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Post by homeskillet on Oct 14, 2007 11:46:32 GMT -5
" Thank you brother dwarf," Stone says as he tries to regain his footing and move to the tunnel leading upwards. Stone finds solid space of ground, digs his feet in and tries to evaluate this hole.
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Post by homeskillet on Oct 18, 2007 19:25:25 GMT -5
Stone leans his back against the cold tunnel earthen wall. He motions to the group to wait. He concentrates. He tempers his breathing. In one fluid motion Stone crotches with his knees out and passes his right hand, palm out, arm straight toward the sloping tunnel. He uses the Bu Shi Kata or Mend Stone Kata to fix the hole and when it is done he motions to the group to cross.
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Post by Game Master on Oct 19, 2007 2:18:24 GMT -5
"SNORT." is the dwarf's only reply. He shoulders past Briggs and is the first to cross. Reaching out he plucks the embedded axe out of the earth and scans the tunnel ahead in a protective stance.
Briggs crosses next. Making eye contact with Stone he gives him a nod of approval while handing back the lantern and Naginata. The elf is next followed by Sull and lastly Par-Nax.
The group continues on silently with the dwarf in the lead. Stone can see over the mercs head so his view is unblocked. After a dozen twists and turns the dwarf stops and sniffs the air. Once the party is at a full halt a faint clicking noise can be heard up ahead.
With this newest clue to the creatures identity Stone riffled through his brain to make connections. Wrong terrain for a tree eal, To big a tunnel for a nipper, might be a Tri-Fang. A young Blow Worm could make a hole this size but klicking noises seemed out of place though Stone had never actually heard one to know for sure. Fire Worm? Damn good tunnelers but the largest recorded Fire Worm was only four feet long. They could make the small holes riddling this tunnel but Stone would hate to see one large enough to make the main one. Serpent Beast? Big, good tunnel makers, had legs to walk with when not making tunnels that could be the clicking sound. Gruunor? Not really a worm but it had clicky sounding legs. About the right size too. Did they travel this far South? They weren't great tunnel makers though. They preferred already established warrens.
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Post by homeskillet on Oct 20, 2007 9:31:17 GMT -5
Stone moves forward cautiously, squeezing past the dwarf.
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Post by Game Master on Nov 7, 2007 3:36:56 GMT -5
The clicking sound increases as the group continues. Suddenly around a bend, the Hero of Garrotten encounters five small grub like creatures crawling out of small holes in the tunnels walls. They have many hairy legs and sharp beak like maws that click when they close. The creatures vary in size from the smallest being but a few inches while the largest is a good foot long and half of that in diameter. The oddest and most identifying trait of the young creatures is that there is a head at both ends of the worm like bodies. These little beasties are most assuredly young Gruunor.
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Post by Game Master on Nov 8, 2007 3:29:10 GMT -5
Aiko searched his memory for what he knew of Gruunor. They were large Caterpillar like creatures with hides tougher than steel plate. They looked to have two heads, one at each end of the serpentine body with eyes atop fleshy stalks, but in-fact one of the heads was false containing a deadly stinger within the false maw. Either end of the beast could kill an adult human but he wasn't sure of the young before him. Was the stinger any less potent? He couldn't remember. Stone did remember reading of people recovering from even multiple stings or bites if they managed to kill the Gruunor. Yet that was the trick. A full grown Gruunor could withstand an incredible amount of punishment before succumbing to its wounds.
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Post by homeskillet on Nov 9, 2007 9:51:59 GMT -5
"Gruunor," Stone replied quietly," Or at least Young Gruunor. These are very tough creatures in their adult form. Watch their "rear head" it is false. It hides a stinger. We need to move ahead and find Shyar, before she gets hurt or killed." Stone moves forward cautiously. Stone pauses to access the situation further.
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Post by Game Master on Nov 10, 2007 15:02:47 GMT -5
The young appear non-threatening at the moment. They seem to be just emerging from the holes to enter the main tunnel.
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Post by homeskillet on Nov 13, 2007 10:01:31 GMT -5
" They seem pretty uninterested in us," Stone comments. Next stone begins another Kata. Swift movements as if he was cleaning a mirror from bottom to top, but focusing his energy outward. It was the Ni Qiang Kata, or Clay Wall Kata. A wall of clay 8x1x4 foot is erected blocking any further access to the tunnel for the young gruunor. " Let us squeeze by and find the adult in this maze of of tunnels. We can save Shyar and exterminate the beast. We can deal with it's kin after." Stone begins to slide by his wall of clay and move on toward the adult.
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Post by Game Master on Nov 15, 2007 14:05:33 GMT -5
The group explored the network of tunnels for another hour before running into the beast. It came at them abruptly head on from a bend. It snapped its jaws at Aiko while he jabbed back with his Naginata but the contest was a stalemate. With a frighteningly clever show of intelligence the creature slowly withdrew to its nest where it had more room to manuver. Unfortunatly for the Gruunor so did the party of mercenaries.
The nesting area, (called that by the group later do to all the eggs stuck to the walls with a sticky sap like substance) was roughly a twenty by twenty foot area but again only five feet high at its tallest point. A pile of bones, both human and elven could be seen in one corner, some still wearing the uniforms of the Timiro military. Shyar was face down in the opposite corner from the party, not moving but still intact by the looks of her. There were two other tunnel entrances out of this room, one directly over head in the ceiling and another in the wall of the far side.
The group fanned out for battle.
ooc: Roll for initiative
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Post by Game Master on Feb 24, 2008 18:24:29 GMT -5
Sull didn't seem impressed by the creature and calmly began lighting one of his special glass containers.
Aiko wasted no time in casting another clay wall around Shyars limp form to protect her from the bombardment the Grunnor would soon suffer.
The centipede like Grunnor snapped his jaws at the mighty Par-Nax who seemed dumbfounded in fear or awe. The ebony Giant took a gash on his left arm for it. (5 hp). The dwarfen mercenary let out a battle cry and charged the beast with his dwarfen war axe. The blade neetly cut off one of the Grunor's many legs but otherwise caused little harm (9+5 =14sdc). Par Nax looked at his bleeding arm and shook his head to clear his mind. Briggs to was frozen in fear. The merc was just not cut out to battle the unusual. The elf to seemed under a trance. His bow was drawn and an arrow locked but he just stared at the beast in wonderment.
Sull tossed his now flaming make shift explosive and it shattered against the side of one of the Grunnors head. The fire spread down its body but quickly died out. (14 SDC). Aiko had a differnt aproach as he danced a kata. The loose stones and pebbles around the room began to hop and skip and pelt the Grunnors sides. Most bounced off its armored shell without effect but Aiko noticed that the Grunnor made a small screaching noise anytime a stone struck the underbelly. (2d4=6 sdc). The beast retaliated by snipping at the axe wielding merc biting his shoulder (17 to hit 4 hp), The dwarf once again choped at the Grunnor but his axe careaned off the hard armor plating. (10 to hit AR16). The other three party members continued to fight off the fear and bewilderment. Sull drew his sword to join the frey while Aiko drew breath to recover from the energy used in his katas. The Grunnor striked at the dwarf yet again this time with the blackened head but failed to bite thruogh his protection (6 to hit ar 11, 2 sdc to armor) The dwarf turned and struck but again his axe bounced off (7 to hit AR 16)
end of round 1
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Post by Game Master on Feb 25, 2008 0:28:34 GMT -5
The mercenary turned and swung at the head that attacked him. His blade wisked over an eye staulk but instead of cutting it bent with the blade and avoided harm. The poor dwarf seemed truely frustrated with his inability to deal a mighty blow on the Grunnor.
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Post by Game Master on Feb 25, 2008 2:04:17 GMT -5
"It's underside is vulnerable brothers!" Aiko commanded. With that he had an idea. reaching in his belt he unraveled the scroll given to him by the merchant what seemed like ages ago. Reading the power words written within he pointed at the Grunnor. Magic light leaped from the parchment disintegrating it in the process. The energy raced toward the grunnor blasting its eyes and the creature began to thrash around (4 to save). "It is blinded, we must act quickly!" the Earth Master informed his brothers in arms.
This seamed to shake Par-Nax out of his stupor. He ran at the thrashing beast with his mace in hand giving it a meaty 'thwack' on its underbelly. (18 to hit, 10 sdc), Sull attacked as well but missed the creature entirely (11 to hit, called shot minimum 12). The Grunnors thrashings managed to catch Sulls arm but failed to bite through his leathers. (7 to hit, AR 10, 2 sdc) Briggs ran forward sword in hand but that hand shook uncontrollably as he cursed profanities in an attempt to build his courage. The elf longbowman still had not fired a shot. The dwarf laughed in glee as his axe bit into the soft belly of the Grunnor. (12 to hit 19 sdc).
Aiko began the second phase of his plan and erected a clay wall under the left side of the Grunnor. It was difficult with all its thrashings but the sudden appearance of the wall threw the blinded monster to is back exposing its soft belly. Taking advantage as Aiko has suggested Par-Nax swung again but was unbalanced by the wall himself forcing him to miss (2 to hit), Sull stabbed his sword deep into the belly spraying blood ( 14 to hit 19 sdc), The Grunnor reacted quickly by curling itself into a ball and uncurling itself right side up. The mercenary again only caught armor with his axe (6 to hit) and Par-Nax completely lost his footing hitting his head on the clay wall (CRITICAL MISS 1, 4 hp). Once again the Grunnor was pelted with pebbles and rocks with only those hitting the belly really hurting. (5 sdc)
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Post by Game Master on Feb 25, 2008 2:49:59 GMT -5
Briggs still cursing attacked the Grunnor just as it reared up scoring a good hit underneath 14 to hit 13 sdc). Sull was getting the knack of it and again cut the creature with his cutlas (15 to hit 14 sdc). The flailing Grunnor again got lucky as one of the heads bit into Sulls leg (18-6=12 to hit 3 hp). Par-Nax connected as well smacking its belly with a crack. (17 to hit 15 sdc). The unlucky dwarf however just couldn't get into the swing of things as his axe continued to be blocked by plated armor. (9 to hit, 12 minimum for called shot).
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Post by Game Master on Feb 25, 2008 13:30:40 GMT -5
Aiko unsheathes his Naginata and with a sweeping upward slash, slices the beast's underbelly. (18+4=22 to hit 10+8=18 damage).
Once he joins in the melee the battle becomes a frenzy of blows and slashes.
Briggs follows up his last hit with a raking slash that fails to penetrate (7 to hit, minimum 12) "Damn this brute is tough"
Sull's slash was more successful (18 to hit 8 sdc). The creature now in obvious pain continues to lash out blindly. Now that Aiko is closer to the Grunnor he sees the large pointy stinger dart out in a blur to stab Briggs in the left leg. (19-6=13 to hit 6 hp plus poison) "Damn you to the Prince, that bloody stings." Briggs called out. Par-Nax thumped the grunnors belly (14 to hit 9sdc) while the frustrated dwarf finally landed a crushing blow (12 to hit 20 sdc). Even the elf managed to get in a shot though the arrow only landed three feet from the bow. The elf was totally distraught. Aiko follows his last attack with a chopping blow toward a head. (17+4=21 to hit 9+8=17sdc).
Briggs hobbled away from the critter nursing his leg. The Grunnor still thrashing misses Aiko (12 to hit 20 parry) and the dwarf makes a third chop but the thrashing around only makes him immbed his axe head into the ground. (critical miss 1) Aiko directs the hopping stones to assault the Grunnor yet again this time striking the belly squarely (8 sdc) Next he thrusts the blade of Naginata into the underbelly of the Grunnor and it goes deep. (CRITICAL HIT 20! 10+8x2=36SDC). The creature shutters in pain and screeches deafeningly. It tries to curl itself into a ball so only its steel like outer shell is exposed but the Naginata prevents it from succeeding. A final thrust from Aiko's now embedded weapon finishes the Grunnor and it lay dead at his feet.
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