"Do we have big cup to catch them in?" Pieter wonders jokingly, looking to the cleric. Slowly he sets off making sure the armoured Belgeon can keep up. Running his hand through his long hair, it then settles on the pommel of his huge weapon.
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Belgeon moves along after the others, as long as the spiders weren't in a black temple or down a well they should do fine. We will have to catch the spiders without a cup." He says in response to the joke which he probably didn't take as a joke.
Thankfully when Pieter sets off he makes sure to set a slow pace for Belgeon, if the others weren't paying attention they could easily leave him behind.
"The spiders are in the forest... aren't they?" Cereza asks thoughtfully, before her expression suddenly darkens. "We will have to be careful if we go into the woods. I've heard rumors that there's a dragon lurking somewhere in there..." Her foreboding tone then becomes cheerful again as she smiles at her comrades. "But if we exercise caution, I'm sure we'll be just fine!"
Mordin shakes his head and sighs at Cereza's news. "We are all going to die, are we?" he asks rhetorically, "Don't answer that. I just wish I had drank more bloody ale before coming out here. To the forest we go, then."
To Mordin's question, Pieter replies in his rich voice; "Done it, didn't like it!"
Then he smiles to Cereza with a nod to her cunning, whilst he moves amongst the forest. The soft mulch of the years descend are crushed under his boots as he softly walks through the dense woodland.
"That's what you said about my sister..." Mordin mutters as he saunters along, his various flasks and bottles jingling in his packs as he navigates the uneven terrain.
"That was only 'cause the whole court was watching. Adds a certain pressure to a man." his low voice is nearly drowned by his heavy foot-steps. The dark forest provides a rich odour, thick mulch decomposing mingles with the smells of nature. Pieter rolls his neck lightly.
He coughs lightly realising that perhaps this isn't the most appropriate subject for the ladies; "How about Nicci? We met upon the river, you feel the call. That why you here?" he asks changing the subject. Confident that Mordin's wood-craft can lead them through the heavy forest.
Pieter unstoppers his waterskin, "Beer? As you see Mordin and I know each other from a past life." He takes a heavy swig from the dark leather embossed with the hereditary crest, the rich nutty ale has just a slight sharp tinge that makes the man wish he had bought some more from the Inn.
'Maybe it'll just be a quick scout around, to delve deeply into the temple would be death.' he things morbidly for a second; before he notices the curve of the ladies leg as she crosses a fallen log. "Anyway, we explore. Did you lose someone here Nicci? Or is it for your God that you quest?" he asks seriously.
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"Desna blesses the journey, not the destination," Nicci says seriously, "To honor her, I should keep moving. No, I'm here on a pilgrimage, more or less. It may be useless. But this is where my father said he was going when he left for the last time. Who knows, maybe he ran off elsewhere. But enough people come here that never return that it's plausible. So, I hope to either find something of his fate, or conquer this place myself, to do the family proud."
She shrugs as they trudge down the path. "Pretty simple, really."
"Da, but how could anyone not be proud to be with you?" his lantern jaw moves into a smile showing pearly teeth. "Drink?" he offers the wineskin to her and his eyes promise more rewards if she plays her cards right.
Then seeing her reaction he decides to give her time; "Caution is good, of course if we were cautious Cereza we wouldn't be here." the powerful paladin moves forward. "Like the time you stopped that bandit attack with your...Eido...Ido....shiny friend. She's divine isn't she."
The party travels south into the forest. The further from the river, the thick foliage slows travel. The sounds of animals in the forest seems normal, but an unusual aura of menace seems to permeate the shadows beneath the tall leafy trees. The party members feel ill at ease and as if there is someone just over their shoulders watching them.
Ahead of the party a narrow path continues forward past an odd shaped stone which appears to have worn lettering of some kind. There seems to be an arrow accompanying the lettering, pointing into the foliage.
Pieter is more used to wandering through the dark forests of Ustalav, knowing that no-one would be desperate enough to attack an armed man upon the road. Though his time upon the black forest has given him some rudimentary woodcraft - for a man without is soon a man bereft of his life.
"Follow Arrow? That's what it wants." he says full well acknowledging it may be a trap. However he's falsely confident of his abilities, and just stupid enough to walk into a trap.
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Nicci is distracted by all the chatting and the thought of ucky spiders. She tries to make the spiders more friendly, like her mother taught her to do to other things that scared her. She wanders down the path, a tiny smile on her face as rows of spiders in fancy dress dance to the music of lute and fiddle in her brain, utterly oblivious to the real world.
Mai strides firmly down the path a little away from the others, who are chattering away as if they're in a barroom. What is wrong with them? Don't they know this place is dangerous? she thinks grumpily. To make up for their lack of attention, she is terribly, horribly alert.
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Belgeon moves along listening to the conversation he begins to wonders about this group will they make reliable companions? Pieter is a real worry to him, this man seems not to take this seriously with his eyes all over the ladies, and concerned with beer rather than the dangers that could be present in the forest. When the man talks about them not being cautious Belgeon says "Danger serious here, without caution you will die." He talks seeming without emotion as if he's simply stating a fact. He's having some second thoughts about this group, if it weren't for the one woman, he didn't know her name yet, who was very alert, he'd be sure he'd made an unwise choice.
These people accepted him easily enough, or at least let him come along without hesitation, could they be the companions he's looking for? It was still far too early to tell they still did not know each other. They could very well push him aside when they found he was different. Would the crystalline skin and gemstone eyes alienate him from this group as well?
"Well that looks promising," Mordin mutters sarcastically, looking as though he expects everyone to die at any given moment.
"Dang it," Cereza says to Pieter, snapping her fingers once, "I knew I was forgetting something. I didn't want to invoke her in front of all the townsfolk. Might have given them a scare."
Looking about warily, hardly at peace in their current locale, she looks to the others as they observe the aptly-placed arrow. "Er, could you watch my back for a moment? This will only take a minute."
Kneeling down, glancing about nervously one last time, the aasimar prepares the usual ritual of summoning forth her eidolon.
The forest seems a little quieter here at this mini-junction.
Amongst the foliage, a ropy substance that is sticky to the touch still clings to a few surfaces. High up in the trees, there is an appreciably greater amount.
"Of course I will, young Miss." Pieter says in his gruff voice as he keeps an oblivious eye out. Particularly his attention is focussed in the direction of the arrow and where they might be headed.
The silence of the forest and quiet murmur of conversation is interrupted by the ringing rasp of a sword being drawn.
Mai points to the blood trail and the sticky-looking ropes, sword in her off hand. "You wanted spiders?" she asks quietly.
"Spiders?! Where?!" he turns around calmly, spinning on the spot as his hand reaches to the scabbard over his shoulder. Slowly his eyes narrow and he looks around, but he would be nearly as observant if he'd closed them completely.
His thick voice rolls deeply; "You saw something, lead on..." his sword naked in hand, Pieter prepares to follow the trail.
Mai raises her eyebrows at the chatty muscleman. "I don't think so. Look up there." She points high into the trees where there's a greater quantity of the sticky threads. "I don't want something dropping on me."
Pieter looks up to at the threads and the bloody trail; "But...someone could be hurt." His voice holds a touch of the forlorn as he thinks of the villagers. Most of whom are injured or crippled, he tightens the grip on his sword.
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Belgeon looks towards Mai please that this woman is very astute, and no fool, she seems quite dependable. "Good that you are aware, I saw blood, but not threads."
He really hopes Pieter is not as incompetent as he seems. Belgeon can't help but think that the muscleman's scattered focus, and questionable priorities are going to get him, or one of the others hurt or worse. When the man talks forlornly he says to him "Charge blindly, someone will be." He draws his scimitar, and readies his shield as the spiders could soon be upon them.
"Or something," Mai replies blandly, "It may be that a spider found its natural prey. We are not the only creatures who use woodland trails, you know. And life requires death. It is only natural. But if you wish to follow the tracks, I will accompany and cover you, Pieter."
"Well that certainly sounds promising," Mordin comments with a drab sigh, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "I'm not sure who's more of an idiot - the one who wrote this drivel, or the ones who actually believed it." The alchemist squints a bit as he inspects the sign more closely and then speaks again. "I take that first part back. The one who wrote this was only pretending to be an idiot."
He turns to the others, grim realization on his features. "That's the direction we're going in, is it?"
The party has some choices:
Pieter looks around at Belgeon; "Yes, the enemy! If they hurt innocent." he says confidently grasping the leather in his hand so tightly it squeaks.
He doesn't seem to read the signpost trusting his more intelligent comrades to be able to do that; "So we follow the rock? I like to rock!" he pauses, "Shall I take point, of one of you observant woodsmen?" he wonders brusquely.
The burlesque outsider appears without the usual fanfare of shining lights, and stands amidst the group as though it had been there the whole time. Looking as though it were some ethereal knight, it stands only slightly taller than the average man.
"Ah, so you are not summoning me in the midst of battle this time," Sapharael says, its voice curt and feminine.
"That happened once!" Cereza snaps back at her companion, "And it was an ambush!"
"At any rate, I'll take a trap over spiders any day. Unless the trap involves spiders somehow..." Taking this into account, the aasimar falls quiet, stroking her chin.
"So we follow the arrow to adventure, eh?" Mai muses, "Very well, lead on! I am with you."
She keeps her temple sword unsheathed as she walks the path among her comrades.
"Shine on, Pieter, shine on..." Mordin mumbles as he walks along to his doom.
Sword low in a sweeping motion he leads on through the under-brush, his armour sparkling in the dull sunlight.
Mai scrutinizes the newcomer with undisguised curiosity. "Possibly," she replies, "But we are aware of his foibles and can be prepared to better safeguard ourselves... and him. We are stronger with greater numbers."
The forest sounds pick up a little as the party moves away from the trail. The foliage is dense, and what little semblance of a trail there may have been could have just been a figment of the lead tracker's imagination.
The party has probably moved perhaps two thirds to three fourths of a mile from where the Stone of Poor Spelling was located into the forest.
Mordin sighs. "I'll do it," he says gloomily, stepping forward, "Maybe they'll kill me first and save me the trouble."
Stopping, the alchemist looks up into the trees. "Look, there they are now. Too dark to tell what they are, though. Such a shame."
"It's alright Mordin, I have your back." Pieter says quietly as they walk along. Moving just behind his Ustalavian friend, he turns back to Nicci; "You can have some fun in forests." He looks to a dark clump of brush ahead.
Mai exchanges a quick glance with Belegon and moves into line immediately behind Pieter, keeping an eye on him as much as on the surrounding woods.