Both Serila and Un'gra scramble out of the swarm, swatting spiders off as they run. Keanan gently touches Serila as she passes by healing some of the wounds from the spider bites.
The swarm surges after Serila right into Atsushia covering the halfling from head to toe.
Keanan
Serila
Un'gra
Spider Swarm
Atsushia
Balazar
"Atsushia, no!" Serila cries. "Oh no, I'm so sorry!"
"Anyone who can reach me, I have Alchemist's Fire in my backpack!" Serila shouts.
Good of me to actually remember it!
Balazar and Keanan just run full speed back into the ruins.
Atsushia answers something probably never heard before
Good, use it on me, Seri...
The little woman spats a spider, and covers her mouth with her hand, trying to speak between her fingers
Fire!Now!
Keanan
Serila
Un'gra
Spider Swarm
Atsushia
Balazar
Serila moves over to Un'gra and holds out her backpack to him with one hand. "There are wo Alchemist's Fires inside. You use those, and I'll continue to casts spells!"
She raises her other hand, and throws a bolt of fire into the spider swarm's direction.
Un'gra reaches into Serila's backpack and pulls an alchemist fire out. "Thanks. Sorry Atsushia!"
Un'gra raises his arm to throw the flask, hesitating briefly before throwing it at the swarm.
Serila's magic fire bolt misses the swarm and hits the far wall. The toss by Un'gra goes wide of the target but some of the splash hits the swarm and Atsushia. The grass of the courtyard starts to burn. The swarm is spooked by the fire but continues to eat Atsushia alive.
Keanan
Serila
Un'gra
Spider Swarm
Atsushia
Balazar
Balazar and Keanan are going to hold their action. We might act later, but frankly we're out of ideas/abilities/spells that can help at this point.
Atsuhia rolls herself into the burning grass, hoping to burn the swarm
More fire!
is all she dares to say with spiders so close to her mouth
"Keanan, where are you?!" Serila looks at the door Keanan and Balazar disappeared through. "Can't you try talking to the spiders, to scare them off?!"
"Atsushia, keep talking! Let us know you're still conscious!"
We only have one more Alchemist's Fire, and I'm going to run out of Fire Bolts soon... Will heavenly fire do anything to the spiders? I doubt it...
"Un'gra, when you take the last Alchemist's Fire, make it count!" Serila says with a, perhaps too, hopeful voice.
Keanan
Serila
Un'gra
Spider Swarm
Atsushia
Balazar
"I'll try" Un'gra grunts as he grabs the last alchemist's fire and throws it at the swarm.
"Uh, I think that one was a dud. Anyone got a torch?"
The swarm continues to bite Atsushia as he rolls in the burning grass. The combination of the rain and Atsushia smothering the burning grass with her body puts the fire out but does damage the swarm. Un'gra scores a direct hit with the Alchemist fire which starts the grass around the swarm burning again. The swarm starts to break up in to smaller pockets of little spiders.
"Atsushia, can you get up?!" Serila watches the field of fire, and the small wizard in the middle of it.
Keanan comes out from hiding with Balazar. He looks around. "Where did that paladin go?" He stumbles forward a few more feet. "Uhh, sorry, not much I can do against those things. Need fire, stuff I usually don't carry. I'm also out of berries, gave them all to the paladin who ran off somewhere. It's a bit rough, and Balazar is limping, some kind of poison in her joints. But, remember, it's important to look on the bright side of life."
"Everytime we try to up there, it's something."
Un'gra heads over to Atsushia, stomping spiders along the way and tries to put out the remaining fire. "Sorry, but ya did say to throw it at ya."
Atshushia spats an half chewed spider,and her face becomes white. She seems- as far as you can tell- to be unburned. She rushes to the the well, bends over and it's quite certain she's ill. After maybe ten minutes of unpleasing noises, she comes back on uneasy legs
I hope to never be caught in a spider swarm again. I wouldn't like my worst enemy to suffer such a fate. If I had a worst enemy.
She's still shivering, and looks at you with sad, pleading eyes, scratching herself
anyone got water, or better something strong to drink? I need to rince my mouth.MMMmggrtsk... theses spider's bites are itchy!
Serila reaches in her backpack and shakes it next to her own head. "I think there's still some in it," she says, and hands the waterskin over to Atsushia. "I don't have anything stronger on me."
She walks over to the tower, casts some new lights, and looks at the rope. "Well... here goes nothing," Serila mumbles as she remembers the last time she tried to climb into something. It had been the Ancient Tree in the forest. She'd been determined to cut loose the dead hunters in the tree, so the bodies could be returned to their families.
The bodies should still be hidden close to the tree. I hope we can bring them back to town on our way back.
Un'gra tries to follow Serila up the rope. "Hows it look up there?
Atsushia looks at the rope
I think I read a book about mountaineers once. I'm sure they used ropes. Theory seemed easier...I'm glad i'm not afraid of heights.I'm used to climb ladders into libraries, you know, Keanan. Sometimes people put tomes quite high on the bookcases, not out of malice I'm sure but..
She stops and considers Keanan's beastly friend
Keanan.. How will Balazar climb the rope?
Just a second after
I got an idea! Why don't we tie the rope around Balazar and pull him up?
Heh, no thanks. I'm going to stay with her down here. She's my best friend, I won't leave her. If something happens, I'll call out.
"Guys... there are a..." Serila nearly throws up when she smells the dead creatures, holding her hand in front of her mouth. "There are a lot of dead creatures here, and a lot of webs. Could those who can please join me here, I don't trust it?"
Serila fully opens the trapdoor and moves into the tower's upper part. "I'm so not going to sleep up here. Though if this floor's cleared I suppose the ground floor should be safe." She wipes the sweat off of her forehead.
Too warm here...
I can't find much here, the smell's too awful to properly concentrate...
Blinking
So what do we do, Serila? Climb up to be with you, or wait till you climb down?
"Climb up, perhaps you'll see more than I do. I want to make sure this tower's safe to sleep in."
Awkwardly, Atshushia begins her ascension
Both Un'gra and Atsushia ascend the rope to join Serila in the watchtower perch as Keanan and Balazar stay on the ground floor.
You reach the trap door into the upper part of the tower. Glancing in you see a mass of webbing which holds thousands of dead creatures, from small insects to large birds. The smell is near unbearable and it is very warm and muggy.
“Looks like I’m not the only one the spiders tried to eat. This sap wasn’t so lucky.” Un’gra says as he moves over to the hand he sees. “Oh gods, I think this was a kid.” Un’gra shakes his head and pulls out a dagger and starts trying to cut the skeleton free.
Poor kid...
Atsushia seems really saddened by the thought, but her inquisitive mind makes her ask
What would a kid do here? It's a dangerous place... and there is no settlement nearby, am I correct?
"Ya know, I think it mighta just been a small person not ah kid. Ya don't need this anymore." Un'gra takes the necklace and ring off the skeleton.
Un'gra walks back to the trapdoor and shouts down. "Ey, Keanan this tower isn't a complete waste of time, I found shiny stuff. Serila want to take a look at that robe, looks pretty beat up but maybe it's magic or something."
Un'gra pulls a small skeleton from the web sac. The small skeleton body has a rotten, tattered long robe on.
"Atsushia, can you identify the items Un'gra picked up?"
Serila moves over to the skeleton and studies the rotten robe. "Please also check this robe?"
"I'll stay down here, thank you very much. Need to keep the crybaby company." Balazar growls at Keanan. "Awww, you so cute when your angry."
Atsushia focuses her senses, and tries to discern whether or not the tattered robe and the "shiny stuff" found by Un'gra radiate magic
The ring is magic, but I can't figure its utility without using a spell.And the necklace is worth, in my opinion, a hundred golds and a half.If we plan to sleep somewhere here later, I'll cast my spell to enhance our knowledge of this ring.
"I think this area's pretty much cleared. Shall we go down again?" Serila moves to the rope and carefully climbs down.
"Please do, Atsushia. We may be able to use the ring for something."
The little woman blushes suddenly, then grows pale
I'm sorry...It was so OBVIOUS! I recognize this rune now. I guess the cobwebs reminded me to much of my misfortune with the swarm of spiders. This ring is called "ring of warmth", it's useful in cold countries because the ring protect its wearer with an Endure Elements spell, so that the wearer doesn't suffer from extreme temperatures-NATURAL extreme temperatures, you'll be harmed if you put your hand in a fire or get caught in an icy spell. Moreover, the ring assure people who are the closest from the wearer they will resist better against cold.
*sighs*
I apologise for not identifying the ring on the first try.I'm not that useful.
"Right, Ah'll be heading down."
Un'gra climbs down the rope into the first floor. "Hows she doing, Keanan? Up for some vengeance on da kobolds? We should get over there soon before it gets too late but I gotta be a bit more careful, tiny sons of b$$$es almost killed me."
"There's nothing I can do for her at the moment. I'm going to make sure she stands near the back, probably protecting one of the women. You know, girls like to stay together kind of thing."
Serila pulls down the rope on grappling hook once everyone's down, and hands them over to Keanan. "Like I said, keep the rope."
"I'm ready, lead the way men," Serila says with emphasis on the last word, a grin on her face.
Keanan and Balazar wander off to the last room where the skeletons came alive.