The Rock's Hunger by Ilya

[nodaisho]

Barrend holds out his arm, hand open, beside him. "Wait," he says, "It don't look aggressive. Don't attack it, see what it does."

[achinca]

Alyana says "Theo .... Don't shot. May be we can just walk by it like we did with the wolf on the other side of the wall ....

She moves toward the creature (double move) stopping at B6. The elf woman uses her low-light vision to get a sense of anything out of the ordinary in the current strange situation.

[puffthemagicdragon]

Seeing the elf move past quickly, Theodorre whispers loudly, "Not so fast, you might spook it."

[Ilya]

((I should remind everyone that, at the start of their turn, nobody but Barendd can see any creature at all. So, he should at least explain that it is there.))

[She-Elf]

Taliea stays behind as the others rush on ahead, keeping a rear guard on the group.

---

Move to C16

[nodaisho]

Barrend speaks quietly back towards the group. "I see it, edge of my vision. Maybe sixty feet. Doesn't look aggressive, but careful. Looks like it eats metal."

[Ilya]

The creature the Barbarian so accurately defined, up to its diet, at first glance is indeed not the danger here, and neither is its cousin, which is standing a bit behind it, and looking equally worried. Yes, approaching it has proven disastrous.
There is something worse. Out of thin air -no, wait, that's not thing air, there's something there, something transparent, which had eluded the heroes' eyes- that something extends a quivering, transparent tendril even as Alyanna realizes something is not quite right when her foot, instead of touching the ground, finds itself in that nearly invisible mass.
On pure momentum, she moves into the eager blob that fills the area around her, robbing her of air, while the tendril rams her. It can just barely touch her before its own body prevents it from doing so, and yet, the transparent mass goes through her chain shirt, slamming into her back and burning her flesh. Less then a second after that, she finds herself suspended in the gelatinous mass, fighting to get free, while a plethora of chemicals affect her system, and her equipment. And worse yet, parts of her clothing are starting to become significantly thinner, too. The metal parts, however, are quite untouched.

Only after these events, which took mere instants to transpire, the heroes realize what they have been looking through: a massive, yet hardly visible -although the Cleric inside of it certainly makes it easier to see- block of transparent material.



The walls in this room have not been ground away by the ooze's passage, and, while they bear some difficult to discern fluvial marks, seems to be more these other, buglike, creatures' home. A few rock formations stand inside the room.
Here, too, the walls seem to have been scraped by something.

---

Alyanna's HP: 40/50. I'll also need a Fortitude save and Reflex saves for all your magical, non-metal objects, equal to 2 + one-half their caster level, or, alternatively your own Reflex save if that's better.
Your non-magical non-metal items, sadly, are being digested.

You people need to work on your entrances. And your Spot checks.

Initiative order: Barendd - Taliea - Theodorre - Alyanna - Wildlife - Action paused here-.

[She-Elf]

Seeing Alyana suspended in the goo, the Ranger wonders how best to tackle such an enemy - she imagines arrows will not have much of an effect, but she knows that time is probably short for the cleric. "How do we take this thing??" she asks the others, desperation clearly in her voice. She's worried that the Cleric will be harmed in the process, but feels that can remain unspoken.
In the meantime she opts for trying to take down the copper creatures.

---

Free Action: Speak, Knowledge Nature 1d20+4=23
Move: to E17 while drawing bow
Standard: Shoot at C2
Attack: 1d20+11=16
Damage: 1d8+3=6

I'm guessing these things aren't considered animals, cos if they are, they're favoured enemies, so I'd a +2 bonus...

[Ilya]

---

No, these are respectively an ooze and aberrations. The Knowledge skill for those is Dungeoneering. (Does anyone EVER take that Knowledge?)

[achinca]

First it is the tentacle. Then it is realizing that you are not walking on the goo. After that it is the burning pain and then every thing speeds up and Alyanai is engulfed in a ooze.

The cleric does not speak, worried that the acidic ooze might come inside her mouth. She feels her clothes under her armor disappear and the awful feeling of being naked under the mithral chain shirt.

Her shortbow and arrows dissolve into nothingness while her mace and dagger survive. Her buckler melts as does her amulet of health and handy haversack with all its contents (failed save" rolled 3 and 5).

She is left with her armor, mace, dagger and holy symbol.

She tries to free herself but fails (Escape artist: 1d20 + 1 = 9)

New AC: 18
New HP: 34/44

[achinca]

I updeted eh character sheet and did a save for the group healing wand and failed it too. Sorry.

[Ilya]

---

I have good news.
Good news: only an amount of damage is done, so some things may have survived. It's not likely, but possible.

And hey, if you had been too cheap to buy yourself a Silver symbol, you'd be in even more trouble, so that's good. I'll still need your fort.

[achinca]

Fortitude save: 1d20 + 6 = 18

Actually, I like that action. Too often DM do not go after the character equipment. Nothing like a dispell magic on the brand new +5 sword the paladin just bought. Just the gold loss is funny.

[puffthemagicdragon]

Thinking back during his studies, Theodorre tries to think of the best thing to do, and still not harm Alyana. He takes a step forward, grabbing a wand and unleashes the magic on the devouring cube. He thinks of everything he has learned and tells the others the best course of action.

---

HP: 34
AC: 14

knowledge (dungeoneering): 1d20(20)+3=23, hmm, i dont even know what to do, never ran across one before
free action: 5' step to E18
move: grab wand of melfs acid arrow.
standard: attack cube in spot to not harm Alyana, if thats possible
attack: 1d20(14)+3=17, what attack do i use for ranged touch?

Acid Arrow
Conjuration (Creation) [Acid]
Level: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S, M, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Effect: One arrow of acid
Duration: 1 round + 1 round per three levels
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

A magical arrow of acid springs from your hand and speeds to its target. You must succeed on a ranged touch attack to hit your target. The arrow deals 2d4 points of acid damage with no splash damage. For every three caster levels (to a maximum of 18th), the acid, unless somehow neutralized, lasts for another round, dealing another 2d4 points of damage in that round.

[nodaisho]

Barrend drops the potion flask back into its pouch, and charges the ooze-thing with his guisarme, roaring in familiar berserker rage.

---

M: replace potion in pouch (too expensive to drop and too slow to use)
S: partial charge to D12, attack ooze

Power Attack 2 on ooze: 1d20+13=27 (includes +2 from charge)
Damage: 2d4+11

If it would take too long to switch the guisarme back to hitting with the blade (doesn't seem like it would, but just in case), attack with the gauntlet instead, damage 1d4+6, hits AC of 26 or lower.

HP: 84/84
AC: 17

Fort: +12