Battle in the Mines
(The Game World)
After a hearty meal, the Party was led back to the forge; the very same place where they underwent their Trial by Fire not so long ago. This time, however; Karuk had instructed his smithies to craft weapons for the adventurers. "Blades won't be of much use for the likes of you, lass" chuckled a smithy who was eyeing Ursa's daggers, "ye will be needing somethin' tougher...like one of these!"
He had only turned aside for but a moment, digging through the contents of a nearby chest, when he suddenly placed something into Ursa's unsuspecting arms. It was a war mace, one about the length of her forearm with jagged spikes protruding out of the roundish head. Though it seemed small, at first glance, the weapon felt strong yet reasonably light in the Tabaxi's grip.
"One of my finest pieces of work that one" chuckled the smithy, those teeth clipped many a goblin's ear during war-times." Ursa chuckled softly at the weapon's description, gave it a few open swings to test its feel (which proved satisfactory) and thanked the blacksmith for his help. The next to approach was Shadow, who insisted that her spells would be more than enough to help defend herself.
"Magic is no good against those beasties, I'm afraid" Karuk said matter-of-factly, "not less any of ye can whip up an earthquake to shake 'em outta their burrows." Without hesitation, all eyes fell squarely upon Ventris and her comrades asked if she were capable of such spell work. Unfortunately, the elf revealed that she had yet to master those particular spells in her studies before the Blight fell over her homeland.
"Then, I guess we gotta fight our way out of this" groaned Velra, "my axes may not be much help...but I'm more than capable of fighting without them." Upon hearing these words, Karuk suddenly laughed uproariously; all while commending the Loxodon warrior for her fighting spirit. Soon after, he vowed to share a pint of his finest ale with her...if she and her comrades succeeded.
Unbeknownst to the others, however; not everyone seemed quite so eager about the coming battle. As she watched her comrades being given their weapons, Fatima suddenly felt a twinge of dread click within her. But it wasn't based upon fear; instead, she felt as though there should be another way to deal with the Xorn creatures.
(The Real World)
"After being properly armed, you prepare to make your way into the mines" Lynn Sr. said in his Acheron voice, "but not before Beris offers you a Blessing of Good Fortune." On the one hand, Lori's group felt a tad thankful that the dwarf characters wouldn't be sending them off without extending some form of good luck unto them. But on the other hand, they still felt suspicious and decided to question Clyde's intentions.
In response, the young man in question said that it was a cleric's duty to share their blessing to anyone in need of it; even towards those they do not fully trust yet. "If you like, girls...this would be an excellent opportunity for each of you to make an Insight Check" Mrs. Johnson suggested, "sound like a plan?" Without even waiting for Lori to speak up, Lynn quickly called for a Pow-Wow and huddled her group in closely.
For almost a minute, they discussed the idea amongst themselves; only giving brief glances back at everyone. When they finally broke up, Lori cleared her throat and spoke in a respectable yet monotone voice. "We've talked it over and came to this conclusion" she said while trying to get into character, "presently...it would be...a wise course of action to determine if the dwarf's words are genuine or not."
Surprisingly, this answer seemed to please everyone including the Council; who struggled to not let their emotions get the best of them (specifically Albert, Lynn Sr. and Rita.) When they finally calmed down, they gestured for the Party to make their respective dice rolls. It was here that Lily stood up from her seat while flailing her arm vigorously, all while crying out "LILY GO FIRST" three times over in her loudest possible voice.
"WHAT! NO WAY" Lori cried in outrage, "I'm the oldest, shouldn't I go first?!" Both sisters soon faced each other, after that with sparks of defiance jolting from their eyes. But just as they appeared close to getting into a fight, Leni of all people intervened; reminding them that the dice decided who would go first.
"Many thanks to thee, milady for thy assistance" Mrs. Johnson said in her Agathe voice, "mayhaps your youngest of kin meant to ask if she could make the first roll?" Surprisingly, Lily not only seemed to understand the teacher's dialect but she proclaimed (in her own way) that her guess was correct. Meanwhile, Lori decided that this would be one of the few times where she wouldn't get "seniority rule" and urged her sister to roll the dice.
With a giggle, Lily plucked her d20 from up off the table and gave it a good toss over her shoulder. It bounced three times atop the surface before it bumped into one of the game model of Karuk's throne with a soft tap. "Okay, now...let's have a look here" Albert said while gingerly leaning over towards the dice, "it looks like Lily's earned herself a...19!"
Lily was so shocked by this reveal that her eyes almost popped out from her head due to how wide they grew. Afterward she gave a jolly clap while her sisters wasted no time in congratulating her (even Lori, albeit with a thumbs up and a smile.)
(Line Break)
After Lily's roll, the rest of the Party each made theirs but none of them were able to match up. Lana and Lola each earned a sixteen, Lucy garnered a twelve on her roll, Lynn only managed to earn a seven despite blowing on it for good luck like a gambler. As for Lori, Fate did not seem to be on her side in the end.
Even after doing all the techniques to make her roll lucky from blowing on it to even rubbing it between her hands, she got a four on the roll. As expected, she wanted to vent out her anguish as loudly as possible over her failure but she didn't want to make a scene. As if he sensed her thoughts, Clyde reached over and offered her his helmet; explaining that screaming into it might "help her out."
Not needing to be told twice, Lori snatched the helmet from out of the boy's hands and stuffed her face inside of it; letting out a muffled shriek soon after. This carried on for almost ten seconds when Lori finally calmed down again and gingerly placed the dwarf helmet back where it belonged on Clyde's hair. "Thank you for that" she murmured blankly, "it...was a big help."
With that over and done with, everyone was finally able to let the session play out. "You approach Beris with a steely gaze in your eyes, Lupa" Rita said dramatically in her Eliana voice, "like all other hounds, your keen senses always appear to be on the defense; especially when dealing with presumably untrustworthy strangers." To provide a little extra "dramatic effect," Lily slammed her hands lightly atop the table and proceeded to growl apprehensively like a dog would.
In addition to this, she stuck her nose up and started sniffing it at the area around her. Since Liam was sitting halfway across the room, there was no way she could do this with him directly. But even then, the Council would certainly exercise the "personal space" rule.
Regardless, Lily did this for about thirty seconds before her growls slowly died down to a whimper and then, a joyful bark. "It...would appear that Lupa is able to sense the true intentions in Beris' wishes" Huggins said hesitantly while in character, "very good, young lady." Lily let out a loud "yip" in thanks before jumping back into her seat.
After that, the Council went on to explain how the Party welcomed Beris to give them his Blessing of Good Fortune. To do this, Clyde proceeded to chant in a language that sounded what only Lisa and Lucy could describe as "otherworldly." It was guttural, hard and yet at the same time, they thought it sounded rather lovely.
At the end of it all, Clyde said the words "may the grace Berronar Truesilver guide you safely" and clacked his spear/staff lightly upon the ground. "Okay...first off, what the heck were you just singing; it was beautiful" Lynn confessed breathlessly, "secondly, who's this Berronar and how is he gonna help us?" With a blush on his cheeks, Clyde thanked Lynn for the compliment and claimed he owed his skills to all the time spent in Glee Club.
After that, he explained that the language he spoke was a Dwarvish prayer; which seemed appropriate for his character class to do. "Lastly, Berronar Truesilver is among the deities' dwarves pray to" he explained, "specifically, he's the God of Home, Healing, Truth and Safety." After taking a moment to process everything that Clyde told them, the girls said their thanks and prepped themselves for the next part of their journey.
(The Game World)
The trek into the mines was most precarious, to say the least. The Party agreed that the way ahead seemed far darker than the passage they traveled through into the dwarves' territory not so long ago. Their only means of guidance was the glow from Ventris' Light spell and her Spirit Beast sniffing out the path ahead.
Velra questioned the effectiveness of using a hound's nose to lead them, as expected. But Ventris insisted they were on the right track, proclaiming that Lupa's sense of smell hadn't steered her wrong before. "But the pup has never encountered any of these Xorn things Karuk mentioned" Ezra stated, "how will she know if there's trouble ahead?"
Upon taking such words to heart, Ventris shook her head and urged the young druid to trust in Lupa's instincts; as someone of his skill should. After that, the Party continued on as carefully as they could; making sure to keep watch for signs of pitfalls or dangerous creatures about. In time, they had finally reached the end of the tunnel and arrived at a cliffside; one that showed all the inner workings Karuk's people had constructed.
There were railways stretching far and wide, statues built from the stone walls of the mountain itself, mining equipment stationed down below and pickaxes laying strewn about the ground. Upon increasing the power of her light spell a tick, Ventris caught sight of something glittering upon the wall. "OOOH! I think I see jewels down there" Ursa chuckled upon noticing the aforementioned glittering lights, "do you think Karuk would mind if I..."
Before the Tabaxi rogue could finish, she felt a swift slap upon her paws courtesy of Ventris' staff. She quickly reminded everyone to not allow themselves to be distracted while seeking out the Xorn. "Are they even here anymore" grumbled Velra, "how do we know they simply didn't wander off to find more gems to snack on?"
Straightaway, Shadow countered this idea by pointing out the gems below; stating that not even the hungriest of beasts would leave so much of a bounty behind. "Regardless, everyone...we must stay alert" Ventris ordered, "and be mindful of where you step during our descent." Soon after this, Lupa suddenly darted off to the side; where she happened upon a large flight of stone stairs.
These stairs seemed to lead down into the mining space below. After reminding everyone to, once again mind their steps; Ventris followed her Frost Wolf companion. The rest of the Party followed suit, all while keeping watch for any sign of danger around them. But they saw nothing out of the ordinary, just collections of holes dug into the stone.
The Party's firs conclusion was perhaps that the dwarves themselves may have dug them some time ago. But Ezra wasn't quite so sure about it. "I may not know much about mining" he stated, "but something about these gaps tells me they weren't made by hand."
Upon saying this, he cautiously approached one of the holes and began feeling his hands along the surface. He then took close observations of the cracks made along the rim of the hole, as if searching for something. "Yes! Just as I thought" he exclaimed, "there are no signs of chipping along the rim...which means this hole and possibly some of the others weren't made by dwarf hands!"
No sooner had this reveal had been made, the Party suddenly became rather tense. Ursa, in particular felt such a chill of uncertainty that her whiskers were twitching violently. This meant they all came to the same conclusion; they had discovered a Xorn dwelling.
The only question was how long ago were these holes dug up and were the creatures still nearby? "Only one way to find out" murmured Mituna, "but we'll need some bait." With this in mind, she made her way towards the eastern edge of the mine and collected one of the gems embedded into the stone.
As she made her way back, Mituna urged for everyone to move aside. Then, with all the strength she could muster, she threw the gem down into the burrow hole. It bounced along the rocky floor almost five feet across, creating soft echoes that filled the whole space. Velra thought her comrade was mad to do this, believing the noises would only bring the Xorn to them quicker.
"That's the idea, isn't it" inquired Mituna, "or at least...this will determine if those things are still lingering anywhere nearby." After saying her piece, the Tortle bard urged for everyone to keep silent while they waited. The only other sound that sounds that could be heard were the final clacks of the gem skipping/bounding along the tunnel.
When it finally stopped, all seemed quiet...almost too quiet. "Be on your guard, everyone" Ventris ordered softly, "who knows where these creatures might appear." After each member gave a silent nod, they clenched their weapons tightly and held them at the ready. That's when they heard it, the sounds.
It was faint, at first; so much so that even Ventris' sharp ears found it difficult to determine the source. "I think I hear it too" whispered Velra, "it almost sounds like...something grinding." For what felt like ages, the Party remained fixed where they stood with weapons at the ready.
They listened closely to the strange "grinding" sounds in the tunnel, believing that whatever resided inside was making its way back. But soon, Velra's own ears perked up when she heard another set of grinding noises; this time from somewhere much closer. "Everyone...I think we should move" she muttered tensely, "whatever is making that noise feels..."
Suddenly, the Party let out a gasp of shock as a creature came bursting out of the ground mere two feet away from where they stood. Although it was only three feet in stature, much smaller than half the adventurers' own collective height, its appearance was no less intimidating. It had a gaping maw in-between its misshapen shoulder blades, three bulky arms with sharp claws on each hand, a single red eye at the center of its torso.
Although the creature's grotesque appearance did leave the Party rather flabbergasted, they did not falter. "It's only one abomination" Velra stated, "we can take it down easily!" No sooner had she said this, her large ears perked at the sound of grinding stones; the same noise that was heard mere moments ago.
This prompted everyone to quickly disperse, making certain not to come within range of the one Xorn standing before them. Alas, they had little time to move as three more creatures suddenly burst up from the ground beneath them. These other three were also Xorns, each one a different misshapen form than the first.
The second one to appear had a greenish tint for its skin tone, it's third arm rested atop its right pectoral muscle and appeared longer than the other two and its singular eye appeared bloodshot; giving it a sort of crazed look. But its strangest feature was the beak it possessed for a mouth. The third Xorn was a grotesque sight to behold; what with its frog-like form, its gangly limbs with needle-thin claws and the rows of sharp yet crooked teeth.
But the fourth of these creatures appeared bulkier in build, possessed a piercing red eye at the center of its torso, had stone-like lumps atop every inch of its body (almost resembling blemishes,) muscley limbs and a massive maw filled with razor-sharp teeth. The creatures took there stand shoulder-to-shoulder and glared at the intruding creatures before them; deep, guttural snarls emanating from each of their mouths.
(The Real World)
"EWWW! I don't know about the rest of you guys" cried Lola, "but I'm getting more and more creeped out, the more I hear Dad and Pop-Pop make those noises." The other Loud Sisters nodded silently to one another and then, turned their attention back towards the Game Masters' chairs; where Albert and Lynn Sr. were seen making a series of odd faces and noises. To many, it sounded as though they were either chewing on rocks or clacking their teeth together.
Finally, Rita took notice of the girls' collective confusion and decided to help clear the air. "See...Xorn are mostly known for speaking the Terran language" she stated, "that means they don't speak words, only noises based upon whatever element the creature's affiliated with." Sadly, despite however informative this seemed, the explanation only seemed to make the Loud Sisters appear more confused.
As if sensing this, the some of the Gal Pals offered up a more basic idea of what Terran was. "Imagine moving your hand in a bag filled with rocks" Becky explained, "all that clacking, grinding and rumbling you hear when you do it...that's kind of an idea of what Terran creatures like Xorn sound like." Upon taking these words into consideration, many among the Loud Sisters felt they weren't too far off with their earlier comparison with Lynn Sr. and Albert's teeth.
Meanwhile, Lynn Jr appeared more concerned with the best way to deal with the Xorn head-on. "Now, hold on...are the creatures even that dangerous" Leni inquired, "the manual said they aren't a real threat unless they're hungry." Everyone at the table took a moment to praise Leni, not only for her studying the Monster Manual but also for her show of compassion.
At the same time; her sisters, while equally proud, wasted no time in reminding Leni of why they came to the mines. "In case you forgot, Leni...those creepy things are literally eating the dwarves' treasures" Lori said matter-of-factly, "are you willing to let them take away their livelihood?" Not long after this, Lola chimed in; using the idea of moths running loose in Reininger's.
She claimed that while they also didn't pose a danger to people, they were still an invasive species and were eating away at something folks like Ms. Carmichael considered valuable; namely clothes. "Are you willing to let that kind of thing happen" she asked emphatically, "I say we fight!" Leni suddenly cringed at her younger sister's words, her mind suddenly filling with images of hordes of moths swarming the store and eating holes into every outfit in sight (most of which being worn by customers.)
When the image of her besties (both from work and school) having their clothes being devoured by hungry insects popped up in her head, Leni let out an outward shriek. "SO MANY BEAUTIFUL OUTFITS...RUINED" she cried, "TAKE MY CLOTHES INSTEAD, THEY'RE FROM LAST SEASON!" Despite however surprising this response was, the other Loud Sisters agreed that it did the trick in getting their point across.
Now, there was only one other thing to figure out and that...was how to actually fight the Xorn.
(Line Break)
"Okay...I take my mace and I attempt to swing it at the first Xorn's eye" Luan explained while swinging her arms side-to-side, "if it can't see us, it won't be a problem." While her idea sounded good on paper, the Xorn's singular eye was small and hitting it would be no easy task. It all depended on how much favor she would get on her dice roll, in the end.
Luan plucked it off the table, held it tight in her fist and shook it like crazy for almost ten seconds. When she finally let it roll, it revealed a number four as the end result. According to the Game Masters; while this wasn't a "Critical Failure," Luan still missed and came close to almost nicking Velra with her mace.
"Hey! Watch it there" Lynn cried indignantly, "I'm libel to make a counterstrike for that." The look in the young jock's eyes, while devoid of the usual fire of her anger, clearly showed Luan that she wasn't kidding. But before anything else could be said, Lana stepped in between them (literally) and urged the two ladies to focus.
"It's just one bad roll" she said calmly, "we still have six other chances to make up for it." Mere seconds after that was said, Lana seized her chance to make the next roll. Thankfully, hers was a thirteen; not a perfect roll but it gave her character's attack just the right amount of punch.
As a result, Lana was able to deal five points of damage unto the green-skinned Xorn. "WELL DONE, YOUNG DRUID" Albert said in his Karuk voice, "now...let us see if your comrades have equal luck in their strikes." Soon, Lola was given the dice and she made sure to blow some air between her clenched palms for some of that "luck" her Pop-Pop mentioned.
When she finally sent the D20 rolling, she crossed her fingers tensely while muttering "please" under her breath several times over. Eventually, it stopped right in front of where Cristina sat and she took a quick peek at it to see the result. "Okay, it looks like you may have got...a 17" she exclaimed with joy, "talk about a good roll!"
Everyone cheered, hooted and/or laughed loudly with pride for Lola's success. Much like with her twin; while hers may have not been a Natural 20, the roll was still something to be proud of. "Okay...so, here's my attack" she stated, "kindly remind me...does my character have any smoke bombs on her?"
Without the slightest hesitation, both the Game Masters and several players at the table responded with a resounding "yes." At the same time, Lincoln was quick to remind his sister that she may or may not have forgotten her gear when the Party fled the Colosseum. "DANG IT, LINKY...You're right" she muttered in annoyance, "in that case, could I do the same thing but with the dirt underneath us?"
Lincoln smiled broadly at his little sister, not only for her clever idea but also for thinking it up so quickly after another one fell flat. However, it was the Council's decision in the end to allow it. Thankfully, they also appeared pleased with Lola's thinking and granted her permission to go along with her plan.
"Okay, here's how it goes" the wee pageant princess explained, "using the same grace and guile I use in my performances; I scoop up a handful of dirt, do a back flip over the creepy Xorn and toss the dirt into its eye before I land." A few players couldn't help but chuckle at this; thinking that, even though she hadn't been on a pageant stage that much in almost a year, she still carried that famous spark.
Other players, meanwhile, watched her with great interest as she picked her minifig up off the table and moved it over the Xorn one; all while doing a series of semi-elegant flips. Once the move was done, Rita took the floor and went into detail on the end result. "The Xorn screeches loudly in surprised pain, as the dirt hits him square in the eye" she said while in character, "it stumbles about in place blindly, as a result."
Feeling curious, Lucy decided to ask if this would lead into the creature bumping into the others as a result? The Council smiled at one another and Huggins, after reassuming his role, decided to use this idea to move things along. Sadly, while this did prove successful, Lucy's suggestion only resulted in the Xorn feeling mildly bothered with their kinfolk bumping into them.
"Remember, young adventurers...these creatures are not very smart" Mrs. Johnson said while in character, "so, they won't be so easily tricked or distracted."
(The Game World)
Ursa's comrades watched in awe as she elegantly flipped over the green-skinned Xorn. The creature also appeared to be quite mesmerized as well despite its simple nature. Alas, this would prove to be its undoing as Ursa proceeded to let the dirt powder fly from her hand.
The creature gave the shrillest of painful shrieks, as the dust landed directly into its bulbous eye. "HA! Excellent work, Sister" cheered Ezra, "the beasty will certainly be feeling that for quite some time." Upon landing safely, Ursa thanked her brother for his compliment with a gracious bow.
But despite feeling equally impressed with the display, Ventris urged for everyone to remain focused. Meanwhile, the green-skinned Xorn stumbled about blindly while screeching in pain; all while clutching at its burning eye. This led to it crashing unceremoniously with the more stone-scaled Xorn.
The beast let out a deep growl of annoyance, irritated from the fact its personal space had been violated. In retaliation, it proceeded to strike at the green Xorn with its claws. Surprisingly, the blow barely seemed to nick at its skin but its burning eye more than made up for it.
Within seconds, two of the five Xorn proceeded to fight amongst themselves; leaving the remaining three to stand their ground. "Well...that was...fortunate" Velra murmured, dumbfounded; "now, what are we to do with them?" No sooner had this been said, the frog-like Xorn charged at the Party with a growl.
But before it could get too close, Velra stepped forward, raised her club high and smashed it to the floor with all her might. The strike created a mighty tremor, one strong enough to shake the beast's stride. Alas, it wasn't enough to cause it to lose balance; which was something Velra originally hoped for.
"What matters is you got it distracted" Shadow said telepathically with an outright squawk, "allow me to try something!" Thinking quickly, she reached into her cloak and brought out a dagger with a wavy blade. At first glance, her comrades assumed that she intended to cut the Xorn with it.
But Shadow insisted she had other plans in mind. She took a moment's pause and held the dagger up close to her chest while also softly squawking to herself. It didn't take long for Ventris to understand that she must've been reciting a spell of some sort. "Whatever you intend to do, be quick about it" Mituna shouted, "the beast is almost upon you!"
The charging Xorn roared loudly with great ferocity, as it drew closer; its claws raised high and its fangs bared. But just when it seemed like it was too late, Shadow let out a shriek and lobbed her dagger out...or rather, up towards the ceiling. It flew high like an arrow until it struck a series of stalactites above her.
This led to the enchantment upon her blade to suddenly release its magic, causing a rather strong explosion. Several stalactites broke away as a result, falling down towards the ground until they finally crashed atop the Xorn; just as it came within an arm's reach of Shadow. "HA! Masterfully done there, Sorceress" chuckled Mituna, "you certainly caught the beast...between a rock and a hard place."
The Twins and Velra groaned loudly with annoyance at the bard's poorly timed jest. But they had little time to focus on it, as they still had the remaining Xorn to contend with. Thankfully, Ezra had an idea on how to deal with at least one of them.
"I need one of you to distract it" he instructed, "I'll need a moment to properly concentrate."
(The Real World)
"Okay, everybody; here's my plan" Lana said with a giddy grin, "I'm gonna use my druid powers to summon a bunch of vines from up underneath two of the Xorn and tie 'em up tight!" Several players commended Lana on her strategy but others meanwhile, went about suggesting something a little more...creative than simple vines.
"How's this for an idea" chimed Lucy, "it's something I saw in the spells section for characters who are magic users, a spell called Stone to Mud!" The table rang loudly with shouts of praise to the young Goth for her addition to the attack strategy. But once again, a few other players were quick to point out a flaw in it.
"In order for such a spell to be used; druids, sorcerers and especially wizards must be at Lv. 8." Lucy and Lana both groaned with dismay at this news, failing to remember this fundamental fact. Lori, meanwhile seemed strangely silent in spite of the fact her character was in the same boat as her sisters' own.
Some sitting near her mistook this silence for disappointment, anger or even annoyance. But when they noticed her scrunched up brow, they realized that she was actually thinking. "Something on your mind, Lor" Carol inquired, "you look like you're about to have an aneurism." Lori let out a gasp upon hearing her friend's comment, which seemed to be just enough to snap her out of whatever train of thought she was in.
Upon recovering, she noticed several people looking at her with curious looks in their eyes. "Somethin' on your mind, sweetie" Lynn Sr. asked in his normal tone, "you looked like you were in deep thought earlier." For a brief moment, Lori was prepared to stick to her usual guns and act like she was thinking of when they'd finally get to leave.
But instead, much to even her own surprise, she said something completely unexpected. "We've literally been through quite a few adventures up until this point" she stated, "we must've gone up at least a level or two." All was quiet after this, save for the sounds of Flip singing some medieval folk songs off-key over by the refreshments table.
Finally, Lincoln dug his finger slightly into his ears and questioned if he actually heard his sister correctly. "Okay...that's pretty rude, little brother" Lori said with an eyeroll, "I may not be...as invested as the rest of you but I pay attention to some things." After taking a moment to process what was said, yet again; many players extended the warmest and heartiest of praises unto the young lady for her input.
Afterwards, Huggins requested that someone make some calculations to properly determine what level the Party currently stood at. "Allow me, everyone...it's about time I was given the chance to do something here" Lisa interjected, "just give me a few moments." With that, she reached into her chest plate and withdrew something from inside her shirt; specifically, a calculator.
Everyone watched as the young genius clicked at the buttons with great fervor. Finally, almost a minute and a half later, she printed out a thin sheet from her calculator (which contained the current stats for everyone's characters.) "After taking in the necessary information" she murmured, "between the Owlbear encounter, the duel with Fastred in Maravillosa and each of the matches that took place within the Cicero Coliseum; it would seem that each of my sisters' characters have ascended up to at least...three and a half levels."
It took some time for this news to properly register with some among Lori's group. But when it all finally sunk in, Lana and Lola felt slightly dejected; thinking that three and a half seemed like "small potatoes" after everything they did. "Keep in mind, girls that in most campaigns; it takes time for a player's character to level up" Mrs. Johnson explained, "and to do this, you'll need experience."
Surprisingly, the Twins were able to understand all this but still felt a tad disappointed. "I agree with them" Lynn said suddenly, "my character was an arena champ...how could she be a low level?" As if expecting this, her parents responded in kind by saying that this was all in regards to the magic users among the Adventuring Party.
Since they had only just started their adventure together, it was expected for them to be at so-called "low levels" with their spellcasting. "Lily has a idea" chirped the wee toddler in question, "wha happen if they work together?" Much to everyone else's shock, not one of the older Loud Siblings objected to this idea.
If Lana, Lucy and Lori could find some way to combine their magical abilities, using the Stone to Mud spell may actually work. "The question still remains, though" Mrs. Johnson interjected, "how do you plan on doing this?" Lana and Lucy each cast a sly smile at one another before responding with a simple "we may have an idea."
(The Game World)
"Shadow, you and the others do what you can to prepare the spell" Mituna stated, "I'll distract the Xorn!" Although a sound plan, Ventris questioned how a bard's skills could entrance the minds of such simple creatures. But Shadow quickly countered this by saying the distraction did not need to be perfect, it only needed to be effective.
Although the elf mage wished to further argue on the matter, she realized the oncoming Xorn abomination should be her main focus. Thus, she joined her mystical comrades and concentrated her powers through her staff; as did Ezra. Meanwhile, Shadow reached into her cloak and was relieved to see that her spell-book remained safely stored within an inner pocket.
Upon bringing it out, she sought out the Stone to Mud spell and began reciting the incantation. As for Mituna, she bravely leapt in the way of the oncoming Xorn; making all manner of odd faces and noises. The creature came to a sudden halt the moment she appeared, staring at the Tortle with the oddest look in its bulbous eye.
"Good...now that I have your attention, big fella; I have a surprise for you" she stated, "it's a magic trick, would you like to see it?" The Xorn only gave a deep growl as its reply, though it was unknown if the creature was bothered or threatened by Mituna. Everyone watched as she reached into her shell to withdraw a small handkerchief, which she elegantly placed over her clenched left fist.
When she pulled it off, there was a stunning pie topped with a thick layer of whipped cream atop of it. "MITUNA! Are you daft" Ursa hissed in annoyance, "you know full well the beast can't eat our kinds of foods!" Without taking her focus away from the beast, Mituna smiled at her comrades and proclaimed she had no intention of eating the pie.
Instead, she lobbed it at the Xorn; causing it to splatter with great force against its eye. The creature screeched loudly with pain, its claw-like hands trying desperately to clear away the residue without hurting itself. This prompted Ventris, Ezra and Shadow to immediately enact their end of the plan.
"Quickly, while its distracted" Shadow ordered telepathically with an outward caw, "take hold of my hands!" While the she-elf and druid felt understandably confused by this command, they had little time to debate on it and did as they were told. Once they had appropriately clasped hands, they held their staves aloft with their free ones while Shadow began reciting the spell.
As her hands became enveloped with mystic energy, she clasped her left one tight around her comrades' staves; channeling said energy through them. It was here that both Ventris and Ezra began reciting the incantation as well. Eventually, the Xorn's vision was cleared and it growled bitterly at the trio before resuming its earlier charge.
By now, however; the spell had already been complete and they blasted the ground with their combined magic. The instant it made contact, the ground beneath the Xorn suddenly became moist and sleek; causing the beast's stride to become awkward. Finally, it softened up to the point where everyone could see the beast's legs sinking.
"IT'S WORKING, EVERYONE...KEEP AT IT" Mituna shouted, "JUST FOR A MOMENT LONGER!" Using as much will they could muster, the three magic wielders focused more of their power through their staves and into the ground beneath them. This led to the Xorn sinking ever deeper into the now saturated floor.
Eventually, Ventris could not continue any longer and thus, fell to her knees in exhaustion. Shadow and Ezra soon fell as well, the latter of whom appeared as though he may die on the spot. "Hang it all...I've never...done anything...like that before" the druid huffed loudly, "but did it work?" Without hesitation, Ursa cast a glance towards her right and let out a soft sigh of relief.
Not only did her brother and the others succeed in their plan, the only parts of the Xorn that were remotely visible were their wrists. "This won't hold them for very long" Fatima said matter-of-factly, "we'll need to think of a way to stop these things from doing any more harm." While no one argued that she was correct in her statement, the rest of the Party pointed out that they used nearly every plan at their disposal to drive the Xorn away.
It was these words in particular that brought Fatima to openly suggest a non-violent method. "And how the deuce do you plan to do that" Velra challenged, "these simple-minded beasts only understand one thing...the need to feed!" The instant this statement was made, Velra's ears suddenly perked with intrigue while she cast a glance over in Fatima's direction.
(The Real World)
"OOOOH! This is gonna be good, I know it" Clyde said excitedly, "what kind of idea do you have up your sleeves, Leni?" The young blonde in question blinked lightly in confusion, at first before stating she held nothing up her sleeves (except her arms.) After being reminded of the phrase's true meaning, however; Leni finally understood and smiled playfully.
She then went on to say that as a half-djinn, she harbored much of the power that came from her mother's own; including the ability to grant wishes. "What I wanna do is take one or more of the gems from this mine" Leni explained, "then, I'll use my powers to make them super-duper huge; which should keep the creepy Xorn thingies satisfied for years!" For a moment or so, no one had spoken a word; their minds trying desperately to fully process what they've just been told.
When it all finally clicked, a light applause sounded off from several players. Eventually, soft murmurs of praises and more clapping was added until the whole room echoed with the sounds of applause. "That is an amazing idea there, sweetie" Albert chortled with pride, "I knew you had a clever mind in ya." Leni blushed bashfully at all the praises being sent her way...until Lisa politely yet suddenly put a halt in the celebration.
"Not to seem rude...but while clever, I sense one glaring flaw in my elder sister's plan" she said blankly, "even if you were to give the Xorn gems of monumental sizes, their presence in the mines will still prove a problem for the Dwarves." Everyone quickly realized the truth behind this statement and proceeded to question Lori's group on possible methods to solve the problem.
"Maybe...Maybe me or Lori could conjure a portal that leads to somewhere outside the mountain we came in" Lucy suggested, "but I don't know if such a power exists within the game." As if on cue, the Council opened up each of their manuals and Principal Huggins referenced a particular spell that could be what Lucy had in mind. "Great minds think alike, fellow Game Master" Mrs. Johnson said in her Agathe voice, "but will the young witch's efforts prove successful?"
Just as her fellow Council members were starting to get ahead of themselves, Rita quickly called their attention and reminded them to focus on Leni's turn first. After that, the young lady went about explaining her plan in great detail. First, she asked for Velra's assistance in collecting as many remaining gemstones left within the stone walls.
This proved successful thanks to a Natural 20 Lynn received on her Strength Check; which she used to strike at the walls with her axes, fists and even her tusks. Through these actions, the Party managed to gather up a reasonably large pile of gems. "Now, for my part" Leni stated, "but...could someone remind me how my character grants wishes again?"
In response, Lynn Sr. explained that such an action happens when either the djinn themself makes the wish or when they're forced to while under the command of others. However, he added to this by saying that the Wish Spell only offered a 33% success. "This means when you make your roll to perform this, you best hope it's a high one" Huggins said matter-of-factly, "so...no pressure."
While the man's words did cause a sliver of unease to flow through her, that didn't stop Leni from going through with her plan. With D20 in hand, she shook it long and hard like a baby with a rattle on a sugar high until she finally sent it flying across the table. Unfortunately, she may have placed a bit too much "pepper" in her throw (as Lynn would put it) and as a result, it bounced off the one end of the table and flew up into the air.
It bounced against one of the hanging flags, ricocheted against a pair of pillars, flew back down towards Huggins' throne (causing the poor fellow to duck) and bounce right off the upholstery. Eventually, it flew right back to the table and skittered along the surface before finally coming to a stop in front of Leni. All was quiet for almost five minutes, everyone feeling too afraid to say or do anything; believing that doing so might cause something to fall over.
When everything seemed to be okay, every player at the table heaved a sigh of relief...all except for Leni, who sheepishly apologized for what she did. "Think nothing of it, dear...no one got hurt and nothing was broken" Mrs. Johnson said while smoothing out her hair, "just...be more careful, next time." Once that was settled, everyone eagerly awaited to hear what Leni got on her dice roll.
"I'll tell ya what...if she don't get no 20 from all that, I'm callin' shenanigans" Liam decreed, "who's with me?" Unsurprisingly, Lincoln joined his bestie on his decree; adding that what just happened should've given Leni some bit of good luck. Of course, he immediately found himself utterly surprised by such a thought and remembered that luck...didn't have the best history with his family.
Meanwhile, Leni nervously glanced down at the table while muttering "pleasepleaseplease" softly under her breath. When she finally saw what number her dice revealed, she gasped and soon let out a squeal so shrill that it almost shattered the windows. "YOUNG LADY...PLEASE, COMPOSE YOURSELF" Huggins shouted while plugging his ears, "IF YOUR ACCIDENTAL ROLL DIDN'T PUT OUR DEPOSIT AT RISK...YOUR SQUEALS CERTAINLY MIGHT!"
Not needing to be told twice, Leni clasped her hands tight over her mouth; her squeals of joy still pouring out in muffled tones. When she finally calmed down, she revealed that her dice roll rewarded her with a Nat 20. "HOLY SCHMOLY! That is something to be happy about" Lincoln laughed heartily, "nicely done there, Sis!" One brief period of cheers later and everyone resumed the session, aside from Chaz giving Leni one last congratulatory hug.
(The Game World)
Velra had just placed the last of the gems she could find into the pile, taking a moment to ease the tense discomfort in her hands and tusks. Meanwhile, they others kept a close vigil over the Xorn; who remained trapped within the stoney ground. Yet Ventris knew that somehow, these creatures could or would find a way out at any moment.
"I agree...whatever you have in mind, Fatima; make it quick" urged Ursa, "I don't quite like the way the larger Xorn is digging its claws so deeply into the dirt." Fatima gave her friends a silent nod and immediately approached the gem pile, her palms facing outwards towards it. Then, she asked for someone to help her by making the wish for themselves.
"I am only half a djinn...thus, my power only possesses half the strength of a true member of my kinfolk" she explained, "I cannot make the wish on my own whim." It didn't take long for another member of the Party to answer this call. With a deep inhale for luck, Ventris approached Fatima and made her wish; to have the gems be twice the size of the Xorn.
Everyone watched in awe as both the gems and Fatima's hands suddenly shined with a golden light. Within seconds; every ruby, emerald, sapphire and diamond in the pile began to grow in size. They grew and grew and grew until each one of them looked almost as grand in scale as a house.
However, no sooner had this happened, the ground suddenly burst and the Xorn were free once more. The beasts growled menacingly at their captors and were prepared to strike...until something tantalizing caught their senses. With soft, animalistic growls; the Xorn directed their collective gazes to the side and saw the mound of enormous gems before them.
Within seconds, their jaws began to salivate immensely; making them look like a pack of ravenous hounds. Meanwhile, the Party seized this opportunity to attend to Fatima, who was currently attempting to catch her breath. "I'm fine, everyone...I really am" she assured tiredly, "I just...I haven't used such a power before and wasn't expecting to feel so exhausted afterwards." The Party nodded their heads in understanding, all while commending their djinn companion for her successful plan.
"But it's not quite finished yet" Mituna stated, "now, we need to send these creatures off...as far away as possible." With that said, Ventris and Shadow immediately carried out their part of the plan. Using their combined power once again, they opened a gateway; one leading to what looked like another cave.
At the same time. Velra used a portion of her strength to help push one of the diamonds through the gate. Such actions caught the attention of the frog-like Xorn, who immediately growled like a hound guarding the stoop of its home. "You want the shiny morsel, beastie" Velra teased while pushing still, "go get it, then!"
With a mighty heave, she shoved the diamond straight through the portal. This immediately led to the Xorn to chase after it, as the gem rolled along the cave path. Meanwhile, Ezra summoned a collection of vines to lift and throw the other remaining stones through the portal.
The remaining Xorn sounded off their unusual cries and rushed headlong through the gate, hoping to catch one of the "scrumptious" stones for their next meal. When the last one finally leapt through, Ventris and Shadow cut off their power; closing the gate. "There...it is finished" Fatima sighed with satisfaction, "now, the dwarves will have their mine back once again."
Everyone cheered loudly with joy at this news, all except for Velra, who felt the Xorn might make their return back. But Ventris quickly eased her friend's concerns, informing her that the gateway she and Shadow created opened up to another cave within another mountain; one that was miles away from their location. "Besides, luv...have you seen how grand Fatima made those gems" Ezra asked cockily, "it'll take them quite some time for them to finish eating just one!"
With their task complete, the Party collapsed tiredly upon the ground while each let out a heavy sigh of relief. Now, all that remained was to return to Karuk's throne room and inform his people of the good news.
(The Real World)
Back at the table, everyone was in a throw of cheers as well; all of which were being sent Leni's way. "DUDEAGE! That was such an awesome plan you made" Luna said proudly, "and the best part is nobody got hurt." Everyone else shared similar words of praise for Leni's success, even Lori couldn't help but do so(no matter how much her inner voice screamed.)
Just then, a strange noise caused everybody's celebration to come to a sudden halt. But it wasn't the sound of Mrs. Bernardo's horn blaring, the crackle of chipping stonework from the pillars Leni's die struck earlier nor was it the sound of Flip singing off-key. Instead, it was the low yet familiar rumble of not one but several hungry bellies.
"Oops...Heh. Sorry about that, everyone" Lincoln chuckled with his arms around his torso, "I guess all that excitement worked up an appetite for me." Unsurprisingly, several other players sounded off in agreement with the boy; including his family. "I propose we take a quick snack break before we continue" Lucy suggested, "what say you, noble adventurers?"
Without even a second thought or a moment's pause, everyone sounded off in full agreement with the young Goth and made their way towards Flip's/Bojan's food table. Of course, everyone rushed to it at such speed that it caused the poor man to duck in cover under said table. "HEY! EASE UP, YOU ANIMALS" Flip shouted loudly, "JUST 'CAUSE MOST OF YA ARE PRETENDIN' TO BE MONSTERS...IT DON'T MEAN YA GOTTA EAT LIKE 'EM!"
(Line Break)
After that brief moment of chaos, everyone returned to the table with full plates and cups; ready for a well-earned snack. They laughed, they cheered, they each shared stories about their favorite moment of the session so far and were just have a jolly lark of a time. Among those laughing was Lori, who had momentarily forgotten about all the voices in her head telling her to walk away from all this.
Even though it was just part of the game, seeing Leni come out on top so well actually made her feel proud. She then cast her gaze to the other six members of her "Party," who were all laughing and chatting with their fellow players. The more she listened to all the merriment and the more she thought about what happened moments ago, the less Lori found herself thinking about her teenage pride.
"I literally don't wanna admit it to everybody...but I think I might actually be...having fun" she thought with a light smile, "but who knows what might happen that could change that." With this thought in mind, Lori took another sip of Fairy Ale from her stein cup and took a bite of a Cockatrice wing. The whole time she did so, Lori barely noticed anything the others were talking about.
The only thing she did take notice of were her friends giving the occasional glances her way and them giggling softly. Lori didn't understand why they were behaving like this. But she couldn't help but think that it had something to do with the game and whatever it might be, she would probably be the main focus of it.
(First AN: And so, the battle within the dwarf mines has come to a close. So sorry for taking so long with this chapter, everybody. Between doing research on Xorn for the chapter, celebrating Thanksgiving and prepping for the upcoming Christmas celebration here at home; I was rather busy. Before Christmas, however; I have my birthday coming up tomorrow.
So, I wanted to finish this up as quickly as I can before then. I hope you'll enjoy it, make sure to leave a review and have a Merry Christmas/Happy Holiday in the week ahead)
(Second AN: As I said, I wanted to make sure to do proper justice with the Xorn. I needed to make sure I got their behavior correct, how they fought and above all, how they behave done just right. These beasties are something entirely new to me, despite being part of the game since the beginning.
So, I needed to do a lot of research for this chapter)
(Third AN: Some might think the way the climax happened was...anticlimactic, for lack of a better word. But because the Xorn are rather simple-minded monsters in D , they aren't exactly Big Boss level threats. So, Leni's plan felt like the perfect way to deal with them)
(Fourth AN: What happened during Leni's big dice roll may seem unrealistic to some, namely having the dice bounce everywhere. But I wanted to have at least one comedic moment that felt in-universe with Loud House)
(Final AN: Berronar Truesilver is an actual character from D lore among dwarves. This was another element I wanted to do proper justice for, even if it is for one small moment with Clyde)