Imagine if every dead insect became a ghost

[Ebiris]

[18:11] <@Kotono> Battered, beate and throughly shaken, the party returns back the way they came. The shaman and kobolds await, the former looking over the party's bedraggled state. "Your apperance speaks to more dead ants," he announces, "Were your efforts fruitful?"
[18:11] <@Kotono> *beaten
[18:12] <Feather> "Yeah, could say that," Feather agrees. "We'll need to sweep again for stragglers, I reckon. Tomorrow?"
[18:12] <@Porridge> "Kilt the queen," Porridge replies abruptly. "If'n they didn' come defend 'er they ain't never was there."
[18:12] * Nephrite is now known as Gildas
[18:14] <@Kotono> "We can take it from here," The shaman says, "If any ants survived the queen dying, they'll not be much to finish."
[18:16] <Feather> "Sure, if you like?"
[18:16] <@Porridge> "Luck with minin', then," Porridge nods, strolling off. He could go with a good long sleep.
[18:17] <@Kotono> OOC: What's your plan now, y'all? Go and sleep this off or something else?
[18:18] <@Porridge> OOC: take a day off to recover then get back to building?
[18:20] <@Kotono> OOC: Okay.
[18:23] <@Kotono> The next several days are quiet. Healing proceeds apace as you build. It has the jovial, focused air of men doing work; ironically enough, save for Myann. She's rather subdued the entire time. Seven days later you're at last finished.  You stand before a stone building, squat and functional. Within is the passage underground. Rashen stands before it, dusting his hands off. "Not a bad set of
[18:23] <@Kotono> work," he says, "
[18:26] <@Porridge> "Keeps us a bit safer and looks better than a hole in the ground," Porridge agrees. "So next... more houses, or some sort of common building like a tavern or trade post... barn?" he hazards uncertainly.
[18:27] <@Kotono> "I say a tavern," Brutes speaks up, standing behind the others. "Somewhere we can put our feet up. If not that, how about going out a bit and building a hunting lodge?"
[18:28] <Feather> "The common building gets my vote," Feather voices. "Then again, there's also fortifications. Are we gonna try for outer walls this early on?"
[18:28] <Gildas> "You know, if we're building a tavern, I could think of a family that could run it, if they aren't happy where they currently are..." He looks at Feather and Porridge. "If we go that route."
[18:28] <@Porridge> "Could get cramped in if we do that too soon," Porridge points out.
[18:30] <Gildas> He nods. "Certainly so."
[18:32] <@Kotono> "Yeah," Rashen speaks up, "They you end up building outside the walls and making new outer walls. It's how most old cities have lots of interior walls," So going on, "'long as you understand that."
[18:33] <@Porridge> "We only have two buildings, doesn't seem much point yet. Any one know how to set up a still? Figure we'd need that if we want a tavern anyway."
[18:36] <@Kotono> "Of course I do," Rashen says, "I can build anything." He casually takes a wrapped hunk of bread out of his pocket, eating it as he goes on. "It's not that hard."
[18:37] <@Porridge> "Lets do that then. Grow some barley in the fields and we can make plenty of ale," Porridge backs up Brutes.
[18:39] <@Kotono> OOC: Ready to move alon gwith that then, y'all?
[18:39] <Feather> OOC: sure
[18:42] <@Kotono> That evening, everyone is relaxing after dinner. It's past sundown, the rather oversized sitting room of the Holset Farmstead full of half elves and familiar faces. A few card games are going on as well as reading, the evening being milled down before bedtime. OOC: Make perception checks, y'all.
[18:42] <@Kotono> roll 1d20+9 Myann
[18:42] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+9 Myann and gets 17." [1d20=8]
[18:42] <Feather> roll 1d20+8
[18:42] * Hatbot --> "Feather rolls 1d20+8 and gets 16." [1d20=8]
[18:43] <@Porridge> roll 1d20+13
[18:43] * Hatbot --> "Porridge rolls 1d20+13 and gets 16." [1d20=3]
[18:43] <Gildas> roll 1d20+11
[18:43] * Hatbot --> "Gildas rolls 1d20+11 and gets 19." [1d20=8]
[18:44] <@Kotono> As he relaxes, Gildas can hear a low-pitched, dull buzzing. It's like his brain is being tickled.
[18:45] <Gildas> He looks around briefly! "...Do any of you hear that?" He asks as he tries to pinpoint the noise beyond 'in his head'.
[18:45] <@Porridge> "Hear what?" Porridge asks, going to look out the window.
[18:45] <Feather> "Huh?"
[18:46] <Gildas> "It's... like a buzzing." He frowns. "I have a bad feeling about this..."
[18:50] <Feather> It only takes a bit of concentration for Feather to detect any foreign magicks around them.
[18:51] <@Kotono> There's a faint aura of magic all over the place. Out in the fields, Porridge can see flickering, dark blue light dancing about.
[18:51] <@Kotono> OOC: Spelclraft.
[18:51] <@Kotono> OOC: Gah.
[18:51] <Gildas> OOC: Spellingcraft
[18:52] <Feather> roll 1d20+9
[18:52] * Hatbot --> "Feather rolls 1d20+9 and gets 17." [1d20=8]
[18:52] <@Porridge> "Hey, I see a light out there," Porridge points.
[18:52] <@Porridge> OOC: any knowledge, like dungeoneering if its a will o wisp?
[18:52] <@Kotono> OOC: Go for it.
[18:52] <@Kotono> OOC: Dungeoneering, I mean.
[18:52] <@Porridge> roll 1d20+9
[18:52] * Hatbot --> "Porridge rolls 1d20+9 and gets 25." [1d20=16]
[18:53] <@Kotono> The magic about isn't typical magic. No, it's more like th e strange mind-things the ants do. It's oddly fading already, leaving a taste of berries in Feather's mouth. It has something to do with watching and projection.
[18:53] <@Kotono> The lights aren't will o' the wisps. They aren't right for it.
[18:54] <@Porridge> "Feather, have a look? It's kinda like those lights you were using when you fought the ants in the chasm," Porridge suggests.
[18:55] * Feather comes over to the window, frowning. "Think we were being watched," he says quietly. "With magic."
[18:56] <Gildas> "...It isn't the vampire, is it?" He looks over at Feather.
[18:57] <@Kotono> As you walk, the blue lights gather. Myann quietly approaches in the meanwhile. As she does, there's a ripple in the air. Sorrow. Pure, distilled sorrow. It's only for a moment, but it hits you in the face like a good left hook.
[18:57] <@Kotono> Robert looks up from his card game, "Something going on over there?"
[18:57] <Feather> "Not unless his magic tastes of berries," Feather deadpans, beofre taking a look outside and stilling.
[18:58] <Gildas> He blinks, then frowns even more.
[18:58] <@Porridge> "It's the ants, I feel it in my head," Porridge groans, surmising since no one else does that. "They're... sad? Still asses about it... sorry kids, didn't hear that from me."
[18:59] <@Kotono> "Watch your mouth!" The Missus is heard calling, before with a hint of amusement, "You too, Porridge! No swearing in the house!"
[18:59] <@Kotono> Giggles come from the children in the meanwhile.
[19:00] <@Kotono> Hylath looks up fro mtuning his lute, "Is something the matter over there," he calls, "It sounds like a gateway to adventure!"
[19:00] <@Porridge> "Yes'm," Porridge says, dutifully respectful to the lady of the house. "Still, we gonna do anything about this?"
[19:01] <Gildas> "We should investigate." He nods to Porridge. "We can't just leave it like this."
[19:01] <Feather> "Like what?" Feather starts to say, before holding a hand to his temple with a grimace.
[19:01] <Gildas> "...You heard that too, I take it?" He looks pointedly at Feather, with a grmace.
[19:01] <Gildas> OOC: *grimace
[19:01] <@Porridge> "Mmmmg, I'm going out," Porridge says, stalking out the door and towards the light. "Give what back?"
[19:02] * Gildas follows Porridge.
[19:03] * Feather touches Myann's shoulder.
[19:04] <@Kotono> "Hm?" Myann asks, looking to Feather.
[19:05] <Feather> "Let's go chase the lights?"
[19:07] <@Kotono> "Yes," Myann follows, a resigned frown on her face. The party heads out into the fields! 70ft ahead the blue lights have solidified. Before you is the Queen Ant - transparent and with her body as broken as when she died. In your mind you feel a terrible pressure, followed by the scream, "GIVE MY CHILDREN BACK!"
[19:09] <@Porridge> "They're dead, just like you. Go join 'em in insect hell!" Porridge scowls, making a shooing gesture.
[19:09] <Gildas> He just stands there and frowns.
[19:14] <@Kotono> The image of the ant queen flickers several times, before steadying! Then, far too fast for what it is, the creature pounces onto you! OOC: Init.
[19:15] <Gildas> roll 1d20+7
[19:15] * Hatbot --> "Gildas rolls 1d20+7 and gets 27." [1d20=20]
[19:15] <Gildas> OOC: Of course.
[19:15] <Feather> roll 1d20+3
[19:15] * Hatbot --> "Feather rolls 1d20+3 and gets 4." [1d20=1]
[19:15] <@Kotono> roll 1d20+2 Myann
[19:15] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+2 Myann and gets 12." [1d20=10]
[19:15] <@Porridge> roll 1d20+1
[19:15] * Hatbot --> "Porridge rolls 1d20+1 and gets 18." [1d20=17]
[19:16] <@Kotono> roll 1d20+10 ant
[19:16] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+10 ant and gets 24." [1d20=14]
[19:16] * Kotono changes topic to 'Gildas(27)>Ghost Ant(24)>\Porridge(18)>Myann(12)>Feather(4)'
[19:17] <@Kotono> OOC: Open Gildas.
[19:18] <Gildas> The human shapeshifts into his bear form and moves forward to try and take a bite out of the ant apparition!
[19:18] <Gildas> roll 1d20+8
[19:18] * Hatbot --> "Gildas rolls 1d20+8 and gets 24." [1d20=16]
[19:18] <@Kotono> Gildas bites down into the ant - but he passes through it like it wasn't there! At the same time the ant charges at Gildas!
[19:18] <@Kotono> roll 1d20+10 touch AC?
[19:18] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+10 touch AC? and gets 17." [1d20=7]
[19:19] <Gildas> OOC: One sec let me check
[19:19] <Gildas> OOC: 16
[19:19] <@Kotono> OOC: Sure.
[19:20] <@Kotono> The ant glides through Gildas like he isn't there! For a few moments his mind is filled with images. Images of broken ants, cracked eggs and empty nests. A profound sorrow wells up in him, passing as soon as the ant has gone beyond him. OOC: Porridge.
[19:21] <@Porridge> Trusting in his enchanted axe, Porridge throws himself headlong at the ant, a vicious overhead swing to carve through ectoplasm!
[19:22] <@Porridge> roll 1d20+12 charge, rhino's rush -2 pa
[19:22] * Hatbot --> "Porridge rolls 1d20+12 charge, rhino's rush -2 pa and gets 23." [1d20=11]
[19:23] <@Kotono> OOC: Damage.
[19:24] <@Porridge> roll 2d12+22+2d6
[19:24] * Hatbot --> "Porridge rolls 2d12+22+2d6 and gets 43." [2d12=12, 5][2d6=2, 2]
[19:24] <@Kotono> With one smooth slice, the ant is cut in half. The lights fade away with a sorrowful wail, leaving the night empty once more. OOC: Free act. Before you ask, there were factors involved on if you hit or not, since Gildas rolled higher than Porridge's to hit.
[19:25] <@Porridge> "Stay dead this time!" Porridge snarls, keeping his voice low so as not to disturb everyone back in the house.
[19:27] <@Kotono> Myann shakes her head and sighs, before turning back towards the house and returning inside.
[19:27] <Feather> "Guess we can't just easily put it behind us?" Feather mutters, sheathing his sword and catching up with Myann. "Anything I can do, speaking of? I figured you'd come talk to me eventually, but you've just been down all this time."
[19:27] * Gildas lingers for a bit longer, deciding to meditate outside tonight before returning with the others.
[19:28] <@Porridge> Whistling for Bubi, Porridge sets his hawk on guard... at least until he gets tired and goes to sleep anyway, then goes back in himself.
[19:32] <@Kotono> This gets Myann to stop. She sighs, "I get the feeling I'm not going to be able to run or ignore anything, am I?"
[19:33] <Feather> "You can ignore all you want," Feather says with a snort. "So long as it don't make you miserable. But since you seem to be, let's just try to fix it, whatever it is?"
[19:42] <@Kotono> "I'm alright," Myann shakes her head, "I'll be fine. Really."
[19:43] <Feather> "We can't help, you figure? Or you just don't want us to?"
[19:45] <@Kotono> "You were able to be saved. I wasn't," Myann says, voice heavy and tired. "I see that now."
[19:47] <Feather> "What if we went to ask those druids?"
[19:51] <@Kotono> "Don't worry about it," she finally says, "Just go to bed, Feather."
[19:52] <Feather> Since they're back to ignoring it and waiting for something nasty to happen, Feather sighs and heads in.
[19:55] <@Kotono> A few more days of building pass without incident. No more ghost ants or anything problematic. Just hard work, effort and progress. You're laying the foundations of the tavern after clearing away some more woods, laboring away at it. Noon comes and with that? Lunch. Em brings it over, "Hey!" she calls, a hand on her hip after she puts the big basket down. "You all went to Malaines, didn't you?"
[19:55] <Feather> "Yeah?"
[19:57] <@Porridge> Porridge nods, straightening up from sawing some wood and wondering what the fuss is.
[19:57] <@Kotono> "Ma has someone visiting from there, and she's crying!" Her voice rises, "You're horrible!"
[19:58] <Feather> "You sure it's not just family?" Feather asks uncertainly. "Happy reunion tears?"
[19:58] <@Kotono> "Em," Robert looks over from what he's doing, "Calm down. Who came from Malaines?" You can notice his posture tenses, carefully putting down what he's doing.
[19:59] <@Porridge> "What? I didn't tell anyone to visit... 'cept Rashen anyway..."
[19:59] <@Kotono> "A girl," He answers, "Her and Ma are talking and then they were crying."
[20:00] <@Kotono> "I think Feather's right," Robert dusts his hands off, "Em, why don't you serve everyone lunch?" The question isn't really a question as he strides off, "You all eat without me."
[20:01] <Feather> "I met this elf girl," Feather muses. "Named Messae? She acted all angry but it was all a front, and she really wanted to visit. Maybe that's her?"
[20:02] <@Kotono> "That would be here," Robert calls back, "Em, use your head next time!" Robert chides as he hurries off, "Your ma's happy!"
[20:02] <@Kotono> "...oh." Em looks down with a heavy blush, busying herself with laying out lunch instead. She mutters something under her breath, laying out fried chicken in the meanwhile.
[20:03] * Feather bites back a relieved sigh.
[20:04] <@Kotono> Myann sits down to eat, "It's something," she murmurs, grabbing a breast and tearing in.
[20:04] <Gildas> The matter having been settled, he smiles a bit and returns to his work.
[20:05] <@Kotono> Rashen dusts his hands off too, "Lunch break," he declares, hurrying over. Em quickly puts out an entire roasted chicken before him along with a pile of fried gizzards and kidneys, "Gildas, come on over and eat," Em calls, "Ma made something special for you since you don't have much of an appetite."
[20:06] <@Porridge> Leaving the saw embedded in the wood, Porridge dusts his hands off and goes to eat. "Dunno why, stuff is great," he says, digging in.
[20:08] <@Kotono> Myann makes a little noise of agreement, "My lucky day," she adds with a hint of relief, "It's not mushroom stuffed chicken." She finishes off her breast in good time, grabbing a drumstick and starting on that.
[20:09] <Gildas> He blinks with a smile at her as he walks over, then chuckles at Porridge. "It has nothing to do with the taste, it is just a habit of mine." He nods. "You and your mother have my thanks."
[20:10] <Feather> "Say," Feather muses, joining the rest. "Isn't there a spell ti change how things taste?"
[20:11] <@Kotono> Gildas gets an apple. It's shiny, like it's been glazed, but it isn't sticky at all. It's a bit big for an apple too, not a bruise on it.
[20:12] <Gildas> He smiles and will eat the apple with gusto. Probably not as much gusto as Rashen, though.
[20:12] <@Kotono> "Presti-something," Myann says amid a mouthful of chicken. She finishes and coughs, "Sorry about that, terrible manners.
[20:12] <@Kotono> "
[20:13] <Feather> "Is it hard to learn?"
[20:13] <@Kotono> The apple tastes intense. It's like apple boiled down to apple several times, packed into one apple. It's like the flavor has been magnified and refined into a sword of pure apple taste.
[20:14] <@Kotono> "I don't think so, not for a wizard," Finishing her drumstick off and going for another breast.
[20:14] <@Kotono> OOC: Gah.
[20:14] <@Kotono> "I don't think so, not for a wizard," Finishing her drumstick off and going for another breast. After biting into that good and licking her lips, "I don't know much about magic that isn't my own."
[20:16] <Feather> "Might be just one of the ways to take control of things," Feather muses, grabbing a drumstick himself.
[20:17] <@Kotono> "I figure that even if I do learn it, it'l lmake things taste like mushrooms half the time," Myann says, sighing after finishing off her third piece. "Porridge, that porridge the day before we fought the queen ant. You remember how mushroom that was?"
[20:18] <@Kotono> "How is it?" Em asks as Gildas eats, "Ma did something with soaking it in the healing spring."
[20:18] <Feather> "Nothing wrong with starting small, though," Feather says a bit defensively. "Baby steps. Might discover something better along the way, too."
[20:19] <Gildas> He smiles at Em. "It's delicious. It... it's really hard to explain. You'll have to try one."
[20:20] <@Porridge> Porridge shudders in remembrance. "It's like if you replaced every oat with a mushroom. And the honey too... and the spoon. And my tongue."
[20:21] <@Kotono> "I will, Ma made a few," she says, as speaking of the devil. The Missus is coming this way at a rather good clip..
[20:22] <@Kotono> "The worst part?" Myann adds with a bit of a sigh, "Whenever I wake up at night hungry or I'm hungry and not paying attention. I'll realize I'm swallowing mushrooms. I feel them blooming on my tongue and tumbling down. They fill me right up. Usually poisonous ones too by the taste."
[20:24] * Feather winces. "Are we just gonna decide there's nothing to do, then?"
[20:24] <@Porridge> "Nasty."
[20:25] <@Kotono> "Feather!" The Missus hurries up, lifting her skirt up to run. "Feather!"
[20:25] <@Kotono> "I-" Myann shakes her head, glancing over her shoulder at the approaching housewife.
[20:25] <Feather> "Hey there," Feather says, standing up. This conversation will just have to be shelved. Again.
[20:26] <Gildas> He looks up from the apple.
[20:26] * @Porridge just keeps on eating.
[20:27] <@Kotono> GLOMP! Feather gets an armful of elf wife, hugging him tight, "Thank you!" she cries, holding onto him like a vice. She smells nice, like all the nice things in the kitchen.
[20:28] <Feather> "You're welcome, Ma'am," Feather says, his voice coming through muffled. "Didn't do much. Just say the truth."
[20:29] <@Kotono> Rashken chuckles at this over his food, but doesn't say anything.
[20:30] <@Kotono> "Thank you anyway," she says, letting Feather go. "Thank all of you for going too."
[20:30] <@Porridge> "T'weren't nuthin'," Porridge says agreeably around a mouthful of kidney.
[20:31] <Feather> "Was no trouble," Feather assures her.
[20:33] <Gildas> "You've been extremely hospitable to us, so it's only natural." He smiles.
[20:35] <@Kotono> She's all smiles nonethelss, curtesying to the party before hurrying back off.
[20:36] <@Porridge> "That was nice," Porridge nods happily, washing down his food with whatever drink is on hand.
[20:37] <Feather> "Yeah," Feather agrees, smiling as he sits back down. "Sometimes things just work out well."
[20:38] <@Kotono> Just water today. "Yeah," Myann adds. "Nice when they do."