Garridan grunts loudly, holding back a scream as the sharp, curved blade slices through his scale mail like so much cloth before sinking deep between two of his ribs. Biting his lip until it bleeds to hold back a scream, he draws his new sword and swings wildly at the skeleton, trying to gain some breathing room as he raises his shield.
The musician's explanation was welcome, Ilir feeling less uneasy about Skitterfoot now - almost a little sorry for him. Pity didn't get too far in his mindset though; the eerie atmosphere of the swamp cast a pall over things. The carcasses of the ships didn't help matters at all - especially the cremated one. Then, before he knew it, his intuition something was wrong was confirmed with a slash in his belly.
"Aarrrgh!" cried Ilir, not as acclimated to pain as Garridan. Seemingly rising from the mud itself, the skeletons had caught him off-guard completely. Stepping back to Hiro's flank - and far enough to allow his glaive's blade to meet the animated bones.
Giving as good as he got, Ilir put momentum into an arcing swing from his left, rotating his torso as the blade met bone.
Amelius turns to regard the approaching undead with cowlike indifference, as if he doesn't understand the creature's intent as the blade raises and lashes out at Amelius' forehead—thankfully just short of the skeleton's intended effect. As thin trickles of black blood dance before the sorcerer's vision, he stumbles back in shock, aghast at the first injury he has ever suffered in his existence. The darkness in the fringe of his psyche seeks to gain footing once more, however, and as his consciousness becomes muddled and despondent, the other takes over, forcing incantations from his lips and a flourish of movement that causes a familiar field of energy to briefly appear and fade directly in front of the young man. The terror vanishes, replaced not by Amelius' usual enthusiastic visage, but a wicked grin and furrowed brow. The frayed ends of his hair begin dancing of their own volition.
As the spell's effects take hold, Amelius slides quickly behind Garridan, hissing out instructions to their new companion as he does so, "Annihilate this pest, Hiro-san!"
Round One:
Momentarily taken aback by the sudden appearance of the skeletal warriors, Hiro swiftly recovers from his surprise and draws his hanbo. Seeing all of his new companions threatened, he quickly decides to move to the defense of the party's arcanist. With a silent grimace he steps forward and swings his weapon at the undead creature.
Even though the skeletons had the first strike, the group quickly recovers and shows fine form in dispatching the undead creatures. The skeletons' weapons are rusty, but were so sharp to begin with they still are capable of lethal damage.
Ilir steps back so he can swing his diety's favored weapon. The blade smashes through the brittle bones and the skeleton collapses in a clatter.
Hiro moves and draws a strange looking weapon that almost looks like a walking stick, but he uses it to lethal effect, dispatching another unhelmeted skeleton by stoving it's skull in. Did Amelius just give him a command? Odd, but no time to dwell on it.
Garridan proves that even with a bladed weapon like a sword, it can still be used to sever bone if you swing it hard enough. His wild swing manages to catch in just the right spot to decapitate another of the animated undead.
Eliaera meanwhile manages to thrust her magical weapon in a strike that would normally hit something vital - if that something were alive. As it is, her rapier blade chips off some bone, but the skeleton threatening her remains engaged.
Amelius swiftly steps back, and with some arcane words and gestures, an invisible wall of force appears in front of him.
The remaining skeleton has no sense of morale, so as its companions fall, it continues to attack with no sense of mercy.
Round Two:
Seeing that Eliaera is still threatened by one of the skeletal warriors, Hiro dashes around the battle - giving the undead creature a wide berth to avoid its rusty blade. Stepping into position to flank the skeleton with the bard, Hiro swings his stick-like weapon at the back of the creature's skull.
Reeling from the pain yet, Ilir managed to focus through it enough to keep a notch on his surroundings. Most of the skeletons were gone, but it seemed one still stalked them. Eliaera, to be particular. His jealousy much reduced for her as they were getting off on the right foot, he hooked around and gave his polearm a thrust at the creature's skull.
The burning in his side was too much a distraction though, the moment of clarity from before behind him, so his jab was too far to the left, missing the skeleton entirely.
Seeing his friend in danger, Garridan advances cautiously next to Eliaera and takes a more controlled swing.
Eliaera hisses in pain as the skeleton continues its advance, although she's lucky yet again to deflect the worst of the attack with a clumsy parry, garnering only a small cut on her left hand in response. Thankfully, the others crowd around her assailant and send it back to its grave before anyone else has to sustain an injury.
"Yeesh. That wasn't pleasant," she says with a grimace, sheathing her rapier so she can cover the small gash on her left hand with her right. "Maybe the goblins really did awaken the dead crewmates from the Kaijutsu Star. But why would they be coming out of the caverns...?"
With a shake of her head, Eliaera dismisses her curiosity for the moment. There were more pressing matters to deal with. "Is everyone okay?" she asks worriedly, having heard Ilir's pained cry earlier.
"Oh, fine," Garridan says. "Besides the impaling. The painful, painful impaling. I don't need vital organs overmuch, do I?"
Blood soaking his left side, but not blurring his vision or making him dizzy, Ilir thought he would pull through. "I don't know the answer to that mystery, my lady, but we won't be there to see it at this rate." He didn't mean to overstate their injuries, but Ilir hadn't sustained a cut of that nature before. Despite Garridan's wry sense of humor, perhaps he didn't mind if a piece went missing of his liver while most others needed it.
Ilir makes a valiant effort to eliminate the remaining skeleton, but his swing goes wide.
Hiro meanwhile, stealthily moves to flank the skeleton, and dispatches it efficiently with his hanbo.
As you investigate the hull of the partially submerged ship, you don't seem to find anything of note - either it was picked clean long ago, or there are other 'crew' that have made off with anything valuable. The skeletons don't seem to be carrying anything of value - their armor and weapons might be salvageable, but are in poor condition. You find a single gold piece tucked in between one of the skeleton's armor pieces - the coin is Varisian, albeit of an older vintage.
It seems that you'll find more answers by investigating the caverns - it's the most likely place the skeletons went after raiding the Licktoad village. It takes less than an hour to arrive at a small inlet on the southern edge of the cliff rim - the water is too shallow and narrow to maneuver the boat, so you dock and continue on foot.
A fifty foot high cliff wall rises along the southern end of the marsh here, its face a thick tangle of jutting rocks, bright green vines, and clinging nettles. A curtain of these thick nettle vines partially conceals a cave entrance at the base of the cliff. From what you can observe, the nettles block the entrance, and you cannot pass through the small space without brushing against them.
Before they continue on, Eliaera digs out the wand they purchased at the church and uses it to heal up the painful wounds Ilir and Garridan had sustained at the hands of the skeleton. "I believe the activation word was 'relah' - I hope I pronounced the Celestial right..." After healing the two up completely, as if they'd never sustained a wound at all, she quickly demonstrates to the paladin how to use the magical wand and insists he should keep it with him.
---
"Huh. Why would a Tian sailor have an old Varisian coin?" Eliaera wonders aloud, holding the piece up to the light and frowning. "Doesn't make much sense to me..."
With nothing of note around the shipwrecks, the group continues on to the caverns. Eliaera makes sure to keep her rapier in hand, not wanting to repeat the experience of being surprised by a skeletal uprising as they were back at the Kaijitsu Blossom.
"Ugh, stinging nettles," Eliaera grumbles upon sighting the overgrown cave entrance. "I think we might need to do some pruning..." She looks at Ilir's glaive, and then the paladin himself, with a sly smile. "How good are you at gardening, Ilir?"
"Thanks, Eli," Garridan says, relieved as the healing magic seals the deep stab wound. "Money well spent."
When they arrive at the cave, Garridan eyes the vines with distaste. "Yes, I think it'd be best if you dealt with that, Ilir. Those vines are hideous... probably evil too. Definitely a job for a paladin of Shelyn."
"My thanks, lady," said the paladin to Eliaera. His side felt much better - and he felt like a fool for being unable to conceal his pain like Garridan. "Knowing how to mend wounds with this is also a gift. I am twice in your debt now." He bowed slightly, taking the wand. Relah.
The foliage was colorful and enchanting in its own way. Unlike his clothes, composure, or cleanliness - which he had to work at each day to keep attractive - the wilds of the marsh had their own sort of beauty. He knew not of how significant the difference in the coins was that was at hand, but they didn't interest him overmuch in comparison. The request to prune the nettles brought Ilir out of his reverie of respect for the plants though.
The situation posed a dilemma; Ilir spoke out loud, repeating one of his tenets he swore to Shelyn on the day of initiation into her service as defender. "I will never destroy a work of art, nor allow one to come to harm unless greater art arises from its loss." Ilir paused. The secrets within could lead to inspiration for the townspeople, and we may well prevent harm from coming to them. "I will only sacrifice art if doing so allows me to save a life, for untold beauty can arise from an awakened soul." Yes, the nettles would have to go.
Three gashes with his glaive cut them a path - though not very wide. "Watch your step." They are innocent in this matter, but we had no choice. Ilir entered the cave, taking a few step in to allow for the others, looking around at the hidden chamber.
Ilir clears the nettles obscuring the entrance to the cavern. As he moves forward, the rest of the party follows cautiously. The natural rock walls are damp to the touch, and the floor is slippery - not enough to lose your footing, but enough where any acrobatic maneuvers could be difficult.
The atmosphere just a few feet in is close and cloying. The ceilings are varied in height, but are no more than seven feet at the most. As you listen, echoing drips resonate against the rock, amplifying the sound. It's dark in here as well. The further you get from the natural light filtering in from the entrance, the harder it is to see, at least for those of you without elven blood.
A smaller passage branches off to the west to your right, and you see a depression in the floor to your left where rainwater has formed a reservoir of water. It stretches out further to the south on the left side of the path. As you move further in, you can see that the water eventually seems to take up most of the tunnel, and might get deeper.
Before entering the dark cave, Eliaera quickly conjures four tiny glowing motes of light in the air, each shifting through all the colours of the rainbow at a gradual speed. With a vague flick of her hand the lights arrange themselves around the group, one on each side of them to provide the largest area of illumination. "It wouldn't hurt to light a torch or lantern as well though," she warns. "My spell only lasts for a short duration, and if we're caught out it's better to have a backup."
Coming to the junction of the two passages, Eliaera curiously looks into the left area. She sends her four colourful globes of light inside first, using them to scout around from a distance.
Garridan takes a moment to prepare his lantern, before lighting it. Holding it in one hand, he walks along cautiously, ready to set it down quickly and draw his sword.
"Let's stay away from the water for now -- maybe take the right path?
"I don't fancy going swimming," Eliaera says with a laugh, "so the drier path is fine with me."
"I don't fancy going swimming," Eliaera says with a laugh, "so the drier path is fine with me."
"A little water never hurt anyone," chimed-in Ilir playfully. "But it might be better not to be soggy in case any surprised are lurking about." Casting his implicit vote for the dry path, he followed Eliaera's lights as they walked.
Seeming a bit detached ever since the skirmish with the undead, Amelius only half chuckles at the proposed plan of action within the caves. "Sure, right sounds good." He seems hesitant, if not afraid, to even look at Hiro at the moment.
As you carefully make your way down the narrow natural passage, the aid of Eliaera's spell is invaluable. Still, the way the light reflects off the jagged walls is a bit unnerving and spooky. Eventually the cavern opens up into a small cavern.
You immediately notice the walls are covered in a sticky, whitish residue. The entire northeast wall of the cavern looks like one big spiderweb.
On the floor of the cave in front of the web, is an enormous spider, feeding on an unfortunate goblin victim. In fact, you've seen this particular one before - in death, his corpse is even more revolting...this was Scribbleface of the Licktoads, probably trying to beat you to his 'treasure'.
As the spider looks up from its meal, its many eyes glisten as he sees intruders in his lair. It recoils for a split second, and becomes aggressive and attacks.
Garridan is slowed by having a lantern in his sword hand. Setting it down carefully so as not to damage it or put it out, he then draws his sword and advances on the spider.
Following the battle with the skeletons at the shipwreck, Hiro silently accompanies his companions to the caverns, stoically musing upon the Tien weapons used by the undead as well as Amelius' odd behavior during the battle.
-----------------------------------------------------
Round One:
Hiro reacts quickly as the group stumbles into the lair of the aggressive spider. The Tien ninja nocks an arrow to his shortbow and sends the missile flying toward the creature.
"Foul beast!"
Ilir didn't particularly care for spiders, though they didn't bother him much as they did with some people. However, this creature was particularly repulsive as it fed, even on a goblin. Stepping over to the far wall as he drew his polearm, Ilir lashed out at the arachnid, taking the fight to it before it could react.
Hopefully, they wouldn't make dessert for it.
Feeling his weapon pierce the exoskeleton, Ilir hoped it would flee, leaving them in peace.
Hiro's arrow strikes true, but it must have missed any vital points - the spider moves with purpose towards the group, intent on defending its lair, even as the paladin strikes it with his glaive. Turning to the half-elf, the spider lashes out with poison dripping mandibles.
Ilir easily side steps the creature's clumsy attempt to bite him.
Eliaera shudders as she watches the many-limbed giant arachnid skitter across its lair and lash out with poison-dripped fangs. "Ugh... and I thought house spiders were bad enough..." She moves forward, attempting to strike at the spider's softer underbelly or sides, but misplaces her aim and instead hits its harder chitinous exoskeleton to little effect.
The enormous spider that scuttles about the room with vile intent for his companions does not make Amelius as uneasy as the rest, though he does acknowledge the immense danger it poses to those present. Thinking quickly, he begins summoning up a small torrent of arcane power to bend to his will. Hands move through practiced forms, and eight shimmering globes appear above each of the spider's eyes, flashing into view and disappearing abruptly in a similar fashion. "I'll try to confuse it! Use your pointy things before it recovers!"
Ilir did not need to be told twice; his arms drew the long weapon in tight axial loop, then thrust it once again at the creature. His hope would be the curving movement would confuse the creature, leaving it open to a thrust.
Trick seemed to work, its eyes and mind following the circular motion instead of the difference in depth, the metal rod plunging into the arachnid's face.
The spider seems unaffected by Amelius's spell, even though its attack widely misses Ilir.
Eliaera attempts to strike the spider, but in these tight quarters, it proves difficult.
Garridan, meanwhile drops his light source and moves forward with a deft sword strike on the huge arachnid. It recoils, and attempts to withdraw and flee. It disappears into a crevice in the cave wall partially concealed by the strands of its web.
A search of the area reveals a a few bones and refuse are scattered about and caught in the spider's web. A decomposing cloth pouch with 11 gp and 5 sp is found on the cave floor, as well as a dagger made from cold iron. Those with the stomach to search Scribbleface's corpse find 52 cp, and a sheaf of papers written in the common tongue, presumably by Scribbleface's own nearly illegible hand. It appears to be a history of the Licktoad tribe. The final page is interesting in that it mentions several of you, and also a detailed plan of how he was going to lure you to the caverns and set up an elaborate trap to try and kill you. A scroll is found in a small case, attached to a filthy rope around his waist. It's a scroll of comprehend languages. The scroll case also contains a lock of hair, some unidentifiable sticky substance, and what looks like a broken wooden holy symbol of the type priests and clerics might use.
Garridan cleans and sheathes his sword before retrieving his lantern and shining it into the crevice. "My, it just sort of... disappeared in there, didn't it. That isn't the least bit nightmare inducing."
Not quite ready to retire his weapon just yet, Ilir glances between the crevice and the corpse. The edges of the wooden symbol catch his eye. "Any of you have an idea what that is?" Not recognizing it as an (un)holy device, Ilir was more eyeing the craftsmanship of the trinket, and after a minute or two, he stoops to inspect it, attemting to discern whether the object could have been made from wood in this area.
"Do they get big?" Amelius absentmindedly pokes one of the taut strands of webbing, which becomes firmly attaches to the end of his spear. He begins shaking and whirling the weapon in frustration, ultimately to no avail. Amelius settles on removing the sticky webs with the mostly decayed cloth pouch he sees nearby, coins spilling out and onto the cavern floor as he does so. "Oh, hey! There's money in here." He shakes the remainder loose into his hands, collects the coins that fell, and hands them to Garridan for safekeeping. He seems to have completely forgotten about the unwanted pennant at the tip of his spear that still sways slightly with the cavern's draft.
Eliaera shivers quite profusely as the spider flees back into the cavern, happy to see the giant arachnid gone but disturbed at the thought that it might come back. "Nightmare fuel indeed. Gods I hope they don't get any bigger than that."
With the others busy investigating the crevice, Eliaera takes it upon herself to undertake the rather gristly task of checking out Scribbleface's corpse. She uses the hilt of her rapier to roll him over, discovering the stack of papers and small sack of coinage still clutched in the goblin's dead hands. The bard hurriedly grabs both, retreating to the far corner of the cave away from the corpse with a shudder before she has a look at them both.
"Huh. This guy was a real author. I didn't know goblins could write?" Eliaera mutters, casually flicking through the pages. She's especially curious to find out if her guess about the goblins finding the fireworks in the Tian shipwrecks was correct.
Upon getting to the end, with the details of their planned deaths, she frowns, feeling incredibly cold all of a sudden. "He... he wanted to trap us and kill us here," she says with a stutter. "It looks like the spider got to him first, but we don't know what he had planned to do to us... we'd better be careful."
When Ilir asks about the holy symbol, Eliaera shoves the goblin history into her backpack, tosses Garridan the copper coins, and moves closer to check it out.
Ilir notices the symbol is made out of wood not native to the swamp, and appears to resemble driftwood, or maybe part of a ship. Inscribed on the wood in sharp knife cuts rubbed with charcoal is a grinning goblin head and a seaweed covered treasure chest in crude relief. The image is incomplete where the wood has been recently broken.
As Eliaera looks through Scribbleface's manuscript, a few strange names pop up frequently - Hadregash the Boss, Venkelvore the Neverfull, Zarongel Bark-Breaker, and Zogmagot, Lady Lastbreath. This last name seems to be repeated, cursed, and alternately praised several times. While you can't be sure, deduction seems to point you in the direction that the unholy symbol was probably Scribbleface's own attempt at carving a likeness of this Zogmagot. It's unusual for any goblin to write things down, much less describe their various gods. While this particular goblin was probably irredeemably evil, you wonder if only there were more like him...maybe things with the Licktoads might have turned out differently. Or...maybe not.
At any rate, it should make for interesting reading - perhaps even the right kind of scholar might be interested in it. You might wonder if there actually are scholars that study goblins. Maybe in Kaer Maga?
For now, the path forward seems to be another narrow passageway to the south.
"Never underestimate the stupidity and cruelty of goblins," Garridan says, shaking his head. "Anyway, let's see what else is around -- I doubt that spider was all that lives -- or unlives -- here."
Eliaera chews thoughtfully on the information gleamed from the study of the holy symbol and Scribbleface's ramblings, but in the end simply files it all away to deal with later. "Indeed. Lead the way, Garridan."
It seems the little creatures have their own gods. Not much liking the thoght of dark heresy conspiring to end them here - at least according to Eliaera - Ilir decided it was indeed best to move ahead. "Yes, the sooner, the better," he dropped the symbol back to the ground and moved along behind Garridan.
Hiro speculatively eyes the crevice through which the giant spider disappeared as the party begins to leave cavern. "Ameiko's parents once employed a chef who prepared a meal based on exotic insects. The centerpiece dish was a giant spider; the chef filled its abdomen with baby giant spiders the size of your fist that had been flash-fried while still alive. Even Lonjiku-sama's hounds wouldn't touch the things. I believe that was the last meal that chef ever served in Sandpoint," the Tien man comments drily.
Hiro shakes his head at the memory and nocks an arrow to his bow as he follows his companions toward the narrow passageway to the south.
The passageway to the south opens into a slightly wider passageway which splits off to the southeast and northeast. The southeast passage opens into a wider area where the cavern pool - more like an underground pond - that you originally saw at the entrance continues to branch to the south.
To your right, the passage curves around from the northwest back to south again, and branches off to the west.
As you explore the passageway to the west, it opens into a roughly round shaped cavern. A number of glittering crystals protrude from an island here, surrounded by a pool of dark water.
Garridan eyes the water. "If someone else is interested in getting wet, the can, but I for one am not that interested in some crystals."
Eliaera eyes the crystals curiously from the edge of the water. Unlike Garridan, she's much too fascinated by the natural beauty to simply leave it alone without looking closer.
"I'll go check it out then," she says with a light sigh, not really looking forward to getting wet either! Directing her dancing lights close to the surface of the dark waters, she tries to penetrate the gloom, looking for anything dangerous. Assuming it all looks safe, she'll take off her boots, tie back her hair with a ribbon, and swim out across to the island with the crystals.
"It's so c-c-cooold," she whines after entering the water, fully cognisant that it's her own curiosity that caused it.
Eliaera wades into the water, and quickly finds that the depth was difficult to gage. Your head is still above water at the deepest point, and you swim over to the 'island' to investigate the crystal formations.
On closer examination, you realize these are common rock crystals. It would take a lot of work to harvest them all, and they're probably not all that valuable.
As that realization hits you, the pool ripples, and a jelly-like formless creature surges out of the water and attacks Eliaera.
Approaching the water to save her, the temple guardian waded in as much as he needed to slash the ... thing affronting them.
"Why meeeee?!" Eliaera cries as the strange jelly creature ripples out of the water like an enormous bubble that just didn't pop, half irritated the the crystals were a lie, half scared because she was now incredibly alone against the... thing. "Argh, damn it all!" She whips out her rapier, sending a small stream of water splattering over the amoeba, before thrusting into its gooey exterior with a flash of arcane energy.
Garridan looks desperately across the water, his need to help her warring against his knowledge that armor isn't made to be swam in. "Eli! Can you make it back to this side!"
Flying by impulse alone, Amelius steps forward to the waters edge and attempts to heave his spear at the bubble monster that is making its way towards Eliaera.