Laro starts yelling dramatically, "Get it off me! Get it off me!" and it throws his aim off as he attacks.
No I was not. I had forgotten about it. That would make my attack a 12
Laro's desperate swing barely hits the stirge on him but slashes the vulnerable head of the strige to ribbons, its carcass falling to the ground in a spasm of twitching limbs.
The blaze of missiles from Aelerie is what finally scares the stirges into retreating where the five dead bodies of their fellows were ignored. The one who was hit screeches in pain and attempts to flee even though it is badly wounded, while the other two react to the scream of pain in fleeing as well.
[ooc]Virdel has his act in round 2 to go, but as soon as that is done the stirges will run. Provoking AOOs from the eagle and Albus. Aelerie can you take the eagle's AOO? Can't post too much on the weekends but I wanted to get the end of combat in for you guys. There is one almost dead stirge and two untouched ones left.
Virdel watches the stirges fly away. "Good riddance. Now who needs some healing?" he asks while brandishing his wand.
The celestial eagle lashes out with its talons when the stirge between itself and the woodsman tries to flee, scoring three ragged, bloody lines in the pest's back.
Aelerie watches the stirges take flight, the celestial eagle a small point of light in the darkening sky as it relentlessly pursues its prey. "I think I'm okay." She presses a hand to her neck, and though her fingers come away slick with blood, she is sure most of it is from the stirge that attacked her. "Nothing a meal and a night's rest won't heal. Although the next time we venture out into the Vale, someone please remind me to bring vermin repellant," she says with a weary smile.
Uttering another phrase in Sylvan, Aelerie clears the blood from herself with her cleaning cantrip. She offers to do the same for Albus and Laro and even for Javell's knives, saying, "I'm not sure if they're drawn to the scent of blood or not, but I'd rather not take chances."
Albus swings again at the retreating wounded creature.
To hit target. Critical on a 19-20.
Damage
To confirm a critical if rolled.
Damage from successful critical.
Albus glares at the fleeing stirges then replies to Virdel. "Only a meaningless nick, it's just the blood loss that matters." Turning to Aelerie, "When we get back you'll need to teach me all about how and where they nest. Being unnatural they have no place here, and are much too dangerous - they must be destroyed." A thought seems to strike him. "I've never encountered these before a couple of weeks ago. Now twice, once near the lumber camp, and now here at this former home, both at the end of the road, near the forest's edge. Could some evil be putting these creatures here for a vile purpose?" Albus looks really troubled at that thought.
Javell walks around the strewn bodies of the fallen stirges, retrieving his blades. Once he allows Aelerie to clean them off, he stows them in the blink of an eye, the daggers vanishing into hidden sheaths.
In response to Albus, Javell says, "Stirges, if I remember my theology correctly Which, admittedly, I don't always are the lesser children of the parasite god Ghulander, and accidentally released by the Song of the Spheres during her wanderings through existence. I exterminate them wherever I find them. They're vile, nasty creatures, and even lesser healing magic cannot always mend their wounds."
"Not if you plan on doing it by yourself, I won't," Aelerie replies to the woodsman, shaking her head. "When this is all over, if you want to know where they nest, then... I'll show you," she says, her hesitance betraying her unease about going out in search of the foul creatures. But as uneasy as the thought makes her, she is unwilling to let Albus face the threat of the stirges alone. She had read more than one account of some poor fellow that had been drained dry by a swarm of the pests in a matter of minutes and would not have the same fate befall her friends.
The arcanist raises a slim shoulder in a shrug at Albus' theory. "Well, I wouldn't rule it out, but I think their existence here is more a matter of circumstance than design. The Lumber Consortium has been clear cutting these woods for centuries. As a result, the land around the Hollow has become almost a swampy marshland, which, as it happens, is the ideal breeding ground for stirges. So in a way, I suppose you could say that evil has brought them here," she says with a wry smile that quickly falls when she remembers her company. "Oh, meaning no offense, Laro. I don't think poorly of you at all. Just... your boss. My father works for the Consortium, too, after all."
Laro smiles at Aelerie, "Oh, I took no offense. It didn't even occur to me that you were discussing the employees. My opinion of the Consortium is the same, but a man's gotta eat."
The eagle eviscerates one of the fleeing striges while Albus misses the other. Of the eight pests that had swarmed the group only two, unfed and starving, flee into the deepening twilight.
The group resumes its travel and, just as expected, reaches the hill of Elara's Halfway House just as evening truly starts to set in.
The blackened husk of the orphanage lies atop the hill. Seeing nothing of note around you make an apprehsive climb towards the destroyed structure. Charred timbers are strewn among piles of caked ash and the only edifice left standing is a soot-stained stone arch. A small stuffed doll lies below the arch, her face seared off and her patchwork dress spilling dirty stuffing.
Beside her, a troop of half-melted tin soldiers stand in formation, their bodies twisted and deformed by the blaze that claimed their owner’s life.
Whisper snuffles around the damaged toys curiously before looking up at the rest of the group with his head cocked.
Albus looks unconvinced by Aelerie's words. "I see that point but the woods have been logged for many years, why now? And I would never hunt these alone, they are swarmers. Numbers are needed, have to get a group together, and I never meant to exclude you. I'll talk it over with the Sheriff sometime."
Albus sees Whisper nose about, and tries to convey the idea of searching for the living.
Have Whisper find people nearby.
"We will need lights now, Master Harg would you be so kind as to provide me with one?", Albus request politely.
After that Albus will look for signs of recent activity by people, especially the tracks of the kids.
See what is to be seen around here. Not the passive looking, active search.
Followed by:
Look for recent tracks, goes double for the kids.
Whisper yips at Albus and capers around a bit as Albus makes a survey of the area, he finds a charred trapdoor beneath an inch of ash in the center of the ruins. The layer of ash around the ill fated building has not been disturbed recently by any tracks other than Whisper. As far as Albus can tell the five children they are searching for have not been here.
Albus sighs, looking a bit weighed down by the dismal scene and lack of useful results, "There is a trapdoor here, but I see no signs of recent activity or the kids. I'm not sure if we should even look into here, but we seem to have lost the trail of the kids." Albus seems unusually unsure of the next move to be made.
When Albus requests light, Javell mumbles a quick prayer, cupping a pebble in his hands, which he then tosses to the ranger. Next, he wanders the property, searching high and low for tracks and any sign of a disturbance, praying for guidance from Desna as he does so.
Once he finishes searching the property, he returns to the group and relays his findings.
Virdel considers their options and suggests, "Since we are near the halfway house, how about we continue there and investigate it just in case? Then we can return here and look for tracks if we find no further clues."
"I think we should check out this trapdoor. Seems like a good place to hide a person."
At the orphanage, before opening the trapdoor, Javell makes sure his companions are ready before opening the door and tossing a light inside, starknife at the ready for anything that might jump out.
Laro nods to Javell to open the trapdoor and stands ready for anything that comes out.
The trapdoor has a lock on it that's melted through and impossible to pick. The fire has weakened the door enough that it would be easy to break through though.
Javell strikes the door with a precise hit from his starknife.
Aelerie picks up the burned doll as the group sifts through the wreckage for signs of the missing children, her mind momentarily consumed by thoughts of the recent fire at the orphanage. "Such a tragedy," she says, rubbing her thumb against the soot-stained cheek of the stuffed doll. She considers, briefly, telling the others of the rumors she had heard concerning Ellara during the woman's last few months to see if they've heard of anything similar, but discards the thought as being in poor taste at that moment. Instead, she drops the doll and dusts off her hands before moving to look at the trapdoor Albus found.
"Well, I doubt the children are down there. But, leave no stone unturned, I suppose. Let's see what's down there."
Albus nods, "A great tragedy, indeed. I thought little of it because I heard of it at the same time I got word of ... the scourge. So I didn't really appreciate how bad it was until now, these past few months have been a great darkness over the town, no wonder the Sheriff is disheartened." Turning to the others, "Give me some space at that trapdoor, please, this axe is a better tool to bust it open, though beware the scene inside may be terrible." Albus will swing his axe at the door, taking a full round to line the shot up.
Assuming auto-hit.
Damage
Albus' axe easily chops through the weakened door splintering it into burnt pieces that collapse down into the dark ground below. The stench of rot belches forth from the rank cellar.
Albus speaks quickly, "I guess I'm the best scout so I'll take point, that leaves Javell as the other warrior to guard our rear. The rest can sort yourselves out as you think best." Albus will places his axe in its loop, and go down with a light in one hand and a dagger in the other, unless someone objects.
Unused to the smell of death, Aelerie nearly retches at the stench that wafts up from the cellar, but she recovers well enough considering the circumstances. Breathing shallowly and with a hand cupped around her nose and mouth, she descends into the dark after Albus. "I don't understand," she says, her voice slightly muffled. "Why wouldn't the place have been thoroughly searched after the fire? Did the Sheriff say whether they were able to recover all the bodies?"
Whisper wrinkles his nose at the stench from the dark cave leading underground and refuses to go in.
Albus, aided by magical light, makes it down the steps with Aerlie, Laro, and Virdel coming behind. Javell comes last and is deep enough in that he can see what everyone else sees.
The stairs down lead to a small square cellar, about thirty feet by thirty feet with the stairs situated at one end. The magical light reveals a chipped, blood-stained oaken table resting against the far corner, with all manner of blades and barbed instruments laid out on it. A single pair of rusted shackles is bolted into the opposite wall, whose bricks are stained in a bloody account of pain and cruelty.
Spider webs hang heavy across the room and Albus has to brush past some as he reaches the cellar floor.
The robed corpse of a woman in the middle of the floor is the source of the reeking stench of decay.
The light has silently appeared on the tip of Albus' dagger before he can even ask. Virdel grins, "I thought you might need that if you are leading us down, Master Albus."
"After you, my dear," he says, stepping back to let Aelerie follow Albus.
"This is quite horrid!" sputters Virdel as the light reveals the gruesome scene. "Watch out for the spider on the ceiling there, near the table."
Seeing the woman, he sighs, "Well I had a feeling there would be a body of some condition down here. She looks just awful." He attempts to move slowly towards the rotting corpse, keeping an eye on the spider to make sure he doesn't get attacked.
As they venture into the room, Javell looks around, eyes lingering on the spider.
"Big spider. What was this place? Was anyone around a worshiper of Zon-Kuthon?"
As Virdel moves to study the corpse, Javell watches the giant spider with wary eyes, holding his starknife at the ready.
As Virdel tries to move past him Albus puts his hand on him to stop him, when Virdel looks him, Albus holds awkwardly holds up two fingers, points to the ceiling and then to the far corner where the other spider lies quiet as death. He says quietly for the others to hear, "Two spiders, one above the table, the other in the other far corner where I'm pointing. We'll need to spread out slowly. I'll go to the side without the table, Javell take point on the table spider, everyone else, clear a path to either side carefully." Albus attempts to move aside without triggering an attack.
Don't eat me, spiders, I taste bad and am not a threat.
The spiders shift in their webs obviously watching the group as it enters the room and spreads out, forming a semi circle around the body with Javell and Albus facing off against the arachnids.
"Spiders. I don't know if they can understand you but we need to have a thorough look down here. If they've been down here since the fire they are probably hungry and Virdel and I look like a perfect meal." Laro then tries to slip behind the tall humans and disappear into the shadows as he looks for more spiders.
Seeking to stay away from the spiders and using the taller members of the group as cover means that Laro is pretty much hiding behind Aelerie.
"There were whispers around town in the weeks leading up to the fire. Some said that they could hear screams coming from this place in the dead of night. That Elara had gone insane, and taken to torturing her wards. But no one who knew her could believe it."
Too overwhelmed by the gruesome truth laid out before her, Aelerie doesn't notice the spiders lying in wait until the others point them out. After years spent cleaning every dusty corner of the general store, Aelerie had long since grown accustomed to the eight-legged critters. Nonetheless, the sight of giant spiders leaves Aelerie rooted to her spot at the bottom of the stairs, her mind working to identify them in spite of her fear.
Just without the HPs and DC numbers and stuff of course :)
After a few failed attempts, Aelerie manages to find her voice and relays what she knows of the spiders. "They're usually more aggressive than this. That they haven't attacked yet suggests they may be waiting for us to stumble into a trap, so watch where you step. Look out for webs on the floor." Loosing the straps on her satchel, Aelerie retrieves her crossbow and slides a bolt into the arrow track. "And they're poisonous."
Albus nods slightly at Aelerie's information, with the spiders holding position, Albus slides his dagger back to it's sheath, and pull his bow string and bow together and stringing it. If then the spiders continue to wait patiently, he'll nock an arrow, and ready action to fire if either spider attacks. He'll try to do this without triggering an attack.
Just getting comfortable not prepared to attack at all, I wouldn't lie to you would I, spiders?
Laro sees the others reading their ranged weapons so he sheathes his sword and gets his short-bow ready.
While everyone else positions themselves, Virdel studies the spider he can see, wondering if this corpse is part of a trap.
Javell shifts uneasily, keeping his attention fixed on the spider.
Virdel gets the feeling the spider wishes to protect something. As he approaches the corpse he can see that it's kind of obvious that the woman died from a throat slash..
Just as sees the torn open slash a Swarm of Tiny spiders come rushing out of the corpse and engulf the formerly curious, now terrified halfling!
The hitherto unseen swarm engulfs poor Virdel covering him in bites.
The spiders seem young and their fangs only minorly injure Virdel, however he can feel his strength getting weaker as the few bites that get through inject poison into his veins. He shrugs off the overwhelming nausea of being covered in spiders though.
The rest of you see a burst of tiny spiders explode out of the corpse and cover Virdel, and angry chittering from the two opposite corners indicate that the big spiders are preparing to rush in but the hyper alert group is ready for an attack from these quarters at least.
When the spider swarm begins pouring out of the corpse, Javell wastes no time in calling on the favor of Desna as he sends his starknife spinning off at his spider.
Once again, as soon as the glowing blade is spinning through the air, a dagger manages to materialize in Javell's hand suddenly.
Javell's Desna guided dagger punches through the flat footed spider's carapace and embeds there causing a spurt of gore and ooze to come gushing out.
Albus is horrified by the swarm that attacks Virdel but as Javell fires at one spider, Albus is at ready on condition if either spider attacks, if both do, he'll prioritize his over Javell to see that both spiders are occupied by warriors and not much on the others. As a free action Ablus barks, "Aelerie, Laro, help Virdel, we'll handle the big ones."
If a spider attacks or seems to interrupt and attack.
Standard arrows, arrow attack, threatens critical on 20.
Longbow damage
If threat is made, confirm critical.
Critical damage.
Seeing what happened Laro let's loose an arrow at the spider Javell attacked. "There is nothing I can do against that swarm they are just too tiny for me to hurt!" He then drops his bow and pulls out his shortsword.
"It appears her throat has been cut. Wait just a moment- is that.... ?" Virdel sees something moving in the gash and leans in just in time to earn a mouthful of spiders. He shrieks involuntarily, gagging on the disgusting critters. He scurries away from the swarm towards an empty corner of the room, swatting the spiders off himself. He stops and turns back, drawing out his flask of acid, ready to get the little buggers back!