Zayless calls on celestial power to burn the nearest spider with sacred flames.
He moves near Raiden to protect the former prisoners.
Anton looks up with amazing awareness and springs into action. Drawing his sword as he runs for the nearest tree. He keeps up and plants his foot on the trunk and the pushes off that foot to launch him in the air back toward the group.
Tracing his line, you see his target. A spider the size of a horse had descended from the canopy and was prepared to drop onto an unsuspecting victim. This time however, Anton’s sword slices off the tip of the spiders abdomen. As the web from its rear recoils, the spider falls the short distance to the ground and lands in the same spot that Anton stood only seconds ago. The monk tries to kick the creature but over extended his jump slightly and misses the unarmed strike.
Raiden also noticed the threat and launches a hammer at the spider on the ground passing Ravveks head in slow motion allowing the Paladin to question what was going on. The hammer bouncing off of the creatures thick hide.
Two other spiders are noticed to be present. One rappelling down next to the middle of the party and one shoots it’s webbing from the tree tops at the flying monk.
The spider in Anton’s positions hisses in pain as ichor spills from its open wound on its rear. In its pain it strikes at Ravvek, the nearest target but the mandibles cannot pierce his armor.
The other spider on the ground attacks Scramsax hoping for easy prey due to his size missing him.
The web shooting at Anton in an attempt to slow the monk down.
Anton is covered in webbing and restrained. On your turn you can spend you action to make a STR check to break out.
Sashah, noticing the spider readies a spell for the occasion that he suspected someone would find themselves in. He traces a sigil quickly in the air that lingers for a moment. Long enough for a bolt of fire to fly at Anton, to burn his webs.
As the pedipalps clatter above his nape "Aha! Not today Madame Octa!"
Initiative
Initiative Order
Anton 24
Uriah 19
Raiden 14
Zayless 11
Spiders 10
Sashah 10
Ravvek 9
Scramsax 5
Sashah blasts the webbing off of Anton. He is singed for 1 fire damage but is free to act.
In that case, Anton leaps down in a flying kick on top of the spider near Scram, then plunges his sword into its thorax.
Raiden steps up the spider that's menacing Scramsax and takes a swing with his sword. He looks up to see how everyone is doing at the moment.
Uriah retreats, I mean, Uriah makes sure the prisoners are safe and then he draws his sword and brandishes it in the general direction of the Spiders.
Woebegone arachnids, face the steel of Uriah the Magnificent!
Stupid bugs. Best run away before you're squashed
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Anton moves through the group with a flying kick, missing the spider but following it up with his blade.
Uriah whispers to the spider on the side of the group and it collapses, dead.
Raiden steps to the front spider and cleaves the creature in twane.
Zayless points at the remaining spider in the trees and radiant light engulfs it.
The remaining spider skitters in fear back up to the top of the trees wanting nothing to do with you.
Spider 3: -3 over 50’ up with total cover
Nicely done, now let's get outta here!
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Scramsax approaches the dead spider and looks it over for a moment before dipping his arm wristdeep into the insect guts and yanking out the venomous gland for later... grinning and holding it up for all to see "...taste of their own medicine, am I right?"
As the party picks up and moves on from the attack they push on through the thick forest. Once the party reaches the road, the group decides the safety of the party is enough that an extended rest is viable. You are all weary from travel.
Early the next morning before the sun can even begin to light the morning sky, the group sets off for a final push to Blasingdell. After traveling through some outlying farmland, you arrive by late morning to a small town ringed by a large palisade with one gate.
After explaining to the guard who you where and what had happened, you are allowed entry. You are met by the town's guard captain, a half orc named Grendar Kuln. Some people can be seen milling around the few stores the town provides, and Grendar points out the two most important locations for travelers. Tolm's Superior Outfitting and Dry Goods and the Griffon's Nest Inn. He thanks you for your service to Blasingdell and that assures you he will inform the Mayor of your deeds.
Scram is unusually hyper during the long trek, juggling his short sword most of the time and talking about how nice a bath will be while debating the various salts and oils best for his tiny musculature.
All those years of pounding metal make this arduous trek all in a day's work for Raiden. He wonders if this tiny town will have the supplies for that nice hot bath Sram keeps talking about, might be nice.
Zayless looks about the town, "Thank you the Inn sounds like a welcome thing."
In keeping with the traditions of his order, Anton seeks out the humblest accommodations the inn has to offer (poor lifestyle).
After a meal of gruel and bread he sets about finding the poorest part of town so he can give money to the needy (let's say 100 gp). Ideally he will seek to ease the burden of some particularly deserving family or orphanage to perform several hours of back-breaking labor for them, as a means of honoring Ilmater for the party's safe arrival.
Anton will also pick up rations and a few necessities at a struggling local business.
Let us give Sashah a couple of days in the library before we head back. It will give us time to recuperate and enjoy ourselves a little. I mean we are going back, right?
Ravvek wanders the town, visits the healer and helps him or her with the diseases of the town (using four applications of Lay on Hands a day) and takes a hot bath, thinking that Scram's suggestion is amazing.
Like Anton, he spends much of his time doing charity work around town, wherever he notices people in need.
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Uriah heads straight for the Inn.
Wine, Wenches, Soft Beds and Song! you hear him exhort as he almost sprints for the Inn
Uriah will be spending his time at the Inn making his talents known. Also, it might be spread around town that Uriah defeated some 40 Orcs in combat while simultaneously seducing the kobold princess.
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While talking a break from his labors Anton listens to the common folk speak of a "man who lays with kobolds", his horror grows as it dawns on him that they are talking about Uriah.
Raiden will rest up for a day, and then maybe go pester the local blacksmith, see what he can get into. Restock rations, too.
Of course we're going back. That orc scourge must be cleared to keep the area safe.
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Scramsax slips into the Griffon's Nest smirking, hes peacebonded his weapons but something tells you he has a hidden dagger somewhere on his person...
His first order of business is to buy multiple rounds of hard liquor for everyone. Before anyone can even say no, he is cheers-ing and forcing you to knock them back.
In short order, even a moderately sober companion could tell...this is getting sloppy. After a few hours it doesn't really even seem like Scram is trying to hold his bottles anymore, letting them randomly crash now and then. Then at one point, as Uriah starts singing, Scram goes pantsless and dances a masterful jig on one of the tables before it crashes and collapses under his weight and he blacks out momentarily.
After coming to minutes later, he scrounges up a brown bag to use as underpants and starts hitting on a not-pretty-half-orc maiden who astonishingly returns his drunken charms. However, his luck deteriorates as the maid was apparently spoken for by a goliath dockworker named Giordan, whose bicep is nearly as big as one entire Scramsax.
Scram gets a lucky kidney shot and the goliath vomits, but it isn't enough and his face is quite bloody by midnight. "...one more round mabbe...*hic*"
Ravvek, watching the carousing that Scram is engaged in, presses the bridge of his nose as he closes his eyes, Perhaps two days are too long...
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Zayless drinks lightly and laughs at the antics of his companions singing along and intimidating those who appear to be about to kill Scramsax.
When approached by townfolk while getting a drink Zayless was called to fact check Uriah's claims, "Its almost exactly like he said." He looks around. "Almost . . . there was a Kobold princess and at least 40 orcs. What he got mixed up is he beat the kobold princess and um how do you northers say, 'gave handies,' to the 40 orcs." Zayless gafaweds, and nods along with one of the crowd, "Oh yes very shameful. But not everyone can say they have faced down 40 orcs and a Kobold princess and lived to tell the tale. His bravery runs parallel to his depravity."
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Sashah manages to pace and distract himself with books and notes during the trip. That along with a measure of grumbling tide him until they reach Blasigndell.
When they reach Blasingdell Sashah immediately finds his way to the library, seeming to have some sort of sixth sense as to its location. For the remainder of the time he is not heard from or seen, unless one delves into the library.
@Sashah You’ve been in contact with the local sage for some time now. This was the primary reason that you joined the caravan guard and trekked out to this remote hole in the mountains. He has an original translation of the histories of the Many Arrows War. Written by a rarely seen half orc scholar, it’s a detailed account from King Obould Many Arrow’s war against the Siver Marches. There are so few works from orc’s societal perspective that it is a must read. During your time here, you discuss with your pen pal about your foray to the Stone Tooth and some of the things you’ve learned.
@Scramsax You go on a two day bender and wake up in the empty water trough early on the morning you have all agreed to leave. Your pants are missing AGAIN and little Jack is telling you that you need to pee. As you stumble to a nearby corner, you see that your backpack and pants have been set by the entrance to the Griffon’s Nest. The place is closed for now. You surmise the barmaid you’ve been flirting with for the length of time you’ve been drunk must have taken pity on you and laid them out for you. Your pants, though smelling of alcohol and urine are folded nicely under your backpack. You notice now that your arm hurts like a son-of-a-b@@**. Upon examination you notice that you have a new low quality tattoo. (Feel free to create your own tattoo but for gameplay, it’s very awkward and leaves you asking more questions that it resolves.) You spend 8g over the time period and surprisingly do not have much of a hangover to show for it.
@Uriah after two days, you are the talk of the town, everyone wants to talk to you and find out what is next for the grand adventurer Uriah and his companions. Your entertainment pays for itself and your two days spent in town are covered.
@Everyone else. Raavek helps the sick in town and the are very appreciative, Anton feeds the more destitute here in town and tries to “give back” to the community, Raiden strikes up a working relationship with the blacksmith, Zayless tries to undermine the bard’s reputation but he’s too damn good at what he does,
During your stay you all manage to piece some info together about the dwarven strong hold you found your self in a few days ago.
Durgeddin the Black – as dwarfy a name as I’ve ever heard – long ago established the hold of Khundrukar below the Spine of the World, far to the north. Too cold for most of us and too far underground for the rest, the dwarves established their citadel in the one place that they felt their sworn enemies (those stinking, vile orcs) wouldn’t look… under a rocky hill called ‘The Stone Tooth’. They named it thusly, it is said, because it looks like a broken orc tusk jutting from the earth – and really, why would dwarves live in the vicinity of such orcish glory?”
He chuckled to himself, loosed a cabbage-smelling belch, and continued unabated:
“Durgeddin was a master smith, and his people took up as his apprentices out of need for goods and a glut of resources for trade. For many years the place churned out exquisite blades and implements of prestigious power… but with that power comes recognition, and with recognition comes enmity, and who better to loathe the dwarves than their age-old foes the orc tribes? The orcs sieged the smiths for months. ‘The Smith’s War’, or ‘Durdeggin’s Vengeance’ as some called it, was a bloody and protracted battle. Much blood was shed, very sad; everyone lost.
Except the orcs, I suppose. They eventually breached the dwarfhold and looted with abandon. Drove the craftsmen out, stole everything they’d made. And why? Blood and glory, I suppose. Agents of chaos, those orcs, or Mrykul or Bane or Mask, who knows? Down to the stones they cleaned the place and this was decades ago – just imagine what has moved in now that those dwarves have been hunted to extinction.
Imagine what the orcs missed.
… imagine what the dwarves would pay to have their honor and clan holdings restored!”
Sashah also learns a bit about kobold culture. The particular group you tangled with seemed very reverent to a being named Nightscale. You and the local sage concur that Nightscale could be a dragon.
The tattoo says Insert coins---> and has a stylized arrow pointing to his butt-crack. The mysterious part is it seems to have a signature hidden in the arrow: "C.L.".
Finding his clothes he shrugs and supposes it is an improvement from the mud and splatter of the days past. Still, he isn't in a nostalgic mood and purchases a new fresh outfit, dyed a handsome green. Also quickly he hunts down a vial of that so called "vitriolic acid" hes been dreaming of...
8 gp mystery tour
25 gp acid
5 sp clothes
----
total: 33.5 gp spent
Smiling as he approaches the group, the tatoo awkwardly visible "You know, I've been doing a lot of thinking recently. Certain new thoughts have just occurred to me, friends. We could go back to that fortress of the damned and clean it out, crusade-style...get rich enough and buy a wizard to fire blast all this snow away."
Affecting his best dwarvish brogue, Rav smiles at his companions, Right, boyos, shall we get a-hoppin'?
Back at 'em!
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Uriah appears bleary eyed but ready to proceed.
That Mindy gave me quite the sendoff.... Uriah mutters as he runs a comb through his luxuriant golden mane.
Ravvek is correct.
@Scramsax
Since you provided the sack, you find the local apothecary who turns it into oil that you can coat your weapon with. We will use serpent venom poison as a basis. Con Save 11 or take 3d6 poison and he charges you 100 gold (half price) to make it.
When not laughing it up with his fellows and good naturedly ribbing Uriah. Spare moments he pours over a book that he keeps close by often talking with himself. "Guess I am as ready as ever."
Anton serenely paints a landscape in ink while waiting for his companions.