Conner moves quickly past Aric and attacks the remaining spider with the flat side of his blade and his flail, being sure to only debilitate the arachnid.
Aladair takes aim and fires at the unsuspecting spiders.
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Carrying his comrade, Valghaz wasn’t in any position to swing a hammer. But he could still call down holy flame.
Conner moves quicker than Aladair and Valghaz incapacitating the spider before the elf can loose his arrow or the dwarf can call down his fire.
Looking around you see no others spiders moving about. The cocoons are about five feet in length and less than two feet in width. The floor of this part of the chamber is littered in bones and layers of webbing throughout.
They need to collect what they came for. Is this where we part ways with our captors?
"Kinda curious about what might be in those sacks," Aric says. Using his sword, he slashes the cocoons open to see what's inside.
The web of the cocoon is harder to cut through than you first believed but with a few slashes the cocoon splits open down the middle. As it does so you watch as dust, bones and tattered cloth and leather pour out in a pile. From the light of Marlowe and Penance's light you catch the light glinting off of something in the pile.
"Perhaps we should cut down all of these cocoons!"
Aladair carefully cuts into another of the hanging sacks.
”I’d rather just get to freedom. Before more spiders come, or the captain does.”
Aladair slices apart the second cocoon. This one contains a desiccated body dressed in chain mail armour. The corpse can be still be seen wearing a backpack and an exquisite but empty scabbard that looks like it could hold a longsword.
The leather of the scabbard has been dyed white and then worked with silver filigree on one edges. A scene of mounted knight battling a dragon has also been etched into the middle of the scabbard.
From the back Marlowe pipes in "Now how did that body get in here? Captain ain't never thrown a person like that in here."
Aric reaches down to pick up the shiny piece that dropped from the cocoon he sliced open. "You said to start building a name, dwarf. Some treasure helps with that."
Nodding towards the corpse, Aric adds "That sorry bag of bones just proves that there's another way out of here."
Conner picks up the scabbard to see if there is indeed Longsword as ornate nearby.
Anyone familiar with the markings on this scabbard?
He checks to see if his Longsword fits...
Aric picks through the pile and pulls out an ax-shaped silver pendant, covered with twisting runes. Along the pendant's bottom 'edge', five
tiny rings secure silver wedges to the larger pendant. Like the large ax shape, these smaller pendants are inscribed with mysterious runes. The
pendant is too large for most women, and is obviously intended for a male.
Looking at the workmanship of the scabbard Conner does not recognize the markings that would make it identifiable with any person or object of import. No longsword can be seen on the ground or on the corpse of the previous owner and Conner's longsword slides easily into the scabbard as he tests it out.
"Gather what you want we don't have all day to be about this place and there are more tunnels to check." Marlowe looks around mindful to keep his eyes on the exit.
Aric slips the pendant into his pocket. There would be plenty of time to figure out how to properly display it later.
"Then we'd better get moving along," Aric responds, heading deeper into the cave.
Penance grabs the backpack slinging it over her shoulder for later investigation and the group moves off following the the tunnel it turns and takes you out to a larger cave. On the ground you notice several little mounds of webbing but nothing seems to emerge from them
Marlowe gives you a stern look, "Well this looks like where you go your own way. There is another passage to the south and for your own sake I hope you find this exit. I can give you a few minutes but then I'm going to have to run tell Hayla that you escaped deeper into the caves. The Captain will send out patrols to track you down. Wherever you come out head south for at least one day then turn east. That might get you around the Captain's patrols."
”Got it. Yer a good lad. Forge father’s blessing on ye.”
Marlowe is about to walk when he turns back and looks at all of you.
"You all are crazy. I'll give you that." he removes a vial from his pack and passes it to Valghaz. "Give it to her." he points at Mistra. "She'll be weakened from the poison but it will get her moving. Whatever is deeper in these caves you'll be needing her staff." Marlowe looks at you all one more time and walks back into the tunnels.
Valghaz nodded and administered the vial. Crazy was right. But better to at least attempt for freedom. It beat slavery.
Conner nods at Marlowe, and stands near the exit out, preparing to bring up the rear as they leave.
Pushing on ahead you do your best to give a wide berth to the mounds fearful that it might cause a swarm of spiders to emerge.
You notice that while there is webbing within the cave it is far less noticeable when compared to the other parts of the tunnels you.
Three directions lie before you. Two smaller tunnels head west and south, while a larger tunnel heads east.
Mistra shakes off the paralysis with the administration of the potion. Ugh... My head hurts.. What happened? I see we lost our escort... She stands and moves towards the middle of the group, leaning a little more heavily on her quarterstaff than usual.
We are on our own, and free. Marlowe said we should head south when we exit the caves. Valghaz, does that mean we go that way underground too?
Valghaz is unsure if any of the mounds might be housing spiders, so does his best to avoid getting too close to any of the mounds. He peers downs each passage attempting to discern if any of the tunnels begin to elevate towards the surface. After a few minutes he nods his head confident that the middle passage seems like the best choice.
"Middle passage. We take that one. Can't promise anything, but look at the slope of this one. I'm confident that this is our best bet."
Fair 'nuff. Lead on.
With the thought that Marlowe will be telling Hayla anytime now you push towards the unknown with Aric, Conner and Valghaz leading the way and Penance's light providing some illumination to the pitch black cave. Aladair guards the rear hopeful his heightened elven senses will give them fair warning should anything come from the rear.
Approaching the middle entrance you can feel a slight breeze touch your face. The idea that you may have found another way out encourages you to move quicker before the bandits can send in their guards.
The middle passage quickly opens into a larger cave. Entering the cave Aric notices bones are scattered about the middle of floor. Just as the half orc is about to say something you watch as the floor gives away underneath him and he disappears. Trying to see what has happened and see Aric almost 10 feet down on the ground as he gets up you notice that he is not alone in the pit as a large beetle ravenously rushes towards him.
Sensing the commotion another beetle moves into the edge of your light running towards your party as you try to think how to help Aric.
For the first time Valghaz used his hammer. The dwarf brought it down squarely upon the beetle’s carapace, heading a *crack* as he did so.
"Oof!" Aric grunts as he lands on his belly in the dirt.
Mistra sees the beetle moving forward from the edge of the light and readies herself to be in it's way. She limps slightly but moves on nonetheless.
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Seeing the beetle attacking her half-orc friend, Penance extends her fingers and forms a globe of flame. "No holding back now...!"
Aric drops to the floor landing unfortunately flat on his face. He looks up to see the hungry beetle making for him. Unprepared he braces himself for the sharp pincers of the beetle when he sees a shadow over above him and with a loud thud watches as the stout stature of Valghaz lands perfectly atop the beetle. In almost synchronous motion you hear the cracking of the beetle's carapace as the dwarf's hammer breaks through the exoskeleton.
Not finished damaging the ravenous insect Penance let's loose a globe of fire that explodes in front of the beetle's head.
Although her reactions are slowed by the poison Mistra moves to block the other beetle from coming any closer to the party.
The beetle twists about attacking Valghaz as the brave dwarven cleric stands atop it. Valghaz easily kicks aside the large mandibles.
The second beetle scurries across the ground and goes for Mistra. Prepared for the beetle, Mistra attacks with her quarterstaff but fails to hit the beetle with either attack. The beetle grabs Mistra by the leg and holds her firmly.
Conner moves quickly up to the beetle that has grabbed Mistra.
Mistra's face tightens with a grimace as the giant beetle hangs on to her leg. She twists and flails, trying to get away from the insect.
Aric stands up and growls, bringing his greatsword around to meet the beetle.
Glancing over his shoulder and then looking back at Valghaz, Aric grunts "I've got this one. Go help the others."
Aladair draws his bow and fires on the beetle attacking Aric.
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Aric grunts with frustration as he gets up and then chops down with his sword taking a part of the beetle's carapace off with his blade. The insect begins to move about frantically as it does it best to keep standing.
Conner runs up and slashes and flails at the beetle holding Mistra but misses. The attack is enough that it allows Mistra to squirm free. Injured and poisoned she 's braces herself for the beetle's next attack.
Aladair sends an arrow into the crowded pit. The arrow misses the bettle and flies by Valghaz colliding with the wall of the narrow space.
”Ach! Fine. Have it yer way.”
ᛞᚨᛗᚾ᛫ᛋᛏᚢᛒᛒᛟᚱᚾ᛫ᛏᚢᛋᚲᛖᚱᛋ᛬ᚲᚨᚾᛏ᛫ᛖᚡᛖᚾ᛫ᛋᚨᛃ᛫ᚦᚨᛜᚲ᛫ᛃᛟᚢ᛬ᛋᚨᚲᚱᛖᛞ᛫ᚠᛚᚨᛗᛖ᛭
”Damn stubborn tuskers, can’t even say thank you. Sacred Flame!”
As she lobs another golden flame at the beetle attacking Aric, Penance whispers into Aladair’s ear ”I-If you could p-please move to th-the side? I-I wish to f-feed the flame u-upon these creatures...”
Penance throws another globe of fire at the beetle in the pit roasting it alive. It stops moving under Valghaz's feet and the dwarf sends his fire down on the second beetle just barely hitting it.
From right behind him Aladair hears the muffled voice of Penance. Turning his head he sees Penance now encased in a sticky filament. Almost thirty feet away he is surprised to see a human sized creature that resembles a black hairless spider start moving toward them.
The beetle turns its attention to attack the newest threat, Conner, but finds the warrior is able to parry its pincers.
Aric glunges out of the pit and moves to strike the beetle that is still standing.
"Ummm...hey guys...there is some weird creature that just webbed Penance and is coming our way!!"
Taking aim at this new threat, Al firest his bow at the rapidly advancing creature.
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