[Hanako] Chapter 14: Southern Mining Site

[Asta]

"Watch out, this is definitely a bad slime! Or... Ooze. Whatever, just watch yourself!" Hanako called out as she skuttled backwards from her solid yet gelatanous assailant.

Fullround action, withdraw 60ft away from the ooze in whatever direction is safest.

[Throndir]

Mining Site #2 - 5th Level
Day 16 - 11 AM to Noon

The moment the slime had attacked, Kari released four quick and heavy swings of her curved blade. Each swing hit, chopping into the slime, and tearing into it more. Although it was gelatinous, Kari was still able to deal heavy damage to it.

On the third slash it was flattened, though Kari swung again just to make sure. A series of notifications appeared in your vision.

You leveled up.
You are now level 36. Spend your unallocated points.

State if you are going Deeper, Exploring, or Retreating.
Roll Perception and/or Stealth if you are approaching quietly, or attempting to (even with the fact Trudy is carrying a torch).

Exploration

Log
9-10 AM: Head deeper to Section 1, success, encountered ruins.
10-11 AM: Head deeper to Section 2, success, encountered nothing.
11-12 PM: Head deeper to Section 3, success, encountered moist stone creature.
Current: Section 3

[close]

[Asta]

"Most unpleasant. Thank you." Hanako replied rubbing her neck, glad that she managed to avoid being ensnared in the acidic grip of the blob. "Let's keep heading down... Carefully."

Going deeper, cautiously.
Survival:

Rolled 1d20+5 : 14 + 5, total 19

Perception:

Rolled 1d20+7 : 2 + 7, total 9

[Throndir]

Mining Site #2 - 5th Level
Day 16 - Noon to 1 PM

As the group traveled, Kari pulled out some rations for everyone to snack on. Nothing was found in the next hour however. The crystals were a lot more heavier here than the earlier sections, but you also started to notice patches of soil, where some moss and fungi were growing.

Exploration

Log
9-10 AM: Head deeper to Section 1, success, encountered ruins.
10-11 AM: Head deeper to Section 2, success, encountered nothing.
11-12 PM: Head deeper to Section 3, success, encountered moist stone creature.
Noon-1PM: Head deeper to Section 4, success, encountered nothing.
Current: Section 4

[close]

State Deeper, Explore, or Retreat. Roll Survival. Include Perceptions/Stealths. Movement is halved for Stealth attempts though (meaning two potential rolls per section, rather than just one). Though you can attempt to roll those right before an encounter if the group spots something.

[Asta]

"Man these caves seem to go on forever..." Hanako remarked, while stuffing trail rations in her face. "There's got to be something down here, but I wonder how far down we'll have to go?"

Undaunted, at least for the time being, Hanako and company pressed on deeper into the mines. She called them to a halt for a moment though, to take a closer look at the crystals that had been growing more and more dense.

Going Deeper and keeping an eye out for surprises.
Survival:

Rolled 1d20+5 : 15 + 5, total 20

Perception:

Rolled 1d20+8 : 1 + 8, total 9

Let me know what skill it is to examine the crystals and I can roll that.

[Throndir]

Mining Site #2 - 5th Level
Day 16 - 1 to 2 PM

Roll Knowledge (nature), for new world knowledge. Otherwise, use your old world knowledge with Knowledge (earth and life sciences). Lastly, you can use Spellcraft for information not in a science point of view, but a magical-ish point of view.

The further you end up going, the narrower the tunnels seem to get on the average. There were still large rooms every now and then, but unlike a couple hours ago this morning, there were more winding paths, occasionally some dead ends, though it didn't take much to back track. This new area had much less crystals, though there were still outcroppings every now and then. Instead, there were much more mushroom colonies and more fungus. It was getting a lot more damp as well, with pools of liquid every now and then. Unlike in earlier parts of the caves, there was a lot more fluorescent and glowing fungus here as well. Where in the earlier parts of the tunnels, it was glowing crystals that lighted up sections of the caverns, here it was fungus and mushrooms.

Every now and then, you would encounter some ancient and old ruin-like structures as well. Old arches, or what seemed to be walls in an era long gone, though, there was nothing like the belt and ruins you had seen earlier.

"Be wary!" Kari called out then in alarm.

Initiative requested

Exploration

Log
9-10 AM: Head deeper to Section 1, success, encountered ruins.
10-11 AM: Head deeper to Section 2, success, encountered nothing.
11-12 PM: Head deeper to Section 3, success, encountered moist stone creature.
Noon-1 PM: Head deeper to Section 4, success, encountered nothing.
1-2 PM: Head deeper to Section 5, success, encountered mushroom forest, lizard-like creatures.
Current: Section 5

[close]

[Asta]

Checking those crystals out from before.
Knowledge: Nature

Rolled 1d20+12 : 18 + 12, total 30

Spellcraft:

Rolled 1d20+19 : 11 + 19, total 30

Initiative:

Rolled 1d20+12 : 11 + 12, total 23

[Throndir]

Mining Site #2 - 5th Level
Day 16 - 1 PM

Knowledge (nature): 30
You recognized these as mana crystals. There were many nearer the entrance back up to the mines, but here they were larger, and seemed to be more vibrant and colorful. Full formations of crystals were scattered throughout the area. Compared to the size of the ones you had seen nearer the mine entrance, along with the small ones that Sofia had with her, these were absolutely large.

Spellcraft: 30
These crystals actually had some mana in them. Usually, you would sense mana in people, and in some cases objects and items, but the mana gushing from these crystals was a lot more than the ones near the mine entrance. Unlike the specifically charged elemental mana that powered some of Sofia's guns, the mana in these crystals weren't attuned to any one element.

Mining Site #2 - 5th Level
Day 16 - 2 PM

In that moment, you saw what caused Kari alarm. In the distance looked to be 5 large lizard-like creatures.

However, they had with them a semblance of the surrounding mushroom and foliage. If they lie still, it would have been difficult to pick them out of their surrounding. They had various mushroom caps and fungus growing all over them. Their skin was pale and fungus-like, as tendrils of vines and fungus wrapped in and out of its flesh. It reminded you of something that was decomposing. To yours eyes, they didn't quite look alive.

Knowledge (nature) to identify the fungus, Knowledge (dungeoneering) to identify the creature.

Hanako to take turn.

Combat

Initiative: Hanako: 23, Lizard creatures, Kari: 10, Trudy: 9
Map & Status roll20 (pending still)

[close]

Exploration

Log
9-10 AM: Head deeper to Section 1, success, encountered ruins.
10-11 AM: Head deeper to Section 2, success, encountered nothing.
11-12 PM: Head deeper to Section 3, success, encountered moist stone creature.
Noon-1 PM: Head deeper to Section 4, success, encountered nothing.
1-2 PM: Head deeper to Section 5, success, encountered mushroom forest, lizard-like creatures.
Current: Section 5

[close]

[Asta]

Knowledge: Nature
This dice roll has been tampered with!
Rolled 1d20+12 : 16 + 12, total 28
Knowledge: Dungeoneering
This dice roll has been tampered with!
Rolled 1d20+10 : 2 + 10, total 12

"It's kind of tight down here... Let's see if we can bait them into a position where we can flank." Hanako said as she moved forward, blade in hand. She stopped after a few steps and made ready to slash at the first monster to come her way.

Moving 15 ft. then readying an attack with her longsword against the first monster to move within range.
Attack:

Rolled 1d20+15 : 3 + 15, total 18

Damage:

Rolled 1d8+8 : 4 + 8, total 12

[Throndir]

Knowledge (nature): 28
You remember something similar to this back in Klein's estate, perhaps in one of his books, or perhaps told to you by one of the soldiers or slaves. This was a type of fungus that infects corpses, turning them into plant-like aberrations. They retained their previous abilities, but gained new ones as well.

1st success, DC 16, basic info:
Fungal Creature Template, +1 CR

2nd success, DC 21, defensive info:
Armor Class: The fungal growths that appear on a fungal creature's body increase the base creature's natural armor bonus by 2.
Hit Dice: Change all racial Hit Dice to d8s. Class Hit Dice are unaffected.
Defensive Abilities: A fungal creature gains immunity to disease in addition to all of the standard plant traits.

3rd success, DC 26, special abilities info:
Create Spawn (Ex)
A creature killed by Constitution damage from a fungal creature's poison spore cloud transforms into a fungal spawn over a period of 24 hours. A plant growth spell halves the transformation time, and a diminish plants spell doubles it. A blight spell destroys the fungal spores and prevents the corpse's transformation, but spells that remove disease are ineffective against the growing spores. Once a creature fully transforms into a fungal spawn, the corpse from which it grew is destroyed.

A fungal spawn gains the fungal creature template, but it loses all class levels and memories of the base creature from which it was spawned. If the base creature has 1 or fewer racial Hit Dice and normally has class levels, use a 1st-level warrior version of it as the base creature. The fungal spawn awakens as a free-willed being that knows all it needs to know (including language) in order to use its abilities and survive. Although it bears no allegiance to the fungal creature that created it, the new fungal creature immediately recognizes other fungal creatures as its own kind.

Poison Spore Cloud (Ex)
Once per day, a fungal creature can release a choking cloud of spores in a 15-foot-radius spread that lingers in the air for 10 rounds. This cloud functions as an inhaled poison. Any breathing creature in the cloud must succeed at a Fortitude save or inhale the spores. A creature that remains in the area of the spore cloud must continue to attempt Fortitude saves against its effects. Multiple spore clouds from multiple fungal creatures require multiple saves from any creature in an area where the clouds overlap.

Fungal Spores: Poison—inhaled; save Fort DC 10 + 1/2 the fungal creature's racial Hit Dice + the fungal creature's Con modifier; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d2 Con damage and fatigued for 1 minute; cure 2 saves.

Poisonous Blood (Ex)
A fungal creature's blood and flesh are ingested poisons. Any creature that makes a bite attack against a fungal creature, swallows one whole, or otherwise ingests part of one must succeed at a Fortitude save or be afflicted by the poison.

A fungal creature can drain its own blood to procure an ingested poison that functions as described above. However, its blood has a distinctive and largely unwelcome smell and taste, so most intelligent creatures would refuse to eat food tainted with it unless the taste was thoroughly disguised (which requires a successful DC 15 Profession [cook] check). The fungal creature must deal at least 1 point of damage to itself to get a full dose of poison, and the drawn blood (or amputated flesh) retains its poisonous nature for only 24 hours unless additional living fungal blood is mixed into it.

Fungal Blood or Flesh: Poison—ingested; save Fort DC 10 + 1/2 the fungal creature's racial Hit Dice + the fungal creature's Con modifier; frequency 1/minute for 6 minutes; effect 1 Str damage, 1 Dex damage, and nauseated for 1 minute; cure 2 saves.

Special Qualities: A fungal creature gains the following.

Fungal Metabolism (Ex)
Fungal creatures breathe, but they do not eat or sleep in the typical manner.

Rejuvenation (Ex)
A fungal creature gains all the sustenance it requires from contact with moist natural earth, but it must rejuvenate itself as often and for as long as humans need sleep. As long as it is in contact with moist natural earth, a resting fungal creature regains hit points as though it were undergoing complete bed rest and long term care (4 hit points per Hit Die for each day of rest). The fungal creature can engage in light activity during rejuvenation, but any strenuous activity (like fighting, running, or casting a spell) prevents it from regaining hit points for that day. Complete bed rest doesn't increase the amount of healing a fungal creature gains from rejuvenation.

Abilities: Str +4, Dex –2 (minimum 1), Con +4.

Languages: If a fungal creature is able to speak, it gains the ability to speak Sylvan in addition to any other languages the base creature knows.

Knowledge (dungeoneering): 12
You do not recognize the base monster.

One of the lizard-like creatures started to charge towards you. You managed to take your readied action, hitting it. The creature managed to rake one of its claws on you. At that same time, the four others in the back all screeched loudly. It was the same kind of sound you had heard nearer towards the mine entrance when you first descended to this level. The noise was ear-splittingly loud and painful.

Hanako to roll 2 Physical Resist saves, and 2 Agility saves.

[Asta]

Physical Resist:

Rolled 1d20+15 : 14 + 15, total 29

Rolled 1d20+15 : 3 + 15, total 18

Agility:

Rolled 1d20+18 : 16 + 18, total 34

Rolled 1d20+18 : 16 + 18, total 34

"Watch out! Don't breathe in its spores!"

[Throndir]

Physical Resist: 29 Successfully resisted deafen.

Physical Resist: 18 Deafened for 2 rounds, and stunned for 1 round.

Agility: 34 Half damage.

Agility: 34 Half damage.

Stunned
A stunned creature drops everything held, can't take actions, takes a –2 penalty to AC, and loses its Dexterity bonus to AC (if any).

Attackers receive a +4 bonus on attack rolls to perform combat maneuvers against a stunned opponent.

Deafened
A deafened character cannot hear. He takes a –4 penalty on initiative checks, automatically fails Perception checks based on sound, takes a –4 penalty on opposed Perception checks, and has a 20% chance of spell failure when casting spells with verbal components. Characters who remain deafened for a long time grow accustomed to these drawbacks and can overcome some of them.

The lizard creatures move closer, but you weren't quite registering that as you felt your body stiffen and everything around you went silent. Before you realized it, you had dropped your longsword to the ground.

At that same moment the sonic waves were hitting the rest of the party. Kari stepped forward, and began to slice into the creature that attacked you. All four of her heavy swipes managed to connect. Kari managed to down the creature. There was no notification of leveling up that appeared, which told you it wasn't quite dead yet. That, or potentially you didn't receive enough XP to level. It looked dying, though presumably not quite dead yet, but it was no longer a threat.

Trudy grit her teeth, as some blood poured from her nose and ears, though, she managed to fire her rifle. Her bullet hit, and she began to reload.

Hanako is stunned, turn skipped.

The creatures went up, one of them slashed you, drawing some blood. The other three blasted another set of sonic waves.

Hanako to roll 2 Physical Resist saves, and 1 Agility save.

Combat

Initiative: Hanako: 23, Lizard creatures, Kari: 10, Trudy: 9
Map & Status roll20 (pending still)
Log
Round 1
Hanako readies attack.
Lizard creatures attack with sonic attack. Everyone saves, but Hanako on 2nd Phys. Resist.
Kari 5 ft. steps forward, power attack, fullround attack.
Trudy attacks with rifle, reloads
Round 2
Hanako is stunned.
Creatures attack, the ones in the back use sonic.

[close]

Exploration

Log
9-10 AM: Head deeper to Section 1, success, encountered ruins.
10-11 AM: Head deeper to Section 2, success, encountered nothing.
11-12 PM: Head deeper to Section 3, success, encountered moist stone creature.
Noon-1 PM: Head deeper to Section 4, success, encountered nothing.
1-2 PM: Head deeper to Section 5, success, encountered mushroom forest, lizard-like creatures.
Current: Section 5

[close]

[Asta]

Physical resist:

Rolled 1d20+15 : 14 + 15, total 29

Rolled 1d20+15 : 20 + 15, total 35

Agility:

Rolled 1d20+18 : 1 + 18, total 19

[Throndir]

Physical Resist: 29 Successfully resisted deafen and stun.

Physical Resist: 35 Successfully resisted deafen and stun.

Agility: 19 Half damage.

Though you manage to resist the deafening and stunning effect of their attack, and gout out of the way in time from the sonic waves, you still felt the painful vibrations. However, you heard the sound of metal dropping on the floor, and it didn't take you long to realize that it was Trudy's rifle. More blood came pouring from her ears and nose as well, and she had a completely dazed and stunned look on her face. She looked critically injured.

Kari too had blood in her nose and ears, though, she seemed to remain alert. For such a frail-looking body, Kari was actually pretty tough. Biting her lip, Kari stepped up forward with her blade, meaning to take down the next fungal creature.

Her first attack managed to critically hit, leaving the creature badly wounded from just a single attack. After two more strikes, it was downed. With her final attack, she attempted to swing at the next creature, but missed.

Trudy is stunned, turn skipped.

Hanako to take turn.

Sword and rifle on ground. Also minor note, changing Near Death -> Critically Injured. I'll be using the near death descriptor for actual negative hitpoint values.

Combat

Initiative: Hanako: 23, Lizard creatures, Kari: 10, Trudy: 9
Map & Status roll20
Log
Round 1
Hanako readies attack.
Lizard creatures attack with sonic attack. Everyone saves, but Hanako on 2nd Phys. Resist.
Kari 5 ft. steps forward, power attack, fullround attack.
Trudy attacks with rifle, reloads
Round 2
Hanako is stunned.
Creatures attack, the ones in the back use sonic.
Kari 5 ft steps, power attack, fullround, downs next creature.
Trudy is stunned.
Round 3
Hanako to take turn

[close]

Exploration

Log
9-10 AM: Head deeper to Section 1, success, encountered ruins.
10-11 AM: Head deeper to Section 2, success, encountered nothing.
11-12 PM: Head deeper to Section 3, success, encountered moist stone creature.
Noon-1 PM: Head deeper to Section 4, success, encountered nothing.
1-2 PM: Head deeper to Section 5, success, encountered mushroom forest, lizard-like creatures.
Current: Section 5

[close]

[Asta]

"Fuck! Trudy!" Hanako shouted as the wave of sound scrambled everyone's organs. "I'm pulling back to get her out of harms way, then I'll attack from range! Retreat if things look bad Kari!"

Before she turned to drag her stunned companion out of danger she quickly began to chant a spell. "Dark skies fraught with Levin's light, rend the earth with thunderous fury! Rakurai!"

With the lightning unleashed on the creatures, she turned to grab Trudy and drag her back up the corridor.

Rakurai, 2d6 Damage vs Agility, DC 25, 20 foot radius

Rolled 2d6 : 6, 1, total 7

Then burning a hero point to grab and move Trudy up the corridor.