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Savi parks her purple striped butt on Rinika’s fuzzy shoulder. If she’s gonna sweet-talk a demon, she’ll need all the luck a fairy can give!
The snake head continues to snicker and hiss as Nik stumbles over his words and the rest of the party make light of the situation. The canine head howls in anger until TitaNik suggests a bribe, ”You want to contribute to the war effort? I can be persuaded, assuming you don’t waste my time.”
Quavois gallops to the parley and holds up a piece of parchment, ”This shipment is under the protection of the Queen of Spiders, Lolth and her proxy, Declava.”
The snake snickers, ”Perhaps we will see you to the Demonweb Pits safely and then resume our business. Unless...” At the suggestion Quavois pales knowing that she has only avoided conscription temporarily.
TitaNik nudges Rinika again, remembering to whisper this time "Tell him about The Echiridion of Thanatos, he wants recruits and that book can... show someone how to recruit fallen soldiers."
"Sweetening the pot might help." growls Baraxx to the group, lowly, "as might reminding good Quavois here that this is one shipment of several the Spider Queen is expecting, and delays might displease her. I'd speak up but when I talk things tend to fight more, and a fight with this thing doesn't seem smart."
"Yeah- no fighting. Yes garnish." MaNik quickly agrees.
Then he whispers to Jek "Psst. Think he'd be interested in that gem? The one that lets you see through illusions."
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Savi’s eyes widen. “My entire outfit from the elbows inward is arguably an illusion. Does that gem—??”
Though clothing made from Sleeves of Many Garments feels solid, Savi crosses her legs and is glad the fuzzy shoulder she’s using as a chair comes with a wall of dark poofy hair at her back. The fairy repositions her arms and wonders if the gem sees through arms too, even though arms are real. And of course turning invisible won’t help!
The comedienne in her is already piecing together a skit about a gal whose greatest fear during a coach ride through hell is being ogled by murderous pitchfork-wielding devils.
Baraxx raises and eyebrow at Savi's comment and gazes at at Nik and Jek then back at Savi contemplatively.
"Worth a shot." Jek removes his backpack and holds it open for Nik.
MaNik takes a moment to grab the Gem of Seeing from Jek's backpack.
Then he gets an idea.
He looks at the Molydeus through it, just in case...
Nik sees the tanar'ri as it is, which is exactly as it presents itself. There are currently no illusions or magical deceptions in effect.
Quavois gets a slight grin on her face and addresses the molydeus, "You will see us to the Demonweb Pits safely. Then any of my minders that want to go off and fight in the Blood War can, they will be abandoning their contract and I won't pay them. But if any of them don't want to go with you they will pay the music, 2000 gold, to buy their way out of the blinds. I will even generously loan the money to anyone who can't pay."
The molydeus' canine head growls, "This is acceptable." The anquine head hisses in agreement.
Baraxx growls low in his throat at the deal, knowing he couldn't pay.
Well, guess I'll take the loan and bail. Didn't need this job anyway.
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Rinika watches the exchange with interest, she casts Enhanced Diplomacy and eventually clears her throat.
"Sirs, Boss, this is a fine arrangement and I commend your negotiation of it. Might I remind you though, Boss, that this is the first of several trips and we will still have a ways to go after departing the Abyss. Any loss of guards here is going to mean significantly increased risk of loss later. I'm sure Lolth would not be pleased at those who might bear responsibility for such a loss, and no one here wants to be in that boat. However, that is not to say that we aren't sympathetic to your cause, Sirs. In addition to traveling together, and instead of offering the almost worthless lives of such sniveling and lowly grunts as ourselves, who might otherwise guard this caravan, we instead offer a valuable gift: an investment in the future, a finely crafted set of armor suitable for your favorite lieutenant. Acid resistant armor that will withstand being worn by even a babau!"
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Moly says with both its heads, "I like you. This is acceptable. Are you sure you don't want to join the Blood War? I could make you rich and powerful, you would be an effective spy."
The only other trouble you have traveling to the hole that leads to the Demonweb pits is a forest of trees where each of the branches ends in a viper's head. You manage to pick your way carefully through it only coming close to being bitten once.
Moly takes your armor and Quavois' gold and departs, everyone breaths a sigh of relief. The tanar'ri was good to her word.
The wagons roll into a cold, humid cave, a shallow depression in the side of what appears to be a huge, rocky cliff face. Stretching out into the darkness before you is an unimaginably huge silver web, glistening with moisture. A dark-skinned elvish woman of cold beauty stands calmly and silently on the web, her bare feet resting on the strands as though they were solid ground.
It seems quiet enough. Then you hear skittering sounds from above and behind. You see shapes moving in the darkness. And you realize: All around you are spiders of gigantic size, watching you with countless eyes.
Nik makes sure he's pointing his crossbow down at the ground below Horsington, where there aren't any spiders.
He clears his throat.
"So we- uh- we brought the stuff." he explains.
"Where do you want it?"
Baraxx sits back in his saddle at the tableau, watching the beautiful elf while keeping an ear and eye out for the skittering horde.
If there ever was a time for a double cross, it'd be here where we are so vulnerable
The drow woman, with features that seem so delicate that if you touched them she would break, greets Quavois, introduces herself as Declava, and leads the caravan across the immense web. You find you have no trouble moving across the tangled skein of thin sticky strands and it easily supports your weight.
As you move through the Demonweb, you notice far off in the distance, likely many miles into the web itself, a giant spidery form seems to watch you. This spider must be at least half a mile long.
After traveling for several hours you’re led into another cave on the side of yet another cliff anchoring the web. Within, a winding, moving corridor made of webbing snakes through a starry night sky that’s almost silvery. A horrible mass of gelatinous flesh with eyes and pseudopods stands guard but wordlessly lets the wagon pass.
As you enter the corridor Declava says, ”This is a conduit that leads to the Fane of Lolth in the Vault of the Drow.”
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why is it Nik suddenly starts knowing things when we're in hell/Lolth-world? XD
Rinika looks at the big spider fortress, looks to Nik and mimics a chicken walking with her paws, and then strokes her chin thoughtfully, ambitiously setting goals for later.
Baraxx watches the largely incomprehensible plane, giant spider and weird melty thing with some interest and no small amount of wariness.
MaNik just shakes his head at Rinika before pointing at TitaNik.
TitaNik waits for fewer watching eyes to make some rude gestures.
Savi flutters along, wings well away from sticky stuff. “Wow… this must be surreal for you guys. Not long ago, regular spiders were bigger than me. Not this much bigger of cour……”
She notices the biggest one. She just stares in silence for a few seconds before finally uttering another “Wow.”
Jek gawks at the half-mile spider. "I wonder what it eats... Can it talk?"
"Lolth's mobile and impenetrable fortress of doom can probably talk if she wants it to. Dunno if it's chatty without ongoing divine intervention, though." Nik shrugs.
The journey through the conduit is disorienting, but it lasts only a few heartbeats. On the other end, you find yourself in a large diamond-shaped room with stone walls and a black floor, with weblike traceries of white. Directly ahead of you is an amber-colored column of light 20 feet across, within which a gigantic spidery creature floats, facing away from you.
You have little time to look around when eight drow women approach, two in clerical raiments, and the rest in light-weight armor. They quickly unload the caravan. You’ve been transporting weapons, lots of them, and most of them highly enchanted.
You begin to notice some finer details, blood splatter on the walls, charred marks where a fire was started, gouges where weapons struck the floor or walls. Then it becomes clear this temple was a battleground not too long ago.
Quavois hands you your money, , and hurries back through the conduit to the safety of the Abyss. The priestesses of Lolth stare daggers at you.
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through the conduit to the safety of the Abyss
Savi notices the brown light emanating from her luminous skin.
Ooh… loving this tan!
If an amber glow is brown here, would a cyan glow be teal? Would fuchsia become mauve? Savi experiments with her luminosity, in part, to keep her mind off the apparent blood and death that happened here not long ago.
The dagger-stares prod Savi back into reality.
She taps Lunk on the shoulder…
…and helps herself to a seat on said shoulder.
Lunk signs to the head priestess…
And though she can ‘hear’ him through the magic gloves, Savi says his words aloud for the benefit of others.
We lost a friend in a recent battle on our way to this job. I see violence has happened here. If you lost any of your sisters, I am truly sorry. May this delivery prevent further losses, and see your sisters avenged.
Recovering from the rapid jaunt through the conduit, Baraxx looks about the room and takes in the room, the blood and marks, and the angry looking Drow priestesses, and gives a short bow.
"Greetings. I have further business with Verdeath, ruler of house Tormtor. Would you be able to point me in the right direction?" he attempts in common.
Nik's eyebrows go up. MaNik elbows Jek and whispers.
"Psst. Jek. Think we should ask 'em about Kestrod or Erehe?"
One of the priestesses shouts angrily while the rest draw their weapons, "What do you want with that traitorous worm?"
Baraxx frowns at the reaction then turns to Nik, "I think they're talking to you..." he deadpans.
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Savi, “Ladies, please. I don’t know this guy, but ya hear the way he says unfinished business?”
“I get the feeling you and Baraxx share the same opinion of this traitor, but if ya’d rather take care of your own stuff it’s all good. We can get on our way.”
"Wait- uh- no one needs to get nicked." Nik explains.
"Traitorous worm?" he asks, careful to keep his loaded crossbow pointed down and his other hands up.
Manik also slowly starts shuffling his feet to get behind TitaNik.
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Jek looks momentarily confused.
"No one needs to get nicked? I thought we were here to kill him?
Rolling with the small fairy thing jumping in and helping him, Baraxx nods and smiles toothily at her definition of "business".
"Uh- Might be the same guy...?" Nik says, hopefully.
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The drow visibly relax and stow their weapons, "Of course, you are demons in service of Lolth. I apologize for the misunderstanding. She is either in her manor or on the field of battle. Right now, that field is found just outside the walls of the city."
The priestess insists on leading you outside to a large cavern that houses the five-story temple you entered. The place has a strange reddish and green glow. To one side stands a ruined building of yellow stone. A hundred or so drow warriors move about this cavern ready to defend it from attack.
A wide passage is the only exit to this cavern, it is decorated with stomach-churning carvings and bas relief depictions of foul practices. It winds through the earth for over a mile.
Rinika coughs and adds, "Perhaps we could even be of assistance, we happen to be quite adept at rooting out and disposing of traitorous worms, if the price is right."
Baraxx let's himself be led out with the rest of the group, happy to glom onto their little company for a while. Much safer in this place, as was just proven.
As they walk he ponders his next move. He's pretty sure he isn't supposed to kill this Vardeth, just that he is supposed to get to her.
I suppose that would work one way or another, though a civil war is going to make it much bleeding harder to get an audience.
On guard, and him looking like he did, simply flying over wasn't going to work.
Just keep moving for now, look for the opportunity. This lot seems capable, might be able to use them.
"Oh, before I forget to ask, anyone know where Erehe is? We have business with him too." Nik tries to ask as casually as he can while being led out of the temple.
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Savi sits on Lunk’s shoulder and crosses her arms. If I gotta redefine ‘business’ a second time, they’re gonna be onto me.
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They answer Nik simply, ”Verdaeth’s consort is never far from her side.”
As you exit the Egg of Lolth through the stomach churning corridor at least a mile long you enter the Vault of the Drow proper. If you didn’t know better you’d swear that you’d stepped outside into a dark night. The cavern must be many miles across, for the side walls exist only as distant gray blurs, if those blurs are walls at all. It’s difficult to tell, the light here is dim, just a faint pale lavender glow from some phosphorescent fungi. The ceiling of the cavern, which must be thousands of feet high, is riddled with strange, glowing mineral deposits that shine like stars. In the far distance, the sounds of battle ring through the cavern.
Rinika can't help but grin as the group enters the Vault. "Ooh, it's kinda nice in here!"
Baraxx looks around the vault with a low whistle, then back to the group.
"Well, looks like we are heading the same direction, keep together for a bit longer?"
Nik nods at the answer.
-------
Why does this remind me of the cage...?
Nik looks around a moment as he responds to Baraxx and Rinika at the same time.
"Definitely."
Turning to the bariaur, he says "Jek, think we should show them Kestrod's condition? I feel like it's a good idea. Think they'll agree to be suicided?"
Rinika looks to the leader. "Priestess...Mistress? I don't believe I got your name. I'm Rinika. What's going on here, and what's your quarrel with Verdeath? Is it with her whole House? What do you eat down here? I like your outfit, where could I get something like that?"
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The priestess becomes more and more sour when peppered with Rinika’s questions and is happy to finally be rid of her after they leave the temple, Lolth sent this creature to test my faith, I shall not waver.
”My name is Xullcryl. We are at war with the House of Tormtor because they have blasphemously turned from the worship of Lolth and now revere Kiaransalee. They have bought extraplanar help, some kind of creature called Githyanki, and the houses of Aleval and Everhate to their side. The staple of our diet is fungi, spiderblood is my personal favorite. This garment I bought from a strange and charming human male in Erelhei-Cinlu who said he was a hatter, he gifted me with this dress. I hope he survived when we purged all the traitors from the city, I don’t recall his name.”
Kiaransalee, huh? I wonder if house Tormtor likes shamblers...
Nik waits for the priestesses to retreat back into the temple before addressing the group.
"Why don't we ask around about Kestrod before we head to the battleground. I want to know more about what we're dealing with. Anyone think they'll get mad if we wave around a vampire corpse?"