) but the nimble Pict narrowly evades a horrifying stinger dripping with deadly venom!

And Amethu's wondrous staff stoves in the head of a giant warrior, ending its life in a ghastly deluge from its shattered braincase!

Two great ants remain, a soldier and a worker. Both are wounded but their resolve is adamant.


Actions?!



Map:

One square = 10 feet.


Non-required Reading (rolls and rulings):

Initiative: Party: [1d6] = 5, Monsters: [1d6] = 6 Monsters win.
Worker Ant charges Kiri: [1d20+2] = 6+2 = 8, damage: [1d6] = 5 Misses.
Soldier Ant bites Amethu (1) or Xorzen (2)? [1d2] = 1. Attack: [1d20] = 8, damage: [2d4] = 7 Misses Amethu.
Soldier Ant bites Loche (1) or Garrin (2)? [1d2] = 1. Attack: [1d20] = 14, damage: [2d4] = 3 Hits Loche.
If Giant Soldier Ant succeeds with mandible bite, it may also try to sting:
Giant Ant stings Loche: [1d20] = 10, damage: [1d4] = 3 or [3d4] = 8 Misses.
Worker Ant attacks Zahra (1) or Cruloc (2)? [1d2] = 2. Attack: [1d20] = 3, damage: [1d6] = 5 Misses Cruloc.

PC Status:

• Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 12/14, Spells: 4/7 1st lvl, 3/3 2nd lvl
  Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 2: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 13/35
  Garrin Locke: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 3(1), HP: 17/26, Laying Hands: 1/1
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 7/14, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 22/25
  Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 7(5), HP: 10/10, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl, Light Spell
  Tjoruy: Verulian Osoran Cleric 4: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 1/31, Spells: 2/5 1st lvl, 4/4 2nd lvl
  Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 3: Move: 17", AC: 6(4), HP: 15/16
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 3: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 16/21, Torch

PC Magic:

• Protection from Evil (Garrin): -2 to AC and +2 to saving throws against evil, in a 10 foot radius around Garrin.
  Healing Mists of Osorus (Garrin, Kiri, Loche, Mako and Xorzen have breathed of the mists): All lost HP recovered with 8 hours of sleep. Wakeful rest, or sleeping less than 8 hours, enables recovery of 1 HP per hour. Duration: "months."
  Unseen Servant (Kiri): Duration: 73 rounds
  Light (Mako): Duration: 25 rounds

Player Resources:

• The Struggle To Survive (the story so far)
  Mysteries Strange and Deadly (player clues and notes)
  Hieroglyphs (the story so far, in images)
  An Age Undreamed Of (maps and realms of the World of Hyboria)

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

Attack w/longsword [1d20+2] = 19+2 = 21
Damage vs. L [1d12+3] = 7+3 = 10
Damage vs. S & M [1d8+3] = 7+3 = 10

With a wet, scything whisper of his sword, the savage out of the snowswept north inflicts grievous harm upon the polysegmented horror.

"Back to the darksome pit which spawned you!"

[ravenn4544]

Amethu tries to flank one of the remaining ants and attack - while keeping an eye into the darkness for more advancing enemies. His attention diverted, his staff bounces off the hard armor of the ants.

To Hit (THACO 20): [1d20+2] = 4+2 = 6
Staff of Uthoth - Damage: = S/M/L: [1d6+2] = 2+2 = 4

[SocraticLawyer]

Garrin again strikes out at the soldier ant.

To Hit with +1 Long Sword: [1d20+1] = 7+1 = 8; Damage: sm - [1d8+1] = 8+1 = 9; lg - [1d12+1] = 8+1 = 9

Again, to no avail.

The holy warrior vows, if he ever makes it out of this forsaken city, to crush underfoot the first 100 ants he sees.

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra, seeing Cruloc's attack, directs her sword at the other ant.
att [1d20+4] = 10+4 = 14
Sword vs sm, med [1d8+5] = 7+5 = 12

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

No change in action.

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen continues flailing his weapon around like a wild man, nearly hitting himself in the process.

Attack w/ +2 Javelin of Men-khetu [1d20+2] = 2+2 = 4 Dam [1d6+3] = 5+3 = 8