A-muck! A-muck! A-muck!

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

Quila is peeved. All that effort of cleaning oneself and making sure you look the part again, all undone by worm slime. She mutters none too subtly "I hate worms."
She then thinks about using her Phase powers, but both her ghastly experiences in the Giustenal ruins with the Caller phenomenon and her newfound friends Attilius and Niachi hacking themselves a way through the muck and thereby clearing a path for others to follow, make her decide otherwise.

She decides to give directions in case the group does not go for the fastest way out of the gunk, which is coincidentally in the direction of a dwur that stands watching them. "Let's get out of here as quick as we can. I think this has become an infestation of silk wyrm nests. I've never seen anything like it." With a subtle hint of sarcasm she then purrs, "I wonder who caused this?" then makes a dry chuckle. She'll cut of some silk to see whether this is indeed material indicating silk wyrms, or some other species entirely.

When Quila sees any insignia on the dwur indicating they are 'safe', she'll call out "Hail traveller, we are working for the Tribunal of Kurn."

[DM Bob]

Cutting isn't super effective.

Burning? Less so. The stuff is still wet-ish. Damp. MOIST. Similar to silk wyrm silk, but less something you think might be fashioned into a noble's robes or a soft pillow.

However, the taller of you can weedle around enough to show your heads, and at least it isn't clogging your noses (yet). The only good news is that due to the magics that caused the bulk of you to appear, that it displaced enough of the matter to give you a bit of room to start grabbing the various sharp instruments you all seem to carry.

[AthasianLaborer]

[Elven: "Quila, should I grow further to ease our extraction?"]

[raddu/Thessik]

"I've no clue what caused this."


I try to freeze a small amount with my Wild Talent: Cryokinesis, and then break it.
[1d20] Roll: [7] Result: 7


If that doesn't work, then start cutting with a knife.

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

Mar 18, 2024 14:32:31 GMT -12 Niachi said:

[Elven: Isn't there a mental devotion of the Way that can calm these mood swings? Worth a later talk with our mindbenders."]

[Elven: "Yes. I have heard of powers like this. If I remember correctly, I think they call this Alignment Stabilization."]

Mar 20, 2024 0:43:44 GMT -12 AthasianLaborer said:

[Elven: "Quila, should I grow further to ease our extraction?"]

[Elven: "I do not know. Does your strength grow with you? Then maybe so. It would seem though that strength is less useful than sharp edges. Maybe being a dune reaper instead would help. Or we just hack our way out that way where the dwur is now beginning to tear into the material as well. I'd say that's another 40 yards to go from here."]

[Attilius]

Attilius does his best to pathfind for the group towards the lone dwarf, jungle hacking with his axe.

[AthasianLaborer]

'Muiko will take Quila's suggestion and swap forms to a Dune Reaper (assuming he's had experience watching them at the Gladiatorial Colosseum) after loudly announcing "I WILL NOW USE THE WAY TO METAMORPHOSE INTO A DUNE REAPER"

He will do what he can to shred the slimy shit and clear enough space for the party to gather together and head to the path that Attilius is forging towards the dwarf.

[DM Bob]

It takes some time, but yes, you are eventually able to extricate yourselves from the mess. And by time, I mean a solid hour of work.

Meanwhile, you notice that something incredibly big is wrapping it's bulk around the 100' wide tower, much like a slow snake coiling about it's prey, constricting ever so relentlessly under the same mass of sticky, gooey, cocoon-y morass that you've just exited. Smaller xerichou worms fly about in the distance, Kaw Rawk feels the tug, but the bond of familiar to wizard is stronger for now.

Other things writhe and twist, smaller than that that wraps about the crenellated ruin, in a slow dance of wormy macabre.

[Skrye [AC3; 48/48HP]]

- "Thanks earth that we moved out from there" - looking around - "How will we deal with this? Or why didn't him to sort it out by himself?" - avoiding to name Amman in front of a stranger, to whom she gets closer to - "Good day to you" - says a Tari with brown fur with a slight glint on it and a red hood over a scarf-type piece of cloth garment to cover the upper part of the torso in an ochre tone

[Attilius]

The giant slides his axe into his calf sheath then looks to each member and nods while silently mouthing words, clearly he is counting in his head.

He turns to the Dwarf pulling off silk strands
"What cha doing 'ere little man?"

[raddu/Thessik]

"Hello, I'm Thessik. How did you all manage to get stuck in that mess?"

"I'm working on behalf of House Azeth, come here to see if there's anything worth finding. I did not expect to find this.." as he gestures to the goo and creature.

[Attilius]

The Murmillo grunts an acknowledgment of the dwarfs statement "US either. Attilius of Balic" he offers a warriors handshake.

[AthasianLaborer]

'Muiko shifts back into his elf form "Ah, Thessik, I am Phwig, I too work for Azeth.  Excuse me please." 'Muiko looks to Quila [Elven: "The Tomb was to the west was it not? I might be able to encourage these things to clear a path, I will share a taste of the Eternal Hearth with them"]

'Muiko will look to the west of the tower, searching for the any sign of the squat building he'd recognize as Myron's Tomb.  He flashes a number of mudras in rapid succession as he intones his focusing mantra (@bob please roll well for the Psionic Mimicry/Somatic Concealment charade).

He casts Spectral Force, arranging the AoE (40' cube + 9 10' cubes) to form a path towards the general location of Myron's Tomb.

At first, the only thing to the illusion is Thermal signature, it starts slow, like that nice gentle warmth when you first step into the sun, within a couple of rounds it grows to the roaring bask felt even through the protective magics of Niachi's necklace.

After the first few rounds, a low roar of powerful burning will accompany the growing thermal signature.

[Skrye [AC3; 48/48HP]]

- "Nice meeting you Thessik, I'm Skrye" - looking at him - "I never saw an infestation of this kind of sort, but for every thread it should always be a needle, right?"

[DM Bob]

The larvae are seen following Niachi out of the mass as you talk to your new dwarven friend. Thessik sees a mass of pale, human-headed worms wobbling and wiggling after the strange shadowy elf who carries a huge bone blade as well as a metal rod with a stylized "A" at the end. Some of the worms show this mark upon their hide. Um, if worms have hides. Skin? Bulk? Anyway.

The thermal illusion causes quite the stir.

An enormous cacophony of squeals, odd gurgles and squeaky wheezes respond. As well as a massive whiplash within the odd web-like cocoon mass. The larger, once twisting slowly coil about the tower whips about wildly revealing, multiple thin tentacles, much like an Earth sea anemone's front. They loosen and thrash seemingly connected to a larger bulk that rested on the ground within the area of the spell's effect. You count at least eight, maybe nine tentacles that are now throwing bits of ancient masonry into the sky. Luckily none have been thrown your way. Yet. The tower shudders.

Thessik saw through that, by the way (the spell casting that is). This was no mental power he'd ever heard of and the dwur caught the lying elf's hand drawing power from the ground. Much like the preserver's he'd met through the trading house. Or a defiler. The lack of ash at least made him relax slightly through the obvious lies.

A few moments pass, but the thrashing does not subside.

Another "spectral force" shows itself, hazy, an undead visage that the bulk of the party is familiar with. Aman the Maker, Brother to Myron & Keeper of the Tower appears, a boney crowned head with glowing green eyes. He looks miffed, angry and as if someone had awoken him from a torpor.

"I see you brought the larvae worms, but you have brought much, much more."

He stares at Quila.

"You have awoken something this world has not seen in many, many Ages... if ever. I knew the stars were in alignment, but I did not gather that the spaces between had thinned so to allow the very Avatar of Mak Thuum Ngatha to pass so easily into Athas. Perhaps the psurlon have gathered enough power to tempt *IT* into breaching the Grey. Or that my brother's wards were the only thing holding it back."

A massive granite stone block crashes through the illusionary face and misses your party just narrowly.

The visage reappears and simply states, "Fools. You'll need to make this right or I will have to use my Beasts of Nightmare once more. Kill my dead Brother, steal away his mask and throw it into the Elemental Hearth quickly enough with the tome you buried and perhaps we shall be spared the wrath of the Far Realm. Myron resides within the Temple, not the Tomb you once visited. Go now with haste, before the Worm devours what little remains of this very planet."