"I'm carrying a lot of vials and clinky things. That's my story and I'm sticking to it." Carina is turning a deep shade of blue.
Farrukh steps over a bit and utilizes one of his least used abilities: Secret Shank.
The phase spider whirls as Farrukh suddenly appears, but not in time to stop a shallow graze along its abdomen. It shivers, speaking again in Tanith's and Rodrigo's heads (but not Farrukh's). ~Oh. The Festering One doesn't like that very much. Why do you do that, you ludicrous man?~
As predicted by Eben, the scarlet spider scurries off, up through the window, and into Forwell's shack.
Silence follows.
Rodrigo calls one of his large feline friends from the celestial planes, pointing at the spider and shouting "Kill!" in a somewhat panicked voice. It appears from a golden portal, all blue and white fur and sparkles. With a growl, it charges across the intervening distance between it and the spider and pounces. Then Rodridgo puts his back to the wall, and prepares to make himself invisible. Gods, this job is f%~&ing terrifying!
N Large animal
Init +6; Senses low-light vision, scent, darkvision 60'; Perception +8
DEFENSE
AC 14, touch 11, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +3 natural, –1 size)
hp 57 (6d8+30)
DR 5/Evil
Fort +10, Ref +7, Will +3
Resist Cold, Acid, Electricity 10
SR 10
OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft.
Melee 2 claws +12 (1d8+8 plus grab), bite +11 (2d6+8 plus grab)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks pounce, rake (2 claws +12, 1d8+8)
Smite Evil 1/day as a swift action (it adds its Cha bonus to attack rolls, and a damage bonus equal to its HD against evil foes; smite persists until the target is dead or the celestial creature rests).
STATISTICS
Str 27, Dex 15, Con 21, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6
Base Atk +4; CMB +13 (+17 grapple); CMD 25 (29 vs. trip)
Feats Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (Perception), Weapon Focus (claw)
Skills Acrobatics +10, Perception +8, Stealth +7 (+11 in areas of tall grass), Swim +11; Racial Modifiers +4 Acrobatics, +4 Stealth (+8 in tall grass)
Miss
Miss
Hit?
Hit methinks
I f$$&ing hope so
"..." Eben just stares momentarily as the spider dashes out of sight. "I don't suppose we can use that as an excuse to break in? 'Hey, Forwell, sorry to wake you, we just saw a really big spider run into your window!'"
"Or..." Eben murmurs to himself, then vanishes. "I can just peek." His footsteps patter as he moves towards the shack.
The tigger rends into the phase spider, eliciting a cacophony of clicks and clacks from its inhuman maw. Shaking, it skitters backwards, crouching as if to spring—then vanishes from sight.
Eben goes up to the window. He sees Forwell Hog staring straight back at him. The man is out of bed. Curiously, it seems he sleeps fully clothed.
Forwell doesn't seem to see Eben, but he's beginning to cast a spell. The spider is scurrying under his robes.
Forwell completes his spell, and his skin visibly hardens, developing a chitinous quality.
Tanith spins in confusion. "Where the hell did it go?"
The tigger rends into the phase spider,
"Into the Ethereal plane. It's what they do."
"So how do we kill it?"
"If it decides to just run away? We don't. Unless you know how to hop over to the Ethereal too."
Farrukh stows his sword and shield.
Eben suppresses an audible gag when he sees the spider go running up Forwell's robes. That's grosser than Rodrigo's trouser snake... He turns and makes a complicated series of gestures back at Astraden and Carina. Then he realizes he's invisible, and runs back to the women instead. His voice comes from thin air. "Okay, the spider is his pet. Or familiar. Or... something, like Sombra is to 'rigo. And he's awake and spell-armoring up. So, better safe than sorry, I believe in all of us."
Rodrigo chants a quick spell to make himself invisible. Once out of sight, he waits to see what will happen.
Carina heeds Eben's warning, and when his magic kicks in, she steps around the corner.
"Forwell! Elsir sends his regards!" She calls out before throwing a frost bomb at his face!
The bomb bounces off the window's edge and lands in the grass, exploding with a fiery bang.
They both easily avoid what fire makes it through the window, though the walls are scorched.
Astraden clutches her mask and readies a spell when she sees Forwell.
Seeing Carina, Forwell gives her a dark look. "Meddling wenches. You have no idea what you're up against."
He pulls back his loose sleeve, and two large black spiders scurry out and off the windowsill to land in the grass. Before the eyes of Astraden and Carina, they twist and writhe, then start to grow. But before they can complete the process, the power of Astraden's god is invoked, and the magic melts away with the faint sound of laughter. The spiders scurry away, alarmed.
They expand in mere seconds to the size of Rodrigo's tigers.
Mandibles clicking excitedly, the creatures rush ahead to attack Carina.
Carina doesn't reply to Forwell, instead looking around for any alternate entrances to Forwell's shack...
She pointedly refuses to rise to Forwell's bait, instead opting to run back to the entrance to the shrine so she can find a way to get it open.
She suspects it will involve several vials of potassium chlorate.
Eben comes close to protesting being called a 'meddling wench', but chokes it back when he realizes that means Forwell still hasn't officially realized anyone but Astraden and Carina are there. And as long as I'm still invisible and have the element of surprise, let's keep it that way... He does some quick caluclating on how he can include both women in his next spell, then nods (invisibly) to himself and steps back just far enough to keep Carina included. He retrieves his magic rod, spends a moment trying to figure out how he can cast anything while holding it and his bow, then a resigned sigh pops out of thin air, along with a shortbow becoming visible and thumping to the ground. Then... "Seize the moment when it comes..." With those words, both Astraden and Carina feel the weight of great potential hovering over their actions. "...and make me nimble..." The patch of air where Eben would be if you could see him suddenly looks a lot more graceful. At least as graceful as patches of air can look.
Tanith holds his weapon at the ready and waits for the spider-thing to reappear.
Farrukh draws his bow and readies to shoot the thing with a Phase Lock arrow.
Rodrigo begins casting enlarge person on Tanith.
"Thanks, Eben, but I was going to do that anyway."
Astraden straps on her shield and steps past the corner of the shrine, muttering something in Flan and staring intently at Forwell False-Priest. Eben and Carina hear a violent, otherworldly laughter echoing from the other side of the shrine.
Forwell shrugs off the spell, giving a demented cackle that possesses a queer hiss to it. "You're far too late, you little rat." He points at her with a trembling, long-nailed finger. "The Festering One has shown me the rotting future. Join it in its decay or die screaming."
Astraden becomes aware of something passing through the ground towards her—grass withers and dies where it goes, and when it reaches her she begins to feel...strange.
Suddenly, the spider blinks back into existence—now looming before Rodrigo. Its fangs lunge for his throat as Farrukh looses an arrow.
The phase lock arrow sinks into the horrendous creature's abdomen, and it gives a shriek of pain. Its legs quiver as it rounds on the group, appearing to realize it is unable to shift back.
Tanith and Rodrigo hear the voice again, irritated. ~You really should have left alone. These people are all old anyways—trust me, they'll be the first to go when He comes no matter what you or I do. I'm doing everyone a favor. You get rid of mold by cutting the rotten parts out!~
Farrukh fires some more (normal) arrows at the thing.
"You're lucky I suck with a bow."
Farrukh's arrows slam into the walls on either side of the spider.
Eben snatches his bow up off the ground and joins Carina in running around to the front of the shrine.
Astraden grimaces as the spell comes over her, but she shakes it off and presses a hand to her midriff, running back towards the front of the shrine. "Olidammara, give me stamina," she calls to the night sky. "I do not want to become such a tiny spider's breakfast."
She also loosens her rapier from its scabbard as she runs, holding its light before her in case the disappeared Eben needs to see.
Farrukh's arrows slam into the walls on either side of the spider.
Tanith spins to face the reappeared phase spider and chops at it with his poleaxe. "Let's see you try that again!"
Tanith hacks into the creature's flesh from behind. Its mandibles clack angrily as it begins to look seriously hurt.
Carina skids to a halt in front of the shrine and takes out another bomb. She twirls it in her fingers.
Here goes nothing!
She takes aim and throws the bomb!
The bomb strikes the wooden door, setting it ablaze instantly. It burns bright for several seconds before the fire dies back down (as generally happens with Carina's bombs), and the door is left severely charred.