Chapter 2.11: The Nest

In the center of the Dyer Estate, the fire has burned to cinders. The resources of the shoggoths have been significantly depleted, and the battle line sinched closely around the heart of their incursion.

Alric, fully equipped, will trot into the lot and look for Phoenix.

I follow, slightly more cautiously and alert for any sign of shoggoths.

Aspen and Weaver are huddled around her map of the lot, apparently discussing the illusory threads overlayed on the map on the ground. She appears human, he of living stone.

Phoenix and Saint are further in at the innermost boundary circle, softly discussing as they survey the ashes.

The way Alric's bombs work is as follows: They're half-filled napalm containers. The trigger is a duct-taped box with a button on it - they only have one. It'll send a signal when pressed. For each container there's an additional container cap, prepared to create sparks when the signal is received. To prime a bomb they'll replace their normal container cap with the sparky one, throw the bomb, then press the button.

All of this has been explained to everyone during preparation at the car - only after repeating everything back did the boys and Vesper get their bombs and spark caps. Vesper got handed the trigger first. Whenever she wants to blow something up, she can replace the cap, throw the bomb, press the trigger. It's obviously self-explanatory to only screw in the spark cap when you want to blow up your bomb, and only if you yourself have the trigger, but Alric will explain that part twice anyways and also have them repeat it back for good measure.

He'll walk up to Phoenix and Saint, making eye contact with both and nodding to them, and then stand by and wait for orders.

I take the bomb gingerly and listen attentively as Alric explains how to use it. When he's done, I follow him to Phoenix and Saint and study the lot while I wait. Are there any dead shoggoths around?

look for dead (or living!) shoggoths: [4, 2] Result: Success! 🎯

No. There’s a lot of burned vegetation, but if any shoggoth corpses are in the mess, they are hard to pick out. Oh! There’s one! No, wait, that’s a dead squirrel.

Hm. "Hey, Alric, can you hold this for me? Just for a bit; I want to try something." I offer him the bomb.

Alric's eyes dart between Vesper and the bomb a few times, with the tiniest hint of confusion on his face. And then he just wordlessly takes the bomb and places it on the ground next to him.

He doesn't say anything and just watches her, curious to see what she's about to do.

"Thanks," I say. Then I head over to the dead squirrel and crouch down over it before gesturing and invoking Weaver.

detect threads: [4 💥 2 = 6, 2] Result: Success! 🎯

(I'm looking for threads to cut, or, failing that, looking to understand why dead stuff doesn't have suitable threads, or even just whether nonliving things have threads)

The chunk of charred meat and fur is a chunk of charred meat and fur. That is to say, lush with a tangle of threads spooling into the environment like the heat and ashes of its fur. Unlike the people Vesper has looked at, the dead animal doesn’t have a core/spine/central loop in the mess of threads, and it is harder to differentiate it from the background threads of the burnt underbrush and ground around it. Fire still lingers here, tied to Charred, Death, and Meat. With study, Vesper could identify more threads.

I look closer for sure!

Vesper loses track of time as she investigates the tapestry around this dead critter. It’s incredibly complex, and though Weaver grants a basic understanding of threads with his granted sight—and the threads themselves resonate with the qualia that they are, it is still like trying to decipher the shorthand notes someone else has made on the subject.

There seems to be a lack of the more abstract concepts; no “Distractible” to be found, if that would be a thread a live squirrel would have. Vesper would need a live squirrel to compare to know.

As Vesper watches, the tangle of threads unravels and dissolves gradually. So gradually that it might take days or longer for the process to fully progress. The warp threads are still present, but they decay and expose more of the weft threads, especially if Vesper physically pokes at and dismantles the dead squirrel. The weft threads are unchanging and match the structure and density of the weft threads elsewhere in Vesper’s vision.

snip fire thread: [4 💥 2 = 6, 2] Result: Success! 🎯

snip death thread: [1, 3] Result: Failure ❌

For the first time, I feel as if Weaver's sight is inadequate. I need to see better, I need to see more.

The squirrel died, and its warp unraveled. Its concepts? Because it's decomposing into the dirt? But the weft remains. Because the decomposition is governed by the same laws of physics that ruled the squirrel in life? It's so hard to tell — I can see type and structure and density, but actually understanding all of this remains beyond me. And yet, even this shadowed glimpse suggests more experiments. What happens if I stitch a thread of death into something living? What happens if I do the same with fire? Can the heat be removed from fire to extinguish it?

There are so many questions I don't know the answer to.

I take Weaver's Shears and start cutting, beginning with the fire before moving on to death.

Vesper is able to extract a thin filament of fire. It’s the fire of a lingering ember after an inferno. Barely there, but it is in fire’s nature to grow when provided fuel.

Vesper then attempts to snip out the death thread. This one is more tightly enmeshed in the dead critter’s weave, and it is hard to find a loose enough section to work in an angle to snip it. Metaphysically, it seems like Vesper can’t find the angle or leverage needed to cut out a piece.

As Vesper hunches over the dead animal, two shiny black boots step into her field of vision.

I look up.

Weaver clears his throat. "...hey, Vesper. What are you trying to learn?"

If Vesper looks up, he's watching her curiously, his hands held together with only their fingertips touching,

I abandon my attempts to cut out the death. "Well, at first I just wanted to see if something dead still had threads. And it did! So then I got curious what would happen if I, say stitched a thread into something where it doesn't belong." I hold up the thread of fire. "I'm going to try stitching this into something flammable later and see what happens. Just now I was trying to cut out the death -- I was wondering what might happen if I stitched that into something alive, like a shoggoth. But I can't seem to get a good angle for the cut."

Alric will watch the scene unfold, silently, the same hint of curiosity on his face as before.

This is data. He's just collecting data. He will draw inferences later.

Weaver nods, slowly. "The only thing you can stitch things into with any reliability right now will be yourself or willing volunteers. To stitch into something that is fighting you would be.... very difficult. Something that doesn't or cannot understand what's going on would be similarly difficult."

He reaches out to gently touch the thread in Vesper's hand, inspecting it for a moment before pulling his fingers away. "You took fire from something burned to death - that thread of fire will be a bit more tuned to burn life and flesh than the raw concept of fire itself. That means that if you stitch it into something, the fire it spreads could be a greater hazard to you and the people around you."

He gestures slowly, a motion like someone sewing running stitches. "Successfully stitching a thread of Death into something wouldn't necessarily kill it. Not immediately. Living things do not want to die. The thread of death is easy for a healthy individual's weave to reject, even if they volunteer to have it stitched in."

He smiles slightly. "... with that in mind. What do you think happens if you cut the concept of death away from a corpse?"

"Ah," I say. "That's a little disappointing. Not much use in stitching fire or death into myself." But at least the main plan is still workable. "I'm... not sure. Would it come back to life? Or... no, that doesn't quite make sense — you'd have to remove the death and then give it life. A zombie? Not dead, but not alive either."

I consider the squirrel with new eyes.

"I don't recommend trying to alter the balance of life and death, for the record. I won't power any attempts to do that. I have an acquaintance who would be very upset about that, which means she'd be upset with me if I did," he cocks his head again. "Which won't stop you from trying other methods if you're dead-set on it, but you should be careful. There are entities who will take offense and act on it if they find out."

He claps his hands together. "With that warning offered... hypothetically, with the addition of other steps and threads and mess, yes, you could probably make a zombie. Interesting in the abstract but not something I have done or intend to try. I have no interest in alienating one of my long-term allies that way."

"Circle back to the question, Vesper. What is a dead thing, removed from the concept of Death?"

"Hm." Weaver's warning doesn't particularly bother me — like he said, the idea of creating a zombie is interesting in the abstract, but ultimately useless. If I need an undead army to take over the world, I've already failed. "A dead thing removed from the concept of death would just be... a thing?" I try to consider that in context of a corpse. "A body that doesn't decay further?"

Weaver crouches. "Even things that were never alive can decompose. But. Good guess." He reaches forward to help highlight the thread of death in Vesper's sight, delicately pulling it into prominence. "Do you want to test and see if you got it right?"

"Of course!"

snip: [4 💥 3 = 7, 4] Result: Success! 🎯

The image of what is on the ground doesn’t change, but it ceases to be recognizable as a dead squirrel. It’s just a charred lump of stuff. Possibly meat, possibly a ruined cloth, and not too much different from the burned vegetation and ground around it.

"That's... interesting." There's clearly much more to threads than I initially thought. "It's... it's still the same stuff as before, but it seems different now, somehow. Even though it looks the same."

'She.'

There can only be so many things taking offense at unbalancing life and death.

There can only be so many rationalists in the magic community.

This isn't six degrees of Kevin Bacon.

...

I should visit Shannon tomorrow morning.

"Mh-hm. It's possible that the thread could be rethreaded naturally, based on.... someone looking at it, essentially, and focusing on the fact that it is supposed to be a dead thing. Some concepts can reassert themselves. But.." He makes a face. "Right now? Right now it's just meat, fur, and char."

He smiles at Vesper. "The world, and people, are shaped by concepts. This includes perception. A dead thing, without death, is just a thing. If you spend time considering what the addition or removal of a concept might mean to something, in the larger scope or scale, it will help you understand what you're looking at. Threads are complex. Trying to understand how concepts work together and shape things will help you further your interpretation, in time and with practice.."

He gently taps her shoulder, voice quieting. "... you should also examine how much your now-sister has shaped the way you look at things. What you consider right and wrong now and whether you would have held that perspective before you became entwined. Remember: you can't encourage her to become a better person if you emulate her mindset and behavior. I'm not expecting you to be perfect at it, especially not now... but I expect you to try to keep it in mind. It's important. Remember your long-term project. Okay?"

Weaver hops back up to his feet like he's got springs in his heels. "Anyway. If you're all good, I need to get back to figuring out the best approach to try and tighten the weave up a bit here when you're all done. It's tricky."

What.

He wants to encourage Inara to become a better person?

There's situations where one shouldn't laugh. During an exam. In a courtroom. During a funeral.

When a Sidhe talks to their Pontiff.

And even as distanced as Alric is from his emotions in this moment, it's hard not to grin. At least he manages to hold his breath and not make any sound.

He silently turns away, puts down his flamethrower, and starts walking it off. That sure is one interesting ashen lot to survey.

He'll stay in hearing distance.

"I... yeah, I remember." I'm nothing like Inara. Sawyer's books, Alric, hell even Saije, as disastrous as that turned out to be. Inara barely even considered any of them except Sawyer worth her notice — and if he had asked her for help, she would have laughed in his face. "Yeah, I'm good."

I sigh and straighten up. There's nothing left here, and although I've learned more about how the threads work, I can't help but feel disappointed. There's so much I don't understand.

I glance at the others. Saint and Phoenix are still talking, but Alric's wandered off and seems to be studying the lot, though I can't see his face from this angle.

I join him. "See anything interesting?"

Weaver studies Vesper for a moment. "Alright. Have fun, Vesper." He smiles, bright and toothy, then flits back over to Aspen, catching Ellie and Morgana in an unexpected sweep and pulling them along, voice a cheerful chirp. "Come on kids, I want to hear what you two think, we haven't had a chance to chat! Three minutes."

Alric has himself completely distanced from most of his emotions, true. He could be hit by a truck right and not raise an eyebrow. In fact, he kind of expects a few more truck-hits by the end of the day. It's that kind of a day, apparently. Not that Alric knows what kind of day, it's the first time he's actually had one of these days. But any future that-kind-of-day will be referencing today, so today is also a day where there's going to be more today by the end of the day.

It makes a lot of sense to Alric.

..So, obviously Alric didn't bother distancing himself from fun. He can still enjoy things, laugh to himself, amuse himself even if the others don't get the joke. Or so he thought. Alric's no expert on Sidhe, but laughing at super serious Patron-Pontiff chats probably falls into the area of 'disrespectful'.

And then this clown, the guy who single-handedly pushed Alric to prioritize building massive piles of weapons (he knows on some level that that's an inevitable next step now, independent of whether or where Weaver ends up on his shit list), talks about making Inara a better person. That was Alric's plan before Chance came along. It was supposed to be a whole thing, that is, until a magical-being-phobic Inara actually became somewhat likeable. Understandable, even.

And now, Alric, still holding his breath, has that guy's Patron come up behind him.

He shakes his head with a hand in front of his mouth and then coughs to release the pent-up air in his lungs, still coincidentally looking away from Vesper. He coughs until he clasps his knees and wheezes for air, and then half a minute later he's caught himself again enough to allow himself to breathe.

I grow increasingly concerned as Alric coughs and chokes. "A-are you okay? Did you inhale some ash or something?"

His voice is raspy. "I'm" - he wheezes - "fine. Ah, I.. must've breathed in something.. It happens, sometimes things.. just hit you."

He takes a deep breath.

"No, there's nothing interesting here, as far as I can tell. It's just ash. Did you find out anything interesting about the squirrel?"

"It was made of threads," I say, happy to talk about magic. "And I took out the death, and it stopped being, well, dead, I guess. It was kind of weird! I also took out the fire —" I almost show Alric the thread before realizing he won't be able to see it "— but unfortunately Weaver says I won't be able to stitch it into an unwilling recipient. But he said I'm skilled enough to stitch threads into willing recipients, so that's good."

"Ah. Threads. Like we saw earlier? Can you show them to me? I mean, if you have them with you."

"I don't think you can see it, but sure." I take out the threads and offer them to him. "The first is fire, and the second is death."

He doesn't bother focusing on his Sight. He's too tapped out.

"Ah, bummer, I was hoping you could also, I don't know, make them visible somehow. I might be able to see them later when I've had some actual rest, you know, being a Seer and all that, but not right now. What do you plan to build with fire and death? Not exactly PhD material now is it?" He chuckles.

"Oh, nothing in particular. I was planning to experiment with it — see if I could start a fire by stitching fire into wood, or kill a shoggoth by stitching death into it, but Weaver says I'm not skilled enough to do that yet. If you have any ideas for interesting experiments though, I'm all ears."

Heavy steps crunch over the dead grass and gravel as Saint joins Vesper and Alric, expression brightened by a friendly smile.

"Hello again, Vesper," he nods, then turns to Alric. "You're Alric, right?" He offers a hand. "I'm Saint. It's nice to meet you. Phoenix asked me to come and see if you both needed another minute or two or if you're ready to finalize next steps."

He thinks for a moment.

...

He actually does have a few ideas.

"Mhm. So, I could suggest a thing or two, but my inner Sawyer starts screaming at me at that thought. Maybe another time? We might want to get ba-"

And then the shotgun Sidhe walks up.

In response to Saint's question Alric nods, then shakes his hand. "I appreciate you notifying us." - evidence against Phoenix being an empath, she could've used her phone instead of sending another fucking Sidhe - "We're good, we were just about to join the rest of the group anyways." He nods to Vesper, does a slight bow towards Saint, then starts walking towards Phoenix and the rest of the people.

"Wait, no — can you give us a moment Saint?" To Alric, "What were you going to suggest?"

Alric stops in the optimal distance for the other two to feel the social pull to follow him towards the rest of the group, then turns around.

"I.. Sorry, what? You mean, as experiments? Like, I have a few ideas, but nothing we can do minutes before a shoggoth hive raid."

I move towards him. "Well, sure, but I'm curious."

"Take as much time as you need," Saint smiles, heading back, past Alric, to rejoin Phoenix.

"Thanks, Saint." I flash him a grin.

He gives Vesper a thumbs up as he heads out of earshot.

Alric makes sure to be far out of the way of the departing Sidhe, then looks at Vesper, confused.

"I.. I just have a few half-baked ideas? And I don't think I want to share them until they're at least, like, three-quarters baked? Can we talk about this after the raid?"

"Fine, fine, keep your secrets." I grin to let him know I'm only teasing. "Let's get this raid started."

"Ah." He nods, then turns to the rest of the people, gesturing for Vesper to follow.

Alric will join the others, take a sip of water from his backpack (he decided to bring a few supplies in his backpack, just in case), then put on all his stuff and wait for Phoenix's commands.

I pick up my bomb and wait.

Phoenix, meanwhile, is checking in on Hope. Is Hope ready to go?

Hope is indeed ready for round 2!

Phoenix raises her voice to get everyone’s attention. “We are about to assault the shoggoth hive again. Saint and I will be the front line for the assault. Ms. Aspen will defend a line of retreat behind us and manage the defense outside the hive. We expect there to be fewer shoggoths defending the entrance, but not none. Inside the hive we expect there to be warped space and noxious fumes. Before we enter, we have headlamps, gas masks, and a protection boon for everyone entering.” She eyes the additional college kids in attendance. “Who is going?”

Morgana hesitates, then summons her double, which drops into a curtsey and speaks. "I can help relay any information you need to anyone staying outside."

Ellie bounces on her feet and waves her hand. "Me! I'm coming!"

"I'm coming too," I say.

Alric shrugs. "You're the boss, you decide. Where do you want me?"

"You should come with me!" I lower my voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "There'll be less fae inside, you know. Besides, don't you want to check out the shoggoth space warping magic?"

Alric blinks a few times, confused, then looks up to the sky before taking a deep breath and returning his gaze to Vesper.

"I.. Vesper, you got the wrong impression, and I.. I can't even begin to understand how you managed to get to that conclusion about me."

He turns to Phoenix.

"What do you want me to do?"

If Phoenix picks up on emotions right now, it'd be clear to her that Alric truly doesn't care. He's not making any decisions anymore.

Phoenix looks Alric over and decides. "Stay out here."

Eustace and Scratch Volunteer to go in. Aspen offers them both spears.

Everyone equips up, including getting a protection boon from Saint (+2 points of armor), and an attack boost on any physical weapons (+2 damage).

Phoenix leads the attack team: her, Saint, Hope, Vesper, Mori's double, Ellie, Eustace, and Scratch. Aspen walks alongside Saint at the front of the procession, turning the path the party is treading into a continuation of her working.

They arrive at the collapsed husk of the Dyer Manor house. The teacup shoggoths don't make an appearance until the party start clearing rubble from the stairway to the basement.

With no further orders given and left standing at the lot, Alric takes off his flamethrower and other equipment, drops it on the ground, then lays down in the grass.

It takes him about four minutes to get bored.

'Here' sure is one broad term. My, the objective definition relative to the reef could mean anywhere on this planet, really.

He gets up, tells Morgana to yell for him if he's needed, and starts walking towards the outside of the lot.

Out of earshot - he's making sure noone is around, including any paper birds - Alric pulls out his phone and calls Shannon.

Initiative Order:
Scratch: :black_joker: Joker! Act whenever you want in the round! Also add +2 to all Trait and damage rolls this round!
Ellie: King ♦︎
MoriDoll: 10 ♣︎
Eustace: 9 ♠︎
Hope: 8 ♥︎
Saint: 7 ♥︎
Phoenix: 6 ♦︎
Penumbral_Shoggoth: 4 ♦︎
Vesper: 2 ♦︎

"Critter below!" Scratch yells, pointing his spear at a hole in the floor where rubble and shadows conceal the basement. His hair is puffed up like raised hackles and his ears look larger and pointier than usual. He holds his attack for now.

Ellie and Morgana hold their actions.

Eustace primes the bomb he got from Alric. It takes a good few seconds to ready. “Priming.” He announces. “Can I get the switch?”

Hope’s turn. The Shoggoth has heavy cover (-6) right now.

Hope Aims.

Saint moves to position himself so he's more likely to be seen as a juicy and delicious target, glancing back to make sure he's not going to make it difficult for anyone else to get a shot off if a shoggoth emerges, then settles into a defensive posture.

Phoenix also positions herself into a defense stance.

The large shoggoth oozes up from the hole, lashing out at the closest intruder: Saint.

Penembral Shoggoth attenpts to grapple Saint.: [6, 5]+2 Result: Success with 1 raise! 🎯🎯

Saint’s opposed athletics, +4 for defence manuver: [3, 4]+4 Result: Success with 1 raise! 🎯🎯

Saint successfully resists being snatched, but Phoenix and Saint are in its thrashing range as it aggressively strikes at all in its reach.

AOE damage on Saint and Phoenix (2d6) results: 2, 5 total: 7

Both front liners weather the hits without any permanent damage.

Vesper is up!

My first shoggoth! And it's still alive! This is so exciting. I can't wait to see what it's made of.

detect threads: [1, 1] Result: Critical Failure! 💀

Vesper moves forward to get a better angle to see the shoggoth, and see she does.

T̵̨̂ḩ̵͝ȍ̷͔s̸̺͑e̶̽ͅ ̵̮͊s̴̡̅i̶̮͘ṅ̸̘e̵̫͛w̴s are not of this ͇W̴̢͠e̵̝͌a̷̝̍v̵̩͛e

Roll Spirit

spirit: [4, 6 💥 6 💥 2 = 14] Result: Success with 2 raises! 🎯🎯🎯

Weaver manually cuts the sight boon off before Vesper gets too much of an eye-full. The impression of “Gross!” tremors back down the pontiff bond.

Scratch, who had detected the shoggoth first and had been psyching himself up to attack, takes a stab! Spending hold

Attack with spear (+2 for joker): [1, 1]+2 Result: Critical Failure! 💀

Scratch, having only learned how to use a spear earlier today, over extends himself while trying to strike at the shoggoth. It gets an attack of opportunity.

grapple the foolish kid: [4, 5]+2 Result: Success! 🎯

Foolish kid teies to twist away from being grappled: [6, 3]+2 Result: Success with 1 raise! 🎯🎯

Scratch skips back over the rough terrain—eyes wide and laughing in a not exactly mirthful way—dodging the grasping tenticles. He didn’t manage to do any damage, but he at least managed not to get himself hurt or drop his spear.

Ellie, Mori, do you want to use your holds?

Morgana will back up to a safer spot - she's here to act as a relay, after all.

Ellie would like to use her hunting whips on the shoggoths!

whip it: [3, 1] Result: Failure ❌

and the other one: [8 💥 7 = 15, 5] Result: Success with 2 raises! 🎯🎯🎯

15 exceeds parry. Roll for damage

damage (2dNaN) results: NaN, NaN total: NaN

damage? (2d6) results: 2, 6 total: 8

Ellie’s attack shakes the shoggoth!

Round 2

Initiative Order:
Vesper: Queen ♦︎
Phoenix: 10 ♦︎
Penumbral_Shoggoth: 8 ♦︎
MoriDoll: 7 ♣︎
Saint: 6 ♠︎
Hope: 5 ♥︎
Scratch: 4 ♠︎
Ellie: 4 ♣︎
Eustace: 3 ♣︎

Well that was weird. And so interesting! If only Weaver hadn't cut me off before I could really study it...

I should probably help the others kill it now.

chromatic weave - fire attack: [4 💥 3 = 7, 5] Result: Success! 🎯

undefined (1d6) results: 3 total: 3

The fire Vesper conjures hits the shoggoth, but glances off leaving only surface singes.

Phoenix gracefully moves over the rubble of the burned building, slipping closer to rend with ruby-tipped gauntlet claws.

Phoenix attack: [2, 1] Result: Failure ❌

…Or at least that was her plan. The shoggoth is wriggly and slipery.

Spirit check to shake off Shaken: [8, 1]+2 Result: Success with 1 raise! 🎯🎯

The shoggoth gathers itself to lash out and atempt to grab the one who made the mistake of getting in close

Shoggoth grab at Phoenix: [9, 1]+2 Result: Success with 1 raise! 🎯🎯

Phoenix resists grapple: [1, 3] Result: Failure ❌

The shoggoth Binds Phoenix! Multiple tentacles wrapping around her limbs.

She growls in frustration.

Shoggoth AOE thrash damage to Phoenix, Saint, and Ellie (2d6) results: 6, 1 total: 7

ace damage (1d6) results: 1 total: 1

Phoenix braces against the close-quarters onslaught and growls louder, but even in close quarters she’s able to withstand.

Saint and Ellie likewise take the damage without lasting injury.

Mori’s turn

Morgana Holds

Saint’s turn

Saint holsters his shotgun, flexes his fingers so his brass knuckles overlay his fingers like claws, and tries to cut Phoenix free.

Attack 1: [5, 4] Result: Success! 🎯

offhand attack: [1, 3]-2 Result: Failure ❌

He tears at the surface layer of shoggoth skin, but fails to do any lasting damage.

Hope, you’re up! you’ve aimed and so have a +2 and it is not under cover anymore, but you are firing into melee, so if you fail and your skill die rolls a 1, you’ll hit Phoenix.

Hope will take a single, careful shot.

Shot: [8, 4]+2 Result: Success with 1 raise! 🎯🎯

undefined (3d6 + 1) results: 4, 2, 5 total: 12

Hit, shaken, and 1 wound

Hope’s first shot lines up with a particularly large eye on the creature, which is loudly turned into a popped blister of slime. The shoggoth flinches back!

second shot: [6, 2] Result: Success! 🎯

undefined (2d6 + 3) results: 2, 5 total: 10

Caught off guard and still reeling from Hope's first shot, the shoggoth is struck again and wounded by Hope's second shot. Penumbral Shoggoth is Shaken and has 2 wounds

Scratch, not wanting a repeat of what happened last time he tried to stab the shoggoth, instead tries a different tactic.

He darts to the side and takes up a position among the burned remnants of the yard. Long evening shadows stretch dark fingers over the rubble of the battle. A wind blows in carrying the susurrus of scratching and growing untamed life digging into built foundations.

Fear Aura on the Shoggoth: [7, 5] Result: Success! 🎯

Shoggoth spirit check: [8, 5] Result: Success with 1 raise! 🎯🎯

Unfortunately for Scratch, the shoggoth doesn't care about the nonsense he is spinning. The shoggoth has bigger fears than whispers and shadows... Like the intruders it is actively engaged with.

Ellie wastes no time in pressing the attack.

Whip 1: [7, 5] Result: Success! 🎯

Whip 2: [4, 5] Result: Success! 🎯

hit

damage! (2d6) results: 2, 2 total: 4

Ellie's strike fails to impart significant damage.

Eustace carefully sets his bomb down. Now that the shoggoth is up here and engaged in melee, fire bombing it seems like a bad idea.

Instead he slides his chunky stone bracelets up onto his palms and picks up a fist-sized chunk of stone rubble, which he holds between his hands. He carefully enunciates the incantation then swings the rock up above his head and back down.

Eustace: Sympathetic Boulder Bolt: [1, 2] Result: Failure ❌

Benny

Eustace: Sympathetic Boulder Bolt: [6 💥 1 = 7, 4] Result: Success! 🎯

Damage (2d6) results: 4, 3 total: 7

A large chunk of rubble from underneith the shoggoth rises into the air and is rapidly slammed back down in synchronicity with Eustace's motions. Though the boulder does strike the shoggoth, the outsider oozes around the brunt of the impact, and does not seem significantly harmed from the strike.

Round 3

Initiative Order:
MoriDoll: King ♥︎
Penumbral_Shoggoth: Queen ♦︎
Eustace: Jack ♦︎
Vesper: 8 ♥︎
Scratch: 8 ♦︎
Ellie: 3 ♠︎
Saint: 3 ♦︎
Hope: 2 ♠︎
Phoenix: 2 ♥︎

Mori holds

Shoggoth spirit check to recover from being Shaken: [4, 3]+2 Result: Success! 🎯

The shoggoth is no longer Shaken

Shoggoth tries to crush Phoenix: [2, 4]+2 Result: Success! 🎯

Phoenix tries to resist being crushed: [2, 4]-2 Result: Failure ❌

Crush damage (1d8) results: 2 total: 2

The shoggoth attempts to crush Phoenix, and though it has her fully bound and the leverage to try to snap her bones, Phoenix is made of sturdy enough stuff to resist actual injury.

Shoggoth AOE thrash damage to Phoenix, Saint, and Ellie (2d6) results: 6, 4 total: 10

Explosion damage (1d6) results: 2 total: 2

AOE damage = 12

Ellie is Shaken Saint is Shaken Phoenix is fine

Eustace wipes off the sweat that has accumulated on his palms and readjusts his grip on the rock he is using as a sympathetic focus. Again, he carefully recites his incantation and swings the rock up and back down.

Eustace: Sympathetic Boulder Bolt: [3, 2] Result: Failure ❌

The boulderEustace was trying to influence breaks as he tries to sympathetically lift it, likely from the cracks it got when he slammed it down last time. His spell fails before the boulder rises more than an inch.

He curses under his breath.

Vesper's turn

chromatic weave - fire: [1, 6 💥 3 = 9] Result: Success with 1 raise! 🎯🎯

undefined (1d8) results: 7 total: 7

Vesper's conjured fire singes, but does not do any significant damage to the shoggoth.

Scratch, seeing that his first approach to scaring the shoggoth didn't work, tilts his head and tries another angle. Whatever he is doing is not as obvious to the others.

Fear Aura tailored to the Shoggoth: [7, 3] Result: Success! 🎯

Shoggoth spirit check: [7, 5] Result: Success! 🎯

The shoggoth is unflapped.

Ellie's turn

roll to unshake: [7, 3] Result: Success! 🎯

Ellie unshakes herself and goes for another attack with her whips

attack 1: [4, 4] Result: Success! 🎯

attack 2: [6, 6 💥 2 = 8] Result: Success with 1 raise! 🎯🎯

hit

damage! (2d6 + 2) results: 3, 2 total: 7

Ellie's strikes fail to do lasting damage.

Saint's turn

Saint rolls to Unshake: [8 💥 8 💥 7 = 23, 3] Result: Success with 4 raises! 🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯

Saint shakes himself off and goes in for a claw attack!

Claw Attack 1: [2, 3] Result: Failure ❌

claw attack 2: [2, 6 💥 3 = 9] Result: Success with 1 raise! 🎯🎯

Hit

damage part 1 (2d8 + 4) results: 3, 1 total: 8

and part 2 (1d6) results: 4 total: 4

Total = 12; Shoggoth is Shaken and +1 Wound Saint's armored claws lengthen as he unshakes, his gaze fixed and focused, unblinking, on the shoggoth as he presses another attack. He seems a little less broad and a little more lithe than he was a moment before.

Your turn

First shot: [8, 4] Result: Success with 1 raise! 🎯🎯

undefined (2d6 + 3) results: 5, 3 total: 11

Hope's shot is the final blow that splits the large shoggoth in two...

There are now two smaller shoggoth swarms.

At least Phoenix is able to take the opportunity to wrest her way free

Second shot, into a swarm: [1, 5] Result: Success! 🎯

undefined (2d6 + 3) results: 1, 4 total: 8

Hope's attack shakes one of the smaller swarms.

Phoenix rolls her shoulders and immediately dives back into the fray, attacking at the shoggoth Hope just shot (Antumbral Shoggoth 1)

Phoenx's Talons: [1, 2] Result: Failure ❌

She at least manages to keep it busy, even if she doesn't do lasting damage to it.

Round 4

Initiative Order:
Antumbral_Shoggoth_2: King ♦︎
Phoenix: Queen ♥︎
Vesper: 10 ♦︎
MoriDoll: 9 ♦︎
Ellie: 8 ♦︎
Scratch: 7 ♥︎
Eustace: 6 ♠︎
Antumbral_Shoggoth_1: 4 ♦︎
Saint: 4 ♣︎
Hope: 3 ♠︎

The second half of the split Shoggoth Swarm goes after Saint.

Antumbral_2 attemps to grapple Saint: [8 💥 6 = 14, 6 💥 6 💥 2 = 14]+2 Result: Success with 3 raises! 🎯🎯🎯🎯

Saint, roll athletics

Saint Athletics: [5, 2] Result: Success! 🎯

Saint is Bound!

Saint snarls like an furious animal, snapping his teeth at the shoggoth, in sharp contrast to his previous calm at being entangled.

AOE damage from AShoggoth2 (1d6) results: 2 total: 2

The shoggoth flails back at Saint, but barely even breaks his stone hide.

Phoenix attacks

Phoenx's Talons: [2, 1] Result: Failure ❌

Still not doing much but corralling and fending off tentacle blows.

Your turn

eat a benny and chromatic weave - fire: [3, 2] Result: Failure ❌

Vesper, being pretty brand new to using her own magic, isn’t quite able to keep the concentration necessary to conjure fire.

Mori’s doll holds. She’s just a spectator for this fight.

Ellie! You’re up!

Ellie’s boundless enthusiasm is undimming!

She attacks antumbral shoggoth 1!

1: [7, 1] Result: Success! 🎯

2!: [6, 1] Result: Success! 🎯

Both strikes hit

"Whoo!"

damage 1 (2d6 + 2) results: 1, 4 total: 7

damage 2! (2d6 + 2) results: 6, 4 total: 12

EXPLOSION! (1d6) results: 2 total: 2

Ellie’s whips shred into the shaken shoggoth! 3 wounds! The shoggoth looks barely held together by the end.

Scratch is a dogged fellow and is set on the idea of spooking an eldritch horror. The horror has been hurt and is smaller now. Is it more easily frightened?

Fear: [1, 1] Result: Critical Failure! 💀

Scratch stalks toward the first of the shoggoths (the one that is more injured). Is it working? It seems to still in its thrashing. It seems to focus on him; that’s promising. He grins.

It rushes him!

Grapple of opportunity on the dumbass kid!: [8 💥 5 = 13, 6 💥 5 = 11]+2 Result: Success with 2 raises! 🎯🎯🎯

Dumbass kid scrambles to get away!: [7, 3] Result: Success! 🎯

The dumbass kid is Bound by Shoggoth 1.

This is not promising! Scratch screams.

Eustace drops the rock he was holding and picks up another. He is trying to very carefully smash the shoggoth holding Scratch.

Eustace: Sympathetic Boulder Bolt: [5, 3] Result: Success! 🎯

Damage (2d6) results: 5, 5 total: 10

This time, instead of swinging wildly, Eustace binds the paired larger piece of rubble and manuvers it into a better position—a sharp edge angled down—and slowly like a hydrolic press brings the large stone inevitably down, straining against the small rock in his hands.

This attack is successful and the pressed shoggoth splits roughly into quarters, only one of which is still holding on to a strugling Scratch.

Antumbral shoggoth 1 is now 4 teacup shoggoths

One of the small shoggoths attempts to crush Scratch.

Teacup crush!: [2, 0] Result: Failure ❌

Resist crush: [7, 1] Result: Success! 🎯

Teacup1.2 attempts to grapple Phoenix: [4, 0]+2 Result: Success! 🎯

Phoenix contested agility: [5, 3] Result: Success! 🎯

The (relatively) tiny lump of shoggoth manages to wind its way around Phoenix’s legs, Entangling her.

Teacup1.3 attacks the bound scratch: [2, 0]+2 Result: Success! 🎯

Damage (1d6) results: 4 total: 4

Teacup1.4 attacks the bound scratch: [6 💥 4 = 10, 0]+2 Result: Success with 2 raises! 🎯🎯🎯

Damage (2d6) results: 2, 4 total: 6

“Ow!” Scratch is Shaken

Saint’s turn

Saint attempts to thrash free, snapping his teeth: [5, 6 💥 6 💥 6 💥 1 = 19]-2 Result: Success with 3 raises! 🎯🎯🎯🎯

Antumbral2 attempts to keep the grapple: [8 💥 5 = 13, 2]+2 Result: Success with 2 raises! 🎯🎯🎯

Despite the Hunter’s thrashing, the shoggoth still Entangles him.

Your turn

Shot 1 at Antumbral2: [4, 5] Result: Success! 🎯

undefined (2d6 + 3) results: 2, 1 total: 6

Shot 2: [1, 5] Result: Success! 🎯

undefined (2d6 + 3) results: 2, 6 total: 11

Die explodes

explosion (1d6) results: 4 total: 4

Shakes and deals 2 wounds to Antumbral shoggoth 2

Round 5

Initiative Order:
Phoenix: :black_joker: Joker! Act whenever you want in the round! Also add +2 to all Trait and damage rolls this round!
Scratch: Jack ♦︎
MoriDoll: 10 ♦︎
Antumbtal_Shoggoth_2: 9 ♣︎
Hope: 7 ♦︎
Eustace: 6 ♠︎
Ellie: 5 ♥︎
Saint: 4 ♠︎
Shoggoth_Swarm_1: 3 ♥︎
Vesper: 2 ♥︎

Phoenix claws at the shoggoth entangling her: [4, 1] Result: Success! 🎯

Damage part 1 (1d6 + 4) results: 1 total: 5

damage part 2 (1d4) results: 3 total: 3

Forgot to add +2 from boon With Saints’s boon sharpening her talons, Phoenix tears the shoggoth entangling her to shreds.

Scratch attempts to wriggle free in a direction the shoggoth binding him can’t follow: [5, 4] Result: Success! 🎯

Scratch has to shake off shaken first: [8 💥 3 = 11, 4]-2 Result: Success with 1 raise! 🎯🎯

Scratch disappears from the Shoggoth binding him and reappears a few feet away. “Ha!” He scrambles up from where he trench-crawled through space. “Ha Ha! Hey Aspen! Did you see that?!” He calls to the figure standing at the head of the trail back, seemingly just watching the fight.

“I did! Well done!” She calls back.

MoriDoll holds

The remaining large shoggoth attempts to resecure its hold on Saint: [7, 2]+2 Result: Success with 1 raise! 🎯🎯

Roll Athletics-2

resist!: [3, 3]-2 Result: Failure ❌

It succeeds in reBinding Saint

It flails again, striking at everyone within reach. Everyone being only Saint. He is at least doing a good job keeping it in place.

AOE damage (1d6) results: 5 total: 5

Hope’s turn again

Shot 1 into the shoggoth attacking Saint: [1, 3] Result: Failure ❌

benny

Shot 1 benny: [6, 1] Result: Success! 🎯

undefined (2d6 + 3) results: 2, 4 total: 9

The Antumbral shoggoth is Shaken

Shot 2: [1, 4] Result: Success! 🎯

undefined (2d6 + 3) results: 6, 5 total: 14

explosion (1d6) results: 6 total: 6

explosion! (1d6) results: 3 total: 3

23 total

Hope's second shot obliterates the remaining large shoggoth. Four clumps of flesh are coherent enough to continue to move on their own. The one Binding Saint seems Shaken.

Eustace maneuvers his rock to try to squish one of the teacup shoggoths.

Sympathetic Boulder Bolt: [1, 3] Result: Failure ❌

He loses concentration on maintaining his sympathetically linked rock. It drops with a CRACK! Unfortunately it didn't catch any live shoggoth that needed killing.

Ellie's turn

Ellie is, if anything, consistent: she'll attack the nearest shoggoth or shoggoths available.

Whip 1: [8 💥 2 = 10, 1] Result: Success with 1 raise! 🎯🎯

Whip 2: [8 💥 2 = 10, 1] Result: Success with 1 raise! 🎯🎯

Both hit with a raise

Damage 1 (2d6 + 2) results: 2, 3 total: 7

Damage 2 (2d6 + 2) results: 5, 5 total: 12

Ellie shakes one teacup (1.1) and outright kills another (1.3).

Saint's turn

Attempt To Break Free: [5, 3]-2 Result: Failure ❌

Teacup shoggoth opposes the roll: [6 💥 4 = 10, 0]+2 Result: Success with 2 raises! 🎯🎯🎯

Yeah, this shoggoth that is still on Saint is approximately 100% muscle dead set on keeping him bound. It probably doesn't have any other organs other than those immediately necessary to keep this Intruder contained.

Shoggoth Swarm 1's turn

Teacup 1.1 attempts to recover from being shaken: [4, 0] Result: Success! 🎯

Teacup 1.1 attemps to grapple Ellie: [1, 0]+2 Result: Failure ❌

Teacup 1.4 attemps to grapple Phoenix: [3, 0]+2 Result: Success! 🎯

Phoenix resists the grapple: [5, 3] Result: Success! 🎯

Phoenix stands between the shoggoths and the rest of the party. Being on the front line means that sometimes you spend most of the fight ensnared in shoggoth because the alternative is that the shoggoth would slip past and ensnare someone else. This is what Phoenix tells herself as ichor-stained tentacles once again entangle her.

Vesper's turn

chromatic weave (fire), targeting teacup 1.1: [2, 4] Result: Success! 🎯

undefined (1d6) results: 2 total: 2

Vesper’s firework has done little more than get the attention of the dog-sized shoggoth.

Round 6

Initiative Order:
Shoggoth_Swarm_2: :black_joker: Joker! Act whenever you want in the round! Also add +2 to all Trait and damage rolls this round!
Shoggoth_Swarm_1: Ace ♥︎
Hope: Jack ♥︎
Ellie: 10 ♣︎
Eustace: 9 ♥︎
Vesper: 9 ♦︎
Phoenix: 7 ♠︎
Scratch: 5 ♦︎
Saint: 5 ♣︎
MoriDoll: 2 ♠︎

The shoggoth Vesper threw a fireball at rushes her with intent to grapple: [1, 0]+2 Result: Failure ❌

Bulk unshaken roll for teacups 2.1, 2.3, 2.4 (3d8) results: 4, 1, 2 total: 7

Forgot the +2 for Joker

Teacup 2.2 attempts to grapple Vesper (target number: 5)

The shoggoth binding Saint (teacup 2.1) and one other shoggoth (teacup 2.4) recover from their shock of being smaller pieces of the shoggoth Hope obliterated. (Teacup 2.3 is still reeling.)

the tiny shoggoth binding Saint attempts to squeeze: [4, 0]+4 Result: Success with 1 raise! 🎯🎯

Saint, roll opposed athletics -2

Teacup 2.4 attacks Saint, attempting to acid bite through his rocky hide: [2, 0]+4 Result: Success! 🎯

Damage from shoggoth nom (1d6 + 2) results: 2 total: 4

opposed athletics: [3, 6 💥 1 = 7]-2 Result: Success! 🎯

Crush damage: [6 💥 5 = 11, 0]+2 Result: Success with 2 raises! 🎯🎯🎯

Saint is Shaken as the shoggoth constricts tighter!

Roll opposed athletics, target number 5

resist: [3, 2] Result: Failure ❌

Vesper is Entangled by the shoggoth she had attempted to burn.

Shoggoth Swarm 1’s turn

Teacup 1.1 continues to try to snare Ellie: [2, 0]+2 Result: Success! 🎯

Ellie athletics: [2, 2] Result: Failure ❌

Ellie is Entangled!

Teacup 1.4 attempts to crush Phoenix: [5, 0] Result: Success! 🎯

Phoenix resists crush: [1, 5]-2 Result: Failure ❌

crush damage (1d6) results: 1 total: 1

This is nowhere near as bad as being crushed by the larger shoggoth. It still leaves another bruise.

Hope’s turn!

Shot 1, into shoggoth grappling Vesper: [1, 3] Result: Failure ❌

Shot 1 benny: [7, 5] Result: Success! 🎯

undefined (2d6 + 3) results: 2, 3 total: 8

Teacup shoggoth 2.2 is Shaken

Shot 2: [7, 6 💥 3 = 9] Result: Success with 1 raise! 🎯🎯

undefined (3d6 + 3) results: 3, 5, 6 total: 17

explosion (1d6) results: 6 total: 6

Is this into the same shoggoth?

Yes

explosion! (1d6) results: 3 total: 3

The shoggoth that was entangling Vesper is now a splatter of gore. And Vesper had a very close brush with a very fast bullet!

Ellie! A tasty snack is cuddling you! What do?

Try to eat it!!!!!!

Snack Attack: [5, 3] Result: Success! 🎯

Hit

damage!: [6 💥 2 = 8, 5] Result: Success with 1 raise! 🎯🎯

13!

Incapacitated!

Ellie’s own tentacles spread before tangling with the Shoggoth's as she pulls it in tighter and lunges in to bite, her excess limbs wrapping around her former attacker like a boa constrictor as she begins to feast. Her teeth aren't sharp enough to make her bites clean, and ichor drips down her borrowed gambeson as she rips an oversized mouthful of flesh free from her prey's corpse, the dead Shoggoth's tentacles twitching in its' death throes.

Eustace’s turn Eustace grimaces, slides his foci back down to his wrists, and wipes the ash from his hands. He could continue casting magic, but if this was going to be a long slog, he doesn’t want to exhaust himself before even entering the nest proper.

The shoggoths look about handled in his eyes, so he takes the time to defuse the improvised firebomb that he fused at the start.

Vesper’s turn!

chromatic weave (fire) - teacup 1.4: [4 💥 2 = 6, 1] Result: Success! 🎯

undefined (1d6) results: 3 total: 3

The heat from the fire Vesper conjured dries some of the viscera from the shoggoth Hope shot off of her into a flaking veneer on her robes. It doesn't do much against the live shoggoth though.

Phoenix's turn

Phoenix claws at the shoggoth entangling her: [4, 6 💥 4 = 10]-2 Result: Success with 1 raise! 🎯🎯

damage part 1 (2d6 + 4) results: 3, 5 total: 12

damage part 2 (1d4) results: 1 total: 1

Phoenix shreds the shoggoth entangling her.

Scratch's turn

Scratch picks up his dropped spear and twirls it before stalking towards the last teacup shoggoth that isn't currently attacking anyone.

Attempt to stab: [1, 4] Result: Success! 🎯

Damage (2d6 + 2) results: 3, 6 total: 11

Scratch kills the shoggoth! Thinking himself suitably epic for being able to twirl the spear and kill the shoggoth in the same motion.

He glances out of the corner of his eye to see if Eustace saw.

Saint's turn

Unshake: [8 💥 5 = 13, 6 💥 5 = 11]-2 Result: Success with 1 raise! 🎯🎯

Saint attempts to become unbound.: [7, 3]-2 Result: Success! 🎯

Opposing breakout: [1, 0]+2 Result: Failure ❌

FREEDOM!

Saint is no longer Bound ... he is Entangled

... half freedom.

Morgana continues to hang back with Aspen and Holds Her Turn

Round 7

Initiative Order:
Ellie: Ace ♥︎
Vesper: Queen ♥︎
Eustace: Jack ♦︎
Saint: 10 ♦︎
Hope: 9 ♦︎
Phoenix: 6 ♥︎
Shoggoth_Swarm_2: 4 ♦︎
Scratch: 3 ♠︎
MoriDoll: 3 ♣︎

Of the shoggoths, only Saint's fanclub remain: muscles and bitey.

Ellie is distracted from battle by her feast. She spends her turn consuming her prey.

Your turn!

you know the drill!: [4 💥 2 = 6, 1] Result: Success! 🎯

undefined (1d6) results: 3 total: 3

The conjured fire doesn’t do much.

Eustace’s turn Firebomb now disarmed, Eustace picks up a spear Aspen provided and attempts to stab the second to last shoggoth.

Stab: [3, 3] Result: Failure ❌

“See, it’s not that easy. I’m just a natural talent.” Scratch banters.

Eustace laughs.

“They don’t call me Strachomir The Shoggoth Skewerer for nothing! It’s a title you gotta earn, kid. But you’re not off to a bad start, you just need to take another stab at it.” Scratch grins.

Scratch will spend this round speaking out of turn.

Saint’s turn

Saint doesn't bother trying to untangle himself and attacks.

Claw Attack One: [3, 4]-2 Result: Failure ❌

Claw Attack Two: [3, 1]-4 Result: Failure ❌

Hope's Turn

Shot 1: [8, 2] Result: Success with 1 raise! 🎯🎯

undefined (3d6 + 3) results: 4, 6, 5 total: 18

explosion (1d6) results: 6 total: 6

explosion! (1d6) results: 1 total: 1

total = 25 damage

The shoggoth Eustace failed to stab is demolished by Hope.

You can shoot the last shoggoth binding Saint, but because it is Entangling him it would be at -2 to hit.

Hope will not take that riskier shot.

Phoenix's turn

Phoenix circles into Saint's line of sight before approaching the Sidhe struggling against the outsider. "Saint, that's the last one. You've done well protecting us as we've fought with you against the shoggoths. No one was harmed more than superficially. We don't need the Hunter, we need the Guardian as we venture further. I can help you out with the last one."

Saint's build shifts, a reverse of the subtle change from Guardian to Hunter that occurred earlier during the fight. He stops struggling and goes still again, patient as a stone wall.

Phoenix rips the shoggoth engangling Saint: [6 💥 4 = 10, 4]+2 Result: Success with 2 raises! 🎯🎯🎯

Damage part 1 (2d6 + 4) results: 5, 4 total: 13

Damage part 2 (1d4) results: 4 total: 4

Damage part 2 explode (1d4) results: 2 total: 2

The last shoggoth (currently here) is dead.

End of combat!

Continues in