The setting sun cast long shadows as it lost itself beyond the scrublands. The day was cooling off and the stony barrens were being transformed as the night time predators came out of hiding to try and find prey. The companions still debated the plans and the two young elves pressed for a quick decision and action…

Aryus took a sip from his near-empty waterskin while the other chatted and argued over the best strategy. The three elves and the two human warriors had a sometimes-heated discussion, but things looked like no decision would be reached soon. Aryus waited for a moment of silence, and stepped in. "Gaigin, what do you think of my idea of sending a small elemental creature inside the nest as a distraction? Don't you think that some sentinels or soldiers would investigate?"

Gaigin merely nodded absent-mindedly; it was obvious that the ex-caravan guard was weighing a problem in his own mind.

Tak’ pops up for a moment, observing the hive area. Noting nothing, and also the onset of dusk, he drops back down again, frowning as he tries to think through the options at the pack's disposal.

Eventually, he signals for attention, "We need to strike soon - and decisively," he says, striking his fist into his small palm. "It would be best if we were able to draw out a large number and battle them on our terms - aboveground - but eventually we will need to enter the nest."

"I suggest I make a quick check of the main tracks in the area - I will look for any signs of the second scrab hunting party. If they have left, and not yet returned - we should make our move immediately." Tak’ turns to the second alternative, "If they still remain, I suggest we wait until they have left - another 7 warrior scrabs will tip the balance too far against us."

"Aryus should send in his dust elemental. At worst, it will merely alert them to our presence - which will happen as soon as we enter anyway. At best, several scrabs will investigate. We should rush and kill as many of them as possible, for a scrab that we kill aboveground is one less we have to face in the nest. We must be as ferocious as the Tigone - as just a quick."

"The assault on the hive itself," Tak’ says, concern on his face as he contemplates the darkness and cramped conditions within. "Speed will be of the essence. If the tunnels branch - we should split up - at any rate a column of nine would be ineffectual - splitting our numbers will not disadvantage us. I would suggest each group have at least one warrior, and one proficient in the way - thus they should be able to at least hold their own against their mind powers - and hopefully out power them in melee."

"I will leave now to check for tracks," Tak’ says, standing up, leaving all but his spear and daggers behind. "I suggest the rest of you prepare yourselves, there is much ahead of us." With a curt nod, the halfling prepares to leave, not making a sound, his small frame blending into the rocky terrain remarkably well.

Elric rummages through his many pouches as he looks toward Tak'. "A scouting mission would be advisable. We need to know if the second hunting party is in there or out on patrol." Finally holding up the pouch he was looking for, the young warlock peers in looking at two small-disembodied legs. <Two casting left, hopefully I will be able to restock in town.> "I will add magical strength to my legs, if you encounter trouble Tak', I will be quick to bring aid."

Lirón nods his head towards the small halfling; his respect for the hunter growing by the hour. "Remember the tracks I showed you. There are probably many tracks around here or none at all depending on how hard the rock is but good luck to you." The elven boy addresses the party, "My guess is that the hunting party is inside since they just returned with their bounty, our kin Aitaa."

The elf takes out his bow and tests its pull while talking, "Aye, we should draw them out. I can't use my bow inside there and even my sword will be not be used to full advantage. The dust 'whatever' should draw their attention and I can then show myself with another elf." Lirón looks towards Mendi for approval, "We can out run them although they are quite fast."

Lirón looks towards Koreth, "That is something that we elves also are the best at...speed and we can be silent about it too." Migdalia cautiously adds, "If we can cut off their entrance once they are out then they could not get back in and warn the rest of the insects." The girl's robes cover a large area of the ground as she squats down, "I can cast my smoke ring only about meself...but I can step out of it. If I was able to cast it on the entrance that should keep them out for a while. Of course it would mean that the battle be to the death!"

The elven warrior cuts in, "Forget it, that is too dangerous. You cast that around yourself and keep the insect at bay from you. I already lost one kin to them kank-smelling bugs."

Koreth nodded at Tak's assessment of the situation, then scowls as the arrogant little elf brat once again threw verbal barbs at him. <I should have gone with Ptellac,> he thought <I grow tired of these taunts. He expects us to aid him, but thinks he can throw his insults too!>

"Enough of your childish taunts!" Koreth hisses, his gray eyes locked on the elf boy. "You called a truce, so if you want to see your friend again I suggest you keep your sour tongue in your mouth. I would enjoy cutting it out too much." He then turns his gaze to his companions, mostly ignoring the scathing looks the elf was giving him.

"I agree with Tak'. We need to scout their lair, find all their entrances and make sure there are no surprises. I don't really know how effective the dust devil will be. If it brings out a few scrabs, we need to deal with them as quick as possible. I would think smoking out their holes would work better, but I doubt we could gather enough material to do the job in this place." <Perhaps the smell of roasting elf would lure them out...> Koreth thinks, a cruel smile playing across his lips.

Tak waited no longer and left scouting while Elric trailed him. They went around the stony barrens looking for tracks but found nothing that could give away another entrance or anything out of the ordinary. They both returned without any unusual events to tell the party except that they were dustier and their throats parched. The group gathers around one more time to continue discussing their plans.

Gaigin sits quietly through the discussion, brooding, though the elf's remark about 'saving' the pack caused him to raise an eyebrow at one point. After considering for a moment, Gaigin shrugs slightly.

"I can't think o' no better plan. We'll take position under cover and ambush any who come up outta that hole. Aryus gets their attention with that dust devil o' his, and we move in once they come up to investigate. Aryus and Elric move to cover the entrance, cutting off any escape, and we move in from all sides for the kill." Gaigin turns to Elric, "I seen you make a phantom once, you think you could pull that off again. An elven hunting party waiting outside that hole would draw up most of the buggers, at least enough to make our raid possible." Gaigin pauses for a moment, sipping some more water, then gestures towards a spot about a hundred feet outside the hole. "If ye can, put yer phantoms about there. If not, then Mendi, and our two elf friends can take position there. It's important that we get their undivided intention."

Rayne listens intently to the ideas flying around. Beginning to get impatient, the mul sighs, "We seem to all be comin' up with the same suggestions, so let's form some sort 'o plan and get on with it. . . It would be easier if we knew what's there, but it is foolish to split up. We have our greatest strengths when we're all workin' together. I think our best chance is to march in, confront the beasts we run into, get the girl and get out. It's not much of a plan I guess, but we don't have a lot 'o options. I'm fer fightin' our way through, it's not like I know how to do much else anyway. I don't think we should run in screamin' or anything, let's be as quiet and quick as we can." Looking about at her companions, the mul shrugs and once again falls silent. <I said me mind, now what?>

Mendi, who had been brooding away from the discussion, stood to attention as Gaigin spoke of him. He nodded, for he had reached the same conclusions as the caravan guard. "We would probably be better off if we mixed with the phantoms. I'm sure there are defilers and psionicists among them who can see through illusions. If there are some of us," the elf makes a gesture encompassing himself and the other elves and half-elves, "scattered around, they will believe we are trying to inflate our numbers... I suggest we hide nonetheless using the phantoms as proxies, using the best cover we can, and either jump on them or pin them down from a distance."

Gaigin turns to the three elves. "It means ye'll be bait, but it should put ye far enough away from their attackers to keep ye safe until the rest of us spring the trap. Aryus' spell alone won't be enough, I'm guessing. You three should bring 'em out in droves."

Mendi turns towards the elven warrior, "Young Liron, now is an opportunity to prove your skill and prowess. You spoke harsh words, insulted my friend Koreth here," said the elf while keeping an intent stare at the noble, "hinted that he was no warrior, and boasted a lot about your abilities. Now comes the times to prove the legendary worthiness of the elven warriors. We need a bait, and of the three of us, you are the best suited to receive the brunt of their charge. I'm sure that Elric will also be eager to draw their attention, while Aryus, Midgalia and me cover you from a short distance." The elf pauses and crouches to draw a sketch of what he has in mind. "Elric and you will be there, with Gaigin and Koreth on your forward flank, while Rayne will be across the entry, also in ambush. We will be behind you, and Tak should stay with us as a reserve."

"If things go well, they will charge at us, and our concentrated forces will be able to hamper them, while our flankers will soon distract their attention. I'm sure this way we will be able to slay a lot of them swiftly. Aryus and Midgalia will use their magic while I rely on the Way and on this, added Mendi", who patted his crossbow.

Aryus listened quietly to Gaigin, then Mendi. The elf's plan looked fine enough, except that it recalled the half-elf of painful memories from the outskirts of Urik. The face of Alana briefly appeared in front of Aryus'
eyes, and the young wind mage shivered. He tried to master himself, however. This was not the same. Those insects below were elf-eaters, and had already threatened his life. Even though he felt slightly nauseous at the prospect of participating in a slaughter once more, he couldn't see any other way. <Perhaps violence can be legitimate when used for a good cause,> he mused. <Tak' is good at heart, I suppose he would have tried to argue for another way if there was any.> Then, aloud: "So, if we agree on this plan, it is in our hands now, Elric."

Elric looks up from his spell components, "Oh yes a phantasm would do well in drawing their attention. Hmm..." Surveying the area where Gaigin wishes the illusion to be cast. "I am unsure as to the senses of these creatures. I would suggest as an added insurance that Aryus speak to the winds that they blow from the hole past the illusion. This way if the scrabs have very good sense of smell they will not be alerted to the fact that the illusion cast no odor. Normally this would not be a problem but in a sustained illusion as you suggest the odds of.." Looking to Gaigin's impatient stance "Oh well, yes of course, the spell, right on it chief."

Kneeling to the harsh landscape, Elric places both hands on the ground. Finding harmony with the surrounding plant life forces, he slowly draws strength into himself. Dusting his hands off, Elric stands and walks to stand in front of Lirón first then Migdalia. Before each he stands glaring intently before walking fully around studying them from every angle. "The illusion will be more believable if the elves are from their tribe come to rescue the captured elf."

Walking past Gaigin "To pull this off I will need to be concentrating fully. I will hide on the ridge were I will have the best view of the battlefield. Once the illusion is not longer useful I will come in hard. Luck to you" Elric heads to the ridge of the dune where he nestles into the sand there effectively hiding from view.

Calling his power forth, Elric forms in his mind the vision of Lirón and Migdalia, then he duplicates them and then again until in his minds eye stands 6 elves. Carefully moving from imaginary elf to elf, the young warlock adds or removes from each creating 6 individual looking elves. The vision held before him, Elric reaches for his gathered power and begins to weave the strands of magic into the vision held in his mind.

The group goes on the defensive momentarily as a group of six elves come over the opposite dune. They fan out as they enter the area, the one of the far right motioning to the others indicating the scrab hole. The group forms into a spear head formation and each draws a weapon, some swords, others spears.

Once the warriors had taken their positions, the windmage took on a concentrated air, and made arcane gesture, while muttering under his breath. "Timeo danaos, et donna ferentes!" he said eventually, as a small dusty form shape itself at his feet. The windmage immediately sent the dust devil toward the hole's entry, and it soon reached it, and hovered over the scrab's net entry. But Aryus was already preparing his next spell. Carefully drawing energy from the surrounding plants, he began to prepare the spell that allowed him to charge a target with deadly static electricity, the Cerulean Shock, on the first scrab that would appear out of the hole.

Lirón mingled freely with the phantom elves carefully trying his bow that already had an arrow set to be fired. The elven boy's hair was tousled and his hands clenched and unclenched expecting the insectmen. He waited for Elric to move the phantoms and was pleasantly surprised when the warlock made the elves scream not unlike he had done so in the last battle. <The half-breed is good. Let's hope he is good enough to draw them out.> Then the dust devil entered the nest raising sand and small pebbles in its wake.

Tense moments passed and nothing happened and the heroes readied their weapons. All warriors had weapons drawn; spellcasters had their magic at the tip of their tongues and spell components handy. It was the psionicists who feared the most; specially Mendi whose mind had been breached not too long ago; that dreaded memory was still fresh in his mind. Then the first scrab appeared, followed closely by three more. All four of these scrabs went directly towards the elven phantoms and Elric had them dance away in realistic fear and surprise; even Lirón played his part… all too real it seemed. The dust devil never came out and more movement could be discerned from the mouth of the nest as at least one more scrab could be seen in its depths.

The scrabs flattened themselves onto the rocky surface and developed amazing speed reaching the elven phantoms in no time. Suddenly, another scrab left the entrance and screeched loudly with his small hand-like appendages gesturing towards where the real group waited for its ambush. The party had been discovered by psionics no doubt but the scrabs still needed to cover some ground before they could close in for battle. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the psionicists and spellcasters among the insectmen…

Your actions…

OUT OF CHARACTER

HEALTH STATUS

Remember the scale:

Healthy (H) 100% hitpoints remaining

Slightly Wounded (SiW) 75% to 100% hitpoints remaining

Wounded (W) 50% to 75% hitpoints remaining

Seriously Wounded (SeW) 25% to 50% hitpoints remaining

Mortally Wounded (MW) 0% to 25% hitpoints remaining

Gaigin (SiW)

Mendi (SiW)

Rayne (SiW)

Ayrus (H)

Koreth (H)

Tak (SiW)

Elric (H)

Male elf (SiW)

Female elf (H)

GENERAL

Alright, maybe a little battle will get things moving here. There are four scrabs out there ready for melee and at least one more visible at the nest's entrance. The scrabs will take one round to close in for melee.

Give me two rounds of actions please and don't forget to tell me about psionic defenses (if any).

Questions, comments, and suggestions please.

L8r,

Fabian