"I'd be a little surprised if three skeletons managed to scare an entire goblin tribe. A little." Maeve smiles, having obviously enjoyed that despite not getting a good hit in. "Let's be on guard, and keep going."
Malnival cast Detect Magic and scans the wreck.
Malnival cast Detect Magic and scans the wreck.
Malnival picks up no magical auras from the wreck. As you get closer for a better look, you can see that the ship's interior is more than half-submerged in the mud. You can't see anything of note that the goblins may have left behind, and anything else was likely destroyed by years of exposure.
"Is it possible the skeletons are from this ship and moved to the cave? Maybe they were the crew, and got tired of mud so they moved to the cave where it's dry? And these three liked the mud."
"I suppose the only way we'll find out is by examining the cave. Prugk would you take us there?"
The goblin nods excitedly, "It not far!"
Prugk leads you away from the Kaijitsu's Blossom and to the nearest waterway. There, she sniffs the damp air suspiciously, then turns south, deeper into the marsh. The rain starts to fall harder as you go, turning even the solid chunks of land into muddy stew. Already soaked, you mind less having to wade or swim across parts of the terrain.
After a half-hour or so, you catch glimpses of the southern cliffs bordering the marsh through breaks in the canopy. As it nears, you can see the cliffs rise fifty feet above the floor, the face a thick tangle of jutting rocks and bright green vines and nettles. A curtain of these thick nettle vines partially conceals a cave opening at he base of the cliff.
"Cave there," Prugk says, pointing out the obvious. In a lower voice, she adds "I go with you?"
Maeve shrugs at the goblin's request before trying to carefully push aside the nettles enough to get by without getting scratched.
Parity curses as he stumbles through the swamp, the muck making his footing terrible and sending his sense of balance off. By the time the team arrives at the cave, and he pauses, he suddenly thinks of something.
"Hey, you think those dead were guarding something? They weren't the talking type, so I'm guessing they're not the thinking type either? Someone must have put them there for a reason. This thing that scared Rotgut or whatever the hell his name is ... maybe? Bet there was something in that mud."
Thoroughly disgusted with himself for missing this, Parity spends a couple moments knocking the mud off his boots.
Can't believe I didn't speak up earlier... should have thought of it sooner. Cursed swamp.
"Everybody avoid those nettles. They'll give you a rash like the one Sandru..."
Harlan pauses and blushes as he remember Maeve is there.
"Just avoid the nettles ok?"
"Oooh that's a good point Parity. Maybe we can check on the way back?"
Maeve gives Harlan a glance and a shrug at that.
|
Heng definitely looks uncomfortable in the mud and damp. He'd much prefer to be back in the mountains instead. Hopefully this is a dry cave. At least his thick skin helps against the biting gnats.
"Cave there," Prugk says, pointing out the obvious. In a lower voice, she adds "I go with you?"
Heng looks to the others. "I don't see a particular need for you to come inside the cave if you'd prefer to stay out here, Prugk."
Being careful to avoid the stinging nettles, you use some branches to hold an opening in the proverbial curtain, and move inside the cave. The gray light from outside doesn't penetrate far into the darkness, and only Heng can see beyond a few steps. You can see a narrow, low passage cut into the rock to your right, while the wider passage continues ahead. Water drips continuously from low-hanging roots and down slow rivulets on the walls. A dark stream parallels the main passage along the wall.
Harlan will move to the middle of the group to protect himself as well as provide healing from either direction.
"I can light the way if we want."
Maeve stands right up near the front. Indeed, it almost seems like she needs to be restrained to keep her from simply charging ahead. She bounces a lighted coin between her fingers, only pausing to keep the spell re-cast.
Parity will stay near Harlan.
Parity stays close to Harlan.
Maeve thinks about it for a moment, then shrugs. "Sure. Skeletons start off in crypts, so that would be a solid place to go looking for them. Not sure why you'd build a crypt off of a natural cavern though."
"The passage to the right appears to be worked stone. Perhaps we should start there." Heng notes as he checks that passage.
Malnival pulls his mace from his belt and continues moving. "Be careful watching behind us, they may know we are here at anytime."
Following Heng's nudge, you follow the half-orc into the side passage. The narrow crack makes for tight spacing, and you have to go single-file. The overhead is low enough to make all but Harlan duck, and after Parity knocks his forehead against a protruding rock, you help with verbal pointers.
An unidentifiable pungent smell hits you as the passage opens into a larger cavern. You see a scattering of bones and debris across the floor, while strands of gray webbing cross the walls and ceiling. Parity hears a sickly crunch from the darkness up ahead, just as Heng gasps.
A red-backed, man-sized wolf spider leaps into the light and rushes to attack.
Round 1 Init 17
HP = 9
AC = 19
Weapon Equipped = None
Speed = 10'
Channel = 3/5
Oracle Spells Left (CL 1, +4 melee touch, +0 ranged touch):
1 4/4 Divine Favor, Shield of Faith, Cure Light Wounds, Enlarge Person
Status Effects = None
"Paritythere'sabigspider15feetforwardand10feetleftandohSarenraepleaseblessu sbecauseIreallyhatespiders"
Malnival curses in Elven dropping his mace and drawing his sword as he moves to attack the spider.
Concentration:
Sword Attack:
Damage:
Maeve is surprised enough by the appearance of the spider that her response to Harlan's outburst is slowed. "It's probably more afraid of us than we are of it. Or maybe not." She skips to the side, beginning a dance much like the one she used with the Stalker before.
[ooc]Standard Action to begin Inspire Courage, move to take a 5-foot step south, Swift to use Arcane Strike (just in case an AoO is provoked.)
"Paritythere'sabigspider15feetforwardand10feetleftandohSarenraepleaseblessu sbecauseIreallyhatespiders"
In response, Parity places his left hand on Harlan's shoulder and squeezes by him and the others forgoing the use of the shield to guide himself through folks. He follows the oracle's directions, pacing it off quickly. Listening for the crunching sound, he moves in to attack, blade in hand.
"On it."
The spider rears on its hind legs for a moment, holding a threatening pose, then leaps up and climbs the wall and cieling. It circles the room clockwise, moving as fast as the eye can follow, before swooping down on Maeve. Venom from the beast's pincers pours into her blood as it chomps painfully on her leg.
Parity sweeps forward while Harlan calls down a divine blessing. He swings his falcata at the spider, but hits only the rocky wall. Malnival and Heng attack and batter the beast with a succession of blows. The spider screams and dies, its legs curling up to its abdomen.
Maeve's eyes to wide as the bite sinks deep. Wincing, she leans against the cavern wall, her performance and concentration interrupted. She sags a bit further after another moment, looking decidedly pale and shaky. Amazingly though, she manages a weak smile. "That rather hurt. Everybody else okay?"
1d20+2
Maeve brushes Heng off, looking a little shaky. "I'll be all right. Just a little woozy, I think."
Harlan rushes over to Maeve and examines the wound.
"Well, I don't know how bad it is but I can help ease the pain some."
Malnival wipes the goo off his sword blade and picks up his mace. "Glad your ok Maeve. Good job all."
Maeve's breathing gets a bit less ragged after the wound closes over. While it still looks a bit puffy, she manages to stand on it with a moment's hesitation. After which, her smile is back. "Well, that was certainly exciting, but I think we're not done yet."
You search the small cavern, but find little of interest among the bones and debris, aside from the half-eaten carcass of a giant gecko lizard. You also find half of a goblin skull.
A narrow passage continues out of the cavern on the opposite side you entered from, running a half-dozen paces before branching left and right.
Maeve glances at Heng. "Right again?"
"Right sounds good."
Harlan looks at the spider with disgust and stays away from it.
"Right is fine, anything without more spiders."
"Don't suppose there is a goblin ear on that skull?"
Sword and shield out this time, Parity moves along with the party ... to the right.
You follow the narrow, cramped passage a little further as it bends through the dripping rock. A few times, you have to squeeze sideways to get through the close quarters, though Harlan has no trouble. You come upon another branching, and taking the right path, enter a small cave filled with dark water. A chaotic rain of water drips from muddy stalactites. At the center of the pool, the light from Maeve's coin reflects glittering off of many objects.
Maeve blinks a few times as the thought of glittering treasures obviously and visibly passes through her mind. "Hmm...think we can get that stuff out of the water?" She takes a more careful look than before. Maybe being bitten and poisoned by a giant screaming spider finally convinced her to take things more seriously? One can only hope it sticks.
"We might be able to but we should probably clear out the goblins first."
Spiders are bad, treasure is good. No ears so far, unless you count Pugnose there and she's still got hers.