The sudden, low scraping sound from the intersecting tunnel sent an immediate wave of tension through the four vampires. Weapons were instantly readied, their senses, already heightened in the oppressive silence of the Ancient Tunnels, now strained to pinpoint the source. Adrian gave a series of quick, silent hand signals. Marcus, his expression grimly focused, nodded and began to examine the dusty floor near the tunnel's mouth, his 'Hunter's Acuity (Minor)' searching for any fresh signs. Elara, already a deeper shadow against the dark rock, moved to the edge of the passage, peering into the gloom.
"Multiple sources," Marcus whispered after a moment, pointing to several distinct sets of gouge marks and disturbed dust. "Not one. They're moving slowly, deliberately. Something is dragging against the stone." Garrick hefted his Ironwood-handled obsidian pick, its weight reassuring in his grip. "Let them come. Or we go to them." His voice was a low rumble, eager for action after the quiet tension of exploration.
"We investigate, with extreme caution," Adrian decided. "Elara, take point with Marcus. Garrick, you and I will follow. Torches low, be ready for anything."
They advanced into the unexplored tunnel, Elara moving with her preternatural quietness thanks to 'Shadow's Grace (Minor)'. The scraping sounds grew louder, accompanied now by a faint, chittering noise. The passage here was narrower, the walls slick with moisture in places. After about thirty meters, it opened into a small, irregularly shaped chamber. The torchlight fell upon the source. Three creatures, unlike anything they had encountered before, were an unsettling sight. Roughly humanoid in their bipedal stance but stooped, they were covered in thick, dull-grey chitinous plates, like overlapping sections of stone. Their limbs ended in powerful, three-taloned claws, and it was these claws, dragging intermittently against the floor and walls, that produced the scraping sound. Their heads were small, with multiple black, unblinking eyes and strong mandibles that clicked audibly.
[System Notification: Creature Detected: 'Chitin-Crawler' (Subterranean Scavenger/Predator) x3.]
[Threat Level: Moderate (Individually). High (Group of 3). Possess durable natural armor, powerful claws, and a disorienting shriek. Primarily move by sound and vibration.]
[Observation: Blood analysis (remote scan): Low-Medium vital essence. Chitinous plates highly resistant to piercing/slashing damage. Joints and underside appear less protected.]
The moment their torchlight fully illuminated the chamber, the Chitin-Crawlers froze, their multiple eyes focusing on the intruders. Then, one let out a high-pitched, grating shriek that echoed painfully in the confined space, clearly a warning or a call. "Engage!" Adrian commanded, not waiting for them to coordinate.
Garrick bellowed a challenge and charged the nearest Crawler, his obsidian pick aimed at its head. The pick struck the chitinous plating with a loud crack but skittered off, leaving only a shallow gouge. The Crawler retaliated with a sweep of its taloned arm, forcing Garrick to give ground.
[System Notification: Garrick's attack (Obsidian Pick) on Chitin-Crawler – Ineffective (Target's Natural Armor absorbed most damage).]
Marcus and Elara, reacting instantly to the System's observation about weak points, moved to flank the other two. Elara, a swift shadow, darted low, her obsidian dagger trying to find a gap in the plating around a leg joint. Marcus used his agility to evade a clumsy swipe, his own spear looking for an opening in the creature's underside as it reared slightly. Adrian, seeing Garrick's initial attack blunted, focused his will. He quickly drew a drop of his blood onto the flat of his own obsidian spearhead and activated his 'Sanguine Empowerment (Minor)', concentrating on the 'Unsettling Aura' aspect he had used on the marker posts, hoping to disorient the creatures.
[System Notification: Skill 'Sanguine Empowerment (Minor)' – Applied to Obsidian Spearhead. Temporary Property: Moderate Unsettling Aura to Fauna. Duration: Several minutes.]
He then lunged at the Crawler engaging Garrick, not aiming for its armor, but thrusting the empowered spear towards its cluster of eyes. The creature recoiled slightly as if from an unpleasant sensation, its attack on Garrick faltering for a crucial second.
This gave Garrick the opening he needed. With a roar, he brought his pick down in a powerful two-handed blow, not on the head, but smashing into the creature's less-armored shoulder joint. There was a sickening crunch of chitin, and the Crawler shrieked again, its arm going limp. Elara, meanwhile, managed to slip her dagger into a mobile joint at the base of a Crawler's leg, causing it to stumble. Marcus, seizing the opportunity, thrust his spear upwards into its exposed underbelly.
The fight was brutal and close-quarters, the Crawlers' tough hides making every successful blow hard-won. Adrian's empowered spear seemed to make the creatures hesitant to face him directly. He used this to create openings for Garrick and to protect Elara when she overextended. One Crawler lunged at him, its mandibles snapping, and he was forced to use his forearm, covered by one of Seraphina's new hide armguards, to block. The chitin scraped loudly, but the armguard held, absorbing most of the force. He retaliated with a quick stab to its eye cluster with his empowered spear.
Eventually, through coordinated attacks aimed at joints and their undersides, the three Chitin-Crawlers were dispatched. The vampires stood panting in the flickering torchlight, the chamber now quiet save for their breathing and the faint dripping of water.
[System Notification: Chitin-Crawler x3 – Deceased.]
[Crimson Kindred - Group XP +210 (Successful Combat Encounter - Armored Opponents)]
[Adrian - XP +70 (Leadership, Combat Contribution, Sanguine Empowerment Use)]
[Garrick - XP +60 (Primary Damage, Tanking)]
[Marcus - XP +40 (Combat Contribution, Weak Point Exploitation)]
[Elara - XP +40 (Combat Contribution, Weak Point Exploitation)]
"Their chitin is incredibly tough," Garrick noted, examining one of the fallen creatures. "But not unbreakable." Adrian inspected his armguard; it was heavily scored but had prevented injury. "Seraphina's handiwork proved its worth." He then looked around the small chamber. "This is where the sound originated. These creatures, perhaps, digging or moving." With the recent encounter concluded, it was evident that other life forms were present in the "Ancient Tunnels." The choice to include Garrick in the team was noted as a sound one. The group now needed to determine if they would continue their current exploration or go back to the encampment to share information about this development and to study any materials obtained from the Crawlers.