Session 29 - A is for Ankheg (pt 2)
Roster
Atudark,Cyinth Agora,Lyra Everlight,Suraax Smith
Session Overview
Session Status: Occurred
In Game Date: 1st Tarsakh 1509
Group Cup Points
| Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 |
|---|---|---|
| +/- 0 | +/- 0 | +10 |
| 265 | 195 | 48 |
NPC's
Summary
Tensions flare and voices echo through the ankheg tunnels — and the hive answers. What begins as shouting across stone corridors escalates into a brutal confrontation with a massive ankheg that splits the party in two. Steel is shattered, skeletons rise, and teamwork (barely) prevails. With their objective deemed “sufficiently complete,” the students return to the surface — some triumphant, some mourning damaged constructs, and some immediately making questionable post-combat lifestyle choices.
Rumbling in the Dark
- The students remain spread throughout the tunnels.
- Suraax and Cyinth begin shouting at one another from opposite ends of the cavern network.
- The raised voices echo through the stone — followed by a low, ominous rumble.
- Lyra urges the group to retreat before something worse happens.
- As the party attempts to regroup and head for the entrance, the ground erupts.
The Hive Responds
- A massive ankheg bursts up through the earth, splitting the tunnel and trapping the party on opposite sides of a wall of debris.
- The creature seizes Suraax in its mandibles.
- T.1.T.4.N attempts to strike the ankheg — only further enraging it.
- The ankheg:
- Hurls Suraax to the ground.
- Bites into T.1.T.4.N and tears the steel defender in two.
Desperate Measures
- Lyra keeps her distance, attacking with Spiritual Weapon from relative safety.
- Atudark raises three skeletons from the earth, forming a grim barrier between himself and the creature.
- Suraax regains her footing and hacks at the ankheg with her axe.
- Atudark commands his skeletons to press the attack.
- Despite the chaos — and the loss of T.1.T.4.N’s body — the party eventually brings the creature down.
Aftermath Underground
- Cyinth rushes to the remains of T.1.T.4.N.
- She salvages the power core and critical components needed for reconstruction.
- Calypso Virellis — who has been standing at the ready, prepared to intervene if necessary — congratulates the students on their combat effectiveness.
- She declares the exercise complete:
- While they did not locate the claustral chamber or destroy ankheg eggs,
- Their efforts will likely satisfy Academy expectations.
- Calypso escorts the students out of the tunnels and instructs them to clean up before their next lesson.
Debrief in the Common Room
- The students return to the first-year common room and compare stories with their peers.
- Milfjord offers Suraax his pipe.
- She hesitates — then accepts.
- After a few draws:
- Suraax begins giggling uncontrollably.
- Atudark joins her.
- Meanwhile:
- Cyinth and Lyra decide to skip their next class to spend time playing with the dormitory cats.
- The rest of the group heads onward to their scheduled lessons.
- Suraax and Atudark struggle — unsuccessfully — to compose themselves.
Ongoing Threads
- T.1.T.4.N Rebuild – Cyinth has salvaged the power core, but reconstruction will require time, materials, and skill.
- The Claustral Chamber – The egg chamber remains undiscovered. The ankheg problem may not be fully resolved.
- Tunnel Acoustics (Again) – The party’s shouting directly triggered a hive response.
- Calypso’s Assessment – How much did the third-year truly observe? And what report will she give Professor Lang?
- Substances & Exhaustion – Recreational choices after combat may carry mechanical or academic consequences.
- Hive Awareness – A large, aggressive ankheg responded with precision. Was it random… or defensive leadership?