The fourth Ettercap steps up, biting and clawing at the big human. But all the attacks either missed or were deflected.
The fifth Ettercap moves through the web like it were clear terrain. It moves up and attacks Umlo. But the purple creature's assault was weak and ineffective.
The Black Widows advance firing their stick webs at the party. The first one fires at Ragnir. The fourth one and the Mother fire their webs at Umlo. Clearly these Black Widows are more used to using their webs to build structure than anything else.
Trying to bash in the Ettercap in front of him Ulfgard lets his weapons speak.
Haskyll looks over and sees that the ettercap is still by the main group is still standing, moves over to help Umlo, leaving Kaos and Ulfard to deal with the last standing one on the south.
I think you got this, they could use a hand up here.
He then attemps to stab 5
Anga casts a fireball, dropping it directly on the spider mother.
fireball, watch ye selves
dc 19 reflex for half
Leira moves to the front and shots an arcane deadly arrow at the fifth ettercap .
Umlo moves up through Ragnir's space then diagonally to the right, and then down to the left to get at the first Black Widow Spider.
Round Two
The Ettercaps attempts to cause damage to the party was futile.
Leira's arrow shot against the fifth Ettercap was not futile. The arrow lodges into the spidery humanoids brain. It shimmers and shakes, then falls back into the web. It begins to die.
The Black Widows fires sticky webs at the party, but none of the silky strands entangles the party.
After seeing the Ettercap in front of him fall, Umlo moves around and attacks the first Black Widow. His Warhammer becomes covered in a greenish goo of spider innards.
Anga, seeing the fifth Ettercap fall, places her Fireball in a place that will to burn the remaining Black Widow Spiders, without singeing one strand of Umlo's poorly coiffed locks.
Ulfgard nearly drops the fourth Ettercap with a strike from Agrimmosh and a bash from his shield.
Ragnir continues to be heroic.
Droja waits to see if any of the spiders continues to move around after Anga's Fireball.
What Ulfgard started, Kaos finishes as his wicked hack kills the fourth Ettercap.
After the Fireball, Ingrihild with her Dwarven Waraxe attacks the mother of the Black Widows.
Haskyll makes sure that the first Black Widow spiders is dead.
Droja again attempts to fill the mother of the Black Widows with a sense of Doom. But once again the Momma was not affected by Droja's attempt.
Round Three
Cheered up by her last success, Leira shots another arrow at the mother spider "Take that ugly leggy thing!"
Ragnir moves up through the cleared area, brushing burning spiderweb remnants from the air as he does. "Now here be a thin' that could be feedin' us all f'r a while!"
Anga points her finger at the spider mother, chanting in ignen, and two blasts of fire loose out.
touch
touch
and they rip towards the big spider
Haskyll moves up slightly through the burnt webbing, and over the bodies, and tries to spear the momma.
Aye, could be feeding us a while.
Moving toward the big spider Ulfgard hammers it with his best friend.
Ragnir attacks the Mother of the Black Widows, but his blow glanced off the big spiders hairy hide.
Round Three
With all the Ettercaps, dead or dying, Leira, emboldened by her previous arrow strike, sends a shaft toward the big Mother of the Black Widows. The arrow sticks into the big Spider, but the hairy monstrosity does not fall.
The Mother of the Black Widow bites the female Dwarf Ranger Ingrihild. But the hardy Dwarf was only a little injured by the bite.
Umlo takes a step, and goes after the big Spider with its Warhammer, striking a pair of blows against the big arachnid. The Mother of the Black Widow slumps over.
Anga was about to let loose another spell, but holds back seeing the big Spider fall.
Ulfgard moves up and finishes the dying spider off. It is squishy dead.
Victory!
Anga's Fireballs cleared the way before the entrance to the obelisk and tomb. The interior of the obelisk houses a flight of narrow and precariously steep stairs descending into a dark shaft that plummets to an unknown depth within the earth. The passing years have crusted the walls and stairs with overlapping rings of yellow and pale green lichen.
"Well done party!" says Leira while examining the rests of the spiders lair.
While the others decide what to do with the spiders, the young girl advances and checks the entry to the tomb.
"I wonder what dangers await for us there below" the girl conjures four spheres of dancing light and sends them down through the stairs to better see ahead.
Haskyll grins, then looks over at ingrid.
Do you want me to be looking after that scratch, now or later?
Haskyll looks around while waiting for an answer.
nah said Anga looking at the spiders. they're only good fresh, and we don't have time now. Now that entrance, that interests me.
Ingrid will respond to Haskyll, "Naaah, keep ye healing fer a deepa wooound." She smiles back at the Cleric.
In the webbing above, the party will find only the husk of dead animals that haplessly wandered into the webs.
Leira will notice through the yellow and pale green lichen, writing on the interior walls of the descending stairwell. The runes are in Dwarvish. But the runes cannot be read without scraping away the lichen.
When Leira sends some Dancing Lights down the shaft, she will see about 40 feet down that the stairs reach a narrow landing before continuing down in the opposite direction. At this point the shaft begins to fill with wisps of webs. At about 80 feet down there is another landing, but the webs are so thick at this point, Leira is unable to see into tangled mass.
Webs. Do ye think there are more spiders? Anga sais, looking down the stairs. Maybe lit torches will clear our way.
"Spiders, PA, they know better than to attack dwarves. And if they do, thats why we wear armored boots."
"Be sure there are spiders there..." Leira moves her attention to the lichen "What is this covering the runes?"
Leira removes the lichens with the help of her hopeknife, and she then attempts to read the runes.
After scraping off the harmless lichen, Leira, knowing Dwarvish, reads, “Here lies the pride of our clan, Nargrym, son of Torgrym. Called Steelhand, he was laid to rest with utmost honor in 4076 ar. May he be known forevermore as the Giantslayer.”
The runes continue on further down the steep stairs.
Let's go anga says, moving down the first couple of steps.
After reading the text aloud, Leira kneels in front "It is on ill need we come here for your help Giantslayer. Forgive us if we bother your rest, as we have to save our clan against the giant invaders once more"
Once paid her respects, the young girl nods to Anga and Kaos, and advances herself checking out the stairs as she leads the group down. Always keeping Kaos close enough.
Anga steps back
Oh, laddie, yer right, what ever would ah do without ye
Ragnir grins at Anga, Apparently, ye'd be steppin' on all manner o' traps and nasty thins. Ragnir stays close enough to Leira to cover her with his shield. Dinna stray te far, Leira lass. I'll be keepin' me shield on ye.
Well, in that case, I should be good.
Haskyll grins as he follows everyone along in an attempt to provide a solid rearguard.
Before he enters the cave.
May the ancestors forgive us, as we may have to desecrate this tomb in order to help our living kin.
He then follows along at the back of the pack, dragging the mule along.
Ah don't think the giant slayer will mind. After all it is ta help us defend kin, his kin, against giants. Provided we are respectful, of course. Tools are meant to be used, not sit and rust.
Step by step, Leira carefully moves down the steep staircase. She does not find any traps. But as she moves past the first landing, the area begins to fill with wisps of webs. Dozens upon dozens of little hairy spiders are moving around. The seething web is unnerving.
The webs beyond this point get thicker.
"Do not pay too much attention to the small spiders, they are harmless" explains Leira as she advances through the webbing.
The young girl makes her dancing lights to swirl around in order to see ahead what lies at the end of the stairs.
The runes continue down the walls of the shaft, describing Nargrym’s life and various deeds in great detail. The tale expounds upon his magical hand, which allowed him to heft the tremendous weapons of his hated enemies, and his enchanted coat of mail, fashioned entirely from the fingernails of slain giants. It tells of his defeat of the Fire Giant King, Ganderoth. Eventually, the epitaph comes to a section entitled “The Tragic Fall of Steelhand,” which details his betrayal and murder at the hands of Lokmorr Edergun.
After Gunderoth’s defeat, Nargrym’s own squire and kinsman, Lokmorr Edergun, cravenly stabbed Nargrym in the back out of spite and jealousy. Lokmorr took credit for slaying the giant himself, claiming it had killed Nargrym, and was heralded as a hero. But a priest of Torag named Byrim Forgepride discovered Lokmorr’s crime and confronted the kinslayer about his betrayal and deception. Believing he might still pull off his ruse, Lokmorr turned upon the priest and slew him as well. Although Lokmorr tried again to cover up his dark deeds, he was unsuccessful, and the ruling council of Janderhoff branded his forehead with the mark of the betrayer, and struck his family name from the dwarven histories.
The further the party descends the steep staircase, the slower the party can move, as the party will need to remove the thick webbing around them. Leira does not find any traps along the way.
Surprise Round
At the landing, the webs around Leira and Kaos become animated and attempts to entangle the front of the party.
Round One
The party can see creatures, Ettercaps, a large spider, and a humanoid, that is difficult to make out clearly through the thick webs and dancing lights.
Round One
The webs animate around Ulfgard and Ingrahild.
Four Ettercaps move through the web, from various directions, and attack. None were able to harm the party.
A large hairy spider, the size of Leira, attacks the Rogue Arcanist.
It misses its bite.
Umlo hacks up the second Ettercap.
Surprised by her own strength, Leira is able to break the webs that attempt to entangle her.
Still holding the bow in one hand, she quickly draws the hopeknife in the other and tries to hack the spider in front.
Feeling the sting of entangelment Ulfgard moves forward at half speed.
Seeing that He cannot hit the ettercap coming towards Anga, Haskyll drives his spear towards the Ettercap to try and distract it.