Chapter 4: Under the Tree

[Pulpatoon]

Marcus and Gizzy: I'm going to send you guys off to your own thread for a little while.

[PyroArrow]

Tokioso 'Gizzy' Gizmoebius [AC: 12 HP: 2/5]:

Ok Then!

[mb.]

After it!

[Pulpatoon]

The ooze is progressing at a pace barely faster than a comfortable walk. You catch up to it immediately. It bubbles and creeps away from you.

[mb.]

Bürd follows it, keeping his axe at the ready. He says over his shoulder, "Kin y'magick a light lad? Could be th'light'd burn it good as the sun, an' it'd let us see aught either way."

[KingOfCowards]

"Sorry. I've tried that. My powers are exhausted for the day. If weapons won't harm it, all we have is fire."

[mb.]

Bürd nods grimly as they continue to follow, "Aye, an' fire done precious little for us. Mayhap these weak lil' drippings'll just lead us t'somethin' we should be knowin'."

Is there any chance Bürd has heard or read about anything like this sludge before?
INT 15 [1d20] = 15

[Pulpatoon]

Bürd:

You know that there is a class of underworld predator/scavenger of oozes, jellies, puddings, and molds. They are found deep in the dark places of earth, not this close to the surface. And for one to go into the sunlight would be unheard of.

Different ones have different weakness. Fire is common, but for others it is cold, or the subtle fluid of lightening-spark.

The ooze creeps along the right-hand passage, until it comes to the branching passage you did not explore, earlier. It follows this branching passage.

It is very dark, and still smokey. Bürd can see pretty well, but Simon cannot. Simon, do you have a torch or other means of illumination, or are you holding on to Bürd to follow? And while I'm checking on details, your hands were numbed to the point of paralysis earlier, right?

[KingOfCowards]

Simon, do you have a torch or other means of illumination, or are you holding on to Bürd to follow? And while I'm checking on details, your hands were numbed to the point of paralysis earlier, right?

Yes they were. Although I am not entirely sure why, considering he made his saving throw. I suppose torchlight is out of the question, so Simon will hang out at the entrance and wait for Bürd to return.

[mb.]

When Simon stops, Bürd does too, thinks a moment, and says, "ach, y'skinwalkers're lost in the flesh a'th'earth, aye? None could call me craven, but I'm none too keen t'follow th'ooze alone lad, so come on along an' I'll strike a light." Considering how slow the sludge is moving, Bürd takes a moment to light a torch, hands it to Simon, and continues onward...

[Pulpatoon]

Yes they were. Although I am not entirely sure why, considering he made his saving throw. I suppose torchlight is out of the question, so Simon will hang out at the entrance and wait for Bürd to return.

It'd have been worse if you hadn't made it.


Bürd lights a torch.

You follow the ooze down a small tunnel, into a chamber with a stone well in the center. The round wall around the well is made of stones like those used for the abortive walls you found earlier, and only about a foot and a half high. The ooze begins to dizzle up the wall, towards the well.

[mb.]

"No y'don't y'slime!" Bürd jumps forward, snatching the torch from Simon and holding it close to the front edge of the ooze, blocking it from reaching the edge of the well.

[KingOfCowards]

Simon stands back, some part of him hoping that Bürd fails and the slime gets away...further away from the two of them anyway.

[Pulpatoon]

The slime recoils from the flame, and whips a tendril at Bürd:
[1d20] = 11
[1d6] = 6!

The tendril slashes across Bürd's face, stinging his eyes and opening a nasty gash from ear to ear!

Constitution check to avoid dropping the torch, please!

[mb.]

CON 13 [1d20] = 10

Bürd drops his axe with a clang and covers his eyes with his free hand, but maintains his grip on the torch and presses it to the slime! Should I roll an attack?

[Pulpatoon]

Since the ooze is still mobile enough to try to avoid the fire, then, yes, let's roll an attack.

[mb.]

[1d20] = 3

Not sure if my normal pluses should apply when using a torch, but with that roll it probably doesn't matter.

[Pulpatoon]

Torch damage: [1d6] = 4

The ooze makes a satisfying sizzling sound when you thrust the burning torch end into it. Most of it's viscous mass drops, liquid and lifeless, to the cave floor. Only a small quantity, about the amount that would fit in one of Eighter's beer steins, continues its unctuous path to the wall's lip. It flails tendrils at you in what would appear to be the ooze-equivalent of anger, but it no longer has the reach to pose a danger.

[mb.]

Bürd sizzles the remaining scraps of ooze, drops the torch and sits heavily on the floor with a heavy sigh. He laughs tiredly, "we got it lad. We got it." He wipes ineffectually at the gash across his face.

[Pulpatoon]

With a fizzle and pop and the smell of burning excrescence, the ooze is dead!

You are in a dark chamber, underground. There is a well in the middle of the chamber and the remains of some sort of demonic slime mold on the floor. The air is foul and silent.