"So, you are a party of Giantslayers. I care not for Giants. But your... What do you call it? Mule. So tasty. Not as delicious as a horse, but so very close." The Dragon flies a little closer.
"If you wish to pass through my lair, the price is your mule."
Looking at the mule Ulfgard smiles just for one moment atop his ram. "He was a tasty mule. Bon appetit!"
"Wait, are you brave enough to play the riddles instead?" Leira points out while setting herself in front of the mule "If you guess the name of the mule you can eat it. If you cannot you let us pass with the mule, ok? You play?"
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"Riddles you say. The name of your mule is no riddle. But if you guess my riddle, I will let you pass. But, if you guess wrong, the mule is mine." The Dragon flies off into the mist. Then you hear, "Name something that you carry. But, no matter how long you will carry it, it will never become heavy."
Leira smiles at Kaos witty answer, then ready herself in front of the mule for the dragon reaction.
Haskyll gets ready, for the dragons responce. But also smiles at kaoses responce.
"Hmmm. Clever human. You may pass through my lair. But if you Giantslayers wish to pass through again, the price is one horse," the Dragon flies over a giant sized throne and lands on a huge bed of coins piled in front of it. The hoard is made of mostly copper coins, but silver, gold and gems sparkle and gleam in the misty light.
As you pass through the chamber, you will notice heavily weathered markings on the throne and a series of standing stones.
"Good work Kaos!" Bowing to the dragon the Dwarf sincerly says his goodbys."Lord Dragon, thanks for the honorable game and may your hunts be plenty and the winds favorably."
Anga thinks nice throne and pays it no further mind. Obviously distracted by the dragon and hoard.
"You are honorable" bows Leira to the dragon.
The girl hugs the mule and quickly attempts to move it before the dragon changes minds. After some meters she looks back at Kaos "That was clever Kaos. Thanks"
Haskyll nods in respect to the dragon. As he leads the mule past.
A little bit later he passes on the info that he seen on the throne.
The party passes through the dragon's lair and into a passage way that heads down into the belly of the mountain. The party lights torches in the total darkness for the non-Dwarves. The way down is twisting and turning, through underground streams, and across ancient bridges over deep chasms. The party is cautious when passing through these treacherous zones.
By late evening the party emerges from the mountain having to pass through a roaring waterfall, that was hiding the cave entrance from this direction.
Night is rapidly approaching. A cool river flows in the direction toward Steelhand's tomb.
Taking his time Ulfgard will check for any dangers before making camp.
"The trip has been hard. Yes a bit of camping will help my poor feet" comments Leira as the group considers camping.
"Let me go with you Ulfgard, we can gather some wood while we check the surroundings" says the girl while tapping at the dwarf's back "What kind of beasts life in this wilderness?"
The region around is amazingly quiet, save the occasional chirps of birds nesting near the river.
The party has a mostly restful night's sleep.
Day Sixty-Three
Umlo consults the geode, "Thar be about 5 five miles trek along the Runtash River here, then we need to look for a trail off to the left."
Long before five miles, the party's Rangers look for signs of trails and travelers. Later, Ingrihild has no problem finding a weathered stone marker that identifies the start of an overgrown trail. This is less than 7 kilometers from the waterfall, and before the Runtash River bends more to south.
This whole valley is less than 7 miles in length (11 kilometers). It is nearly totally surrounded by large and imposing peaks. Stag's pike is on its far eastern side. The spine of the Mindspin Mountains is on its western side. To the north and south are great ridges that nearly seals off this valley.
The overgrown trail is easy enough to navigate with weathered stone markers placed every 100 feet of so. The trails climbs its way up to a plateau. From their you can see the whole of the valley. The Runtash River appears to escape the valley to the west between a very narrow gap in the southern ridge line.
The trail leads into an Aspen forest. Aspen leaves rustle gently, glittering like the pale, golden embers of a forge fire. The wood seems peaceful and quiet.
Anga is preoccupied by thinking about the throne, and how she missed it.
Haskyll is busy keeping care and an eye on the mule as they move along.
"So where did you say Umlo and Ingrahild were born?" asks Leira to Kaos then looks at the gnomes.
"It feels so free to be walking again in the wilderness..." the girl looks through the plateau without observing anything of interest.
"Halt everyone. Don't move. Thar be a very thin trip wire across the trail," the Dwarf Ranger looks at the nearly imperceptible thread, then points it out to the party.
Standing still Ulfgard looks at Ingrahild.
"Ok .... I am still!"
"Wow! You have an incredible sight Ingrahild!" says Leira then she approaches the wire and observes it calmly. The young girl sets her new glasses on position, while retrieving some other tools and starts to work on removing the wire without triggering it.
"I wonder who made this into here"
ah wonder if they are still around.
She watches leira disarm the trap.
what sort of trap is it? Harmful or an alarm?
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Leira careful examines the thin trip wire. It is made of spider silk. She realizes that it is a part of a complex series of webs that will launch dozens of vials toward the trail. Carefully, Leira discern which thread is the master link. The party backs away as Leira attempts to disable the trap.
Leira is successful. Not only does she disable the first trip wire, but all related ones too.
Carefully, the party advances through the thick woods for a little while longer. Then around a bend in the trail the Aspen woods begin to thin, forming a small clearing around a massive, 100 foot tall, granite obelisk covered with runes. Pillars flank a small, dark archway leading inside the obelisk. Above the pillars, the symbol of a clenched fist is carved into the stone. A strange structure, resembling a tent of shimmering gray webs woven between logs, surround the obelisk.
Umlo recognizes the markings as that of Nargrym Steelhand. The runes are in Dwarvish and is a traditional funerary prayer called "Torag's Epicede." Strange purplish humanoids are busy around the web structure. Large spiders can be seen within the web structure. The obelisk is too large to see all around from the party's current vantage.
Surprise Round
Doing a partial charge Ulfgard rushes the closest ugly!"BY TORAG, You are ugly
Before flicking his wrist and getting the shield up.
Leira profits the timing to try land a sneak attack into the first ettercap-like creature.
Ragnir moves cautiously forward, shield at the ready.
Anga opens with a fireball, targeted on the open doorway (see red cross), which should get three of them.
Save for half, Reflex DC 19
Fireballing tha doorway. Stay clear.
May Torag guard us all and watch over us in this endevour.
Haskyll drops the lead to the mule, as he moves up slightly and then relentlessly calls a prayer out to Torag.
Umlo advances to get a closer look.
Droja brings up a Shield of Faith.
Ingrihild takes a step and fires an arrow that sticks into one of the Purple People Eaters. Ingrihild shrugs, "Thar be Ettercaps. Spider men. They be the trap makers. Their bites be poisonous. Donna know why they be tak'n up residence at Steelhand's tuuumb."
Surprise Round
Leira sticks the second Ettercap with a sneaky arrow shot.
Umlo advances.
Anga does a Fizban on the web and several of its occupants. Flames engulf the second Ettercap. The second Black Widow Spider drops behind a mass of webbing, escaping the full brunt of the Fireball. The third Black Widow Spider takes the full brunt.
As the second Ettercap howls in pain from the Fireball, it anguish is shortened by Ulfgard's powerful blow from Agrimmosh. The Ettercap is dead, dead.
Ragnir cautiously moves forward.
Droja brings up a Shield of Faith.
Kaos brings up a Shield, while inquiring about the nature of the creatures.
Ingrihild responds to Kaos, and calls out that the purple creatures are in fact Ettercaps. Then seeing the first Ettercap fall, the female Dwarf Ranger fires into the burning web at the third Black Widow Spider. It stops shaking and dies.
Haskyll says a Prayer over the party. The party is invigorated. The enemies feel a sense of dread.
Round One
Again, Round One
The second Black Widow Spider moves out of the burning webs and launches its own web at Umlo. It misses the Dwarf Cook.
The first Ettercap moves and attacks. It misses the strangely coifed Dwarf.
A third Ettercap moves up and attacks Ulfgard. It bites into the Dwarf Ranger Barbarian.
.
More Ettercaps and Black Widows, including a big hairy one peaking around the obelisk, move toward the party.
Round One
Umlo goes all "el kabong" on the first Ettercap.
Looking at the bite Ulfgard smiles
He starts singing a battle anathem and bashes the ettercap with shield and hammer.
Worried by Ulmo taking the front-line, Leira holds her bow with one hand, then she instinctively reacts moving her free hand while remembering Anga's teachings The power is inside... let it flow...
A couple of fire rays spring from Leira's hands backing up Umlo into finishing the first ettercap, then the spider behind if the first drops.
Haskyll looks over at the party, as he moves up slightly behind Ulfard, and then attemps to spear any one of the things that are still there.
Ragnir barks a laugh over his shoulder at Kaos. "Spiders arena sae bad, as long as ye be cookin' em over a slow fire'n use plenty o' hot sauce." He then steps up beside Umlo and slashes at the Ettercap.
ah kaos, he's just funning with ye. Slow fire indeed. A hot fire is what ye use, ta get them crispy. But ye do need the hot sauce.
Anga steps forward chanting rapidly. Two firey bolts ripple out towards spider 4 and ettercap 5.
touch
touch
hmm.Ragnir, did we pack hot sauce?
Haskyll belts out a solid belly laugh as he hears the bantering going on behind him.
I think there might be some hot sauce in the bag on the mule.
Round One
The first Ettercap misses Umlo, but the third one bites Ulfgard. The sturdy Dwarf Barbarian resist the Spider-man's venom.
Leira, concerned for the brazen Umlo, fires a pair of Scorching Rays at the first Ettercap. The fiery shafts strike the Spider-Man, though barely. The purple creature screams out in pain.
The Second Black Widow spews forth a web of sticky threads toward Umlo. The web flies harmlessly over the strangely coifed Dwarf.
Umlo smiles at the screaming Ettercap. He pummels the purple Spider-Man with his Warhammer. The screaming stops.
Anga also likes Scorching Rays. She takes a step and fires one towards a Black Widow Spider, striking the eight-legged terror. The other ray heads toward one of the purple Spider-Men. But it misses the nimble Ettercap.
Ulfgard swings at the Ettercap that bit him with Agrimmosh. The powerful black smith's hammer misses the purple Spider-Man. But Ulfgard's trusty shield doesn't miss. It bashes the Ettercap.
As the first Ettercap falls from Umlo's blow, Ragnir moves up and strikes the second Black Widow spider with a quick strike. Gooey spider innards spray out coating the Dwarf Warpriest's Waraxe.
Droja moves up for a closer look. She sees a massive Black Widow Spider behind the imposing stone obelisk. She stares at the mother of the Black Widows and attempted to fill the creature with a sense of Doom. But the mother of the Black Widows ignores the Oracle's attempt.
Kaos moves up with his over-sized axe, hacking into one of the purple humanoids, staggering the Ettercap.
Nargyrmkins are truly a brazen lot. Ingrihild moves through the forest to get at the second Black Widow Spider. The Black Widow only snaps at the female Dwarf Ranger. Ingrihild gets goo on her axe too, as she cuts in the big arachnid. The Black Widow spider becomes unconscious.
Haskyll, laughing about hot sauce, moves up and thrusts his trusty spear into the purple creature, killing the third Ettercap.
Round Two