bludgeoned, stabbed and burnt to cinders, the spider falls to the ground, twitches, and remains still.
Cole realizes a brief moment of panic as the fire in his veins reaches almost unbearable levels and he finds himself momentarily paralyzed... but the sensation lasts only moments
The webbing ensures your meager light appears particularly bright here, illuminating the roughly 20 foot by 20 foot room and emphasizing the bulbous cocoon of a silk-wrapped humanoid. Enough of him is visible that you can tell it was once a villager from Kassen.
To the south, a door marks the southern wall, while to the west a narrow stair heads upward.
I require healing before continuing.
Cole chugs the healing draught that Fin found.
Venssa gathers herself together and throws a black look towards Rankev, but says nothing to the man.
"I am sorry about that. I thought I could speak to the beast and keep us from a fight, but it was too alien for me to understand. Do you need further healing Cole?"
"Whoever that is, wrapped in spidersilk, we need to cut them down, and give him or her a proper burial or cremation. No Kassenite deserves to rest in that state." Aldelenna says, looking right at Finlogan, hoping he, at least, will share her sentiment. She also takes the time to give the room a more thorough examination for traps or treasure.
The chamber is empty except for the massive spider carcass and the poor unfortunate who was once a villager from Kassen. Regrettably, the digestive juices and poisons of the spider have rendered the man's features unrecognizable. Interestingly, the man appears to have died from wounds not dissimilar from the ones in the main entry way. Perhaps he lingered alive and horribly injured before the spider found him and finished him off with its poison?
The door to the south is unlocked. The staircase to the west is narrow and seems to lead to an east-west passage.
Cole seems to recover from any lingering effects of the poison, though he still looks somewhat pale.
"Cole, you ready to go?" Fin asks clearly concerned for his friend.
"Hunting trap in front of the door? Or do you think that's too paranoid?" He asks everyone.
I am feeling the effects, but ok to move forward. If any of you have extra healing abilities, I will take it.
The hunting trap proves an unnecessary precaution.
Despite it being carefully set, as the door is opened, only an empty passage heading south then turning a corner to the east can be seen by the light of Rankev's staff and the darting fire of Aldelenna's fiery wisps.
There's a subtle hint of smoke, as from a campfire poorly doused.
Venssa gives Cole another goodberry to boost him a little and perhaps shake off some of the lingering effects of the poison.
Fin hands his healing potion to Cole with a nod.
Then, he replaces Cole in the vanguard and takes point. Fin cautiously moves forward mindful of the previous tripwires. His sword and shield are ready.
You head down the passage south. It turns east and opens onto a largish room supported by pillars.
A small fire burnt here in the center of this broad, irregularly shaped room. Now it only smoulders, letting off a column of oily smoke that has been gathering against the ceiling and now presses oppressively upon the room. The fire was fed by a heap of burning gear, some debris, and bones... so many bones. What's left of the fire, smouldering embers and the occasional flicker of flame, casts bits of light across the walls of the room, obscured by the veil of smoke.
.
”This is strange. Skeletons, spiders and animals don’t set fires. Wonder who set it?” Fin offers and asks the team. He cautiously advances into the room to make room for the others behind him and mindful of potential tripwires.
Cole searches the room carefully, for traps and secret openings.
Venssa pushes past Rankev to assist Cole in searching the room.
Perception:
The smoke is thick and you can't help but choke a little as it pushes down, oppressively from where it's gathered against the ceiling.
Cole and Fin both realize fairly quickly that the fire needs to be put out properly if you're going to investigate the room, as you won't be able to stay in the room for long otherwise.
Venssa sees something metallic in the embers, but she's experienced enough not to just grab it.
Fin: Something about the shadows is making you uneasy.
"We've got to get this fire out. More importantly the smoke. Rankev, can you illuminate the whole room," Finlogan keeps his eyes on the shadows.
Venssa uses her staff to remove the metallic item from the fire, and water from her canteen to help douse the last embers.
Venssa: The metallic glint in the fire appears to be a dagger. You also notice, as you are closest to the fire, there is a key on the floor nearby. There does seem to be a rudimentary chimney, but it appears at least two bodies were forced into the fire, and the chimney simply hasn't been adequate to allow the smoke to clear, especially with the embers still hot and occasionally flaring to life.
The smoke continues to be oppressive and the shadows have only gotten more menacing as the fire whoshes out, then flares, fighting Venssa's attempts to extinguish it.
Aldelenna follows her companions quietly, watching, having sheathed her rapier, and once again drawn her crossbow, occasionally swiveling at imagined threats, she always calms when Finlogan looks at her and gives her a reassuring wink. His strong presence always provides her some peace. When they find the smoldering fire, she coughs back the smoke and can only offer up, "this feels wrong. All of it. None of this is as it should be..." Then she clams up and waits to see if the others can put out the smoldering fire.
Cole moves forward to the fire, and he begins to aid the others in dousing the flames.
He continues to cautiously advance into the room to make room for the others behind him and mindful of potential tripwires.
Venssa calls over to the others, telling them of the burned bodies that are blocking the smoke from escaping up the natural chimney.
One of the shadows in the room fails to flicker as the fire slowly dies out. Instead it looms behind Fin. Already unsettled by the shadows in the room he spins to face it... a living shadow—or rather an unliving one.
Order
Group 1: Everyone but the monster
Group 2: Shadow
The shadow seems somehow larger than life, but you have the feeling that its insubstantial claws will still find ways to do you harm if they hit.
Waiting on Aldelenna, Rankev, Finlogan, Cole, Venssa
Venssa sees the looming shadow behind Fin and yells out to him before moving to strike at the undead horror with her blessed staff.
Attack:
Damage:
Cole steps back and attacks from range.
Finlogan faces the shadow that he had hoped would not be there to protect his companions.
Group 1: All characters
Group 2: Shadow
It is round 1.
Rankev sends fire through the creature, briefly illuminating it and sending the mildest ripple of inky blackness through it's amorphous shape. It hisses at the blow.
It nimbly flows around Venssa's attempt to strike at it with her staff, and Cole's arrow strikes true, but the tearing of shadow seems already half closed.
Fin, directly in the path of the creature, sets to dodging and parrying strikes, as the long arms of the shadow seek to sink into his skin.
Waiting on Aldelenna
Seeing a living shadow seeking for their souls unsettles Aldelenna to no end and she reacts by stepping forward and firing her crossbow, knowing no better thing to do to help.
Group 1: All characters
Group 2: Shadow
It is round 1. Current turn: Group 1.
Aldelenna knew adventuring was going to have challenges. She might not have been quite prepared for undead horrors. Nevertheless, she raises her crossbow and fires! Her bolt, unlike the others, must have hit some sort of weak point, for the shadow screams as the bolt tears its shadowy fabric away.
It is round 1. Current turn: Group 2.
The shadow, infuriated by the damage its taken, lashes out at Finlogan.
Finlogan is a dodgy bastard and neatly skims out of the way of the shadow's attack.
It is round 2. Current turn: Group 1.
Waiting on Aldelenna, Rankev, Finlogan, Cole, Venssa
Finlogan dodges and weaves the shadow's strike to protect his companions.
Venssa again tries to hit the horror with his divine infused staff.
Attack:
Damage:
Cole steps back to the wall and attacks from range again.
Venssa's staff makes contact with the shadow and it shrieks piteously as the staff rips through the fabric of its magnificent shadow. Slowly, the shadow-stuff dissipates.
"Is that it? Is it gone?" Aldelenna shrieks, swiveling around as she reloads her crossbow. "What in the hells was that!?" She bellows at everyone and no one.
"Some undead abomination that should not exist in our natural world. I am glad we could destroy it!"
Venssa looks down at the dagger she found in the fire and draws the others attention to it.
"This was in the fire. I cannot understand why someone would be trying to destroy it?"
That was...unnatural...
Cole moves closer to take a look at the dagger.
The dagger appears to be completely untouched by the flames. That's... odd. You'd expect soot or that odd blackening that sometimes happens when metal is exposed to flame. But this one is as clean as the day it was forged.
Never heard of skeletons burnin' the dead, and why is that blade not charred? Be careful with that Venssa. Rankev, can ya tell anythin' from the blade?
|
"Hmmmmm," says Power, taking up the unusual dagger and seeing if he can remember such a thing mentioned in his studies.
Rankev has literally no idea. It's a dagger, and such are usually peasant weapons, and beneath his notice.
"I have no ken of it. If others wish to meditate upon it, you are free to do so."