RITS - Shades of Jigoku

[~Corvus~]

You arrive in a blasted landscape with huge boulders with sandstone-like texture and hardness but they're only shades and tints of red. You can hear the mild buzz of chittering far away. The air here is warm with a palpable humidity, but other than the massive boulderfield around you and the distant chittering, Red-Eye and Chokka are very much alone.

The Nezumi has certainly gathered some excellent items about her. Her breastplate includes pauldrons and greaves, and upon closer recognition, it looks as if it's made from a creature's skin that's subsequently been melted into solid plates--at least in various areas--until it fans into a thick scaling. Tucked into a plated area near her waist is a magical sack, and strapped to her other hip is a backwards-facing quiver with three wicked-looking javelins. She has a basic protective pot helmet, nothing special. Chokka changes her pants for the magical trousers quickly, then re-fastens the breastplate-guards (with help from Red-Eye of course).

Aren't you going to put yours on?

[Tjallen]

Nodding and quickly putting the pants on beneath his robe, Red-Eye speaks in what is supposed to be soothing, but ends up more strained due to the danger posed by being in a very hostile environment: "Is good of you to come with me on this hunt Chokka, we need to find-catch two spawn and kill-steal a tentacle. You have questions, yes-yes? I shall answer, quick-fast, before fading to scout. Is going to be rewarding. Shame can't use poison like against Wani, going to be extra careful, demons may be near."

[~Corvus~]

Chokka laughs and says with a hint of scorn, "I suspected so. You may have these; they will work against all manner of Oni. She gives him the Gloves of Ravaging, and explains their purpose (which is rather simple): They convert poisons to a "blessed" nature that is anathemic to Oni (demons), who would normally be immune.

That done, she looks around and kicks a boulder. A bit crumbles away. She follows the dirt and, using her spear, vault onto a crevice in a boulder, then completes her movement in a short series of jumps.

[Tjallen]

Putting on the gloves, Red-Eye fades from view and follows the Nezumi, looking around for any demons or bodies of liquid where a squid-thing would be found.


Spot [roll0]

[~Corvus~]

The view above the large boulder grants a 30 foot vantage point. From here, you and Chokka can see a twisting river--it looks grey and translucent at best--but it is perhaps a mile away to the Northwest. You can see mountains to the South and East of you. Otherwise, the area around you is an enormous boulderfield of soft, red sand of many hues.

[Tjallen]

Content to observe the prospective follower for a while, Red-Eye simply follows Chokka. Watching and waiting for her to either give a sign that she wants to talk or for her to approach something as if for a fight.

[~Corvus~]

The going is quiet as Chokka heads in a spiral, making sure to draw x-marks on some boulders with the butt of her spear; the sand is resistant but it crumbles and gives way to persistent scoring.

You spot winged wasp-like creatures as big as bears flying in random-seeming orbits further out, but they ignore you as you make your way to an enormous battlefield below you. Creatures very much like fusions of scorpions, ants, and spiders battle amongst each other. Their colors of grey, black, brown and reddish brown all mix, and it's impossible to tell what exactly they fight over. The battlefield is enormous, likely several miles across, and extra troops appear from many holes in the ground.


As you watch the battle below you, it becomes apparent you are standing on a plateau, and the ground all around you blends in so well it's impossible to tell so until you had approached its edge. Chokka turns to Red-Eye and asks blandly, "How do you think we should get down? I can throw you and see if you land on an insect. It's only a hundred foot fall. What do you say?"

[Tjallen]

As Chokka halts to watch the battle, Red-Eye quietly appears beside her, invisibility fading away.
"I-I can jump or climb, could use rope to get you down, fighting bugs is dumb, if want fight, must isolate."

[~Corvus~]

Chokka considers his proposition for a moment. "We need to find spawn right? Don't ants keep their eggs near the queen? ....I don't suppose you have a way of making me invisible too, do you? We may want to avoid detection as long as possible."

[Tjallen]

"We need to find-capture Elokid spawn, do not know what they are, so may need to find-capture else to find what they are. Can make you invisible, will not break in combat, but only very short while and is very limited in time and don't have many potions."

[~Corvus~]

"Fine, fine. Give me a few moments to meditate; I must ensure that I, too, can get down from here with a minimum of harm." The next minute she looks down at the battlefield, and when a creature draws near, she unleashes her best attempt at incomprehensible screeches and hisses.

"Wild Empathy" @ -5: [roll0] vs. DC 15
Edit: Chokka will enter "Assassin's Stance" granting +2d6 Sneak Attack
Chokka will charge the creature using "Searing Charge," which grants fly speed=base land movement; thus, she can "fly" 120 feet this round.

Edit: Success! You may control Chokka until the end of this (short) combat encounter.

NB: Chokka re-shifted some maneuvers to better-suit her here. She may expend un-readied maneuvers to fuel her special Shadow-hand attack!!


The creature looks a little baffled that it's receiving communication from the plateau and it approaches with its own hisses and clicks. The creature looks like a warrior, with a long oval front section with eight legs efficiently placed and its back 4 legs seem a bit larger than the front ones. It then has a bulbous and wickedly-spiked abdomen with two vicious & large claws similar to a crab that extend forward just beyond the front of its own body. It approaches, and Chokka launches herself from her perch, downwards to attack the creature with the viciousness she's shown before.

[Tjallen]

As his companion meditates, Red-Eye takes the time to poison his arrows with the newly delivered, and much more potent, arsenal.
While Chokka speaks gibberish to the insect, he silently fades into the shadows and observes her actions.

Surprised at the sudden flying and flames Red-Eye lets loose a flurry of poisoned arrows, some trailing ice-spikes, at the thing. Determined not to lose his new subordinate quite yet, he keeps an eye out for other demons moving towards them.

Attacks, using +1 Merciful Holy Arrows:
For each arrow that miss, the following arrows have a +4 to hit.

[roll0] for [roll1]+ 10 + [roll2] + (12 if flat-footed, and dc 19 to avoid being entangled) + Bonespear - DC 32 Fort or take [roll3] Str + [roll4] Dex from poison, if hit dc 21 or be silenced also making it impossible to use SLAs, psionics and telepathy.

[roll5] for [roll6]+ 10 + [roll7] + (12 if flat-footed, and dc 19 to avoid being entangled) + Bonespear - DC 32 Fort or take [roll8] Str + [roll9] Dex from poison.

/w ray of frost [roll10] for [roll11]+ 10 + [roll12] + [roll13] cold SR check [roll14] + 2 for each arrow that hit before + (12 damage if flat-footed, and dc 19 to avoid being entangled) + Bonespear - DC 32 Fort or take [roll15] Str + [roll16] Dex from poison.

/w ray of frost [roll17] for [roll18]+ 10 + [roll19] + [roll20] cold [roll21] + 2 for each arrow that hit before + (12 damage if flat-footed, and dc 19 to avoid being entangled) + Bonespear - DC 32 Fort or take [roll22] Str + [roll23] Dex from poison.

Spot Check: [roll24]

[~Corvus~]

Red-eye sees few other insects around: there are two others battling each other about a hundred feet away, on lower ground.

The unsuspecting insect takes the first three arrow hits, but manages to deflect the fourth. It seems stymied by the unusual nature of the arrows that make its movement more uncomfortable, and its squirking-sounds confirm that it hasn't been silenced. Still, its wicked arms fall to its side and it requires significant scrabbling of its legs before it moves from its spot to put distance between itself and its attackers. After several moments of agitation, it finally fizzes out some sort of request to the other similar-looking creatures nearby. They temporarily cease their fight in order to look at their fellow insect, weak and nearly-incapable of moving. They begin their approach, and it looks like in a few rounds they will be upon you.

[Tjallen]

Peering over the edge of the outcropping he hides on as he rearranges his arrows somewhat, Red-Eye fires four arrows at the leftmost approaching enemy, before shouting at his subordinate
"Chokka, kill-kill, more coming."

At the order Chokka follows the wounded insect and brings down her weapon in a concert of shadows and flames.


Red-Eye:
Swift action: Swap merciful for Outsider, Chaotic-bane. (Awesome arrows) Resulting in +1 Holy Outsider, Chaotic Bane arrows Poisoned with daylight brew. The rolls assume they are affected by both.
For each arrow that misses the following arrows gets +4 to hit.

Quickened Arrow (Ray of Frost): To hit [roll0] for [roll1] + [roll2] damage + [roll3] Cold damage, DC 32 fort or take [roll4] Con and [roll5] Str from poison.

Arrow 1: To hit [roll6] for [roll7] + [roll8] damage, DC 32 fort or take [roll9] Con and [roll10] Str from poison.

Arrow 2 (Ray of Frost): To hit [roll11] for [roll12] + [roll13] damage + [roll14] Cold damage, DC 32 fort or take [roll15] Con and [roll16] Str from poison.

Arrow 3: To hit [roll17] for [roll18] + [roll19] damage, DC 32 fort or take [roll20] Con and [roll21] Str from poison.


Chokka
Moving to the insect, sacrificing Drain Vitality and using Burning blade.
[roll22] for [roll23] + [roll24] fire.

[~Corvus~]

The assault is more than enough to take down one of the approaching insects. The one before Chokka slumps over as she stabs it before it can escape, and Chokka ducks behind the insect and crouches down behind its hulking mass. She hisses up to Red-Eye, in Nezumi, "Retreat - left side!" As the last insect clamors on to the ridge where its other bretheren is fallen, Chokka slips away around the body, avoiding its attention for the time being.

[Tjallen]

Not really understanding why they're retreating, Red-Eye jumps further away from the insect, firing off two arrows as he moves further to the left. As he drops down in hiding behind a rock outcropping he wonders at the purpose of hiding from the insects.

Chokka wisely recharges her maneuvers as she takes cover behind the fallen insect.


Red-Eye
Full-round action, move 100ft to another hiding spot, shoot bow as part of the action. No penalty to hide because of Sudden Shadow.
Arrow 1, daylight brew: [roll0] for [roll1] + [roll2] +12 if flat-footed, dc 19 to avoid entangle, DC 32 fort or take [roll3] con and [roll4] Str. +cha+2 cause ravages.
Attack quickened, daylight brew: [roll5] for [roll6] + [roll7] +12 if flat-footed, dc 19 to avoid entangle, DC 32 fort or take [roll8] con and [roll9] Str. +cha+2 cause ravages.
Hide Check [roll10]

Chokka
Hide and recover/change maneuvers.
Hide check [roll11]

[~Corvus~]

Chokka comes up from her meditation and writes in the dark-red sand. What she scrapes becomes a lighter color, and easy to read. She squeaks up to the plateau ridge--it seems to carry upwards, but not around the ridge--to get Red-Eye's attention.
Soldier call-ask
Workers carry bodies
Sneak-follow to hive

He does not hear the other warrior, who, although hit by arrows, seems to not worry about its ailments for the time being.

[Tjallen]

Annoyed at the Nezumi's lack of skill at explanations, Red-Eye turns invisible and makes his way down to her in quick jumps, before scratching a single question in Nezumi next to her words:
Kill or follow soldier?
Why want go to hive?

[~Corvus~]

She whispers to him as she covers up their written dialogue: We are here to get spawn, yes? Ants have hives. We follow the workers; they will take us to the hive, where we can sneak about and find the spawn!

[Tjallen]

Scratching another message into the sand Red-Eye raises an invisible eyebrow.
Are these Elokid?
Spawn going to be very defended

[~Corvus~]

The Clan Chief would not Realm-hop us unwisely. Jigoku is a human concept; we just know it as the Big-Big-Evil-Evil-Dream. If we are in the wrong place, here, we're in serious trouble. We have to trust the Chief.

The buzzing near you increases to a frantic pitch; It sounds like a saw blade being applied to hard stone. It soon dies down to an occasional chittering. Chokka looks behind her, her eyes wide. "It found us! She jumps forward to engage it before Red-Eye.

The last creature, up close, has a seven-legged torso and instead of two huge claws, it has one huge claw and a stinger that oozes acid that sears the air around it; the extra leg is on the side with the stinger. It lurks slowly around you, and you can see the two arrows stuck into its central area cause it to swing its stinger clumsily at Chokka


attack: [roll0]
damage: [roll1] acid & DC 34 29 Fort save or Nauseated for [roll2] rounds

attack: [roll3]
damage: [roll4] acid & DC 34 29 Fort save or Nauseated for [roll5] rounds

attack: [roll6]
damage: [roll7] acid (no crit) & DC 34 29 Fort save or Nauseated for [roll8] rounds


Chokka avoids the first two attacks, but it still jabs a stinger that hits her in the chest. She falls against the wall, backpedals, and slumps as she feels her chest. She fumbles with the clasps on her chest-plate, letting some of the acid drip to the ground, and tries breathing but begins to retch.

"D-don't get hi-iiit!"

[Tjallen]

Red-Eye opens his mouth to remark that the chief is untrustworthy, but is rudely interrupted by the insect appearing and skewering his subordinate.
Not letting this interruption get in the way of his smearing of the 'chief' or lethal retaliation for this grave rudeness, Red-Eye carefully moves backwards and fires several arrows at the insect bearing down upon Chokka.
"No tentacles here either, chief is unwilling to deal with this place, is why we hunt.", but unfortunately the recipient of the words is too busy emptying her stomach unto the ground.

Red-Eye:
5' step back.

+1 holy outsider, chaotic bane, w/ Bonespear
For each miss every following arrow gets +4
Arrow 1: [roll0] for [roll1] + [roll2] + 12 (attacking from invisible) + ref dc 19 or be entangled and DC 34 fort or take [roll3] Str + [roll4] Dex
Arrow 2, maximized, Ray of Frost: [roll5] for 22 + 24, DC 34 fort or take 8 Str + 12 Dex
Arrow 3: [roll6] for [roll7] + [roll8], DC 34 fort or take [roll9] Str + [roll10] Dex
Arrow, quickened, Ray of Frost: [roll11] for [roll12] + [roll13] + [roll14] Cold, DC 34 fort or take [roll15] Str + [roll16] Dex

Chokka:
Throw up, don't do anything to draw AoO

[~Corvus~]

The insect-soldier considers its options, and since it can't see its attacker at first, and takes the first and third hits, it considers Chokka. The flaws of its pincer-arm warp and form a toothed maw with a fist-wide razor tube in the middle. It reaches out to Chokka, who recoils from it, abandoning any pretense of avoiding its attacks. In its poisoned state, however, the critter remains somewhat distracted from its decided task.

"inoculation arm" takes a move-action to warp its arm and a Std. to attack

Chokka withdraws 50' (provoking AoOs).

Creature's AoOs [roll0]
(On hit, grapple @ +8) [roll1]

Chokka can't oppose rolls while sickened


She barely manages to evade its arm, and scrabbling on all fours, she moves away from it, rather unwilling to be touched by its nasty arm.

[Tjallen]

Offended that the thing is still standing, Red-Eye sends another volley of arrows into the towering beast at almost point blank range, convinced that it will be dead at the end.
"Fall-die insect-meats!"



+1 Holy Outsider, Chaotic-bane with daylight brew
If an arrow misses +4 to hit for every following arrow:

Quickened Arrow, Ray of Frost - [roll0] for [roll1] + [roll2] +[roll3] Cold, DC 32 Fort or take [roll4] Con and [roll5] Str
Arrow 1 - [roll6] for [roll7] + [roll8], DC 32 Fort or take [roll9] Con and [roll10] Str
Arrow 2 - [roll11] for [roll12] + [roll13], DC 32 Fort or take [roll14] Con and [roll15] Str
Arrow 3, Maximized Ray of frost - [roll16] for 22 + 24 + 3 Cold, DC 32 Fort or take 12 Con and 6 Str

[~Corvus~]

All 3 arrows strike true and the insect goes down. Chokka looks up and points above her. "See? Those are the workers, come to harvest!!"

To the edge of Red-Eye's vision, he sees nine flying insects gradually getting closer to where he downed the first group of insects. They have half a minute, likely, to make it there, and then his best guess after that.

[Tjallen]

Deciding that potent venom always has a place in his arsenal Red-Eye cuts off the stinger and applies some of the acid to one of his swords, hopeful that it won't melt, before also cutting off the inoculation arm. Wrapping the stinger in some wax paper from his adventure in town looting, he stows both of the two bundles away. Making sure nothing is left to indicate what killed the insects, Red-Eye watches his arrows fade away with satisfaction.

Finding that space has run low he hands Chokka half a dozen potions: "Invisibilty, lasts almost ten minutes, not broken by attacking, we follow drones, quiet-unseen."

Hands 6 potions of greater invis to Chokka, then following the plan of following the insects!

Red-Eye will be invisible but within 30 ft of Chokka to apply Leader of the Pack.
Hide:
Red-Eye: [roll0] +20 for invisibility probably. Shuts down see invis/true seeing within 50 ft, shows up as a rat or other tiny vermin/animal whichever is less suspicious to non-visual detection, + darkstalker
Chokka: [roll1]

[~Corvus~]

Chokka nods, quaffing a single potion. Soon, the slain creatures borne by the wasps leave the ground, and the flying insects speed towards the mountains to the East. Following them proves a significant trek through uneven ground, and you make very poor time compared to the flying workers, who are very fast, even compared to your speeds. As they pass you by, there's little to disturb you other than small rivulets and ponds, quiet and unsassuming, as you travel. After about five minutes' travel, the mountain to which the workers had flown expands to be a little closer. It's an easy guess, then, that the mountain is roughly twenty fives minutes' more hustle from where you are.

"This land hides its treasures under the sand. Should we stop at a pond on the way there and see what we can find?

[Tjallen]

Annoyed by the slow pace set due to Chokka not being able to simply ignore the terrain, Red-Eye's eyes light up at the thought of treasure and the annoyance is quickly forgotten.
"You-you look-see, I-I keep watch-spot, find much-many treasure, yes-yes."
Without waiting for an answer, the ratling fades from view once more and starts keeping watch, spending more time 'making sure' that Chokka doesn't hide some of the treasure.

Spot check for danger, -4 because he is more focused on not being cheated than actually keeping guard.
[roll0]

Chokka search, perhaps?
[roll1]

[~Corvus~]

Red-Eye stands guard over Chokka as she plumbs the depths of a pond. She grumbles about doing inglorious grunt work, and is gone for just over a minute. Red-eye sees bubbles rise to the surface soon he hears her emerge.

"It's a huge underwater cavern! There's crystal and gold everywhere among the walls, but there are also creatures that flicker just beyond my ability to see them. Are these the things we need to catch?

[Tjallen]

Stepping a bit back to avoid getting wet, Red-Eye perks up at the chance of both completing an objective AND getting some crystals: "If they have tentacle-things we take, how many, how not see-watch, invisible or ethereal, can hit both, if lure out can use bombs, improved-better now, teeth and poison will make short work."

[~Corvus~]

Chokka shivers a bit and shakes herself as dry as possible. "I could only detect movements; I was unable to directly see whatever they were. But the cavern was far deeper than I could see, deeper than two hundred feet, and the entire cavern's walls were lined with crystals and what seemed to be... gold.

You are welcome to plant bombs or whatever in there, but I'm staying out of the water. I think whatever lurks in the water is very dangerous.

[Tjallen]

In response to this blatant display of cowardice, Red-Eye burrows down with surprising speed. "How far-long down for crystals, want samples, much-many samples, crystals good for magic, gold good for everything else, in two weeks, can locate creatures if not find before."

Red-Eye has a burrow speed of 65' using that to make a tunnel with a slope suitable for scurrying.

[~Corvus~]

Chokka looks up, her lips pressed together as she thinks, and says, "Sixty feet or so ought to do it."

Red-Eye makes it down into the ground and discovers a huge crystal in his path. It must be the size of a redwood tree's trunk, but in the ground.

[Tjallen]

Picking out a nice pickaxe from his earlier exploits of plundering, Red-Eye gives the crystal a couple whacks, ready to dart back should it explode.

[~Corvus~]

The crystal is very hard, and takes a good deal of effort to mine, but with 10 minutes of work he manages to mine [roll0] kilograms of the substance and stuff it into his pack. The crystal, abnormally hard, also releases sparks of magical energy that are harmless to him, but resonate his thoughts back to him as he harvests the substance.

[Tjallen]

Crawling back up to the surface, Red-Eye holds out the pickaxe to Chokka: "Crystal is psionic, very useful, you mine-pick, I-I try to find-catch gold and monsters."
After this he leaves her with the pickaxe and starts digging down on the other side, making a slightly curved tunnel downwards to breach the cavern.

[~Corvus~]

"Just don't blow out this side of the cavern where i'm mining.
...and it better be worth it, she mutters as she jumps into the *very* deep hole. Chokka mines for a while until she needs to take a break; she manages to carve out a section of soil where she can use to stabilize her footing while mining and place the "harvested" crystals.

Red-Eye tunnels downwards at an angle, and has to re-route himself several times. He realizes, with some dissatisfaction, that the "gold" seen here is not the precious metal but is instead a golden-colored crystal, and smells a little of iron if he chews it. A hundred feet down, he breaks into the watery cavern, and with a torrent of water that pours in--and [roll0] rounds where he's knocked back against the wall, dealing [roll1] damage--he manages to barely see a critter like a dog-sized squid also taken by surprise by the sudden watery diversion. Its entire body, while pinned, sends out colors
[roll2]
Oddly enough, attacks against it as it recovers warp and hit around it, even with magical help. As it recovers, it blends into the dirt and gold-substance around him, becoming nearly impossible to see, even as it jets away back into the cavern.

[Tjallen]

Retrieving some of the golden crystals, Red-Eye makes his way up and out of the tunnel, and lets loose a seeking arrow at targeting the squid-creature. Watching it curve down the tunnel he grumbles about his feet hurting.
After a short break to check on Chokka he heads back down the tunnel to see if he can spot the dog-sized squid again and to collect some more golden crystals.

Maximized Seeking arrow carrying lightning bolt and a dose of daylight brew:
+1 Holy arrow of Outsider, chaotic Bane
Arrow ignores cover and concealment and will curve around corners to get to the target.
[roll0] (+2 if evil, +2 if also a chaotic outsider) for [19] + ([12] if evil, [24] if also chaotic outsider) + [12] if flatfooted + [42] Lightning if it fails a DC 19 Reflex save, + DC 33 Fort or take [12] + Cha mod Con damage + [6] + Cha str damage.
Spell Resistance [roll1]
In total:
[19] arrow
[31] if flatfooted
[31] if evil
[43] if chaotic outsider
[43] if evil flatfooted
[55] if evil chaotic and flatfooted
+[42] lightning from lightning bolt

[~Corvus~]

Chokka is working away at her task, and has made slow--but steady--progress. She works her mouth and grumbles about her task and does not look up upon being visited.

Snich does not manage to see anything but the faint stirrings of movement just beyond his vision. It's as if he could see something, if only he could see just a bit further.

[Tjallen]

Refusing to be bested by a demon-squid, Red-Eye fills a canteen with water from the pool as he splits his focus between trying to focus on the squid and mining more of the golden crystals.
At all times ready to dart right back out of the tunnel, should anything approach.

Spot and Will save to force himself to look at the squid, if he can find it.
Spot [roll0]
Will [roll1]

Knowledges to know what the heck is going on and how to get around it.
[roll2] Nature
[roll3] The planes

[~Corvus~]

Red-eye catches the barest glimpse of movement at the edge of his left side, but his will does not seem to work to attract the sight of the creatures. He racks his brain for a solution, but comes up with very little.
From what he's been told, The Abyss is an infinitely variable place, and each plane has a different complexity to it. This plane features Obyrith, which, if Tun is to be believed, are ancient proto-demons that existed before mortal beings.

[Tjallen]

Maybe cage or demon would help, stupid squid. The Skaven thinks to himself as he collects more crystals and does his best to continuously try to look at the thing in his periphery.
Ever impatient Red-Eye doesn't spend long collecting crystals before he skitters back out of the water, collecting Chokka by offering her some food and the revelation that the squid they were meant to catch would be slightly less catch-able than first assumed.
"Impossible to look at, area effects best, maybe see-find predators hunting, adapt methods, find-steal young first, we go in tonight, you find-know lair, yes-yes?"

[~Corvus~]

Chokka needs little coaxing to stop taking crystals. She's gathered enough shards to make four handfuls; She explains that it's easier to get them when they're small than to gather from the large one she has stood on.

She chews on his decision for a moment, and then stops him before his questioning about the elokid, "Okay, wait wait...about these crystals...how much do you want to harvest? Or is this enough?"

When the conversation returns to the Elokid, she replies, "All I know of are ants, which gather their young at the center of a hive. Wherever we can find the hive, we can find the young, but...do they have to be just-ready to hatch? Or could we just find young critters and call it okay?

[Tjallen]

Shrugging at the question of crystals Red-Eye explains: "Can come back, is enough for now, still need tentacle of Laghathi, much important."

Shaking his head in negation at just grabbing young: "Must-must be spawn, need two, alive."

[~Corvus~]

Chokka shakes her head. "If my knowledge of ants are any guide, the young will be the best-guarded. Ants grow their hills like a tree: They have as much space above the ground as below the ground.

We must make a gamble and take an approach they haven't prepared for. The chief said these Oni are ancient; They have likely endured an attack before, and will be attacked again.

I would wait for some other force to attack. Whether that is a month, a year, or whatever, that will increase our chance of success. Those creatures we faced were already injured from their pitched battle. "

She pauses to let all of this sink in.

"Now...If the water creatures here are Lagathi, let's secure a tentacle. We are in a good position to find them. Did you manage to see one at all?"

[Tjallen]

Smiling disconcertingly at the expertise shown by Chokka, Red-Eye "We start war with third party, get distraction that way, maybe dig in, unless fighting diggers wouldn't see coming, you-you should join as warmaster, train elites, stormvermin, of clan, hunt down foes, be champion."

The job-offer made, and the conversation turning towards the squids and their exotic defenses, a head shake accompanies a gestures towards the second tunnel:
"Color change, hard to look at, deflects seeking arrows, maybe force or area attacks is needed, never hunted squid, used to tunnels."

[~Corvus~]

Chokka ignores the offer and focuses towards the issue in front of you: "The Lagathi may look like squid to you, but squid do not use magic to make themselves invisible. What do you mean deflect? Does the arrow change direction suddenly? Or does the creature just *not* exist where you see it anymore?"

She thinks to herself for a little bit and wanders over to the other hole he'd dug. She notices the water, still swirling, there and she kicks dirt towards it.

"Why did you collapse this tunnel? What happened?

[Tjallen]

"Not invisible, camouflage, blending in with background." Red-Eye denies with a shake of the head.

Having opened the tunnel on purpose, Red-Eye explains: "More escape routes, take squid off guard, important."

[~Corvus~]

Chokka nods at the water. "I don't like being in water much; it's tough to move, it's hard to swim instead of run, and so on. Easy to be prey. But I'll join you on this quest. Let's see you fire at one of these Laghathi. I'll observe.

[Tjallen]

Nodding at Chokka, Red-Eye focuses for a handful of seconds, before he nocks an arrow and sends it straight up into the air, before it curves and goes down the water-filled tunnel, following the bend and tilt towards its target. A loud 'woomp' sound followed by small waves as a shockwave from the depths disturbs the water as the arrow delivers the magic imbued into it.

Watching the cavern for signs of collapse, Red-Eye warns Chokka about a possible danger as he steps a bit back: "May have overdone it, spell might collapse cavern, should wait a bit."

Casting True Strike
The firing a
Maximized +1 Holy Merciful Seeking arrow imbued with Resonating Bolt, poisoned with Drow Knockout Poison. Ignoring any concealment as well as finding a way to the target even around obstacles.
To hit: [roll0] (-20 cause truestrike doesn't go with maximize, sorry) (+2 if Holy Applies) for [10+16] (+2 if Holy applies) (+12 if flatfooted) + [d6] (+[12] if holy applies) + Fort DC 22 to avoid sleeping for [4] rounds
[roll1] to overcome spell resistance, 60 ft line of sonic damage, ignoring hardness, reflex dc 19 or take [28] Sonic damage, if a barrier is destroyed it continues.
All damage except the sonic is non-lethal (I think the spell doesn't turn nonlethal since it's AoE anyways...)

[~Corvus~]

The water ripples for a bit. The spell detonates far below the surface. Bubbles emerge up and a swirl of difficult-to-judge-color, and then you face silence. Nothing floats to the surface.

"I wonder if these creatures have a swim bladder."

[Tjallen]

Having single-handedly overcome the challenge, Red-Eye scoffs at the lack of a floating corpse: "Plan hopefully worked, we go find remains, should also be many-much loose crystals now."
Before entering the water, he titters out the syllables of a spell, a translucent set of armor falling into place around him before fading from view. Before long the Skaven also fades from view after gesturing to the water and himself starting the treck down to find his mark.

Casting mage armor, then turning invisible.
Swim for Red-Eye, has a 55ft swim speed, taking 10 on the check for a result of 29.
Spot/search for the squid [roll0]

Swim for Chokka [roll1]
Search/Spot [roll2]

If track is the right thing cause following a hurt/dead prey, Survival checks?
Red-Eye [roll3]
Chokka [roll4]

[~Corvus~]

Red-eye descends very well into the water as Chokka, fearful of what she might find, manages only to get a little ways before her nerves bring her back to the surface. She is helpless to communicate to him, but it matters little, perhaps. She slaps the water with her spear, climbs out and dives back into the water for another try, her mouth set into a pinched circle.

Red-eye sees the arrow embedded into the wall of the cave about eight feet under the water. Ages of dirt and moss, dust from above, and random detritus have made the walls themselves sticky. He must search for any flesh on the arrow, and he spots some jerking movement behind the arrow. He reaches for the creature behind the arrow and realizes that that the wriggling object is attached to a *very* fine thread that reaches just above him! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23819392&postcount=1224)


[roll0]


To look at the body this close feels *intensely* uncomfortable. Light *warps* around its body such that the creature can only be seen by how its texture re-adjusts itself to the movement around it. Eleven tentacles, each barely visible and as thick as an arm, act as a cage around Red-Eye's position. What he *does* see--what don't become invisible--are three sets of wedge-like teeth, pale green in hue, set in circular rows and ten tiny eyes positioned around the mouth.

[Tjallen]

Found you, Lagathi, if want make deal, can tell of enemy who sent me, but require gift to not make suspicious, should not see, but if catch, will surrender and work for freedom, bring much-many prey. Red-Eye thinks out loud at the tentacled monster, swimming swiftly in a bid to escape confinement, using the brief moment of tenseness before the fight begins to dart away leaving only a quickly set up bomb hidden next to the arrow.

Using Slinking Advance - In the first round of Combat, after iniatives have been rolled but before anyone acts, the Eshin Agent may perform a basic move action as a free action.
Red-Eye swiftly swims towards where he came from, dodging and weaving to avoid any tentacles getting close: 30 ft towards tunnel cause escape artist
when moving as an immediate action put a bomb on the wall, activated if anything other than Red-Eye moves with 5 ft.
Spot dc to spot. If it moves the bomb blows in a 20ft radius and deals [roll2] damage, with a reflex save for half, if the check is failed is also blinded for [roll]1d12[/roll rounds, and an additional fort save dc 19 against being deafened for [roll3] rounds. Either way special senses such as blindsense/mindsense/blindsight/tremorsense/etc are supressed whitout save for 1d12 rounds.
Red-Eye will continue up and out of the water unless he failed and got grappled.

[~Corvus~]

Red-Eyebrushes against two tentacles in his bid for escape. They push together against his hips to try and keep him caged, but with a powerful thrust of his legs and a bit of wriggling, he eludes their grip.

A thought enters Red-eye's mind. Perhaps we could reach an agreement-- The thoughts cut off as the Laghathi begins to pursue him. When it pulled away to pursue, the detonation of the bomb causes the creature to lose its momentum. Temporarily stunned, the creature begins to sink downwards as it also drifts towards him. Red-eye can see its underside, enveloped in black material, is visible to him, and he can follow it for the time being.


Lagathi takes full damage from the bomb & is Stunned for [roll0] rounds. It moves 30' towards Red-Eye and 20' downwards.

[Tjallen]

Surprised at the apparent effectiveness of the bomb Red-Eye darts closer before procuring a rat, quickly tying a bomb to it and throwing it at the Laghathi as a distraction.

Swimming 100ft closer, tying the bomb to the rat and sending it as a distraction laced with a dose of bonespear poison (ravage so shouldn't hurt the rat)
It attacks!
[roll0] for [roll1] + bonespear dc 34 fort or take [roll2] strength and [roll3] dex (+cha +accumulated extras)
The bomb is set to go off when the rat dies, releasing a 3rd level spell.

[~Corvus~]

Red-eye only sees a blur of motion as he launches his summoned minion forwards. The minion dies as it swims forward and another bomb detonates, again stunning the creature.

[roll0] rounds

This time, Red-Eye is far enough away and watching the creature; just after the bomb detonates, he catches a flicker of full sight upon the creature. A huge squid-shaped being with a full twenty Large tentacles are then surrounded by eight threads of "anglers," somewhat fish-shaped bulbs. Its main body has 4 fins, and it has fifty or so eyes that float around its body as if they are somewhat detached from the main control of the body; even in its stunned state, they still orbit the creature. Red-Eye also spots three energy-balls around the squid's middle- section that soon wink out-of-sight as it does. He can rest assured, however, of its sinking nature, as the Laghathi falls downwards again, this time at a faster pace.

[Tjallen]

Running dangerously low on air and bombs, Red-Eye looks for any discarded tentacles as he swims back towards the surface.
Water acting as shield, annoying, must remedy.
As he ponders the obstacle posted by the water and how to get around it, he wonders if the Laghathi could be tamed, his mind ablaze with the possibilities offered by controlling the waters through an unseen and almost impervious creature.

Didn't roll damage for the last bomb! Doh. [roll0] reflex dc 19 for half.
Spot check! [roll1]
Swimming back towards the surface with 55' swim speed.

[~Corvus~]

Red-Eye spots a piece of flesh with suction cups on it. Although it's not a complete tentacle, he acquires as he ascends through the depths and returns to the surface. The moment he touches the flesh, however, a shock courses through his body (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23848032&postcount=1232). First of all, he feels his body unconsciously sickened (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#sickened) by how it feels. Second, he feels a powerful presence invade his mind.
Red-Eye has been afflicted by a disease; gestation time is 1 in-game day.

Red has also been CURSED with the Laghathi's Thieving Mind Link (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/mindlinkThieving.htm); this operates like the Mind Link power, but its duration applies until the CURSE is removed
(such as by Break Enchantment, Remove Curse, Lesser Wish/miracle, etc).

More importantly, however, because of our Psionic/Magic transparency, the Laghathi is aware of Red-eye's spells he has prepared and is capable of borrowing them. For the next 140 minutes, it may choose to use a Standard Action to cast any such spells that Red-Eye has prepared; doing so does not lift the curse, but it instead reduces the DC to break said curse by 2 every time this ability is used.
The thieving only works in the range of the Mindlink (70 feet).

NB: the Curse does not break if he moves out of range, but it *does* stop the effects of the Thieving Mind Link.


Chokka, spotting his ascent, helps him out of the water. "How'd it go?" she spots the tentacle-bit and asks, "Ah! Are you done here?"

A voice enters Red-Eye's mind. Its presence has an edge of both asmusement and power to it.
What is it you desire, ratling? What do you hope to achieve on this plane?

[Tjallen]

Red-Eye shakes himself off and stows the tentacle as he sways a bit on his feet:
"May have to deal with Laghathi, is in my head, nothing new, but annoying, maybe can salvage, else needs to get it removed."
As he informs Chokka of his new ride-along of the mind, he thinks at the first one: "Thew, new voice in head, Laghathi, worthwhile?

Thinking at the newest addition to his thoughts:
Power, sent here for tentacle, if want know more, price to pay.

[~Corvus~]

Chokka jokes, "If worse comes to worse, we can stab your head until it is gone." Although Red-eye may not find humor in this, she finds it to be humorous, and, laughing to herself, announces that she's going to scout to the top of a nearby hill and back.

The Thew replies, The obyrith are far older than my existence. They claim to have created the Planes so they could enjoy breaking them apart by the twisted spawn of their kind, commonly known as the fiends; the Lagathi opposed the Queen of Chaos, who created the celestials to oppose the fiends. The Lagathi claim to be the progenitors of magic and mortals; by extension, they are responsible for the creation of deities, which have led them to be a hunted race

Judging from the magical flesh you have in hand, I'd say this one is a few thousand years old; the oldest lagathi claim to have lived several millenia.


The Lagathi, for its part, remains unresponsive.

[Tjallen]

Not quite understanding the humor Red-Eye narrows his eyes at the Nezumi before she runs off to scout.

Lagathi can give godhood? Is useful then.

Prodding the Laghathi some more, Red-Eye continues:
Laghathi have name? Is old, must know much, I tell you who sent if share knowledge.

[~Corvus~]

So, you desire power. And you want a tentacle...clearly mine. I can give you a tentacle of mine.

It waits for a bit for that to sink in, and then continues, "I am enemy to the Ekolid. But you do not see the truth of this land, for you are in the last stronghold of the Ikathin Let me open your eyes.

Red-eye's mind gets a rush of images: A floating observer watches the plane; much of it is covered by pools of green ichor, and it's only broken by small stretches of land. The observer sees horrific, winged creatures emerge; there are the random, less-terrifying creatures that Red-Eye had already seen, but they are often overtaken by these horrific, winged masses. The smaller flying insects coat the larger ones with their ichor-eggs, which burrow inside the creatures. The eye follows the few tough soldier-like mutations to their own lair. The eye skips.

Several of the warriors are screaming with insectile force and small ichor-like wasps, small Ekolid, burst forth from the bodies of the soldiers. They quickly start to devour their hosts's body, but fall to the weapons of the others around them.
These are the Ekolid, and this is their plane, where they serve Obox-ob. What is your purpose here with the Ekolid?

[Tjallen]

Got a tentacle. May want to bring you back to terrorize enemies in the sea. Maybe summon, sacrifices can be found. Red-Eye thinks at the welcome intruder.

The worrying similarities between the visions and his previous dreams aside, the Nightlord takes note of the geography of the plane, for use in navigating.

At being probed on his intention for the Ekolids, he simply answers: Want to steal spawn, need with tentacle for possessed hellfire, to burn enemies, what is obox-ob?

[~Corvus~]

Obox-Ob is the God-Ruler of this plane. We saw it once, long before it had ascended. Brace yourself.

The power of the memory that enters Red-Eye's head strains it to the maximum. In fact, the sounds that accompany the images are so loud, so powerful, and so alien that they force the Skaven to shut out all other senses.

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/427911005343973377/568197465619300373/obox_ob__prince_of_vermin_by_michaeljaecks_d4vcmo4-pre.jpg

Red-eye does not feel his body collapse; his consciousness is lost to a swirl of images and sounds. Although his mind can barely grasp it, the image his mind can retain is barely able to comprehend what he'd seen; the massive scorpion-like image was a brief moment in the entity's existence a few moments before greater transcendence. He can do little but let his mind wander. He has flashes of movement, words, emotions, a little pain, and voices, but it's a long time before his mind remembers much of anything.

~~~~~

Red-Eye feels the wash of sounds and colors die down. Chokka comes into view. Damn it, Red, you scared me! You collapsed, and I had to hide you a little ways from the hole. You mumbled mostly nonsense, then you asked about staying here, not giving up, and even tried to fight me! It must have shown you something terrible. I...I had to make a deal with the Laghathi to keep you alive. I promised to give it the first ten of the children of each of us.

In exchange, I got two things: a promise it won't betray either of us, and a scroll of Protection. It offers an hour of protection from the insanity you've been given.


He is in a cave, and for a moment, his head is aware of a pounding, pulsating memory of screams, chittering and buzzing, but it fades as he spends time awake. Red-Eye is vaguely aware that he's had his mind protected; it's a magical dam that holds back a vast, raging ocean of mind-breaking power. Gone, too, is the sense of connection to the Laghathi.

[Tjallen]

Unable to comprehend the vividity of the memory, Red-Eye puts it out of his mind, bolstered by the protection, he looks at Chokka after shaking his head to focus himself: "Good-fine, can work with this, need to return before the hour is up, saw plane, saw lair, may be able to find quickly, Laghathi is enemy, can attack by showing memories, too other in imagery and senses."
As he talks he starts sketching out a map based on what he remembers from the Laghathi's images, idly thumbing the shrunken heads on his belt.

Autohypnosis to recall the memory and geography to actually have it make sense:
Autohypnosis to recall information: [roll0] borked.... 25
Geography: [roll0] borked... 36

Using healing charge: [roll1] borked... 10

[~Corvus~]

Red-Eye finds his mind is sufficient order enough to recall this information intact, and even better, he recalls a little of the plane's workings; that the earth itself is due to change and magical warping, and that he could dig his way to just outside a hive in 33 minutes. Alternatively, hustling on land would take him the good part of two days. He cannot, of course, tunnel directly to the Ekolid hives, nor could he appreciatively approach them because they float in the Resin pools. And so they make their way to the closest hive.

--

Outside an Ekolid Hive

I should be ill, says Chokka, and I'm glad I am not. I'd say we need to cross four hundred feet at least; this...green swamp is more vast than it looks; it is deceptively vast. The stench of the terrain pulls at the Skaven's mind in a way he finds almost comforting. It is a vast ocean of green, sticky substance, a dangerous proto-pool of posionous resin. It reflects the mountains of the red, barren landscape before it at the right cast of light; it's easy to understand the red color and the shimmering now that he's up close. But the ichor is nothing to the wondrous and grisly sight before him; his mind realizes that this is the great mountain he'd seen in the distance.

This is a truly blackened citadel. Bodies, lightly coated in the translucent ichor mixed swirls of color, blood of every kind make a grotesque contrast to the physical, blackened silhouette of the bodies bereft of any possible life. Their forms are punctured and broken, and all squished by the weight of those above them. This citadel looks as if it should be unstable; as if it should pulsate and does not. Red-Eye sees a few Ekolid emerge, their Large-sized, green-and-purple bodies like twisted, abominable wasps with cavernous mouths and razor teeth. Sounds tinkle at Red-Eye's mind, as if he should be terrified but can't be, at least for now.

The sounds are horrid screams, human, bariaur, animal, colossal and small, all topped by the excited chittering of ekolid. It drifts in the air like the aroma of a wood-fire carried by the wind. The air mixes with the ichor below to give a tree-less feel of a tropical jungle; it is heavy with dread. Chokka throws her weight onto him, toppling him over and covering the two of them with her cloak. "Quiet! she whispers. A few heartbeats later, like the rising crescendo of a dread parade, what seems to be a million of the fiendish insects fly almost overhead. Many of them both work and fight as they carry larger creatures, some as much as twenty ekolid to a dead-and-dripping body. Behind you, a SZCHLRPP announces the closing of what Red sees as a portal. A few insects, trailing behind the long caravan, carry larger bodies or seem older and weaker than others. "Can you launch us both to one of them? asks Chokka.

Take a Search check to find a suitable one within range.

[Tjallen]

Looking around for a ride in, Red-Eye spares little time for pleasantries as he hands Chokka a dozen more potions, identical to the six she already received.

Seeing a large carcass of some huge creature with it's gut having been opened, it's intestines hanging out, carried by a dozen Ekolids, Red-Eye grabs his companion, turns invisible, and jumps straight into the open wound, nesting in the innards away from prying eyes.

Search check: [roll0]

[~Corvus~]

The jump is magnificent, and as you soar, Chokka consumes the first of her next 8 potions and puts the rest into her haversack. Red-Eye fastens himself to the creature, and you're given an opportunity to jump out just before the creature's dumped into the...well, they aren't quite streets. More like crumbled bone that's been left to form its own sort of sediment. The walls here are a scene out of a dreamer's worst nightmares, with every twisted creature imaginable riddled with holes and blackened to non-life. All around you Ekolid chitter and squirm, and perched on this area of the fortress is a wall of cages. There are a few humans wearing armour of some faded kind, there are some beasts, but there's mostly demons and devils. There's a Large Ekolid that looks over the cages, and angrily swarms any that dare approach. A few vermin from the caravan approach this gaoler and dump several carcasses in front of it--including the one you rode in on.

Attempting to cast any spell here requires Concentration Checks.


It chitters with something resembling agreement, and with a few flicks of its spindly legs, it powerfully shoves the recently-caught into cages that magically open and seal to admit and lock in their prisoners. Let's follow them. Chokka points towards a third of the caravan that's split off, and is in another area of the nightmarish menagerie. Here, every two feet bears an Adamantine stud and ring; here, many of the Ekolid bend over the damaged bodies of those dumped there, and their abdomens open to release many larvae over the creature. They, in turn scream and groan in pain, to the general chittering and buzzing of the Ekolid. Those that had larvae dumped into them are chained to the ground by every joint , even the neck, and little care is taken to avoid killing the host. A few beasts, incapable of taking the positions, will choke and die in a few minutes, to the chittering of the insect-vermin.

Chokka looks to Red-Eye. "Did the Laghathi say what it wanted? Or shall we find their nests?

[Tjallen]

Before they leave the carcass, Red-Eye gleefully covers the inside in Dark Reaver Powder, hoping to cause a distraction from the poisoned meat.

Whispering to Chokka as he readies for another series of jumps, the cursed rat grimaces at the mention of the Laghathi, somewhat shaken by the sudden and deep descent into madness: "Ekolids are it's enemy, we take the spawn and get out, point the way."

As Chokka points the way, Red-Eye jumps swiftly and unerringly through the air, deftly avoiding any of the insect monsters by a fair margin.

Ingested Ravage: DC 27 Fort or take 2d6 Con / 1d6 Con 1d6 Str

[~Corvus~]

Before the two of you can make a third jump, all of the creatures gathered in the square, bound to the floors, scream with bodily strain. Grubs pop out of the creatures' forms, almost explosively, leaving residue of blood, mucus, and in some cases, gore. The Ekolid, meanwhile, chitter in a general buzz of excitement, and even more ekolid from around you pour into this place. Many Ekolid that gather up the diminutive hatchlings and buzz away with them elsewhere.

Again eggs are laid into their hosts, and the Ekolid chatter excitedly. In twelve seconds, the screams rise to stentor and stay this way. This time, grubs burrow and sprout and crawl through the skin of the hosts, and truly wreck their bodies.

[~Corvus~]

The creatures, large and small, writhe and squirm in anguish over their infestations and even more Ekolid come to watch the creatures die. As the host-bodies are wracked with horrifically-jawed grubs popping out of them, they begin to blacken and harden. Soon, the smaller creatures die; slowly, larger and larger creatures, when the volume of their bodies have been sprouted of fountains of these grubs, and the floors of the section are covered in copious quantities of offal and gore, smaller Ekolid--less bulbous, wider-bodied with more angular limbs--scoop away the creatures' bodies and fly them away, along with the gore to other sections of the hive to deposit them on the walls. The creatures that dropped them there then impale their limbs into the bodies and the walls and explode, spraying the just-deposited creatures with a clear resin that hardens...rather quickly.

Chokka pokes at Red-Eye. "No need for a hive, Red! That's what we want! Those...worms are Ekolid spawn!

[Tjallen]

Fishing out a couple pots still with a bit of leftovers, Red-Eye hands one to Chokka. Before downing a potion himself he explains the plan: "Grab as many spawn as possible, stuff into pot and then into haversack, is important, we undo clasps on pants after, get back to Tun and make deal. Leave if anything comes close to grabbing you."

As he finishes talking he downs the potion and counts down from fire, before jumping down and grabbing half a dozen grubs and stuffing them into a pot, securing the lid with a bit of string and stuffing it into his haversack.

[~Corvus~]

Chokka, too, scoops grubs into two jars before one Ekolid, excited and chittering as it drifts downwards from where it was flying, bumps her. She drops a jar, manages to catch it, and also tosses it and the other jar into her haversack. As she stumbles forwards, she undoes the clasps of her Anchor and leaves Red-Eye's presence.


[roll0]vs 15 (-2. whoops!)


The Ekolid that had felt itself connect with Chokka whirls; six of its many spikes enter where the space it had felt itself trip, and when it connects with nothing, it chitters furiously. The tone of the area shifts with this, and the Ekolid skitter frantically, now. Many near the grubs pick up what they can and fly away. A hundred feet above the area and looking in, several Ekolid bodies radiate with magic; a few of their "eyes" glow with deep blue. They see Red-Eye and let out loud insectile "SKIIRRRIRIIIIKKKKK" sounds of alarm. They point towards Red-Eye, and he feels the magical protection of the invisibility lift from him.

A hum of insects starts to rise; Red-Eye can feel the attention he's been granted. A thousand insectile eyes watch him.

[Tjallen]

Red-Eye simply looks at them annoyed, drops a bomb as his feet and undoes the clasps on his pants to return from the flawless executed plan to the exact moment of departure.

Will save to arrive correctly: [roll0]
Dropping an infernal bomb that will detonate in 3 rounds for [roll1]

[~Corvus~]

Red-Eye does not linger for the explosion. A rush of sensation, as if his body were being undone and *redone* in a few moments, tickles his form. He hears the wails of many billions of souls dying as he leaves, them damning him for not giving aid. And then he feels himself return to the Shinomen. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?573810-Rokugan-In-the-Shadows-Into-the-Shinomen&goto=newpost)