Max takes a step closer to see if he can get a clear shot and fires.
It's never simple, but that first one went down easy enough! Ryker follows Pyros' lead and tries to sink his dagger through it's exoskeleton. "Haha! Looks like we make a great team, eh?" he calls out to the newcomers. We are going to be able to score a ton of gold together!
________
Makoa roars in anger and turns to face the new spider. "Face Makoa rath! U also die now!" as he swings his massive sword.
But he calculates the new angles all wrong totally missing. "Argh! Why my arms fail me?!?"
As the second beast crests the mound to attack the party, Pyros brings his pitiless blade down upon the creatures head and nearly cleaves it in twain.
Ilamin also looses a deadly arrow that strikes the beast between it's mandibles, and the entire front of the creature begins to pump gouts of blood onto the terrain.
Maximilians arrow flies overhead and strikes the beast in it's bloated abdomen which begins to shake violently from the assault.
Ryker, striking from the side cannot penetrate the wall of legs so begins slashing at them like a furry overgrowth, doing his part.
Makoa's mighty blade is about to sever the head of the beast entirely when it finally reacts to the storm of blows and retracts agily back a few feet, the No-Dachi kicking up grass and ground alike from the power of the blow.
Then the Spider LURCHES To the side and attempts to enfold it's limbs around Ryker, but Ryker is too fast, displacing his body so the effort of the monster is wasted...
SEQUENCE: Everyone after the spider, then round begins again!
Max tries to get off another shot, but there's too much flailing around to get a good bead.
"Keep your eyes open. Who knows if there are more of these cursed beasts," he says.
"Keep your eyes open. Who knows if there are more of these cursed beasts," he says.
"This here spider better be the last!
Golwen and the pony redirect their attacks upon the new spider.
The Pony shifts and begins kicking at the second spider.
"WOAH WOAH WOAH we gotta put this thing down!" Ryker shouts as he rolls out of the way of the spider's lurching grab. I'll be damned if I become spiderfood! He continues trying to stab through the spider's exoskeleton, but unfamiliar with arachnid anatomy, his strikes are less than ideal.
________
Initiative chain:
Pyros 20
Maximillian 19
Makoa 16
Ryker 12
Trapdoor spider 10
Ilamin 9
Golwen 6
Azul 5
I'm processing it in the order of initiative.
"Keep at it! It's surrounded now - it can't last much longer!"
Azul keeps slashing at the horrid creature, while ducking to the left.
I'm processing it in the order of initiative.
"Argh! Die evil critter!" As Makoa takes another swing.
The second spider falls under a rain of blows from the party, Makoa misses his target however and cleaves a rock in half breaking it free of the landscape. The party looks around for yet another spider... but none approaches...
Inside the "Trap" of the spider's lair, the party finds a number of silken-wrapped spider eggs, resting upon a pile of bones.
The bones seem to be very old, stubborn remains the spider for whatever reason did not or could not clear out of it's hiding place.
The first corpse is that of a bandit -- his old suit of masterwork leather still intact -- it seems the majority of damage to the skeleton was done in uncovered areas. He also has a maskerwork dagger and 10 gp, as well as a medallion in the shape of a silver stag worth 25 gp.
(the party has seen these medallions before on chosen agents of the stag lord)
The second body is even older -- the body of an ancient tax collector -- who's tax-bag contains 20 pp and 253 gp.
The third body is that of a hedge-wizard of some kind, his bony fingers still wearing a silver ring worth 75 gp, a CL2 wand of burning hands with 6 charges, and a mostly ruined spellbook besotten with rain. The spells that remain legible in the spellbook are : (identify, mage armor, reduce person, silent image, and unseen servant.)
This was a dangerous trap in the wilds and the party also gains an xp bonus for clearing the region of this monsterous trap. Well done!
"Hmm, spiders are loaded, " he jokes. He still stays on guard as they remove the finds. "Burn the eggs. I'll use the wand if you like, but I don't plan on having to do this more than once."
"Horrid things... they say the Rough Beast has a similar appearance, though obviously much larger."
"While I'm sure these creatures are perfectly natural, nevertheless animals that prey on humans should not be allowed to live this close to human settlements. I say we destroy the eggs."
Azul looks at the silver stag pendant. "Though it would seem that not all the victims of these creatures were those worthy of mercy..."
"Eggs make more of dees." as he points at the spider corpse. "Makoa destroi eggs." Unless someone physically tries to stop him, Makoa will destroy the eggs.
"Wher go nex?"
Suppose we can afford being this reckless when it always results in more stuff! "Agreed, I've no objection to smashing these eggs," Ryker adds in as he begins stripping the valuables from this den of death. "If we clear the area around this pit to prevent the spread, we can just light everything in it on fire. The smell will probably keep other spiders from moving in on the den and hopefully other animals will start to live here again."
If nobody objects to his idea, and once Makoa gets out, Ryker begins lining the pit with stones and dirt, tossing in a substantial amount of kindling, and lighting it with his flint and steel. "Now that this mess is over, shall we keep on moving?"
________
Pyros joins his fellow newcomer Makoa in smashing up the spider eggs, though he is rather more elegant in doing so, gracefully slashing eggs into small chunks.
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Further south are three hexes that have yet to be fully explored:
A) An area of tall grassy fields interspersed with small lakes, rivulets, and pools of water,
B) An area of dry open plains which seems to be teeming with wildlife,
C) A rocky area filled with crevasses and a valley leading further south.
Giving more time for people to weigh in...
Golwen wrinkles his nose at the eggs and happily joins in on removing them with some acid.
You can certainly keep that wand, Max. The spellbook as we both know is the real prize here." Golwen flips through the book, curious. "A few spells I don't know, to be sure."
He mounts back up and is ready to continue onward. "Oh and Makoa, cleaving that rock in two was certainly impressive." I hope he never points that thing at me....
|
Ilamin shook his head a bit at the destruction and how so many joined in on it. He simply gathered back up the animals for now and brought them back up to the group.
Once that was done, he looked around a bit at what they found and nodded about the various comments. He remained quiet for now though, there wasn't much needing to be said.
As the others begin to discuss a destination, Pyros chimes in, pointing to an area of lakes and streams. ”I like this area as well. This is the River Kingdoms, after all. Might as well check out some of the smaller streams and lakes to start with.”
"Well, it sounds like we are in agreement."
"Anybudy in group hav heelin? Makoa cood use lil bit if hav it."
Will allow healing to take place before party moves...
"Of course, good friend. You have but to ask."
"Thank you Azul! Dat feel gud!" as he pats Azul on the shoulder.
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Pyros smirks a bit, but just gives a small shake of his head. No need to embarrass the big guy, but he could learn a thing or two about not getting hit.
The party moves into the lowlands of the valley until you reach a dry section of the riverbed. While moving under an arch in the rock, something seems amiss. It's too quiet.
Far ahead, you see the mouth of a cave, or rather -- a long abandoned mine.
Between you and the end of the valley and the mine-opening, sheer cliffs overlook the terrain you occupy below. This looks like it could be an ideal spot for an ambush...
Roll perception everyone!
Makoa looks around thinking, Dis be good place catch enemy down below. Why we down below? Not good.
Not a bad sight, glwd we are at the bottom and not the top. Could fall from up there...
As the party reins in at the archway, Azul looks around. "Is something wrong?" he asks.
Pyros looks around idly as the group progresses.
[dice=perception]1d20 +7
Same day. I'll keep much better time going forward but lets say there's about an hour of daylight left.
Something *IS* wrong... the rocks of the arch are piled precariously in a way that even the footsteps of one on foot could disturb them and cause an avalanche.
They path beyond looks all the more ominous now with the setting sun.
strange cairns seem to be piled at odd intervals on the cliffs beyond the archway.
A small cloud of dust slips down from the side of the canyon...
You're being watched...
"Let's be careful moving forward... Anyone want to try climbing a little or taking a different route? This place has got my hair on end..." Ryker says in a low voice and knocking an arrow to his shortbow.
________
" Dis be trap!!!" shouts Makoa recognizing the danger they are riding into.
The arch trap can easily be avoided or undone at this point, a new map has been placed in the battlemaps for you to act or move your tokens.
Party starts on south side of map and the mine entrance is on the north side of the map.
Oh my... What a nasty deed. Here and name worrying about us falling and it's the rocks that we have to worry about. Does anyone have a plan?
" Dis be trap!!!" shouts Makoa recognizing the danger they are riding into.
""My friend Makoa, I think you are right. But who set it? And where are they now?"
"Dey up in hills watchin us. Waitin to attack. Makoa say we go bk, find way up to top of hill an surprise dem! Kill all bad ones who try kill Makoa!"
Ilamin triggers the precarious rockfall, leaving a square of difficult terrain. (will indicate on map)