PBEM - Episode 408. Hoots, Webs, Haste, and Fire

The player running Abraxas has had a a few encounters with bears and owlbears and has been hyper focused that while we are down here on the 1st floor - the biggest and most likely WMC we would have is Hoots and his bear friend. And here it was.

Follows:

FOUR HUNDRED EIGHT

(I/C)

Wyn nodded with a smile, “So I tink some of ye 'ave mentioned wantin' to check out de locusts? Never eatin' a cave locust before... is dat a dwarf delicacy?” he winked in Kovid’s direction. “Well, might as well check dem off de list. Maybe dere be sometin in dat room we cen use.”

The dwarf rolled up his map, tapping it against his leg. “Let’s see what treasures await us in the bug infested dark zone of our little map here.”

 Making a grumbling face, Lannis made air quotes and muttered, "Map."

Looking up with a smile, Lyra clapped her hands. “What? Wait, we’re going to locust’s room? Sick.” She pumped a fist in the air.

“Sick,” Lannis mimed, ending with a kick of some loose stones on the stairs.

The party began the long walk back up the stairs and down the hall to the east, taking them out of the aquifer area. “When we approach the room,” Wyn suggested, “I tink du Lac en I cen scout ahead a bit... just to see how big deze tings are en how many dere are. Du Lac wit 'is coin, en moi wit a torch... we just go in ta get de size of de room en see what we be dealing wit.”

Still rubbing his neck, Brendon nodded with hesitant enthusiasm, “You want me to scout a bug filled hall?” he asked. “Surrre…why not.”

“Cause you’re a kiss ass candy dick, that’s why,” Lannis groused, his voice pitched low but not “too” low.

Abraxas gave the wizard a nudge from the rear. "Los Locotuses seem like an idea bueno, amigos. Vamonos."

“Bueno Draino Staino Nonono,” the Magic User retorted.

“Dat doesn’t even make sense, Monsieur Offop.”

“Makes more sense than Dumb Plan Number: Dumb Plan Prime.”

The elf shook his head. “We will do dis safe, I tell you. We do not get any closer den where de light touches dem, en if we do need to get closer, den we skirt along de walls to avoid havin' dem scatter around de room.”

“See?” Lyra pointed out. “Sounds totally safe.”

“Todowee Thafe,” Lannis mimicked back.

“Ye odders cen decide where ye want to stand while we scout, but probably not at de bottom of de stairs, oui?”

“Everyone hates bugs,” the Cleric noted, “I bet they’re guarding something nice. I say we just charge in.”

Lannis wiggled his arms back and forth and gave a mincing skip before going back to his slouch, hands in the pockets of his robes, feet dragging slow enough to constantly needing Abraxas to goad him along with the occasional shove.

The group continued east to the Entrance Room, and then took the north and east passage along, following it down to the corner.

(WMC: Red/Black 1 – yes. 1d4 What? Red Black 1. Figures. Distance? 2d6x10: 1+1=2x10=20’ – Erg – close! >Hear Noise, +25% quiet, Red 80 – no. Surprise Party? Steel 1 – Yes!! Surprise enemy? Red/Black 1 – Also YES!!)

And as the group turned the corner they stopped, briefly surprised to see the 1,500 lbs owlbear, Hoots, in the hall, looking like he had just ambled out of the library room. At his side was the female ursine – both animals staring at the party with just as much shock as the party had on seeing them.

“Ah…shit,” Brendon muttered at about the same time that Hoots gave a querulous, “Hrrrroo?”

(End of Surprise Round, Initiative: Party Steel 1, vs Bears Red/Black 4)

“HrroooOOOOOOHAAAA!!” Hoots finished his coo into a roar as he and the other bear charged forward as Lannis howled out, “Watch your nipples!!”

The smaller bear was on the inside of the aisle so the 600 lb ursine hit Brendon full on, the Scout struggling to knock the ham sized claws aside with the flat of his blade. She gave a series of swipes that hit (>+4 to hit, White 18) the Scout with a number of tearing cuts (1d3 Damage, Grey 6 – Take 3 Damage!). He rocked to the side only to be met (>+4 to hit, White 18 – 2 claw hits, auto Bear hug next) another set of swipes (1d3 Damage, Green 3 – Take 2 Damage!). Slammed against the wall, Brendon managed to get his sword up in time (<+4 to hit, White 4) to keep the shebear from biting him. However, he had been knocked about so many times that he found himself too close to the bear who roared in his face and wrapped both of her arms around the Scout’s form, lifting him from the ground.

Where she squeezed. Hard (2d8 Damage: 2+5=7 and Killed! You are at -1).

Brendon shrieked in terrible pain as his ribs snapped and punctured his lower lung, the Scout howling as blood burst from his lips, the bear savaging him before feeling him go limp. She them SLAMMED him to the ground, placed one paw on his back, and snarled at the next in line – Lyra and Wyn.

“Fucking LOCUSTS!” Lannis cried out! “This is what happens when we WANT to go see the LOCUSTS!”

Kovid was struggling to avoid a similar fate as Brendon as the dwarf was toe to toe with Hoots. “Locusts had NOTHING to do with this!”

“Says you! You and that dumb map! Locusts! Ha!!”

Hoots, considerably larger and stronger than the she bear, hit Kovid with a much greater ferocity (>+7 to hit, Green 19), his paws huge enough to encompass the dwarf’s entire head. Kovid did manage to roll with the blow (1d8 Damage, Purple 8 – Take 8 Damage!) but it was enough to slam him into the corner. The second set of swings immediately followed (<+7 to hit, Green 5) but he was able to avoid most of the strikes, his hammer blocking what he could.

“HROOOHAAA!!” Hoots roared as it dived in and bit the dwarf in the arm, sharp beak snapping (>+7 to hit, Black 13) as it crimped the armor and almost caused the dwarf to lose his hammer (1d8 Damage, Green 6 – Take 6 Damage!). As it was, Kovid was bleeding pretty fiercely and the combined menace of Hoots and the shebear threatened to drive the dwarf back a step.

Time now is Day 10, 6:11 AM

(OOC)

Bottom of the 1st round. Brendon is at -1 and unconscious and will be dead in 10 minutes OR if he takes 5 more points of damage. You guys go!!