The Ettercaps are soon ended by the efforts of the party. Silence falls quickly in the web cloaked tunnels and you can hear no signs of any life.
What are you doing now?
"We should examine the rest of the area, they might have stored captives or equipment here." Richard moves deeper into the cave watching out for traps.
With the fight finished, Xan sheathed her sword and moved over to the others. "Let's hope there aren't any more further in - we should keep our eyes out for ambushes."
In a rather surprising moment of irony, she doesn't seem to be aware that her right eye is emitting ethereal golden energy in brilliant wisps. It's glowed slightly now and then in the past, usually in a fight, but it's always been faint. The actual light shed now is only about on-par with her tattoos, but the effect as a whole is far larger.
"What? Did I get spider blood on my face? I didn't feel any."
"What? Did I get spider blood on my face? I didn't feel any."
Niadroub Kliip studies Xantria's face for a long, awkward moment before shrugging and turning away.
"Noop. Eeverytheeng is fine."
The arcanist searches the ettercaps for anything useful.
Colwyn retrieves and shoulders his bow. He reckons that his rapier will be a better choice to have ready in hand should any more spidery foes expose themselves.
"These don't seem like the kind of beasties that take prisoners," Colwyn says, eyeing the layers of webbing lining the tunnel walls. "Leftovers maybe, but not prisoners."
Colwyn follows Richard, keeping an eye out for anything his friend may miss.
Kliip standing so close worried Xan until he stepped away as though nothing had happened. "Should've guessed he'd be the one to do something weird," she muttered to herself as she brushed some of her hair away from her face with her gauntleted left hand. That was when she caught her reflection in the well-maintained steel.
"Okay, what the hells?" she remarked as she saw the flare from her eye, which disappeared as she spoke. "It's never done that before. Niadroub; how the Inheritor could you say everything's fine when my eye looked like it was on freaking fire?! Know what; nevermind, forget it. Worry about it when we get back to town. It's probably another bloody angel thing anyway so it's not like it's harmful."
With that, she turned her focus back to searching the caves.
"Yoou weeren't scremming in pain," Niadroub Kliip mumbles under his breath. "Eeverytheeng is fine."
You explore the surprisingly large caves, finding several nests of spiders which are easily dispatched, and several corpses wrapped in webbing stored as food.
You also find a large pile of the loot they have been collecting stashed in one cave, it includes 2BP in general goods. And also in a pile taken from the corpses.
Loot:
154 gp,
835 sp,
4,378 cp
MW chainmail
Warhammer +1
What are you doing now?
"There's enough material here I think we should haul it back soon but perhaps we should explore the surrounding area while we are here?"
"It's probably safe in here for the moment. We will need to arrange for it to get hauled out of here. We also need to bury the dead, and the various... incomplete remains."
The Ettercaps are soon ended by the efforts of the party. Silence falls quickly in the web cloaked tunnels and you can hear no signs of any life.
"Good fight everyone - I'm starting to think you were doing well enough without me" - Reknar nods - "Still it was a good one. No one is hurt?"
"We should examine the rest of the area, they might have stored captives or equipment here." Richard moves deeper into the cave watching out for traps.
"Agreed - let us hope we can find some survivors" - the half-orc has an unusual grim tone.
"Okay, what the hells?" she remarked as she saw the flare from her eye, which disappeared as she spoke. "It's never done that before. Niadroub; how the Inheritor could you say everything's fine when my eye looked like it was on freaking fire?! Know what; nevermind, forget it. Worry about it when we get back to town. It's probably another bloody angel thing anyway so it's not like it's harmful."
"Bloody angel thing heh...? Ok then" - Reknar chuckles - "Whatever it was, it looked good on you. As long as it doesn't harm you" - he shrugs.
You explore the surprisingly large caves, finding several nests of spiders which are easily dispatched, and several corpses wrapped in webbing stored as food.
You also find a large pile of the loot they have been collecting stashed in one cave, it includes 2BP in general goods. And also in a pile taken from the corpses.
What are you doing now?
"Damn!" - Reknar pauses looking at the corpses for a moment, then nods at Elena - "I was hoping we could be here on time to save at least some of them" - he clenches his fists in frustration.
"Let me cut them down - maybe we can find something identifiable, something their families will recognize and value..." - the half-orc grunts resolute, before starting on the dire task.
"We'll have to keep an eye on this place going forward," Colwyn grumbles idly as he counts, organizes, and packs the coins the creatures had collected from hapless travelers. "Such a place is liable to attract new, troublesome tenants if left empty and unwatched: trolls, goblins, bandits. No, I won't have any of that!"
Colwyn pauses his counting to pound a fist against his thigh. It seems he takes such a threat as a personal affront.
"Hmm, maybe we could claim it ourselves...turn it into a watchpost or garrison. There's also those kobolds, the Sootscales. They're not as bad as some other tribes. We could give them this cave as a colony to secure their cooperation - thus tricking them into keeping an eye on it for us," Colwyn chuckles. He takes another look around at the walls.
"I'd wanna make sure there's no ore or nothing in here, first. Wouldn't want to be giving away something like that."
"The Sootscelle lair is an oold men . We could geeve them thees in return for menning rights een their lair."
"We could always just buy any ore they mine out of that one for things they have a more immediate need for. I like the idea of using the caves as part of an outpost. It could be good storage area for supplies for a larger structure."
"Guys" - Reknar grumbles - "Might giving me a hand with the bodies of your 'subjects'? Before counting coins or making commercial agreements?"
"It's not the first time we've had to multitask you could say." Richard cuts through some webbing.
"Oon the wey out." Niadroub Kllip responds, but readily assists once the cave system is explored.
You are still in Hex37, close to your town.
What are you doing now?
You explore Hex38 and find it quiet and peaceful, aside from the natural wildlife it is empty.
What are you doing now?
Hex39 is again a quiet ride through untamed wilderness.
Colwyn supports this plan of exploration, aside from occasional idle grumbling about his saddle sore rear end.
Hex40
A 3-mile stretch of the Tuskwater shoreline rises up above the water below here, presenting a swath of 40-foot- high cliffs and limiting access to the water below. The cliff tops are thick with stinging nettles,
A DC 20 Survival check made while exploring the hex reveals a hidden trail that leads through the nettles and down a cliffside trail to a
secluded pool, 50 feet in diameter, at the Tuskwater’s edge.
What are you doing now?
"Look there... there's a trail. Hidden by the brush; might not have been used in a while. Let's have a look."
Elena follows the trail down to the water's edge. "Hmmm... a secluded little pool. The trail suggests it is, or was, important to someone." Elena begins looking around to see if there is any danger.
Richard checks the area with Elena being alert for threats and opportunities.
Following Elena and Richard, Xan kept her eyes peeled.
Colwyn dismounts Sandy and leaves her hitched to a tree at the top of the trail.
"It's good to be wary," he cautions his fellows, noticing them on alert. "Such a fine, secluded place is appealing to many types of folks and critters - not all of them friendly."
He draws his bow and keeps an arrow loosely nocked.
As he surveys the scene, he also thinks upon whether he's heard any locals around Thornford mention such a place.
Reknar follows suit.
Fishing in this pool has traditionally been quite good, but recently an enormous and particularly ill-tempered hookjaw turtle (a more carnivorous version of the alligator snapping turtle) has moved in to the pool. This turtle is something of a legend to fishermen and boaters of the Tuskwater—a seemingly indestructible reptile named Old Crackjaw that has supposedly attacked and killed dozens of fisherman and even caused no less than five boats to sink or flounder. Old Crackjaw has claimed this pool as his latest den, and anyone who enters the water is immediately attacked by the oversized, angry beast.
The water suddenly erupts as a large and very nasty looking Turtle lunges out of the waters and attacks, but you all had time to see him coming and are ready to attack.
What are you doing now?
Richard draws his sword at the turtle swinging it at the turtle while trying to circle around it and set up a flank position for Colwyn on the other side.
"What the hell?!" - Reknar growls as the turtle attacks them - "Are we on its hunting grounds or something? Elena?"
"Thet's a beeg turtle," Niadroub Kliip breathes, impressed.
He casts ray of enfeeblement on the beast.
The oversized, shelled beast erupts from the water, gnashing its beak-like jaws - shocking Colwyn and sending his bow flying from his hand, clattering against the cliffside.
Colwyn draws his rapier and slides around the beast, flanking it with Richard.
He bends his knees and squats down to aim a deadly thrust below Old Crackjaw's shell.
"This thing's hide better not break my sword," Xan remarked as she stepped up to the creature as it reared out of the water right beside her.
"What the hell?!" - Reknar growls as the turtle attacks them - "Are we on its hunting grounds or something? Elena?"
"Well, they can be territorial. But they also make for good soup."
Elena steps to one side, and tries to shoot the turtle past Xantria, but her arrow glances off the turtle's shell.
Richard lightly wounds the beast.
Colwyn stabs deeply where the neck emerges from the shell, drawing a hiss of pain and rage from Old Crackjaw.
Niadroub bathes the beast in a crackling ray of back energy, but sees little effect.
Xantria & Elena both miss.
The Turtle lunges hatefully at Colwyn. The cause of his pain.
Nearly ripping his leg off with it's razor jaws.
What are you doing now?
"Colwyn!"
Elena runs up behind Colwyn, reaching down with her hand. "Father Deadeye I beg you, heal your servant," she mutters.
Richards eyes go wide as he sees the vicious bite that fells Colwyn. He continued circling before striking hoping to distract it from his allies.
"Damnit!" Xan exclaimed as Colwyn was wounded, striking once more as Richard drew its attention.
"Ok, that's enough - don't care if we ARE in its hunting grounds!" - the half-orc roars as Colwyn goes down.
Relieved as Elena's spell heals his companion, he circles around and attacks.
"Sheet. Sheet. Sheet sheet sheet."
Niadroub Kliip casts a flaming sphere and sends it hurtling at the giant turtle.
Colwyn doesn't even remember seeing the lightning-quick snap of the beast's jaws. He just remembers the sudden jolt of pain and fear after Elena's magic revives him. Panicked, he scrabbles away from the armored fiend with his own blood now dripping from its maw.
Once safely away from the turtle, Colwyn shakily tries to rise and regain his footing.
Even as he slumps to the ground Colwyn is held by Elena and his wound closes a touch. He responds to his returned awareness by flipping over her to move out of range.
Richard & Xantria both deal damage to the beast, and Niadroub rolls a ball of fire onto it, it dodges with surprising agility but is still burnt and dies.
Loot.
Lying half-buried in the mud on the pool’s southern shore is an Elemental gem (water). All that remains of an overconfident druid Crackjaw killed and ate.
What are you doing now?
"We should take its Carapace with us" - Reknar nods at the others.