[Heavy Snowfall] Chapter 1: The Request

[iDragow]

Ouch. Vince had been hurt in battles before, but not THAt bad. "I'm sorry I brought it up. It must be a painful memory." Pushing himself off the dirt and rocks, he brushed off his clothes.

"Well, I suppose we should get moving again, before more of those damnable ants come back. The way they go into a frenzy when one is downed is annoying, to say the least."  

[WingedDemonVM]

"It certainly was annoying," Kreil agreed softly. He glanced down at his sword, then ran his thumb over the engraving in the blade before pulling the sword out of the ground. He was prepared to leave at any time, and he wasn't going to sheathe that sword again while they were in here, more than likely. The last thing he needed was to be caught off-guard again by more aggressive creatures.  

[Dark Jono]

"Now now..." Once everyone was on their way to being rested, Sovelian took a look at the ant corpses, and around the room, trying to see if he could pick up something specific.

((That'd be a 16 on Dungeoneering))  

[lk333]

Rorrick rose to his feet dusting dirt off his chain mail he picked up his sunrod in his left hand and straped his light shield to his left arm. Rorrick drew his schimitar and said "good Idea friend kreil everyone keep your weapons ready in case we run into any more surprises."  

[WingedDemonVM]

Kreil raised an eyebrow at being called "friend Kreil" again. So far as he was concerned, none of these people were his friends. They were simply temporary companions. A few might be likable enough, but it was a very large stretch to call any of them a friend.  

[iDragow]

At the order to have his weapons at the ready, Vince looked at his hands for a few moments, and then shrugged. He headed over to where he had dropped his backpack, and once more slung it over one shoulder.

Ready to depart, he decided they should check things out here a little more. Crouching down next to the red ant's corpse, he began to eye the creature over, searching for any signs of influence to make such a harmless insect become a monstrosity.

Quote:

Nature Check: 12

 

[NayrVentess]

Kardenn was still sat on the floor, slowly drinking his red wine.  

[joe-dude667]

As Sovelian looked around the room, he noticed that the walls seemed to have been dug by Dwarfs. The tunnel to the right also looked like this, indicating that that was where the Dwarfs were digging for iron, though the one on the left was much rougher. You would hazard a guess that this was burrowed by those ants, and most likely leads to their hive. You also found it odd that it appears the Dwarfs kept digging, when the earth around you is more soil than rock...

Vince looked down at the ants and found them pretty unexciting. He had heard of Giant ants before while on his travels. As he racked his memory of when he first heard of them he realised he knows the following information about them:

Giant ants live in hives consisting of hundreds of members. The majority of these ants are workers, but they all fight to defend the hive.

Although they are not intelligent, giant ants use teamwork and simple yet effective tactics. Giant ants possess a social organization rivalling that of the most efficient humanoids.  

[Dark Jono]

Sovelian muses aloud, informing everyone of his findings and the implications therein. Once he is done speaking he turns back to his allies and says, "Now then, there is one thing we must consider... If it was indeed the ants that grabbed our shady employer's brother, then we can only hope to find his remains. If, however, we choose to head right... We may find something just as sinister as the formicidae."  

[iDragow]

"Although I detest the thought of fighting more of those ants, I say the left tunnel. Not only would an unexperienced combatant not get too much further than those ants, but our employer said that they were in a tunnel that hadn't been mined. I think that pretty closely describes the one the ants came from."

He didn't have to voice that he also pretty much agreed with the 'not finding him alive' part, as well. Vince was hopeful; maybe the were feeding their young, and they hadn't hatched yet, or possibly they just preferred to store their food alive. But, even though he had hope, it was also very dim. Chances were, they would have killed him just to keep the brother from causing a rucous.  

[lk333]

Rorrick noded when he heard vince and the mage's words and said "alright I may be a leader but I am by no means the boss of you all so I ask you all this if it was indeed the ants that grabed the brother we may not find him alive." He looked at each of them in the eyes and continued speaking "should we continue our search or turn back now."  

[WingedDemonVM]

Kreil didn't say anything to the others before starting to limp down the left tunnel where the ants had come from. He moved carefully, trying to keep from being noticed by anything that may or may not be up ahead, all the while keeping his eyes peeled for danger.

((Stealth Check = 16))
((Perception Check = 28 ))  

[joe-dude667]

Kreil wandered down the left path, but it would be impossible to see anything even if he did have a light, due to the fact that it zigzagged every twenty feet or so.

As the people in the main chamber started to follow the Avenger, they heard the unmistakeable sound of rubble falling from somewhere behind them.  

[NayrVentess]

Kardenn turned around when he heard the sound, "Blast it all to the Nine Hells! I think we be trapped in here now! At least I have enough wine to last me." He then took another mouthful from his current bottle.  

[WingedDemonVM]

As soon as Kreil sees that the path bends and that he will need his own light source to continue, he takes out a sunrod and uses it. Then he hears the sound of the rubble falling, and he sighs.

"Please tell me that was not the sound of us being trapped in here," he says to the rest of the group, turning his head slightly in their direction while keeping his eyes focused on the path ahead.