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** spoiler omitted **
B'yelka hurries the last few yards to the new sounds of Drosil's blades, an odd swish-thunk-squelch. That's not good at all! What is he fighting?
Ashan stays silent for a moment, staring at the Warden in deep consideration. Were it not for the presence of the others, this encounter may have gone less favorably for the steward of this lodge. "Can you not hear the screams, Warden? I came get retrieve you, so that you might aid us in battle. Or, should you not be a fighter—like myself—I can escort you to safety away from the danger." Ashan glances to the door, then back to the Warden. "Or I can leave you here, alone, with whatever is attacking the lodge."
Following his request to the Warden, Ashan glances around the study, trying to assess what it is that the Warden was doing before he so hastily interrupted him. Ashan had heard the screams, surely the Warden had as well. Why hadn't he gone to investigate? Why hadn't he seemed afraid otherwise?
Ashan's eyes narrow.
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B'yelka rounds the corner and screams to the boys, "Watch yourself, it's a huge spider!"
Still unable to lay eyes on whatever is causing the panic in the Lodge, Anton continues to run around toward the sound, hoping he can catch up before something terrible happens.
Janos continues around the corner, trying to reach the battle. Mosswick pats Janos on the shoulder with one hand while clinging to his collar with the other. As they near the source of the screams, he points eagerly in the direction of the trouble, urging the ranger onward.
Drosil rolls forward across the floor, trying to close with the arachnid. The spider lashes out at Drosil as he passes with its venom-dripping fangs biting deep into the fetchling's stomach. Drosil continues his assault, attempting to dodge the creature's many legs and thrusting with his rapier. He quickly slashes the tip of his long, thin blade through two of the spider's leg joints, disabling two limbs. As he goes in, one of the spiders stiff, spiky hairs lodges in Drosil's flesh. The pain is incredible. Drosil feels himself getting dizzy and loses focus.
B'yelka hurries the last few yards to the new sounds of Drosil's blades, an odd swish-thunk-squelch. That's not good at all! What is he fighting? B'yelka rounds the corner and screams to the boys, "Watch yourself, it's a huge spider!"
Duristan's longsword flashes in his hands as he slashes at the spider twice. The nobleman has clearly been trained to fight, and he scores a slash across the thing's giant abdomen. In the process he also impales himself on one of the bright orange spine-hairs, but he manages to shake off its effects.
The spider whirls at Drosil, who has caused it so much pain, and bites the Fetchling again.
________________________________________
Hit, Miss
Pass, Fail
Ashan stays silent for a moment, staring at the Warden in deep consideration. Were it not for the presence of the others, this encounter may have gone less favorably for the steward of this lodge. "Can you not hear the screams, Warden? I came get retrieve you, so that you might aid us in battle. Or, should you not be a fighter—like myself—I can escort you to safety away from the danger." Ashan glances to the door, then back to the Warden. "Or I can leave you here, alone, with whatever is attacking the lodge."
Following his request to the Warden, Ashan glances around the study, trying to assess what it is that the Warden was doing before he so hastily interrupted him. Ashan had heard the screams, surely the Warden had as well. Why hadn't he gone to investigate? Why hadn't he seemed afraid otherwise?
Ashan's eyes narrow.
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[dice=Bluff bluff bluff the craven Warden]1d20+4
[dice=Perception]1d20+13
[dice=Sense Motive]1d20
"Go then! Lead the way, I am no warrior. I am a simple scholar," Estovian insists, beginning to look a bit panicked that his office is not only being invaded by flaming smoke elves, but that something is slaughtering his guests by the sounds of it.
Hearing about the huge spider, Janos hugs the wall and he approaches, hoping it will give him some protection from any attacks. He moves in, suddenly finding himself face to face with the arachnid. The Ranger swings his sword at it fiercely.
B'yelka steps back and begins a fast choral piece, Her voice forming the driving beat of her stamping foot. The magic coalesces around her and her allies. With renewed vigor Anton, Drosil, Janos and even Duristan greet their foe anew.
Drosil, overcome by the massive injuries he has taken, as well as the spine that has pierced him, retches on the floor next to him and takes up a defensive position.
Bab=7
Dex=3
PBS=1
Longbow=1
Inspire=2
Good hope=2
Haste=1
Damage
Str=2
DA=4
PBS=1
Good hope=2
Inspire=2
Anton rushes to the side to get a clear shot.
Desna's pale face, the size of the thing!
Drosil, get out of there!
Hearing about the huge spider, Janos hugs the wall and he approaches, hoping it will give him some protection from any attacks. He is wise to do so, as the massive predator lunges around the corner at him. The wall obstructs its attack, protecting the ranger. He moves in, suddenly finding himself face to face with the arachnid. Janos swings his sword at it fiercely. He slices another leg from the massive spider, but not without impaling himself on several of its orange spikey hairs. Waves of pain and nausea flash through the ranger, crippling him.
B'yelka steps back and begins a fast choral piece, Her voice forming the driving beat of her stamping foot. The magic coalesces around her and her allies. With renewed vigor Anton, Drosil, Janos and even Duristan greet their foe anew.
Drosil, overcome by the massive injuries he has taken, as well as the spine that has pierced him, retches while he stumbles away from the distracted spider. He takes cover behind a wall, next to B'yelka.
Anton rushes to the side to get a clear shot. Desna's pale face, the size of the thing! The paladin sends a single shaft into one of the spider's eight glittering eyes. It hisses loudly in pain.
Duristan continues to desperately slash at the giant tarantula. He cannot manage to land a strike in his wounded state.
The spider turns to Janos and his glittering blade, biting at him once again. Now with three legs crippled, and one eye destroyed the beast is clumsy. Janos parries its fangs with his long blade.
________________________
Fail
Fail (by one if you want to hero point)
Miss
Bab=7
Dex=3
PBS=1
Longbow=1
Inspire=2
Good hope=2
Haste=1
Deadly Aim=-2
Damage
Str=2
DA=4
PBS=1
Good hope=2
Inspire=2
Anton's hands move in a blur, spurred on by the magic that courses through him and the danger to his friends he thunders shafts into the creature's eyes and soft underbelly
Anton thunders his shafts into the spider's face, turning it into a pulpy mess of chitin, fur and greenish ichor. The dying arachnid tumbles sideways, crashing into the wall with a crunch. The finish on the tiber is shredded by the spider's sharp hairs as it slides slowly to the floor into the puddle of blood there.
"Thanks the gods you arrived!" Duristan cries. "That thing came out of nowhere and started killing the guests!"
Mosswick gives Janos a triumphant pat on the shoulder, then flaps over to give Anton a high-five before approaching Drosil, rubbing the fetchling's shoulder consolingly as he retches in the corner.
Anton returns the little construct's gesture, slapping his hand with his own.
I doubt that thing came from nowhere, Dantrian, look at the size of it. Someone must have seen how it got in here.
He rushes over to his friend and says a small prayer to Desna. The fetchling's wounds begin to close as he mutters rhe divine words.
Is anyone else hurt?
Mosswick looks back to Anton and his large eyes glaze over for a moment. As the sharpness returns to them, he nods definitively then makes strange gestures with his hands and moves his mouth, trying to mime Dantrian's suspicion.
Maybe that threat we received had some substance after all
Drosil struggles for several seconds, but eventually is overcome by his injuries and spider venom, falling unconscious.
Anton slips his arm around his friend before he slides into unconsciousness and half drags, half carries his limp body to one of the sofas in the sitting room.
Is this the spider venom? B'yelka, find out what the hell is going on here. There's no way that thing came in here on it's own. the paladin says fiercely.
Laying Drosil down, he removes a wand from his pack and begins the slow task of restoring his friends' strength.
Janos comes over to examine Drosil as Anton heals him with the wand. "I think Dantrian needs to see to this, but the poison has probably run its course. He should be watched for the night though."
The Ranger glances at Mosswick. "Is he still...indisposed?"
Mosswick nods sheepishly. Holding his hands close together he shakes his head, then he spreads them far apart and frowns. Continuing, he also holds his hands in front of his face, hiding all his features but his eyes. When he takes his hands away, he scowls, twisting his face angrily and pretends to claw and slash at nearby furniture.
Janos interrupts Mosswick. "Ok, ok. I get it. Enough of that." He looks around to see if anyone was watching. "Let me know when he's free. We might need to bring up Drosil to see if he can tend to him, but I need to know if he's able to handle that too."
He stands and looks around the room. Spotting Duristan, the Ranger questions the man. "What the devil happened here, Duristan? Where did this beast come from?"
B'yelka sees Duristan standing, weapon still in hand and she asks him, "Would you be so kind as to put your blade away and stop any of the other guests from approaching too closely? Thank you, dear." While Janos and Anton minister to Drosil, B'yelka frets. He's right, this thing did not just hatch from thin air! She sniffs the air thinking to catch a whiff of brimstone or some tell-tale of conjuration. No, that's not going to work! It's not like it's a fiendish thing.
"Is he going to be alright?" Her voice sounds unsure, Too many times are these men in such a way...
There are other guests already in the sitting room behind Duristan. "We were all in the sitting room, enjoying apertifs and listening to Ostrovach tell ghost stories..." Duristan says. "Then suddenly that tarantula was here. It came in through the door. It killed the Markiza and Ostrovach, as well as poor Belik!" The werewolf hunter kicks the wall in frustration. "Cilas and I tried to protect them, but we weren't enough...Why do I always fail those who need me?!"
An older man emerges from behind Duristan, armed only with a dagger. He is nearly 6 feet tall, with a slender build, long features, and a sharp nose. He wears his hair cropped short and has a carefully trimmed goatee and waxed mustache. "Good evening," the man says coldly. "I don't believe we've met yet. I am Margrave Cilas Graydon. Unfortunate we couldn't meet under better circumstances."
Finally the drunken poet, Corvin, stumbles from the room. He turns pale at the sight of all the blood, and promptly wretches on the floor.
As Janos asserts his understanding, Mosswick's shoulders slump and he shakes his head while slapping his hand into his forehead. He points to each of his master's allies, then points to the stairs, traces their run with the gesture, then points to the spider. Next, he covers all of his face but his eyes. He then glances around the room and with a shake of his head, shrugs. Turning back to the stairs, he starts to trace their run again but stops with another shake of his head and another shrug. Gesturing to the whole of the group again, he covers his face once more then hold his hands up questioningly.
By the time Ashan arrives downstairs with the Warden, the battle has ended. Though the masked elf seems hesitant in his movements, it is only due to his uncertainty of the current situation. Just behind Ashan, the lodge Warden follows warily. Ashan stops upon seeing the others, then tilts his head to the side on spotting the spider. "Our unwelcome guest," he intones quietly to the Warden before approaching the aftermath of the battle.
"I retrieved the Warden to aid, but it would seem..." Ashan glances in Drosil's direction, his expression at seeing the unmoving fetchling hidden behind his mask. "We are too late." Ashan steps over a splintered piece of door frame and a toppled chair, moving to Drosil's side when he spots Belik's remains. Ashan looks up to the Warden. "Isn't that your man?" he asks as he removes one of his gloves, revealing ashen gray skin pulled tightly around bone and sinew. That spidery hand reaches out to touch the side of Drosil's neck, checking for signs of life.
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Delgros comes running up just at the same time that Ashan and the warden arrive. The warden looks shocked, "What is that doing out of its cage!?"
Delgros goes pale at the sight. "Bend me over and bugger me twice..." he curses. "I checked the cages this afternoon!"
"Clearly you didn't check them well enough, Delgros!" the warden shouts. "Gods...Belik!...the Markiza...Where is Paucy?!"
"Look," Duristan says. He points to blood smeared all over the open doors to the rear area of the lodge.
Mosswick is in the midst of energetically tugging on Janos' cloak and pointing to Ashan when his attention is entirely robbed at the warden's mention of a cage. The little homunculus goes quiet and still, returning to his perch on Janos' shoulder as he watches and listen to the warden and Delgros' exchange intently.
Janos turns to see Ashan with the warden and it suddenly dawns on him that the elf hadn't been with them during the fight. He eyes the man and shakes his head slightly. He looks at Ashan. "Drosil was poisoned by the spider. Why don't you take him upstairs to rest and tend his wounds? We can handle this with the warden." He nods curtly to the elf.
Without waiting for any answer, the Ranger turns to the warden and Delgros. "What do you mean? This beast is supposed to be here? Why the hell would you have something like this here? And what happened for it to get loose?"
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Anton watches Delgros' intently as he makes his claims of securing the creature. So far, he has been the most vehemently opposed to interaction with the wolves of the forest. Perhaps this is his way of ensuring that.
B'yelka watches the exchange, Something let the spider out...