Bending to retrieve his two axes, Delkaneth nods his agreement to Raina and takes point. He follows the mites, making sure to keep them in sight, while carefully looking out for surprises along the way.
If not stopped, the creatures flee to Room 33.
Pillars run down the center of this hall to an alcove at chest height at either end. The eastern alcove holds a silver statuette, while the western one holds an upside down ogre’s skull.
Sitting on the skull is a mite wearing a bracer as a crown. When he sees you enter he squeaks with delight and starts to babble. If no one speaks undercommon, he'll switch to poor common after a moment or two.
"You must be the heroes I sent for. Welcome! I truly need your help to recover Clickylegs! My beloved pet has wandered off. And he has my spare crown tied to his leg! I need it back. I can reward you well. If you return both...or even just my sleeping crown, I'll give you a diamond as big as my head. Do we have a deal?"
Raina whispers to Talon and Del, "Well, it may be a trap but if it is real, he may give us something we need? We can always ask what the award will be and if he can show it to us? Of course, he may attack if he learns we attacked his people and took out two of them.
Talon mulls the leader's words over, looking over at his allies. "A gemstone is nice, but we'd rather have information from you, most esteemed chief," He tells him. "Anything you would know about these tunnels and paths would aid both of us - in locating your Clickylegs and lost crown and allowing us to navigate these tunnels. Can you agree to that?"
Delkaneth steps aside, Talon's words clearly resonating with the leader of the mites. He is curious if the bracer is part of a magical set but knows casting a detection spell will disrupt the negotiations.
He instead stares at the chief's head, imagining a quality diamond of that size.
"We are strong and clever, we found this place, we build more for us. The place goes way down and links to the water in places. There's strange poers down there. Once you find Clickylegs, you can help us explore it more!"
He frowns, his mind starting to wander. "go out to the passage to the east, cut through the barracks, then down a spiraling stair. Clickylegs likes to hid down there. There are lots of old corridors and a nice well, always good water. The old people build well, but they're gone and we have it now!"
Raina looks to Talon and Del for the next move.
Delkaneth mentally goes over the map in his head before whispering to his companions. "We can probably take them but it sounds like we're heading in that direction anyway."
"Then let's go," Talon states, and nods to the leader. "All right, you have yourself a deal." This Clickylegs didn't sound dangerous, and he didn't think the little blue guys could pull off a trap.
Raina shrugs and whispers to Talon, "It's probably some kind of trap but I am sure we can handle it and perhaps find something that will benefit our mission?"
"Set a trap? Them?" Delkaneth shakes his head incredulously. "Send us someplace to face a thing they can't handle, maybe, but we're a bit more capable than they are, right? And we haven't found what we're looking for yet so we have to go deeper anyway....."
With a nod to Talon the young chelaxian heads back the way they came , then back through the narrow hallway to the secret door they passed through to get here.
Now at the top of the steps , Delkaneth quickly casts a spell that will allow him to stay in touch with the others then movesf about 30 feet ahead of them as he begins carefully creeping down the stairs, wary for traps as he goes.
Thick sheets of spiderwebs hang from the walls and ceiling of this filthy rubble- and trash-strewn room. In places, the rubble and garbage have been heaped up into mounds and shapes that almost look like undersized furniture—beds and tables and chairs sized for small humanoids.
In fact, that's just what they are, as the bulk (for what it's worth) of the mite tribe and two giant spiders, rise to dispute your passage.
Delkaneth
Raina
Talon
mites x 8
giant spiders x 2
Surprise round:
Raina
Del
Talon
Round 1:
Raina
Del
spiders
mites
Talon
Raina holds her attack just in case Talon or Del want to attempt "peaceful" diplomacy before diplomacy by the sword. Unless of course, this is the trap Raina (and others) had suspected?
Beds....tables.......barracks?
Hoping he is not giving up the advantage of surprise, Delkaneth raises his weapons not in a threatening manner but in a display of not using them. "We are the heroes chief called for, looking to find ClickyLegs. We are only passing through to the stairs."
"Hold your attacks, mites. Your leader has tasked us to find his spare crown attached to his Clickylegs. Stand down now or else see the strength of those your chief has given such an important task towards," Talon says, pointing one end of his two-bladed sword at them.
The creatures hesitate, and seem to be conferring. You make out terms like 'stupid chief', 'dumb clickylegs', and 'let down below have them'. Then they nod and step aside, leaving a path for you to follow.
No one makes a move while you walk past them, but as soon as you move past them to the stairs at B36, they start webbing up the passage behind you.
After a little ways down the corridor, Raina whispers, "I am glad I did not act back there, I was about to launch a spell at them but my intuition told me to hold back and let you guys use your social skills to diffuse the situation. As for the web, not like that is going to hold us back but probably keep us from surprising them again." Raina whisper laughs.
Delkaneth nods his agreement. "Although it sounds like a rebellion is coming soon, we're probably going to have to fight our way through at some point....."
"We'll deal with that when it comes. Right now enjoy the relative comfort of knowing we're very, very loosely protected," Talon tells the two, taking a moment to touch the shard tucked in his belt pouch and try to determine if they're going in the right direction here. The connection should be stronger the closer they got, if he remembered correctly.
Satisfied that Talon has the right of it, Delkaneth resumes his position on point as the group leaves the webbed passage behind them.
The spiral staircase leads down to a dank stone hallway which is increasingly choked with spiderwebs to the south, while thinning quickly to the west. [b38]
Where to now?
Talon: You get the impression that you're still above it somewhat.
Raina remains alert and uses her darkvision when she can.
Delkaneth mumbles a few Infernal curses under his breath. More bugs. He peers into the darkness toward the south.
"We're looking for a pet called 'clicky legs', looks like we're going that way." With a thought he sends his floating lights 20 feet down the southern corridor to better see whats ahead of them.
The hallway to the south is increasingly choked with ever-newer webbing. From the shadows cast by your light, you think the passage opens up a bit further down than where your light is currently.
"Come on, let's keep moving...I don't see anything ahead. How about you Raina?" Talon asks.
Delkaneth holds his hand up in a gesture to stop his companions. "Wait.....there's something moving back there....."
Readying his weapons, he wills the globes of light down the corridor towards where he saw the movement.
Raina begins to shake her head but stops after Del's warning, Raina readies her weapon as well, looks where Del is looking and whispers ...
"What do you see Del? I must be looking in the wrong area because I do not see it."
Del, more spiders are starting down the hallway toward lunch...you folks.
Delkaneth
Raina
Talon
giant spiders
Round 1:
Talon
Raina
spiders: move
Del
"I see trouble. Creepy crawly trouble.". Delkaneth glances down the hallway then back down at his axes. "Plan b."
He drops the axes to the floor and with a single motion unslungs the short bow from his shoulder. Quickly fitting arrow to string he takes a shot at the closest spider.
"I see them," Talon states, drawing two chakram and tossing them towards the spiders.
Seeing she has some time, Raina casts two magic missiles at one of the spiders that was hit or the closest one.
DEFENSE
AC 14, touch 13, flat-footed 11 (+3 Dex, +1 natural armor)
hp 16 (3d8+3)
Spider 1: 16-8=8-4=4-6=-2 down
Spider 2:
Spider 3:
Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +1
Immune mind-affecting effects
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
Melee bite +2 (1d6 plus poison)
Special Attack web (+5 ranged, DC 12, hp 2)
The web-choked hallway stops Del's bolt just short of one of the spiders, but between them, Talon and Raina make short work of one of them.
Round 2:
Talon
Raina
spiders: move
Del
targets: Delkaneth=1, Raina=2, Talon=3
spider 2 vs as it tries to for plus poison (fort = DC14)
spider 3 vs as it tries to for plus poison (fort = DC14)
As they reach you they seem to decide that elf looks tasty and move to attack Raina.
Talon has his two-bladed sword out in a flash, cutting into one of the other spiders going after Raina.
Raina responds to the attack, "OUCH!"
Delkaneth drops the bow on top of the gathering pile of weapons at his feet. "So much for Plan B."
Grabbing the last two axes from his belt the young chelaxian strikes at the same spider as well.
Raina looks like she is growing weaker and is a little pale.
Full Round Action
Spell combat - Casting Defensively Shield Spell
Regardless if the spell is successful, Raina attacks the spider that is either wounded or bit her.
The shield spell activates successfully granting her a +4 shield bonus to all stats. However, her focus was too spent to effectively hit the spider and it jumps out of the way.
Spider 2: 16-3=13-5=8
Spider 3:
Round 2:
Talon
Raina
[1]spiders[/i] attack
Del
Having bitten Raina then been hit by the others the spiders turn to the more serious threats.
spider 2 vs Talon: for plus poison (fort = DC14)
spider 3 vs Del: for plus poison (fort = DC14)
Talon =
Del =
Instantly Delkaneth feels the venom leeching away his strength. Realizing there is little he can do about it at the moment he forces his arms to swing again trying to slay the spider, hoping his luck holds.
HP: 17 of 19
Luck: 2 of 6 remaining
Talon shrugs off the tiny blow, before striking back at his opponent, dual blades slashing out.
ROUND 4
Raina's body fights off the poison and no longer appears to be getting weaker.
Since everyone appears to be still in the fight, Raina chokes up on the Bastard Sword and attacks what appears to be the more wounded spider
Critical Threat
The shield of force follows Raina's movement keeping in between her and the spiders. The most wounded spider made a terrible mistake showing its back to Raina! With a ferocious stab, Raina nearly cleaves the spider in two, it drops to the ground with its legs twitching in the air.
Round 3:
Talon
Raina
last spider attack
Del
spider vs Del for plus poison (fort = DC14)
Spider: hp 16-7=9-3=6
The badly wounded last spider makes a feeble attempt at biting Del (if it lasts that long, that is).
The spider is obviously suffering from its wounds: Delkaneth barely needed to dodge that last bite. Not willing to give it another chance he strikes out at it with both axes.
Raina quickly looks at everyone to see how they are and it appear that Raina is the most injured. Liking what she did to the last spider, she surges forward while choking the hilt with two hands. Being drained from poison, she swings with a "humpf",
She barely misses but sets the spider up for an attack from Del which who slays the spider.
Raina coup de grace the spider to make sure they are dead and then holds up her palm and issues a prayer. A bluish light shines within a 30' radius and channels life giving energy to all within the radius.
Then looks to Talon and Del, "Everyone ok? Anyone still poisoned?"
With the spiders down, you now have a choice as to where to explore first.
BTW, none of them had a 'crown' or a sihedron piece with them.
Raina's healing energies wash over him and close the few minor wounds Delkaneth received during the battle . He also feels the strength returning to his limbs so nods his thanks to Raina. He bends down to retrieve his dropped weapons.
"Think I've had enough spiders for the moment. Maybe we head this way instead?"
Knowing they will have to clear the southern hallway eventually Delkaneth instead points toward the west and the distinct lack of webbing. He peers into the darkness as he begins creeping down the hall.
Raina smiles to Del, "Anything for the team." Then nods at Del's comments, "I agree, enough giant bugs!"
Raina looks towards the West.
And agrees with Del, "Lead the way."
"Sounds like a plan," Talon agrees, letting Del take the lead here for the moment. He stows his blade away again, keeping his distance for now and letting the other adventurer do his thing.
Moving down the hallway to the east leads to a four-way intersection. The other three corridors appear to be long cell block corridors extending out from a central guardroom, each hall featuring numerous iron cell doors.
Unfortunately, although this cell block lacks the webs that increasingly choke the hallway to the east, this part of the dungeon is no less infested. A total of four pale yellow crab spiders—scuttling hunters that don’t spin webs—dwell in the area and quickly converge on any intruders.
Two of the spiders are in far end of the southern corridor, one more to the north and the last to the east. All are about 30' away.
Initiatives:
Delkaneth
Raina
Talon
monsters
These pale yellow spider's legs protrude on either side, giving them a very distinctive stance. They are the size of a large dog.
Round 1:
Del
Talon
spiders
Raina
Each of you gets your own personal spider and the last one wastes time scrambling up the wall to the ceiling, apparently planning on dropping down on one of you.
spider vs Del for plus poison (Fort DC 14)
Spider vs Talon for plus poison (Fort DC 14)
Spider vs Raina for plus poison (Fort DC 14)