I love scarabs.

[theotherjohn]

[Town Square, Small Park]
A small, shaded park fills an old vacant lot behind a row of buildings, the bright lamplight from the square filtering through the passage to the north to illuminate the area with a soft glow. A weatherworn grey marble statue of a stocky human in pioneer's clothing overlooks the park, his stone hat encrusted by the gifts of decades of passing birds and his right hand half-upraised as if it once held some now-missing object. You also see the Zaban disk, a dented coin and a handful of white flower petals.
Also here: Zoddious, Tenacity, Zaban, Astranged, Coffie, Mesmari, Janttus who is sitting, Lord Ashraam who is sitting, Gavindale who is sitting, Lady Kayliegh, Tzarraak
Obvious paths: north, south, west
>
You feel light-headed as a blood red teardrop-etched scarab draws the blood violently from your body!

The silvery luminescence fades from around you.
The light blue glow leaves you.
The powerful look leaves you.
The air calms down around you.

It seems you have died, my friend. Although you cannot do anything, you are keenly aware of what is going on around you...

You mentally give a sigh of relief as you remember that the Goddess Lorminstra owes you a favor.

...departing in 10 mins...
>
Zoddious exclaims, "Thanks heaps!"
>
Tenacity blinks.
>
Tzarraak bows to Tenacity.
>'eat a sleeper
You say, "Eat a sleeper."
>
Zoddious says, "Err.."
>
Coffie raises a hand while murmuring a soft orison...
>

>"hurry

>
A blood red teardrop-etched scarab suddenly pulses a bright crimson and drops away from you!
>
Coffie gestures at you.
You feel a tingle on your soul, as if a powerful hand is gently cradling it.
(Thy soul is bound to thy body for an extra 13 minutes and 30 seconds.)
>
You say, "Hurry."
>
Tenacity stares at you.
>

>
Tenacity falls to her knees beside your body and wails mournfully!
>


>
Tenacity stands up.
>
Zoddious asks, "Err. what?"

>look
[Town Square, Small Park]
A small, shaded park fills an old vacant lot behind a row of buildings, the bright lamplight from the square filtering through the passage to the north to illuminate the area with a soft glow. A weatherworn grey marble statue of a stocky human in pioneer's clothing overlooks the park, his stone hat encrusted by the gifts of decades of passing birds and his right hand half-upraised as if it once held some now-missing object. You also see a blood red teardrop-etched scarab, the Zaban disk, a dented coin and a handful of white flower petals.
Also here: Zoddious, Tenacity, Zaban, Astranged, Coffie, Mesmari, Janttus who is sitting, Lord Ashraam who is sitting, Gavindale who is sitting, Lady Kayliegh, Tzarraak
Obvious paths: north, south, west
>


>
Quicker than the eye can follow, a blood red teardrop-etched scarab suddenly darts forward and lauches itself at Tenacity!

A blood red teardrop-etched scarab clamps its tiny mandibles onto Tenacity's right hand!
>
Tenacity slings a wolf-etched vultite tower shield over her shoulder.
>
Tenacity removes a white flask from in her silk stalking cloak.

>laugh
You laugh, the sepulchral sound echoing through the room.
>

>
Tenacity gasps in pain and shock as a blood red teardrop-etched scarab pulsates, drawing the blood from her body!
>

>

>
Tenacity gasps in pain and shock as a blood red teardrop-etched scarab pulsates, drawing the blood from her body!
>

>
Speaking carefully in broken common, Tenacity exclaims, "Help!"

>
Coffie gestures while calling upon the lesser spirits for aid...
>

Speaking carefully in broken common, Tenacity exclaims, "Help!"
>
Tenacity gasps in pain and shock as a blood red teardrop-etched scarab pulsates, drawing the blood from her body!
>
Coffie gestures at Tenacity.
Tenacity's skin takes on a more pinkish tint.

>"eat ever one
You say, "Eat ever one."

>
A cloud of dense silvery fog suddenly appears. The fog quickly dissipates to reveal Guenhafyr.
>

>
Speaking carefully in broken common, Tenacity says, "Scarab."
>

>
Tenacity gasps in pain and shock as a blood red teardrop-etched scarab pulsates, drawing the blood from her body!
>

>
Ashraam gestures at Tenacity.
The glazed look leaves Tenacity.
>

>
Speaking carefully in broken common, Tenacity says, "Blood."

>
Tenacity gasps in pain and shock as a blood red teardrop-etched scarab pulsates, drawing the blood from her body!

* Tenacity drops dead at your feet!

The light blue glow leaves Tenacity.
The brilliant luminescence fades from around Tenacity.
The air about Tenacity stops shimmering.
Tenacity returns to normal color.
Tenacity seems to lose an aura of confidence.
>

chortle
You give a ghostly chortle.
>
The spirit of Tenacity sighs softly, raising the hairs on the back of your neck.
>

>
Zoddious exclaims, "Drtat!"
>

>
A blood red teardrop-etched scarab suddenly pulses a bright crimson and drops away from Tenacity!

>"eat another one
You say, "Eat another one."
>
Coffie raises a hand while murmuring a soft orison...
>

A charcoal grey arrow flies out of the shadows toward a blood red teardrop-etched scarab!
AS: +231 vs DS: +66 with AvD: +29 + d100 roll: +17 = +211
... and hits for 49 points of damage!
Strike pierces forearm!
The teardrop-etched scarab collapses to one side, then flips completely over, legs flailing weakly at the air before it expires.
The charcoal grey arrow sticks in a blood red teardrop-etched scarab's left arm!
>
Coffie gestures at Tenacity.
A luminescent web briefly forms around Tenacity, then fades into the body.
>

>
Tenacity's spirit lets out a hollow moan.
>
Ashraam says, "Good hit."

>sigh
You sigh softly, your ghostly voice a mere breath on the wind.
>
Guenhafyr applauds.
>
Astranged put a silver-nocked black ash yumi in his thrak skin sack.
>


>"poor bug
You say, "Poor bug."
>
Guenhafyr raises a hand while murmuring a soft orison...
>
Kayliegh rubs Tenacity.
>
Valandra chuckles.
>
Ashraam removes a white flask from in his mesh wand harness.
>
Semyr bows to Coffie.
>
Guenhafyr gestures at you.
Nothing happens.
>
Ashraam forces Tenacity's mouth open, and pours in a small amount from his white flask.

>depart
Your soul has been magically bound to your corpse. You cannot yet leave.

>
Guenhafyr raises a hand while murmuring a soft orison...
>


>
Astranged drew his foot back to kick the scarab, but apparently thought better of it.
>

>
Speaking carefully in broken common, the ghostly voice of Tenacity says, "Bugs are horrid."

>
Guenhafyr gestures at Tenacity.
Nothing happens.
>

The spirit of Tenacity begins to wail eerily.

>
Astranged pokes at the teardrop-etched scarab with his hand.
>

Astranged searches a blood red teardrop-etched scarab.
A blood red teardrop-etched scarab crumbles into a fine powder which blows away.
>

>
Tenacity's spirit lets out a hollow moan.
>
Guenhafyr rubs Tenacity.
>
Coffie raises a hand while murmuring a soft orison...
>

>
Coffie gestures at you.
A silvery translucent thread extends from Coffie encompassing you.
You sense the warmth and comfort of salvation.
>

>
Speaking carefully in broken common, the ghostly voice of Tenacity says, "I was moving to keep em too."
>

>
With great effort the spirit of Tenacity gives a keening cry, spectral tears falling to the ground.


The voice of Perigourd asks, "Scarab gone?"
>

>
Guenhafyr says, "Gone."

>"I wish I could take them to TSC so they could eat fat empaths
You say, "I wish I could take them to TSC so they could eat fat empaths."
>
Coffie raises a hand while murmuring a soft orison...
>

>
Perigourd put a mithril claidhmore in his traveling case.
>

Coffie gestures at you.
Coffie suddenly looks very drained.

You feel a sudden jolt of nothing short of the raw power of divine intervention. For some reason, you cannot bring yourself to move quite yet, but feel relieved nonetheless.
You feel the touch of the hand leave your soul.
>
>

>
Guenhafyr blinks.
>
Zoddious peers quizzically at you.
>
Guenhafyr gestures while calling upon the lesser spirits for aid...
>
Suddenly you have the strangest feeling that you are being watched.
The feeling fades as quickly as it came.
>
Guenhafyr gestures at you.
You are no longer stunned.
>
Serpentine's group just arrived.

>stance offen
You are now in an offensive stance.
>

>

>
Speaking carefully in broken common, the ghostly voice of Tenacity asks, "You btought that bug on a purpose?"

>stand
You stand back up.
>
Guenhafyr gestures while calling upon the lesser spirits for aid...
>

>
Guenhafyr gestures at Coffie.
The glazed look leaves Coffie.
>
Coffie calmly says, "Thank you ."
>

>
You recover enough strength to move again.
>
Guenhafyr says, "Welcome."
>

>"no need to tip me for raising me

You say, "No need to tip me for raising me."
>

>
You feel less drained.
>

>n

[theotherjohn]

I just wish TSC was not a sanct so bugs would get the chance to eat empaths.

[Zir]

Is it true that arcane symbol training helps to disarm them?

[Zir]

Oh, here's my contribution to the thread:

>disarm scarab
You carefully begin to examine the scarab for traps...

Knowing how delicate magical runes can be, you carefully scrape a few extra lines into the markings, hoping to alter their meaning and defeat the spell they may hold.

Deciphering the runes is relatively simple, and you're pretty sure you were successful.
>get scar
A glimmering opalescent scarab releases a radiant burst of energy towards you!
CS: +380 - TD: +154 + CvA: +2 + d100: +10 - -5 == +243
Warding failed!
Abdomen gruesomely sliced open revealing partially disintegrated vital organs! +170 damage.
You become solid again.
You return to normal color.
The brilliant luminescence fades from around you.
The buzz of thoughts in your mind subsides.
The focused look leaves you.

[Snapp]

It cracks me up how they STILL raised you after all the shit you talked. Not to mention the lack of asking if you wanted to be raised, yada yada.

[Vesi]

Originally posted by Snapp
It cracks me up how they STILL raised you after all the shit you talked. Not to mention the lack of asking if you wanted to be raised, yada yada.

Wonder if this is why?


originally posted by Theotherjohn
You say, "No need to tip me for raising me."
>

>
You feel less drained.
>

>n


Do people pick in the Small Park?

Vesi

[theotherjohn]

Originally posted by Vesi


originally posted by

Theotherjohn
You say, "No need to tip me for raising me."


Do people pick in the Small Park?

Vesi

That was me talking to the cleric who just fogged in and raised me without any asking if I wanted raised or not.

No idea bout the small park. I pop at the rabbit skeleton east of the dinghy.

[Vesi]

Originally posted by theotherjohn

Originally posted by Vesi


originally posted by

Theotherjohn
You say, "No need to tip me for raising me."


Do people pick in the Small Park?

Vesi

That was me talking to the cleric who just fogged in and raised me without any asking if I wanted raised or not.

No idea bout the small park. I pop at the rabbit skeleton east of the dinghy.

Oh. I read it another way. I thought you were saying that the cleric was you. (hence no interaction) I found it odd they raised you also, but I guess they wanted the experience.


Vesi

[theotherjohn]

Originally posted by Vesi

Oh. I read it another way. I thought you were saying that the cleric was you. (hence no interaction) I found it odd they raised you also, but I guess they wanted the experience.

Vesi

I only have one little sorc that I do not MA or have I provided help in any way to.

[Kitsun]

Originally posted by Zir
Is it true that arcane symbol training helps to disarm them?

I think this is the subject of some debate whether the training ACTUALLY helps disarming it or does it help by letting you know you successfully did it.

I went through a small TON of scarabs and never even knew there was one of those *scritch scritch* messages that tell you that you definately got it right. I used to think the 'feel you were successful' was top. I toyed with some symbol ranks and started getting the *scritch* messagging.

The only problem is, I got scritching on some lower end scarabs I found after symbol training. The scarabs before that were usually near the top of my skill. So I can't really say with absolutely certainty that it works.

But if a couple of ranks will save me a few deeds, what the heck right?

A little more on topic...

I had a blood scarab sucking one of my characters dry for a while but managed to stay alive with an empath and a whole slew of haste eaten acantha leaves.

That damn thing doesn't believe in leaving until your dead. And the more blood it gets, the longer it'll live. When I finally got a cleric to uncurse the person with it and bind it. I tried to wait it out and watch it crumble. It stayed for a good 7 minutes so I had to let the bind fall of, have it attach to my character and run it out of the sanct to where I could kill it.

Arcane symbols is a major factor. Soulp has like 20 ranks and can scritch low end scarabs. I have like 5, and about 20-30 more disarm ranks and can't scritch for shit.

[Edaarin]

It depends on the difficulty of the scarab, your skill, and your arcane symbols. 2x'ed right now with 20 ranks of AS, I get scritch scritch every time except on bugs over -320.

[Artha]

There is no debate. Arcane Symbols DOES have an effect.

At 0 ranks, I was unsure about every scarab.

At 20, I'd get the *scritch scratch* message on every scarab.

[StrayRogue]

Arcane Symbols is a factor. It is not a major one. My little can get most if not all scarabs within his age/disarming range with no ranks in the skill.

[Revalos]

The best sleeper eating scarab ever was one that an afk picking scripter set off in the Broken Tower in Solhaven. He had 3 other characters there, and also there were about eight other sleepers there. It was about 3AM on a tuesday or something, so there was no one around.

So, I saw that the picker died. But I saw all his usual characters there so I assumed he'd be fine. I logged off for about thirty minutes to check something on my computer, then logged back on.

Just for giggles, I decided to locate him and see. Low and behold, there were 14 dead people in the tower and the scarab was still there. When I went to check, there were two rift aged clerics sitting outside the tower. Both said something like "do u know how to get the scarab b4 it kills us too?" Ah...sold scripters are so much fun.

[Warriorbird]

Priceless.