The swamp is quiet again.
You are pretty sure it'll go for the one it wounded the first time: Rhia.
Skiia bites back a tut of quiet frustration as the spider disappears before she can get a better look at it.
Unsure of when or where it will strike again, Skiia uses her free hand to retrieve her wand from its narrow pocket and with a sharp word and twist of her hand, a shield of force glimmers briefly in the air in front of her before vanishing into invisibility.
Reaozing the creature's likely course of action, Rhia calls upon her family of protectors and warriors, shimmering ghostly longspear appearing hovering behind her, held aloft prepared to strike, awaiting the creature's reappearance.
"If this thing acts like any other giant spider I know, it's going to keep striking at you, Rhia. If you've a sword, stand near her." Having found a foe to fight, Christoph's breath has evened out, but his eyes still dart to and froe warily. The Pharasmin inquisitor takes his own advice by stepping back to allow other more room in which to protect the oracle.
Cursing at his missed strike, Agrimmar takes a step to the NE to put himself closer to Rhia, then prepares a strike for the beast's return.
Abruptly, it's there again! This time on the other side of Rhia's position!
It lunged forward at Rhia...
for a possible damage and Poison (Fort save DC18 or 1d6 Dex damage).
As the spider appears, Ereviss throws his glittery dust. It engulfs spider and leaves everyone else out of its range.
Quickly drawing another arrow, Skiia nocks, aims, and releases it in a single movement.
Agrimar swings his falchion in a vicious arc, "IOMEDAE!"
Again the wicked bite of the phaze spider results in a woefully ineffective strike with her spear. A burning flows through her veins as the chosen of Pharasma can feel her muscles stiffening, her reflexes slowing down.
As the oracle staggers from the injury, her ghostly defender strikes plunging the spear into the creature's side.
Shouting wordlessly in alarm as the spider materializes next to him, Chrstoph steps back and draws and looses his bow shot in one smooth motion.
Ereviss Ladyhunter_____
Std readied = Glitterdust Centered D-E 9-10 grid intersection
As the spider appears, Ereviss throws his glittery dust. It engulfs spider and leaves everyone else out of its range.
Skiia Anamabon_____
Quickly drawing another arrow, Skiia nocks, aims, and releases it in a single movement.
Agrimar _______
Agrimar swings his falchion in a vicious arc, "IOMEDAE!"
Rhia Van der Geist_____
Again the wicked bite of the phaze spider results in a woefully ineffective strike with her spear. A burning flows through her veins as the chosen of Pharasma can feel her muscles stiffening, her reflexes slowing down.
Christoph Metzger_____
Shouting wordlessly in alarm as the spider materializes next to him, Chrstoph steps back and draws and looses his bow shot in one smooth motion.
You see the space behind it, revealed by the Glitterdust, twist as it opened for the phase spider. It withdrew from the fight, clearly badly wounded, and disappeared again.
But hanging there in mid air, outlined by the Glitterdust, is a seam.
Phase Spider: 6
Hands trembling slightly, Christoph tries to make sense of the sudden shimmering seam hanging in the air in front of him. I should know this... Focus, Speaker, breathe! Drawing a ragged breath, he focuses on what he knows of such portals.
Even as her body tries to recover, Rhia's mind processes what she sees, her eyes narrowing.
Ereviss uses gallant inspiration (swift) and the arrow Skiia fired bends to the spider. His words are of some use.
He tries to find a seam to fire through.
Her attention divided by her concern for how Rhia is handling the pain of her wounds, Skiia's glance at the seam the spider left behind is cursory, though her years of study suggest some possibilities.
All you need to do is make the proper Spellcraft roll and sacrifice a first level transmutation spell.
Skiia's shot, with an assist from Ereviss, manages to tear into the spider just as it disappeared.
Except for a large spider leg, still dangling from a narrow glitter outlined fissure in the air.
It twitches slightly as you watch.
Focusing intently on the narrow opening, Rhia reaches out with her will, calling upon the blessing of Paharasma and the p[ower of those who came before her.
Grant us access to the space between worlds, lend me your strength'
As she guestures, hundreds of ghostly hands appear, grasping the glittering edges of the spider's phase opening, holding it wide enough to allow passage to the ethereal plane.
"Quickly, we can go after it!"
Without a second though, Agrimar jumps through the opening, falchion at the ready.
Ereviss follows too.
Skiia quirks an eyebrow in respectful acknowledgement of Rhia's quick thinking before entering through the part in the veils, having already filed the trick away for further reflection at a more suitable time.
Blinking as Rhia acts as quickly as the thought registers in his mind, Christoph shrugs and takes a step towards the glittering fissure. As he steps through the muck, the unconscious form of the professor's daughter catches his eye and he shouts a warning, "We can't leave Kendra unguarded. See if that infernal spider is dead and I will keep watch." He takes a protective stance near the woman, eyes carefully watching the darkness around them while a nocked arrow follows his gaze.
Rhia’s improvised spell turned the fissure in the air into a billowing open… mouth covered in glitterdust.
Those who enter find themselves in a fine silky white tunnel. It is a strange feeling; like you’re falling, even though you aren’t. The passage seems to move side to side in a gently waving motion. A silvery grey light seeps through the webbing, revealing a smear of purplish looking blood trailing down the tube ahead of you.
It's a thrilling and terrifying feeling; this is a passage through the Ethereal Plane!
"So this is what it feels like to walk the Ethereal Plane." Rhia sys quietly. "We should move quickly, I'm not sure how long the portal will remain open."
Proceeding down the twisting tunnel, you find it branches several times. Each time, the trail of blood is clear where the spider went.
Following another twist, you are suddenly drawn through a stretched tunnel mouth into an earthen cave. There is night air coming through the NorthEast tunnel mouth, but several other silk Ethereal tunnl mouths here too.
Also present are two coccoon like bundles, each big enough for an adult human, fastened to the walls.
The phase spider, obviously critically injured, turned to face you with it's horrible human-like face.
Round 1_________
Players take their turn in order of posting, the Phase spider will go last.
Fascinating, Skiia thinks, resisting the urge to give more attention to her surroundings and the stuff of the tunnel she's moving through. I wonder how the silk holds onto the magic. As for what's beyond it...
Fortunately, there's no question of where the spider went, and Skiia doesn't even need to rely on the finer cues of instinct. Drawing up short behind the others as the other end of the tunnel opens up, she examines the beast beyond them. Her hunter's eye takes in the spider's injuries dispassionately, but also ruthlessly. Perhaps because of all the openings through the planes, it is particularly easy for her to turn the web of magic around and pinpoint the spider in turn...
"There!" she calls out, pointing, "Behind the second leg on this side, and there, where our arrows have already worked deeper!"
"It is blind, so use that to your advantage."
Ereviss fires a normal arrow.
Agrimar steps towards the spidery demon and hacks with his falchion.
The phase spider managed to avoid Agrimar's blow somehow, but could not avoid Ereviss' guided arrow. It collapsed dead on the floor.
Looking around...
The misty spider silk complex is littered with the remnants of the belongings of previous victims.
A thorough searcher locates
a potion of fox’s cunning,
a magnifying glass with a gold handle (worth 100 gp),
a small wooden box containing a set of brass weights
a walnut traveling case with a pair of superior locks and their keys sealed in wax,
and a jar of pickled garlic cloves among the unsettling skeletal body parts left behind.
"Cut them down, we won't be leaving them here." Agrimar begins to cut the pods down as gently as he can.
As the others work to cut open the silk pods, Rhia scans the area with a keen. practiced eye.
Skiia keeps an eye out for anything unusual as the group moves to lay the cocoons out on the ground, but even knowing what to expect, she has to stifle a gasp when the cocoons are cut open, all thought of a more careful search abandoned. Seeing the missing girl's body cushioned almost gently in the silky stuff, Skiia remembers other funerals she's seen, and fights to keep the memories under control. She manages to compose herself by the time the footman's body is freed, but she is still quiet for a minute or two before speaking. "We should bring her back to her people," is all she has the heart to say.
Picking through the remains of the victims, it looks to you like it has been picking off the odd lone traveller for a couple of years at the very least.
Having found everything you could of value, you haul the two intact victims back out through the ethereal passageway to the marsh again.
Returning to the caravan, the pinhead sisters howl with their grief, the Wolf boy joining in. The Swarm of Clowns help to bear Aleese's body away.
True to his word, The Ringmaster Kaleb Hesse approached with his hat in hand.
"I... thank you for what you did. I know you tried to rescue her; it was just too late." He said, his red eyes tearing up.
He presented you with what he promised; a +1 humanoid (shapechanger) bane dagger as a reward.
"Gentlemen. Ladies. I know we are difficult to look upon and do not treat strangers well, but, with the horrors of the world so... clearly demonstrated, I would like to invite you to travel with us to Lepidstadt. If you don't mind. We are all safer together." He said.
The stagecoach driver, diverted from his suspicious eyeing of the carnival folk, jumped off the coach and ran up to where the footman was laid out, still paralysed from the spider venom.
"Dieter. Dieter! Get up lad, we have to go!" He said, futiley shaking his shoulder.
The bard chronicles the beginning of Act 2 in his book. Drawing a picture of the ethereal spider.
He gives Kendra a boost up to the coach, and prepares to enjoy the road trip. Ereviss speaks to the coachmen.
"We travel with our new friends!!"
It was not a question but an emphatic statement.
Ereviss nods to Skiia. "This dagger may be for you. Never know when a large creature swallows you."
At the sign of movement in the portal, Christoph raises his bow and his half-drawn it before he recognizes the familiar silhouettes of his companions. Slowly releasing the tension on his bowstring, he nods his greeting, "I presume the spider is dead?" Before the others can answer, he spots the lifeless form of the girl, Aleese. "So it would seem. We should perform the Rites as soon as we are able. Outside the marsh, I think."
Wincing at the high pitched screams of grief as they come into sight of the caravan, Christoph watches in disquiet as the girl's body is borne away by the Clowns. He maintains his silence, letting the man say his piece. He nods his agreement with Ereviss, "Between cities, it is best to travel with company, certainly. If it is your wish, Ringmaster, I am a Speaker of the Voices and I would say the Final Rites for Aleese so that she may be swiftly face Pharasma's judgement and be sent to her final rest."
Turning to look at Ereviss, Rhia frowns. "Before we travel anywhere or with anyone, we need to make sure that Dieter will be alright." she says before going over to where the footman lies.
Under your ministrations Dieter groans, but is still mostly paralysed. With your help he loads the footman into the coach and starts the horses galloping down the road as fast as he could to the next stop, where help was available at a temple of Desna.
Now with the Caravan of the Crooked Kin, you travel slowly down the roadway with Aleese lying in state. At the temple, Kaleb asks Christoph to perform the rites of Pharasma in the manner of the funeral Pyre.
After Aleese's funeral pyre, you spend the next several days traveling with the Kin to Lepidstadt. They show you much of what goes into a performance, and those of you with Performance skills are encouraged to join in.
As you cross the Old Stone Bridge across the Lesser Moutray River, you see Lepidstadt is already in a carnival atmosphere. But not due to the coming of the Crooked Kin.
The trial of the Beast of Lepidstadt has already commenced, and things don’t look good for the creature. A huge pyre in the shape of a man—Lepidstadt’s famous Punishing Man—has been erected in the main circle outside the courthouse, and locals eagerly add fuel to the effigy in preparation for the Beast’s execution.
The Kin do basic performances in the backs of the wagons as they wend through the twisty streets of the city until they arrive at the fairgrounds South of the city. There they make camp and start the involved project raising the big tent.
When you arrive in Lepidstadt, you have two tasks to complete to fulfill the final wishes of Professor Lorrimor—returning the tomes from Professor Lorrimor’s chest to Dr. Montagnie Crowl at Lepidstadt University, and delivering the curious Manual of the Order of the Palatine Eye to Judge Embreth Daramid at her townhouse in the city.
On the outskirts of the city, Agrimar draws up the hood of his travelling cloak.
"Which is closer, the university or the Judge's townhouse?"
Skiia hopes the Kin will be all right, though she's fairly sure that she's just reacting to the terrible circumstances that threw the two groups together. She tries to focus on Lepidstadt itself and her own party's task here. Still, she hopes there will be time simply to explore the university, and perhaps the standing stones, though she doubts many of the others will be interested in the latter. As the coach enters the city proper and Agrimar asks about next steps, she suggests, "It might be more convenient to find Dr. Crowl first in any case, rather than carrying a whole chest of books on our own, and then we could find the judge on foot. It would be a bit more discreet, and hiding the one book between us would be easier."
Ereviss nods. "Finish old business first--makes sense."
Lepidstadt Map! Now with more detail...
Studying the local tourist map that you got from a hawker as you crossed the bridge into the city, you see that the Lepidstadt University is closest; The Kin having set up their carnival just across a common field from it.