Author Topic: You Are Likely To Be Eaten By A Grue: The Ptembridge Story  (Read 7689 times)

Offline SolEiji

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Re: You Are Likely To Be Eaten By A Grue: The Ptembridge Story
« Reply #20 on: April 02, 2015, 08:23:08 PM »
"But... but..."  The rat hesitated, eying Ptembridge closely.  "He go fite devel?  Kill devel?"

That is a tempting offer.  Given the scurry in the walls the other rats should be here soon.  It glanced back, then back at Ptembridge.  This creature with the face of death and covered in strange and alien markings wants t-

Suddenly the rat's eyes went wide, and it cowered back.  "Unholie!"  Something startled it so badly it dropped its weapon and grabbed out some filth from its back.  It was hastily inscribing that mark you saw previously on the ground.  Protective circle, protective circle!

"Y-yoo lie lowd bug!  LOOK!  He has eveal sign!  Sign of ad... ab.... addersarie!"  He was pointing at Ptembridge, was something off?  Squiggles was aware that the mark the rat drew was some kind of holy symbol to them, but god knows where they picked up that habit.
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Offline SolEiji

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Re: You Are Likely To Be Eaten By A Grue: The Ptembridge Story
« Reply #21 on: April 24, 2015, 04:09:16 PM »
There was a moment of uncomfortable silence which seemed to stretch on forever, but it gave Lunk the time to finish his drawing.  A crude mark that Ptembridge had seen before, and unbeknownst to him the rest of his party had seen, was scribbled at his feet.  With as much flourish as the rat could muster he threw up his hands dramatically presenting the symbol.

"R'BOOK!"

Ptembridge did not react.  Actually, he didn't move or anything.  Was he dazed?  Or... did it work?  Even Lunk seemed surprised.  Behold, he has successfully rebuked the unholy beast with the power of the gods!

In truth, it was nothing of the sort.  Somewhere on his body, Ptembridge's mark was burning.  One of the effects of the mark was the loosening of the senses, hallucinations, nightmares, and eventually madness.  And this episode was particularly bad.  It was poor timing to go into a cursed trance, but there he was dazed to the world while who knows what terrors haunted him inside in mind.  The ever-perceptive (DC 25) may notice his mark's trademark spiral pattern grow ever so slightly further.

Regardless of what happened Squiggles now had a problem.  Its ride was tripping balls and the rat was confident that it was because of his strange religious beliefs.  Moreso, there was the sound of feet and another rat slipped in cautiously to whisper something to Lunk.  Whatever was said seemed to satisfy the would-be-cleric, and as quickly as the messenger arrived it would shrink off, watching Ptembridge warily.

"Lowd bug, Lunk has did it, see!  Big broth knows it too now.  Wants to breen othars to Baron's place.  Has plan for THAT!" he points accusingly as Ptembridge.
« Last Edit: May 11, 2015, 06:04:49 AM by SolEiji »
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Offline Psysama

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Re: You Are Likely To Be Eaten By A Grue: The Ptembridge Story
« Reply #22 on: May 11, 2015, 11:52:35 PM »
Magana laid there in her dreamlike state.  What's going on?  Am I dreaming or am I dead? she thought to herself as she laid there in her stasis pod.  For a second she could have swore she heard voices talking.  Voices?  I must be dreaming this.  Wait, what's the last thing that happened?  Oh yeah...I remember a sharp pain at my neck, then I can barely remember being put into something that looked like a glass coffin.  Woah!  I'm not dreaming!  Somebody help me! she thought in vain, slowly realizing no one would be looking for her.  ...But I have to keep up hope...for her.
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Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: You Are Likely To Be Eaten By A Grue: The Ptembridge Story
« Reply #23 on: May 12, 2015, 08:23:28 AM »
Well, that was quite curious, but even if the birdman was a demon, that was no cause of concern for the little spider. After all, what did it have that they could possibly take? Its mount might be currently useless, but that was no reason to let it be taken away by the rats. This was the most fun it had had in years, and it was time to remind the larger vermin exactly who was more dangerous in this scenario.

That explained the surge of crackling purplish-black magic that left the floor between them smoking slightly.

"I am afraid that I cannot let you simply drag off my guest on faith alone."

Offline SolEiji

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Re: You Are Likely To Be Eaten By A Grue: The Ptembridge Story
« Reply #24 on: May 12, 2015, 01:27:04 PM »
That stupid bug, it had no idea what it was doing!

Drossel was clear that the gods considered that sign something banned, something that belonged to things that were wrong.  Big brother was a smart rat, the smartest of all of them.  This was probably a trick by the devil; after all, the tall ones haven't entered in here since the devil appeared.  Then, suddenly, tall ones come back saying they'll help them.  It was clearly a trap, to get their guard down so the devil can finish them all off!  Why, even the manipulator, that "Manos" figure which Drossel consumed, had books full of the stuff.  Sure, Lunk couldn't read but he could see the pictures and Drossel told him that the mark on that bird was bad news.

He had to find a way to convince that loud bug to give it up.  Maybe they could eat him.  The nest has been so hungry and food is scarce, and the tall ones would help them stave off the sickness.  They were healthy food.  Why, this one could probably feed a ton of rats.  Curses, the bug has taken a liking to this one and won't simply part with a fight.  One on one, he stood no chance.

But he has an idea.  He could hear the walls skittering louder and louder.

"Y...yoo don't scare Lunk!  Yoo be stronger, but yoo are wan!  We are many!  Scree!"  Lunk ran forward and jumped on Ptembridge leg and scrambled upward.  He'll climb the birdman and get cover under the bird's clothing!  In his fugue state he won't resist.  More importantly, all he needed to do is delay the bug long enough for re-enforcement to arrive.  They'll be here soon!

.....somewhere behind Ptembridge, one of the intact tubes sighed softly as it vented some steam... did something move in it?
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Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: You Are Likely To Be Eaten By A Grue: The Ptembridge Story
« Reply #25 on: May 14, 2015, 02:08:00 AM »
"I can summon thousands of your kind, and that's the best argument you can come up with?" the spider queried, watching the rat run up Ptembridge. Really, now, that was simply being foolhardy. Though had Squiggle ever actually shown off that particular power? Probably not, it would have just confused their tiny heads. That, and consumed them in a ravenous swarm of unintelligent beasts.

Offline SolEiji

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Re: You Are Likely To Be Eaten By A Grue: The Ptembridge Story
« Reply #26 on: May 14, 2015, 02:40:45 AM »
It's uncertain if Lunk was more intimidated, unnerved, or offended by your claim, but it didn't matter since at the moment he wasn't visible.  Maybe it was some ploy to get you to shoot him while he scrambled this way and that under Ptembridge's clothing, in order to hit Ptembridge himself.  Maybe he just didn't want you to shoot him and he was playing hard to get.  Whatever, he wasn't about to hurt you like this.  In fact I think he just went down Ptembridge's leg.  The bird man would probably feel violated, if he wasn't in his nightmare world of his own making.

And then, Lunk bit him.

Lunk was in a weird position.  He was not very smart.  Smart for a rat, certainly, and smarter in the past, but this curse of theirs caused their minds to degrade away as time passed.  Eating helped.  Eating the smart ones helped more.  But there was only so much it would do.  So far, only their big brother had avoided sinking further into the depths of non-sapience, and several of their kind were lost, turned into animals again.  And it frightened him so.  He had to eat something soon.  Eating Ptembridge was a long term plan, he wasn't trying to do that right now.  Rather, it was a strange quirk in their biology that came with their eating of bodies and minds, they remembered certain things every so often.  Flashes of lives that weren't their own.  And Lunk?  Lunk had eaten that doctor.  He remembered where the nerves and muscles and tensons were wired, and how the human body supported itself.  There were a few weak points that if hit would make the whole thing come tumbling down.

Ptembridge's reflexes failed him, and Squiggle's mount became suddenly unstable as gravity rushed him backwards, striking the nearby steaming pod before slumping to a halt next to it.  Lunk tumbled to the side, his fear taking hold of him again as he scrambled to his feet.  He was in so much trouble.

Then, things became much more complicated, and the nearby surroundings filled with rank blood-scented mist as the vat began to open.  On cue, the magic mouth on the vat replied softly:

"PS-7 opening.  Please prepare for surgery."

The mannequins that would have listened were not present to hear the request.  Someone else was though...
« Last Edit: May 14, 2015, 02:55:31 AM by SolEiji »
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Offline Psysama

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Re: You Are Likely To Be Eaten By A Grue: The Ptembridge Story
« Reply #27 on: May 14, 2015, 02:58:15 AM »
Magana awoke to find herself in the same room she last remembered only is seemed in disarray.  Well that was the first thing she noticed.  The second thing she noticed was her lack of clothing.  GRRRR!, time to remedy this!  Outta the way ya stupid bird!  she shouted as she kicked a weird birdlike creature she had never seen before.  She immediately begins searching the room for ANYTHING.
« Last Edit: May 15, 2015, 04:42:46 PM by Psysama »
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