With a flash of her right arm, Sabu drew the kukri hidden at the small of her back. With her left hand she guided Khalid behind her as she stepped in front of him.

Something’s wrong, my lord.

(OOC: 5’ adjust to Khalid’s side. Move action to draw her kukri. Standard action to fight defensively with an additional +3 to AC from Combat expertise. Total AC 20.)

21:18, Today: Sabu Armiir rolled 14 using 1d20+8. Initiative.

21:20, Today: Sabu Armiir rolled 11 using 1d20. Attack with Kukri (if needed).
21:20, Today: Sabu Armiir rolled 7 using 1d4+4. Kukri damage (if needed).

Balrok and the gargantuan beetle react in a macabre mirror to one another's actions.  As Balrok hacks aside a branch, revealing the beetle, both pause for a heartbeat in surprise; then both immediately roar or squeal and charge at the other!  Balrok grips his axe in both hands, muscles rippling with an extra surge of adrenaline.  "Moooradiiiiin!!!" he bellows, as he crashes through the underbrush to collide with the huge creature (hopefully with his axe!).

Free Action:  Rage (-2 AC, +4 Str, +4 Con) (stats in legend to left are adjusted) 9 rounds left
Full Round Action:  Charge +2 hit, -2 AC (not reflected in legend) Power Attack -3.
Attack:  11
Damage:  17 (if hit)

22:46, Today: Balrok rolled 17 using 1d10+13. Damage (if necessary).
22:44, Today: Balrok rolled 11 using 1d20+9. Charging power attack.
22:44, Today: Balrok rolled 18 using 1d20. Initiative.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:41, Fri 08 June 2007.

Upon hearing the outburst from Balrok,Alexandru dashes into position to catch a glimpse of what the dwarf had encountered.
How lovely...
He mutters as the monstrous insect comes into view.Quickly he glances about to make sure the beetle is the least of their problems before snapping into action.
"Back away!Spread out!Do not attack until I have attempted to tame it!"
Shouts the jungleman to those not engaged with the beetle as he begins to gesture towards the massive insect,punctuating the movements with a shout.

OOC:
20:32, Today: Alexandru rolled 24 using 1d20+4. Initiative Check.
Free Actions:
Designate the beetle as an enemy for the purposes of the dodge feet.
21:01, Today: Alexandru rolled 22 using 1d20+9. Spot Check.
21:02, Today: Alexandru rolled 12 using 1d20+6. Knowledge Nature:Check to identify the beetle.
Standard Actions:
Move just enough to view beetle
Cast Charm Animal,the Beetle must make a Will save of 14 or greater to resist or be charmed for one hour.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:12, Fri 08 June 2007.

Khalid looks forward with a raised eyebrow, stretching his neck and tilting his head in an attempt to see what all the noise was up ahead.  As Sabu steps up and guides him behind her, he offers no protest.

"Indeed," are all the words needed to express his agreement.  His next words are of the arcane variety and spoken with a methodical and low tone.  While speaking, he removes a small strip of leather from a belt pouch and clutches it to his chest with a tight fist.

When his spell is complete, the wizard produces a wand from it's easily accessible housing along his beltline.


OOC:
07:06, Today: Khalid Ahmed rolled 13 using 1d20+1. Initiative

Free Action:     Prepare spell components for casting.
                 5' step to move behind Sabu (if needed)
Move Action:     Draw Wand of Magic Missles
Standard Action: Cast Mage Armor (self) +4 AC bonus for 3 hours

Nikolai hefts his longbow and notches an arrow, but does not fire at the beetle, as his companions seem to have the matter under control. Instead he scans the environs, in case some other predator is attracted to the sounds of combat.

OOC:
17:57, Today: Nikolai rolled 23 using 1d20+4. Init.
17:59, Today: Nikolai rolled 9 using 1d20+5. KS: Nature (indentify beetle).
18:34, Today: Nikolai rolled 24 using 1d20+10. Spot.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:32, Fri 08 June 2007.

Only a split second passes before Balrok utters his shout, and stirred to a sudden rage, leaps forward...the axe skidding harmlessly off the thick shell of the beetle, followed quickly by Balrok, also colliding with the shell, his vigor propelling him perhaps further than planned.  The beetle is quick, though, for one so large, and it's mandibles while not slicing through the chain mail that Balrok wears, clamp tight enough that several ribs crack from the force...

Ovi maneuvers closer, his whirling chain kept short to limit the chance of snagging, and Alexandru rushes to aid, scant seconds too late.  A few mystic phrases from Khalid, Sabu drawing her weapon and holding a safe position, and does Nikolai notice something...?

Inits/status:
Alexandru 24
Nikolai 23
Beetle B 22
Balrok 18 Seriously Wounded
Ovi 14
Sabu 14
Khalid 13
Beetle A

[Private to Alexandru: True - can't tame a rhinocerous (stag) beetle...while they are not exactly aggressive, they don't back down, and they'll eat nearly anything.][Private to Nikolai: Welll...even though it's black and has horns, it might be...hmm.  It's a beetle.  Stag, maybe?][Private to Ovi: I'll apply your attack and damage in round 2; moving over and getting your weapon out and ready can't happen in the first round...]
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:38, Sat 09 June 2007.

Nikolai cries a warning and spins round to confront another beetle that has just charged out of the jungle towards him.

The ranger looses an arrow, which falls short, but in a fluid motion he hefts a second arrow and sends it thudding into the beetle's shimmering carapace.

OOC:
I assumed +1 for point blank shot, if it's within 30ft
09:15, Today: Nikolai rolled 11 using 1d20+9. Arrow 1.
09:15, Today: Nikolai rolled 24 using 1d20+9. Arrow 2.
09:16, Today: Nikolai rolled 7 using 1d8+2. Damage.

Balrok grunts as the creature squishes him between its mandibles.  "Damned varment!" he growls as he struggles free, the mandibles snapping back together like a trap.  "Heh, it can fight," Balrok says, feeling his ribs briefly with a wince.  "Wiccckkyyy!  Gunna need a combat medic!"

Deciding that the beetle is an opponent worthy of more caution, Balrok grabs his shield from his back and uses his waraxe one-handed.  Advancing on the beetle, he shifts into some foliage for concealment and guards himself warily until Ovi moves into position, then takes a more calculated swing at the gargantuan bug.

OOC:  I am going to list the adjusted old numbers, to change it to one-handed damage with no PA using the old dice rolls, since using the same dice rolls seems like the most fair thing.  (I deleted the new rolls since they seemed to be causing more confusion than help.  Below are the edited old rolls.  Originals in the combat log.).

AC increases by 2 above what is shown in the profile.

Move action:  Equip shield
Standard action:  Attack with waraxe (delay this until Ovi is flanking)
Free Action: Speak
Free Action: 5' Step into any square with cover or concealment (a small tree to get an AC bonus, some undergrowth for a concealment bonus, etc.)

Adding flanking bonus to the below rolls.

Adjusted old rolls to reflect shield

Attack: 20
Damage: 7

OLD, Edited: 11:48, Today: Balrok rolled 7 using 1d10+5. Damage (if necessary).
OLD, Edited:  11:47, Today: Balrok rolled 20 using 1d20+12. No Power attack.

This message was last edited by the player at 23:51, Sat 09 June 2007.

Ovi continues his action from the previous round.

OOC: I'll act as follows assuming that I currently have the needed visibility to see and identify a target.  If not, Khalid will simply look ahead and around in confusion

"Abdul, you know what to do," the wizard exclaims to the small creature on his shoulder.  The toad offers only a brief "ribbit" before hopping off of his shoulder into the surrounding jungle.

Khalid will drop to a crouch to try and gain any possible cover from either Sabu in front of him or the terrain around.  He will then search ahead for a target and once one is acquired, preferrably the beetle crushing Balrok, he will charge his wand with an arcane word and send a missle comprised of magical force towards the beetle with unerring precision.


Free Action:       Communicate/Order Familiar
                   Share Spell Mage Armor with Familiar
                   Toad will move within reach to deliver touch attack on beetle attacking Balrok, reserve further action pending
                   instruction.
Standard Action:   Expend wand Charge Magic Missle:
                   11:03, Today: Khalid Ahmed rolled 4 using 1d4+1. Magic Missle Wand charge.
                   Target: Beetle on Balrok
Move Action:       Using Sabu or nearby foliage as cover:
                   11:05, Today: Khalid Ahmed rolled 17 using 1d20+1. hide check.

Alexandru grimmaces as he watches the gruff dwarf nearly severed in two by the monstrous beetle.In a flash the lithe jungle man is behind Balrok,wand in hand,chanting a few words before a flash of green erupts from the magical device and seems to seep into the wounded dwarf.He then shouts out in a foreign tongue.

(Terran)
"Attack!"

A smallish humanoid figure erupts from the earth without a ripple and charges towards the hulking beetle.It is composed of earth and stone,faceless,and covered in thick jagged spikes.It takes a feral swing at the beetle with it's oversized hand clenched tight in a fist so that it now resembles a morningstar more than a hand.

As the diminutive but ferocious earth elemental makes war upon the beetle,Alexandru calls out to all.

"To stay and fight is folly! Rhinocerous Beetles are the siege engines of the wild,flee while you can!"

OOC:Actions
Free Action
Draw Wand of Cure Light Wounds
Move Action
Move directly behind Balrok
Standard Action
Cast Cure Light Wounds on Balrok
21:50, Yesterday: Alexandru rolled 8 using 1d8+1. Cure Light Wounds.

LUMPY is going to make his entrance and attack the beetle that chomped Balrok.
21:48, Yesterday: Alexandru rolled 16 using 1d20-1. Lumpy Initiative Check.
22:11, Yesterday: Alexandru rolled 9 using 1d20+6. Lumpy Slam Attack vs Beetle
22:22, Yesterday: Alexandru rolled 9 using 1d6+5. Lumpy damage vs Beetle.

"An' what makes yu think dey won' chase us down an' eat us startin' with our feet 'stead, jungle boy?" Balrok growls as he concentrates on fending off the giant beetle.  "Me brother's slow as dirt!"  He takes several quick, ineffective swipes at the creature as he talks.

OOC:  Balrok is hopefully at least a decent judge of the skill of an opponent.  Does he think we are doomed?  It doesn't really require knowledge of the beetle to take a guess from how hard he is being hit and the "armor" of the beetle.  If Balrok also thinks it is something approaching "doom" then he would be much more apt to snap out of his rage and run, otherwise he has some bugs he wants to murder.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:13, Sun 10 June 2007.

Six little seconds.  It's not much...except when its a lot.

Start Summary:

Inits/status:
Alexandru 24
Nikolai 23
Beetle B 22
Balrok 18 Seriously Wounded
Lumpy 16
Candelwick 16
Ovi 14
Sabu 14
Khalid 13
Beetle A

R2:
Alexandru moves toward Balrok, drops his spear and draws a wand (shield in the other hand, right?), employs the wand and orders Lumpy to attack.

Nikolai engages Beetle B, first arrow snaps on the back, second penetrated deeply.

Beetle B lurches out of the undergrowth, and seems to hesitate…

Balrok draws his shield and swings, the axe tearing a rivulet along the carapiece, then ducks away

Lumpy attacks, misses B-A

Candlewick moves toward B-B (Nikolai)

Ovi moves up, attacks B-A, misses

Sabu holds defense

Khalid looses a MM @ B-A; Abdul moves

Beetle A engages the closest target, now…Lumpy, misses
____________________________________________________

A flurry of activity:  Ovi and Alexandru swifts wend their way through the thick growth to close with the first beetle...and while Ovi's chain fails to make a dent on the black beetle, Alexandru's veridian healing touch infuses Balrok with new hope.  Then at Alexandru's command in the ancient tongue of Terran, a squat, muddy lump, fashioned like a steriod goblin though not as tall, emerges from the very earth, swinging a stony mace-fist as the beetle that is neatly, if unconsiously, sidestepped.  Khalid moves a bit as well, with the sinuous Sabu shadowing his every move, her eyes alert of all dangers.  As he dispatches Abdul, deft hand and sure eyes call the stored energy of venerable sorcerors embedded in the wand, and a green mote of destruction, zipping like a plague-sickened pug toward the beetle and splashes like a glob of spittle on the hard shell...

End Summary

Beetle B One arrow sticks like a bristle
Balrok 18 Seriously Wounded
Beetle A Scratched & MM'd

R3 Starts now!
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:55, Tue 12 June 2007.

Balrok, still in melee range of the beetle, makes a point to move in closer to the big, staying opposite his twin brother as they have fought for many years.  Muscles bulging, he watches the bug from over his shield and through the shrubbery, concentrating on figuring out ways to put his axe through the armored carapace of the beetle (they always say it is best to visualize what you want!).

Seeing the beetle turn upon the small earth elemental who is apparently the until-recently mythical "Lumpy," Balrok clangs his axe loudly on his shield, making noise and waiving his arms around.  "Hey bug-breath, pick on somethin' yer own size, heh heh."  To punctuate his point, Balrok takes a well-timed strike at a crease in the creature's carapace.

OOC:  Lumpy is the closest target?  If Balrok isn't in melee range he will step into melee range.  Basically, I would like to be in melee range but under a bush or some sort of concealment.  If not I will take my chances on the miss chance to be in melee range and the monster's closest target.

Affects:  Rage, 8 rounds remaining (stats reflected in left)
Free Action:  Talking, banging shield, 5' step if necessary
Move Action:  None
Standard Action:  Attack with Waraxe
Attack roll:  hit AC 15
Damage if hit: 11

22:45, Today: Balrok rolled 11 using 1d10+4. Damage.
22:44, Today: Balrok rolled 15 using 1d20+12. Axe, flanking, no Power Attack.

This message was last edited by the player at 04:50, Mon 11 June 2007.

Khalid grimaces at the sight of the beetles from his crouched position near the group's flank.  "Look at the size of them, extraordinary," the wizard comments more in awe of the insects than indicating any amount of real fear.  A fellow hiding in the thickets removed from the threat of those mandibles can, however, afford the idle observation.

Realizing his familiar is moving away from him, he snaps out of his distraction.  "No wait, Abdul... cursed creature, come back."  In his immediate haste, he had sent his familiar off too early and receives a mental accost from his little leaping friend.  "Quiet down, you act as if we've never done this before."

Dropping his wand, he waits until the toad lands on his open hand and he makes a gesture with the other while speaking more arcane words.  A small glow of arcane force radiates from the familiar and with his spell complete, he sends it off to do his dirty work.  "Now you can go, be swift... be careful."


*snickers* That's me playing off the fact that I forgot to store the spell in the familiar before sending him off for a touch spell by roleplaying a bit of absent mindedness on Khalid's part.  It's going to cost me a round but rp is fun hehe.  Anyways:

Free Action:            Lots of talking and carrying on
Familiar's Move Action: Return to Khalid to recieve touch spell
Khalid Move Action:     Set wand at feet
Standard Action:        Cast Shocking Grasp; Deliver Touch Attack Familiar

Toad will move back to the beetle to deliver the attack at the start of next round.

Rolls:
22:30, Today: Khalid Ahmed rolled 5 using 3d6. Shocking Grasp damage.
22:30, Today: Khalid Ahmed rolled 9 using 1d20. Toad Deliver Touch Attack.

OOC - Well that was pointless hehe, size bonus for the touch attack maybe?  Tiny toad leaping at massive shelled thing?  Awesome rolls of 1, 1, and 3 on damage so it might just get a really good caffeine buzz from the whole thing.

Seeing her companions engaged in combat with large insects, Sabu’s first instinct was to jump into the fray. But, she had a job to do. She stayed in front of Khalid.

She kept her eyes open for more threats. Although her knowledge of the wilds was limited, she did know that the sounds of a fight tended to draw attention.

(OOC: Maintain cover for Khalid. Ready action to attack with kukri if an opponent gets within range. Still fighting defensively: AC 20. Or Move Action: approach a beetle, Standard: Attack beetle with kukri.)

22:36, Today: Sabu Armiir rolled 20 using 1d20. Attack with Kukri (if needed).
22:36, Today: Sabu Armiir rolled 15 using 1d20. Confirm crit.

22:37, Today: Sabu Armiir rolled 7 using 1d4+4. Kukri damage (if needed).
22:38, Today: Sabu Armiir rolled 7 using 1d4+4. Additional damage (if critical).
This message was last edited by the player at 06:45, Mon 11 June 2007.

The nobleman looks ahead to the battle with a moderate amount of interest and tries to keep track of his familiar bounding forward with a soft blue glow.  He then notices the lovely figure of his bodyguard poised with such deadly intent on his cover.

"Sabu, put those blades to work, I'll be fine from this distance."

Heh, we'll be here all day if ya keep swingin' like dat, brudder! Guess ya want me t' do all da work.

Ovi chides his brother as he readies his chain. He waits for an opening as his brother distracts the vermin from its flank and slings his chain out at the side of the mammoth vermin.

OOC:
Free Action:  Talking
Move Action:  None
Standard Action:  Attack with chain
Attack roll:  27
Damage if hit: 10

00:24, Today: Ovi rolled 1 using 1d6. Damage (SA).
00:24, Today: Ovi rolled 9 using 2d4+3. Damage.
00:24, Today: Ovi rolled 11 using 1d20+7. Crit Confirm.
00:23, Today: Ovi rolled 27 using 1d20+7. Chain, flanking.

"Yer jus' lucky ... I'm braver ... den jungle boy," Balrok grumbles through his exertions, ducking a mandible and positioning himself for another strike.  "or ... alla us ... an' muley...'d be high talin' it outta here ... while yu run along behind gettin' bug bites!" he finishes as he takes another ineffective swipe.  "Damn varmint," he roars, "who went an' gave yu plate mail!?"
This message was last edited by the player at 04:47, Mon 11 June 2007.

Nikolai sees the second beetle hesitate, and a sliver of doubt enters his mind. "Candlewick, hold fast!" he yells. "They may only be agressive when provoked"

The elf readies and arrow, but does not shoot unless the beetle attacks.

OOC:
07:58, Today: Nikolai rolled 27 using 1d20+11. Readied arrow if beetle attacks.
07:59, Today: Nikolai rolled 3 using 1d8+2. Damage.

Nikolai 23
Beetle B One arrow sticks like a bristle
Balrok 18 Seriously Wounded
Lumpy 16
Candelwick 16
Ovi 14
Sabu 14
Khalid 13
Abdul
Beetle A Scratched & MM'd

R3 (so far):
Nikolai and the beetle face off; the steady ranger standing stock-still, bow bent, breathing slow, letting the combat off to his right fade to near silence as he is fixated on the size and power implicit in this creature, in this jungle that he had long dreamed of...

Balrok and Ovi work like hammer and tongs, and while Balrok does not make a dent, Ovi's chain comes crashing down, torn leaves fluttering behind, and the wicked spikes and hooks drill into the beetle, stripping away layers of armor to let the soft tissue and ichor flow.

From underneath - a flash of blue light!  Could this be some kind of electric beetle, poised to jolt the metal-clad?[Private to Khalid Ahmed: Abdul actually only moves 5'/rd.  He's a toad, after all.  But the effect of a toad delivering touch spells that barely have an impact is too funny.  So it works!]

Whatever it was, the beetle's attention is diverted for a key second, and from no-where Sabu appears, her dancer's grace and swift, efficient movements, appearing at just the right place at just the right time; her honed kukri chopping through the shell like machete through coconut...

Nikolai lowers his bow and slooooowly backs away from the beetle. Although he has little affiny for vermin, he none-the-less is awed by the raw power and stark beauty of the insect.

Unfortunately it seems his comrades are too far gone in their slaughter of the other beetle to stop now, and Nikolai continues to tune out the sounds of combat off to his right.

Alexandru grins at the audacity of Balrok's barb over bravery as he once again expels a burst of healing from the wand upon the dwarf. The 4 foot tall elemental bobs under the insects deadly bite and heaves a spiked hand viciously in an uppercut at the beetle's mandibled face before melding back into the earth,leaving no trace.

OOC:Actions
Alexandru is behind Balrok,using the dwarf as cover as he heals him.
Standard Action
09:48, Today: Alexandru rolled 9 using 1d8+1. Wand of Cure Light Wounds on Balrok.

Lumpy takes a shot at the beetle before dissapearing back into the earth.

Standard Action
09:50, Today: Alexandru rolled 20 using 1d20+6. Lumpy Slam attack vs Beetle.
09:52, Today: Alexandru rolled 9 using 1d6+5. Lumpy Slam dmg vs Beetle.
Move Action
5 foot step back and into the earth,a diagonal 5 foot step lol
I had forgotten to add in the bonus for Lumpy's earth mastery ability last post,that's why his bonuses are greater in this one,my apologies.

Even as Nikolai relaxes and draws back, the beetle itself sort of shuffles and heads off; oblivious of the fact that it was stuck with an arrow?  Or somehow knowing that it mattered not?  No more than a half dozen steps had it gone when already the glossy black shell worked its camouflage magic - the glossy black reflecting what it could and absorbing what it could not.  Already, it looked like a shadowed hollow, a light-removed patch of jungle than a creature of immense size but nimble action.  Truly, it was not just a member of the jungle, it was part of the jungle.

Candlewick, for his part, intended to combat the beetle, but ended up staring as Nikolai was.  "Incredible.  You know, beetles are characterised by a particularly hard exoskeleton and hard forewings called elytra."  He whispers  "The exoskeleton is numerous plates called sclerites, separated by thin sutures, which creates the armoured defences of the beetle while maintaining flexibility. The elytra are not used for flight, but tend to cover the hind part of the body and protect the second pair of wings called alae. Of course, in some beetles, like that one, the ability to fly has been lost, so the two elytra fused together, forming a solid shield over the abdomen."  He breathes deeply.  "I've always wanted to see one.  I wonder what the others were so excited about.  I'm sure it wasn't as wonderful as what we saw."


Wonderful, no.  That much was certain.  As it turned out, it was just as well that Lumpy's attack finished off the brute, because by slinking back into the earth, he managed to not be covered with ichor...

But this remarkable beast, this near-pinnacle animal, it was a huge mess, and it was very dead.  It seemed only seconds before the first flies settled on the wounds of the beetle...

Balrok doesn't seem to mind being covered with sprays of ichor.  Muscles bulging, he spins to face the other beetle.  When it flees, he bellows, Yeah yu'd bedder run, varment!  Der's a lot more axe where dat came frum!. When the beetle disapears from view, Balrok visably relaxes (drops rage), but does not seem tired from his exertions (tireless feat).

Looking around at the mess, he grins. Welcome to du jungle, heh heh heh . . . I call its horn!!.  With that, Balrok moves over to the head of the creature and begins figuring out the best angle to hack off its horn with his axe.  As he does, he gives the body a nod.  Damn bug could fight he says with respect. Make uh good trophy!
This message was last edited by the player at 02:31, Thu 14 June 2007.