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[Sirum]

[Another surviving quest logfile from my DM alts, found by CTRL+F'ing "rolls 1d100." Hooray. Pretty sure I just wanted to host a miniquest, so I slapped a dream together. That... happened rather a lot, come to think of it. A random miniquest was good to spice things up. I think this was a treasure map leftover from what Map Master Michael had on him way back when. It was exploring an old, abandoned dwarven mine.

I took great pride in making as much a mockery of dwarven halls here as I did with Paladins as Gen. Don't tell Brax.]

[#] The group appears in a flash of light (thanks to Rakuro) outside of a cave entrance in the general area of Launcia, the cave entrance being marked on the map as the abandoned mines of Clan Banghammer. Marlina, having found a map tube that had recently opened all on its own in her room, had sought to see just what was so important about it, selling a similar one for fifteen silver to assorted tavern-folks. Of course, she asked the ones she trusted most, the DM assumes, since she was too lazy to IM people herself.. :-P

Jonathan Ruddiwyne looks around, eyeing the surroundings, a faintly sick expression on his face. "I'll never get used to that.." he mumbles. "How do you know you aren't just going to appear inside a solid rock, or half-buried in the earth?"

Rakuro smiles thinly in Jon's direction as the group comes to a rest on the ground. "I don't." is all he says, as his paws tuck into his pockets and his feet bring him to stand near Marlina. He knew she hated such things, and such a long-distance may bother her more than the others.

Ruby Pyralis isn't entirely sure as to why she's even here aside from the fact that Marlina's charms are simply irresistable. She's been teleported via Rakuro before, but likewise is a bit dazed once arriving at their destination. She rubs at her head with a mutter and steps forward a bit.

Marlina Evenstar's player did indeed IM people appropriately, although what she should have done, was elabourate more in an IC setting, but one lives and learns all they can in that span of time through trial and error. She stumbled slightly upon materialising, Jon wasn't the only one who found it unsettling after all, though her reaction was better than it had been. She pales though upon hearing the conversation between the mage and the bard... "That's... Possible? Bloody 'ell." And she proceeds to grumble something fierce as she pulls the map from a pocket in her jacket.

[#] Ruby was asked due to Marlina's lack of wanting to travel with three. Honestly, what better did Ruby have to do.

Ruby Pyralis can go rape a tree.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne closes his eyes and rubs the bridge of his nose, in apparent pain. "... I suppose that's fair," he says, sounding even weaker and sicker than before. The idea of being inside a rock doesn't appeal to Jon. "Think I'll stick to walking after this," he continues as he goes to lean on a nearby tree for stability. Oh what ho! A sign is on the tree. He reads it.

[#] Stay OUT OF CAVERN! Clan Banghammer's hall, trespassers will be taken prisoner in our mines.

[The 'OOC' sign we designated our OOC room with was on a tree, emitted that when bumped into. For context.]

Jonathan Ruddiwyne kills the DM.
[ You whisper "[Why? :-(]" to Jonathan Ruddiwyne. ]
[ Jonathan Ruddiwyne whispers, "[OOC = Out Of Cavern. Unacceptable Use of Pun. Penalty: One Painful Death.]" to you. ]


Rakuro smiles lightly at Jon and Marlina's reactions, patting the femme lightly on the shoulder while replying to the bard instead, "Don't worry. It's possible, but I've gotten lots of practice at not." A wink, and the wolfkin looks to the sign as well, "..On the other hand.. we're close, right?"

Ruby Pyralis figures that now is as good a time as any to actually ask about the details behind this little trip, "What exactly are we looking for again? Typical run-of-the-mill treasure or...?" Of course, she doesn't expect much else. Hell, adventurers don't need to know what they're looking for.

[#] A large, gaping entranceway not too far away in the hillside would confirm Rakuro's words. Quite dark in there, too.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne clears his throat. "'Stay OUT OF CAVERN! Clan Banghammer's hall, trespassers will be taken prisoner in our mines.' Sounds inviting. Shall we kick in the door and slaughter everything that dares stand against us in our lust for gold and fine jewelry, my stalwart companions?"

[#] The sign, in truth, would appear.. more or less fifty to a hundred years old in age, though still kicking due to good weather and a lack of termites. A good punch would see to its destruction, however.

Marlina Evenstar only looks partially appeased at that explanation as she continues to glance from the map and her surroundings, focusing briefly on the sign before turning her gaze to the mine. "Well, that'd be bein' what we usually'd be doin' right? Killin' people fer money or somethin'? But... The mine's probably abandoned. No be much point in makin' a map like this be seemin' important, if no fer the fact that there'd no jes be a bunch of people who might jes be stumblin' across whatever's bein' hidden... If there'd be anythin' at all, o'course." This said with a grin as the map is rolled up once more and the assassin advances.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne eyes the sign. "It looks old. Half a century or more. Still... dwarves are notoriously long-lived, as well as dully named. Banghammer? Sounds like how they make music." With that, he follows the maphol,der. "Onward, then."

Rakuro smirks at that, and merely shrugs. Both paws tuck into his pockets, and the wolfkin advances along with the femme. "I'm not particularly keen on 'aving t'fight anything unless we've got to. Let's keep ourselves quiet, shall we?"

Ruby Pyralis hadn't really been out fighting since the whole fiasco with the halflings and procedes to stretch her arms a bit while following along in a rather poor attempt to get ready for whatever the group decides on. She probably doesn't really need to stretch, but it's always a good habit, right?

[#] Were this a terribly dangerous area, crickets would not be singing and birds would not be chirping, sure signs of horrible foreshadowing. All are present here. My, there is even a cute little chicken pecking near the cave entrance. It runs off when they approach, however.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne eyes Rakuro. "Got a light?"

Ruby Pyralis totally was in the mood for KFC too.

[#] Within the cave, it is utterly pitch dark and the air is filled with dust.

Ruby Pyralis is a special little demoness and requires no stinkin' light. She simply moves along without showing any signs of difficulty in seeing, "Why must these things always be in caves..."

Marlina Evenstar glances at the chicken briefly, but it hardly seemed like a terrible omen, this had all the makings of an unproductive romp through a dark and mysterious mine... Not the spiffiest territory really. She prefered open spaces, or the familiar walls of the sewers she routinely roamed. "Damned dwarf-home."

Rakuro pauses once they reach the darkness of the cave, and replies quietly, "Aye.. I've got a light. Is it the best ide--" he cuts off, as the DM informs them that it is, in fact, pitch black. Well.. there goes Marlina's heritage. The wolfkin pulls his paws from his pockets, curling one atop the other, and a gentle, ambient yellow glow slowly begins to form around him, partially illuminating the surrounding area. "Let me know if we need it brighter. I'd like to keep this down."

[#] The ground is quite smooth as are the walls, the making of a finely crafted dwarven hall.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne grins. "Because all the free gold is already gone. That's why they have to mine it. Let's press onward... strong people in front, Jon in back, yes?"

Ruby Pyralis presses past the bard, "Fair enough."

Rakuro: [....So.. to get through the mountains, we have to pass through The Mine.]
Jonathan Ruddiwyne: [Fly you fools!]
Ruby Pyralis: [Moria. Wee!]
Rakuro isn't really big on self-sacrifice, folks.. so you're all gonna have to stab the Balrog at least once too.]


[This is why I loved OOC on my quests. x)]

[#] In the distance, a gurgling can be he heard. Like a man being strangled to death, or perhaps a baby..
[#] ..a baby gurgling, that is.

Rakuro has never, honestly, heard a baby be strangled to death. Thus, this sound kind of creeps him out.

[#] Not a baby being strangled. ;_;

Jonathan Ruddiwyne draws and cocks his crossbow with a barely-audible click. "Mum's the word," he breathes, tiptoeing along the wall, peering into the darkness.

Ruby Pyralis perks an ear, peering around the corner curiously and squinting into the distance. Even she knows that it might be a good idea to keep it down when gurgling sounds are coming from a spooky area.

Marlina Evenstar simply assumes that there is an underground river somewhere around here and does not give it further mind as she too advances into the mines, trying to adjust to the changing levels of light.

Rakuro posts honestly now, as he expands the glow just enough to extend Jon's range of vision by several feet. It was, in fact, a very focused glow, that cut an even path through the darkness.

[#] As the group proceeds further into the dwarven hall, two dark green lights would begin to glow, casting light upon them before Rakuro's orb shows its entire figure. However, its outline would be.. something of a blob, with two awkward arms above it.

Ruby Pyralis squints, voice instinctively low, "The hell?"

Jonathan Ruddiwyne eyes the.. erm.. blob thing over there. "Someone wanna check that out?" he whispers, raising his bow to cover whomever was brave enough to do such a thing.

Rakuro's paws seperate slightly further, and the yellow glow of his enchantment spreads forward to encompass this odd figure. Was it a demon of some sort? A shadow creature of hell? A partially melted dwarf? (If you can't take the heat... Get out of the forge!) ... *ahem* One way or another, the glow surrounds it, and casts enough light to see by.

Marlina Evenstar eyes the blob uneasily, and opts instead to place the now useless map away in her coat to buy a few moments before acting, "Eh..." Clearly not enthusiastic. "Maybe we should just pass around it? Somethin' like that couldn't move very fast." Gone were the days of heroics, or mindless slaughter, whatever you wanted to call it.

[#] As the light spreads over whatever horror awaits them in the shadows.. it.. actually doesn't appear quite that bad, honestly. The light reveals it to be a large and quite healthy Mountain/Cave Slug, nuzzling a small flower it had managed to grow into the cave floor, several other tiny flowers about it. It gurgles in the direction of Jonathan, the closest one to it.

[Mountain Slugs. First appearing in one of my quests two years prior. They were friendly there, too, there's a Continuity Dev topic about them. They're natures druids, plantlife grows in their slime and whatever they lick. The group could have fought and killed this one... but they just sort of shrugged at it. So they got an NPC companion. Always fun when I got to do that.]

Jonathan Ruddiwyne steps back, pressing himself against the wall. "It's a slug. I think it likes me. I don't want to keep it, even if it follows me home. Let's keep moving."

Ruby Pyralis facepalms at the sight of the slug and follows after Jon, "Agreed. No point in lingering." She covers the side of her face which is getting annoyingly assaulted by the magical light, burning her dialated pupils.

[#] On either side of the group, two large and spike-ridden pillars rise all the way to the ceiling. Very intimidating to foreigners, likely a sort of 'last chance to fook off', to non-dwarves. As Jonathan speaks, the green glow in the slugs eyes grows brighten, Jonathan's entire body glowing green momentarily. [6/6 - Regen] Perhaps a sort of 'please don't step on the flowers', it was trying to communicate.

Marlina Evenstar tacks onto that an, "Oh. No even somethin' threatenin'. Bugger. Too used to monsters leapin' at yeh in places like this" With that said, she pays it no further mind, isntead simply turning to a wall and scratching a pair of symbols upon it's surface, unless it was bizarre unscratchable rock of indeterminant origin. That done she'd move in the wake of the group.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne cringes away, shielding his eyes as he glows green, but doesn't seem to feel any different. "Let's... well, let's still not mess with it. Or its flower. Or any other flowers. No sense provoking things."

Ruby Pyralis doesn't step on the flowers anyway, but now is rather tempted to do so. That slug would look hilarious if it was pissed off... but they're not here for screwing around, unfortunately. She simply avoids the flowers and follows along.

Rakuro quickly follows along after the bard, nodding a silent assent. He liked flowers, after all. He wasn't going to step on any. Then, of course.. they're greeted with gigantic spiked pillars. Joy. "So.. eh... can anyone squeeze by that?"

[#] Honestly, the slug wasn't in anyones way. It was off to the side of a doorway-wide opening in the rocks. Each pillar was blocked off behind it by a wooden blockade. But, why not merely go through the gap in the cave walls.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne points at the gap behind the slug. "Through there? Yeah... but... I still don't think anyone should step on the flowers. So don't do it."

Marlina Evenstar is not quite sure why they weren't going through the opening, she'd just been trying to follow a group that was going a direction she didn't agree with, up until she got to the seeming intersection anyways. From there she branched off to go the open way. She is careful however, not to step on flower or slug.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne follows, eyeing the slug the entire time, not taking his eyes off of it to the point of turning and going backwards through the passage.

Rakuro's player was having a rough time managing these darkness items. Thus, carefully walking entirely around the majority of the flowers, he carefully sidesteps along the wall and into the passageway.

[#] Within the small room, it appears to be somewhat of a check-in office. A completely bare shelf stands in one corner, mostly rotted and likely once home to papers. Thanks to the slug, it is covered in many assorted flowers. Similarly the desk and the chair in the corner are mostly rotted themselves. Crude drawings can be seen along the walls, likely by local tricksters, or rival halls: 'CLAN DULLHAMMER' 'DWARVES ARE FAT AND HAIRY, HAIL WESTERNESSE!'

Ruby Pyralis is far too skilled to actually step on a flower accidently and simply... doesn't. Right! Moving on. She follows along after the group, keeping a cautious eye on the surrounding areas.

[#] Smaller, in a corner, 'CLAN HAMMERBANGER WAS HERE'

Jonathan Ruddiwyne frowns upon reading the elf-like graffito. "Either this place was raided and emptied out a long time ago, or Clan Banghammer is full of buffoons."

Marlina Evenstar's gaze shifts disdainfully over the drawings, "Roight... Well, think we can be scratchin' off the possibility of intelligent life bein' down 'ere, 'cept fer maybe a few more slugs.." This last bit added as she takes note of the flowers. This room covered, and her only slightly wary in regards to trap potential she turned left. Not because left seemed like the right way to go (Hee-Hee. Pun!) But rather because it seemed shorter, and good to check out first.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne hasn't lowered his bow yet. "Shouldn't lower our guard yet, though," he says as he follows Marlina.

Ruby Pyralis peers through the opening in the wall over on this end of the room curiously, squinting as she looks around as best she can without actually leaving the area.

[#] If Ruby focused hard enough, she could see the makings of a cave-in..

Ruby Pyralis squints harder and slowly backs up a step, "I'm no expert on these matters..." She looks back to the group, "But somehow I don't think that looks good."

Jonathan Ruddiwyne looks back. "What doesn't?"

Ruby Pyralis points into the darkness in front of her, "Looks like this place could cave in if we're not careful." The remembering that these silly furres need light to see that far, "Bring some light over here to look yourself."

Jonathan Ruddiwyne doesn't have the light.
Jonathan Ruddiwyne has only darkness. ;_;

[#] A smart lawyerbard would have brought torches. Alas..

Rakuro notes that Jon's a smarter lawyerbard, and brought a walking torch. And thus, he pads in their direction, bringing light!

Ruby Pyralis gets out of the way for them to look. >>

Jonathan Ruddiwyne is a smart lawyerbard who always fights with both hands occupied, and therefore should not be the torchbearer. =P

Rakuro brings light into the darkness, that all men may see. Sorry Ruby.. sorry Marl..

Jonathan Ruddiwyne high-fives his personal Lucifer.
Jonathan Ruddiwyne peers at the stuff Ruby was talking about.

[#] With further light, the caved in area is quite a bit wider than the other two paths avaliable to the group, as if it led deeper in to the clan halls. But, they are but mere songwriters, demons, and assassins. What could they possibly hope to do to deal with caveins.

Marlina Evenstar is uninterested in investigating more than one path at once, that had the potential for slowing things down dramatically, and it looked as if the others were investigating the potential for a cavern. She'd be quick-like in her own investigation. And she, unlike Jon, had a torch, two actually, her third was no longer operational. There were times when the sewer was dark after all. It didn't exactly have electric lighting. The torch retrieved from her pack, and a few more moments of cursing, the torch lights. She knew this was likely to be a short path, but ti was important to make sure things didn't jump you from behind.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne shrugs and follows Marlina, since she was more decisive that he was in such affairs.

Rakuro casually wiggles his fingers, a light smile playing upon his lips.. "We want to explore the cave-ins, eh? Er.. well." He follows Jon, obviously.

Ruby Pyralis likewise shrugs, figuring that if the other didn't think it required too much consideration than they're probably right. She wasn't brought to be the brains.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne licks the back of Marlina's neck. "Weeee misssssssssed yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu." []
Marlina Evenstar shudders]


[#] Marlina would find a room that was half-looted with old weaponry and the rest being coated in a fine layer of rust or crossbows rotted through due to the damp environment. These forges in the room haven't burned for quite some time, the anvils in a similar state of disrepair.
[#] Aged crates that hadn't been burst open also sit along the edge of the room.

Rakuro's glow diminishes to little more than a twinkle in his eye as they near the light radius of Marlina's torches. Mundane lighting worked just as well as magical, and it was probably, most likely, easier for them to see by.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne immediately rushes to the crates and bashes them in with his forehead, laughing maniacally. Not really. "So. Empty forge?"

Ruby Pyralis looks over the mentioned crappified weapons and overall... room, "Place looks like shit." Of course, she's stating the obvious but -someone- has to say it. She steps forward to get a closer look.

Marlina Evenstar distinctly prefers it, she can control the source of the light and where it was more directly than asking Kuro's lightball to move around, however while she had two torches, she was using only one of those. The other was a spare. "So it'd be seemin'. Few crates, but no lookin' too promisin'."

Jonathan Ruddiwyne moves to one of the anvils, running a fingertip along the metal. "No untold wealth to be found here. How disappointing.

[#] Clan Banghammer would surely rush the entire group for badmouthing their once great forge. Alas, they have moved on to better placed and beardier pastures. A fine layer of dust accumulates upon the lawyerbards finger. [roll 1d20+WIS, Jon]

Rakuro shrugs lightly and does, unlike Jon's sarcasm, rush over to the rates and bash them in with his forehead. Except a little less enthusiastically, and with his hands, instead of his forehead.. and more opening, instead of bashing in.

[*] Jonathan Ruddiwyne rolls 1d20+1 & gets 13.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne is slightly better than average in terms of being wise to this anvil.

[#] Jonathan gets tetanus. Not really. He would notice just a bit of the handle of something not quite that rusty peeking out from behind one of the forges, as if accidently having been dropped behind it. As Rakuro bursts open the crates, rockroaches and other assorted bugs would skitter out and across the floor, along the feet of all present. Icky.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne hmms, and grips the handle, lifting on it as he peers around the anvil. What could it be? WHAT COULD IT BE?!?

[#] It is behind the forge, actually.

Ruby Pyralis takes the liberty to smash a boot down on one of the unsuspecting bugs as it scurries under her, making a satisfying crunch, "Anything interesting in here?"

[#] Between the barrel of stagnant water and it, specifically.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne does that, then. Don't you ever correct me in front of company again.

Rakuro amuses himself briefly by turning a foot wide circle of bugs into ashes in a brief, but slightly obvious, flash of flame. Then, with a faint growl, turns about to see if the others had found something. And, obviously, Jon had. This was more interesting than roaches.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne grunts. "Think I've found something that isn't filthy with rust. Lemme just... grab... it... like....... this........"

Marlina Evenstar eyes the roaches, btu she wasn't about to scream in startled stereotypical distress, she edged away, but that was mostly so she could look in another corner, and less avoiding the roaches. That was just a perk, nasty things, they were in the Guild too." ;.;

[ You whisper "[Jonathan would find a Mithril Smithies Hammer, quite light and without a bit of rust or a dent upon it. 2d5 damage, +2 to Smithing Level. IB: 1]" to Jonathan Ruddiwyne. ]

Ruby Pyralis awaits the inevitable anvil to appear on Jon's head.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne has found Smithy's Mithril Hammer, which does not come down upon his head. Rather, it seems to shine in the light of the torch. He hefts it and swings it, and it moves surprisingly fast, given his rather light musculature. "This is a nice hammer," he comments. "Would've been right useful in Caeseal. Does anyone have any metalworking to do, or shall I just tuck this one in my belt?"

[#] As if in response to Jonathan's insinuation at restarting the forge, a bat flies out from within one of the forges, past the bard, Ruby and towards the exit of the cave.

Rakuro can't help but raise an eyebrow as Jon finds.. a hammer.. in a forge. And deides to keep it, at that. Well, it was mithril. Nonetheless, he shakes his head slowly and sighs, "Next time my armor needs repaired, Jon.. you'll be the first one I call." Then, he pads towards the path they'd come from, "Shall we, then? It doesn't look like there's much more here."

Ruby Pyralis suddenly feels a hint of nostalgia at the mentioning of Caeseal, rubbing her chin at the sudden influx of memories. Ah, good times. She looks up casually as the bat flies past, not much alarmed considering it may very well be a relative, "Heh, thing reminds me of that hammer the little halfling was lugging around."

[Ruby ICly being filled with the whimsy of nostalgia? Sirum would've been concerned, were he here.]

Jonathan Ruddiwyne wasn't insinuating anything of the sort, but that's the trouble with insinuations. They're at the whim of the listener. "Fair enough, I suppose. Let's go back to that cross-path where the ceiling looked weak. I imagine if we tread carefully, we can keep exploring." With that, he puts the hammer in his Inventory Box, and follows Kuro.

[#] Keruki's hammer, just for size reference, is totally like ten times that things size. Totally. Due to his being a shapeshifter, he isn't overcompensating, either.

Rakuro: [Totally not overcompensating. Definitely not. Nope.]

Jonathan Ruddiwyne would give himself enormous genitals if he were a shapeshifter.

Ruby Pyralis doesn't care, it's similar enough to spark a comparison. >>

Marlina Evenstar coughs]
Ruby Pyralis: [Sweet.]
Marlina Evenstar: [And we don't care about the size of the hammer, do we Ruby?]
Ruby Pyralis: [Nope!]
Jonathan Ruddiwyne isn't talking about the hammer, he's talking about his tiny wing-wong. Shall we continue? []
Ruby Pyralis: [Cue: DM's dwarven NPC's beat the crap out of him.]


Rakuro notes that we shall continue, and he does. All this talk of hammers is creeping him out.

Ruby Pyralis quickly grows bored with her surroundings and follows along.

Marlina Evenstar eyes her corner a bit more, but as there did not appear to be anything like the hammer, whihc she glanced over briefly, and decided not to comment on Jon's suggestion of metalworking. That all done. Off she goes again.

Marlina Evenstar: [Ye-ess my pets]
Marlina Evenstar: [Come to me.]
Ruby Pyralis licks Marl's feet.]
Rakuro tackles Marl.]
Jonathan Ruddiwyne won't mention the name of what HE does to Marl.]


[#] To the right, if one had elvish sight or a similar brand, they could see tables. Perhaps a cafeteria, of sorts, or a meeting room.

Marlina Evenstar: [<<;]
Jonathan Ruddiwyne: [HRT]
Ruby Pyralis: [What makes elvish sight special >>]
Marlina Evenstar: [It's better.]


[#] A cockroach, having attached itself to Marlina's foot and having had necessary MR to avoid Rakuro's flame, does the nasty with another 'roach upon her boot.
[#] .. The DM just wants to fit in, you see.

Marlina Evenstar: [You people are horrible. ><]
Ruby Pyralis: [Orgy!]
Marlina Evenstar: [:-P]
Jonathan Ruddiwyne: [o bebe]


Jonathan Ruddiwyne looks around. "We came from the southeast. So... northeast or northwest?"

Ruby Pyralis has mediocre eyesight, quite honestly, and is only really useful in dark areas such as this... but there's a light source anyway, so she really doesn't have any advantage as of now.

Rakuro: [Marl. Just tip your foot to one side and crush 'em. Let them die happy.]

[#] As if to answer Jonathan's question, the cave slug gurgles.

Marlina Evenstar comments shortly after looking down the other corridor, "Looks like it'd jes be bein' a meetin' room of some sort, anyone'd be wantin' to look that way? Or we'd jes be walkin' further in." Then of course she glances at her feet, always the potential for traps, and a shake of her boot, followed by a stomp, ends that little business.

[#] [Roll to-hit, severity and damage.]

Jonathan Ruddiwyne hmms. "Might as well check that way before we move deeper in."

Marlina Evenstar: [Does my foot count as a finessable weapon?]

Rakuro has padded to the entrance to the caved in area, and was already partially inside of it, as it were. With a dismissive gesture to Marlina, he states quietly, "If you want to take a quick look, just in case there's something worth picking up, I'll wait for y'here."

[#] [Sure, why not.]

[*] Marlina Evenstar rolls 1d30+11 & gets 34.
[*] Marlina Evenstar rolls 1d100 & gets 42.
[*] Marlina Evenstar rolls 1d3+11 & gets 13.

[#] The female of the cockroach pair is surely squished. The male, however, being a much stronger sex, lives with 2 HP and skitters off into a crack in the wall.

[It felt good to troll Marlina for once, after her constantly doing it to me.]

Jonathan Ruddiwyne follows Marlina?

Marlina Evenstar considers this statement, and is tempted to propose a motion of stepping on the DM, but as no one else was likely to know what one of those mysterious creatures were, she remained silent, and simply moved on.

Rakuro is... actually doing what he said, and staying back there.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne takes a seat on a box. "Outstanding. When's dinner?"

[#] As any good dwarvish mess hall is, this one is lined wall to wall with ales, wines and assorted barrels. In fact, there seemed to be more places for ale than there were for food. An arrow trap begins to launch out at Marlina for daring to be above dwarvish height and stepping into a room where their ale was stored.. but the trap is rather old and thus.. the arrow merely falls out of the slit in the wall and onto the floor. The box, as Jonathan sits upon it, crumbles beneath him, sending him falling on his arse.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne snarls, and picks himself up, brushing himself off. "Stupid shoddy rotten box. This place is ridiculous." He eyes all the liquors with definite enthusiasm... which then wanes as he realizes how old everything must be. "All the beer's probably rotten, and I've never heard good things about dwarven wine. Probably vinegar by now. Worthless."

Ruby Pyralis scratches her head as she looks about, "This is all worthless." She steps forward and nudges another box-chair with her foot roughly, "Do we have -any- leads on where to look?"

Marlina Evenstar's gaze snaps to the arrow slit upon noticing the emergence of an arrow, and she was all tense and everything, ready to spring out of the way of the projectile, but it was all for naught. "Bloody dwarves, can't even be makin' a bloody trap right. Nothin' looks like it's bein' 'ere, lets ocntinue on."

[#] The box crumbles into splinters upon the floor at Ruby's mere nudging it.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne moves to the bottles, and begins inspecting them. "In a second. Bring that torch over here, there might be something worth a few silvers."

Ruby Pyralis reaches down and picks up a splinter to twirl around in her fingers in an effort to relieve at least some boredom created by this trip so far, "Aye, let's keep moving."

[#] The splinter, upon being picked up, splinters into further splinters, one that even sticks in Ruby's finger. Yeowch. [-1 HP] As Jonathan suspected, most all of the bottles were vinegar now. However, if he looked closely, he could see something that appeared to hold up well enough in the back.

Marlina Evenstar does indeed move closer, though after nearing the bard it was back into her pack... Though somewhat more awkwardly with a torch in one hand. A few more moments of fumbling, and she procurs her spare, which she would toss to the bard at the first oppurtune time. He could figure out how to light it. That wasn't her problem.

[ You whisper "[High-Class Elvish Wine: Charms all who drink it! Sell value = 35 silver]" to Jonathan Ruddiwyne. ]
[ You whisper "[It is 1/4 the way consumed, regardless.]" to Jonathan Ruddiwyne. ]

Ruby Pyralis doesn't take too much notice regarding the splinter, simply muttering and flicking the splintery remains away while sucking on her pricked finger gingerly, "Even the splinters are lame."


Jonathan Ruddiwyne pushes aside the strong vinegar bottles and reaches for the label in the back, eyeing the label. "This is a rare vintage," he says. "Elven. Probably still good." He uncorks the bottle, which appears to be slightly emptied, and sniffs the dark liquid. "Yes. This would be worth the price of a good sword to a connoisseur."

[#] As if a testament to just how horrible a clan Banghammer were, mere moments after Jonathan lifts the bottle, the shelf breaks apart and crumbles upon the floor, though not upon him. As it does this, all the bottles that were upon it shatter, glass and vinegar-wine running along his boots. As if taking its cue, the shelf next to it falls and its bottles shatter similarly. Mere seconds after this, not wanting to be left out, the large kegs lining one wall all burst apart, flooding the room with rotted beer and ale.

Ruby Pyralis facepalms, "What kind of half-assed dwarves lived here? I could have sworn they were known for craftsmanship." She leans down on the table cautiously with one hand to see if even that would collapse.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne is now surrounded by a flood of stinking fluid and broken glass. He turns to his companions. "I hate this place. Let's hurry and find the treasure, so we can get back home and I can start researching a way to set fire to a cave."

[#] Indeed, the table that Ruby leans against crumbles of her grip, sending her into the messy disgusting ale and vinegar upon the floor. Every last box surrounding the table bursts, in domino effect fashion.

Rakuro thinks flooding the floors with alcohol is a good start.

Ruby Pyralis: [I said cautiously. >>
Ruby Pyralis: [Meaning she won't fall. x)]

[#] ..unless she were careful. Which she is!

Marlina Evenstar skitters backward. These were new boots too, no way was she going to ruin them by having them get all sticky from post-dated wines. "Even dwarves aren't bein' this bad normally. Bleh." Not a curse. Depressing really, but it was simpyl an expression of distaste. A moment more and she returns to the central room, ready to make another marking on the wall.

Ruby Pyralis watches the explosion with a blank stare and just.. turns to walk away, "This is messed up."

[#] As the group departs from the room, they can even heart the shelf littered with dinnerplates luching forward and shattering upon the stone, noisily..
[#] The slug, by now, is peering into the room. It's giving a look vaguely along the lines of.. o . 0

Rakuro was relaxed rather casually against the inside of the wall HAHA er... anyway. He appeared to be waiting by surveying the cave-in before them, one paw casually scracthing at his cheek. [ õ . Õ ]

Jonathan Ruddiwyne suddenly stops in his tracks. "Oh, Primes. What if the ceiling is as well-built as the furniture in that room?"

Ruby Pyralis suddenly stops at Jon's words, "This treasure suddenly doesn't sound worth it."

[#] The legs of the chair near Jonathan snap off and fall to random directions, at Jonathan's question.
[#] As a random note, the cave-in appears to have happened in the past five years or so.

Marlina Evenstar is massaging the base of an ear idly with her free hand as the crashes continue to sound, bloody loud. At Jon's words though she glances up uneasily, "Eh... But it's a bloody mine, wouldn't still be standin' at all if the roof was goin' to be startin' to collapse on us. An' elves, even bloodys tupid ones've still been in 'ere."

Rakuro smirks over his shoulder at the two and shakes his head slowly, "Take a look at the walls. They're smooth, and actually not that poorly set up. The furniture is just horrible. I imagine what happened in here.." he gestures to the cave-in before them.. "..was just some natural flooding or the like. Weather looked pretty nice, last I checked. If anything happens, though.. we get to find out just how fast I can teleport. That'll be fun, won't it?"

Jonathan Ruddiwyne grumbles under his breath. "I suppose Rakuro can teleport us out if things get too hairy," he finally manages. "We should be ready to run, though."

Rakuro takes a small step into the cavern, and a giant leap for wolfkin-kind. "Just remember to run in my direction, eh? It'll make life a lot easier."

Ruby Pyralis mutters, "Always making things complicated." She turns to the group, "Right, so let's get a move on, then. Don't need any more furniture exploding while we linger."

Marlina Evenstar lets out a slight grunt that was probably confirmation of those plans, before moving after her mate. She wasn't confident, but aside from the occassional glances at the ceiling, she looked the part.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne nods, and follows the crazy wolfkin and the crazy demon and the crazy assassin.

Marlina Evenstar loves the crazy lawyerbard too.

[#] Any mere dwarf would take some time to clear out this large pile of rubble blocking their way.

Rakuro frowns and lightly taps the massive pile of rock in front of them. "Say... you're all rather short people, right? Fiiiiive and a half feet, give or take? Roughly?" He looks the lot of them over, then glances back at the wall of rock.

Rakuro didn't quite take Jon into account. Bugger his masculinity. He was going to make this difficult.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne looks up at Rakuro. "Six foot four. Just because you're abnormally huge doesn't mean everyone else is tiny."

[#] DM rules that Jonathan is a tiny, tiny man.

Ruby Pyralis: [Let's test that.]

Marlina Evenstar proceeds to kick Rakuro, though not in any particularily painful way, just as an admonishment for calling her short.

Rakuro acks and lightly hops away from the crazy femme. The one not actively wearing all black. With a slight frown he waves them back away from the wall of rock, "Alright, alright. I want you folks to line up. Come on, now. Get behind me, stand decently close, and no shoving. We're going to go through the rock, alright?"

Jonathan Ruddiwyne frowns, puzzled. "Through the rock? How?"

[#] The slug has, by now, slid into the room with the four by the wall, giving them each a doubtful look. o . 0

Marlina Evenstar moves into place behind Ruby, she, for note, is ocmpletely ignoring the creepy slug, though it appeared to be close by. "It is best not to ask things like that, I've found."

Jonathan Ruddiwyne moves into place behind Marlina... next to the slug. o_o

[#] The slug nuzzles Jonathan's boot, leaving a bit of slime behind as a small dandelion sprouts upon it. [1/1]

Jonathan Ruddiwyne frowns, like this. u_________u

Rakuro tilts his head far to one side, then the other, stretching out as if preparing for a fight. "Oh, don't worry. It'll be fun." He then leans forward and begins to draw lines on the rock. It started out looking very much like an archway, then a squiggly archway, then a child's version of a door... followed, eventually, by something that rivalled that creepy elvish door in LotR. The wolfkin, of course, begin using both hands to draw that bit, his digits curling and bending in relatively awkward ways to produce the final product with all the speed of ten typical mages working together perfectly. Behold, the work of a shattered mind. [4/?]

Marlina Evenstar eyes the forming doorway with a skeptical look upon her features, it looked normal enough, but a door that opened up into a wall of rock was still a fairly useless door.

Rakuro leans away from the completed doorway and grins brightly, "S'pretty, innit?" he asks, rather rhetorically. He didn't actually want anyone judging his artwork. He then turns about and eyes the line of people clinically. "Alright.. everyone keep your arms at your sides, keep your hands to yourself, duck your heads down, keep your feet up.. and please, for the love of the Primes... don't move?"

[#] As the bard hadn't shooed the slug away, it continues to leave bits of slug-slime upon the bards boots. Further, smaller dandilions appear all over his boot.

Marlina Evenstar mulls this over before asking what she felt was an obvious question, "How does one keep their feet up, while standin' an' no movin'?"

Jonathan Ruddiwyne looks down at the slug. "Please stop putting flowers on my boots. They're very nice, but I don't want to trample on them." He apparently was no longer listening to Rakuro.

[#] The slug either understands what the feline is saying or at the very least, what his tone tries to convey. It looks rather disappointed, though it does comply with the request. 'Twas a lone slug all the way in the mines, after all.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne shrugs at the slug. "Sorry. I have to walk on these boots. Not the best place for flowers. Why am I talking to a cave slug?"

[#] The slugs eyes seem to lower a bit in confusion, gurgling out something in sluggish. The general.. tone of the gurgle seems to imply 'I-unno'.

Rakuro spins back around and lifts his paws to either side, commenting quietly, "That, my love, will make itself abundantly clear in about five seconds." The wolfkin begins to glow, and the door he had drawn does likewise. The light spreads, forming a barrier of sorts.. or a few walls, that made a very neat tunnel, that quickly surrounded the line of would-be adventurers. As it closes off just behind Jon and his new best friend, the wolfkin murmers a quick, "Remember. Keep your arms at your sides!" and then... the world seems to bend backwards, an inexplicable force grabbing everyone by the collar and stretching them out. Then, with a flash of light.. the entire 'train' explodes forward, straight through the door, through the rock, and... as per the spell's purpose.. out onto the other side. Where the entire tunnel structure would slide for several feet before coming to a halt.

Marlina Evenstar was commenting briefly in the bard's direction, "Yer no the only one wonderin' thaaaa...." Interrupted of course by the nauseating sensation of being yanked by magic through things that really should be coporeal. Upon reaching the other side she'd be about ready to stumble into the wall and away, looking more than just a bit pale. "Errrg."

[#] The slug, upon being pulled through the spell through the rock, makes sounds of disapproval. It merely wishes to grow flowers, not be a part of freakish spells.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne did NOT enjoy that. "Please do not make me do that again. I do not like it. Not even a little."

Rakuro sidesteps quickly to his mate's side, even the bright grin on his face not enough to dampen his concern for her. A paw goes to her shoulder, if for no other reason than to give her something solid to claw into pieces, and he replies to Jon, "Don't worry. We've got an archway now. Thanks, by the way. That wouldn't have worked so well without this many people." He notes that, indeed.. it had blown a very clean archway in the rock.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne shivers for a bit longer, until he manages to regain control of himself. "I'm glad to have been of service." He looks ahead, down the tunnel. "Can we continue?"

[#] Assuming you lot are waiting on some form of emit, Rakuro's spell succeeds. There would be small holes in the floor here and there throughout the room, as if something had eaten through them, but other than that, the place is just fine. If a bit dustier.

Rakuro, assuming his paw isn't immediately torn from the rest of his arm, nods to Jon and begins to pad off down the corridor happily. He was in a good mood now. ;-)

Marlina Evenstar does not look terribly pleased with her accomplishment, even after eyeing the gaping hole where before had been a sizable amount of stone. No, she didn't appear to care much for being a battering ram, but she was regaining her equilibrium, enough so that she just barely managed to avoid shoving the torch into her mate when he blocked her original stumble. A few deep breaths before she scowled in her mate's general direction, "That was bein' unpleasant." A nod to confirm her own words before she was off once more, "But we'd be bein' through now."

[#] The slug appears content to follow Jonathan wherever the bard should go. ^-^

Rakuro smiles gently in Marlina's direction, and replies with a quiet, "I'll try and be nicer about it next time. It'll take longer, but..." a brief shrug, aaaand they're off.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne has a new friend. Joy. "Let's continue, then," he says, following Rakuro and Marlina, grumbling under his breath.

Rakuro hmms quietly as they reach the crossroads, and decides to casually take a left. He could see where it lead, and either people would follow him, or he'd do some quick investigation.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne looks around. "We're missing a bed here. I only see six."

Rakuro blinks, stopping abruptly on his beeline path towards the nearest chest, and turns to look quizically at Jon. "Seven beds..? What's the last for?"

[#] To the North-West and South-West, the group can see bedrooms, containing similar holes in them, lined walled to wall where beds did not exist with aged ale kegs. Perhaps a reminder of the instance within the mess hall would remind them not to get too close. However, as Rakuro moves thoughout the hall, literally dozens of arrows 'fall' straight for his head. Along the wall. Right.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne smirks. "Seven beds for seven dwarves, of course. You seem to have triggered a deadly arrow trap," he says, pointing out the arrows now piled on the floor. "We're sure going to miss you, now that you've succumbed to the wiles of Clan Banghammer."

Marlina Evenstar watches the arrows fall down around them, "'Ell, this'd be almost insultin' havin' to deal with such poorly made traps, an' all seemingly triggered by height. Buggers must never've kept much in the kay of livestock down 'ere." A possibility if they actually you know... Ever ate. "An' why'd there be seven dwarves?"

Rakuro's player facepalms, and decides to cast Jon as Snow White in this twisted fairy tale. Either that or it's Ruby.. and Jon can be the huntsman who carves her heart out. That'd be fun. Then, with a shake of his head, he glances at the arrows, claps a paw to his chest, and states dramatically, "Ah! Such a short life I have led! So many things left unsaid!" He turns a pair of soulful eyes on Marlina, holding one paw out to her, lip even quiverring slightly, "Marlina.. just know... I truly.. I truly... loved you..." and then, the wolfkin turns about, and attempts to open up the big black chest.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne shrugs, chuckling at Kuro's overacting. "You can manage that chest, right? It's your turn to have things explode all over you."

[#] As Rakuro opens the large chest, it would.. appear to be actually a unique bed of sorts. The name enscribed upon the lid of the chest is 'Grumpy', and tattered blankets and a similar moth-eaten pillow rest along the bottom of the chest.

Marlina Evenstar looks about for something suitable to throw at her mate for his overacting, and eventually decides on a pillow... Well... If they hadn't crumbled. Probably had, in which case she'd be denied her revenge. for now.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne wanders over and reads the lid. "I would be too if I had to be the only dwarven vampire. Let's check the other chest out." He wanders back to the other chest, and opens it.

[#] The pillow, as Marlina lifts it, would reveal its most sacred of treasures to her of the dwarf that once slept there. Seven coppers and one silver.

Rakuro calls over his shoulder, "There's a distinct lack of exploding things in this one!", then proceeds to idly paw through the moth-eaten blankets. Surely they kept something in here...

[#] The reason why Grumpy was so grumpy reveals itself to Rakuro. A single copper is all he finds, amoung the sheets. What does Jonathan find? Bottles of whiskey, ale and wine stacked to the brim, all gone to waste by now due to the sands of time. If they absolutely, positively could not make their way to the mess hall, they had all the drink they wanted here. Good times.

Marlina Evenstar will retrieve her newfound treasure, after hurling the pillow at the mage. What was once the prized possession of a dwarf, enough to that he'd actually sleep with it, was just another small number in Marlina's vast store now. "Bloody dwarves."

Jonathan Ruddiwyne sighs, shakes his head, and closes the lid. "This is too much. Clan Banghammer perished by cirrhosis."

Rakuro shrugs and takes the copper. Y'never know when a copper'll come in handy, after all. Make he could.. uh.. throw it at a ghost or somethi--oof! The wolfkin stumbles as he's struck by a pillow, thrown by a pseudo-master of ranged combat. Ouch! His pride! ... ... One way or another, he turns about and shrugs, "Alright then. The other room, real quick?"

[#] The pillow explodes into feathers, upon hitting Rakuro.

Rakuro also, of course, childishly sticks his tongue out at Marlina. ... And tastes old feathers. YUCK! ><

Jonathan Ruddiwyne turns back. "When you're done playing, yes, the other room. Perhaps we can find even more bottles of rotten malt and vinegar."

Rakuro hops to it, then, with a cheerful, "Precisely, Jon! Precisely! What in the nine hells else are we here for?" He ducks out of the room before Marlina can find another pillow to throw at him, and quickly heads for the other room, trying to brush feathers off of himself and out of his hair as he goes.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne shakes his head, and follows briskly.

[#] The chest behind Jonathan splinters, every last one of bottles within shattering as per usual. Thankfully, all their liquid pours into the holes in the floor.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne dojez
Rakuro: [leik a nijna!
Rakuro actually typoed nijna into ninja ><;]
Ruby Pyralis: [chesgsghs]
[%] Rakuro just gave Ruby Pyralis a cookie.


Jonathan Ruddiwyne turns back, staring at the chest. "I HATE this place."

[#] The slug following Jonathan gurgles at his disapproval. ^-^

Jonathan Ruddiwyne goes... farther in?
Jonathan Ruddiwyne does just that.

Rakuro was actually waiting on a post from Marl, but such is life. Tear. Tear.

Marlina Evenstar decides to turn in a slightly different direction, sepparation would speed up investigations, or lead to structural collapse, one way or another.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne stays fairly far back from the chest. "You open that."

[#] As if telling Rakuro 'just give up', the large barrel of ale literally explodes the second he takes a step into the room, showering all the beds with its liquid.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne screams and stamps his feet. "FUCK! This is the worst mine EVER!"

Rakuro shrugs briefly and moves to quicky simply open up the chest. He wasn't going to waste anymore time in this room than necessary. But, then... the barrel of ale explodes, and the wolfkin slowly shakes his head. "Alright.. now that's just ridiculous." He reaches into his sleeve, pulls out the copper he had picked up, and flings it at the second barrel as well.

[#] The dandilions on Jonathan's feet get shaken off. Their seeds, at least, drifting upwards to magically grow further dandilions upon his pants. As Jonathan's screams echo throughout the mine.. the place they had just busted through before can be heard re-collapsing in the distance!

Jonathan Ruddiwyne watches the dandilions grow on his sexy leather pants. "Rakuro. Can you set this mine on fire so I can watch it burn down?"

Marlina Evenstar's ears perk up at the distant rumble of a recollapsing section of the mine, and her word choice was scarcely better than Jon's, for she was scarcely pleased with the mine either. After calming down a bit she scowls, "Well... That didn't be soundin' good."
Marlina Evenstar is so good at stating the obvious. <3

[#] The second barrel follows suit as the first, exploding further ale all over the mage. Though, within the chest, he would find no more than a mere letter. 'Clan Hammerbanger looted clan Banghammer's Banging Hammer of Hammer Banging. Tough luck!'

Jonathan Ruddiwyne peers over Rakuro's shoulder. "What's in the box?"

Rakuro's ears flatten against his skull, and he replies quietly, "Yes. Yes I can. And I will. But I'm going to wait until we get out of here." Assuming the second barrel of ale had indeed exploded on contact with the copper coin, he pads forward through the nasty stuff and tries to open up the chest. Thus opened, thus finding the letter, he decides to keep it.. as a memento. And so he'd remember the clan name that has the Banging Hammer of Hammer Banging. To Jon, he replies with, "Something worth about as much as all the other junk we'd found in this place so far. Excepting that hammer. This whole place's been looted before." He sighs, shakes his head, and turns about, "Let's get a move on, then. There must be something in here worth finding."

Marlina Evenstar does just that, moving along and watching the dwindlingflame of her torch, it wouldn't last through much more of this. :-(

Jonathan Ruddiwyne nods. "Let's find the mine of whomever was in here before us, and set it on fire, too." Jon feels like he's bonding with Rakuro. ^_^ He turns on his heel, and goes back to the crossroad.

[Ah, that's why I loved quests. Through shared suffering comes great friendship.]

Jonathan Ruddiwyne peers through the bars. "A paddock, or a jail cell?"

Rakuro idly kicks one of the bars. "Probably cattle stalls."

[#] As the group wanders further into the mines, they would finally come across what seemed to be the end of it. The holding cells for intruders of Clan Banghammer, with nice, ancient beds of straw for each. Likely prisoner cells, giving the locks upon the doors. And as Rakuro kicks the bars, both doors collapse inwards along the foor, kicking up dust.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne winces as soon as Rakuro kicks the bars, preparing for the inevitable clatter and clangin- yeah, that.
Jonathan Ruddiwyne looks up. "I'm not going to poke through the hay. Hay rots and becomes compost. Compost frequently is full of worms and maggots and stench."

Rakuro clears his throat, then grins to the rest of them. "Look. I managed to break through a locked door."
Rakuro lifts both his paws and wiggles his digits, adding mystically, "Without magic!"

Jonathan Ruddiwyne fishes in his pocket and pulls out a long pin. "Two of these can do the same job on a much better door, my friend."

Marlina Evenstar watches the locked door collapse, "That'd almost be seemin' fun, knockin' down parts of this crapass mine, fer the sake of it an' all that." that said she moved further into the holding cells, for whatever avail that might have.

Rakuro coughs once more and shrugs, "Aye, but I never learned to use those." Then, however, he tucks his paws into his pockets and pads after Marlina. He fully agreed with Jon. He's not poking through rotted hay.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne follows. "I'll teach you some time. It's not hard. You still need two, though..."

Rakuro nudges Marl onward.

[#] The mine wall seems to narrow a bit, as if coming into an area where the dwarves had been forcing prisoners to mind a new area. It seems to have its own lightsource, magical glow and all that for working throughout the night. A black chest, rather new, sits at one end, with 8 pickaxes littering the room. Marlina would feel compelled to pick up the closest one to her, the slug sticking by Jonathan.

Marlina Evenstar eyes the pickaxe nearer to her with this interesting compulsion. It was deffinitely an odd experience to be inclined to do anything that remotely resembled physical labour. Nevertheless.... She picked one up, still eyeing it. What could she use a pickaxe for?

[#] Marlina would further feel compelled to mine the cave wall, and not let go of said pickaxe.

[ You whisper "[Pickaxes of Slavery: Elves/half-elves feel compelled to mine endlessly, unless a dwarf gives the command for the pickaxe to stop, or the pickaxes are destroyed.]" to Marlina Evenstar. ]

[ Marlina Evenstar whispers, "[...You suck.]" to you. ]

Rakuro gives a sudden twitch as Marlina walks towards the pickaxe, alarm bells going off in his mind. With a wordless cry, he bolts towards the femme, one paw already lifted, flaring with flames. "Jon! If you can smash any of those pickaxes or otherwise maul them, please do so. See if the slug'll help!"

Jonathan Ruddiwyne steps into the room, his cold-eyed suspicion of all things adventurey in full gear. "How convenient. A big treasure chest at the end of the mine, in the only lighted room. I certainly feel it is acceptable to go and open that box, for nothing could possib- um, okay." He turns to the slug. "Cave slug, can you please help us destroy these pickaxes because Rakuro told me to ask you?"

[#] The slug looks at one of the pick-axes. Buttercups grow from its wooden handle. Though, once Jonathan speaks to it.. the wood upon the handle rots instantly. How sad. :-( It gurgles its depression.

Marlina Evenstar totally whirls about, her mind swallowed up into a dark void as she whirls about on her companions attacking them viciously... Not really, in fact she moves closer to the wall with all the appearance of one about to set herself reluctantly to work mining the damn thing. She's momentarily distracted though, "What's yer problem 'Kuro? It's jes' a pickaxe..."

[#] .. far, far off in the mines, in the mess hall, further plates can now be heard shattering, as yet another shelf tumbles to he floor.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne can feel the sadness of the slug. "Aw. I'm sorry cave slug. But apparently these axes need to not be anymore. If you keep making them disappear, I'll give you my boots and you can grow dandilions all over them." Why is he still talking to the damn cave slug?

Rakuro pulls up just short of Marlina. Instead of going about it violently or anything like that, he states just one thing, very simply. It wasn't magical, but he believed it had more than enough power within her subconcious to break any pathetic dwarven enchantment, "Marlina. It's making you a slave."

[#] The slug seems to understand Jonathan's words well enough. All the bard-boots it could ever want! Suddenly, every last pickaxe in the room except for the one in Marlina's hands turns into fertilizer along the floor, strawberry vines growing from the rotted wood upon the floor.

Marlina Evenstar twitches at this, gazing at first her mate then at the pickaxe, then at the wall which she had been about to mine. Her expression darkens gradually before she abruptly hurls the cursed thing into a wall slightly further away with arm strength she really didn't look like she possesed. "Fuckin' dwarves, an' their Primes-damned crap, I swear if the bastards who'd ever be makin' these things are still alive, an I find 'em, I'll rip their bloody throat out. With my paws." Oh yes. She was pissed off alright.

[#] The pickaxe breaks into worthlessness.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne takes off his boots and sets them on the floor in front of the slug. "Thanks, cave slug."

[#] Sluggie gurgles quite appreciatedly, as it begins nosing the bards boots. Tulips, buttercups, dandilions and all sorts of lovely flowers in miniature size begin to sprout along it.

Rakuro was right. And this, at least, at her productively pissed off at someone who deserved to die, instead of trying to maul him for destroying the object of her obsession. That would have been creepy. Seriously. She loved the pickaxe more than her fiancee? :-(... ... Soooo.. he shakes his head slowly, lifting a paw briefly to his mate before shrugging and letting it drop. She wouldn't talk to him right now anyway. So, instead, he calls over his shoulder, " Thank you for your help, Jon." then, with a brief glance towards his now-flowery boots, he adds.. "And.. er... your sacrifice."

Jonathan Ruddiwyne watches the flowers grow. "This is actually fairly impressive," he comments to no one in particular. "I'd be willing to wager this slug could cover a furre from head to toe in flowers in but a second. Painful plant death. And so good for the environment. I'm surprised these slugs don't cover the face of Feanor from end to end. There are worse things in this world than flower-growing slugs."

[#] Given the friendly nature of the slugs, they have vaguely become like the Dodo has to the modern world. They are easily killed if not massive in numbers. They exist mainly in peace in caves and mountains.

Marlina Evenstar mutters unintelligibly for a few more moments before looking about as if seeking something she could vent her anger on, this of course broguht her attention to the slug, but... Cruelty to animals wasn't in her character profile. A slightly raised eyebrow followed as she watched the flower covered boots, before she turned away and stalked over to the chest. One way or another it would open, and probably by kicking a hole in the side, rather than going to the trouble of picking the lock.

[#] As Marlina begins to make for the chest, she would suddenly note that.. the floor beneath her had suddenly no longer a floor-like quality, but rather something like a hole that was quickly sucking her in and just looked like a floor. Before she can even react, she is up to her elbows in the floor.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne turns to Rakuro, grinning a bit more widely than most furres do. "This slug is powerful, my friend. This slug is a force of goodness in a world of evil. If I had a more peaceable temperment, I would stay behind with this slug and grow the flo- Marlina!" he shouts, pointing. He rushes forward, trying to grab her arm. "Let's pull her out!"

Rakuro emits a sound very much like 'Agh!' and leaps forward to grab at Marlina's shoulder, arm. Whichever he manages first. He says nothing to Jon. Action agreed pretty loudly. He was quite obviously trying to pull her out.

Marlina Evenstar lets out a startled cry as she finds herself quite abruptly sucked into the floor, teach her to lose her head in the field and walk blindly into a trap. That was just plain stupidity on her part.

[#] The slug gurgles quite loudly as the odd one in red begins getting pulled into the floor. Quite reflexively, its eyes glow green and with that greenness, so does Marlina's entire body. [6/6 Resist Environment vs Acid.. how does the slug know this is useful..? Before a split-second before the slug casted..]

Marlina Evenstar: [>> Sweet! Mountain worm.]

[#] As other targets begin trying to pull loose its prey, Marlina would find herself rising out of the floor, though Rakuro and Jonathan's efforts would mean little in the face of the grip of the mountain worm, known for its brute strength and rocky texture. It seems to give a bit of a roar, before spazzing out at all near it. [Init]

[This quest was retreading some old ground with the wildlife. Mountian (Cave) Slugs from the mountain quest in 2003, Sand (Cave) Worms from the desert quest in 2003. This time, Marlina got eaten by the worm. So you could say Marlina and Rakuro have a lot in common now. Something to bond over.]

[*] Jonathan Ruddiwyne rolls 1d10+3 & gets 11.
[*] Rakuro rolls 1d10+1 woot woot & gets 5.
[*] The DM rolls 1d10+10 & gets 12.
[*] Marlina Evenstar rolls 1d10+12 & gets 15.
[*] The DM rolls 1d10+2 Sluggie & gets 3.
Marlina Evenstar: [Ooh. I won. Surprise! ^^]
Rakuro: [Score!]
Jonathan Ruddiwyne: [<3]
You say, "[Anyone care to volunteer for init?]"
Rakuro: [We're unstoppable with Jon's new friend by our side! I'll do emit :-P]
Jonathan Ruddiwyne: [*cricket*]


[#] Marlina would find that none of the acidic juices in the worms belly would be affecting her.

[Sirum]

[#] Marl, Worm, Jon, Rak, Sluggie.
[#] [Sneak is not possible, given that you are in its mouth. ^^;]
[#] Marlina!
Rakuro: [But she has Surprise! Maybe she kicks it in the tonsil and... and... er....]
Marlina Evenstar: [I do have Surprise. >>]
Marlina Evenstar: [Ho-hum.]
Jonathan Ruddiwyne: [Teehee. Zag has been drinking steadily for the last six hours, and he finally went in to pass out.]


Marlina Evenstar struggles against the worm for a few long moments as she realizes that was what had her, looking rather disgusted in the process, but she was a trained veteran of many icky occurences, or something, and so, while the worm had eaten her torch, she was prepared to struggle with the benefit of her dagger... She was cool like that.

[*] Marlina Evenstar rolls 1d30+20 & gets 28.
[*] Marlina Evenstar rolls 1d30+20 & gets 43.
[*] Marlina Evenstar rolls 1d30+20 & gets 36.


[#] Two of Marlina's daggers manage to pierce the rocky outside of the worm.

[*] Marlina Evenstar rolls 2d100: (72) (45) = 117.
[*] Marlina Evenstar rolls 2d5+40 & gets 48.
[#] Marl, Worm, Jon, Rak, Sluggie.
[#] Wormawormwormwormawormaworma wooorrrmmm


[#] The worm roars in pain as blades manage to pierce its thick skin, leaning in to sweep its jagged 'skin' back and forth along Jonathan and Rakuro, while at the same time.. slowly sucking Marlina deeper and deeper inside of it. [-1 attack, Marlina's arms now get sucked into the worm, for the most part.]

[*] The DM rolls 1d30+18 #1 Jon & gets 29.
[*] The DM rolls 1d30+18 #2 Rak & gets 19.
Rakuro: [>>..]
You say, "[..hit? >>]"
Jonathan Ruddiwyne: [Sorry m8]
Rakuro: [Let me double-check.]
You say, "[Jon's AC is 30+?]"
Jonathan Ruddiwyne: [30 exactly.]


[How do you even get 30 AC as a bard? I mean, Sirum's to-hit could hit up to +37, so I shouldn't be too surprised, but damn.]

Rakuro: [Hn. Hit. AC: 19 -_-]
[*] The DM rolls 1d100 & gets 98.
[*] The DM rolls 5d3+18 *2 & gets 26.
You say, "[52]"
Rakuro: [Holy cow. >_>]


Rakuro drops to 88 HP. This isn't good.

Marlina Evenstar drops to shoulder level inside a worm, this is not good either.

[#] Marlina is at least kept from being acidized for a good 10 minutes.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne has apparently changed much since last he was seen in a combat situation. His eyes narrow to flat slits, and he replaces his bow on his back, opting instead for the carved wooden flute he carries at the small of his back, covered in runes. "Best I can do is burn its mind, weaken its attacks. I rely on you to slay it, Rak." With that, he begins to play a jarring tune, shrill and angry. [Furious Fandango][WIS vs CHA or -5 Th and AC][1/2]

[*] The DM rolls 1d20 & gets 17.
[*] Jonathan Ruddiwyne rolls 1d20+9 & gets 24.


Rakuro winces as the skin carves against him. Okay, that was just not cool. But he couldn't just leave Jon to take all the damage, now could he?! Well, actually, he could.. neither one of them were tanks. Thus, he leaps back towards one of the nearby spires of rock, claps his paws together, then thrusts both forward, palms out, thumbs interlocked. He doesn't directly attack the thing. Oh no, that'd be too easy. Instead, the lowermost portion of the beast, a good several inches below Marlina's feet. It's alright. He knows how tall she is. *sagelynod* [2/2] [2/2] [2/2]

[*] Rakuro rolls 1d30+17 & gets 26.
[*] Rakuro rolls 1d30+17 & gets 21.
[*] Rakuro rolls 1d30+17 & gets 45.
Rakuro: [Bugger rolls..]
You say, "[2]"
[*] Rakuro rolls 2d100: (61) (41) = 102.
[*] Rakuro rolls 4d13+72 & gets 107.
Rakuro, for the first time in his life, beat Marlina on damage. :-P
Marlina Evenstar: [<3 :-P]


[#] The worm gives a sort of screech in pain as Rakuro's fire singes in flesh. The slug, had already been sliding over towards Rakuro and Jonathan, begins letting its eyes glow once more, focused upon the mage. A green shimmer surrounds the wolfkin.. [6/6 - Regen]

[*] The DM rolls 1d30+20 BCR 15 & gets 32.

[#] Rakuro regens 30 HP/round for 12 rounds.

Rakuro will give the slug his boots too.

Marlina Evenstar: [What a slug. Lets give it a hand.]

Marlina Evenstar quite simply panics, and she had a damn good reason to too, here she was being slowly consumed by a worm, and she could barely fight the damn thing. She did struggle though, and it was simply by merit of having a dagger in her paw that she was able to do any significant attacks at all as she fought frantically to free herself from the creature, yowling something fierce and looking little more than wild-eyed and perfectly feral. Not much for dignity saving now.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne has been regenerating for a while, apparently.

[*] Marlina Evenstar rolls 1d30+20 & gets 39.
[*] Marlina Evenstar rolls 1d30+20 & gets 22.
[*] Marlina Evenstar rolls 1d100 & gets 96.
[*] Marlina Evenstar rolls 1d5+20 * 2 & gets 21.
Marlina Evenstar: [42]


[#] The slug, being torn apart from the inside and outside, without any sort of cinematics.. tunnels back down into its hole and out of sight of the battle, taking Marlina with it.

Rakuro: [.....]
Rakuro: [Init broken?]
You say, "[*nods*]"


Rakuro follows that sucker! The wolfkin literally hops forward, spreads his arms out above himself, and drops through the hole after his mate. A brief enchantment made sure he wouldn't suddenly drop 100 feet and snap his legs, but he was moving.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne just... stares, stopping his music. He sheathes the flute and draws his rapier. "After it?" he asks Rakuro simply.

Rakuro's actions say yes.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne: ... doesn't get an enchantment, breaks legs, dies. ;_;

Rakuro notes that if Jon follows fast enough, he'll catch him. <3

Jonathan Ruddiwyne follows, then!

Rakuro figures Sluggie can do some.. sluggish... thing.. and make his own way.

[#] The nature of the hole actually.. made it only go several feet down, before smoothing out into a level field.

[#] About now, Marlina would be becoming familiar with a feeling that Rakuro himself embraced years ago, as he was swallowed by a sandworm. She can no longer move about with ease [reduced to 1 attack, but damage is doubled] and is getting bit by bit squished, even though the acid has no effect. The slug slides down along the edge of the hole after them.. [init]

[*] Rakuro rolls 1d10+1 & gets 8.
[*] Marlina Evenstar rolls 1d10+12 & gets 16.
[*] The DM rolls 1d10+10 & gets 18.
[*] The DM rolls 1d10+2 Sluggie & gets 8.
[*] Jonathan Ruddiwyne rolls 1d10+3 & gets 7.
[#] Worm, Marl, Sluggie, Rak, Jon.


[#] The worm, since Rakuro and Jonathan are out of reach, simply begins grinding Marlina's insides with.. its own insides. (1dmaxHP/3 damage to Marlina.)

Marlina Evenstar: [93]
[*] The DM rolls 1d93 To Marl & gets 53.
Jonathan Ruddiwyne notes that 1d31 would have been more accurate. []
Marlina Evenstar: [93 is my max divided by three. ^~]
Rakuro mutters Dark Things about Marlina's build.
Jonathan Ruddiwyne: [Shut up. I'm trying to help you.]
Marlina Evenstar: [Oh right. *shutsup*]


Marlina Evenstar appears to be... You know... Seriously freaking outside inside the mouth of the worm, particularily as some dim recess of her still logically thinking mind realizes that she had been relocated, farther away from sources of help. The feeling of being slowly squished to death was terrifying in and of itself though. She hated being restricted, even cells did bad things to her head, this was much worse, and still she struggled valiantly to free herself.

[*] Marlina Evenstar rolls 1d30+20 & gets 28.
You say, "[insides of worm AC = 20, hit]"
[*] Marlina Evenstar rolls 1d100 & gets 33.
[*] Marlina Evenstar rolls 1d5+20 *2 & gets 23.
Marlina Evenstar: [46]


[#] Even though Sluggie can no longer see Marlina, it can still acknowledge her general area. She seemed to be getting squished up something awful, and the only thing that the slug hated worse than salt was being squished. The little guy helps her out the same as it had helped Rakuro, her entire body glowing green. [6/6 - Regen, auto-work, 30 HP for 12 rounds]

[This is why you're nice to wildlife on my quests.]

Marlina Evenstar needs like... One hell of a sedative, more than a regen, or she's going to end up hurting herself more than the worm, but... She'll take what she can get. <3

Rakuro slides to a halt as Marlina is dragged further inside the worm. Damnit. No big freaking worm is going to eat her while he's still kicking. But he didn't kick. No.. that's just kind of silly. Instead, he lifts both paws, wide, mage-ish sleeves dropping back to his elbows as fire flares from his paws, a similar flame burning behind his eyes. Die, bastard. And get your innards off my mate! [2/2] [2/2] [2/2]

[*] Rakuro rolls 1d30+17 & gets 47.
[*] Rakuro rolls 1d30+17 & gets 25.
[*] Rakuro rolls 1d30+17 & gets 32.
You say, "[3"
[*] Rakuro rolls 3d100 yay!: (30) (76) (37) = 143.
[*] Rakuro rolls 6d13+108 ^ ^ & gets 154.


Jonathan Ruddiwyne sighs, knowing his piercing weapon would be futile against the monster's skin, awesome as a skull-topped sword was. He again draws his flute, this time playing a much nicer song and hoping that hisdigestive ally could even hear him. [Curative Cadenza][+27 HP to all/Round][1/2]

[#] Once against the jagged flesh of the worm becomes quite singed, quickly burrowing back down into the home it had made for itself and out of battle, screeching the entire way like a flaming bat. Sluggie can barely keep up.

Rakuro snarls and bolts after the worm again without any thought to anything but turning that damnable worm inside out.

[#] As the two males dived down the hole, they would see not even the poor felines finger or ear tips, merely a mountain worm flailing about trying to get the shredding in its stomach to cease.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne follows!

[#] As the two males dived down the hole, they would see not even the poor felines finger or ear tips, merely a mountain worm flailing about trying to get the shredding in its stomach to cease.

Marlina Evenstar is now regenerating an effective +57 HP/Round, and this has a moderately calming effect, not a significant one mind you, particularily as she's forced to go somewhere she doesn't want to yet again by merit of being inside the beasts mouth, and into it's throat, deep into it unfortunately. :-( She still struggled though, weakening perhaps, but she sure as hell wasn't about to die without a fight.

[*] The DM rolls 1d93 & gets 43.
You say, "[43 damage]"
You say, "[Then Marl's turn]"
Marlina Evenstar: [Irrelevant. It is absorbed.]
[*] Marlina Evenstar rolls 1d30+20 & gets 46.
[*] Marlina Evenstar rolls 1d100 & gets 100.
Marlina Evenstar: [x)]
Rakuro: [Welll...]
[*] Marlina Evenstar rolls 1d5+20 *20 & gets 21.
Marlina Evenstar: [420]
Rakuro: [Marl gets to do what Rak did. :-P]
You say, "[Haha. It's not dead.]"
Rakuro: [..Bugger.]
Marlina Evenstar: [It's just got a really big booboo.]


[Marlina rolled a 100 vs Keruki, she rolls one vs my monster here for double deathblow damage... she bullied all my baddies. :( Nerf assassin.]

[#] The worms stomach is, actually, slit open at that most recent attack, Marlina and a good size of stomach acid leaking out onto the floor between the males and the worm.
[#] This isn't to say it isn't still quite alive, however.

Marlina Evenstar is free! Oh blessed freedom, oh air! Rapture! No mere words could express the joy she felt at being free of that horid beast.

[#] Sluggie was having quite a time keeping up with the crew, it was only just now that the poor fellow had finally regrouped with the other three. [Pass]

Rakuro bolts forward as Marlina drops out of the worm, assuring himself that she was, in fact, passingly okay.. even if covered in acid. Sluggie had done a good job. But the beast was still kind of flailing around, and thus, looming above his mate, the wolfkin flings off another deadly round of flame. [2/2] [2/2] [2/2]

[*] Rakuro rolls 1d30+17 & gets 23.
[*] Rakuro rolls 1d30+17 & gets 19.
[*] Rakuro rolls 1d30+17 & gets 47.
You say, "[1]"
Rakuro: [Well that sucks.]
[*] Rakuro rolls 1d100 & gets 52.
[*] Rakuro rolls 2d13+36 & gets 53.


Jonathan Ruddiwyne had to stop playing in order to get down the hole, and will accept that as a retune. [Re-tune]

[#] The worm, seemingly too wounded to continue this fight, falls back into its final chamber, apparently trying to escape death. But then, how could Marlina gain access to its precious acidic juices untainted by the stone of the floor, or Rakuro get his just revenge, or Jonathan beat the shit out of something, finally.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne has a flammable bottle of wine!
Jonathan Ruddiwyne turns to the cave slug. "Cave slug, can you help us get across the acid on the floor so we can kill the giant worm?"

[#] The slug gurgles and glows its eyes upon the acid on the floor. The acid seems to part like the red sea, eating away at the corners of the wall rather than the floor. Truly, it was a holyman of a slug. [6/6]

Rakuro crouches down next to his mate, reaching first to help her up, then quickly deciding against it. "Marl--...aaah.. Marlina? Are you... damnit. There are no good questions!" The wolfkin grits his teeth a moment, then finally settles on asking, "Can you stand and fight, or are Jon and I going to kill that thing alone?"

Jonathan Ruddiwyne reaches into his satchel and finds a scrap of cloth. "Here. Make flowers grow on this thing. Thanks for the help," he says to the slug, setting the scrap down and taking his sword up again.

[#] The slug readily slides along the floor over to the clothscrap, dozens of thimble-sized thornless roses growing upon it.

Marlina Evenstar was recovering before she was suddenly fried by the power-surge of her player, and by now she's able to get up, though she stumbles from side to side for several moments, much as she had after going through Rakuro's spacial anamoly. She all but falls onto the mage, not such a great thing considering she had a considerable amount of worm stomach acid on her. "Yeh can be askin' if I'm alright if yer wantin' to, an' I am... Jes need a few minutes... Then will bloody rip that thing apart... Moreso."

Jonathan Ruddiwyne bends down and smells the roses, on a whim. "Remarkable," he breathes, completely enchanted by the slug's green.. um.. slime trail. Then he straightens. "Do you need more healing, Marlina?" he asks, not compelled to respect her warrior spirit as her fiancee was. "If you do, I can make it happen."

Rakuro winces visibly as the acid-covered femme falls into his arms. A romantic phrase rather horribly marred by flesh-eating slime. But.. dammit, he caught her from falling, and he held her up to boot!

[#] Both Marlina and Rakuro are regenerating 30 HP per round, still.
[#] .. but acidic damage isn't regenerateable, so disregard.

Rakuro: [It isn't?]
You say, "[*shakes head* The flaw to regen. Rak's stuck with those acid burns o.e]"
You say, "[SCARRED FOR LIFE]"
You say, "[I expect you to bring it up ICly daily]"


Rakuro is hideously marred for life, guys.

Marlina Evenstar turns an eye upon the bard as she finally manages to straighten without swaying. "No, I'd be bein' fine... Do be needin' this acid off of me though, quick, fer whatever bloody spell that's keepin' it from burnin' through right now, wears off."

Jonathan Ruddiwyne takes off his cloak. "Take off your outer garments and put this on instead. That will keep it from burning completely through. As for your flesh, I'm not sure how to handle that without magic. I suggest you have Tallboy here douse you completely with as much water as he can muster."

Rakuro rolls his wrist, water washing over the mage, across the portions of him she had fallen into, affectively washing the acid from him before it could damage him too horribly. That problem dealt with, he looks to Marlina and frowns slightly, lifting one paw, a small, bubbly orb of water floating above his palm. "I could.. but..." ...well, come on, now. She's still half-feline.

[#] Loud screeching can be heard from below, as the worm tries feverishly in its wounded state to dig a hole out, in vain. Sluggie appears.. afraid, at the commotion.
Marlina Evenstar mutters unhappily to her mate, "Do it." while staring at the bard as if he were crazy, or a pervert, or possibly both. Sure it was plausible justification, but still, he'd just suggested she get undressed in front of them both.

Rakuro believes he meant her coat.
Rakuro has been wrong before. :-P

[#] Surely Sluggie would never try to take advantage of an acid-covered Marlina.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne definitely meant everything except her knickers. He drops the body-encompassing cloak on the floor, and politely turns his back.

Rakuro: [Sluggie's a true gentle...er.. slug.]
Marlina Evenstar doesn't trust that slug, and his BEADY LITTLE EYES.]

Rakuro shrugs briefly as Jon turns his back, as several previous conversations flood back through his mind, a couple tiny facts, and the mage simply shakes his head. If she was indeed wearing her coat, he merely murmers, "Drop the coat, I'll get it and you clean, and y'can either wear it sopping wet or deal with it how y'want." The water within his paw expands, and he readies what was, effectively, a magical shower. And, of course, waits.

Rakuro hmms quietly, and casts the spell quickly enough. It felt much like diving into a lake. Or, since the mage was being particularly nice about the affair, a hotspring. With an added gesture, her clothes rise from the floor and are similarly blasted with water. But then... hrm.. dry them too? His eyes narrow in concentration, brow furrowed.. this wasn't something they regularly taught bachelor mages. But he was one at one time.. how else would he clean his clothes? So it was with a careful gesture here, a quick flick of his wrist there, and a very calculated word or two in arcane.. her clothes were washed, cleaned, dried and verily made as good as new. And so was she. But.. well.. he can't very well make a public post about studying her, now can he?

Jonathan Ruddiwyne notes that diving into a hot spring would be a fatal mistake, but lets it pass. "Are we decent yet? We still have some business to attend to..."

Rakuro is glad that not every hotspring is actually a hotspring.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne is glad that... shut up, that's what!

Rakuro shuts up. ;_;

You say, "[Rakuro should've studied Washer & Dryer]"
Rakuro: [Rakuro lacks a hammer.]
Marlina Evenstar: [o-O]

[Ah, Washer & Dryer. That was Keruki and Muryki's unite attack. Muryki summoned a bubble of water around all the PCs at the bottom of Tower of Trials, Muryki smacked it with his gigantic mallet. Everyone inside swirled around and got de-equipped with everything but their armor from being flung around like the inside of a washing machine. My baddies were... well, they weren't exactly... on the same scale as the Heretics. Keru and Mury didn't want to kill you, they just wanted to understand how you worked.]

Marlina Evenstar's ears and whiskers droop, and she looks properly dejected over being sopping wet, but she's dried up all nice and pretty like soon after, so she'll tolerate the indignity. "Aye, an' lets be about that. Slaughter that damned bugger fer what he did, neh?" This said while she retrieved her cloak. A moment more, and she rolls her shoulders, checks to make sure no further acid was on her, and that not too many things on her body and pack had shattered from being eaten.

[#] Sluggie appears too timid to go down the hole further, merely sitting at its edge and staring down at the image of the Mountain Worm slamming about into the walls.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne picks up his own cloak and puts it back on. "Right then. Cave slug, you wait here... like.. you seem to be doing." He turns back to the group. "Let's go."

Marlina Evenstar: [Awww. <3 It's so cute.]

[#] In this pocket of a room in Feanor's crust, many various jewels litter the walls, shining from the light of Rakuro's light. But, those might not be of much importance now, seeing as 1. The worm no longer has a stab-happy elf in its stomach. and 2. It is quite vengeful. It tears through the floor towards the three.. [init]

[*] The DM rolls 1d10+10 & gets 19.
[*] Marlina Evenstar rolls 1d10+12 & gets 22.
[*] Jonathan Ruddiwyne rolls 1d10+3 & gets 5.
[*] Rakuro rolls 1d10+1 & gets 4.
Marlina Evenstar: [<3]


Rakuro is feeling slightly outclassed here.. hangs out with Jon. >>

Jonathan Ruddiwyne high-fives Rak.

Rakuro low-fours, apparently.

Marlina Evenstar springs down the hole with apparently, a strong idea of where the worm was moving, and fully prepared to spring from her landing crouch to a sudden dart forward with her blade flashing in a truly wicked manner, and hopefully more effectively than had been the case before. [Sneak]

[*] Marlina Evenstar rolls 1d20+18 & gets 29.
[*] The DM rolls 1d20 & gets 11.
[*] Marlina Evenstar rolls 1d30+27 & gets 39.
[*] Marlina Evenstar rolls 1d30+20 & gets 21.
[*] Marlina Evenstar rolls 1d30+20 & gets 38.
[*] Marlina Evenstar rolls 1d30+20 & gets 44.
You say, "[3]"
[*] Marlina Evenstar rolls 3d100 (+4 to first): (57) (27) (12) = 96.
[*] Marlina Evenstar rolls 1d5+27 * 2 (-13 HP/Turn) (-1 Str, -2 Dex/Con) & gets 28.
[*] Marlina Evenstar rolls 1d5+20 & gets 24.
[*] Marlina Evenstar rolls 1d5+20 /2 & gets 23.
Marlina Evenstar: [104]
You say, "[I remember when it took forever to deal 1,000 damage to a beefalo..]"
You say, "[Sigh.]"
Marlina Evenstar: [Matrix time! >>]


[#] The worm is nearly sliced in half at Marlina's fantastic display of dagger-dicing, though as it was a simple creature with a simple mine, it does little more than dive over her through the air, showering her clothing with acid. In all honesty, the Mountain Worm is like a fatter, shorter version of the Sand Worm, so its dive isn't as cinematic. It, without and regard for its own safety, tears into her.

[*] The DM rolls 1d30+18 #1 & gets 29.
[*] The DM rolls 1d30+18 #2 & gets 23.
[*] The DM rolls 1d30+18 #3 & gets 34.
[*] The DM rolls 1d30+18 #4 & gets 43.
[*] The DM rolls 1d30+18 #5 & gets 27.
You say, "[Hits?]"
Marlina Evenstar: [4]
[*] The DM rolls 4d100: (27) (15) (71) (87) = 200.
[*] The DM rolls 15d3+54 & gets 86.
[*] The DM rolls 5d3+18 /2 & gets 26.
Marlina Evenstar: [I assume Regen has expired?]
[#] Marl, Worm, Jon, Rak.
You say, "[Most likely.]"
Marlina Evenstar: [Roger.]


[#] Marlina has also been showered with acid. Her equipment will be destroyed in 3 turns.
[#] Today just isn't her or Jonathan's day, is it?

Jonathan Ruddiwyne wonders why he even bothers drawing a blade, except that it's so delightfully dramatic. He sheathes the rapier in favor of his much more powerful wooden flute, and begins to play a martial air, hopefully inspiring courage and competence in his allies. Why can't bards play and take action in the same turn? No one knows. [Ballad of Battle][+5 ThD][1/2]
You say, "[(it has 26 HP left >>)]"
Marlina Evenstar: [That will change if she gets the complete set of worm stomach acid today or not.]
Jonathan Ruddiwyne: [Oh]
You say, "[You want to change that?]"
Jonathan Ruddiwyne: [Can I kill it, then?]
You say, "[Sure, you can redo your post.]"
Jonathan Ruddiwyne: [Horjay!]
You say, "[It looks like it's about to be split in half."
Marlina Evenstar: [Didn't it already split in half?]
Rakuro: [Partially.]
Marlina Evenstar: [Oh.]
You say, "[Marlina just tore a hole right through it]"
Marlina Evenstar is a feline buzzsaw.
Rakuro is kind of creeped out by that..


Jonathan Ruddiwyne had fallen down into the hole sword drawn. Upon the huge beast's bleedy approach, he smirks, and proceeds to open up a jar of whoop-ass that he'd managed to steal from the larder before all the shelving came down.

[*] Jonathan Ruddiwyne rolls 1d30+7 & gets 32.
[*] Jonathan Ruddiwyne rolls 1d30+7 & gets 22.
You say, "[1]"
[*] Jonathan Ruddiwyne rolls 1d100 & gets 2.
You say, "[...*pats*]"
Jonathan Ruddiwyne gives up, sheathes his sword, and climbs back out of the hole.
[#] Sluggie hugs the bard with his/her eyes. :-(
[*] Jonathan Ruddiwyne rolls 3d3+5 & gets 12.
Jonathan Ruddiwyne: [6!]


Rakuro finishes where the bard left off, though slightly.. um.. overkilling the whole affair. Flames simply explode from the wolfkin, spiralling around his form, crawling up to his shoulder and snaking out to his arm. With an angry snarl, he throws what could passably be considered a haymaker at the beast, and a funnel of flames explodes into his downward-travelling maw. [2/2][2/2][2/2]

[*] Rakuro rolls 1d30+17 & gets 31.
[*] Rakuro rolls 1d30+17 & gets 23.
[*] Rakuro rolls 1d30+17 & gets 22.
You say, "[1]"
[*] Rakuro rolls 1d100 & gets 52.
[*] Rakuro rolls 2d13+36 & gets 43.
Rakuro didn't overkill that half as much as he tried to...


[#] As the trail of flames fly down the throat of the beast, nothing happens, for the few few seconds, at least. Then, it seems to rumble, before.. it explodes on everyone around it, covering them in sandworm bits, but no acid. Its acidic belly is still more or less intact. The group would also notice, from the sandworms leap, that several jewels that been knocked loose from the walls and onto the ground, shining dimly. [Battle Over]

Marlina Evenstar: [Power rangers moment. Watch it barrel past and explode.]
Marlina Evenstar: [...<<]

Rakuro strikes his 'power'/'shocked' stance and bobbles his head several times.
Jonathan Ruddiwyne wipes and sheathes his blade. "Hm. Everyone all right?"

Marlina Evenstar is not about to lose another oppurtunity to collect the valuable acid, not after the disaster with the sea worms, and within moments of the worm's defeat, her dagger is away replaced with a vial and she's moving to save as much as she can. "Aye, bein' fine jes need to be bein' clean again." For the record, her thinblade was wiped off before it vanished. Oh yes it was.

[#] [Jewels upon the ground:]
[#] [Drainstone: +1 to all Biting Blade effects. (IB: 1.5)]
[#] [Bleedstone: -5 Damage, +5 Unarmed Damage Dice (IB: 0)]
[#] [Judgement Jewel: At any time, character can -8 STR and +8 CHA, or -8 CHA and +8 STR. (IB: 0)]
[#] [Manaburn Sapphire: For every 5 HP a mage removes from themselves (non-healable until preps per day are refreshed), they may add +1 severity and +1 d# to an evocation spell. Damage does not actually injure the magic, but drains them. (IB: 0)]
[#] One could understand, from the natural magical shine of the jewels, why Clan Banghammer were trying to dig deep into this horrible mine now.

[Judgement Jewel...? What was I thinking? Holy crap, that needed some IB put on it. My loot tended to be less... +1 ThD gear and more something you could design a build around. I loved seeing characters use things I dropped on quests in other DMs quests to make them stand out and be badass. Marlina did the same with the loot she gave out, Si's 1d3 -> 1d2+1 roll for Flare Arrow duration drop made Sirum quite the happy archer. And his allies are very happy, enormous +ThD boosted campers.]

Jonathan Ruddiwyne cares not for acid. He's much more interested in shiney baubles. "Look. There's jewels all over the floor of the cave. Amazing that they're polished. Let's split 'em up."

Marlina Evenstar has a dangerous profession as an acid collector, that has given her more slow-healing scars than she ever got as a hero.

Rakuro takes a long, deep breath, slowly relaxes, then turns and lifts a paw full of water at Marlina. "Your gear, love." he states simply.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne crosses his arms. "And when you're done with that, you need to divide the booty between us, o mapholder."

Rakuro didn't want to let Marl take it all and sell it. Bugger. Jon didn't read the fine print on the contract.

[#] Sluggie gives a worried gurgle from above.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne didn't read no damn contract.

Marlina Evenstar looks up from her careful acid collecting to blink, before realizing that this time at least, it really was just her cloak that had a problem. This was remedied of course by shrugging out of the cloak and tossing it to him, that'd make it easier for him to fis it, right? "Thank-yeh 'Kuro. An jes a minute. The jewels aren't goin' anywhere."

Jonathan Ruddiwyne looks up at the top of the hole. "No. But the cave slug is worried about us." What?

Marlina Evenstar: [So you're saying... I could say anything was on that contract, and you couldn't argue?]
You say, "[You're discussing contracts with a lawyer.. :-P]"

Marlina Evenstar blinks, "The cave slug? Why'd yeh be carin' about that."

Jonathan Ruddiwyne looks at Marlina. "The cave slug saved your ass. You'd be nothing more than a skeleton floating in a puddle of your own viscera if the slug hadn't done the glowing-green-thing to you before you fell into the thing's mouth. I'd say you owe the cave slug's feelings a bit of consideration, even if it is a slug."

Rakuro casually blasts the cloak with water, puts it in a spell for 3 minutes on Warm and turns his attention to picking up gems while the other two argued about how to split them up. Why not, after all? They'd all still be here. Might as well not be on the floor.

Marlina Evenstar completes her extraction of the stomach acid and straightens up to move away from anywhere that might burn through the soles of her boots, nudging the gems out of harms way in the process. "I'd do be recallin' somethin' like that... Wasn't thinkin' too good though, comes with bein' bloody eaten. The slug did that?" Staring at the bard skeptically.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne is standing before her, covered in dandilions growing out of his pants, wearing no boots, claiming a connection to a slug. "The slug did that," he states serenely. "I can appreciate your concern as far as being eaten, but that's all in the past now. We should collect our bounty and leave, lest the slug worry further."

[#] The slug, for note, is now trapped behind the cave wall, as it had collapsed.
[#] Well, re-collapsed in the exact same spot.

Marlina Evenstar mulls this over for a few moments before glancing up the hole at the slug and calling out a "Thank-yeh cave-slug." Before turning her attention to the gems her mate was hoarding. "How 'bout I take that one..." Pointing to the drainstone, "Yeh" this to Jon, "Be takin' that one." To the Judgement Stone. "And Kuro take the Sapphire? An' can be sellin' that other one." Mm. Gem appraisal ftw.

Rakuro juggles the magical gems briefly, apparently having some practice in the matter, then turns his attention on the insane bard and the assassin. Briefly explaining the effects of each gem, he casually pockets the sapphire, and holds the other three out to the two of them with a light smile. Hurrah for executive decisions. And then, of course, in the middle of his posting, Marlina gives them all out. Bugger.

Marlina Evenstar: [You've listed four stones.]

[#] [Shrikestone: Not always active. +2 atks/round. After 2d4 rounds, user drops to 0 HP. (IB: 1.5)]

Jonathan Ruddiwyne: [I -want- that. o.o]
Marlina Evenstar: [Suicide stone!]
Jonathan Ruddiwyne: [That is such a Jon weapon. YAARRRGH! -plop-]

Marlina Evenstar is being slighted here. >> <<

Rakuro does indeed lightly toss the Drainstone to Marlina, then, holds the Judgement Stone and Shrikestone out to Jon. "'ere ya go." is all he says. Fair's fair, right? The other gem.. the Bleedstone.. he casually pockets along with the Manaburn Sapphire. He and Marlina could debate price and worth later.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne takes the two stones. "Thanks... but... shouldn't she get a larger share? It is her map."

[#] Sluggie begins his/her slow climb back up to the very first room. Where the chest lay, wonder who would claim rights to the items within it..

Jonathan Ruddiwyne forgot about the chest.

Marlina Evenstar did not and simply shrugs enigmatically, "Well, howsabout this then, yeh two keep yuer pretty stones, an I'd be gettin' first pickin's of what's in the chest. Probably nothin' much, but... Eh. I'm a gambler, neh?"

Jonathan Ruddiwyne nods quietly. "If you think that's fair. Let's go."

Marlina Evenstar shrugs slightly. With the stomach acid, she was probably ahead in this deal anyways, or at least, she saw herself as such. The only reason she wasn't aiming for a more extortionistic effort was because she kind of liked Jon, and cheating one's spouse just wasn't right. That all done, she proceeds to make her way with some difficulty, back up.
Marlina Evenstar is really just a big softie. ;.;
Marlina Evenstar...Who carved herself out of a mountain worm with a single knife cut. <33

Rakuro still says she's kind of small, but vouches for the softie bit. The carving herself out of a mountain worm with a single knife cut is why he loves her. <3 and, of course, he follows her back up the tunnels

Marlina Evenstar: [MUAD'DIB!]
Rakuro: [Ladies and gentleman, step right up! Step right up! See the feline cannonball!]
Marlina Evenstar: [As she awaits a SUMMON atop a giant worm.]


[#] After about a minute or two of climbing, the four finally return back up to the area with the chest. What untold treasures could it hide. Oddly, no lock.

Marlina Evenstar has finally arrived at the treasure chest after much work and trial. Precious treasure chest... >> The lack of a lock didn't appeal much to her, but she lifted the lid regardless.

Jonathan Ruddiwyne finds another piece of fabric in his satchel, and places it on the ground in front of the slug. "Here, cave slug. I dunno if this is like eating to you, but you seem to enjoy it, so you can grow flowers on this."

[#] As Marlina opens the rather new chest lid, within she finds.. at the very bottom, little more than a simple amulet. Half of one, in fact, and as such half of its magical properties were missing, making it vaguely useless.. where was the other half?

Rakuro: [Let's kill them, loot the other half, and run away with it.]

[#] Sluggie appears somewhat confused at what Jonathan is offering the slug. Rather than eating anything off the strap, it merely makes blueberries grow upon it, for the bard to eat.

Marlina Evenstar had been hoping for a slightly better turnout from the chest, like... Piles and piles of gold, still, she retrieved the amulet, turning about and presenting it to the others, "This'd be bein' all that was inside, be wonderin' if the other buggers'd be findin' the other half of this thing? 'Spose I'd best be askin' the fairie when we're back. Otherwise..." A shrug, "Can probably sell it as an Aracthan artifact though."

[#] In the distance, beyond the collapsed cave wall, Marlina & co. can still hear plates shattering..
[#] Somewhat of a reminder to their 'burn this bitch down' vow.

Rakuro hmms quietly, then simply shrugs. The wolfkin looked, suddenly, extremely tired.. "Per'aps so. Don't know, really." He glances over his shoulder, then frowns and shakes his head. "Let's get out of here."

You say, "[+29 EXP to Rak, Jon, Marl. +1 EXP to Rak for good RP, +1 EXP to Jon for slug befriending.]"
Rakuro: [And going hippy-crazy.]
Marlina Evenstar slaughters.]
The DM looks innocent. []
You say, "[This is a miniquest.]"
You say, "[You can't expect me to give out 30.]"
You say, "[..+1 to Marl for female-cockroach squashing :-P]"
Marlina Evenstar: [<3]
Jonathan Ruddiwyne: [Sorry, what? The quest ended?]
You say, "[No]"
You say, "[I just listed EXP"
You say, "[You still have to get out and there's the matter of Sluggie]"
You say, "[Cave re-collapsed]"
Rakuro: [Right. We teleport outside, Rak lights all that bloody alcohol on fire. We go home happy with Sluggie? :-P]
Jonathan Ruddiwyne: [Sounds good.]
Rakuro: [I think most of us are keeling out for the night ;-)]


[I don't believe they ever burned that cave down, or sought out the legendary Banging Hammer of Hammer Banging from Clan Hammerbanger. Truly as missed an opportunity as the Wailing of the Void never cleaving Pytch in twain.]