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[PaPaj]

get another pincer and go to the tunnel northeast

It seems PaPaj/Ragna is coming nearby, though, and who knows who else.

Okay, this is just ambiguous enough to need attention.  Ragnarek (PaPaj): by "northeast," do you mean something close to Dwain (Starver)'s current location?  That is, are you going to a northeast tunnel to the east of the smelly nest area?  Or are you going to a northeast tunnel right near where you are, to the west of the smelly area?  There's a lot of possible "northeasts," you see, if you take another look at the map.

Once we have that answer, Starver, you might provide more input.

we should i have a possibility of painting the map just to make things a bit less confusing

[Starver]

Regardless (must admit, I think I misinterpreted PaPaj's directions), I shall not rush. If someone comes this way, hello, otherwise slowly work around this 'lobe' (ultimately towards the fade-out 6e2n of where I am now, maybe it wraps around to the nearby fade-out 5n-and-thereabouts,or maybe it's a finger like wot I can fully see).

Not keen on charging into battle alone, should I sight anything. Observe, defend if necessary. Back to the prior battle-site if threatened, or if there's actually absolutely nothing but worked-out workings. That should take up all my time for this 'turn', even if I don't get drawn into more conflict.

[Sir Knight]

we should i have a possibility of painting the map just to make things a bit less confusing

If there were some easy communal-image-editing site where we could toss a file for this sort of thing, that would be great.  If anybody feels like going the slow way, uploading an image somewhere else and adding their own commentary, that would also be fine.  Starver's grid-based directions work for me at least.

(We've never done a map this tricky before, so it's inevitable that we bump up against problems.  It's hard enough for me to figure out your lines of sight!)

And PaPaj: the simple version is to ask whether you meant a tunnel near Dwain (Starver)'s tan-colored character icon or not.  If that's visible enough, then we can go with that as a guide.  From context, though, I'm guessing your answer of tunnel-intent is "nope, that's too far away."

[PaPaj]

no,i mean the one near Alpine

[Sir Knight]

Great, then I think we all got it now.

So I'll need responses from Dustan (Dustan Hache) and Alyssa Alpine (Rautherdir).

[Rautherdir]

(Sorry for taking that long.)

Explore North

[Dustan Hache]

finish grouping up, and intercept any attacking lemmings.

[Sir Knight]

Ah ha, that's everyone!  I have quite a lot to do these days, but I've prepared most of an update.  Should be reasonably ready tomorrow.

[Sir Knight]

Hey, very busy day, only now got back to my files.  Looking good . . . but I can't rush the map, given how tricky it is down here.  So, "reasonably ready" it is, but you'll just have to wait until tomorrow for "totally ready."

You can, of course, expect a refund of up to full purchase price if you are dissatisfied.

[Starver]

You can't trick me, with your overpricing... I'll take half that refund and not a penny more!

[Sir Knight]

Previous -- Next

Long update today.  You've been teasing apart the mysteries down here in an interesting order, and progress is made . . .

Spoiler: Observation rolls are the lifeblood that powers the narrative (click to show/hide)

Seriously, how else am I to determine who blunders into stuff?

Result: 4, Succeed!
Result: 5, Succeed greatly!
Result: 6, Fail by succeeding!
Result: 3, Succeed weakly!

Dwain stops his ascent for a moment.  The sound of your feet scuffing to a halt in the rubble echoes up the tunnel.  At about that time, the sounds of mining stop too.

Uncertain what it means, you focus on your senses.  The sounds probably were filtering through the cracks.  These tunnels sure weren't carved by mining tools: shale is reasonably easy to tear apart, and you see the walls are basically corrugated with sharp rending marks.  Pincers?  Or even claws?

John ascends into the reeking chamber to retrieve thrown opal, and also to pick up what the older exiles recognize as healthstone.  Judging from pulverized bits on the ground, the ant lemmings must have been guzzling this stuff.

John's footsteps retreat.  Dwain takes just a few cautious steps to look into the tunnels.  The intense smell weakens as you do.  But no sooner do you start moving than a human voice echoes to you from the empty southeast tunnel:

"There ain't supposed to be anyone over here!  Stake jumper!  You break my ceiling, I'll break your head!"

Spoiler: Delicate pincer extraction surgery (click to show/hide)

I gave Ragnarek a roll last time, so why not call this "crafting" or "butchery" and see how it goes for the repeat performance?

Ragnarek's brutality roll: 4, Succeed!

Okay, then

Ragnarek has firm opinions on ant lemming pincers, and finds another carcass worth tearing apart for its weapon potential.  There are unpleasant sounds.

When that ends, John returns from the intense smelly lair.  Alyssa Alpine feels like heading north-ish and the both of you follow, along with Dustan who has finally regrouped.  John takes the left-ish path, which turns out to be very narrow.  At least it doesn't smell as strongly over here.  Alyssa notices that this is because the line of shiny substance is thicker and stronger to the northeast, the more broad avenue.

Then, about simultaneously, you see it.



The smell of vanilla is once again overwhelming, but this nest appears newer.  It is crawling with a horde of agitated ant lemmings, swarming amidst birthing/hatching remains and loot taken from the alchemists--some standing jellyfish leathers and healthstone, it looks like.

But there is a centerpiece squatting in the filth.  If these are ant lemmings, then that is an ant lion.  A fleshy, hairless body about the size of the wall tigers you've faced before is topped with an insectoid head; but it has, shall we say, grown into the pincers, which on a body this size just work like chelicerate mouthparts.  It looks to be grooming, rubbing its massive paws through those mouthparts.  Oh . . . it's covering its claws with venom . . .

Now it's coming for you.

There are 30 ant lemmings.  As to the situation in the southeast: it may be subtle, but you have enough information from prior updates to know what's going on.  Have fun!

[PaPaj]

Charge into the first ant i see and let the fun begin

[Sir Knight]

I knew I could count on you.

[PaPaj]

I knew I could count on you.

c:

[Dustan Hache]

start pelting the lemmings with my sling, then when they get close pull the knife and start stabbing!