Studies inopportune

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

Quila looks at Gruv, then to the radiating grimoire, and gulps. She dons her black leather gloves while she speaks in a hushed tone to the dwarven librarian. "Wish me luck Gruv. If you see Akos or Oronis, tell them I'm sorry for the worms and the breach. If I survive bringing this damn book back to the Buried City, I will request an audience to seek an appropriate way of doing penance."

She bows down and gives the gruff dwarf a coy kiss on his cheek and a quick hug. Then Quila pulls a linen sack out one of her mantle's pockets which she pulls inside-out to handle it as a glove to put the grimoire in. She closes the sack around it so it's inside and she hasn't touched it, even with her wearing her leather gloves.

She will concentrate for a moment, picturing the Buried City and especially the area near Aman's tower. She activates her nexus and wills herself to that spot.

(OOC: Rolled a 3 for Teleport on a regular PS of 19-20, I'm assuming Buried City is within 100 miles. I would make the power check roll regardless. Cost 50 PsP. Previous round: 132/146 PsP, current round -59 PsP for Teleport and active Clairvoyance pov above New Kurn, new total: 73 PsP.)

[AthasianLaborer]

As Quila takes her moment with the grumpy old dwarf, 'Muiko will take the opportunity to cast Nondetection without any pretense (since he's still invisible).  The creepy glowing worm book is the target.

'Muiko has to fail a save for the book to be successfully scried after casting.

<Ping Niachi "I obscured the book, Quila teleported away with it">

'Muiko also repeats the Ping to the other party members before silently trailing Gruv so he doesn't get lost in the catacombs.

[Niachi]

Quila's visible footsteps on the ground abruptly stop as she 'ports away.

[Attilius]

Not wanting to be a bull in a China shop, rather a half giant in a cramped library, the gladiator turns and makes way for its entrance so as not to destroy any of these "fancy nobleman reading papers". He'll watch the whirlpool of earth looking for a target near the library's entrance.

[Skrye [AC3; 48/48HP]]

- Skrye moves 5ft back, trying not to break concentration in the spell, even if at cost of been hit by any worm that could reach her, as her focus are the big ones and as many smaller as she can drag down the Whirlpool


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[DM Bob]

Enemy's Slumber, 5th of Fortuary, early evening 8:30 PM or so

Current Location: The Buried City of Tnor'morken

Ral is near full and low to the east and Guthay now eaten by the mekilliot (absent in the night) as Quila pops into existence outside of the buried city, the ruins of Tnor'morken and home to all sorts of nasties. Expecting to drop off the cursed worm tome, Quila is startled to see herself surrounded by a pack of thri-kreen. They are fighting back-to-back against a slew of large black chitin armoured scorpions.

You have 'ported right in the middle of the insectmen's circle and find yourself standing over the body of a heavily punctured kreen. It slowly breathes. At the same time, she still gets a read of the area in Kurn outside the library. Worms seem less focused, but have not left the new city's grounds. Oh bother. This wasn't what she was expecting. She still feels like she's being watched as well.

Additional detail fleshed out in chat: Thri-kreen are close enough to touch Quila. There are five standing packmates and one on the ground. She literally stands over the incapacitated kreen. The kreen are using gythka to try and keep the poisonous beasts at distance. The scorpions are at least 5-6 feet long and they number more than three.

***

Enemy's Slumber, 5th of Fortuary, early evening 8:30 PM or so

Current Location: New Kurn, near the Library & worm death orgy mosh pit

Kaw Rawk (Niachi's familiar) locates Chat'cho and lands onto her upper shoulder. She is even more aware of the worm mass a couple soccer fields distant towards the cobbled edge of town in the direction of the Library.

Skrye notices a change in the worm beast's reactions. Instead of being focused, they turn to chaotic motions. The smaller of the large worms begin to thrash and contest the larger, and the larger ones respond with gigantic chomps of their own. It is at this time, that a golden disk - much like the wormhole Oronis once opened for you to the tari's left and some fifty feet away from the earthen whirlpool she was maintaining.

Sendic and the squad of riders hurry through, not quite a charge, as they must have been informed of the threat prior to transport. Their lances are held down and they move to poke the earthen threat. More birdfolk arrive, some casting spells at the writhing mass. Think bolts of energy, nothing too dramatic as of yet.

The grounds still rumble though, and more books, shelves and items fall within the library. Luckily, there is no open flame within - the lighting all blessed into existence by the templars of Oronis.

[Attilius]

Attilius will move towards Skrye and protect her from any flailing worms that deem her a tasty bite sized morsel [Shield Block].

[Skrye [AC3; 48/48HP]]

- The Tari smiles to the best of her physiological ability to Attilius - "Thank you!" - as she tries to maintain the spell.

- 'I'm not sure what is going on but these seem to succumb to their own animal instincts instead to whatever force prompted them to act as one mind..' - thinks but her focus does not swift, even gets reinforced with the Half-giant by her and the sudden swift in the bestial burrowers

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

Seeing her action at least confuse the worms near New Kurn satisfies her for now, making her drop her Clairvoyance.

Quila bends down gently at the wounded kreen holding her hands up in a non-threatening stance, and observing every rule of dealing with kreen she has learned from Chat'cho, Ande, and her time in Nirik-tohr, aside from her sandy wastes survival smarts.

She says in her most charmingly inoffensive tohr-kreen <'I a(mm) klik-chaka'da, let (mm)e hel(∙) you. I can heal your wounds.'> -- she will use her charisma to her best effect, even if interspecies communication is more difficult.
When the downed kreen lets her help him, Quila will cast a Cure Light Wounds upon them.

If, however, Quila senses only hostility, she will activate Phase to become intangible and get out of this pernicious situation.

[DM Bob]

The downed kreen does not respond as he is too heavily wounded.

[Deleted]

Considering that plant life is abundant in New Kurn, Chat'cho casts an Entangle spell at the offending worms. She hopes the strength of the plants here will put an end to their tomfoolery.

[Skrye [AC3; 48/48HP]]

- Skrye looks at the plants starting to wrap around the worms - 'Great idea! Just pull them into the vortex to deal with them easily..' - thinking to self as the vegetation starts to cradle in that direction

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

Dec 18, 2023 10:28:45 GMT -12 Quila Oris (John M.) said:

Quila bends down gently at the wounded kreen holding her hands up in a non-threatening stance, and observing every rule of dealing with kreen she has learned from Chat'cho, Ande, and her time in Nirik-tohr, aside from her sandy wastes survival smarts.

She says in her most charmingly inoffensive tohr-kreen <'I a(mm) klik-chaka'da, let (mm)e hel(∙) you. I can heal your wounds.'> -- she will use her charisma to her best effect, even if interspecies communication is more difficult.

Dec 18, 2023 10:52:07 GMT -12 DM Bob said:

The downed kreen does not respond as he is too heavily wounded.

When the downed kreen lets her help them, barring any interference or hostility from this one or the ones in combat around her, Quila will cast a Cure Light Wounds upon them.

If, however, Quila senses only hostility, she will activate Phase to become intangible and get out of this pernicious situation.

(OOC: if relevant, unadjusted/psionic initative is moment 3. Adjusted initiative for Cure Light would be 8. Phase rolled an 18 on a 16-20 range for power score, so if going that route Quila would have double phased movement rate.)

[DM Bob]

Luckily, it does not seem like the poison has taken hold, just a sheer number of injuries, some of which close due to the healing magics. The mantoid man looks you in the eyes and nods, putting a gentle clawed hand upon her shoulder. In the other two hands he uses his gythka to stand. The other remaining hand reaches into a pouch on a leather harness and pulls out an apricot. Taking a bite he slurs out some words for his clutch.

One of the scorpions drops from polearm wounds and the other kreen seem to be relatively uninjured. The newly standing kreen clicks out a few directives and the five others take a different position, encircling the one, two, three remaining black scorpions. Quila can reach one if she wishes.

***

The worms start to disperse, at least the small ones.

The three largest still present a threat. Only one is currently affected by the whirlpool of earth, but it seems to be a good thing to keep maintaining. The one furthest from the tari has been confronted by the outriders, Sendic's team.

Attilius finds himself confronted with a single, dark fleshed worm with razor sharp teeth rising before him, apparently now less interested in fighting the other worms.

The others may have left the library at this point if they wish to join the fight.

The entangle has kept the midsized worms from retreating further towards town, more seem to be heading away from the town center and the vibrations lessen a tad.

[AthasianLaborer]

Initiative 9 (rolled 5 -1 for Dex, +5 for Casting Time)

On seeing Attilius facing down the worm he casts Hold Monster on it.

Save vs Spell at -3 or be held immobile for 9 rounds.