The cramped chamber has no visible exits, and the walls and ceiling press in on all sides. The damp atmosphere is oppressive.
Then the room comes alive. Millions of black scarab beetles erupt from the stone floor, buzzing and skittering. Within seconds you are swimming in a sea of the black insects.
"...These are to be dined upon, not to BE the dinner of...this is ridiculous! How do they all fit in here?" The Kenku complained, planning to jab them with her swords when came at her. Granted she figured could only kill them one a time. This was going to take too long. Might be easier just to die, rather than be eaten alive.
Leaves was debating internally on her next moves. Get everyone to bunch up-that way all the light and the bugs would be concentrated in one place. She wasn't going to be doing much damage here-this was the sort of thing you brought wizards for, so they could blow them up. Maybe things would go south, then she could dash away from the huddled group. Fog cloud to disorient the buggers. Try cling to the ceiling and hide while they ate everyone in the circle-she, at least, knew the tricks to defeating darkvision. But the sheer number of insects would find her eventually. Unless someone else came blundering into this ridiculous room, it was probably game over. For all of them. Or maybe she could hide long enough for the Necromancers to come fetch their bodies.
Benefits? At least Tak would die before her.
Downsides? She would have betrayed Jevyn. That didn't sit right. She wasn't even sure why. Its not like she had any morals, right? It just felt...wrong.
She ultimately decided she'd stick around, unless/until Jev was eaten. Then she'd stab Tak and leave him to bleed out and feed the bugs-afterwards, evade until they brought her down. Elusive, evasive, persistant-she'd never give up and die. Even alongside friends. She gave a final sarcastic salute to the Hobgoblin wizard.
"...Jevyn, don't spare the magic. I'd rather be blown up than eaten, thanks...
Hey guys, form a circle, OK? Real heroes die together bravely! And get over here Tak-I'll watch your back! Heheheh!
MY SPIRIT IS GOING TO HAUNT THAT STUPID OLD ORC FOR SENDING US HERE!" She proclaimed, as way of a battle cry. He really had sent them to the worst possible place.
Action: Leaves forms a back to back circle with Jevyn and Tak, or whomsoever may feel interested in joining
Venetia, not usually one for team sports, joins the huddle pressing close against Tak, who looks to have something up a sleeve.
Looking closely at the beetles, Venetia tries to remember if they communicate by hive mind like other insects. If one of the skittering armored beasts decided escape the room, would the rest follow if she coaxed the random thought into one? She silently reviews Command.
The scarab beetles do not appear to have hostile intent, but the sheer number of the insects has nearly filled the claustrophobic area. Only your heads remain above the skittering horde.
(No need for initiative.)
Tak's spell offers a brief respite, but for every insect that is shattered by his spell, ten more take it's place.
So this is how heroes die. A voice, dry and rattling, whispers in your minds.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Jevyn's mind started racing as the insects gathered around them. Coming to a similar conclusion as Leaves, he took a deep breath. "Tak, drop the fire!" Saying this, he lowered his hand into the cloud of insects. The blue light on his palm became a deeper, more intense blue, and after a moment of silence, erupted into a cone of blue flames, igniting the insects around them. The flame wove around the members of the party, clearing the area of insects for at least a moment. Reaching into his bag, Jevyn whipped out a ball bearing--one he had purchased for the heist earlier--and set it to illuminate with a bright, white light. Hurling it into the corner of the room, he hoped the scarabs would follow it as he dipped his glowing hand into his robes to hide the light that was there.
Actions:
Burning Hands on the scarabs (due to density, I'm assuming there'd be no save, like with Tak's thunderwave) for 8 fire damage. In the event anyone would be caught in the AoE of burning hands, Jevyn uses Sculpt Spell to render it harmless (I know it's only 2 people because of the level it's cast at, but it sure is a cooler narrative thing).
Light on a ball bearing, which is then thrown away from the party to attract the scarabs.
And now panic begins to set in as the beetles sharp little appendages and legs crawl over the surface of Venetia's skin. Worse than that is the smell - a combination of moist muck and vinegar soaked blue-cheese. "Now would be the time for you to do something useful," she calls out the the dark entity of a patron that has occupied her soul for the last few ten-days, though sounds only like another of her drab responses to her new companions.
Leaves decided her plan wasn't really go work. Apparently there were enough beetles to fill this entire physical space. But why weren't they attacking? And what was that voice...Leaves had a lot of questions for someone who was about to die.
"...I'm hearing the voice of the Holy Crowfather? And he's taunting me! I guess I should have expected it...I always knew he was a prick! Sod off, Quorlinn, the one true God, praised be your name, amen I'll be in your Nest of Eternity shortly! No need to rub it in!"
Quorlinn was the lesser known deity who had apparently created the Kenku, but the Kenkus own holy texts pointed out that he was too lazy to really care for them-the priests had to complain a lot to even get their basic daily spells, and he rarely appeared except apparently to mock their humorous deaths. It explained a lot about the Kenkus outlook on the world.
Still-Leaves kept fighting, even as her arms were weighed down-she fought on with her beak, pecking furiously. They might eat her but she'd eat some of them first.
Tak will wrap his wings around the group and have flames in each hand continuously casting Produce Flame attempting to burn away the bugs as fast as he can.
Getting nowhere fast, Venetia attempts to command the beetles to “Leave!”. She has to perform the hand motions under level of the beetles and the feeling of moving her arm through the squirming mass rises bile in her throat.
Jevyn manages to exterminate another several hundred of the beetles, but the mass of scarabs continues to swarm over you, dragging you to the ground. The voice continues to whisper, echoing in your subconscious.
"You are in my domain now, adventurers. Your bones will join the decaying remains of countless others in the Tomb of Amenhotep, and what is rightfully mine will be returned to me. "
"Did on of you steal something from this mouth-breather? Because I certainly have not!" Venetia yells above the beetles, realizing they all were hearing the same voice. She concentrates a moment of the moist air, gathering and rearranging the natural components found in it. The sweet, metallic odor of an oncoming storm mingles with dank room and acrid beetles. As the warlock plunges her hands into the mass of legs and chitinous shells, blue lights spark from palm to finger.
"What exactly did you not steal from the original owner here?" Venetia's words are clipped and loud. The small room probably does not garner the need for her to raise her voice, but the suffocating nature of the beetles and the added failure of her attempts to remove herself from said beetles adds to her frustration.
Leaves was getting sort of bored. You couldn't kill the bugs, and they weren't kill her so...it was just sort of waiting around for something to happen. Death was one thing, but dullness was a worse fate.
Her tone turned conversational, even banal.
"...Oh, just found some evil face full of evil knowledge in a chest. It sort of fell off a cart, OK? And it kills everybody who looks at it. We couldn't leave it lying around-it wouldn't be um, moral! So in a way we were doing the right thing by stealing it. Shades of grey! Nothing is what it seems! Just like, how I guess the Orc who sent us here probably was working for the necromancers after all. And the lady in the pond who I never saw was in on it as well, if she existed. I bet Shiv was the mastermind...and Tak is just a lousy rotten friend...he was probably working with the traitors and they betrayed him as well. Makes total sense.
Anyway, I feel this in an appropriate karmic fate for our sins, don't you? Well, my sins. I'm sure you did something to deserve this and we don't need you to harp on it. Also, you got a beetle in your...um...everything.
Hey, Amenhotep! If you're not going to kill me-offer me a job. You'd be lucky to have me, you dusty old fraud!"
"I don't have it." Tak would say extinguishing the flames on his hand and placing one on the end of his staff. He would slowly peck at the beetles deciding if he was going to die he would at least be well fed.
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The cramped chamber has no visible exits, and the walls and ceiling press in on all sides. The damp atmosphere is oppressive.
Then the room comes alive. Millions of black scarab beetles erupt from the stone floor, buzzing and skittering. Within seconds you are swimming in a sea of the black insects.
Flayr Flameseeker | Genasi/Fire | Wizard/School of Evocation | Level 2 | Custom Campaign: Cold Cash
"...These are to be dined upon, not to BE the dinner of...this is ridiculous! How do they all fit in here?" The Kenku complained, planning to jab them with her swords when came at her. Granted she figured could only kill them one a time. This was going to take too long. Might be easier just to die, rather than be eaten alive.
Leaves was debating internally on her next moves. Get everyone to bunch up-that way all the light and the bugs would be concentrated in one place. She wasn't going to be doing much damage here-this was the sort of thing you brought wizards for, so they could blow them up. Maybe things would go south, then she could dash away from the huddled group. Fog cloud to disorient the buggers. Try cling to the ceiling and hide while they ate everyone in the circle-she, at least, knew the tricks to defeating darkvision. But the sheer number of insects would find her eventually. Unless someone else came blundering into this ridiculous room, it was probably game over. For all of them. Or maybe she could hide long enough for the Necromancers to come fetch their bodies.
Benefits? At least Tak would die before her.
Downsides? She would have betrayed Jevyn. That didn't sit right. She wasn't even sure why. Its not like she had any morals, right? It just felt...wrong.
She ultimately decided she'd stick around, unless/until Jev was eaten. Then she'd stab Tak and leave him to bleed out and feed the bugs-afterwards, evade until they brought her down. Elusive, evasive, persistant-she'd never give up and die. Even alongside friends. She gave a final sarcastic salute to the Hobgoblin wizard.
"...Jevyn, don't spare the magic. I'd rather be blown up than eaten, thanks...
Hey guys, form a circle, OK? Real heroes die together bravely! And get over here Tak-I'll watch your back! Heheheh!
MY SPIRIT IS GOING TO HAUNT THAT STUPID OLD ORC FOR SENDING US HERE!" She proclaimed, as way of a battle cry. He really had sent them to the worst possible place.
Action: Leaves forms a back to back circle with Jevyn and Tak, or whomsoever may feel interested in joining
(OOC: Roll initiative?)
Tak would get as close to the others as possible waiting for the beetles to bunch together. "Everyone hold onto each other and brace yourselves."
Action: hold Thunderwave until we are all as close as possible or if I think the others aren't coming to the huddle then will release the spell.
DC 14 Con save Fail Damage: 8 and pushed back 10ft, 1/2 damage on Success
(Hoping that with the warning and clinging together the group may get advantage on the con save.)
Venetia, not usually one for team sports, joins the huddle pressing close against Tak, who looks to have something up a sleeve.
Looking closely at the beetles, Venetia tries to remember if they communicate by hive mind like other insects. If one of the skittering armored beasts decided escape the room, would the rest follow if she coaxed the random thought into one? She silently reviews Command.
Ivolyn Brun, human wizard in Lost Mine of Phandelver
The scarab beetles do not appear to have hostile intent, but the sheer number of the insects has nearly filled the claustrophobic area. Only your heads remain above the skittering horde.
(No need for initiative.)
Tak's spell offers a brief respite, but for every insect that is shattered by his spell, ten more take it's place.
So this is how heroes die. A voice, dry and rattling, whispers in your minds.
Flayr Flameseeker | Genasi/Fire | Wizard/School of Evocation | Level 2 | Custom Campaign: Cold Cash
Jevyn's mind started racing as the insects gathered around them. Coming to a similar conclusion as Leaves, he took a deep breath. "Tak, drop the fire!" Saying this, he lowered his hand into the cloud of insects. The blue light on his palm became a deeper, more intense blue, and after a moment of silence, erupted into a cone of blue flames, igniting the insects around them. The flame wove around the members of the party, clearing the area of insects for at least a moment. Reaching into his bag, Jevyn whipped out a ball bearing--one he had purchased for the heist earlier--and set it to illuminate with a bright, white light. Hurling it into the corner of the room, he hoped the scarabs would follow it as he dipped his glowing hand into his robes to hide the light that was there.
Actions:
Burning Hands on the scarabs (due to density, I'm assuming there'd be no save, like with Tak's thunderwave) for 8 fire damage. In the event anyone would be caught in the AoE of burning hands, Jevyn uses Sculpt Spell to render it harmless (I know it's only 2 people because of the level it's cast at, but it sure is a cooler narrative thing).
Light on a ball bearing, which is then thrown away from the party to attract the scarabs.
And now panic begins to set in as the beetles sharp little appendages and legs crawl over the surface of Venetia's skin. Worse than that is the smell - a combination of moist muck and vinegar soaked blue-cheese. "Now would be the time for you to do something useful," she calls out the the dark entity of a patron that has occupied her soul for the last few ten-days, though sounds only like another of her drab responses to her new companions.
Ivolyn Brun, human wizard in Lost Mine of Phandelver
Leaves decided her plan wasn't really go work. Apparently there were enough beetles to fill this entire physical space. But why weren't they attacking? And what was that voice...Leaves had a lot of questions for someone who was about to die.
"...I'm hearing the voice of the Holy Crowfather? And he's taunting me! I guess I should have expected it...I always knew he was a prick! Sod off, Quorlinn, the one true God, praised be your name, amen I'll be in your Nest of Eternity shortly! No need to rub it in!"
Quorlinn was the lesser known deity who had apparently created the Kenku, but the Kenkus own holy texts pointed out that he was too lazy to really care for them-the priests had to complain a lot to even get their basic daily spells, and he rarely appeared except apparently to mock their humorous deaths. It explained a lot about the Kenkus outlook on the world.
Still-Leaves kept fighting, even as her arms were weighed down-she fought on with her beak, pecking furiously. They might eat her but she'd eat some of them first.
Tak will wrap his wings around the group and have flames in each hand continuously casting Produce Flame attempting to burn away the bugs as fast as he can.
Getting nowhere fast, Venetia attempts to command the beetles to “Leave!”. She has to perform the hand motions under level of the beetles and the feeling of moving her arm through the squirming mass rises bile in her throat.
Ivolyn Brun, human wizard in Lost Mine of Phandelver
Hearing the voice in his head Erich will steady his breathing before calmly walking into the mass of beatles
Jevyn manages to exterminate another several hundred of the beetles, but the mass of scarabs continues to swarm over you, dragging you to the ground. The voice continues to whisper, echoing in your subconscious.
"You are in my domain now, adventurers. Your bones will join the decaying remains of countless others in the Tomb of Amenhotep, and what is rightfully mine will be returned to me. "
Flayr Flameseeker | Genasi/Fire | Wizard/School of Evocation | Level 2 | Custom Campaign: Cold Cash
"Did on of you steal something from this mouth-breather? Because I certainly have not!" Venetia yells above the beetles, realizing they all were hearing the same voice. She concentrates a moment of the moist air, gathering and rearranging the natural components found in it. The sweet, metallic odor of an oncoming storm mingles with dank room and acrid beetles. As the warlock plunges her hands into the mass of legs and chitinous shells, blue lights spark from palm to finger.
Shocking Grasp: Attack: 18 Damage (lightning): Unable to parse dice roll.
((On a hit, it can't take reactions until the start of its next turn.))
*Tomb of Amenhotep* : History check: 13
Ivolyn Brun, human wizard in Lost Mine of Phandelver
((I don't think theres any point in doing actions))
"We didn't steal anything that wasn't already stolen!" Leaves said in her defense. She was pretty sure someone had stolen it beforehand.
"What exactly did you not steal from the original owner here?" Venetia's words are clipped and loud. The small room probably does not garner the need for her to raise her voice, but the suffocating nature of the beetles and the added failure of her attempts to remove herself from said beetles adds to her frustration.
Ivolyn Brun, human wizard in Lost Mine of Phandelver
Leaves was getting sort of bored. You couldn't kill the bugs, and they weren't kill her so...it was just sort of waiting around for something to happen. Death was one thing, but dullness was a worse fate.
Her tone turned conversational, even banal.
"...Oh, just found some evil face full of evil knowledge in a chest. It sort of fell off a cart, OK? And it kills everybody who looks at it. We couldn't leave it lying around-it wouldn't be um, moral! So in a way we were doing the right thing by stealing it. Shades of grey! Nothing is what it seems! Just like, how I guess the Orc who sent us here probably was working for the necromancers after all. And the lady in the pond who I never saw was in on it as well, if she existed. I bet Shiv was the mastermind...and Tak is just a lousy rotten friend...he was probably working with the traitors and they betrayed him as well. Makes total sense.
Anyway, I feel this in an appropriate karmic fate for our sins, don't you? Well, my sins. I'm sure you did something to deserve this and we don't need you to harp on it. Also, you got a beetle in your...um...everything.
Hey, Amenhotep! If you're not going to kill me-offer me a job. You'd be lucky to have me, you dusty old fraud!"
Venetia averts her eyes subconsciously from any and all of her new companions. “Where, pray-tell, is this artifact now?”
Venetia doesn’t fully understand her new patron’s abilitities or desires, but she sort of hopes he is on vacation and not listening in.
Ivolyn Brun, human wizard in Lost Mine of Phandelver
"I think Erich was carrying it." Leaves commented, plucking a beetle off her face. A for effort.
I mean last I knew I simply walked into the mass of Beatles)
"I don't have it." Tak would say extinguishing the flames on his hand and placing one on the end of his staff. He would slowly peck at the beetles deciding if he was going to die he would at least be well fed.