Over time, you've begun to straggle on the journey. This can't be helped. The darkness means that often you can't see your companions, unless you shine a light on them; you're walking through a dream-like mix of shadow and yellow glow. Often, you're following someone ahead who is naught but a silhouette in the lantern their carrying ... or you've fallen behind as you try to light a torch, or find something in a bag to nibble upon, or relieve yourselves.
If not for the path, the caverns would be treacherous. There are pitfalls and razored stone that would tear the soles of your boots to ribbons. There are rock falls that might collapse under your weight. There are places where sheets of water drift down from the ceiling, ice cold, only to disappear in cracks and crevices in the rocks ... but the path avoids these hazards.
However ...
You're not excessively straggled out at the moment you come around a corner and discover yourselves face-to-face with a caterpillar. Choosing two random people who happen to be at the front of the column at this moment, I find Engelhart and Rob. Willa is behind, then Mikael, Lothar and Embla pulling the rear.
That's when you encounter this:
There's no need to roll surprise. It is apparently just sitting there. It looks like a cross between a centipede and a caterpillar, with hundreds of fuzzy spikes running along its back (not exactly like the picture, we do the best we can).
After the party takes two rounds of movement, updating the image:
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I'll make sure I have my club and shield in hand and stand my ground, move to 1210 and wait for the others to join.
Oh man! [I'll wait for Engelhart or Rob to act before offering my own action]
[Sorry to bugger: no knowledge on this monstrosity's agressiveness, disposition or mood, right?]
I motion and call out for the party to stop and take a few steps back, retreating to 1312, to relay what we've come across.
[I believe it to be May 16th. The last *known* date is May 11th, when we slept outside the complex. We reached the ledge late May 11th, scouting happened, and we stayed until May 12th. Then the food run happened, with the return occurring on May 14th. We slept on the ledge then, traveled to the audience chamber and set up camp/slept there last night]
It is some kind of giant insect. Not a magical creature.
Since Rob's got his club out and Engelhart fell back, I step up to take E's place in 1111.
[great, thanks Mikael! I'll put May 16th as putative date ]
[If you guys will be so gentle as to ready your missile weaponry, I'll warm up a casting of Bless]
I cast Armor.
Careful, Lothar, centipedes are uncannily aggressive creatures. I'd rate it as a multiattacker for sure. We'll need all the prep we can afford.
Count the spells as cast. Go ahead and discharge them.
Since Alexis states it to be just idling, I'll go ahead and cast Bless on the party.
I cast Armor on Rob.
Roll: 3
Rob gets 4 points of AC 8 protection. I move to 1212.
Any changes in it's behaviour, Alexis? Is it reacting in the slightest?
(I'm not beyond putting it as a moulted husk if I don't see antennae movement or something else)
I heft my javelin and step into 1211.
I begin to cast Dust Devil, but hold off on discharging it until the party decides to press the attack.
[ I have a question about the Armor spell : "The spell has no cumulative impact upon other armor, meaning that if the recipient already wears armor equivalent to leather or better, the spell will not improve the character's armor class. However, the spell will work jointly with a dexterity or magical bonus (apart from magical armor)." How do shield factor into this? do they count as armor? ]
The creature moves into 0609. I'll update the image on the post. No travel lines, sorry; publisher is being a real pain for some reason.
So it is alive... well, any takers?
I don't see how we might afford to leave such a bug alive on our rearguard, but the Druid might want to interject...
I inch forward onto 1110, to get into range for the spell.
The image above is updated.
Shields count as armor. If you were armed with a shield, and nothing else, the Armor Spell would raise your AC to 8. But it won't raise your AC above 8. If you were wearing padded armor and a shield, with the spell your AC would still be 8.
However, you can add a +1 ring of protection to the armor's dweomer. You can add a 15 or better dexterity bonus. A cloak +1 would also be effective, as would the spells blur, barkskin or stoneskin. But a suit of leather armor +1 would not be improved by the Armor spell.
Engelhart, counting that you cast bless in the first round, and touched everyone in the second, could we please hold off on your casting another spell until initiative is rolled?
It's Mikael's turn. Mikael, please roll a d6 for initiative.
Roger.
[Sorry, I'm just excited]
I roll a 3
I have a 5. My initiative.
I'm going to start a new post. Hang in there.
[ Let's see if it attacks first. And we should take extra precautious because Willa will come back that way, alone, and we'll also hide some food around so ...
By the way Engelhart, what's your religion? ]
[Lutheran, born and raised.]
[noted]
The next post is up.
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