With the enrapturing throng no longer an imminent threat, Zed turns to the more physical issue. He steps to flank with Verm, then brings his tetsubo around hard.
Zed smashes his tetsubo over the head of the Ettercap attacking Vermundr. It staggers badly but remains standing
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Spotting the new horror, Constantin whispers, "I'll bet you hate fire."
Kazamir sends a volley of magic missiles into the horrific thing that had attempted to snare Hazel.
Fail
The thing erupts into flame and even as it cries out in agony Kaz' bolts of force smash into it's bulbous body
Miss
Hit
Miss
Hit?
Miss
Hit?
Success
Miss
Miss
Miss
The ettercaps continues slashing at Zed and Vermundr but the weaverworm slithers forward like a disgusting worm and attacks Hazel but misses each time
The ettercap's claws and fangs do little to blunt Vermundr's quiet fury or slow the big man down. He quickly slashes back at his opponents.
Vermundr cuts down one of the ettercaps while Hazel steps forward and drives her starknife into the horrid thing facing her. It cuts deeply and the creature screeches in a weirdly human way.
KAz draws his sword-cane, but keeps his plae and fires another volley of force into the wyrm-thing.
Vala adds a volley of small, darting orbs to Kazamir's, hoping to overwhelm the strange creature that bewitched some of the group. "No more songs from you!" As she finishes the spell and shouts at the beast, her voice veritably boils with anger.
HP: 39/39
Negative Energy Resist 5
AC: 14 (10 T / 14 FF)
CMD: 14
F/R/W: +6/+3/+11 (+2 vs death effects, energy drain, negative energy, & necromancy)
Monstrous Insight used: 0/8
Healing Hex targets: Hazel
Heaven's Leap targets:
Current Wandering Spirit: Heavens
Stardust used: 0/8
Prepared spells
Orisons (4) | DC 15: dancing lights, disrupt undead, identify, read magic
Level 1 spells (4+2+1*) | DC 16: color spray* [ ], enlarge person [ ], inflict light wounds [ ], magic missile [X] [ ] [ ] [ ]
Level 2 spells (3+1+1*) | DC 17: enlarge person (extended) [ ], hypnotic pattern* [X], spiritual weapon [ ] [ ] [ ]
Level 3 spells (2+1+1*) | DC 18: daylight* [ ], heroism [ ], lightning bolt [X] [ ]
Level 4 spells (1+1+1*) | DC 19: legend lore* [ ], greater magic weapon [X], spiritual ally [ ]
Ongoing Effects
greater magic weapon (Vermundr): 7 hrs
entangled: concentration check to cast (DC 15+spell lvl), -4 dex, half movement, -2 to hit
Even now the thing still stands, though great gaping holes now leak foul smelling liquid.
FIguring that Zed has the weaverworm under control, Constantin turns and blasts the remaining ettercap with another barrage of force bolts.
The ettercap cannot take that punishment and fold like a piece of paper beneath the barrage of missiles.
Zed steps up to the other ettercap and brings his tetsubo down like a blacksmith pounding sheet metal.
Hit
His blow crushes the ettercap like the bug it is, leaving only the weaverworm left.
MIss
Hit
Fail
Miss
The Weaverworm bites and slashes at Kaz. Though only one blows lands, the nails claw gouges in his belly and he feels his limbs begin to stiffen and freeze!
The thing still writhes in pain as the fire burns around her but in her fury she ignores it and cncentrates on destroying the party.
"No! I won't let you take him! You'll take none of them!" Shouting, Vala steps around Hazel and looses another crackling storm of lightning, this time solely upon the weaver worm as it presses it bulk through the breach in the ruined tower.
HP: 39/39
Negative Energy Resist 5
AC: 14 (10 T / 14 FF)
CMD: 14
F/R/W: +6/+3/+11 (+2 vs death effects, energy drain, negative energy, & necromancy)
Monstrous Insight used: 0/8
Healing Hex targets: Hazel
Heaven's Leap targets:
Current Wandering Spirit: Heavens
Stardust used: 0/8
Prepared spells
Orisons (4) | DC 15: dancing lights, disrupt undead, identify, read magic
Level 1 spells (4+2+1*) | DC 16: color spray* [ ], enlarge person [ ], inflict light wounds [ ], magic missile [X] [ ] [ ] [ ]
Level 2 spells (3+1+1*) | DC 17: enlarge person (extended) [ ], hypnotic pattern* [X], spiritual weapon [ ] [ ] [ ]
Level 3 spells (2+1+1*) | DC 18: daylight* [ ], heroism [ ], lightning bolt [X] [X]
Level 4 spells (1+1+1*) | DC 19: legend lore* [ ], greater magic weapon [X], spiritual ally [ ]
Ongoing Effects
greater magic weapon (Vermundr): 7 hrs
Vermundr turns his ichor-stained knife on the ettercap harassing Constatin.
Zed dashes forward with his tetsubo raised and brings it crashing down with tremendous force. The side of the Weaverworm's head splits like melon. At first there is no blood, just an indent on the side of it's head and a perfect seam splitting the skin along it's cheek.
But then the blood does flow and it is prodigious. Black/red ichor pours from the wound like the falls beneath Schloss Caromarc and the thing collapses in a ragged heap.
Vermundr wipes the blade of his dagger clean before returning it to its sheath. "Is everyone in one piece? We should search that tower. There could be survivors inside."
The party hacks and burns it's way through the webbing into the tower. The stench as the thick strands take flame is almost over powering but you press on, determined to put an end to the insidious presence here.
By the time you cut a path through to where Hazel describes the shape he saw, you find a thick mass of webs and detritus that acts as some kind of nest. A hole dug through the packed earth floor appears to lead to an underground tunnel that leads off into blackness.
Soft webbing wreathes the walls, ceiling, and floor of the ground floor of the tower. A broken staircase leads up into nothing but mid-air now and the walls crumble in several places.
Several lumps bulge outward along the floor, unidentifiable under layers of thick webbing.
You cut into them and find the dessicated bodies of half a dozen humanoids that are too wasted to be identified. There is also one body of a human male dressed in fine clothing that is only partially cocooned. The blood on his tunic is fresh leading you to believe he was only recently killed. A letter pokes out of an inner pocket.
There are several items of interest on the bodies in the webbing.
A Ring of Feather Falling
A Potion of Heroism
A masterwork dagger
962gp in assorted coins
The sealed envelope is soaked in blood. It contains a severely damaged letter that is barely legible but you just about make out enough to tell you this is a reservation for a room at the Ascanor Lodge for someone named Echtmoor Dravin and is dated a week ago.
Constantin very carefully removes the letter from the pocket of the deceased gentleman. The envelope, though made of fine material, is still wet with blood. Delicately, Constantin takes the dagger that he's been using to cut through the webs and he slides it through the envelope so that he can unfold the sticky paper with a minimum of damage. Then he cautiously examines the letter, squinting occasionally. Finally he says, "This is an invitation to stay at the Ascanor Lodge, for one Echtmoor Dravin. This date is... a week old, it looks like. Anyone familiar with that name? Someone at the Lodge is likely waiting for him."
Constantin nods. "Um... does anyone have any petty magic that can dry this out and at least keep the ink and blood from smudging any further?"
Vala shakes her head ruefully at Constantin's question before turning her back to the web-covered bodies littered about the den. Every one of their faces looked like Kendra to her mind's eye, and she couldn't bear the glossy, blank stares of accusation. Choking back a strangled sob, she hurries back out into the clearing mumbling, "Th- the smell. I- can't-".
"Hazel, you want to give me a hand? I think if we hit it hard enough we can weaken this last good wall enough to bring the whole rotten thing down."
Constantin hustles out of the tower in quite a hurry.
After some effort, the group is able to collapse the remaining good wall, choking up the passageway beneath the tower and sending a group of birds scattering into the sky with caws of objection.
Deciding to move on, they regather their horses and struggle on through the overgrown tracks for several hours before making the decision to camp for the night.
---------
As Vermundr settles in to take his watch, the hours begin to drag by and at times he struggles to keep his eyes from closing.
The horses appear to be extremely nervous. Tied up a short distance away from the fire, they shy and whinny, eyes wide and bright in the moonlight. They catch a scent of something that frightens them and they tramp and stamp in discomfort.
Vermundr moves to the treeline to investigate, sniffing with his own keen sense of smell as he goes. Every leaf and branch made clear to him despite the darkness due to the beast inside him that he uncages just enough to help him scan his surroundings. He sees nothing to give him concern but cannot shake the feeling of being watched and for the rest of his shift, he keeps his sword in hand.
---------
The next day dawns bright and clear sending shafts of light scything through the dense forest canopy to create beams of glittering sunlight that dapple on the grasses and leaves of the forest floor.
The horses have calmed somewhat but seem sluggish due to their disturbed rest. Nonetheless you press on. The Lodge is not far now and you should arrive there before noon the next day.
Later that afternoon you pass through a small natural clearing. The air is filled with the caws and calls of carrion birds and your throats go dry at the sight in the centre.
A single tall pine tree reaches toward the sky. It's lower branches have been cut away and a person lashed to its bough ten feet up. Dozens of black birds squabble over it as the peck and tear at the flesh. From this distance you cannot make out any detail beyond the murder of crows
I am glad that I've resigned to the fact I can't bury every body. Zed says as they come upon yet another. Zed shrugs at Hazel's proposal. "The dead are the dead, all the same. We should cut it down, bury it if we can."
"That's a grim effigy if ever there was one though," Vala offers in the wake of Zed's comments. She stops half-way on the group's approach as, in her mind's eye, the strung up figure's face suddenly takes on the appearance of Jonathan's in the same state as when they'd found him dead upon Kendra's floor. Shuddering, she turns away to try and break the silent, deafening stare as the others draw nearer to the grisly scene.