A Bigger Anteater

NAME: A Bigger Anteater TYPE: Kingdom, Standard PREREQUISITE: None MISSION LEVEL: 2 SLOTS: 6 DESCRIPTION: These darn ants are everywhere .. but these giant ants are enormous! How can these human sized ants have gotten here? Some experiment gone wild? This mound is as big as the watchtower. We need to get rid of these if we are going to be able to expand in this area.

GM Post - Introduction - Players are free to respond in character as often as desired until combat begins.  GM will progress the story line at regular intervals.  ((I've posted this a little early but won't be able to have any additional responses until tomorrow)) You have received word from Agela that your aid might be needed. As you are ushered into her office, she looks up from a document she is writing and smiles. Ladies and Gentlemen, please, come in and a seat. Standing up from her desk she waves for each of you to have a seat. I have received word of some live-stock that has been going missing on one of the northern fields. Upon investigation we have found a giant ant hive. Apparently these things are big enough to take down a horse and strong enough that 2 of them are able to carry the horse away. Shuddering momentarily she resumes, Well, we can’t let them stay, so we’ve come up with a plan. There’s no telling how many are inside the hive, but I put our resident alchemist, Poppy, to work on coming up with a solution and what she has brought me should work.   Reaching to the bottom shelf behind her desk she carefully selects a package and placing it on her desk un-wraps a rather large flask with a big cork stopper and blue shimmery liquid inside. Poppy assures me that it is stable but...I would still handle this with care. She reaches behind her desk and pulls a smaller vial. So, what you are going to need to do is enter their hive, go to the first chamber you can find and then pour the contents of the small vial into the big one, give a swirl for good measure and then get out. Poppy said it should take a minute or 2 for the fumes to start pouring out of this thing, but once they do start, it’ll quickly get hard to see in the room. The fumes should travel down, and permeate through the whole hive, killing them off. She wasn’t certain what the effects of the fumes would be on you so…I would just try to not inhale it if you could.   So, any questions?

HOW BIG IS TINY ANT CAVERNS?  Scourge seems conrecned with it's ability to enter the caves.

Zordlon has taken position against the wall near the door "Well.... there is the whole thing about what if we get trapped in the cavern and end up poisoned. Do you have anything that might help with the whole not getting poisoned and dying from that part of the mission? As that seems to be a rather big part of the mission." 

Antitoxion might help against the gas. If it is heavier than air, being tall should help reduce its effect on us. A doctor's mask may help a little,.... perhaps we should guard the escape passage. Viggo becomes more concerned as he talks about the poisonous gasses and how much he is assuming...

Antitoxin should be supplied I think in case of poisoning. Your alchemist,Poppy, should have that in stock i think.

SCOURGE CAN GUARD ENTRANCE. NO PUNY ANT BEAT ME.

Yes, I think we have some anti-toxin in supply, we can provide one for each of you.  Scourge has a good idea, you should guard well your exit and use it as quickly as possible.  Wait near the entrance in case any escape, we don't need a giant ant on the rampage running about.  Anything else you might wish?

You sure Scourge and ants aren't friends? I mean they kinda similar, especially with giant ants. Kid glancing his eyes at Scourge You okay beating a few ants, Scourge?

Kabril looks sidewise at this "Kidd".   Perhaps you would be wise to not provoke the creature.   Turning to Agela, he smiles obsequiously.   I should be able to manage the admixture, if one of these stalwarts can carry the large bottle.  I will take the small one and follow him in.

Very well then. She hands the small vial to Kabril.   This larger one is a bit cumbersome, so I can a special sack built for it.   Reaching to the side of her desk she pulls a small sack and carefully puts the flask inside it.   Whoever carries this, I suggest you be careful.  I trust Poppy, but well, that stuff scares me a bit.   Well, you better be on your way, you've got a bit of ground to cover and I don't want you guys dealing with this in the dark. Setting out from the settlement it takes you a few hours walking to reach the location noted on the provided map.  As you near the area you see some crude signs posted by some settlers warning of giant ants ahead. ((Check time:  Perception, Knowledge Nature, Survival + any special tactics you might employ ))

Kabril makes a note to himself, I must procure a horse if I am to be forever out of the encampment on these sorts of quests.  This is entirely too far to walk.   He stops at the first sign warning of the ants and takes a look around (Perception 9, Know Nature 13, Survival 22).  Not seeing anything, but certain that giant ants can't be a good thing, he casts Mage Armor on himself.

Do we have a map for this area? Perception: 15 Survival: 15 Knowledge: 10(max for nature)

DONT SEE MUCH, SMALL ONES READY?   SCOURGE looks across the group ((ooc, 16 perception))

"Let's get this over with." // Perception: 15 // Survival: 17 // Know Nature: 10 (max)

(perception 19 nature 14 survival 9 stealth 11. [best roll was a 9 .]) Zordlon does his whole lookout thing as he tends to do, but sadly that's all he really contributes making a rather loud crunching sound as he attempts to hide from sight. "Who should guard the exit? And scourge, do you think you could convince the ants to leave us alone while we set this up?" Well. At least he has mildly useful suggestions.

I can guard the exit. If you don't think I will be needed elsewhere. It may be to large for one person to protect...we don't have details yet. Profession soldier: 15, keeping an eye on the team on how they are handling the travel and their own packs. 

YOU DOUBT SCORGE LARGE ENOUGH?  Scourge seems offended by your doubt. It striaghtens its back, standing at its full 12ft. height, glaring down at you.

Is he this prickly or is this just a language issue? I think you are very big. We need to consider all options, as the information we have is very limited.

Scourge, where do you come from? Did you arrive on the boat?

Kabril, noticing that the insectoid female is not wearing armor, decides to play nice and make her more durable, casting his 2nd use of Mage Armor on her.

"I heard he..... she? Came over climbing over the side of the boat."

SCOURGE ON BOAT YES. COME FROM BAD DWARF CAVES. HALF-ONE SAVE ME.    It perks up at the question, THEY NOT FEED LOT ON BOAT, INN HERE MUCH GOOD. TALK GOOD TONGUE.

I lived with a merchant caravan that traded with good dwarves and elves. so I learned their languages. Out here, it is hard to find the time to learn. Everyday is a fight against giant ants, dinosaurs, kobolds, ... It's a shame really, speaking a creature's language is the a huge step towards understanding and prosperity for both of them. ...Viggo stops himself before he gets to worked up.

"So. Scourge. Can you or can you not try and persuade the ants to leave us alone while we deal with the colony?"

NO. ANTS TOO STUPID TALK. NO TALK ANTS.

//perception 24, suvival 17, know nature 11// Looking around the place Kid try to see every corner but still didnt catch any Giant ants in the vicinity. This giant ants are too big for me to miss. There must be a hole to the nest where they would hide. i say we continue onwards with caution. Kid start walking around with his musket pointed at possible enemy locations

A gentle wind blows towards the north as you approach the entrance of the hive, following the clear tracks in the packed earth.  A few workers can be seen going about their business, entering and exiting the hive.  You are far enough away that they have not noticed you...yet.

SCOURGE mutters something in terran, and then waits for the others to approach.

I see some giant ants over the cave there. It must be the hole to their nest. I think they still not noticing us. Should we approach stealthily and entering the cave without provoking the ants or we dispatch the workers outside the cave first? Kid whisper to the rest of the group.

SCOURGE NO GOOD SNEAK. MOST BUGS FEEL GROUND. KILL BUGS FASTER.

Are we using brains or brawn?  Are they smart enough to have an alarm of some sort? This might be a good time to take an antitoxin. Viggo takes his antitoxin unless some one talks about delaying.

Hajar (which means "stone" in Qadiri), fly over and see how many of the ants there are outside the hole.   Kabril's familiar flies over, circling about 20 ft up, and makes a count of the ants (Perception 13).  After a few circles, he returns, flitting excitedly around Kabril's head.

How many are there, Kabril? If there isn't many of them i say we dispatch them quick. That also make the escape much easier. But Im afraid if i use my musket, the sound would alarm the ants inside the cave. That would screws up the mission. // ooc, Ian, i think i need to see the touch AC for the enemies since firearms target touch AC, thx//

DO NOT WORRY HUMAN. SCOURGE CRUSH BUGS QUICK. NO LOUD GUN. GET READY TO GO IN CAVE. SCOURGE is going to begin combat unless somebody else wants to get it started, moving up and preparing to swing on any insect that approaches. ((OOC 18 initiative, move up and hold to swing on the first insect that approaches, 24 to hit, 18 damage))

GM SLOT 1 Tuesday - Sounds like a good time for initiative. - When Scourge gets within about 40 feet of the ants they jump to alert and begin skittering forward.  As the first one comes within range it is struck down by a powerful blow from the giant creature, the second one is also struck down by a powerful blow. - The workers in front being dealt with, all grows quiet for a few moments - 

SCOURGE crushes the first ant as it approaches, and the second as it moves forward to bite. ((OOC, AOO of 22 to hit, 26 damage))

All of a sudden two giant ant smashed by a giant insect man.  Well, the problem just solved. Now we should enter the cave.

Viggo catches up to Scourge. Initiative: 11 

As the group cautiously approaches the entrance they notice a few things.  First, it is obvious from outside that just inside the hive is a sharp drop, how far down is not clear from here.  It is also clear that the tunnel varies in height from 5 to 6 feet. ((OOC: Medium creatures can make it through the tunnel with minimum discomfort, large creatures will have to squeeze. ))

Viggo prepares to go first. He pulls out ropes and prepares to tie it to a large stable rock on the right. he has dark vision. 

Kid drinks his antitoxin and wears his octogrip and try to climb down after Viggo. Because he can't see in the dark, his only guide is Viggo's rope. //ooc climb check; 18 + 8 (octogrip)= 26//

As Viggo approaches the hole and looks down, he sees that the hole continues down for 30 or 40 feet.  After taking a moment to adjust to the darkness, he notices a small landing about 10 feet down that leads into a chamber.  The walls of the tunnel are hard packed with dirt and jagged, providing many handholds. ((Using the rope you would need to succeed at a DC 5 climb check, the grips don't require any.  Anyone entering needs to make a perception check and let me know either your vision or what light source you have))

Viggo climbs down competently.When he reaches the bottom, he pulls out and uses a sun rod, leaving it on the ground. Take 10, easily passes even with a shield and armor. Perception 15, dark vision. FYI: A sunrod sheds normal light in a 30-foot radius and increases the light level by one step for an additional 30 feet beyond that area (darkness becomes dim light and dim light becomes normal light). A sunrod does not increase the light level in normal light or bright light. It glows for 6 hours, after which the gold tip is burned out and worthless. Did i miss who has the other half of the bug bomb? Ill gladly carry but didn't jump on the honor.

((I guess you have it then Viggo)) - Kabril decides to stand guard at the entrance and so hands off the smaller vial to Zordlon. - A few ants can be seen moving around in the back of the chamber.  You feel like this would be a perfect place to leave the vials.

I autopass a dc 5 climb check with my +6 and either way take 10. rolled a 27 on perception with lowlight vision. 28 for traps.) "Tis' I." Zordlon easily slides down the rope (flavor) "Do you think some Fire would be useful here? I have plenty."

SCOURGE stands at the entrance, ready to smack any insects that approach it or the rope

Pulls out his half of the device and gets ready.

//perception 8// its too dark out here i'll stay near the sunrod. Anyone that not yet drink the antitoxin, you should drink it now.  Zordlon, Viggo, you can start making the poison gas now. I will watch the enemy movement.  Kid draw his musket and ready to fire if enemy approaches.

Speaking quietly,  If this works, after the gas dissipates we should come back and search this place to make sure it worked.

Yes. We can search the place to make sure the poison working and also LOOT the place. But only after the gas dissipate. Now lets work on it