Workshop of Horrors
Log Info
- Title: Workshop of Horrors
- Emitter: Yaretzi
- Characters: Harshad, Lucius, Schara, Warrick
- Place: Northwest of Alexandria
- Time: January 6th, 2023
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The Players =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Harshad 6'2" 200 Lb Half-Orc Male
A tall, wiry half-oruch with sullen, deep set eyes
Lucius 5'11" 180 Lb Human Male
Fair-skinned human, slim but muscular, proud features
Schara 5'7" 120 Lb Unknown Unknown
A Tall figure of burnished metal with a fur lined cloak.
Warrick 5'10" 165 Lb Human Male
A middle aged Eldanar with a big crossbow and armor.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= As the GM =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Yaretzi 6'4" 190 Lb Human Female
A tall tanned woman with dark hair.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
- Northwest of Alexandria - The Workshop Grounds
Today's presentations are being put on by varying members of the guild. A new kind of exercise offered to upcoming graduates, something to help them foster creative thinking, and working with those that have far different skill sets. Today's audience is a mixed bag of everything. Bright eyes of aspiring adventurers from all across Ea sit here today. No pressure. Just a relaxed gathering of.... BORING!
See, sometimes things like this happen. Despite all the preparation, and forethought, something always goes wrong. Today being the weather. It was supposed to be clear. They were going to make it clear. Just this spot. For a little while. But, in all the mess and madness the scrolls and preparations for /that/ task got forgotten in the city.
These wonderful and eager students have come all this way to miss the entire first half of activities. Mock combat. It was looked forward upon, and now it was canceled. Yep. All that is available is a series of lectures, and a small magical demonstration. How does this effect the party of ACTUAL adventurers? You're bored too. Hired to come and oversee and help with demonstrations, your role has fallen flat, and you're likely about as disappointed as the students. The one coordinating things, a Louis Velsona. He stands at a podium within the tent, and looks out at those here. Then to the small group of adventurer's. That being you. "Apologies! Apologies! We know this is devistating. Please, just bare with us. We sent a runner, and we hope to continue with the mock combat tonight!" he tries to assure, his pudgy hand trying to bring order to the murmuring. "We thought it might be best to move up our magical demonstration? How's that? A show?" the situation far from ideal.
Louis then imploring the group. "I really need your help. Can you to do me a solid favor?"
(Weather Outside: Cold, Windy, NOT FUN)
Harshad isn't in a great mood, his face set in a somewhat dyspeptic frown. But work is work, money is money, and the Guild -was- paying for this. And when Louis starts asking for 'favors', his heavy brows come together. "Depends on what it is." He makes a rather casual gesture of rubbing his thumb and forefinger together -- the universal sign for 'money'. "I can't fight the weather, and I don't do magic, so..." He lets Louis continue, though.
The Eldanar man was used to crap posts. As disgruntled as he was about needing to take a job for the Guild, there was some sort of odd comfort standing there in the freezing cold with a grey overcoat atop his armor, the layers nice in the terrible weather. Warrick, a quiet figure with a large, unloaded crossbow stands at partial attention.
There was a bit of disappointment of not being about to show some ranged demonstrations and how that fits in a mixed unit, particularly- huh? He looks over to Harshad, to Louis, then to Harshad. His eyes squint a bit. "Regardless of the circumstances, we're here to aid, and that what is what we shall do," he states formally, awaiting further instruction.
Lucius nods in agreement and runs one hand through his hair. "I'm not, er, magical either," he adds, his voice strained. "If it's something within my ability, of course I'd be happy to help out." The cavalier stands near his trusty warhorse Thunder, his lance plunged uselessly into the ground beside him.
Another job, and one that brought them back out near to the winter festival grounds. Why not? Maybe there would be time to explore the ice maze again, and learn more about the carving techniques used to make it, and the statues that were not bashed to shards of frozen water.
So it was a rather chipper looking figure of solid brass armor that was standing with everyone else, fur lined cloak sitting loose on their shoulders. Or at the very least, they were unbothered by the weather.
"We offered to come out and help, so of course we can help if it is related to the job." The artificer nods. "I am capable of creating some minor magical effects if needed, but it would be limited to any devices I prepared beforehand."
Louis sighs, nodding to Harshad. "I know it's not ideal. However this I think you'll be splendid at helping at." his grip on the podium tightening while looking at the adventurers as a whole. "The runner, and most competent was also our muscle. If you wouldn't mind. I need the crates of demonstration materials, and the familiar care kits to be brought in. Just be careful of some of the feeding boxes. They are a bit awkward."
"If you'd do that for me, I'll have us set up to go as soon as the crates are together on the back tables." he says, sheepishly. He is older. He might hurt himself. "During the demonstration you can bring in the lunch for us, and we can all take a break and wait on the runner?" trying to compromise in this bad time.
To Schara, Louis nods. "Huh, maybe next time we should coordinate with our supplemental staff better. Thoughts for later, however. As much as you are correct, we need more manual tasks of you all today."
Warrick sighs, rolling his shoulders as he slings his crossbow over a shoulder. "It's fine, we'll secure the crates," he waves a hand, shaking his head. Never figured he'd be doing lunch services. He regards the others with a cautious glance, Schara getting a lingering look before he takes a half step forwards. "Demonstration materials, familiar care kits, bring in lunch. Understood."
"Well, it is a good thing that most people are comprised of muscle tissue, so we should be capable of filling in for moving things in the mean time." The artificer nods again, taking a glance towards where the tables were. "Are there any organizational requirements, or do we just need to bring them over? And where is everything that we are bringing in? I would not like to slow things down when they are already behind schedule, so clearing things up now is ideal."
Louis shakes his head to Schara, smiling wide as he group agrees. "No, none. Well, maybe put the food on a separate table. Don't want it near the feed." he finally mentions after a thought. "That's it!"
Ah yes, the adventurers choose to help. A classic trope. Sadly, outside the tent is snow, cold, and a cart that's being kept warm because of heavy modification. It might of once been a smith's wagon. One meant for war, but the forge now sits repurposed into a stove. One that keeps the crates inside warm and comfortable. As Louis had said, there were a few of them, some containing live samples marked as 'feed' in glass terrariums. One piglet in a cage, and some sealed wooden crates. The lunches? Those aren't even in the cart, pushed off into the snow to keep them cool and edible. It seems the professors at least had some of their priorities right when setting this idea up.
Familiar care is important stuff!
GAME: Harshad rolls perception: (6)+7: 13 GAME: Harshad rolls acrobatics: (19)+9: 28 GAME: Schara rolls profession/farmer: (11)+6: 17 GAME: Warrick rolls perception: (15)+4: 19 <OOC> Harshad says, "So, 30 on the Acrobatics check for piglet wrangling." GAME: Warrick rolls athletics: (1)+7: 8 (EPIC FAIL) <OOC> Warrick says, "im gonna use that reroll xD" GAME: Warrick rolls athletics: (20)+7: 27 GAME: Lucius rolls Perception: (3)+6: 9 GAME: Lucius rolls Athletics: (7)+7: 14 GAME: Schara rolls perception: (13)+9: 22 GAME: Schara rolls athletics: (11)+-4: 7
Harshad approaches the wagon first, cloak wrapped up against the cold and snow. He eyes the materials stacked, before his eyes land on the piglet. "Well... coin is coin," he mutters. He hoists the cage up, and on impulse begins talking. "Who's a good little future stack of ham? Yes you are! Your name is now Kris. Kris P. Bacon." He can't keep a slightly insouciant grin off his face as he hauls the cage back into the tent.
Warrick takes a moment to doff their armor under the overcoat, him setting it aside and stowing his crossbow atop it. Clipping his overcoat back on and slinging his sword over a shoulder, he braces himself and steps out into the cold. Hoisting himself up into the cart, he finds the terrarium, grabs the wide load, and lifts with his knees. Problem. He has to get out of the warm wagon and step down. Carefully, he moves to sit, but a boot slips and he tumbles out!
"Shit" <Handspeech> a hand flicks as he scrambles to his feet, the terrarium having been thrown up into the air. Two long strides, and he slides on his knees to catches the entire thing in his lap. Warrick pants, reaching up and snapping the lid shut after jamming one of the creatures back into it. "G... got it..." he huffs. "Box should have been sealed, not sure if there's more centipedes about..."
Lucius sets his shield down beside the lance and removes his breastplate as well. With his hands, he begins digging out the stacks of lunches half-covered in snow and begins moving them into the tent. "Nice catch," he calls to Warrick after he makes the save. By the time Lucius is finished, his hands are covered in half-melted snow. He rubs them together and wiggles his fingers for warmth after awkwardly donning his breastplate once again.
GAME: Lucius rolls Perception: (13)+6: 19
"Take it slow, and keep the crate steady." The artificer notes once they wander over to the cart. "Pigs tend to remain together, so being separated is probably already stressing it out with no group to return to, and makes it more likely to attempt to escape, especially with an unfamiliar handler. Even if it's small, if it tries to escape, it will either knock the crate right out of your hands, or seriously injure itself, or both."
Such musings gave them time to investigate the crates which they were attempting to move. "Was one of the containers of centipedes not sealed properly, or are they unintended to be here?" The artificer asks before nigh immediately finding out the answer. "Ah. Well, it seems there are several in the cart, still. More than several. Be careful gathering the rest of the stock, as the toxicognaths on a centipede, while usually not medically threatening, can be quite unpleasant. Louis, do you know what kind of centipedes these are? Should I call off any further work for the moment?"
GAME: Schara rolls knowledge/nature: (9)+5: 14 GAME: Schara rolls knowledge/arcana: (3)+9: 12
Lucius plucks something out of his breastplate as he is putting it back on. "I've got another centipede here," he announces. As Schara's caution reaches his ears, his eyes widen in alarm. "Are these centipedes poisonous?" he wonders, looking around for Louis, flicking the centipede away as quickly as possible.
Harshad comes back out after hauling the baby bacon inside the tent, just in time to see the others talking. "Uh..." And then Lucius pulls a centipede out. "Well, that's great. Nice to know they're as well planned in packing these terrariums as they are about managing the weather..." He shivers, pulling his cloak around him. "Look, let's go inside the tent and talk to the boss about this. I hate this weather."
Warrick manages to bring the terrarium in, him shoving the tent flap aside and setting it down carefully before rejoining the others. Only just now spotting another centipede get tossed out. "I believe it was sealed improperly," he says to Schara before nodding to Harshad. "Agreed. Let's get this sorted. I do not want to eat centipede for lunch."
"No, not poisonous, venomous. Most venoms, while unrecommended to do so, can be consumed and will be broken down by your stomach and intestinal tract, unless you have any internal trauma which would allow it to enter the blood before being neutralized." Schara corrects as she peers at some of the insects in question. "In fact, you could quite safely eat centipedes if you wished to, which may have been the intention here in fact. The original container was marked as feed, but the label was applied in an unclear location. Check the lower side and underside of the terarrium you were carrying, formerly crossbow holding person, apologies, but I should have gotten your name before we began working, mine is Schara before I forget to mention it, but the label should be there, it may have shifted during transit, and these were intended for one of the familiars."
When questioned about it, Louis assures the party they aren't poisonous, but do sting if they bite. "They're used to feed the frogs." the creatures contained in those wooden crates. The odd weight in them explained. There is a damp, dark, and mossy terrain cultivated in those. The moisture kept in the wood helping feed the ecosystem that the frog needs to be comfortable. The centipedes? As Schara realized. Food. They're not valued pets. In fact, it was likely left slightly open because there had been a feeding that morning. "I do admit, it was a bit sloppy of us." he says, giving the adventurer's an apologetic glance, and looking out to the stirring crowd. "Did we get everything else settled at least? Can we bring our piggy, and one of the frogs up here for the demonstration?" he asks eagerly.
"I'll check the food for bugs!" Calls one of the assistants that's now free of helping Louis with the demonstration preparations. This earning a moment of revolt from the crowd. Not a good day at all. These poor cadets look to now be rethinking that application and education. This event was a failure. "And, her name is Sasha!" calls the assistant. Why? She likes that pig, and is reminding Louis.
Harshad looks at the others. He opens his mouth, then just shuts it. "...They did put the food in a snowbank. Do... uh, bugs hibernate in snow or something?" He's trying desperately not to look like a complete dunce and he has a sinking feeling he just blew it. The girl insisting the piglet's name is 'Sasha' doesn't help. And no rescue in sight. "Well.. at least the tent hasn't fallen over."
Warrick just stares at Schara through his visorless helmet. "Arbalest Ret-" he stops himself, shakes his head. "Warrick. Schara, charmed."
He listens to Louis, idly thumbing the buckle on his sword scabbard as he looks between all the things they brought in, as well as the requested demonstration. "If the tent collapses, I'm blaming you," he grumbles to Harshad before addressing the cadets.
"Just know that during your time out there, not everything will go according to plan," he elaborates. "You have to take what opportunities you are given, and do what you can with it."
"I found that one in my armor, which I wasn't wearing when I brought the food inside. If there were centipedes in the snow, they should be crawling all over me by now," Lucius observes. He glances down at himself — just to double check. "Let us hope for the best, in any case. I'm Lucius, by the way. Or Luke if you prefer." Droplets of melted snow spray from his hands as he applauds Harshad's remarks, before he moves to help with setting up the demonstration.
"Some insects hibernate, that or the eggs laid prior to winter will only hatch after it is over." Schara nods. "But they are more likely to be underneath in the ground, or hidden within the sapwood of trees."
"Hello Warrick, Lucius. I hope you are not charmed however, it would be best for you to be working of your own free will."
The artificer returns to see to the insects being taken care of with the assistant, before returning to moving the crates.
Tensions are high. Louis is visibly sweating. A Krispy-Sasha is being placed on the stage, as is a small frog. It's strange. The two creatures next to one another. Sizes already so vastly different. "Okay, so. Apologies, again. This event has been terrible. I think we're going to have to come up with something to make up for this blunder, but we do have one thing." the wind outside whipping at the tent walls. "We're going to show you a magical demonstration. One that we had hoped to save for after the mock combat to better explain why. Instead. I am going to be blunt. I am going to SHRINK THIS PIG!" Yes, Louis has resorted to cheap entertainment. Something. ANTHYTHING.
Out comes his scroll, a regretful eye turned on the party for a moment, nodding in acknowledgement to how he will have to eat this loss and ass chewing from his superiors later. "It's all I have up my sleeve." the adventurers being paid regardless of this mess. "Making your opponent small does have benefits in battle. But the lesson is borked."
Reciting from the scroll, Louis uses the magic of reduce. "I found it shrinking to a small black dot. It felt like a hole that kept shrinking, and...." the odd incantation likely written by someone who was a bard at heart, the air around the tent suddenly crackling with energy. One's hair would near stand on end, magic abuzz everywhere. It's not just focused on Sasha, the scroll suddenly pulsing in a brilliant light as the poem is finished, and in that flash? NOTHING HAPPENS.
The air is suddenly stale, all magical static within it discharged, and the result being all smoke, and no trick. "What is going on here?!" Louis losing his temper, and Sasha suddenly skittish at the weirdness.
(Spellcraft, Knowledge/Arcana, Knowledge/Nature)
GAME: Schara rolls knowledge/arcana: (3)+9: 12
At this point even Harshad is starting to feel a little sorry for Louis. He starts to try and put his two coppers in, "...Maybe an introduction to lockpicking?" Then he realizes Warrick's still here, and mentally swears, because he'd pegged the guy as Watch.
Then Louis whips out the scroll, and though Harshad's got no skill at magical theory, he's seen a little to know something didn't go right. "Ah..." He darts a glance at Lucius and Schara. "...is that supposed to happen?"
GAME: Schara rolls knowledge/arcana: (11)+9: 20
Lucius hesitates. "The pig hasn't shrunk," he whispers. "And Louis seems upset. I think something went wrong. To be honest, I didn't even know magic could fail." He looks to Schara for confirmation.
Warrick ambles back towards his equipment, putting his armor off to the side and picking up his crossbow once more to rest against it to watch the demonstration-
The hair on the back of his neck prickles, and he blinks at the pulse of light. Great, nothing is going to plan. A glance is met to Harshad. From the armor, to the standard issue weapons, it's clear he's a Watchman. Or, rather, was, as he dons none of their emblems or sigil.
Seeing as tensions are rising, the wind getting worse, Warrick takes a half step away from the crowd.
Schara is looks around at the others, at two people looking to them for answers. The artificer gives just a long shrug, before they step away from the sidelines and in front of the stage. "As members of the adventurer's guild, it is important to know the limits of what you are capable of doing. And as of now, I would ask you all to vacate this event for the time being, I must apologize profusely for asking you to do so, and would ask those able to alert the guard to a potential magical disturbance in the area, which is not the fault of the adventurer's guild. Thank you for listening, please."
And with that she turns on the spot and wanders over to where the rest of the group was waiting. "I do not make such declarations lightly, but due to recent concerns, I felt it best." The artificer sighs. "Something happened during the casting of the spell. Another unknown effect which seemed to activate and negate the spell being cast, leaving little of the involved magical energy afterwards. I will not make any assumptions, but there are enough things going wrong today to cause me to be concerned."
<OOC> Yaretzi says, "Fortitude, Perception, +Init" GAME: Warrick rolls fortitude: (18)+5: 23 GAME: Harshad rolls fortitude: (4)+3: 7 GAME: Warrick rolls perception: (6)+4: 10 <OOC> Harshad will reroll that fort save. GAME: Harshad rolls fortitude: (11)+3: 14 GAME: Harshad rolls perception: (15)+7: 22 GAME: Lucius rolls Fortitude: (2)+5: 7 GAME: Lucius rolls Perception: (3)+6: 9 <OOC> Lucius will reroll Fort as well GAME: Lucius rolls Fort: (19)+5: 24 GAME: Schara rolls perception: (10)+9: 19 GAME: Schara rolls fortitude: (8)+4: 12 GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d6+2: (5)+2: 7 GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d6+2: (6)+2: 8
What happens next is chaos. As Schara is advising an evacuation, the spot where the scroll went wanky suddenly erupts. Magical energy and rays sending the room into pieces. Terrariums break. Sasha runs. Crates explode. Half the room is caught in the blast, unfortunately the adventurer's being among it.
You find yourselves sprawled across the floor, the world now disoriented and full of loud and booming voices. You hear normal screams close to you, and what feels almost like earthquakes as the ground rumbles disjointedly with the deafening thunder.
It's then you realize you've been shrunk, standing and finding yourselves in the midst of what can be defined as insanity. Shrunken students cower, as they hide from creatures set free in the explosion. Those who weren't shrunk being evacuated and confused as to what's going on. Booming voices. "WHAT HAPPENED?!" distorted from the distance it takes to reach the party. "GET EVERYONE OUT NOW!"
Schara is injured in the explosion, shrapnel peppering them hard. Harshad taking some damage, but something in the chaos deflected what might could of been a worse blow. Warrick? He comes out unscathed, but still shrunken like the rest. It's Lucius who comes out on top in this mess up. He wasn't 'fully' shrunk like the rest, having the benefit of Enlargement.
Harshad is bowled over by the explosion, but his studded leather jerkin takes the brunt of it. He scrambles to his feet, and for a second he can't figure out why everyone's so much bigger -- then it hits him. "Louis," he yells angrily, "you incompetent doorknob!" And then he realizes that the centipedes, frogs, and flies are all going to be MUCH larger now, and his hands flash to his belt, coming out with a well crafted rapier and dagger as he moves up to put his back against some crates. He gives the others a look. "I think we're in trouble!"
Having escaped the worst of the damage, Lucius rapidly adjusts to the new circumstances. Nearby, Thunder snorts impatiently but does not move as he awaits instructions. "Is everyone okay?" he calls to the rest of the party as he plucks his lance from the ground and leaps onto the back of his warhorse. The pair trot next to Harshad, and Lucius scans the chaos before them, watching for any signs of danger.
The centipedes do what they were born to do. Seek food, and tear stuff up! The unarmed cadets are spotted and make for tasty pray in the chaos, and so the multi-legged monstrosities begin to creep that way. Perhaps it's because of Sasha? Do centipedes like pork? No, they don't have preference. All is food!
It's not much different for the frogs. While humans are not their choice of prey, a random pixie might be. If it dared get too close. This meaning, that while the frogs weren't reduced, you were. Guess who's now pixie-sized? Om-nom!
GAME: Schara casts Cure Light Wounds. Caster Level: 3 DC: 15 GAME: Schara rolls 1d6+3: (4)+3: 7
Schara is the unlucky one who ends up with the brunt of the explosion that sends them flying around the room, but any distance is hard to determine when everything is suddenly horribly out of scale. What is apparent, is that the artificer now has several chunks of wood and class stuck in odd places in their armor. "A few minor lacerations, nothing serious yet." They state while pulling bloody debris away, and running over to the group of onlookers. "Keep the injured safe and away from those centipedes." Schara suggests, pulling a small device out of one of the pouches on their armor and jamming it into the side of their armor, in one of the soft leather joints, where it glowed blue for a brief moment, before falling away and crumbling apart on the ground.
Warrick staggers to his feet as the sudden magical mishap unravels and reveals itsself to the danger it really is. Helmet askew, he grits his teeth and knocks it to be level. "Shit," he flicks a hand, picking up his crossbow by the carrying handle and rushing over towards the cadets. <Handspeech>
"Do not get surrounded!" he yells, voice two octaves higher from his size. A quick look around as he jams a boot into front of the crossbow, yanking back a lever as the steel braid snaps into position, a bolt from the quiver snapping into place. He gazes past Schara towards the other two before looking back to the artificer. "We must protect the civilians!" No armor, no shield, very few armaments. This is going to be a tough- and weird- situation.
GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d20+3: (10)+3: 13
The flies are here because the frogs smell bad in their moss lined crates. Somehow a few must of been sealed inside a box, and survived the explosion to now terrify our adventurers.
Sasha? She doesn't panic, managing to stay near the unarmed cadets. Fear in the pig's eyes, but the cadets are enough comfort for now, regrouping behind Schara and Warrick.
GAME: Lucius rolls 1d20+BAB+3+2+2: (19)+2+3+2+2: 28 GAME: Lucius rolls 1d8+3+2: (6)+3+2: 11 GAME: Lucius rolls 1d8+3+2: (6)+3+2: 11 GAME: Lucius rolls 1d20+3+2: (16)+3+2: 21 GAME: Lucius rolls 1d4+3+2: (4)+3+2: 9 GAME: Lucius rolls 1d20+5: (13)+5: 18
Lucius narrows his eyes as the hostile creatures approach. "Go!" he shouts, lowering his lance and urging on Thunder with his knees. The warhorse gallops toward the frog, teeth bared, and chomps down. Simultaneously, Lucius manages to impale the creature with his lance. The combination proves lethal and the frog collapses to the ground, lifeless.
GAME: Harshad rolls weapon1: (8)+7: 15 GAME: Harshad rolls 1d6+2: (5)+2: 7
Harshad watches as Lucius and his warhorse charge forward and simply pulverize one of the frogs. "...Damn," he mumbles. He calls out to the knight, "Hey, fighting-man! I'm going after the other one, feel free to jump in!" He slinks along the outside of the boxes, and his rapier jabs out, stabbing at the frog... who just stares at him. "... Oh, shit."
GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d20+2: (9)+2: 11 GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d20+2: (19)+2: 21 GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d6-1: (1)+-1: 0 GAME: Warrick rolls fortitude: (20)+5: 25 (CRITICAL SUCCESS)
The centipedes aren't scared of a crossbow that shoots toothpicks! These armored monstrosities just continue their pursuit of food, Warrick becoming their first target. Luckily the bites that do land only pinch, and squeeze the Eldanar. What is this, a massage?
GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d20+5: (4)+5: 9
The frog must still be recovering from the explosion and sudden poke. It just lazily bites at Harshad, the attack not even coming close. Is it seeing straight? Is it okay? Who knows, the frog is terrible at this.
GAME: Schara activates her Titan Armor, gaining: +4 Dex GAME: Schara rolls 1d20+8+1: (9)+8+1: 18 GAME: Schara rolls 2d6+4+1: (7)+4+1: 12
Schara steps up in front of the bystanders as the centipedes scurry up much faster than expected. Then again, they were moving as quickly as they normally did, it was just a difference in scale. As they had done many times before, the various plates and parts on their left arm shifted and folded out of the way and onto the barrel that had flipped out from the forearm, exposing various parts and numerous red hot coils, before the weapon erupted into a gout of flame. Perhaps unpleasantly, it causes the center of the insect to overheat and burst, leaving two distinct parts that remain wiggling around.
GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d20+2: (16)+2: 18 GAME: Warrick rolls fortitude: (19)+5: 24 GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d6-1: (1)+-1: 0 GAME: Warrick rolls weapon2+1: (3)+6+1: 10
Warrick grits his teeth as the centipedes suddenly advance, him not having time to get a bead on them. One manages to pierce his coat, him kicking them off before-
Zot! One is annihilated! He turns to Schara, nodding once in recognition for the save before dropping to a knee and aiming high...- Breath in, trigger pull- chomp!
"Would you just fu..." he groans, his arm chomped on, making his shot go wide. He holds onto the crossbow with one hand by the carry handle, then yanks free his longsword, stepping between the cadets and the lone centipede. "Not going to get killed by stupid bugs... Cinny'd hate that," he grumbles to himself.
GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d20+2: (3)+2: 5 GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d20+2: (6)+2: 8 GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d20+3: (2)+3: 5
Zipping in to take advantage of the combat and noise the flies choose two separate targets in their ADHD fueled flight. They both miss, just bobbing in the air next to their targets. Harshad and Schara respectively.
Unfortunatley, with combat so close, Sasha freaks out and bolts away from the crowd, the cadets chasing after the piglet while trying to stay clear of the combat that rages. Shock, awe, and a little fun can be seen on their faces!
GAME: Lucius rolls charge+1: aliased to 1d20+BAB+Strength+2+1: (6)+2+3+2+1: 14 GAME: Lucius rolls lance+1: aliased to 1d8+Strength+1: (5)+3+1: 9 GAME: Lucius rolls lance+1: aliased to 1d8+Strength+1: (2)+3+1: 6
Luke turns to the right just in time to see Schara pulverize a fly from the air. "Good hit!" he yells as he turns to face the opposite direction. Noting that the frog is half-obscured, he guides Thunder in the direction of the fly next to Harshad. As they charge, he lowers the tip of his lance once more. The steel point catches the insect and shreds through its body, granting it a quick but merciless death. Panting slightly, the cavalier looks toward the next enemy in his vicinity: the frog on the other side of Harshad.
<OOC> Harshad will try an Acrobatics check to move through an enemy's space. GAME: Harshad rolls acrobatics: (14)+9: 23 GAME: Harshad rolls weapon1: (18)+7: 25 (THREAT) GAME: Harshad rolls weapon1: (20)+7: 27 (THREAT) GAME: Harshad rolls 1d6+2+1d6+2+2d6: (2)+2+(3)+2+(3): 12
Harshad is a lot quicker than people give him credit for, weaving away from the mandibles of the giant fly as well as the snapping mouth of the frog. As Lucius comes in with his lance and neatly spits the fly to the crates, Harshad grunts, and drops his cloak, before shoulder-rolling over the frog. Landing on his feet, he whirls and drives his rapier into the amphibian's flesh, punching deep as the half-oruch grins nastily. "Frog legs for everyone!"
GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d20+2: (4)+2: 6
The centipede that's left redoubles its efforts to eat Warrick, but it hesitates and snaps it's pinchers closed too slow to get a taste of seasoned guard. Clack-clack!
GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d20+5: (8)+5: 13
Harshad is again snapped at, the large mouth of the frog probing at him as it's pinned between two adventurers. No but, but an angry glance and flick of a large tongue shows it still has some fight left.
GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d20+2: (16)+2: 18 GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d6+1: (3)+1: 4 GAME: Schara rolls fortitude: (5)+4: 9 GAME: Schara rolls 1d20+8: (2)+8: 10
Schara moves to place themselves back in front of the cadets and piglet, earning a sharp jab for their troubles. The flaming weapon on their left arm heats up again, but the gout of flame goes wide as the fly flits out of the way. It could be bad aim from the injury, or maybe they should have just used something slower?
Well, at least it was more likely to go after an injured foe, even if they were the injured one.
GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d20+2: (17)+2: 19 GAME: Warrick rolls fortitude: (10)+5: 15 GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d6-1: (1)+-1: 0 GAME: Warrick rolls weapon4+2: (5)+4+2: 11
Warrick bares his teeth as the centipede goes for yet another nibble. No! No seasoned guard for you! His boot knocks them off, only to get chomped on the leg in the process. "Grrr..." The crossbow clatters to the ground, both hands on the sword now. Huh, that's probably why the crossbow has so many dings on it. "Covering!"
He rushes forward to help the bronze clad fire thrower. "For Alexandros!" he shouts, taking a swing at the fly, but it moves too high. "Damn it!"
GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d20+2: (18)+2: 20 GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d6+1: (3)+1: 4 GAME: Warrick rolls fortitude: (1)+5: 6 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d3: (2): 2
Zipping through Warrick's Defense, the large fly takes a bite out of the man's neck, and with it, leaving a nasty red mark that stings of future trouble.
GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d20+3: (13)+3: 16
Sasha and the students hold their ground, the pig seeming to prefer to stick near people now that blood fills the air.
GAME: Lucius rolls attack+1+2: aliased to 1d20+BAB+Strength+1+2: (12)+2+3+1+2: 20 GAME: Lucius rolls 2d6+Strength+1: (7)+3+1: 11
Looking to his left and his right, Lucius opts for the right. Recognizing his rider's intentions, Thunder leaps around a fallen crate and makes a beeline for the fly. The cavalier draws his greatsword and slashes the enemy, disabling one of its wings.
GAME: Harshad rolls weapon1-2: (4)+7+-2: 9 GAME: Harshad rolls weapon2-2: (2)+7+-2: 7
Harshad waves Lucius on, as the frog is pretty badly injured. How tough can one near-dead frog be? "Go on, I got this," he growls, showing his tusks. "Come on, you bastard, I got something for you to eat." His rapier and dagger come in from opposite sides, but Harshad doesn't have much experience with twin blades, and the strikes fall short. "Dammit! Stand still so I can kill you!"
GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d20+2+2: (20)+2+2: 24 GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d20+2+2: (11)+2+2: 15 GAME: Yaretzi rolls 2d6-2: (5)+-2: 3 GAME: Warrick rolls fortitude: (8)+5: 13
The centipede closes on its target as Warrick runs away to fight the fly. It sees this as fleeing! It's superior! It will nom the man again, and this time? It ears some flesh. Victory! Sort of.
GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d20+5: (20)+5: 25 GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d20+5: (9)+5: 14 <OOC> Harshad says, "No confirm." GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d6+6: (4)+6: 10 GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d20+7: (13)+7: 20
Harshad has a bad bit of luck. The half-alive frog finally lands one of its sluggish bites. It's jaws are powerful, crushing on the man as it seizes him with it's front hands. It's trying to stuff him in it's mouth! Luckily, it's not yet to the 'swallowing' part.
GAME: Warrick rolls weapon4: (17)+4: 21 GAME: Warrick rolls damage4+1: aliased to 1d8+2+1: (6)+2+1: 9 GAME: Schara rolls 1d20+8: (15)+8: 23 GAME: Schara rolls 2d6+4+1: (10)+4+1: 15
GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d20+2: (5)+2: 7 GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d20+5: (13)+5: 18
Now the centipede was back, and as much as they wanted to stay between the people they were defending and the giant, not giant insects, remaining concious was another important factor for the time being. The artificer ducks back and takes aim at the multi legged menace, searing the insect and filling the air with a scent not unlike a lobster boil.
With the battle changing every few seconds, it's good that only a fly is left to harass the party. Far less vicious that some large centipedes of chitin. It whizzes after Lucius, and misses it's bite.
Krispy-Sasha has seemed to realize that the party is here to help, and with so many of the foes beginning to pile up, even the cadets follow the piglet and stay clear of the fighting. Sasha has good sense. Mostly.
GAME: Lucius rolls attack+1+2: aliased to 1d20+BAB+Strength+1+2: (4)+2+3+1+2: 12 GAME: Lucius rolls hooves+1+2: aliased to 1d20-4+1+2: (17)+-4+1+2: 16 GAME: Lucius rolls hoovesdmg+0.5: aliased to 2d6+1.5+0.5: (12)+1.5+0.5: 14
Carefully tracking the fly's erratic movements, Lucius swings his greatsword in a wide arc to intercept its flight. He misses rather badly, but Thunder instinctively lashes out with his hooves and somehow lands a full hit with both. The fly spirals lifelessly to the ground.
GAME: Harshad rolls weapon1-2: (5)+7+-2: 10
Harshad is glomped by the frog, and struggles. "Get... OFF!" His rapier's tip skitters across the frog's hide but fails to find purchase, as the half-oruch wrestles with the hungry frog. "Aw, shit--!" Realizing what's about to happen.
GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d20+11: (20)+11: 31 GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d4: (4): 4
As Harshad misses, his movement only fuel the frog's desire to eat! It horks him down with a swift movement, the man dropping into the nasty and wet stomach of the frog to the sickening horror of the students and Sasha. "It ate your friend?!" the cadets fearing the worst. Fear not newbies, the man is still alive. Inside the frogs belly!
GAME: Schara rolls knowledge/nature: (8)+5: 13
Well, that was not a good turn of events, seeing one of them getting swallowed whole by a frog. Maybe it would work out and they would return to normal size before suffocating? Not something to count on, unfortunately. The artificer pulls out another small device, one attached firmly to their side that glowed green for a short moment, before falling away like the one before. "We need to cut them out of there!" They yell to the others, sprinting to get closer with abnormal speed.
Sasha isn't afraid anymore. The group of people with them seeming to be a comfort enough. Plus, the enemies in sight have perished. Happy pig!
GAME: Harshad rolls weapon1-2: (4)+7+-2: 9
What a revolting predicament. While the frog's saliva and digestive fluids aren't strong enough to start outright injuring Harshad, muscular action is abusing the half-oruch. Worse, it's almost impossible to bring his blades to bear. His shouts of dismay are VERY audible, even muffled as they are from being inside the frog. He's definitely not happy.
GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d4: (1): 1 GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d20+5: (16)+5: 21 GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d6+6: (5)+6: 11 GAME: Yaretzi rolls 1d20+7: (6)+7: 13
With the rest of the enemies gone, this leaves more food for the froggy! With Harshad in its stomach, it is not yet sated! It goes after the closest, Lucius. It's bit striking hard while the adventurer is mounted, but it doesn't grapple the man from their horse. No, just a heavy blow of frog lips on armor and flesh.
GAME: Schara rolls 1d20+3+2+2: (19)+3+2+2: 26 GAME: Schara rolls 1d20+3+2+2: (7)+3+2+2: 14 GAME: Schara rolls 2d6+2: (6)+2: 8
Schara dashes around the giant frog, trying to figure out what to do without harming the person inside. Fire was probably out, so they would need to attempt to avoid any collateral damage.
Instead, a large pair of metal hinges snap open underneath the arms cambrace, forming an almost comically large pair of pliers. Pliers which manage to snap shut above and below the frog's head. And with a brief, somewhat unpleasant crunch, the beast falls still.
"quick, someone cut it open!" They shout to the others as they step back and fumble to close up the device to free their own hand.
A dagger blade suddenly punches through the frog's gut, dragging downward. With a groan, Harshad slithers out and sprawls on the ground, looking slimy, battered, and beaten. "Ow. Fuck. Ow. Ow." He wipes some scum from his face as he lies on the ground. "Mind if I just... lie here for a bit?"
After carving through the centipede, Warrick makes a beeline across the small-battlefield, tiny boots making tiny boot prints in the ground as he passes by a shard of the chair once he saw the people were safe. "Where is that ruffian!" he growls looking around before- "Serriel damn it, this is not a proper way to go," he huffs, a dagger in one hand and getting ready to dip around Lucius- Then the artificer zooms up from behind him, around, and slices the frog in twain.
He stands there, panting, leaning against what remained of a chair leg. A cursory lean to the side to check on the cadets is taken before the ex-guard ambles back towards the group. Stops. Watches Harshad tumble out slimily.
Then executes and about-face to walk back towards his tooth-pick slinger. "... adventurers..." he complains to himself.
Luke dismounts. "Good boy," he whispers to Thunder. The warhorse gently nickers in response and sniffs Luke's hand. The cavalier smiles, in joy and relief. "Later," he promises, as Harshad emerges from the swollen frog corpse. He kneels on the ground beside Harshad and looks him over. "Don't worry, he'll be alright," he calls out mostly for the benefit of the cadets, with as much confidence as he can muster.
All goes quiet after the action. People whom were not shrunk had made it out of the tent. Luckily those who were under the effects of the mangled scroll/spell return to their normal size a few moments after all the excitement died. No one was killed, the cadets got their show to remember, and the adventurers even had a chance to have their fun playing with the wildlife.
Sasha is reunited with her assistant-owner, Nala. It seems she'd given up on Sasha, thinking her dead when searching for her in the aftermath proved fruitless. It was a relief when she popped up with our heroes once the spells wore off.
Louis is just pale, standing outside the tent and peering in as he whispers something to Nala. "I'm going to be demoted for this."
Or, not. The cadets seem to have thought it was lively enough to make a difference in the boring day. Chatting and gossiping outside as they eat some of the lunches that were in the snow. Nala inspected, and declared 'bug free'. If one was wondering. "Good work all of you!" Louis finally gets out, giving credit despite what's happened. "It could of gone a lot worse." an apologetic glance cast to Harshad who's likely left in need of a good bath, being left smelling like the inside of a frog. It smells worst than normal frog. Though that's it for this evening, the mock battle completely canceled after that excitement, the adventurers treated and eventually used to help pack up this terrible idea.