Tragershen unfurls a scroll that was conveniently at the top of his backpack. He reads the contents ands fans his outstretched fingers. A gout of flame bursts forth.
Using a scroll to cast burning hands, CL5. Damage , DC 11 reflex for half damage. If he can 5' step forward and catch the large spider in part of the area (along with some mediums), he will. Otherwise, he'll catch as many mediums as he can in the area of effect.
Tragershen moves in to put some heat on the bugs:
He places himself perfectly to scorch three medium spiders while snagging some of the big one, too!
They scrunch down to the earth, so the bulk of the flame goes over their bodies... but they all take some damage, too.
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The scorched medium spiders turn on the wizard. Talathel restrains himself from taking an AOO as they pass... such a lunge might drop him unconscious! But Anzath takes advantage of their anger at the wizard:
The violet violence ends the creature.
Two make it over to Tragershen:
Tragershen takes a bite to his leg and feels the poison beginning to flow into his veins. Thankfully, it's delayed.
Vael and Anzath each get a spider, too:
...neither hits.
Aurora may act!
Looking distinctly concerned, the cleric follows Tragershen's approach to the melee — pulling her quarterstaff from her back as she does. She drops her still-loaded crossbow to the ground as she comes to a stop and with both hands now free she brings her staff to bear against the nearest nasty spider.
Aurora clocks the last of the Large spiders. Finish it, and it'll be cleanup time... fail, and... well, we'll see what time it is.
The blinded spiders continue to fail to turn their tremorsense into effectiveness...
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A hot and stale wind races through the trees. Above them a dark and ominous cloud begins to form over the battle. A roar of thunder (sounding suspiciously like Bedlam's booming voice) peels loudly!
Be quick, wills ya! Dis be dead s%$$ be boring!
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Talathel tries to focus... he looks towards Aurora, muttering, "Assistance would be... appreciated!"
Talathel barely manages to twist away from the enormous monster... but the little ones remain! The pit spiders climb all the way out.
hit
hit
hit
Fangs scratch into the flesh of two of our heroes, but do no worse--they fend off the poisons.
Prescience
Feeling the power of his haste spell waning, Tragershen digs into every arcane reserve he has to renew its effect, hoping it will turn the tide for the rest of the battle.
Using bonded object to cast haste on the team. With Bedlam down, he can get everyone else except Valrah. If he can 5’ step back behind the line to avoid AOOs, he will do so. If not, he’ll cast defensively. .
The taste of licorice lingering on her tongue, Anzath fights to preserve Talathel's life.
As soon as the taste of licorice fades, it springs anew. A look of cold fury burns in her eyes as she surveys the battlefield.
Kritfisher burns with a lurid glow! With a swift snicker-snack, Anzath hacks and then decapitates the last of the large spiders.
Talathel plans swiftly frees a hand to snatch a potion from his belt, raise it to his lips and drain it...
Talathel quaffs his potion, but the split-second break in his concentration allows the spiders to pretty much negate his action.
Pretty much, but not entirely. He's at 1, not zero!
Grinning at the strong licorice taste hits her tongue again. Lifting her maul and swinging it at the nearest spider.
With a deft pair of hammer blows, Vael finishes the ones that Tragershen had scorched earlier.
Eighteen spiders remain.
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Tbe thunder claps.
If Aurora can safely get to Talathel and cast without incurring AoOs, she'll dump aid for a sweet, sweet cure moderate wounds and start patching him up. Otherwise, staff-swinging time.
If he can 5' step away from the spiders, he'd cast grease and true strike/whip trip to try and lower some ACs and set up some AoOs. Otherwise, it is prescience and clubbing.
There's no way for Aurora to reach Talathel in perfect safety.
She thinks better of the attempt, but perhaps she hollers out something about clearing some space around the elf. She gets busy on that project:
As usual, the spiders try to surround you and then rush in...
hit
hit
hit
hit
Anzath's careful planning pays off as antitoxin shields her from venom.
As Talathel slumps to the ground, unconscious, he yet forces the poison out of his system. Maybe it's too full already.
Tragershen's many-layered defenses can't hold off the spiders forever--more damage gets through, but no poison.
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Starting to move towards, close enough that Valrah can crawl under his armor.
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With three more spiders slain, Tragershen attempts to disengage in order to have space for casting spells. He steps back and Greases the last spider in range of Talathel.
It falls flat on its face.
Talathel is on much stronger footing, metaphorically speaking, even if he's still lying on the ground next to a spider.
2 Anz 1 Trag
The bad news: Tragershen's move has attracted three spiders. The good news: AOOs trigger.
Talathel does 10, 8, and 12 damage to each of them (using your last rolls).
Aurora beats one of them to death, and Anzath finishes one that was already wounded before Tal went to work. Vael's makes it through, but only just.
Talathel gets ANOTHER does of the bad stuff. But at least he has HP!
Anz:
Aur:
Tal:
Trag:
Vael:
The adventurer was creaking around in the wicker chairs, uncomfortable with so much luxury. Finally, they kicked their feet up against the side of the structure. Better. Pipesmoke. That drew the children, for some reason. They clamored: "Whad happened to Bedlams!!?
The adventurer looks sternly at the young'un. "Bedlam died. His heart was pierced by a spider fang as big as you are. He was all-the-way dead. But he died well, fighting for what he believed in, darnded if I could explain exactly what that was though; died laughing like a loon, weapon in hand. May you be all as lucky as Bedlam someday."
They started to cry.
The adventurer started to sigh.
"I've told you this one before! Remember, this isn't the part where Bedlam dies! We saved his body by smooshing all the spiders. And he got back on his feet and back to his laughing soon enough. What's important is that he was willing to risk it all for those people stuck in that tree. And what was darned convenient was those folk were merchants, rich merchants, all trapped on the island by the destruction of Southward and the war. We cut 'em down right quick, I'll tell ya, with the Delay Poison ticking down... but we got them out and lay the poison-weak of them in the wagon, and we went out to find the Wolf Queen, as soon as we'd found the source of the trouble in the first place... ah, there was an individual for you! Covered in war paint and tattoos, radiating pride, she saw us like we saw those spiders--a danger to the good folk, which for her were the wolves... yes, I remember bargaining with her... we told her about the desecrated shrine in the depth of the Spider Vale..."
"WHAT are you telling those kids!" said a nervous adult voice. "I swear they aren't sleeping since you got here! I mean, with all due respect, they have never seen any trouble in their whole lives and this is a little much for them."
The adventurer gave the Drow sign for "One eye always open" as the children were herded back to the farmhouse. When they had a chance, they all signed back one thumb up, the old Drow affirmative for yes, ok, roger that, or... "Always."
Tragershen will look at the shrine, trying to determine if it might have been the source of the massive spiders and, if so, what might be done to prevent a re-occurrence of the nest.
Knowledge (religion)
Spellcraft
Anzath stays close to Tal, keeping him supplied with Antitoxin when the time comes for him to kick the venom.
"You vill live," she demands of him.
She helps carry Bedlam's remains back to Molotov, who moans under the burden. But she makes the donkey carry him. It's good for his character.
Before.the wolf queen, she stands silent, her eyes fixed on Tal, her heart knowing full well now the cost of obtaining mithral in these lands.
Also, while Trag pokes around the defiled temple, Anzath pokes around Huge Mama, trying to extract a dose of venom and also one of the fangs what killed Bedlam.
As Talathel, Aurora, and Vael tend to those merchants who are still alive, Anzath begins hacking at the largest of the spiders. Tragershen picks his way carefully to the trunk of the tree. The enormous arbor has formed a wooden cave at its base. Clearly the tree is at the end of its life, despite having lived for longer than a thousand years. And yet, the remnants of a sylvan shrine nestle in the niche. But there's something horrible about the little temple, and it's not just the egg sacs and spiderwebs strewn among the many offerings. There's a slight air of evil in the place. Tragershen notices many bones scattered around the floor. Among the remains of deer, wolves, bears, and the other creatures of the woods are humanoid skulls. They don't appear to have been drained like a spider husk. They must be the remnant of some dark ritual.
Tragershen will take note of the configuration of the shrine, and any markings that it may bear. He may want to describe it or draw it later, and he wants to make sure he doesn't miss important details. If he thinks there is something that can be removed or defaced that would reduce or eliminate its apparent power, he will do so (asking for help if he needs it). Otherwise, he assumes that they'll have to address it later, or let someone more powerful do so.
Later, when they return to the Wolf Queen, Tragershen is also silent.
Huge Mama has the last laugh and Anzath is finally poisoned. Angrily, she goes around and exterminates any and all egg sacs.
At least Bedlam will have a nice trophy for when he's 'brought back', whatever that may mean.
Talathel returns Anzath's gaze, while standing silently, covered in drying blood and spider gore having refused to wash it off.
He then turns to face the Wolf Queen.
Once the spiders are certainly, most definitely dead, Aurora will go ahead and start pumping out those channels...
"As soon as one of you have had a moment to recover, I can preemptively dispel the delay on the poison in your system and do what I can to assist you through the process. The others will have to wait for the spell to wear off naturally before I can assist them, then."
The dark little shrine in the heart of the vale draws a bit of interest from the cleric, but if Tragershen doesn't require assistance she is content to let it be and continue her ministrations and herding of the injured.
Tragershen finds an evil-looking dagger stuck into the altar. It is clearly magic, but doesn't seem to be dangerous to handle. He places it in the bag of holding and suddenly, things don't seem so bad anymore.
As you approach the Wolf Queen (following Aroo's direction and moving quickly because of the poison countdown), you begin to see wolves in the woods around you. They fall in with the party and escort you deeper into the fastnesses of the Forest of Hope. Eventually, you reach a glen full of wolves. Several large dead deer, and a few creatures you hesitate to identify positively, are casually devoured.
The Wolf Queen, Drusilla, seems just a bit disappointed to see you. She glares down from her perch on her enormous companion's back. You see Chases Moonlight and a few other young folk who seem similarly to be apprentices or pages or something.
Talathel looks like death, and Bedlam, he's dead. The merchantfolk look none too well themselves, as they are likewise suffering from poisoning.
Drusilla says, "You're back and you... brought friends? How fares the Vale of Spiders? Speak, I'm not inclined to banter!!"
The thunderous booming seems to be following the group. At the glade it sounds like laughter.
Anzath holds up Huge Mama's fang to show Drusilla, "Iz no more," she answers.
Talathel speaks.
"One of our own perished to accomplish the deed. And the rest of us nearly followed him."
"We found what we believe to be the cause of the corruption and the infestation. I think we've earned passage."
To Anzath, a cut nod. "Good."
To Talathel, "Death happens."
To Tragershen, she says, "By all means, feel free to leave. You have safe passage from me and my wolves for as long as you keep the peace."
”Perhaps you should show her what you found?” Aurora suggests, looking to Tragershen.