This is followed by a series of jerks and what can only be spasms as the shape-shifted person tries to fight against the latest command - but ultimately fails.
Within the blink of an eye, the bee/wasp has vanished and a white-skinned woman in scrapped clothes, the head bare but for several intertwined tattoos consisting of arcane symbols, runes and scripture.
An amulet of bones, dark wood and sinew dangles around her neck, a wickedly curved dagger is fixed to a black-leather belt.
She looks down at the group with equal parts loathing and fear from her deep-set, dark eyes.
Lady Zal opens her eyes and looks at the others.
"I have her now, her mind is mine, if she brakes free I can crush it in a moment. So what you have seen here you I ask that your never speak to others about. Should it be known I am a mind mage, others would not be so open with me, some... may wish to use me or even do me harm. Now, I suggest you bind her "
She looks back at the woman.
"Stay still"
Assuming Gosor and or Ktinos hold her, Astrapios starts stripping her of any magical gear and spell components she might be carrying.
"Well, well. Holy Zeus. If that isn't the woman the dead thief described, I'll eat this dead spider leg here.
Obviously, we need back what you have stolen. I'm sure you thought so much. I'd like to come to an arrangement that helps all of us. For you that means foremost to see another daylight. This depends, of course, on what you are able to offer in order to help accelerate our retrieval mission. Because, your life is, what we can offer."
Astrapios doesn't sound angry or villanous, he speaks with the most neutral tone sounding more like a merchant on the market. Which, to the more extrovert party members might feel strangly inappropriate.
Ktinos flexes his claws and bares his oversized fangs.
"I should not be the one who restrains her. After what she has done, I might not be able to contain myself."
Astrapious words, despite or maybe because of their matter-of-fact nature, manage a thorough change in the expression of the woman before you.
Her legs start to tremble as if she is near a collapse (she probably would if not commanded to 'stay still') and her eyes gain a ... pleading expression.
"Not havin' what yer after-nomorenomorenomorenomore.
Ied never've stolen it, if not for ... HER.
Please ... pleasemakethemstop-stopthem-please-stopit."
The woman's voice has a pronounced accent - but it is mostly drowned by the fear and desperation of her words.
Her desperation and fear (from whatever it may be) is certainly not for show.
DC 30:
The notion that she would not have stolen the seed is not entirely true. You sense that this woman is not of a particularly law-abiding nature, so theft is probably not out of question for her.
You still believe her that she would not have attempted the theft if not for ... well, HER.
LAdy Zal looks at her now,
"I will need to see"
She closes her eyes once more.
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/psionics-unleashed/psionic -powers/r/read-thoughts
Save is DC20 will
"Show me"
She says as she enters the woman's mind.
"We need to know who SHE is and where SHE is, and where the seed is. then we might be able to free you from her."
Ethana moves up behind the woman, ready to incapacitate her if she does break free.
You can see the strain on Lady Zal's face, beads of sweet roll down it. What ever she is doing its taking all of her will and concentration.
Gosor allows the others to do the questioning as he restrains the woman. It's not how I would gain the information, but it seems to be working well enough I suppose.
The taurian notes that the response seems to ring true thus far, but makes no further moves.
Ktinos watches the interrogation impatiently. The Beasts within him want the woman's blood... not that they don't want everyone's blood, but using magic on him like that was close enough to an attack on them for their anger to be particularly roused. Except for the Sphinx, but she... well, she was always enigmatic.
Tears well in the eyes of the woman and she starts to talk in a rushed, hushed, boken voice.
"She is called Arachnia. Once a Lady of Kelksiomedes inner circle.
A master weaver of fates, politics, relationships and cloth.
A beautiful woman, beloved by many a man.
That's what I found out at least.
Now SHE is ... something else.
Evil, cruel. Master of the spiders in this forest.
Hunting after those living trees for reaons only the evil gods know - if at all.
SHE still has vast influence and ressources.
Had this master alchemist in her pocket for ages. Befuddled by her charme and magic I bet.
Crafted her a poison she since then fed to HER spiders.
Anyone touched by that will ... suffer nightmares worse than hell.
For the rest of his life. Getting worse the longer you resist.
I was bitten.
My magic did not help.
SHE bit me again.
SHE said she would give me a counter-poison and let me go if I did what SHE wanted.
The nightmares ... started to come during my waking hours too.
I ... couldn't resist any longer.
I did what SHE ordered me to..."
You gaze into the abyss. Hell.
An uninterrupted stream of nightmares worse than anything you ever had.
Death, pain, fear.
The knowledge of being hunted by relentless hunters keen on your blood.
The certainty that every step you do, every breath you take is watched.
Controlled.
Allowed to happen, as it prolongs the torture.
As if through a veil, you hear Astrapios' question the woman and the malestorm shifts.
A fleeting glimpse of a slender woman with black hair in wide, beautiful clothes of exceptional quality.
She is of an incredible beauty and the intense green eyes are transfixing.
The image bursts into tiny shards of glass that pain your mind as they fly out of sight.
You follow the white-skinned woman, travelling through the forest with a couple of hooded people in front of her and a Ghoran walking along in their midst.
The attack comes without anyone noticing.
Pitch black spiders jump at the group from above and from all sides.
Within moments, the scene dissolves into the malestorm from before, immediatley after one of the spiders overwhelmed and bit the woman.
It takes some moments for the next scene to surface.
The woman dangles upwards-down from the ceiling, thickly webbed into those dark, sticky webs the ebon spiders used on you too.
Face to face with the face of the black-haired woman with the green eyes.
But now, the black-haired woman has lost her grace and beauty...
Her lower body ends in the disghusting and massive body of a spider of bloated proportions and her eyes practically emit pure evil.
Behind her, you can see a large cave, or maybe only an open area surrounded by massive trees, with four sickly-green crystals surrounding an area which can only be described as garden - a garden of decay.
Two dead looking Ghorans stand there already, another one, the same you saw before, is chained to one of the crystals and looks sick. A hole in his chest marks the area where his seed has been forcefully taken and an obviously freshly dug heap in the middle of the 'garden' gives an indication what has happened to it.
And the black-haired, spider-woman talks into the ear of the white-skinned, web one.
Words of corruption.
Threats.
Words of insanity and evil.
An offer.
A simple act of thievery - in exchange for freedom.
A nod.
Again the scenery scatters and you see the white-skinned woman wlaking through the forest alone.
A bag at her side.
The deed done.
The traces erased.
As SHE had ordered.
Then, spiders all around her out of the pitch black darkness.
SHE comes to take the price.
Shaking hands, opening a bag, taking out the little knot of plant-flesh.
It feels warm in your hands. Radiation warmth, light ... goodness.
Clawed fingers rip it out of those trembling hands.
Evil laughter and SHE turns away.
A question. Please make HER stop the malestorm.
SHE stops for a moment.
Then speaks to the spiders in that foul clicking and hissing language.
An order.
No. Rather the retraction of a previous order.
The white-skinned woman screams in fear and anguish and summons forth her powers.
Black tentacles errupt from the ground and bind the spiders, but SHE simple waves them away.
Fear. A will breaking. Flight.
Being prey again.
They hunt for your blood!
"Then why strike at us?" Ktinos growls. "Why aid the spiders in their battle against us?"
She fixates Ktinos and replies:
"You were hunting me too.
I could only hope to flee if both sides were equally matched."
Lady Zal shakes her head.
"I Have seen it, what she has done and how she was made to do it. Basic terrer and a magical guse in the form of a toxin. She was compelled. The HER is one peace of work, even by my standards.
She then discribes to them what she saw in the pale woman's Memories.
"I can take away what she has done to you, if you mind like with me woman, do you agree?"
Ktinos growls again at Zal's description. "Then we have a beast to hunt. What do you know of her strengths, her weaknesses, her lair?"
"Show me"
she says to the woman.
Gosor scowls as the description of the memories, but as Lady Zal makes her offer to remove them altogether the taurian shakes his head. "Removing the terror might be an option soon, but right now we need access to the information this woman holds in her head. We need her to lead us as best she can to the cave or clearing that you've described. We can't afford to take any extra time on wrong turns. If she does that faithfully then your mercies can be her reward."
A flicker of hope shines up in the face of the woman, but it is quickly drowned out by suspicion.
"You ... are going to kill me after I told you all I can ...
Isn't that what you meant?"
Her eyes dart to Astrapios as if in hope for him to speak up on her behalf.
"We're not going to kill you. But, as he said, to fulfill your part, we need you to help us get the sapling back. So far, we know a little bit more, but we're not one step closer. Literally."
The woman bits her lip and looks from Astrapios to the stone-hard features of Lady Zal and Ktinos and over Gosor, then back again.
"S'all old Kelksi got left?
SHE is a terrible foe.
Fast, silent, able at magic, always high on foul alchemistic potions and deadly with her damned poisoned fangs and hideous webs.
And SHE got loads of minions, alright?
A lot of these spiders which have their nest inside that root-cave SHE set up in and then there are those dead tree-things from her 'garden'.
No idea what they are able to do.
The tunnel leading down to it 's only half an hour from here.
Difficult to miss.
Just go into the darkest part of the forest and you'll find it."
"Then we will hunt there."
He looks to the others. "What is to be done with this one? I know not the laws of this place."
He didn't mention how most of the Beasts still wanted to kill her.
Lady Z now seems lost in thought.
"I have control over her, she is willing now as I can keep the darkness away. So we take her with us. She may know more yet of use. And.. I will not let you kill her out of hind. That is not my way."
She adds not really needing to, as she knows they would not. But she need to help this woman know she is safe with her.
"This one ... this one is a thief and will one day get caught and be dealt with by her captors. Having said that, Lady Zal has established that she did not do the acts we pursued her for willingly, so she is not a monster. She need not die here, but she must provide us with the information and assistance she can so that we might bring down the true monster. Her freedom depends on our ability to do so as should we fail her torment will continue. This should provide motive to work with us for now.
"Come, let us start towards the tunnel. We've used enough time here."
Again, the woman hesitates, now looking at Gosor and Lady Zal with a clear expression of fear.
As she responds, she directly addresses Astrapios, now openly pleading.
"Yes, yes. I will lead you to HER lair.
If ... If you let me go then.
I ... I don't ...
I can't ever go down there again.
SHE will bite me again and I ... I will loose my mind!
I swear by my life, you will never see me again ... I will leave this island forever if you want.
Just ... let me go!"
Astrapios rethinks his options and choices for a moment then answers. Fear is great motivator.
"Yes, as agreed. If you lead us to her lair, you're free to go. But you better never return."
"You are mine, and will do my bidding, Tell me your full name then, Get your things and follow me."
she says to the woman.
The woman breathes a sight of relief at Astrapios' words...
... then snaps shut as Lady Zals harsh echo through the dark forest.
She glares at the commanding female, but takes up the dropped coat and answers:
"It's Yulossa."
The tattooed woman leads the group even deeper into the forest and you soon feel the ground to get even less even and soon you walk uphill.
You must be very close to the steep mountains encircling the forest now, although you can not even see the treetops.
Several times, you get glimpses of spiders up in the trees, barely within the range of your darkvision, watching the group progress.
After another, very gloomy and uncomfortable hour, you reach a hilltop. To the left and right, the forest ground is becoming increasingly steep and dead ahead, in a hollow formed by massive roots, overgrowth and toppled trees, looms an entry to something which can only be Arachnias lair.
Foul smelling air emits from the hole in the ground, which turns out to be the entrance to a massive tunnel dug into the ground, extending the natural hollow underground.
The tunnel is wide enough for three of you to walk side-by-side, but with a pretty low ceiling, which causes the handling of long weapons somewhat troublesome .
Ethana turns to her more subtle companions, "Anyone want to do some recon? I can turn you invisible if you can't on your own."
"I can go ahead, but I'm probably not better than you at it."
He started casting several arcane spells. "I'm running through my spells faster than a hasted goblin today. Let's not loose any more time and get what we need."
Ktinos growls in irritation at the low ceiling of the tunnel, putting his club away and flexing one clawed hand. "They know we are here. Even invisible scouting will be dangerous," he points out. "I could smell even the stealthiest among you, and this spider-beast might well be able to do more."
"Yes, hitting hard and fast seems like the thing to do here. We'll need to prioritize targets as we go, but if we can avoid those webs and stay mobile that would be a good thing. Let us make our preparations quickly and then strike! Ethana and Ktinos, shall we make the front line? Lady Zal and Astrapios can follow closely behind."
See Invisible
Deadly Juggernaut (+0 to hit/damage and str checks; DR 0/-)
Protection from Evil (+1 Deflection to AC, extra saves vs. Mind effecting from Evil sources, summoned evil outsiders can't attack.)
The Sphinx was jealous with her secrets, but she wanted her vessel to live, and so she had slowly taught Ktinos some few secrets of magic. As the group continued to discuss their plans, he called on some of this magic to prepare himself.
He nods at Gosor's suggestion. "Very well."
Ethana, Ktinos,
Gosor, Lady Zal
Astrapios (for when something jumps us from behind.)
Astrapios pads the big guy softly and his hands glow in soft light.
As they enter, Ethana has a wash of magic flow over her, forming an aura-nimbus of light as her very being is suffused with magical energy, form rippling into one that looks more human, but with very pale skin. She, and a multitude of matching illusions of herself, turns to look at the group, eyes glowing, "Let's go."
Ktinos nods and grunts a thanks to Astrapios. "I am ready."
After readying themselves in the face of the fast declining, low corridor, Lady Zal lifts the mind control of the white-skinned thief.
The woman nods, a relieved smile on her face.
Then she lifts off the ground and flies up into the dusk of another day without any traces of wings or any spoken magic, quickly disappearing between the dark treetops.
Turning to the matter at hand, our heros start their descent into the lair of Arachnia, ready for battle and keen to retrieve their lost friend!
It is eerie silent and every footfall echo loud in everyone's tense senses.
After following the corridor for a hundred steps or so, the floor, walls and ceiling are suddenly covered in those foul, thick, black webs you saw before - clearly the labour of dozen ebon spiders. The webs cover an area of around 20ft.
Not only the walls are covered in the webs, very thin and long strains criss-cross the area in-between as well, making it nearly impossible to cross the area without touching anything, even if one would risk a jump or hover through.
Astrapios notices very thin and long strains crossing the corridor and shows them to his allies. "We will not have the elemtn of surprise. be ready!"
"wait here, I'll scout ahead. That Invisibility will be useful now, Ethana."
Astrapios grabs a scroll, casts it through his mnemonic vestment, while Invisibility is being cast on him. Then he disappears into the ground.
He checks the tunnel system and tries to remember the layout and where enemies are. He has 5 minutes and 15 ft burrow speed.
"Hurry back, friend. This is a fight we should end as soon as possible, for sake of Quercus."
See Invisible
Deadly Juggernaut (+0 to hit/damage and str checks; DR 0/-)
Protection from Evil (+1 Deflection to AC, extra saves vs. Mind effecting from Evil sources, summoned evil outsiders can't attack.)
"I'll be back in a few minutes. That spell doesn't last long."
Astrapios sank beneath into the ground and moves forward. From time time he'll peek into the open space in order to not get lost. It's difficult being blind within the ground, of course.
After about 100ft beyond the webbed area, you suddenly loose the pathway.
It must have twisted aside somewhere in-between your last sneek-up and now.
Backtracking you soon find the corridor tweaking right in a 90° angle, soon opening up into a massive cave created by large roots on all sides.
In the middle of the cave, you can see four crystals glowing in a sickly green light and something like a small 'garden' between them. Four tree husks stand around - each beside one of the crystals.
The walls of the cave, created by the roots, are filled with webs.
A monstrous spider-woman is nowhere to be seen.
Astrapios returns and reports what he found.
"Nobody around that I could see, but they will be alerted by the webs, I'm sure. We should run fast!"
"Then let us go!" Ktinos growls, starting to move forward.