Kas makes a wild gesture with his glaive but is only able to distract the spider as Saniana causes a massive halo of light to erupt around the other two spiders managing to dazzle one of the spiders.
Round 2 - Bold is up
Beorn
Rosetta
Spider 1: 11 damage | Spider 2 | 3 Dazzled for 1 minute
Kas
Saniana
Beorn continues to hack at the wounded spider. The look on his face is one of duty and distaste. It is clear that he does not enjoy the roll of butcher.
Rosetta knocks another arrow and fires at the spider in the middle, Erastal guide my arrow
Beorn cuts down his spider while Rosetta studies her target before firing another arrow, a gust of wind grabs it though and sends it careening off into the forest.
Spider two steps up to bite at Kas.
but Shelyn's beauty wraps Kas in its warm embrace, protecting him and preventing the spider from being able to attack!
The other spider steps up to bite at Beorn.
But Beorn holds his greatsword in the Spider's mouth, barely fending off the clacking pincers of its mouth.
round 2 - Bold is up
Beorn
Rosetta
Spider 2 | 3 Dazzled for 1 minute
Kas
Saniana
Dax emerges from his burrowing and moves in to flank the spider near Kas.
Saniana tries to dazzle the one near Kas with a Flare cantrip.
"Gonna make you wish you'd stayed in your cool dark lair!"
Kasimyr utters a quick prayer of thanks to the Lady for her intervention against the horrid spider that could have wickedly laid him low. Though he is eager to strike the vermin with his glaive, the recent intervention speaks to him of his duty to protect the others at all costs...not to mention that Kas knows he makes for a paltry footman soldier with his polearm.
"The Eternal Rose enshrouds us all in her loving protection!" Kas adeptly steps back to where Saniana stands, summoning forth a power within him to shield the others from harm as best as he can. Almost instantly, a pleasant smell of garden roses and a mildly warm breeze moves across the grass to aid Saniana, Rosetta and Beorn, though his aura reaches not quite far enough to reach Dax.
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It avoids being dazzled by the Saniana's flare and Dax pops up to nip at the spider but doesn't quite break through its carapace.
The spiders chitter and clack their mandibles fiercely, eager to eat their pray as they dance back and forth trying to get a bite in.
round 3 - Bold is up
Beorn
Rosetta
Spider 2 | 3 Dazzled for 1 minute
Kas
Saniana
Unwilling to move into the entangling vines Beorn calls a challenge to the vermin and stands ready to engage, moving if needed around the entangled area.
Rosetta fires another arrow into the action.
Beorn swings his mighty greatsword at the spider, but the entangling webs actually help the spider by slowing some of his blow. Green ichor still oozes from the fresh crunch in the spider's carapace and it clacks its mandibles and screeches.
Rosetta tries to fire an arrow into the fray but misses the spider.
Beorn's foe returns the favor and tries to attack him!
But its eyes swirl with light and can't find the paladin.
the other one steps forward and attacks Saniana!!
It manages to nip at her still!
Round 3 - Bold is up
Beorn
Rosetta
Spider 2 | 3: 9 damage Dazzled for 1 minute
Kas
Saniana
Even as the aura of protection fades from the field, Kas steps back to firmly find a weak spot against the giant vermin, hoping his attack may allow others to find their own marks. He grips the polearm with both hands and sends it right at the spider’s bulbous back section even as it tries to maw Saniana.
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Dax advances on the spider, keeping opposite Saniana and Glyph.
For such a small animal, it bites and claws into the spider.
Saniana coaxes her mount to attack the spider.
She can't quite convince her reindeer to stand up to the strange creature, so she instead presses her own attack with her shortspear.
After her attack, she has Glyph step back five feet.
"Steady Glyph! Come-on Dax. Let's give this vermin an eviction notice."
Kas and Dax attack the spider from both fronts, cutting and nipping at it, offering no room to escape!
All while Saniana tries to coax her reindeer into hoofin the spider but it instead would rather hoof it away from here!
Round 4 - Bold is up
Beorn
Rosetta
Spider 2 13 damage | 3: 9 damage Dazzled for 9 rounds
Kas
Saniana
Rosetta draws another arrow and fires again.
The Paladin continues his assault but is unable to connect.
Rosetta fires off a well aimed arrow but it hits a particular hard piece of chiton, barely damaging the spider.
Beorn once again heaves his massive greatsword and strikes at the spider but misses, striking the ground and sending up a plume of dust.
Beorn's spider again attacks him!
And the other whirls to nip at the little badger!
And its just barely able to nip at Dax!
Round 4 - Bold is up
Beorn
Rosetta
Spider 2 13 damage | 3: 9 damage Dazzled for 8 rounds
Kas
Saniana | Dax 3 damage
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Kas mutters concernedly as Dax tangles with the nasty spider in front of him, and takes another jab with his glaive to try and run the vermin through, though he knows his strike does not have a younger man’s muscle or warrior’s skill to really take it down.
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"Come-on, Glyph! Dax is in trouble! Attack this monstrosity!"
The reindeer finally gets the idea and the confidence and tries to gore the spider, followed by a pummeling it with her hooves.
Glyph's antlers stab into the beast and one hoof poses a threat.
Meanwhile, the injury to Dax drives it into a blood rage. He attacks the more fiercely.
For all the sound and fury, the little guy cannot get a good shot at the much bigger spider.
Saniana, not wanting her animals to take all the risk, attempts to hit the spider with her spear.
She manages to hold on and leans forward to stab at the spider.
As Dax flies into a frothing badger rage, it distracts the spider long enough for Kas and Glyph to combine their attacks! Glaive and Antler are enough to gore the spider, opening up its abdomen, its gooey green guts spill out onto the dusty ground.
Its legs curl and crackle as it stumbles around before falling over dead!
Round 5 - Bold is up
Beorn
Rosetta
Spider 3: 9 damage Dazzled for 7 rounds
Kas
Saniana | Dax 3 damage
The Paladin, undaunted by how the battle is going continues his assault.
Beorn fills with a righteous vigor and cuts down the last spider, ending this drawn out sticky situation!
Searching the dens, you guys find a number of desiccated carcasses, the drained husks of animals and man.
You guys find a ring, a greataxe, three arrows that pulse a bit when brought near the corpses of the spiders and a bag containing silver pieces and gold pieces.
Saniana gives her reindeer a hug and rides her over to check on Dax, who is still raging until he figures out the spider is dead. She calms him down and attends to his wounds before looking over the burrows, helping to bury the dead after writing down any significant identifying features in case the group encounters anyone who might have lost loved ones to the vermin.
She congratulates everyone on a good fight.
Kas wearily leans on his ichor-covered glaive and looks at the damage wrought upon the field. He gives hearty nods to San, Beorn and Rosetta, though he himself seems winded and utterly unused to the rigors of combat. "Gettin' no less dangerous out here every time we go a'rangin' from Oleg's...I should probably look to some proper armor for the field I'm thinking."
After their initial searches of spider lairs are concluded, Kasimyr offers fresh water to each of his compatriots and then sits on the ground with the recovered items before him, trying to do his best to determine what secrets they may hold.
"Well now Rosetta...can I call you Rose? Anyways, I expect you know the quality of those arrows better than I, but I can take a look at 'em just the same if you'd prefer. I'm no merchant master, nor did I quite learn as well in the subjects of dweomercrafting at the temple, but as a bit of a peddler I think I can illuminate some of this for us. Let's see...well now this greataxe is well-made indeed! Maybe not dwarven-make but it's a beauty by any weaponmaker's standards I'll wager...good steel and a keen edge that won't dull easy."
Kas peers at the ring for a long time, admiring its quality and channeling Shelyn's powers to try to discern its secrets. "I've seen this warding magic before - it bestows an aura that helps to deflect blows and other ills in combat from its wielder...quite handy given what we keep stumbling across out here eh? I can pray for a similar aura to bestow, but would last but briefly whereas this never fades."
Kas then picks up the cloak and examines it, though seems to fumble with it a bit and keeps moving it around to try and discern an aura. "It seems like I should be able to sort this out, but I'm not clear on this magic...and occasionally magic goes 'wrong' and curses the wielder, so I best not guess at it."
"Yes of course, Rose was a nickname I use to go by." she says smiling "hmm...well now I don't know much about magical quality stuff but they do look well made I can tell you that much, but I am sorry I can't give you anything more on them."
To recap, you guys were taking care of the spiders but were then going to make for the lost temple of Erastil, a cleric of Erastil came through the trading post not long ago looking for it. They don't know about the dangerous guarding it though.
After the battle Beorn goes to one knee and gives thanks to Erastil. I give you thinks father Erastil for this victory that helps tame this land for family, and farming and trade. With this simple dedication he stands and as he does so a beam of light breaks through the forest's canopy to illuminate his face for a brief moment. He looks changed. Perhaps a little more hardy and confident of his role here. He goes over and pets Dax, ruffling his fir a little and as he does so a holy light fills his hand. Some of the punctures from the spider bites close. You fought bravely little one. Be healed.
He picks up the axe, testing its heft and gives it a few swings. A fine weapon indeed. I prefer the sword, but this weapon seems a master's work. Does anyone mind if I carry it for now?
Looking to the others he goes he asks Is anyone wounded from this fight? I feel a need to catch this wandering cleric of my deity and both warn of the guardian of the temple he seeks.
I agree Beorn, heading out to find the cleric and our lords temple is of great importance. I do not need any healing, but I can not speak for the others. she turns her hand out towards the rest of the party.
Saniana watches with interest as everyone sets about examining the items found. She has yet to take enough interest in the craft aspect of spell casting to know what to make of magic auras and what type of enchantment they might involve, although just to learn a little, she casts detect magic and asks some questions about how Father Kas, as she has taken to calling him, with affection, if he'll tolerate it, figured out the ring.
"You should keep the ring," she suggests to Kas. "At least until you can get your armor improved. I hate wearing these hides and carrying this shield, but when we have to fight, it makes a difference, especially when you are as small as me."
As Kas approaches Dax, Saniana gives out a few soft barks and the animal sniffs the air and submits to allow Kas to touch him. When his wounds heal, he barks out a few soft yips and Saniana says, "He thanks you."
While people are recovering and gathering equipment and such, Saniana begins to play around with bits of spider webs from around the lair entrances and begins mixing the sticky stuff with leaves, wildflowers, and sticks, forming a simple sculpture. She fashions a likeness of Cernunnos, the empyreal lord of forests and nature.
The result is not as imposing and impressive as she would have hoped, but she leaves it as a sign to those who might travel by that someone is watching over the area.
"We should investigate that cleric and the temple he is searching for. Perhaps we can rest at Oleg's and get an early start."
As Kas approaches Dax, Saniana gives out a few soft barks and the animal sniffs the air and submits to allow Kas to touch him. When his wounds heal, he barks out a few soft yips and Saniana says, "He thanks you."
"Hmm...um...nicely crafted arrows! Definitely magical, but Rose I'll have to scratch my head on them for now and see if somethin' comes to mind in the morn."
He hands the arrows back over to Rosetta and then muses a bit about the rest of them and their desire to see to the Erastilian and the lost shrine, doffing his hat to wipe the sweat from his brow and mend its feather and the band around it briefly. "Let me see now...well my adventuresome friends, if its trackin' a devoted of Erastil and this notion of a lost temple in the woods or some such that's your calling, then that's just what it needs to be then! While you now know that I've given my heart and calling to The Eternal Rose, I've always been raised with Ol' Deadeye's ways and followed the tenets for much of my life...back when I was family and village man so-to-speak."
There's a brief glint of haunted sadness in Kasimyr's eyes as he says that, but it passes quickly like a fleeting cloud drifting across the sunshine, and his ready smile returns as he dons his cap once again. "So let's go see this 'lost' temple and make it found again, eh? I'll do as you suggest San and keepsake this ring for the neartime, at least until the four of us decide to sort out what's fair-and-fair on the tally books - Beorn I can't argue with the prospect of a reverer of Ol' Deadeye finding use for a fine axe such as that, though that's no complaint on how you've been a' swinging yer sword!"
Sheathing his great sword and hefting the axe Beorn states Then its agreed. Let us be away from this place and move quickly to catch this man of Erastil before he finds what he seeks, and finds it more than he can handle.
"Off to Oleg's then...and then into the woods after that!" Kas starts humming a jaunty traveling song as he mounts Gerdie and follows along at Beorn's pace.
Do we really need to stop by the trading post? We are well equipped and that will only slow us.
"We could head for the forest (always one of my favorite places). We have the mounts to give us faster movement than the fellow on foot. I'm exhausted of spells, so I will need a rest to refresh my spell casting options. Somehow I feel I might be able to prepare more spells. Must be all the practice I've been getting. But we can camp out if we get there ahead of the other guy and I can study my spells in the morning."
Lets plan for that then. I still have some healing if we need it and I really want to catch this wandering priest before he wanders into something he cannot handle alone. Beorn looks worried about this lost soul.
"All that glitters is not gold. And all who wear a holy symbol are not righteous. I want to be sure this is not some charlatan hoping to loot a holy site before anyone else catches on. If he is a real clearic of Erastil, we should see if he will settle in the land. They have always been a stabilizing influence wherever I've encountered them."
"Hmmm...I get the feeling that if this wanderer isn't who he claims to be, Beorn will get the true sniff of it right quick!" Kas looks to Beorn then and shrugs. "If you want to ride more southerly for the Gnarlmarches and bypass Oleg's then we can do that...I'm just feelin' a bit exposed out here trying to play soldier with my glaive here. These bugger nasties don't rightly respond to some of the Lady's powers as the bandits would do."
I agree heading out and then resting might be the best option. Should we gear up and head out?
Heading out, mounting up on your horses, you guys make like the wind for the woods and the hidden temple of Erastil.
As a group you race across the plains, blowing by the trading post and heading for the woods. The sun starts to dip below below the horizon as you near the edge of the woods and as you're fully at the forests edge, the sky is deep shade of purple.
Near the entrance to the woods, there is a traveler camped out tending to a small fire. Riding up onto them, it appears to be a younger Elven lady.
The group comes up on a campsite tended to by a young elven woman. A small fire is going, but the woman is ignoring it, instead sitting in a folding chair in front of an artist's easel, paint brush in her hand, gazing up at the horizon.
She doesn't turn at your approach.
"A good evening to you. If you are bandits, I'm afraid I have little of value to anybody but myself, and advise you to simply move along. Otherwise, you are quite welcome to my fire."
The large fighter type reigned in his horse well out of threatening distance and greeted the lone caper. Bandits we are not. And we will accepted your kind offer to share your fire. I am Beorn Haraldson, once a farmer and handler of animals, now called, I fear, to other pursuits. It is brave of you to camp alone and so openly for there are indeed bandits about. He dismounts and walks his hours in towards the fire. You might guess that he is thinking of some other term than brave for the woman's open fire by the side of the road.
"I would have hired a guide or bodyguard, but none were willing to come here. And I spoke the truth: I have little of any real value. I should suppose myself flattered should bandits view my paintings as worthy of robbery. Isn't the sky extraordinary?"
She finishes a few dabs and brush strokes, then passes her hand over the canvas. The paint she just applied quickly dries. She wipes her hands together, instantly cleaning them, then looks up to greet the warrior, though she makes no move to stand. Somehow, she gives the appearance of one granting the newcomers an audience.
"I am Harrolayne Mirestone."
Well then Harrolayne Mirestone, we will share your fire and together we will be safer than apart I think. I am no great cook, but have beans and dried meat with fresh herbs and hard tack for a stew. Let me see to the horses and I will see if I might cook up something edible.
"L---Just Harrolayne is fine, Master Haraldson, and some stew sounds lovely. And who are your friends?"
Dismounting from her horse and adjusting the bow and quiver slung across her back the young archer strides up to the fire and introduces herself. "Hello, I am Rosetta Westfall, and I too was once a farmers daughter but the call of grand adventure here in the stolen lands was too sweet to resist. I am pleased to meet you and share your fire." she extends her hand in greeting and moves close to the fire to feel its warmth.