Anthuria ducks as a sharp spikes goes whizzing by her head. She clings to her horse and buries her face in its mane, trying to calm the frantic creature down.
At the heavy sound of its fall, she searches for signs of continued aggression.
Jetta momentarily grabs the reins and pulls back, as the monster's claws dig in between the plates of her armour. She then quickly swivels back into the fray, using both hands to deliver devastating blows at the fallen creature. She tries to spur Ruel into fighting back as well, but all she can do is keep the wounded horse from panicking.
At the barrage of attacks from halberd, guisarme, and battleaxe, the creature soon collapses to the ground, unmoving and hemorrhaging from myriad cuts.
On edge for a few more moments, you quickly realize that the creature seems to have been hunting alone; at least, no other creatures emerge from the brush. Searching the fallen beast, you discover it carries little, although around its front paw you discover a delicately engraved silver circlet worn as a bracelet.
Once the horses are calmed, you re-mount and continue toward the forward edge of the road. You ride, and ride, and ride; the sun has already passed its peak and begun its downward descent by the time you reach the point where the road bed gives way to bare, unpacked dirt, scattered tree stumps, and fallen logs.
A circlet of persuasion? How strange for it to be found on such a creature. I wonder if it was someone's pet? I don't recognize the engravings, though. Perhaps they spell it's name?
Balthus lets Slasher smell about and also takes a close look himself. Confident on his tracking, he points in the direction of the where something was dragged through. "There. That way. Let's make haste; it seems the spider at least did not kill the poor person or at least did not eat him."
He picked up his shortbow and put it away, "You all ready?"
Swinging off his saddle to check Pretty Girl over. Thank you Lord Arizian. And yes I am ready to go. I would recommend we not try the horse to a tree though. They would be easy prey for these spiders then.
I would rather not risk a life on the hope that the spiders will come out and attack us. Especially with part of us sleeping. Running a hand through his hair and looking around.
Also this area is going to smell like that creature. Which was willing to hunt in the spiders territory. So it was not prey to the spiders. They have food already why would they chance it if that thing came out here. Glancing back at the dead unidentified critter. There could be more of them.
Balthus lets Slasher smell about and also takes a close look himself. Confident on his tracking, he points in the direction of the where something was dragged through. "There. That way. Let's make haste; it seems the spider at least did not kill the poor person or at least did not eat him."
Jetta nods. "If there's a chance they are still alive, we should move on. We don't have enough manpower at the fort to keep losing people."
"I agree with Jetta," says Anthuria. "If there's any hope of saving even one of them, we have to move now!"
With thoughts of the injured and captured Thallin on the forefront of everyone's mind, the party presses on deeper into the forest as the midafternoon begins to consider making its way toward evening. The trail is not difficult for Balthus to follow - broken branches and stripped-away leaves are strewn everywhere, a wisp of torn spider silk can be found every so often, and every several feet another small blood spot marks the half-elf's passage.
But while easy to follow, the trail is long - it's another two hours of riding through the dense forest before the string of disturbances leads you to a strange sight. Several of the trees in this area of the woods are blanketed with dense sheets of web, their strands as thick as Anthuria's forearm. Where it meets the trees, the strands combine with the trees' branches and leaves to create thick, impassable barriers; between trees, the silk interweaves with itself to create dauntingly heavy and sticky walls, enclosing an entire ring of forest off completely.
The trail the ambushing spiders left behind leads up and over the edge of the web enclosure - it seems they're little impeded by the webbing and can climb on it with ease, though it's clear you won't have that luxury. Getting through the web-ensconced trees seems nigh-impossible no matter what effort is brought to bear, but the sections composed of web alone seem slightly more vulnerable, though still thick and clingy.
"We can burn through the webs. If no one has a better method, then I can light up some torches. It won't be quick but it will get us through."
With that the ranger digs through his saddle bags and fishes out three torches. He hands them to whoever is close and sets about lighting some tinder.
"Let's watch out for the critters as we work our way in."
He then asks Anthuria, "Girl, what do you know of these vermin? Are these spiders that hole up somewhere or do they 'live' some place else?"
___________
Jetta dismounts and ties Ruel to a nearby tree. The Hellknight also goes through her saddle bags, procuring the three flasks of alchemist's fire that she bought earlier. She hands them to Balthus, and then arms herself for combat. As the others decide on what to do with the webs, she keeps her eyes on both the treeline and the canopy above, not knowing which way the spiders would be lurking.
Sliding down and mumbling in Pretty Girls ear, Guard the other horses, ok. Opting not to tether his horse Amund digs though his bags. I have some whiskey and that sword. Alchol catches fire rather easily.
Do we have a way to put out the fire if it grows to big? And since there is at least one person in there which sections are we setting on fire and which are we hacking though?
"Giant, human eating spiders..." Anthuria says, tapping her chin with her finger. "They don't sound friendly at all, do they? I also have some torches if that helps."
She also grabs her crossbow. Just in case...
______
"I can't control a conflagration with any powers of my own," said Percival. "But I don't believe it will spiral out of control, since the weather is cold and the region is quite damp. I say grant me a torch, and we set it to the flame."
Balthus handed Perry a lit torch while he worked on the other ones. "He's right. The underbrush is wet and no real grass to speak of so any fire will have to be really stoked to get going in these conditions."
He humphed, "In fact, we'll have a tough time to get the webbings lit up."
_____________
"I would suspect..." Anthuria continues, "That creatures such as these would know of your presence, even now, and would be lying in wait to spring a surprise attack on us the moment we get close. Be on your toes."
Balthus nods, "That's fine, as good as any. Let's start with the ones at south then."
He then takes his torch and starts to carefully light the webs in fire.
[spoiler=GM screen]
[dice=
Balthus carefully sets fire to the southmost wall of web, making sure to avoid touching the sticky fibers. With the aid of Amund's alcohol, the torch fire quickly catches, and soon the web's tendrils are ablaze. Everyone watches as it burns, on edge for any sign of movement...but nothing in sight moves so much as an inch.
With the first web destroyed (and Amund's whiskey unfortunately finished off), Balthus moves to the web wall behind it with Jetta's flask of alchemist's fire, dousing the strands with the scintillating oil. The liquid begins to eat away at the wall, bursting into flame...and once again, except for the normal rustling of an evening forest, you see no movement as the wall begins to fall away.
At Perry's suggestion, everyone then moves to the north to open up another way out of the grove. Amund stares at the wall, muttering that he should have bought the necklace of fire beads the magic shop had been selling back at Korvosa...but as the image of a ball of fire crosses his mind, the flames sheathing his sword suddenly begin to roil and build up, and as he flicks the blade's tip toward the webbing, the flames suddenly shoot forth, darting for the wall and blasting a gaping hole into the barrier. Amund's mouth transforms into an equally gaping hole as he stares in shock.
Try as he might, Amund cannot call forth another burst of flame like the first; however, as he swings at the wall, the strands of silk part before his sword's keen edge can even reach them, burst by the heat of the flame sheathing the blade. The sword makes breaking the wall only moments' work, and soon it lies parted before you. And still, no sign of movement shows itself, though the trail had led undeniably to this place...
"Either they're afraid of fire or they're smarter than we thought," says Jetta. "Either way, I don't think they'll be coming to us when we are in a group. I'll go in first and try to pull them out of hiding. Stay back..."
Quietly stepping out from behind Balthus and moving so that he is not blocking the path Amund waits for the spiders.
|
"Hang on there, Jetta," said Perry. He looked to the web-laced spectacle before him. "If they're smart enough to wait in ambush, they're not falling for this."
Percival then picked up a silk-covered stone, and whispered something to it, causing it to light up.
He then threw it high into a dense matrix of the webs to light up the area.
Percival's light blossoms into the webbed grove - and reveals a terrible sight. If anything, the webs have only grown thicker inside the circular glade. Its center is dominated by a gigantic tree, a pillar of web and trunk and leaf, with several bundles hanging from it - one still slightly squirming several feet above the ground. And scuttling down the side of the tree is something truly horrifying - a spider the size of a small cottage, spindly legs scuttling through the webs and pincers the size of a man's leg gnashing and dripping with poison.
Cautiously stepping along the tree line towards the massive spider I miss the city!to ensure that he is not in the way of the others and hoping the spider focuses on the one closest to it. Gripping the hilt of his sword with two hands and refusing to focus on the fact that his weapon is on fire. Swing at the overgrown bug.
Yelling and hefting his axe at the same time, "There's more of them up there!"
The ranger then joins the 'boy' in attacking the big spider within reach.
Axe is up and down in a gushy sound. (maybe?)
______________
Anthuria gasps in wonderment at the flames from Amund's sword flare, her features alight in a soft orange glow.
Her gaze of wonder turns to dread, however, as the menacing arachnid makes itself known.
"Amund, above you, look out!" she cries. Forgetting her crossbow, she reflexively extends her hand, willing the creature harm. A vibrant, emerald green ray issues forth, flying directly toward the brood mother.
Jetta lunges foward, fearlessly stabbing up at the arachnid horror.
Of course there are more of them. Well I am not... Did he say pig? Growling Amund yells out, How many more?
The brood mother scuttles down the tree with an angry hiss, mandibles clacking fearsomely - but undaunted (or perhaps driven by their disgust), Jetta and Amund move in unison, halberd and flaming sword flashing in the shadows of the glade as Anthuria's scintillating green burst darts between them, flashing against the creature's leg with a slight sizzle. Some great good fortune teams with the two soldiers' prodigious skill, and their attacks strike straight to the creature's core, tearing its thorax apart in ichorous chunks and dropping it to the ground as Balthus' swing, aimed at the eyes, instead slashes through empty air.
At the death of the mother, a clatter of rage fills the air. The rest of the clutch rushes in together, one spider even climbing over the mother's body to get at the intruders. But it seems fortune is very much favoring the party - all the clacking jaws close on empty air, and so far, no one has received so much as a scratch from the gigantic vermin.
Anthuria squeals in delight (and disgust) as the cascade of ichorous chunks rains down upon her friends. Seeing smaller spiders advancing, she takes aim at the one closest to Amund, releasing another volley of magical bolts.
Pulling her halberd free from the carcass with a sickening squelch, the Hellknight moves on to the next target. She stabs between Amund's swings, giving the smaller spiders little time to recover or strike back.
Nodding in admiration to Jetta and Amund, he's come a long way, that boy, Balthus redoubles his efforts on the other smaller spiders.
___________
Amund: miss, miss
Anthuria: hit for 13 - blue
Jetta: hit for 16, hit for 12 - blue
Balthus: miss, hit for 13 - grey
Perry: miss
Boar: miss
Yellow, green, red: full
Blue: dead
Grey: 24/37
Still covered in the remains of the brood mother, Amund's next swings are not so fortunate - both fly wide as he realizes the magnitude of the swarm descending upon the party. Perry's crossbow bolt goes wide, and so do the tusks of the Lord of Pigs. Balthus has better luck, with one of his swings thudding into the foe facing him, and both of Jetta's slashes with her halberd strike true upon the spider facing Amund. Anthuria's energy bursts, faithful as ever, rush into the spider facing Amund as well, and the vermin falls beneath the onslaught.
Lashing out again with dripping mandibles, the spiders find that their fortunes have not improved significantly; one manages to dig into giant Quan'gore's flesh , but the rest are frustrated again by the agility of their prey.
Eyes widening at the spider he failed to hit drops. Shifting his stance and swinging at the other close spider.