Chapter 2: High Road to Krusk

[Thokk hits Diseased Giant Rat 4 for 8 points of slashing damage. - DM]

Thokk, your attack takes advantage of the fact that Diseased Giant Rat 4 has its head raised, and your longsword slices across its neck. It makes a clean, almost surgical incision, which is then drenched in green, glowing blood, and a subsequent jugular spray of the fluid spreads across the ground. Its call for aid is squelched, and the beast falls dead.

The Diseased Giant Rat 3 hisses again, but looks backward, as if preparing to flee from the area. It does not appear that any other rats from its pack will be moving to assist.

[Eledriar, you are next to act. Your party has assembled around you, and only Diseased Giant Rat 3 remains. - DM]

Wiping the remaining gooey residue from her eyes with her left hand, Eledriar twirls Jeremy briefly in her right before running towards the final giant rat, going in for a slashing strike across its neck. I'm trusting you on this one, dude, she thinks in the vague direction of her sword as she aims her strike.

OOC: +6. Also, totally hadn't been receiving emails for this for some reason, and forgot to check it until today, so that was super convenient timing for my turn, haha

The member 'galaxysedge' has done the following action : Dices roll

---

'd20' : 16

OOC: Now that's what I'm talking about! +1 to damage

The member 'galaxysedge' has done the following action : Dices roll

---

'd8' : 7

[Eledriar successfully attacks the Diseased Giant Rat 3, piercing it for 8 damage. - DM]

"Just the neck? WE are capable of so much more!!!" Jeremy exclaims to you, Eledriar.

You feel yourself being lifted ever so slightly into the air, again, and going with the energy, you kick against the ground and initiate a somersault towards and over the Diseased Giant Rat 3. You swing your enchanted blade, and your hand is guided into an "X" motion, slashing twice against the back and haunches of the beast as you soar overhead. Your feet catch the ground steadily, and as you finish your attack with a blade flourish, you look back at the Diseased Giant Rat 3. With a disturbing squish and sploosh, the beast's body splits opens both in sagittal and transverse sections, the cuts from Jeremy exposing flesh and organs splattered with glowing green blood. You've made your mark, and thusly killed this beast quite thoroughly.

"Fantastic! Look at that, it couldn't be more dead!!!" Jeremy hums and shakes with delight in your hand. "Give us one more kill, against a real challenge!"

All the Diseased Giant Rats have met their end, and you all watch Monty lower his jaw over his constricted prey. "It's cool if I eat thissss, right? I'm probably going to need a break too... the green sssstuff, so good but sssso filling..."

[With that, Eledriar, you have increased your attunement with Jeremy the Dancing Blade, and you all have completed this encounter! You may complete business and interactions, and proceed to the caravan town of Scornubel. - DM]

Cordial is a bit concerned about her awesome new friend/staff consuming these diseased creatures. She asks, "are you sure that's a good idea, Monty?" She considers for a moment that he probably always eats his kill, but still, she doesn't want to lose him this soon after finding him. "Surely we can find something else to eat that's a little less... green. And the group may want to continue. Actually, do you 'rest' in staff form?" She pictures a staff with a large bulbous lump, slowly moving down as he digests his prey.

(OOC: do I need to roll to see if the diseased flesh and goo are unsafe for snake-staff consumption?)

Nature +2

The member 'downwarddawn' has done the following action : Dices roll

---

'd20' : 4

Cordial decides he's probably fine.

[Cordial, your Nature check roll of 6 means that you know that Monty, as a Giant Constrictor Snake, should be physically able to swallow the Diseased Giant Rat. - DM]

"I jusssst want one, you all can have the resssst, I don't want to be too greedy and... HMMMRRRRRLLLLLFFFFF..."

The Giant Constrictor Snake snaps its mouth around the giant rat, and quickly consumes it. Monty hisses with delight as the beast he just engulfed very slowly moves down his throat. He slinks downward to the ground next to you, and transforms back into your gray wood Staff of the Python. As expected, there appears to be a small knurl in the wood towards the "head" end of the staff.

Cordial smiles and puts Monty, in staff form, away on her back. She looks around at the others and suggests, "do any of you want... anything... from these rats? I'm okay to pass on them, and ready to move on whenever you are."

Ezythyr huffs and puffs a little after his hectic run. "Everyone okay? Tried to warn ye 'bout the explodin'." He takes a deep breath. "Was just told by Morkan, meself."

Morkan: "No one dead like me? That's better than I was expecting."

As the party gathers their composure post-battle, an armed human male runs up from the road with weapon drawn and at the ready, he appears to be dressed in common militia garments. Looking at the diseased rat corpses, then up toward the glowing, bloodied armors of Thokk and Eledriar, he lowers his halberd, and addresses the party.

Militia man: "Well... Always something interesting at night, 'round these parts. Glad you all look reasonably healthy--and hopefully disease-free--I can escort you into town. Food and lodging await you, and the Night Market is runnin' tonight, you're just in time to check it out."

Not a single objection heard from the party, you all follow the militia man down the road, and within a few minutes, with the light of the moon rising overhead, you arrive at the town of Scornubel.

[Counterstance-ulations, you've made it to the end of Chapter 2! Follow along with me to Chapter 3! - DM]