Koldir follows behind Baster, moving as quietly as he can with his armor and shield. He makes sure to pay attention to the sights and sounds around him, as well as the trail that Jevon has left.
Best to keep Baster close, keep an eye on him. A potentially dangerous situation is a fine way to read a man's character.
Tim doesn't mind the rain and wanders the area though keeping under his cloak to stay mostly dry.
Jevon decides that those noises definitely aren't branches, and begins to move towards them to the best of his ability, unaware that he is being followed. He will however draw his trusty sling, just to be safe.
Koldir (and I'm assuming Baster as well) will continue to follow Jevon. Koldir has his crossbow loaded and at the ready, and he is also prepared to fade into the shadows of the trees as needed.
Baster continues to advance alongside Burrin.
He soon notices that the dwarf is trying to be stealthy.
Getting the clue, the armored nobleman strives not to crush branches in his wake, nor to make too noisome splashes with his boots in the puddles on the forest floor.
Unfortunately, he inadvertently bangs his shield on a trunk with a loud "clank !".
Damn ! That being stealthy business is much harder than it looks !
Koldir, making a habit of this, rolls his eyes at the noble.
I've seen stealthier wagons.
He continues on through the trees, listening intently and following Jevon.
Perception
Perception
Perception
Perception
Perception
Leylyn looks to Baster as he starts to explain himself. She gives him a warm smile. "Thank you for telling the truth Baster. Lets talk of this more later." She then turns to the man she had just helped up, and brushes off some of the dust off his shirt. "Tylus was it? It was wrong of Sir Baster to hit you like that and I apologize on his behalf..." She says in a sincere voice, but then she grabs him by his collar and pulls him up to her eye level, lifting him off his feet if need be. "But you do NOT taunt and provoke your superior officers. You show respect to those above you. If you think your tough s&!* then prove it, show your worth! This isn't some school yard and you are not some drunk at a tavern, your supposed to be a damned professional! Such acts only prove that you are a fool, and that you are not taking your job here seriously!" She says, and then lets him go with a light push back. "Now get back to your responsibilities and think about your actions. Provoke another fight and I will personally drag you to Captain Pelemynn and have you court-marshaled!" and with that she turns and walks out of the circle and follows her friends out of the area.
Once out of the scene she turns to whoever is closest... And her seriousness deflates. "Heheheh, I'm a total Bad-ass huh?" She says in an exaggerated egotistical voice and a dopey smile.
After that she goes to seek out Baster for that talk. "Hey Baster, Can we talk?" She asks and walks with him to a more secluded area.
"Is everything alright Baster? I know that man shouldn't have provoked you, but you shouldn't have punched him either. You need to be the better man and let it go! You seem really tense and wound up ever since I met you. Like a kettle about to boil over. You need to let your anger go. You will feel totally super better if you do. I swear by it! If your willing to try, I will help in whatever way I can. I can try to play you a soothing song on my flute, Or maybe give you a shoulder message, or- Ohh, you are good friends with Ithriel right? Maybe we can ask him about some of that elven stress relief meditation-y stuff they do." Leylyn finishes with an excited tone in her voice.
---
When Endrian gets to Leylyn and finishes his little lecture, he notices that Leylyn is not at all wet, and it is like the water is not hitting her at all. Leylyn gets that devious smile , and says "Ohh~ Endrian, don't worry so much! You know the only time I get wet is when I'm with you~♥!" Leylyn jokes, fully expecting it to go either over Endrian's head, or to be taken too literally.
Leylyn hears the sounds from the forest. Hmm... Doesn't something make a sound like this...? She mutters in an absent minded tone, hand on her chin as she ponders what the sound could be...
Knowledge (nature) to try to identify what creature could make such a sound if possible.
Regardless, she follows Baster and Koldir at a good distance. For Pete's sake, is this what mothers with a bunch of crazy kids feels like?
Endrian follows Leylyn as she wanders off.
EDIT: Endrian doesn't quite know why everyone is wandering off into the forest but wants to stick with those he knows better.
Hearing the clank of Baster's shield some distance behind him, Jevon simply stops to wait for the others to catch up. So much for a quiet walk in the rain... Seeing that it's Baster and Koldir he calls out "Hullo, lovely evenin' for a walk innit?" Once they have approached him he continues with, "You gents hear that funny clickin' noise?" By this time the forms of Leylyn and Endrian become visible, through the trees. Jevon looks somewhat incredulous, "Where's a gent to go to get alone these days? Tho' I suppose with that funny noise, the more the merrier. Where's Leon and Buggy? What about Tim?"
Baster looks a little dazed by Leylyn's words, particularly the part about the elven meditation.
He swallows several times before answering.
"Dear Leylyn, I am not ashamed to admit that you remain some kind of an enigma to me."
"A pleasant one, rest assured." he says, regaining some assertiveness.
"You're not like any damsel I have previously met. Come to think of it, you're not like any common wench I have met before either. Not at all." He makes an appeasing gesture with his hand.
He frowns. He hesitates for a few seconds, but decides to continue speaking.
"Leylyn... I have been greviously betrayed in recent times - by my own family, no less."
Baster's eyes seem to light up, his jaw clenches in unison with his fists, and he trembles a little.
He then makes a conscious effort to remain calm.
"Perhaps I need to better repress my anger, at times." he admits, trying to throttle his emotions, utterly but sincerely misunderstanding what Leylyn just tried to explain to him.
"But I have other things in mind, just now." he says, smiling fondly at Leylyn, his mood swinging completely.
Just now he looks very much like the classic fairytale dashing night, albeit brown-haired and with a much darker moral overtone (maybe that's the scorpion whip at his side).
"Dear Leylyn, would you teach me how to play the flute ?"
Baster looks kind of miffed for having being made out. And he seems as surprised as Jevon by the sudden appearance of Leylyn and the paladin.
"I don't know where the others are. They just stayed at the camp, I suppose. Shall we investigate these strange noises ?"
"Better do, yeah." Jevon nods in agreement. "Anybody know what it might be?" He looks to the others.
"What's this noise I keep hearing everyone keeps talking about!" Endrian suddenly bursts out, "I can't hear anything."
An incredulous look comes over Jevon's face. "'Ave you never been in a forest before mate!? You fink they all click like this? Take a moment and listen real hard, it sounds like this,"
Jevon makes a horrible choking click that sounds nothing like anything in the forest. He then looks at Endrian expectantly.
"Anybody know what it might be?" Jevon looks to the others.
"I do not." he answers Jevon.
"What's this noise I keep hearing everyone keeps talking about!" Endrian suddenly bursts out.
Baster arches an aristocratic eyebrow at Endrian but says nothing.
Jevon makes a horrible choking click that sounds nothing like anything in the forest.
"That was awful. And that's not the sound I heard. But to each his own, I suppose." says the nobleman a tad mockingly.
"I can't hear any clicking noise, seriously." Endrian looks exasperated as he strained to hear any sort of clicking. He was quite possibly distracted by Jevon's clicking preventing him from hearing it.
Notices Leylyn and Endrian wander off into the woods. Where do they think they are going? Looks around to see that the rest of the caravan has everything in hand. I guess I better make sure they don't get lost. Follows behind.
Arrives to the rest of the group not long after Leylyn and Endrian.
After hearing Endrian claim he can't hear anything, Ithriel puts his hand on the Paladin's shoulder and says: "Close your eyes, clear your mind. Tentaure.
Leylyn frowns at the mention of Baster's family. "That's terrible. Familys should stick together, through thick and thin! What exactly happend? Why would they betray you?" Leylyn Pauses for a long moment. "You know, I never had a family growing up. I was always alone. You can't understand how much I wish I had a mother and a father, maybe some sisters and brothers... Is there a way you might be able to forgive them? Are they nonredeemable? It would be a terrible thing to lose your family." She says somberly, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I really believe that family can be more than just blood relations though Baster. don't feel alone, you have friends here." She says with a strong smile.
"Yes, I'm starting to think that maybe it's not really anger that troubles you, but sorrow. Perhaps the betrayal of your family is a wound that has not healed and only festered, and you lash out in anger in response to your grief..." Leylyn looks down at Baster's whip. "Uhh, this time the pun was unintentional!" She says with a smile.
"You have other things in mind?" She responds giving him a moment to respond to that.
Leylyn nods. "Yeah, maybe music can help you channel out some of that anger and sorrow in a more constructive way. Ok Baster, If you want, I am willing to teach you to play the flute. I don't have a spare, so you will have to come to me every time you wish to play. Once we get to some civilization we can get you one if you'd like."
--
Leylyn looks at Jevon with an approving nod. "That is a really go imitation Jevon, but we're not looking for duck... This is something else... Here Endrian, listen to this." Leylyn says as she pulls out a bit of wool from her pocket and crumples it between her middle and pointer finger, and then blows into it. The clicking sound is mimicked flawlessly and should be hear-able by Endrian now.
After giving Endrian a listen, she stops the spell and asks "Can you hear it now?"
Koldir, seeing that their small excursion has turned into a silly and entirely non-stealthy parade, casts Guidance on himself, then slinks off, following the noise as best he can.
With everyone telling him and him actively straining, cant he take 10?
Seeing Koldir cast a spell and then begin to walk away quietly Jevon follows after him, motioning for the others to keep up. It was his intention to find the source of the noises from the beginning. When they come to the webbed up area, Jevon whispers "You smell that Koldir? This can't be good." He holds his sling ready in one hand.
I am separate from everyone but having heard the sounds I'll investigate thinking it most likely either a prank or a natural animal sound and just to do something.
Leon notices that a number of people have left their posts to go into the woods, but doesn't know why.
Did the scouts find something?
He gestures to the dirigible above to try to point them in the direction the others have headed and tells another nearby soldier. "Run to the lead and halt the caravan. Tell the captain we have a half dozen of us in the treeline and no word why. Might be nothing, but if it's not we want to be ready."
too many people just leaving their posts. I'll stay here just in case.
Taking Jevon's hint, Ithriel follows suit.
When Koldir reaches the webbed area, he comes to a complete halt.
Well this doesn't seem good...
Assuming from the webs and the noises that the woods are full of spiders, the kind that can't be easily stepped on, Koldir begins backpedaling quietly, and watching his surroundings closely. If the effects of Guidance have worn off, he will use it again.
"I... I think I hear it now..." Endrian's face has gone almost purple as he held his breath straining to hear the clicking noise that everyone had insisted on being present, some going so far as to make imitations of the sound to help him identify it.
"So should we really have wandered of in an attempt to find it?" Endrian queries.
Jevon whispers, "Looks like we's got spiders. Better handle 'em before they attack camp." He looks around the small group for confirmation. "Shame it's raining, we could burn 'em out elsewise."
Koldir looks over his shoulder at Jevon.
"Alternatively, we could alert camp and come back when more prepared for gods know how many vermin." He whispers.
"Pfft. You really fink with all the noise we been makin' that we'd be able to get back to camp before they decide to eat us? Ha! You split me sides mate!" Jevon whispers back and then starts to giggle quietly.
Endrian is sticking with the people who have gone to investigate nature of the strange clicking sound from the forest. He is wearing his scale armour and has his warhammer strapped to his back.
Koldir has been slowly backing away from the webbed area. He casts another Guidance on himself, then prepares to create his illusory double if anything leaps from the webbing. .
Ithriel is trying to keep himself positioned where he can see all of his companions at one time.
Jevon will move to make a square around Ithriel and Leylyn with himself, Koldir, Baster and Endrian serving as the corners. "We should protect the lightly armored casters." he says, motioning them into position. He begins to twirl his sling and scans the branches above them intently.
After taking a few moments to inform the others of the situation, Leon decided to follow the rest.
Why do I have a bad feeling about this?
Exactly where we stand in relation to what?
Perception:
Tim is somewhere heading for the webs but I haven't found the others yet but cant imagine I'm too far away, other side maybe?
Ah yes, Aldus indeed follows the party on the off chance that they might need his abilities.
Jevon will move to make a square around Ithriel and Leylyn with himself, Koldir, Baster and Endrian serving as the corners.
"We should protect the lightly armored casters." he says, motioning them into position.
Baster moves to the left of Jevon, making himself one of the tactical square's corner delineated by the tall warrior.
He draws his longsword with his right hand, and uncoils his scorpion whip with his left hand, standing at the ready with his two weapons.
"Let us draw spiders' blood, then." he says with a smirk.
"If at all possible, could we attempt to not slay them all? These are living creatures band have there place in the world. So if they start to pull back, let them."
Baster nods at Ithriel's words.
As your group comes into the web entombed glade, the clicking noises intensify. Movement from the canopy above, followed by a loud peal of thunder and lightning reveal a network of skittering spiders of various sizes, ranging from smaller than your hand to as large as a dog. Your appearance in their nesting ground startles some, but aggravates a few others which drop to the floor and seem ready to skitter towards you.
Two Giant Spiders drop in front of the group, 30 ft. away and ready to move forward. Meanwhile, a Spider Swarm skitters down from the canopy and drops behind the group a mere 5 ft. away from the last person.
The webbed floor counts as difficult terrain.
Round #
Initiative
Location: (Approximate of course, more as in Front, Back, Center, Behind a tree, etc)
Actions to be taken (I allow players to declare multiple actions depending on what will occur before them.)
Koldir acts first, and splits into two parts, each one of them appearing to firing a bolt at the nearest giant spider.
The two Koldirs yell to the party.
"That swarm won't be harmed by a blade or bolt! Which of ye can hurt it? I've got vermin repellent in my bag if one of ye can grab it!