Viconia' s Return to the Underdark

[Galadria1]

Arter they had all rested, the party trudged through the tunnels, avoiding Skip's whines [img]smile.gif[/img] by making him scout ahead with Secretmaster. The two came to an opening into a large cavern, whose roof was unseeable in the darkness. The floor of the cavern was taken up by a huge, hivelike structure like that described by the dying drow. A single creature darts up to them. It seems to be flying, though they cannot see its wings, but dust and debris fly around in the breeze that emanates from it. On closer examination, the creature seems to be female, resembling the anime' figures in the Baldur's Gate comic book stores. Her eyes are huge, her waist is small, and her legs are long and slender. An enormous stinger protrudes from the base of her spine. She is about three feet high. Darting nearer, they hear high-pitched noises which seem to say, "Surfacers? Here?"

[Legolas]

"Ehr... Actually, we were just leaving..."

Skip was already backing off into the tunnel they had just exited. There were plenty of tunnels, they could always pick another. No need to die at the hand of some giant waspwoman.

Seing Secretmaster trying to be a hero again, he dragged him back with him..

[Galadria1]

OOC>> LOL @ Legolas IC>> "No, wait," buzzed the creature, I must interrogate you. My queen, Wespe, orders me. Otherwise," (she does a quick and intricate dance in the air. The area around the hive suddenly seems to seethe with thousands of the creatures)"we must attack. We can take no chances that spies of Lolth may pass this way."(The party forms up around the two. Attalus cuffs Skip good-naturedly, sending him flying )
Galadria
"We are no friends of Lolth. Only lately have we repulsed the attack of one of her yochol."
(On seeing Valkyn and Viconia, the creature becomes agiated."Drow! Treachery!" She casts a spell. "No, I see that you are drow that are not of Lolth. You are like those that we shelter. We are the Vespa, the enemies of Lolth. Now, you must meet my queen."

[ 01-13-2002: Message edited by: Galadria1 ]

[Legolas]

"Oh, great. Well, at least they aren't going to kill us right away. Just let me do the talking, and no heroics, and we'll be alright. We used to have a beehive in our backyard, you know?"

He tried to sound confident, but he knew he wasn't. He was scared to death, but things could hardly get any worse. He had already given up his belongings, and most of his hopes of returning to the surface alive. Skip figured he might as well do somehting interesting with his last days. Not that talking to a giant semi-human wasp queen was high on his list, but it was better than nothing.
But the others would probably do the talking anyway. He was slowing them down, and they were dragging him somewhere he didn't want to go. None of this was really by choice, not his anyway.
He sighed.
Destiny...

"Hmmm, now this is quite new. A beehive, only enlargened. Dear me, but this is exciting. Wonder how much treasure they got. (the Vespa wasp glares at him) Oh no! I wouldn't steal your treasure, would I now... Anyway, I hope I get to fight some drow, I'm itching for a fight. And you Skip, how can you be a thief when your a complete panic breakdown guy? OOC> Galadria, good job with the campaign, I'm really impressed and I actually know a lot about this too, since I've played BG, and BGII, I can imagine everything perfectly. Thanx! [img]graemlins/thewave.gif[/img]

[Legolas]

OOC: Hear hear! [img]smile.gif[/img]
IC: "There you're going on again about me being a thief. What part of my profession do you not understand? I already told you a dozen times, I just clean weapons. Sheesh!"

Not that hiding his 'job' would do him any good down here, but obviously no thief who was not a member of any guild would admit he was a rogue. Even those in a guild usually only told their victims at night, if they were even noticed. Mostly, they just left a note stating how much they had stolen and how long the victim would be protected from further theft by members of that thief's organisation. But noone would tell others during the day. Organised as the thievery might be, it was still not seen as a completely honest profession.
So, Skip stuck to his story. There was little else for him to do in any case.

"Now stop talking. I told you I'd do it for you. All that talk of treasure only got them worked up. I remember when Da wanted to take some honey out of the hive. That put him in bed for nearly a tenday, mostly because the doctor was slow, but bees don't like it if you take their belongings."

[Galadria1]

OOC>>Thanks, guys, you don't know how much that means to me! [img]smile.gif[/img] IC>> (They follow the Vespa into the giant hive. The very air seems to be singing with scarcely heard noise. The inside is like a giant, irregular honeycomb, with Vespae crawling in and out of hexagonal cells and buzzing about the vast space in the center. The swarming seems thickest in the very middle of the floor, where a raised dias holds a throne. A very large vespa sits there, colored a beautiful turquoise. As they near the throne, they see many Vespae lighting briefly there, seemingly just to rub adoringly on her, then flit off.
Her attention, however, is centered on the new arrivals. As they reach the foot of the throne, their attendant Vespa flits up to its occupant, rubs antennae briefly with her. She speaks: )
WESPE"Greetings, surfacers, I am Wespe, Queen of all the Vespae. Mnnina tells me that you name yourselves enemies of Lolth. That, to me, is a glad word. We have been battling her and her drow for centuries, and sometimes it has seemed a lonely fight. You have come at an opportune time. My outpost at Cellalia is under attack by a group of Gith, suborned by Lolth. Against drow, we have little problem, but these Gith have some spell that guards them against our poison. I was despairing, when I had word of your successes against the drow, and wondered if you could aid me in this matter. If you prove yourselves trustworthy, I and my Vespae will aid you against them in any attempt you make against Lolth's might. What say you?"
GALADRIA "Hail, Wespe! Indeed, we have complaint against Lolth. Several attempts she has made against the life of one of my closest followers, and I would avenge them. How, I will not speak of, yet. Glad we shall be to put down these Gith, for whom I also have little love, since they betrayed me and mine, once. We shall go, but, tell me, now. Your Mnnina spoke of some drow that you shelter. Might I speak with them?"
WESPE "These drow are dear to me, since they have fled Lolth. I would let you speak to them, but the matter is urgent. You must away, now, before my outpost falls. Then, at our leisure, we may consult. Go, now, and your tutelary god smile upon you!"

[ 01-13-2002: Message edited by: Galadria1 ]

[Galadria1]

(Mnnina, theit little Vespa, guides the group to the outpost. There, they are horrified to see hundreds of Vespae broken and dead about a group of steadily advancing Githyanki. Vespae are still attacking, but their sting has no effect and they are easily killed. The leader of the Githyanki is surrounded by a glow, and he is chanting, his eyes closed.)
GALADRIA
(Casts Improved Alarcrity, Pierce Shield, and Breach at Githyanki Leader)"All right, team, let's GET THEM!"
VICONIA"Lil alur, for Helm!"
There are eight Githyanki, who immediately attack the group. One Leader, one Lieutenant, two Fallen Paladins, and four Fighters.

[Legolas]

For once, Skip was not scared to death. They look human enough, and in any case, all they have are those big swords.
He walked towards the lieutenant making broad geastures with his arms while he spoke.

"Hey there, guys, look, there's no need for those weapons, you know. I'm sure we can talk things out. I'd offer you all a beer, but there ain't no innkeeper to be seen. I'm Skip, by the way. You can put down those swords now, you and your men. Come on, tell Skip what's on your mind, while we watch the pretty lights those two are making..."

While he spoke, his hand slid under his cloak to gripped the shortsword, but the lieutenant seemed not to notice.

Much to the Gith's confusion, Skip put his left hand around his neck as he came to stand beside him, still chattering away, looking at the others.

[Dreamer128]

Velkyn: Throws his daggers at the first Gith that comes his way. The creature manages to dodge the first one but the second knife pierces his light armor and kills it. The Drow quickly draws his two short swords and disapears in the shadows cirkling around the group.