7 Desnus
Mite Warren – War Room
Kamelands
The last of the mites in the room swarmed Kyrie and Miguel at their leader's command. Now literally surrounded, thanks to the positioning of the one mite trapped behind them, the two were hard pressed to avoid attack. Each swing of their knives was getting harder to turn aside than the last (-3dmg Kyrie, -3dmg Miguel).

Kyrie did not have time for this. There were people that needed her help, and they were in her way. She reached out with her sickle and cut down another mite like she was bringing in the harvest (-5dmg MiteL Dying)

Zeran was reloading his mortal instrument, finally figuring out the perfect one-liner he should habe used on shooting the tick. It didn't matter now, only getting enough powder into the barrel to make sure the next shot was final. He concentrated on controlling the trembling in his hands and on not being stabbed by one opportunistic little mite.

Also suffering from shaky nerves, Miguel continued to belt out each note, keeping morale up when it was needed most. Frankly, Miguel was having trouble, whether due to the necromancy riding around in his skull or to the very real dire circumstance, seeing a happy ending to this tale. Kyrie was hacking through the mites as fast as she could swing her arm, and Zeran was preparing another devastating shot, but it seemed there was no way to stop the tick from feasting on Frodrick's life.

Miguel's sword arm was failing, and would fail him, he knew. If he tumbled through the gap in the crowd of mites he would only batter away uselessly at the tick's hide. The only weapon he could rely on in this situation was his voice. He eyeballed the distance between him and Frodrick in the spell-light that filled the cramped hole. There was no time for second thoughts, worst case scenario he could use his magic to put Frodrick back together again.

The bard threw back his arms and rose to a resounding quaver, splitting the very air in front of him with the crystaline note he sang. The shards of sound flew out in a cone, riddling the floor and ceiling with razor sharp fragments, blowing down two of the mites, and tearing into Tickleback's backside (-7dmg Tickleback, -5dmg MiteJ, -5dmg MiteK; Near Death and Dyingx2 respectively).

Krii let fly with a spell, but in his care not to hit Frodrick and hurt his survival further, the bolt of electricity was aborbed by the earthen wall. Frodrick knew his companions had done their best to help him and it was up to him. He raised his axe for what he knew would probably be the last time if he failed.

Frodrick brought his axe down on Tickleback's oozing body with a crunch. He struck a point between the plates making up the tick's many-eyed head (-5dmg Tickleback). Its legs gave a spasmodic twitch and it lost balance for a second. Tickleback's grip on Frodrick tightened and for a moment Frodrick thought it was going to finish him with its last legs, but as the blood oozed out of its every orifice, its grip faded until it collapsed in a heap.

Grabbles bounced and rolled off the tick's back as it dropped. He sprang up suprisingly quickly and thrust his trident up at Frodrick's face. Almost by instinct more than intention, Frodrick deflected the attack with his shield. The mite chieftan turned and fled after his unsuccessful attack, drawing a half-hearted strike from the dwarf that did little more than scoot him faster on his way (-1sub Grabbles). He ran, ignoring his last remaining advisor as he passed, for the lower back entrance to the room, calling out to the next room.

Frodrick 7/20* – Cramped, Ability Damage: -2Str, -2Con (-1 attk, dmg, CMB, CMD, -1 Fort, -2*hp)
Krii 16/16 – Mage Armour, Cramped
Kyrie 16(1)/21 – Cramped
Miguel 17(1)/17 – Cramped, Inspire Courage (3), Dancing Lights (9/20), Shaken (4)
Zeran 19/19 – Cramped (loaded) 28 bullets, Shaken (3)

Grabbles: Uninjured
Tickleback: Dying

Mite H: Badly Wounded

Mite I: Uninjured
Mite J: Dying
Mite K: Dying
Mite L: Dying

7 Desnus
Mite Warren – War Room
Kamelands
The last of the advisors stabbed at Kyrie, holding off the attackers for its chieftan, but the paladin just flicked aside the knife with her shield. She slashed back with her sickle, hoping to cut this one down to give the rest a free run at the chieftan, but for once she didn't quite finish it (-3dmg MiteI, Disabled)

Zeran watched the tick go down. Well, at least it was done with. Now time for clean up. He turned to the mite beside him that had been stuck in the corner of the tunnel, failing more often than not at taking advantage of openings. He drew up his rapier again and simply stabbed it, by chance, straight through the bulging eye (-11dmg *crit* MiteH Dying), dropping it once and for all.

Zeran stood for a moment over the body. “Huh, didn't see that one coming.” He grinned and paused. Nah, way too cheesy. Well, they couldn't all be winners.

Miguel let his song fade away into the tunnels. The biggest threat so far had been dealt with. It was time to mop up and begin the recovery. Starting with that leader, before he had time to gather any more reinforcements. The bard chased around the last remaining advisor, who evidently did not feel well enough to object.

Miguel mentally charged his sword with a thought, then brought it down on the fleeing leader. It seemed killing foes as they fled for their lives was becoming a trend with him. He hoped it didn't mean something. Regardless, the chief fell much as others had before (-10dmg Grabbles Dying). The leader's body bounced down the slope at the back of the room almost comically, before plunging into a deep chasm that separated this room from the next.

With only one mite left, Krii's plan was simple. He advanced on the last straggler and finished it off (-3dmg MiteI Dying).

Frodrick 7/20* – Cramped, Ability Damage: -2Str, -2Con (-1 attk, dmg, CMB, CMD, -1 Fort, -2*hp)
Krii 16/16 – Mage Armour, Cramped
Kyrie 16(1)/21 – Cramped
Miguel 17(1)/17 – Cramped, Dancing Lights (10/20), Shaken (5)
Zeran 19/19 – Cramped (loaded) 28 bullets, Shaken (4)

Grabbles: Dying
Tickleback: Dying
Mite H: Dying
Mite I: Dying

There was a moment of pause, everyone just breathing, releasing adrenaline. Kyrie simply walked over to Frodrick, put her sickle down on the mite's filthy table, and laid hands on him, invoking life and energy back into his body (+4dmg, +4dmg Frodrick 15/20*), before channeling the last of her energy into herself (+5dmg Kyrie 21/21). (EDIT: I forgot to add a bonus; Kyrie heals 5hp to full health on herself, not 3)
While she did so, Miguel moved his mage lights over to the table, forcing himself to keep busy to stave off the vague sense of dread that still had not worn off. The table held a mystery of piles of dirt and twigs and a few bloodstained rocks, seemingly meticulously arranged across the dirty red-and-white checked tablecloth.

Of more interest was the bloody ivory statuette, serving as a paper weight for a scrap of parchment. It was shaped like some kind of crouching horned devil, or perhaps it was supposed to represent some winged kobold deity. Either way it was a dead ringer for this 'Old Sharptooth' idol that the kobolds worshiped, as Poro described it.

Zeran took the scrap of paper. It was written in a very messy, almost illegible hand, but he recognised the undercommon. There were two columns, one labeled 'Us' and one 'Them'. According to the mites' records, the 'Us' column listed only 'kobold statue' and 'lots of spears and coins', while the 'Them' column was populated with an account of 'magic dust' 'lots of coins' and a 'shiny human ring'.

He checked under the table as his nerves began to ease off, finally. The big burlap sack he had spied earlier, true to his intuition, was filled with their treasure. Accurate as any human banker, the treasury held exactly as the list dictated, twelve small spears, hundreds of bits, links, and a few dozen gold crowns, as the Brevic people called them, ammounting to 45.93G (193cp, 120sp, 32gp).

Frodrick 15/20* – Cramped, Ability Damage: -2Str, -2Con (-1 attk, dmg, CMB, CMD, -1 Fort, -2*hp)
Krii 16/16 – Mage Armour, Cramped
Kyrie 21/21 – Cramped
Miguel 17(1)/17 – Cramped, Dancing Lights (17=>1/20)
Zeran 19/19 – Cramped (loaded) 28 bullets

(No one has knowledge (geography), right? Anyway, I'll try to throw this into a loot pile later on the Q&A, but I've basically listed everything this room has of value already. When you're ready to carry on, you can explore the chasm on the other side of the room.)

With the statuette and the coins pocketed, the party moved to the exit of the room. The ground sloped down until it suddenly dropped off. Those with vision adapted to the pitchblack of subterranean arenas could say that the chasm was only 20' deep, and the walls sloping down had more than enough handholds to make for an easy climb.

The chasm was only about 10' across, though positioning meant the gap to the other room was about 15' away and the crevasse ran in length far to the right and left. Roots hanging from the ceiling across the gap were tied into loops for foot and hand-holds, making the crossing also very easy.

(i.e. These 'very easy' mean that even a physically weakened person like Frodrick is now would have a very simple time pulling it off without any training if not distracted. There are basically three ways of crossing available; using the loops provided (easy climb), crawling down and back up (easy but long climb), or simply jumping across (difficult acrobatics). Either example of climbing requires two hands, thus sheathing weapons and using guige straps to hold shields. Unless otherwise specified, crossing will be done in Marching Order. Anyone who has other plans, or if anyone thinks the crossing should be made one at a time should comment.)

Frodrick stepped up and stretched out a bit to limber his old arms. "I will be the first to croos. Zeran, Krii, have yer ranged weapons ready incase something decideds that a fat ol' dwarf monkeying around in the roots looks delicious. I say we take our time with this. Don't know whats up ahead - hopefully not more of em blood suckers."

Krii was quite pleased with himself after the fight once again his lucky star had shined upon him and he had escaped the battle unharmed save for the cramped surroundings, as the party collected them selves, looted what was worth looting and moved on toward the next hurdle of there journey, Krii stared across the 20' drop trying to size it up willing almost in his adrenal filed mind to take a running leap and cross it landing on the other side poised and ready to fight, but as the moments passed his mind regained its calm and he opted for the safer route and only gave a nod to the dwarf when he had stated to have his "weapon" ready, to be honest Krii really didn't see his hard earned powers as a weapon it was a tool he had been spending years to master, it made him feel almost inhuman like he himself was the weapon and was just being used, for the moment he shrugged off the feeling and made way behind the others to begin hi climb.

7 Desnus
Mite Warren – Chasm
Kamelands
As Frodrick was preparing to cross the chasm, putting his axe in its holder and moving his shield to his back. There was a faint sound coming from the room across the chasm, out of sight—was that whimpering?

Suddenly there was a sharp cry of pain. Frodrick tried to remember the kobold, Poro. Hadn't she mentioned something about other kobolds who had come this way? Everything before last night's storm seemed a distant memory.

The dwarf grabbed the first loop hanging from the ceiling, testing it's give and ability to hold his weight. It seemed sturdy enough. He began his crossing, not worrying about how far he was now above the ground and certainly not paying too much attention to the weakness in his arms.

Kyrie did the same close behind him, crawling through the roots hanging from the ceiling. Miguel for his part waited back on the otherside for a clear jump. As Frodrick reached the otherside crossed he sent his lights into the next room, illuminating the landing.

From the landing the ground sloped back upward into the next room, where Frodrick could hear a group of mites at sport. It sounded like they had noticed the party's approach though. Battle would be imminent, he guessed.

New Initiative Krii
Frodrick
Zeran
Miguel
Kyrie

A shriek from behind him nearly gave Frodrick a scare. He whirled to see Kyrie hanging precariously by one hand, with a knotted root hanging free in her other hand. In just a moment he noticed what Kyrie had seen just before the root had pulled free—it had been cleverly tied to look sturdy, but the moment any weight was placed on it, it would slide free, plunging the hapless crosser into the chasm.

Luckily the paladin girl had caught herself on the other handholds before she had dropped.

Frodrick 15/20* – Cramped, Ability Damage: -2Str, -2Con (-1 attk, dmg, CMB, CMD, -1 Fort, -2*hp)
Krii 16/16 – Mage Armour, Cramped
Kyrie 21/21 – Cramped
Miguel 17(1)/17 – Cramped, Dancing Lights (4/20)
Zeran 19/19 – Cramped (loaded) 28 bullets

(For those still yet to cross who may be worried about the future potential of snagging a false loop, you can always inspect the loops for a minute and see if you can pick out which are no good before you cross... or you can risk it and see if your chances (or at least reflexes, like Kyrie) are good. Zeran and Krii I have currently listed as 'readied' to fire upon anything from the next room that tries to disturb the climbers)

Map of the Chasm ~here~

Now that he was on the ground, Frodrick took the time to draw his axe and shield. He would then wait to see if any of the mites from the other room decided to attack.

Seeing Kyrie almost plummet into the chasm made the dwarf's heart skip a beat. How had he not noticed the feaux roots before? Cursing himself under his breath for not being more observant, he called out to Kyrie to reassure her. "Take your time lass! We don't need a farm girl falling into the chasm and breaking a leg!"

Turning again to the entrance where the mites were heard with the whispering and cry, Frodrick decided he would take a look - see what was what while the others made there way over.

That was certainly not nice. Friendly wooden handhold was not so sturdy as it looked. At least she had managed to not fall, but Kyrie glared at the offending knot.

"Wood should not lie." Kyrie said, as though she were scolding a child.

Seeing Kyrie almost plummet into the chasm made the dwarf's heart skip a beat. How had he not noticed the feaux roots before? Cursing himself under his breath for not being more observant, he called out to Kyrie to reassure her. "Take your time lass! We don't need a farm girl falling into the chasm and breaking a leg!"
Kyrie couldn't help but laugh, "I'm alright!" She called back, "And I've had a leg broken before. Healed up pretty quick actually. Mah-i was surprised."

The noises that were reaching her ears, however, made her not want to slow down. There was something going on. Something that struck a chord in her. Sounds of pain. It was not right. But she was over here, not over there. Kyrie needed to get there fast.

As soon as she reaches solid ground, she reaches over her shoulder. Shields only help when you already have the people to protect behind you. The creatures that may need protection were ahead. And to get there, they'd have to get through whatever it was that was hurting them.

In this case, the best way to defend was with a swift, strong attack. Thus, as she advanced, Kyrie drew her most trusted possession besides her pendant - her shovel.

"Whatever is going on up ahead, I don't like the sounds of it." She muttered, advancing as quickly as she could.

7 Desnus
Mite Warren – Chasm
Kamelands
Frodrick grabbed the straps of his shield and ran up the slope into the room, drawing his axe. Almost immediately he saw the crowd of about a half dozen mites, most carrying sticks, standing in front of a limp soot-black kobold who was tied to the wall with the ubiquitous roots. The kobold was the last in a line of four kobolds similarly trussed up, and the only still living, if limp and beaten.

The mites turned to Frodrick with hatred and hostility in their eyes, reaching for their knives. Four of them swarmed him almost as soon as they saw him, but their multitude of jabs and slashes bounced uselessly off his wooden shield and his hide armour.

Meanwhile Krii and Zeran watched for any sign of trouble while Kyrie finished her climb. The girl dropped from the roots. She had heard the cries, too, and up the slope she could see Frodrick holding back a crush of mites.

Kyrie picked the tool for the job as she burst into the room like an avenging angel. With a firm swipe she clocked the first mite she saw clean off its feet (-4Mite O Dying). It would not be getting up soon.

The two climbing guards looked to Miguel—he was next to cross. They turned behind them only to hear a last-minute “Coming through!” before the bard raced passed them and leapt across the chasm in a bound, landing with both feet planted on the opposite ledge and continuing his momentum into the fray between Kyrie and Frodrick.

They looked at each other. Yeah, they figured they'd prefer to take their chances with the false knots. Krii looked down into the pit once more to judge the potential fall.

Wait—he saw something. Something very big with very many legs. The sorcerer's eyes widened as he took in the size of the centipede crawling through the dark reaches of the chasm. It must have only just crawled out from whatever hellhole it resided, for surely Frodrick would have seen it the first time. The monster was almost thirty feet long with hundreds of legs, with a pair of long whip-like tendrils extending from what Krii could only assume was the back end.

Frodrick 15/20* – Cramped, Ability Damage: -2Str, -2Con (-1 attk, dmg, CMB, CMD, -1 Fort, -2*hp)
Krii 16/16 – Mage Armour, Cramped
Kyrie 21/21 – Cramped
Miguel 17(1)/17 – Cramped, Dancing Lights (5/20)
Zeran 19/19 – Cramped (loaded) 28 bullets

Giant Whiptail Centipede: Holy Son of a Mother's Hairy Uncle George

Mite M: Uninjured
Mite N: Uninjured
Mite O: Dying
Mite P: Uninjured
Mite R: Uninjured
Mite S: Uninjured

(The whiptail is 20' directly below the middle of the chasm. It's a huge creature squeezing into the width of the chasm so it's slowed down, but looks obviously about to climb up to have a look at who's been crossing its bridge without paying the toll.)

(For the record, it's basically Krii's turn now, so he can choose whether or not to take up his ready action to shoot the centipede. Zeran, meanwhile, cannot see anything down there in the darkness).

While I'm on it, though:
Map of the Chamber of Torment ~here~

7 Desnus
Mite Warren – Centipede Chasm
Kamelands
Krii thrust his hand, clawlike, down toward the darkness. He enunciated the syllables and from his palm he shot a glimmering black beam at the giant centipede below. The centipede was so large and it's confines so small it was all but impossible to miss, but nevertheless the monster seemed to resist the effects more than Krii would have liked (-3Str Whiptail).

“Look out behind! There's a big one back here!” he called to the rest on the other ledge.

Frodrick heard the warning. He knew the chasm couldn't have been as empty as it seemed. He summoned up his fury and struck one of the mites before him dead on the spot, splitting its head open with his axe like it were an oversized gourd (-18dmg *crit* MiteS Dead). The dwarf backed away from the rest, trying to work his way toward the chasm even as Kyrie and Miguel came in behind him.

Even squeezing as slow as it had to, the giant whiptail moved quicker than Krii expected, rushing up the steep 20' chasm wall before he knew what was happening. It was even bigger from up close than it had looked winding through the chasm. Its eyes almost seemed to glow red with malevolence as it lunged at Krii.

The centipede reared back to strike and Zeran, arm flying out as if by instinct, fired (-7dmg Whiptail). The shot blew a hole in the centipede's hard body, but only barely seemed to deter it. It struck with the speed and ferocity of a coiled snake.

The sorcerer could feel the hissing sound of his spell armour resisting the crushing strength of the centipede's pincers, but regardless how he struggled to get away, he was caught, the crushing force punching through his spell and puncturing his soft skin underneath (-11dmg Krii 5/16). The rush of paralytic poison was agony in his veins, despite the relative superficiality of the wounds, stiffening his limbs even as the monstrous vermin released pressure (-4Dex Krii Poisoned).

Life across the chasm was no easier, either, with the mites moving in to punish the warriors interrupting their fun. Miguel dodged a knife rammed at his gut while Frodrick took both of his attackers at the same time, denying one with his shield and forcing the other off with his axe (-2dmg Frodrick).

Kyrie, cut off from the front lines of the mites by their attempts to crowd the party on the ledge, turned to face the centipede's back. Watching carefully, as its upper body reared back from half-killing Krii, she wound her arms back.

“Hey, varment! Lookit me over here!” She swung the shovel hard against its exoskeleton to meet with a satisfying crunch, causing the centipede to jerk forward sharply (-7dmg Whiptail)

Miguel looked at the mites crowding around him and Frodrick, then back at the chasm where the giant centipede was menacing the whole span and putting Krii in peril. Hadn't they just got out of a situation a lot like this?

Regardless, Miguel always knew what was the best way for dealing with a little hard luck. He picked up another tune, this one a fast-paced march, hoping to inspire his allies to hurry up and finish things quickly. He only hoped his voice could reach Krii and Zeran back across the gap, so the magic infused in every syllable could inspire them with the courage to triumph.

Frodrick 13/20* – Cramped, Ability Damage: -2Str, -2Con (-1 attk, dmg, CMB, CMD, -1 Fort, -2*hp), Courage
Krii 5/16 – Mage Armour, Cramped, Poisoned (1), Ability Damage: -4Dex (-2 AC, ranged attack, init, Ref, CMD), Courage
Kyrie 21/21 – Cramped, Courage
Miguel 17(1)/17 – Cramped, Dancing Lights (6/20), Inspire Courage (4)
Zeran 19/19 – Cramped () 27 bullets, Courage

Whiptail: Injured, Enfeebled (1/3), Ability Damage: -3Str (-1 attk, dmg, CMB, CMD)

Mite M: Uninjured
Mite N: Uninjured
Mite P: Uninjured
Mite R: Uninjured
Mite S: Dead

7 Desnus
Mite Warren – Centipede Chasm/Chamber of Torment
Kamelands
Taking care not to leave an opening, Krii willed an arc of electricity at the behemoth as it turned to Kyrie, causing little more than a twitch of a dozen of its legs (-2elec Whiptail). Krii knew if the centipede came for him again he would not likely be so lucky. He stepped back as Zeran drew his rapier to cover the sorcerer. (-2Dex Krii).

The centipede was now twisted across the chasm to get at Kyrie. Zeran stabbed at the bit of its long segmented body that was available. Luckily the creature was so huge and its mobility so low it was wide open to all sorts of attack. Zeran drove his rapier between body segments (-4dmg Whiptail), though he couldn't be sure it was having a significant effect on the angry monster.

Kyrie held her shovel out before her defensively. She was prepared for the centipede to lunge at her and quickly sidestepped the stike, giving it only a facefull of earth as it struck the ledge beneath her feet. It clung to the wall on herside with its front legs while the whip-like tails for which it got its name flailed wildly at Zeran, lashing the burrow wall near his head with a startling force and a crack in the air.

In the room above and behind Kyrie, Frodrick and Miguel were holding off the mites. Frodrick swung for another blow, but the mites had learned to be wary of his axe, and they jumped back. Three lunged back with their knives. Frodrick simply held the two off with his shield, but Miguel was not as well defended. He dodged by inches a savage slash at his torso that backed him against the wall (-4dmg *crit* Miguel). Evidently these creatures were no lovers of Andoran marches. The fourth blighter in the back tried its trick on Frodrick, but the dwarf was having none of this mind-foolery nonesense.

With the pest's full attention now on her, Kyrie gripped her shovel white-knuckled. Centipedes are our friends, Kyrie's mahr told her. They're good for the plants and eat other bugs that we don't like. Somehow the paladin knew this was not the situation her guardians had in mind.

Evil creature or no, this monster was clearly a treat to anyone or anything that crossed it. Kyrie threw her weight into her thrust, ramming the blade of the gardening tool into the centipede's face, heedless of how close she was to the edge of the chasm. The blade did not penetrate, but there was a satisfying carapacian crunch that made the monster flinch back (-10dmg Whiptail Bloodied).

It was now Zeran was beginning to see the cumulative effects begin to take their toll on the monster. It was moving slower than a minute ago and its odd blue-purple blood was now showing up in several of its wounds, including its head and the spot where Zeran stabbed between its segments.

That said, the whiptail was still very much not yet dead, and still quite aggressive, hissing in irritation at the shovel-wielding girl. Miguel kept one eye behind him as he cut down another mite, forging an escape route body by body in case things turned sour quickly (-8dmg MiteN, Dying). He stepped in to fill its place, just a few feet from where the last living kobold remained trussed up, unmoving and unspeaking. Well, at least Miguel thought it looked more or less living.

Frodrick 13/20* – Cramped, Ability Damage: -2Str, -2Con (-1 attk, dmg, CMB, CMD, -1 Fort, -2*hp), Courage
Krii 5/16 – Mage Armour, Cramped, Poisoned (2), Ability Damage: -6Dex (-3 AC, ranged attack, init, Ref, CMD), Courage
Kyrie 21/21 – Cramped, Courage
Miguel 13(1)/17 – Cramped, Dancing Lights (7/20), Inspire Courage (5)
Zeran 19/19 – Cramped () 27 bullets, Courage

Whiptail: Injured, Bloodied, Enfeebled (2/3), Ability Damage: -3Str (-1 attk, dmg, CMB, CMD)

Mite M: Uninjured
Mite N: Dying
Mite P: Uninjured, Doooooom
Mite R: Uninjured

(Okay, so I totally fudged the initiative order, but told directly chronologically it would have been 'meanwhile in the other room' every other action, so I just grouped the two rooms' actions more or less together a bit.)

7 Desnus
Mite Warren – Centipede Chasm/Chamber of Torment
Kamelands
Frodrick was completely done with these mites' ugly blue faces for a long time to come. With a grunt he swung his axe back in a wide arc sideways and swung at about arm-level. The mite before him managed a startled look before it realized too late that it should have ducked half a second ago. Frodrick's axe slammed into the mite's throat with enough force to throw its body against the wall as the bulbous head rolled away. (-14dmg *crit* MiteR Dead).

While the centipede occupied itself with Kyrie, Krii fired a beam of ice at it, aiming far wide to aovid hitting Zeran, and creating a frost lining on one of the roots. The pain from the poisonous bite was beginning to subside, though he was still very stiff. (Poison End)

Zeran in front of him was still achieving limited success stabbing at the centipede's exposed side, striking the occasional gap in the shell, coming away with more purple-blue blood smeared on the tip of his rapier (-4dmg Whiptail).

For all that its strength was quickly fading, the centipede only seemed to be getting angrier and more violent. It lunged at Kyrie with surprising speed. She couldn't move fast enough to avoid the strike. The whiptail closed its poisonous jaws on the girl, squeezing the breath out of her and punching through weak points in her armour (-13 Kyrie 8/21). Her divine constitution fought against the poison entering her bloodstream, but soon she, too, found her limbs and muscles stiffening (Poisoned -3Dex Kyrie).

At the opposite side of the body, Zeran forgot to mind the whips as he worked to punch enough holes in the centipede that it simply stopped moving. With the more dangerous end focused on the other side of the chasm, it was easy to forget that he was not wholly safe. Zeran reacted at the sharp crack of a lash, just in time for the whiptail to wrap around his leg and pull it out from under him (-1sub Zeran Prone). His pride, if it could be said he had any, hurt far worse than anything the whip had done, but his leg stung.

For a brief moment, Krii and Kyrie met each other's gaze across the gap. Krii knew the spell he had laid on the centipede would be losing potency any second now. Somehow he communicated that urgency to Kyrie.

Centipede would not outsmart shovel. Kyrie looked the centipede in those red eyes. This was one bug she needed to squash. Ignoring the pain of the poison working its way through her body, Kyrie slammed the flat of her shovel up under the centipede's head, flattening it against the low ceiling (-12dmg Whiptail). While each of Kyrie's hits before had elicited sounds of exoskeletal cracking, none quite compared to the satisfying crunch as its head mashed against the dirt.

The centipede's legs jerked and its consciousness quickly faded (Dying). Without motor functions, the centipede's bulk dragged it down from the walls, sending it plummeting into the depths from whence it came (-6sub, -3dmg Whiptail).

Kyrie sighed from relief and exhertion, but the battle wasn't over yet. Behind her Frodrick and Miguel were still dealing with the troublesome mites. There were only two left but they continued to fight bravely... or not. As the mite they flanked moved to avoid having either one at its back, its companion turned tail and fled to the back of the room and up through a hole in the roof, thick with even more of the all-encompasing tree roots.

The remainder looked, startled, after its erstwhile companion, as if wondering why it hadn't thought of that first. It stabbed at Miguel half-heartedly, now looking about for an escape, but finding itself surrounded on three sides, with Kyrie blocking the chasm.

Miguel put a rest to its troubles with his duelling blade (-14 *crit* MiteM Dead). Finally, Miguel let the song die on his lips. He considered briefly chasing after the mite fleeing up the tunnel, but there were other things to attend to. Motion to his right reminded him of the kobold still trussed up to the wall, still alive.

The small soot-black and ash-grey was now looking at its rescuer suspiciously, uncertain about the providence of this change. Whatever the mites had done to it (her/him?), it looked rather badly bruised and scraped (Kobold Badly Wounded).

Frodrick 13/20* – Cramped, Ability Damage: -2Str, -2Con (-1 attk, dmg, CMB, CMD, -1 Fort, -2*hp), Courage
Krii 5/16 – Mage Armour, Cramped, Poisoned (CURE), Ability Damage: -6Dex (-3 AC, ranged attack, init, Ref, CMD), Courage
Kyrie 8/21 – Cramped, Courage, Poisoned (1), Ability Damage -3Dex (-1 AC, ranged, init, Ref, CMD)
Miguel 13(1)/17 – Cramped, Dancing Lights (8/20), Inspire Courage (6)
Zeran 19(1)/19 – Cramped () 27 bullets, Courage, Prone

Kobold: Badly Wounded

Whiptail: Dying, Enfeebled (3/3) END

Mite M: Dead
Mite P: Uninjured, Out of Sight
Mite R: Dead

(Luckily if I'm correct in my reading of ability damage in Pathfinder, since ability damage is not considered a loss of ability score, Kyrie does not lose the benefits of her Dodge feat while she's under the effects of the poison (ability drain still works like this, tho'). On Kyrie's next round, before any further damage is taken she recovers from the poison.)

(As for the (currently) unnamed kobold on the wall, feel free to cut him down and attempt to communicate with him. If whoever's holding the statue brings it out to show, his eyes will light up like a child on Christmas. He speaks broken, but intelligible taldane, and fluent draconic.)

(I'm sure a lot of people are interested in a little healing right now, but Miguel only has one spell left and can only channel positive energy.)

Looking to the kobold dangling from its restraints, Frodrick decided it would need his help getting to the surface. The battle was over, and so grabbing the bottle in his belt pouch, he placed it on the ground.

"This is the last o' the healing potions. Decide who amoungt you needs it. I'm getting the prisoner o' war outta here."

With his trusty axe in hand, Frodrick planned to destroy that which held the kobold to the wall. It was his plan to use his dwarven stoutness to move the creature with no hinderance to his speed.

Krii downed a potion and his body stung where the pincer wounds closed. Energy flowed into his limbs, revitalizing his stamina and giving him a second wind to carry on (+6dmg Krii 11/16). The stiffness refused to leave him, however.

Zeran regained his feet, dusting himself and spitting into the chasm after the centipede he could no longer see due to the darkness. The two took a minute to carefully examine the roots from the ledge, looking for which were safe and which weren't.

After a moment Zeran gave up. The tangle of roots was too great to pick out more than one or two of the knots—it was like searching for a bent needles in a needlestack. He decided he would play it carefully and leave it up to chance and his reflexes to get him across safely.
Climb: Take 10 = 11 Success
He was most of the way across the chasm and beginning to believe he would be lucky like Frodrick had been the first time when a root tore away in his grasp. He flailed to catch himself, but missed the next safe (he had been hoping) handhold. For a split second of terror he felt the panic of falling, but he just caught hold of the ledge before he fell too far.

The gunslinger pulled himself up with a groan. Too many close calls today. They weren't even being intentional about them. Just. Ugh.

Krii didn't relish the idea of having to be the next to cross, but he was even less willing to entertain the idea of crawling down into the chasm where the centipede ostensibly lay dying alone. As Zeran crossed he knew he more or less had an idea how to look out for the loops. If he just picked his way across slowly, he would be fine, he told himself.

He was right, too. The gangly sorcerer touched down a few moments later next to Zeran. They climbed the ascent into the next room where Frodrick was hacking at the roots that tied down the kobold.

The knots were shoddily done and it didn't take long for the kobold to be freed. As Frodrick began making plans to take the kobold out of the warren, it fell to its knees, pleading “No!”

With all eyes on (him?), the kobold looked up with wide, alarmed yellow eyes. “No, Mikmek fight too. Mikmek on mission, must not fail. Mikmek warrior—hurt worse before. Only need weapon.”

Frodrick 13/20* – Cramped, Ability Damage: -2Str, -2Con (-1 attk, dmg, CMB, CMD, -1 Fort, -2*hp),
Krii 11/16 – Mage Armour, Cramped, Ability Damage: -6Dex (-3 AC, ranged attack, init, Ref, CMD)
Kyrie 8/21 – Cramped, Ability Damage -3Dex (-1 AC, ranged, init, Ref, CMD)
Miguel 13/17 (1) – Cramped, Dancing Lights (19=>1/20)
Zeran 19/19 (1) – Cramped () 27 bullets
Mikmek: Badly Wounded

Mite P: ???

(It is actually my understanding that at least Miguel still has his potion also—that being the one which Poro the kobold thief tried to steal two nights ago. The Q&A still lists Kyrie as having at least one, but I'm less certain about the veracity of this one.)

(Also, I may have misread it, but if Frodrick was planning to go backward out the dungeon, don't forget that he and Big Mac would have to cross the chasm again, as well as go it alone in the dark (which isn't difficult for a couple of creatures with darkvision, really). And also that Frodrick wouldn't have to carry him, since he is not so badly wounded he can't manoeuvre on his own. That said, I've read a couple interpretations out of that post so I'm going to shut up until I'm further elucidated.)

Zeran sighed and wiped his eyes with the palm of his hand finding the dirt and grime bothersome. "Remind me next time we go diving into a mite lair, thing, warren, to pack an explosive barrel and bury the bastards." He growled mostly to himself before stretching to keep himself limber and hope he wouldn't be to stiff. He was happy to see the Kobold was willing to fight, less so that he didn't have anything to give the little man. Then it dawned on him as he felt around his person.

"Here use this unless you want a spear." He said offering the dagger that had, at the start of their adventure all those nights ago, been making home in his stomach. He had kept the thing as a kind of 'trophy' and 'parting gift' from his 'beloved' the thought made him crack a cheeky grin and mentally do a little song and dance. He was ready to go again, quite eager in fact to finish this off and get out of the tunnels.