[Ptolus/AD&D] IC Thread #2 - Underground (part 1)

[Benoist]

DM: Alright then. Smeads, you are welcome to roll for Picking the Lock.

[skofflox]

As Gareth emerges from the far room and the lowering continues I keep watch on the N. hall as I do some concious breathing exercises to mitigate the residual effects of adrenalin...images and techniques from the "Charlathan Armigers Opuscule:Forms and techniques Vol.1".(remembering well the lessons of Curate Malrubius...)

[winkingbishop]

Othos lets out a long sigh and mutters quietly to himself: "Just what are we getting ourselves into?"

Othos is going to investigate the infection a little closer, but never make contact with it.  He's trying to figure if the "goo" emerges from a wound (that is, from inside a creature) or if it does in fact look like it latched on.

Now that Gareth is out of the room it may be sufficiently dark now to employ infravision.  I'd like to give the corpse a thermal once-over while it's freshly dead.  Othos is already quite certain these things aren't properly "undead" but it would be an interesting trick if this goo or parasite was keeping a corpse alive nonetheless, so he'll try to see if the goblin body was truly dead, mostly dead, still warm and if the goo had any kind of metabolism..er..."heat".. of its own.

Given a few moments of that, his mind then wanders to the monster's reaction to the fire.  He tosses his shield back to it's strap and fires up his lantern.  He'll pick up the lantern by the loop with the end of his morningstar and wave it very close to a patch of infection.

[Cole]

Ulas tries pulling the eastward chest to dry ground.

[Benoist]

Othos is going to investigate the infection a little closer, but never make contact with it.  He's trying to figure if the "goo" emerges from a wound (that is, from inside a creature) or if it does in fact look like it latched on.

It definitely looks like it is latched on and in some cases dug its way through the flesh.

Now that Gareth is out of the room it may be sufficiently dark now to employ infravision.  I'd like to give the corpse a thermal once-over while it's freshly dead.  Othos is already quite certain these things aren't properly "undead" but it would be an interesting trick if this goo or parasite was keeping a corpse alive nonetheless, so he'll try to see if the goblin body was truly dead, mostly dead, still warm and if the goo had any kind of metabolism..er..."heat".. of its own.

The soup or goo itself doesn't seem to radiate heat at all, but the creature you just slaughtered does radiate heat. A lot of heat. Like a victim of a high fever. The creature certainly wasn't dead, but it was sick. Very sick.

Given a few moments of that, his mind then wanders to the monster's reaction to the fire.  He tosses his shield back to it's strap and fires up his lantern.  He'll pick up the lantern by the loop with the end of his morningstar and wave it very close to a patch of infection.

The patches of infection don't seem to have the same reaction to your lantern as the goo itself (on the floor, not on a body) did when it was confronted to an open flame. There is no visible effect you notice.

[Benoist]

Ulas tries pulling the eastward chest to dry ground.

Ulas does so without problem. The chest isn't very heavy.

[winkingbishop]

Othos blows out the lantern and reequips his shield.  He waddles back to the main room, up the dais, shaking his head and muttering to himself quietly.  He passes by Nimtem and stops near him, struggling with his words at first:

[OOC - I had to edit my post here to specify I was speaking to Nimtem.  For some reason I typed Rissthil.  I guess all the pointy ears are confusing me. ]

"..you see, there isn't much good in a goblin...  E-even when it ain't all rotten and cursed.  Truly.  But your head and your heart is in the right place, fellow.  I mean that.  You were right, it was worth taking a closer look.  I don't know a prayer that can cure it, but the more we learn about it the better.  Let's hope we find Bertold in better shape, or discover a cure by the time we find him."

Turning a bit, he calls out louder, trying to fill his voice with foreboding:

"Ylarum, do you have any wounds left open after that scuffle?"

[Sigmund]

After staring intently north for a minute or two, Tudd becomes distracted looking around his shield for the beetle, then notices the goo on the floor and points at it, "Think that's it there... someone spilled the ogre's soup.... that make him mad for sure.... yeah, that must be the ogre's soup... hey, any of you fellas see a bug? I lost my bug when I fell down."

[Benoist]

At this moment, Tudd's eyes are drifting one more time, looking at the ogre's soup.
And there it is: Tudd's bug, alive and well, swimming in the stuff...

[Sigmund]

"Ooo... ooo.... I'll get ya buddy...!", Tudd shouts as he reaches out with the tip of his morningstar to give the beetle a place to grab onto.

[Cole]

Ulas marvels at its survival.

"Amazing. That bug must be our good luck charm."

[Benoist]

The bug happily hops on the morningstar.
It is a beautiful beetle. Deep, dark grey, with blue and green iridescent lines running along its exoskeleton. All nice and pretty... and tough, at that! Just like Tudd!

[Sigmund]

Tudd works on cleaning the bug off with scraps of cloth and then places the beetle on his shoulder with a smile, "You stay there Bug... you be ok there." Then, Tudd glances around before returning to staring sternly to the north.

[Benoist]

No movement to the North. Since the goblins slammed the door east of the red lantern behind them, nothing apparently moved back there. But you know the threat's still there. You feel it.

Meanwhile, Snave and Tarm are being lowered in the basket from the room's ceiling.

[skofflox]

Coming out of my thoughts I shake my head in amazement at Tudds taking to the bug and it's continued survival.