Short rest was fine with me. If folks need a long rest, I an take a watch.
The party settles in for an hour or so to rest their sore muscles, clean their weapons and eat some of their rations. Due to the shanty being built for the small spidereye goblins, you all spend the time practically in each others' laps- but at least you know nothing can sneak up on you.
Emerging from the shack, you climb back down onto the platform ready to descend further.
As we're climbing: This may be a good time to mention that I saw horse sized spiders down here when I tossed that torch. Meet you at the bottom!
Iliberos maintains his use of the uncomfortable harness. Hoping that the others will catch him when he falls, the benefits of being last...
Athletics
Order is fine
Starting with the Unchained's hulking mass, you all descend yet further into the Chasm of Flies. With your lights and the guttering torch thrown down earlier, you estimate that the actual bottom of the Chasm lies about 100 feet beneath you. Beyond your lights, the bottom of the Chasm remains in darkness.
From your vantage on the knotted silk rope hanging beneath the trapdoor above you can see that the walls are the same iron as the walls of the checkpoint above. While the subtle metallic tang you noticed earlier still permeates the air, the rank odor of goblinoids combines with the dry, foul stench of their pet spiders to overwhelm your nostrils.
About 75 feet below the platform above, the knotted rope reaches it's end at the top of the huge pile of boulders directly below you. The rocks form a rough pyramid shaped and occupy the majority of the open space. As above, the entirety of the upper reaches of the chamber is filled with thick layers of webs. These pulse and shift occasionally, suggesting the movement of the grotesque spiders within them.
From below, you hear the odd chittering dialect of the spider-eyes' Goblin speech.
The initial descent goes smoothly, with the Unchained setting a rapid pace climbing down. Zukhan follows quickly behind, Brother Theodor struggling after him in his heavier armor.
It's after The Unchained gets 15 feet below the platform and Djal prepares to begin his climb down that a sharp whistle echoes across the chamber and javelins begin flying toward you from below!
The javelins fall well short of the descending warriors, rattling off the boulders below. Whistles and chirps echo from below as the goblins ready for the next volley.
Zukhan hurriedly keeps descending on the rope. "This would be a great time to rain down any flaming oils or alchemists fire that you might have!" The lizard man yells up to his companions.
"I could rain an arrow down but firing into the darkness may just waste the few precious arrows I have left..."
Iliberos will cast Mage Armor on himself right before heading down.
Down he goes with the others, wincing as he thinks of the coming wounds he will have to heal.
Well, I'm not waiting here by myself Lhienne mumbles.
The Unchained moves faster downwards.
With the entire party committed, you all continue your descent through a hail of javelins and darts.
The initial landing party doesn't suffer any damage, though one javelin glances off of Brother Theo's scale armor. The Unchained, Zukhan and Brother Theo land on the top of the spider-eye goblins' mound of boulders.
Djal and Lhienne begin their descent, with Iliberos bringing up the rear.
One hit on Lhienne.
Enkili's fickle misfortune frowns upon Djal and Lhienne, as the minstrel is struck with two darts in the seat of his pants (at least they have a sense of humor) and Lhienne takes a javelin in the back on the descent. Fortunately, Iliberos skates through unscathed.
The party convenes at the top of the pile of boulders, which takes up the bulk of the depths of the Chasm. At the highest point where you stand, it's fifty feet or so to the floor at the very edge of your light. The mound is made up of boulders stacked with smaller rocks and debris affixed with more spider webs and discarded lengths of rope. After you land, the missile attacks stop and you can hear the attacking goblins scrabbling off into the darkness away from the mound.
Lhienne winces in pain as in the Javelin hits it's mark.
, she hops from stone to stone barely disturbing them as she draws her sling and watches the edge of the light for the goblins to return.
Djal and Lhienne start leading the party down the slope of boulders. On the way down, they can both see narrow spaces between the boulders that could provide a means of entry or exit from the mound- if you're small enough. Fortunately, nothing stirs within the pile of rocks as you descend.
Halfway down the mound, you can see that the floor of this entire chamber is littered with scraps of garbage and broken items worn out and discarded by the tribe that lives in the heap of boulders rising above. A wet sludge surrounds the base of the mound, forming a sort of lake or moat, and the nauseating reek of rot and decay plays inside your nostrils.
There are four large, dark tunnels leading away along one side of the chamber. Nearly opposite them, a larger tunnel blocked with a crude wall of rocks and debris stands alone to one side. From what Djal can see, the debris forms a crude door of some kind.
The Unchained and Brother Theo slide easily down the mound to join Djal and Lhienne at the midpoint, followed by Zukhan and Iliberos at the rear.
Passive Perception 14
Zukhan tilts his head slightly at the sound of clicking and whistling.
"We still have enemies on the other side of that boulder pile. We should do what ever we are going to do quickly."
Djal knits his wounds, if not his pride. As the party continues to pick their way down the boulder pile, a hiss rises from their left side followed by answering hoots- a spider-eye goblin astride a giant spider comes barreling toward The Unchained, followed by five more of the multi-armed goblins!
Initiative check
Spider-eye Goblins, Raidmaster and Wolf Spider mount- 11
The Environment
You stand on a mound of boulders, about 25 feet above the floor of the Chasm. At the bottom of the mound is a reeking pool or moat full of muck. It's pitch black except for your light sources. You're on difficult terrain, so speed is halved.
A spider-eye goblin raidmaster mounted on a giant wolf spider is barreling toward The Unchained while his five spider-eye goblin minions follow behind. You can reach the raidmaster and three of the goblins with a move to engage in melee.
Iliberos summons a Chromatic Orb and throws it at the giant spider.
Ranged Attack
Spell Damage -
Iliberos chants an incantation, globs of acid forming between his fingers into a sphere before he throws it directly at the charging spider! The beast is seared with liquid heat as it bears down on the half-orc.
From behind the wall of muscle, Djal darts out, impaling the wolf spider in the thorax and planting his dagger between its eight eyes. The weight of the falling spider wrenches his arm, but he cleanly pulls the blade out as the great spider's body rolls down the mound.
The suddenly dismounted Raidmaster is carried forward by momentum, but even in a split-second you can tell he is regretting this plan.
Darting in with his spear, Brother Theo stabs at the now dismounted Raidmaster.
Attack:
Damage:
An aura of fury suddenly suffuses The Unchained and he attacks the raidmaster.
Zukhan and Lhienne both fire their ranged weapons, keeping the pressure on the Raidmaster.
The sling bullet and arrow fly past the raid master, the arrow breaking against the boulders beneath him.
The raidmaster howls something in his own primitive language and dives at The Unchained, trying to push him off the pile.
When the half-orc proves immovable, the raidmaster swipes at the half-orc with his other arms, his two comrades coming up to attack Brother Theodor and Djal while the rear guard launches darts at Iliberos, Lhienne and Zukhan.
The Unchained's shield holds back the goblin's savage attack, its claws leaving gouges in the wood.
Focused on the Raidmaster, Brother Theodor doesn't fully register the goblin on his flank and pays for it when the thing's claws find the gaps in his scale armor! Pain shoots up his arm and side from the slashing, and he finds himself grabbed by the Titanspawn poised to sink its teeth into his delicious arm! But fortunately for the priest, it only gets a mouthful of metal.
Djal, meanwhile, dances around the lunge from another spider-eye goblin only to be slashed by its other arms.
Iliberos and Lhienne duck behind the nearest boulder but Zukhan's attacker proves more capable, putting a dart into the asaathi's gut!
Behind the forsaken elf, halfling and asaathi another spider-eye goblin (this one female) darts out of one of the small openings, followed by a stream of tiny goblins. They climb far more quickly than you would expect, quickly scaling the spider-silk rope toward the platform above.
Round Two
Five spider-eye goblins remain along with a heavily wounded Raidmaster attacking The Unchained. A stream of multi-armed goblin young and their "nannies" are using the combat to escape toward the surface.
Grimacing from the wound received from the goblin, Brother Theodor turns his attention to the beast and stabs his spear in its direction.
Attack:
Damage:
Zukhan curses under his breath for allowing himself to be wounded and launches a counter attack with his scimitar and claw.
The Unchained will not be denied and he strikes for freedom.
A jab of Djal's rapier is swatted aside by the raidmaster, but the bard's dagger finds its mark in the goblin's flesh.
Brother Theodor's stab is narrowly avoided by his limber assailant before Zukhan lunges in with both weapons swinging, neatly decapitating his attacker.
The Unchained levels a powerful blow against the raidmaster, chopping into its clavicle and sending a gout of Titanspawn blood onto the half-orc and half-elf.
As the raidmaster falls, the rest of the goblins start to back off...
Lhienne continues to rain stones down at them,
Lhienne's sling shot drops another goblin face down onto the boulder pile and the rest of the spider-eyes scramble away in retreat toward the largest, walled-off tunnel.
Above you, the last of the young goblins clambers up the spider silk rope toward the platform above followed by a female spider-eye goblin clutching two tiny goblin infants in her lower arms.
The Unchained cleans the blood off his blade with a flick of his wrist.
"Do not try to kill us and we shall not kill you," The Unchained warns.
"I'm not one for killing babies, but they are titanspawn." Lhienne looks unsure of what they should be doing.
Zukhan shrugs. "Noncombatants. Let em go." The lizard man nods toward the barricaded tunnel. "See what's behind door number one?" He'll then check the barricade for anything useful. Traps, weak points, writing, etc..
The party scrambles down the boulder home, leaving the female goblins and the young to scurry away. At the bottom of the pile, the stench of the "moat" of filth almost makes you gag. But fortunately you find that it isn't very deep at all and you easily cross it, though your boots will need a good cleaning after this is over.
With your footfalls echoing through the huge metal chamber, you approach the large barricaded tunnel. The barricade itself is composed of densely packed rubble, bits of wood taken from wagons and anything else heavy enough to be an impediment but not otherwise useful. A very small opening sits at the top- likely just enough room for the small and limber spider-eyes to slip though but a real challenge for anyone bigger or wearing armor and carrying gear.
Iliberos turns to the Unchained, "Do you believe you can force it open or must we attack it with blades?"
The Unchained looks at the obstacle and settles on a strategy. He takes his sword and with both hands starts to hack at it.
The Unchained, Zukhan, Brother Theo and Lhienne put their backs into and start shifting debris away from the tunnel entrance. Djal and Iliberos keep an eye on the party's rear to make sure the spider-eyes don't get any ideas.
The initial attempt doesn't get much traction, so they wipe the sweat from their brows and dig in once more.
The stronger party members start shifting debris but the work proves harder than they expected- at least if they don't want to risk injury. After several more seconds, Iliberos hears a faint sound at the back of the large iron cave just barely audible over his companions' digging. But the sound grows closer as the excavation continues, Djal hearing it as well- footfalls fast approaching.
Finally, enough debris is shifted to reveal... a wall of porous ivory-colored stone. A narrow opening running from floor to ceiling has been carved into the face of that wall, forming a sort of path one might climb down, hand over hand, to get deeper inside. There is a sharp turn downward.
The ever-present tang of goblin reek and rusting metal continues to be the predominant odor, but you notice that the sickly sweet bouquet of filth from the lake in the cavern behind you fades by degrees beyond the rubble door.
The cavern around you has gone silent.
Zukhan turns his head back to the cavern noting the the silence. "Well that's rather ominous. Shall we proceed?"
If it seems like yes is the consensus, Zukhan pushes forward and climbs down through the strange crevasse.
If needed.
Iliberos nods to Zukhan, "Yes, let's".