Niadroub sets Yellow smouldering with his spell, Colwyn misses his shot. The Spiders immediately scurry off into the darkness.
A loud racket is sounded as they vanish, a clatter of metal banging together.
What are you doing now?
Richard moves to the west following the tunnel as he checks for traps.
Niadroub Kliip sends his flaming sphere into the darkness to try and illuminate the way the spiders went. If it sets off any traps with flammable parts, he'll pretend like he meant to do that.
"That's an entrance" - Reknar chuckles, shaking his head.
The light of the Flaming sphere reveals little but web cloaked tunnels. Richard happily points out the traps that Colwyn has pointed out.
What are you doing now?
"Yeah, they know we're here now. Can the traps be bypassed? Or do we need to disarm them?"
Richard tries to disable one of the traps so they can progress.
Colwyn's nerves are too rattled by the threat of spiders and worse lurking just around the tunnel's bend. Although his hands do not visibly shake, his tools nevertheless slip from his hands.
He leaps backward, fearful that his dropped tools may trigger the very trap they were meant to disarm.
Colwyn & Richard clear the simple traps left at the entrance, little more than snares to trap the unwary and let the spiders swarm them.
The light gets dimmer as you move away from the entrance.
What are you doing now?
With his torch in his offhand Richard moves to the left keeping an eye out for traps and enemies.
Colwyn sheepishly retrieves his tools and finishes his work severing the snare trap.
He then tucks the tools back into his belt pouch and draws his bow. He creeps along behind Richard, peering around the man's shoulders for danger ahead.
Two passages ahead to choose from, still no signs of any movement.
What are you doing now?
The passage runs on over 30' feet, ahead you can just make out two spiders hovering at the edge of your lighting.
What are you doing now. The Spiders are not advancing.
"Try taking the shot on them, I think they'll keep backing off."
"They're gonna realise sooner or later that we're not gonna fall for a trap," Xan pointed out, "best you guys fire on them, I'll be ready to cut them down if they resort to charging."
Reknar remains vigilant of the other tunnels at their back, putting his darkvision to good use.
From the back of the party, Niadroub Kliip speaks a quick, unintelligible murmur and then lobs a small glob of acid that arcs toward the spider.
"They're smart for spiders. But they are still just spiders, and worth getting rid of."
Elena takes a shot at the spider straight ahead.
Elena & Niadroub both wound Yellow, it and Red promptly move to attack.
Both miss their attacks.
Colwyn, Reknar & Elena you all hear movement coming from the right passages. More spiders and footsteps as a flanking attempt is made.
What are you doing now?
Richard focuses on the threat right before him, trying to take out one of the spiders.
"They're coming from behind us!" Elena shouts, as she turns back to the rear. She stands behind Reknar and takes a shot at the figure she can see in the distance.
"Yep, here they come" - Reknar grunted - "Stand fast and close to me Elena, a step back if you can. We'll give them hell" - he roars - "Niadroub, just keep those acid things coming, see if they dare come at my weapon"
Wanting to eliminate the threat from one direction quickly, Xan lashed out at the wounded spider, wanting to finish it off so she and Richard could focus the other one down then move to assist elsewhere.
"Niadroub, just keep those acid things coming, see if they dare come at my weapon"
Niadroub Kliip stops what he's doing to guffaw at Reknar. Then, when the first spider or ettercap comes into view , he'll hock a loogie at it. Only the spit doesn't come out as a small wad of phlegm, but as long stream of viscous bodily fluid that splatters onto its target and starts to slow it down.
"Yep, here they come" - Reknar grunted - "Stand fast and close to me Elena, a step back if you can..."
"There's not a lot of room over here..."
Colwyn grimaces as Richard and Xan close ranks against the two spiders, effectively cutting off his clear shot. Just weeks ago, the toad may have risked such a shot even if it meant clipping his allies. In fact, he still trusted his ability to make such a shot.
Instead, he drops his bow and draws his rapier as he moves. Colwyn squeezes past his friends and practically cartwheels (at least in his mind) past the spiders.
Catching them from behind, he thrusts his blade into the spine of the yellowish arachnid.
Richard & Xantria finish off Yellow.
Colwyn performs an astounding feat of agility and tumbles passed the pair, ending behind Red and sinking his blade in deeply.
Elena puts an arrow into the grotesque Ettercap she sees leading a pair of spiders towards her.
Reknar starts a stirring chant, as the spiders scurry towards him he lashes out with his readied weapon.
The two spiders are both dispatched quickly by Reknar.
The Ettercap (Orange) stops out of range with a hiss of anger and spits a web at Reknar
Almost catching him in a sticky tangle.
The other Ettercap (Pink) advances with his pets.
What are you doing now?
Richard stabs at the remaining spider hoping to put it down quickly before stepping back and leaving it to his allies.
Once again, Xan struck the same target as Richard, wanting to clear the way for a flanking action, her golden right eye seeming to glow with an inner fire.
With the path forward clear, Xan moved forward around the corner, tattoos starting to glow as she moved forward. Curiously, her golden right eye also seemed to start glowing as her adrenaline surged.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Elena steps back and nocks another arrow. "Maybe this will one discourage them."
Niadroub rather crudely hoicks a wad of something that traps Orange in a tangle.
Richard finishes off Red.
Xantria double times around the bend to come up behind Orange.
Elena puts another arrow into Pink.
Reknar moves ahead to flank the Ettercap with Xan, and swings hard with his bardiche.
Colwyn follows closely behind Reknar and aims a thrust of his rapier for a gap in the ettercap's chitinous abdomen.
Reknar & Colwyn take advantage of the Ettercap's predicament and wound it badly.
Pink sends it's pets ahead to harry Reknar advancing behind them and spitting a web at him.
Again Reknar is too agile and the wad of webbing goes to waste.
Green & Blue scuttle up and bite on the Bard.
Fangs sink deep into Reknar's leg and he feels a weakness slipping through him.
Orange struggles to escape the adhesive it's trapped in.
But is held in place.
The party may now act.
Reknar grunts, swinging left and right as the spiders rush them, leaving the critters crumbled - "You are not going to win this" - he snarls at the Ettercaps - "Surrender and you may yet live!" - punctuating his words by moving forward and swinging hard again.
In position for their flanking, Xantria struck at the ettercap she's gotten behind.
Colwyn slides into an opportune position, flanking the spidery troll with Xan, and aims a rapier thrust for what he guesses to be a vital spot.
Seeing the others surround one of the Ettercaps Richard dashes forward to harass the other one and limit it's mobility.
Niadroub Kliip tosses another glob of acid, but this time at the spider.
Elena steps beside Niadroub and takes another shot.