You make your way back to the temple quickly and the priest welcome you inside, arranging for a place to sleep. They, unfortunately, don't have cots to offer as all those in the temple are being used by the injured or elderly. The rest of the day passes uneventfully and you're able to get as much rest as you need.
Leto looks at the priestess and clears his throat.
Of course i wanted to say let´s get moving! Lead the way please Marnarius.
"I'm right behind you. Skyblazer will stay for now as well, and you can send him to retrieve us if there is urgent news while we are out."
Nuru settles in next to Marnarius as they head out once again.
The half-elf leads the party west and north from the Grand Mausoleum, past the Golden Lake.
As you make your way through the city, you find that while most people have kept to their homes, a small few are starting their daily business again. Or, at least, attempting to. You run into a small group of looters near the market and once again convince them to stop and help their neighbors. At one point a cry of warning comes from Skyblazer just as a zombie rounds a corner and almost runs into Nuru, who strikes its head off almost instinctively.
You're currently passing an area you recognize. The Tooth & Hookah should be just around the corner. You can even see the walls of the Necropolis off in the distance to the north. It is now quite dark and the area you've come to is eerily silent.
"'Ware spiders!"
Almathea looks around. "Werespiders?
A weird hissing sound comes from the creature as well as the thousands of smaller spiders spilling all over its body. Suddenly a string of web launches out to surround Almathea.
Surprise round:
Marnarius studies the composite creature and tries to recall any useful information he might have about it.
Leto cries out in dismay as he sees Almathea being webbed and attacked.
Where did that come from?
He then gets back to his reflexes and tries to skewer the arachnid with some arrows.
Almathea casts Burning Hands at the spider creature and its little spiderlings.
reflex save dc 17 for half damage
Thea will cast a glob of acid at the main spider creature.
Marnarius, you're also aware that the spiders surrounding the creature are often poisonous and standing next to the thing tends to be dangerous.
"It's a deathweb! The smaller spiders are poisonous, so we need to keep our distance. Leto, this one's yours--I'll do what I can, though."
Small spiders you say, yeah, i´m not sure this one is for me, bt i´ll give my best.
"Go for the big one!"
Erei will start to sing and draw his spear.
Erei will attempt to stay behind the frontliners and stab.
Almathea manages to side-step the web as if she knew it was coming and reflexively casts flame at the creature. The swarm of small arachnids subsides for a moment but they quickly gather around the larger creature again. You get the sense that a larger amount of damage might clear theem out for a short amount of time.
Erei inspires those around him.
Leto's first two arrows slam into the thing and it shudders. A sickeningly loud hiss comes from the creature as it lurches forward to strike!
Almathea's glob of acid strikes the creature for minimal damage.
It skitters (as much as a creature the size of a small cart can skitter) up next to Marnarius and Nuru, but lashes a large chitinous leg at Nevai. The long appendage slams into the cleric and sends him sprawling ten feet back into the wall of a nearby building. The stone gives a resounding crack that echoes down the empty street. Nevai lands on the ground, crumbling mud-brick wall showering him as he recovers.
The mass of small chittering spiders around the creature start amassing to swarm over Marnarius and Nuru.
Nuru calls down a blessing from Pharasma and attacks the swarm with her khopesh before backing up to get away from the mass of arachnids.
Marnarius shouts a war cry and cuts twice at the enormous spider-thing, then takes a quick step back out of the cloud of smaller arachnids surrounding it.
Nevai staggered to his feet and called out to his god for aid.
Small spiders you say, yeah, i´m not sure this one is for me, bt i´ll give my best. I just hope this doesn´t count as a swarm! FoA: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 141d8 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 18 FoA: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 171d8 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13 FoA spending 1 ki: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 241d8 + 10 ⇒ (1) + 10 = 11 Edit: Round 2 Initiative 21
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The creature quivers and shakes under your combined assault, eventually crashing to the ground. The small spiders flee from the quickly decaying carcass in a wave. They disperse into the surrounding city. A quick search of the area finds the latest victims of the undead spider monstrosity. What appears to be a family of four; an older gentleman and woman, and two young boys. All are now, unfortunately, quite dead and wrapped in the webbing strung up in the alleyway where the creature was making its new home.
Nuru kneels over the dead bodies of the undead spider's assault, saying a prayer to Pharasma, "May the Lady of Graves usher them down the River of Souls to her Boneyard so that they may find peace."
With the immediate danger gone, Nevai drew his wand and tended the cuts and bruises he had received from his tumble. "We should bring the bodies out to the street so they can be collected the next time the Pharasmins bring a cart around."
Marnarius shakes his head as he cuts the bodies down from the web. "We're close to the Tooth and Hookah, I think? We'll take the bodies there, so they're not laying out for looters or worse."
"If the bodies were killed by an undead creature, is there anything special we need to do to them?"
"There are a few spells that can help stave off the insidious touch of undeath, but I do not have sufficient spells too cover them all. I can attempt a blessing when we've moved them some place secure, and hope that Horus chooses to extend his protections for a while."
You can easily manage to bring the bodies to the Tooth & Hookah. The proprietor, Farhaad, unbars the door and several patrons help you bring the bodies in. They agree to handle the arrangements and contact the church.
"We're almost to the Bargetown docks. Let's keep going."
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"That's as good a destination as any."
As your group heads away from the Tooth & Hookah you hear the sounds of a large crowd to the north and east, the opposite direction from where you are headed. It sounds to be coming from near the necropolis wall, though the echo in the empty streets make it difficult to tell what is going on, or how far away it might be.
"Not to lead us astray from the task at hand, but any disturbance in the city should be investigated, I would think... and if a crowd has gathered in these dark times, it is likely for a good reason."
Marnarius nods, heading in the direction of the noise. "Any crowd out on such a night as this is more likely than not a sign of trouble. The sort we're out here to set right."
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"Agreed," Nevai said and hurried towards the sounds.
Leto just nods, flexes his muscles and points the way with his bow, motioning for everyone to go.
The sounds bring you north and east. Coming out on a main street, you see several city guards in the distance running south, away from the source of the sound. They do not stop even as you call out. Turning north you come upon the gates of the necropolis.
The familiar sturdy doors of iron and bronze stand in the high sandstone wall, barring entry to and egress from the city’s necropolis. Barred windows in the gates offer brief glimpses of what lies beyond. A single acolyte of the church stands before the gate with two town guards beside her. The sounds seem to be emanating from the other side of the wall. From what little you can see there seem to be nearly a hundred undead of various types pounding on the gate.
The young acolyte moves to greet you as you approach, Peace be upon you, as much as there is. I am Bal Themm. Have you...have you come with more guards? She looks hopefully behind you, though when no others are revealed her shoulders slump in exhaustion. No, of course not, you are not guards. She puts the edge of her wooden shield on the ground and leans on it. The front is emblazoned with the blue and white spiral of Pharasma. So, what is your purpose here...friends? She says this last with hope, obviously unable to do much if it turns out not to be true.
Marnarius shakes his head and displays his spiral. "The High Priestess has sent us to do what we can to keep the peace. That crowd looks beyond our abilities, though we'd put many down before we fell ourselves. They seem to be lesser undead, though. Do you know how they came to rise in such a mass?"
"Well that looks... bad. You've done an excellent job keeping them contained. Have any managed to get through?" Nevai added as he inspected the gate and took a look at the writhing mass of undead creatures.
That looks like a mass exodus. A little army of the undead. Will the gate hold?
Leto nervously takes a look at his arrows, realizing he doesn´t have enough arrows to shoot them all.