Krinix recalls that when he used the fire bolts and Chroma used her frost breath that the grubs violently exploded. It's possible that whatever vile substance that the grubs employ for their webbing and to create the red sludge might be vulnerable to changes in temperature. It might be why they have chosen the tunnels; minimal temperature variation. It might even be flammable. The lights themselves are not a flame source, merely created light emissions.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
((God, work sucks. Should be a little better now. If you still need it, Qiran rolls 17 on investigation))
Qiran doesn't care for trees like his firbolg companion does, but he is all for taking a more proactive approach in dealing with these grubs and their viscuous ichor. Krinix seemed to be their problem solver, so he focuses on the dragonborn as the group strategizes.
Krinix thinks back to the volatility of the grubs and starts getting ideas. Potentially dangerous ideas.
((Am I correct in understanding that red sludge is everywhere in these tunnels?))
“I’d like to try something, everyone stand back.”
Krinix would like to spot a fairly isolated lump of sludge on the wall ahead and shoot blasts of fire at it until he hits it, and observe the result.
He’s thinking that if the sludge will burn brightly then perhaps they could make torches out of the stuff, but he’s not excited to try handling it. Or if it explodes more violently then perhaps it could be a weakness of their enemy that they could exploit, though it seems it could have disastrous results.
(The red sludge can be found all over, yes, in little splotches here and there where water has made contact with whatever excretion it is that causes the growth.)
Rather than bursting into flames, it seems like the hardened crust pops and cracks, breaking apart violently. It doesn't explode in the conventional sense, it's much more akin to what happens when you add a drop of water to very hot oil. Little pieces go flying everywhere. The crust does burn, but no more vigorously than everyday paper. More importantly, the fire easily spreads from one cluster of red crust to another if they're connected, not unlike a fuse. When the temperature gets too high, the cluster pops.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
"We might be able to use this sludge to our advantage somehow. The big question is whether we can handle it without incurring injury. If the parasite-slaved bodies are still normally corporeal as we are, and they are able to handle this sludge without being damaged, then perhaps we can also handle the stuff...?"
Krinix will gingerly poke some sludge with the pinky finger of his non-dominant hand. If nothing bad happens then he will reluctantly touch it for a longer amount of time. If nothing bad happens then he will gather a small amount in his hand.
The sludge is just thick and enormously sticky. It's just disgusting and has the stench of rotting meat about it, but it doesn't harm Krinix in any way. It feels thick enough that it could probably stand on its own power. It's like handling warm uncured plaster... made of gross. It really does look, smell, and feel like a body was melted down and turned into some kind of building material. As Krinix holds the slime, an orcish eyeball oozes from between his fingers.
Well, that's horrible.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
Because of the sheer amount of the stuff in the tunnels, and because it's not too far from the city proper, there's little doubt that the unfortunate creatures here are survivors from the liberation of Phlan some years ago, likely fleeing into what they thought were sewers only to un afoul of the grubs and becoming permanent residents here. The haze is so thick and sickening, there's little doubt that the tunnel ahead is the 'hive'.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
Qiran watches Krinix gather up the goop. After a long pause of thought, he casts floating disk, loading up the disk with as much as it can hold before following Krinix to the hive.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Another medical problem. Indefinite hiatus. Sorry, all.
Getting closer to the hive also means getting closer to the overwhelming stench of rotting meat. It's so thick they can taste it inside their mouths. As they get closer, the 'workers' begin to take notice of the approach. They don't attack, not yet, but they keep looking in Krinix's and Qiran's direction, as if suspicious but undecided if they're intruders or not.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
Krinix would like to get as close as seems tolerable to the 'workers' without aggravating them, then start coating the ground area with as much muck as he can. Hopefully it can be a really large amount with Qiran's floating disc.
As Krinix and Qiran unload the glop, they find they can pretty easily sculpt the stuff, and even throw it a distance without the workers paying them much mind. In fact, as they spread the muck around, the workers begin to ignore them again.
Krinix and Qiran are now close enough to the hive that they can just barely make out through the reddish haze a complete blockage up the tunnel. It's been completely stopped up with what can only be described as a huge stinkhorn mushroom head. The latticework structure of it provides places for the workers to slowly climb around and perform their tasks. The whole thing looks like it's moving with the sheer number of them. They may have just found the remnants of the entirety of the old Phlan invasion force that survived its liberation.
Now that they're closer, they can also see scores of old, partially melted orcish arms and armour littering the tunnel floor haphazardly, like it just fell off the hosts at some point. It can't be worn, the straps have been completely rotted through. Some are marked with the same orcish emblem crudely painted onto the breastplates.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
Qiran turns first towards his fellow arcanist, then to the others.
"Plan, create fuse-line of this material. Lead back towards entrance, light it there. Fuse-line ignites, explodes, clears out entire foul nest?"
He eyes the main blockage warily. They couldn't get too close, not with such overwhelming numbers, but a large enough explosion here would hopefully do the rest.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Another medical problem. Indefinite hiatus. Sorry, all.
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Investigation: 11
Elra Skylash - Human Cleric | Vanzaren Tanidoni - Half Elf Wizard
Mindartis Liadon - Eladrin Barbarian | Naivara Siannodel - Half Elf Ranger
Arrila Evenwood - Half Elf Paladin | Callaphe of Setessa - Human Rogue
Katernin Nemetsk - Aasimar Cleric | Melody - Tiefling Bard
Krinix recalls that when he used the fire bolts and Chroma used her frost breath that the grubs violently exploded. It's possible that whatever vile substance that the grubs employ for their webbing and to create the red sludge might be vulnerable to changes in temperature. It might be why they have chosen the tunnels; minimal temperature variation. It might even be flammable. The lights themselves are not a flame source, merely created light emissions.
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
((God, work sucks. Should be a little better now. If you still need it, Qiran rolls 17 on investigation))
Qiran doesn't care for trees like his firbolg companion does, but he is all for taking a more proactive approach in dealing with these grubs and their viscuous ichor. Krinix seemed to be their problem solver, so he focuses on the dragonborn as the group strategizes.
Another medical problem. Indefinite hiatus. Sorry, all.
Krinix thinks back to the volatility of the grubs and starts getting ideas. Potentially dangerous ideas.
((Am I correct in understanding that red sludge is everywhere in these tunnels?))
“I’d like to try something, everyone stand back.”
Krinix would like to spot a fairly isolated lump of sludge on the wall ahead and shoot blasts of fire at it until he hits it, and observe the result.
He’s thinking that if the sludge will burn brightly then perhaps they could make torches out of the stuff, but he’s not excited to try handling it. Or if it explodes more violently then perhaps it could be a weakness of their enemy that they could exploit, though it seems it could have disastrous results.
(The red sludge can be found all over, yes, in little splotches here and there where water has made contact with whatever excretion it is that causes the growth.)
Rather than bursting into flames, it seems like the hardened crust pops and cracks, breaking apart violently. It doesn't explode in the conventional sense, it's much more akin to what happens when you add a drop of water to very hot oil. Little pieces go flying everywhere. The crust does burn, but no more vigorously than everyday paper. More importantly, the fire easily spreads from one cluster of red crust to another if they're connected, not unlike a fuse. When the temperature gets too high, the cluster pops.
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
Krinix wonders aloud,
"We might be able to use this sludge to our advantage somehow. The big question is whether we can handle it without incurring injury. If the parasite-slaved bodies are still normally corporeal as we are, and they are able to handle this sludge without being damaged, then perhaps we can also handle the stuff...?"
Krinix will gingerly poke some sludge with the pinky finger of his non-dominant hand. If nothing bad happens then he will reluctantly touch it for a longer amount of time. If nothing bad happens then he will gather a small amount in his hand.
"Perhaps that... isn't a good idea," Faerieth says as she watches Krinix.
Elra Skylash - Human Cleric | Vanzaren Tanidoni - Half Elf Wizard
Mindartis Liadon - Eladrin Barbarian | Naivara Siannodel - Half Elf Ranger
Arrila Evenwood - Half Elf Paladin | Callaphe of Setessa - Human Rogue
Katernin Nemetsk - Aasimar Cleric | Melody - Tiefling Bard
The sludge is just thick and enormously sticky. It's just disgusting and has the stench of rotting meat about it, but it doesn't harm Krinix in any way. It feels thick enough that it could probably stand on its own power. It's like handling warm uncured plaster... made of gross.
It really does look, smell, and feel like a body was melted down and turned into some kind of building material. As Krinix holds the slime, an orcish eyeball oozes from between his fingers.
Well, that's horrible.
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
Faerieth looks like she might be sick again.
Elra Skylash - Human Cleric | Vanzaren Tanidoni - Half Elf Wizard
Mindartis Liadon - Eladrin Barbarian | Naivara Siannodel - Half Elf Ranger
Arrila Evenwood - Half Elf Paladin | Callaphe of Setessa - Human Rogue
Katernin Nemetsk - Aasimar Cleric | Melody - Tiefling Bard
Qiran steels himself, looking over Krinix's shoulder.
"Is it a byproduct or a . . . nutrient source? Should we set a large enough flame, is it desirable to attempt to destroy all of it?"
Another medical problem. Indefinite hiatus. Sorry, all.
Because of the sheer amount of the stuff in the tunnels, and because it's not too far from the city proper, there's little doubt that the unfortunate creatures here are survivors from the liberation of Phlan some years ago, likely fleeing into what they thought were sewers only to un afoul of the grubs and becoming permanent residents here. The haze is so thick and sickening, there's little doubt that the tunnel ahead is the 'hive'.
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
Krinix nods at Qiran's suggestion. "It may just be worth a try. It would probably involve gathering a lot of this up, though. Seems like a dirty job."
Krinix gathers as much of the stuff up as he can handle, and encourages the others to do the same. Then he creeps down the tunnel toward the hive.
Qiran watches Krinix gather up the goop. After a long pause of thought, he casts floating disk, loading up the disk with as much as it can hold before following Krinix to the hive.
Another medical problem. Indefinite hiatus. Sorry, all.
(Merry Chrimbo, one and all!)
Getting closer to the hive also means getting closer to the overwhelming stench of rotting meat. It's so thick they can taste it inside their mouths. As they get closer, the 'workers' begin to take notice of the approach. They don't attack, not yet, but they keep looking in Krinix's and Qiran's direction, as if suspicious but undecided if they're intruders or not.
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
Krinix would like to get as close as seems tolerable to the 'workers' without aggravating them, then start coating the ground area with as much muck as he can. Hopefully it can be a really large amount with Qiran's floating disc.
Quran will assist but mostly keep an eye towards the 'workers'.
Another medical problem. Indefinite hiatus. Sorry, all.
As Krinix and Qiran unload the glop, they find they can pretty easily sculpt the stuff, and even throw it a distance without the workers paying them much mind. In fact, as they spread the muck around, the workers begin to ignore them again.
Krinix and Qiran are now close enough to the hive that they can just barely make out through the reddish haze a complete blockage up the tunnel. It's been completely stopped up with what can only be described as a huge stinkhorn mushroom head. The latticework structure of it provides places for the workers to slowly climb around and perform their tasks. The whole thing looks like it's moving with the sheer number of them.
They may have just found the remnants of the entirety of the old Phlan invasion force that survived its liberation.
Now that they're closer, they can also see scores of old, partially melted orcish arms and armour littering the tunnel floor haphazardly, like it just fell off the hosts at some point. It can't be worn, the straps have been completely rotted through. Some are marked with the same orcish emblem crudely painted onto the breastplates.
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
Qiran turns first towards his fellow arcanist, then to the others.
"Plan, create fuse-line of this material. Lead back towards entrance, light it there. Fuse-line ignites, explodes, clears out entire foul nest?"
He eyes the main blockage warily. They couldn't get too close, not with such overwhelming numbers, but a large enough explosion here would hopefully do the rest.
Another medical problem. Indefinite hiatus. Sorry, all.