Sami unsuccessfully tries to focus his thoughts, but the thick mists of the creature's aura allow no controlled thoughts through.
Round 10:
Initiative order:
Big ugly-done
Sami
Eretria
Xavier (unconscious)
Darc-done
Rashun (unconscious)
Besmarial
To no one's surprise, Darc slips into fugue from his fatigued state. Sami pulls himself together and is able to act normally this round, although even the creature's departure from the area has not lifted the pall from his mind.
It continues to flee. Eretria, make a Perception check to track it well enough to target it.
Darc slowly wanders to the injured fighter, he leans down and calls out in his native tongue before touching the fighter on his head.
Gahh!
Xavier draws in a deep breath, and immediately rues doing so seeing the half orc, not Eretria over him.
You're not Eretria....Rashun? Is he alive?
Round 10 (final):
Eretria, you can no longer see the seugathi, so you don't burn the spell. Besmarial is flying high enough to be out of range of the creature's wand of magic missile, and despite his superior vantage point also loses sight of the thing. Unless Sami has an idea I'll increment the round.
In the absence of anyone's efforts to the contrary, Darc cannot cast his spell on Round 11; along with Sami, he is trying to drive the recurrent whispers out of his head by hitting himself. However, if Darc is still up he can act normally on Round 12; Sami slips back into fugue, though.
On Round 13, Sami remains in fugue, unable to act, while the whispers in Darc's head again drive him to strike himself.
On Round 14, Darc can act normally, and Sami has finally shaken the creature's influence. (You feel somehow fragile, though, as though the experience has shaken your mental discipline in a fundamental way; you're holding yourself together by dint of thinking about anything but the seugathi, and you fear that until you're healed you'll be vulnerable to its aura of madness.)
On Round 15, Darc pulls himself together to the point where he can function normally all the time. See the note to Sami above for concerns about your present state, though.
Round 12:
Round 13:
Round 14:
Round 15:
Xavier stands bloodied, bruised and with a rather large dent in his pride.
Standing but favoring his leg he has returned to his normal size.
Never have I faced a monster of the like. Is everyone ok? We need to gather our strength and follow it. But we should do so from a distance. We need to heal and we need bows and favorable terrain and to protect our minds. I'll not be stopped by this... I swear to Imodae the damn thing seemed to recover faster than we could kill it. It only feared Una's fire.
With Xavier conscious, Darc turns his attention to Rashun going through the same procedure as with Xavier, calling to the gods for their favor.
Rashsun regains consciousness.
"I guess since I don't see it, that it got away. That was not fun at all. What do you think we should do now?"
"Let us work on a plan, the creature, if it returns, will have rested and be healed again, its powers restored." says Darc to Rashun.
Besmarial flies back to the party. "It baffles me how something so big can hide so well. It is too dangerous for me to get close enough to it to sense its evil, unfortunately. I suggest returning to the island and asking if they have any missile weapons, or I could fly back quickly and make the request."
Yes. They pointed us in the direction once and.could do so again. How will a helmet carry bows? I'm sure the spiders will have picked some spoils of adventurers trying to slay the spider king but won't you need help getting it back here?
"I would not be able to, no. Perhaps the spiders will move it themselves. In any case, I can return to the island faster than you and determine if they have any you can use, so you will not waste a trip."
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Eretria "Well we can't do it again with me being the only option for range but we -could- have everyone prepared with ranged attacks for an ambush with this chain then set up caltrops to slow its retreat this time around... in fact...." She reaches in her pack and pulls out a bag, "I just happen to have some caltrops on hand."
Which means we still need bows, GOOD ones. I guess that spider thing would help since it fears it and needs us to kill it. Sure, Besmaril, fly off and see if it or the old woman have bows or magic or something to help. I could fight it in melee but cannot take the constant.assaults on my mind. Plus we're all hurt. So we need to heal and rest ouselves. I swear Eretria is our best weapon against the thing. You were fantastic, milady, I shall try to learn some of your craft.
Besmarial again rises into the air, wings flapping gracefully, and flies off in the direction of the island. Time passes.
Xavier, you're leaning against a tree trying to relax when something pokes you in the back from inside the tree. This is surprising enough that you turn around to look at your leaning post in time to see that what poked you was Simbala's walking stick coming out the tree...immediately followed by the old druid herself, carrying a wrapped bundle. Besmarial follows her out of the tree. She chuckles. "I'm sorry, young man. Didn't realize you'd be where I was coming out." (She doesn't sound that sorry.) Her chuckle turns into a coughing fit, though, and she leans heavily on her stick, clutching at her chest with her other hand. The bundle drops to the ground, where it lands with a clatter. "There's a reason...I don't...use much magic any more. Oh, if that creature...had dared to show its face around here...when I was younger, I would have...sent it...back to its masters in pieces." She manages to catch her breath, although her color is still not very good. "Sadly, all I could find were a pair of well-made composite longbows and some arrows. With the maker guarding the island, we usually have no need of such things."
Dear lady, you have done us a wonderful service this day. Much as it shames me to admit that same aura your Spider King fears was the very thing that prevented us from destroying it. We must have gotten close though since it fled from it's wounds. Fighting it hand to hand would be by preffered option as I am a Melee warrior, but alas, closing with it sent us mad and we almost killed each other. We have no cleric with us that can guard our minds and so we rely on your charity for the bows. I thank you.
Being a Gentleman, Xavier aids the old woman to a nearby log to rest.
He examimes the bows,
"Thank you, young man. You're too kind to an old woman."
You..can talk...to the forest thing can't you? Will it lead us to the creature again if we take a night to recover our wounds? Better yet can it tell us where it's going? It said it was headed back to the place we met the spider king didn't it? I only ask so we may perhaps.get in front and draw it to ground of our choosing. Simply attacking it in the open nearly cost us our lives, we should not do so again.
He looks to the others for ideas. All this thinking was hard but he was not stupid enough to repeat such blatant combat errorsagain.
Sami shakes his head at the offered bow, patting a sling tucked into his sash. My thanks, but I fear I would not be skilled with such a weapon, having never fired one before. I used this sling to bring down larger animals that had wandered onto our farms so that they could be taken to the edge of our lands and let loose. While it may be no more than a nuisance to the beast, at least I'll be able to hit it. I'd have used it before had I not attacked.... He looks at Darc, ashamed.
Right so it's a bow for me and Rashun. Spells from Eretria, Sammy's sling and Darc has that fine crossbow. I'm open to ideas but I think we should Lure it into a dead end where it can't easily escape. We then plug ourselves in the gap and hammer it with Arro...no. Then it would just charge us and we'd all go crazy....OK, how about we surround it from all sides but spread out and shooting. That way it could only charge 1 at a time while we keep shooting. I'm sorry, I'm not very good with this...
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"We use the chain to conceal ourselves... Someone needs to draw its attention, so somone has to confront it head on. We also should use my caltrops to hinder its retreat. I can begin with and enfeebling spell to help against it as well. The idea here should be to ensure it cannot retreat with minimal damage to ourselves.
Sami nods slowly, showing confidence in the plan. I can move quite quickly if I need to; if the beast will follow me, I can lead it into a crossfire of sorts. If it doesn't stop under your missile attack, then I'll turn to face it. Those words do seem to bring a bit of unease to the monk's expressive, reptilian face. At least I will be no harm to others if I'm far away from you if the beast takes control of my mind.
Xavier looks at his friend with so much pride.
You might be best to hold it's attention. You have the strongest mind of us all. Perhaps Darc or Rashun have a spell to shield it further. Eretria, can we all fit inside the chain? If we can use sami to draw it into the dead end, one of us could rush out behind it and scatter caltrops to slow it fleeing, and if neccessary engage it if in melee ifit tries to run.
The chain should be off to the side, up high if possible to keep you safe. I volunteer to block the retreat.
"I do have a spell I can use to help Sami avoid the creature's magic, and physical attacks. The duration is only for a few minutes though so it is better if I cast it right before Sami engages it. "
Sami, at the thought of confronting the thing again it takes all your mental discipline to keep your mind focused.
Simbala replies to Xavier, "I can speak to the maker. I like your plan, too, but I don't know if there's a place nearby where you can corner it. The maker will know. Though there are places like that on the island, I don't think the maker wants it anywhere near Everway."
She hobbles over to the edge of the clearing and leans one hand against a tree. A number of spiders crawl out onto her hand as she makes what sound like random clicking sounds, twitching her head back and forth, and occasionally lifting one or more fingers. After a time the spiders crawl off her hand and she slowly walks back to the party. "The maker knows of a place like that. It's a ravine, almost completely blocked at the south end by a landslide before it reaches the river. Will that work for you?"
I am afraid we have no choice maam. We CAN defeat the thing, but will need every advantage to make that possible. Twas only the fates that saved us the first time. I know it's closer that the Spider king wanted but unless the gods deliver us the power to simply smote the creature this is the only way.
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"I think Xavier should confront the thing head on he was the first to notice and resist whatever it was doing to us and Sami can use my crossbow... at least I believe he should be able to, I won't need it with my own spells. I will give Xavier my caltrops that he might throw them out at first sign of its retreat... do the rest of you agree with this?"
Darc, who still seems to be confused by the fight and his head hangs low, knowing that he has somehow dishonored the gods. His mind clouded, he is unable to shake the feeling of fear and doom that has let him live, whilst the creature still breathes. To Rashun he speaks, "I spells, might protect mind, fear and blackness despair. It small protection from evil creature, protect minutes. I use crossbow, flail better." he ends as if it will explain how useful he can be in the coming fight.
Xavier looks at Eretria, not sure if he takes her meaning. I may not be fast enough to run it into the net. Perhaps Sami canlead it to me at a run. As soon as I see it, I could start shooting to get it's attention while Sammy breaks off to the tees. If the thing, falls for it and runs into the trap, I will fight it to the death with the wall at my back, even confused I will battle it with no other targets. Sami should scatter the caltrops 40 ft behind it. All of you keep shooting until it falls. Everybody happy with that? If so and if the spider king cam help us track the thing we should rest before hunting it. I would meet it at our best.
Xavier didn't mind putting his life on the line, but was deeply hurt at Eretria's suggestion to modify the plan. Sami had easily the strongest will and was a great combatant in close but pretty poor with a real ranged weapon. Had all his advances and attention been so misplaced for her to value his life so little?
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Eretria frowns, "I don't even think Sami could keep ahead of it Xavier, you were the only one... even over myself who resisted the aura... For that matter it technically got the drop on us so whats to stop it from attempting so again...." She pauses, glancing over to the druid. "Actually... did the spider happen to mention if it favored any specific food in the area? We could potentially lure it at no cost to ourselves on the running."
Silmara shakes her head. "It ate anything it could catch. It seems too clever to be enticed by a simple bait, in any case."
"Who bait, don't care." Darc answers showing no real interest. "Darc strike, better prepared" yet his eyes glaze over again as his thoughts turn inward once more. He surfaces at random intervals, "Like Eretria battle."......"Darc crossbow, if must?"...."make fire, make noise, it come?"
Depends on the bait I guess. Being Harrassed by a speedy monk, then me hopefully would make it angry. If it won't take the bait, we could simply surround it in a great big circle and shoot it, but that wouldn't stop it from fleeing.
"I like the circle idea."
Sami looks to Silmara, wincing as if in pain as he puts a hand to his temple. Do you, or the maker have any magic that may counteract the aura that emenates from that foul beast? I fear that, should I get in its path again, it wll use a foothold that it already has within my mind to better affect me.
His look at Xavier shows frustration and shame. I'm sorry, my friend; I'm trying to clear my mind of the "feel" of the creature, but there are some remnants that I can't seem to purge.
In that case we have 2 plans. We find it and if terrain suits, you conceal yourselves while I shoot it to draw it to me and then I fight it while you all shoot it and someone drops caltrops so it cannot escape. If terrain doesn't favor that we surround it as far away as our vision and weapons allow and shoot it. It will likely either charge one of us or flee. I don't like that option since it may attack Eretria- her spells will do more damage than bows and it would likely go after her if it's smart. We have a strategy, now we find a place to rest and use what rescourceswe have to heal our wounds. We attack it at full strength.
Darc quivers at the words Xavier speaks, yet he regains control and nods agreement, "We surround."
Silmara shakes her head at Sami's question. "I don't think so. That sounds like priest magic, and we have none of them here since old Tanger died last year. He followed Gozreh, so we all got on fine. Maybe a lesser restoration would help a little. That's something I can do, if you give me a few minutes to make ready."