Elisani moves in, rapier drawn, having taken the time to spot the weak spots in the arachnid's carapace.
The spider does take an AoO...
...it misses. Do your stuff and buckle it's swash.
The hit is a crit, piercing through the hard exoskeleton of the spider.
Ain Initiative: 7
Ceven Initiative: 21
Elisani Initiative: 13
Estella Initiative: 13
Sherman Initiative: 21
Tarphrex Initiative: 8
Spider Initiative: 22
Shalelu Initiative: Last in the round
Estella, Tarphrex, and Ain
Estella swiftly moves right behind Elisani , and, with an almost dancing motion, she effortlessly thrusts her spear past Elisani right as the half-elf strikes the spider with her rapier.
Meanwhile, she continues her fiery speech.
"Though our foe may be great, its power pales in comparison to ours! This beast shall burden these folk no longer!"
The small wisps surrounding Elisani sense Elisani's intent towards the spider and act in kind, as well.
The following boosts all apply as long as the party member can hear Estella
Controlled Inspired Rage: +2 Morale Bonus to strength.
Lesser Spirit Totem: Small spirits surround every party member and make one slam attack (+9 to hit, 1d4+4 damage, these modifiers are static and can't be buffed) every round against a living foe adjacent to a party member. I'll be handling these on my turn in initiative, but if another way is preferable, please let me know.
Spirit Totem: Any ranged attacks and melee attacks made by non-adjacent enemies (reach for example) have a 20% miss chance
The following boost only applies if the party member is within 30ft and can see the banner.
Flagbearer: +1 Morale Bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, and saving throws against fear and charm effects.
Tarphrex weaves his claws through the air, conjuring four “Dragon stones” that spin among the allies and slam into the over-sized arachnid.
As the unerring missiles from Tarphrex's claws slam into a carapace already weakened by Estella and Elisani, the spider's legs give out. Dust kicks up as the large body hits the floor, the legs beginning to curl back in on themselves.
The battle is over.
What do you want to do next?
As the unerring missiles from Tarphrex's claws slam into a carapace already weakened by Estella and Elisani, the spider's legs give out. Dust kicks up as the large body hits the floor, the legs beginning to curl back in on themselves.
The battle is over.
What do you want to do next?
Cev becomes visible, sets the coccoon down, and yells for someone to help whoever is inside as soon as possible.
”Spider bite poison make sick, yes? Friend Sherman healer maybe make poison go away?”
Tarphrex doesn’t feel he can help much, so he goes to the door to watch the house for anyone looking back.
"Oh, right... Who was bitten? You, Elisani?" Sherman approaches the investigator, and studies the wound.
"Yes, yes... I do believe there are toxins there. Let me try my magic..."
With a prayer, the old man places his hand on top of the wound, letting the divine magic turn the poison into harmless substance.
But in the end, he is not very confident it worked.
"Oh, right... Who was bitten? You, Elisani?" Sherman approaches the investigator, and studies the wound.
"Yes, yes... I do believe there are toxins there. Let me try my magic..."
With a prayer, the old man places his hand on top of the wound, letting the divine magic turn the poison into harmless substance.
[dice=CL check vs. poison DC]1d20+7
But in the end, he is not very confident it worked.
Can I presume someone also points Sherman over to the body wrapped in spider webs?
________________
Shalelu also strides in and pulls out a knife to cut away the webs, revealing a man who's picture I have added to the map. He is in only traveling clothes, his face pale, and his breathing is shallow. So shallow, in fact, that if you weren't looking for it, you would assume he was dead.
Shalelu takes all that in and says, "There may be others still alive but comatose."
"Oh, there's someone alive?" Sherman rushes over to the pale man. Indeed, he would have thought the man already dead, if not for the sharper eyes of his companions.
And others as well? the reverend looks at Shalelu, and then the cocoons around him.
"Let me try to bring some life to them, then..."
Sherman closes his eyes, and spreads his arms. Acting merely as a medium between the mortal realm and the divine, he lets the power of life flow through him. A gentle light bursts forth, warming everyone's souls and healing their wounds.
"Oh my goodness, let's get them down! I didn't even think of it, I'm so sorry."
Yes, but not enough to bring him to conciousness.
_______-
@Ceven: You begin to bring down the other cacoons?
Ceven turns, and quickly flies back inside the barn to retrieve the other coccoons. Thankfully they find 2 other survivors, and can lay the others to rest when they have time.
Once Ceven retrieves the other cocoons, Elisani draws her dagger and begins cutting them open. "Any luck, Sherman?"
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"Unfortunately the divine light did not do much good for the poor man... But let me try another spell."
With another prayer, Sherman uses his connection to the divine to revigorate the unconscious man.
@Sherman: The man slowly blinks his way back to conciousness. He is still pale and has sickly bags under his eyes, but he is awake.
Looking up at you, he croaks through a dry throat, "Thank you, stranger." He stops to swallow a few times, trying to work moisture back into his throat. "My name is Vale ... Temros, the Black Arrows. Who are you?"
-
From across the room, as you work to cut open the bound bodies, Shalelu eventually exclaims in surprise.
"Sherman, over here now!" She shouts at Sherman, hovering over one of the comotose bodies. "It's Jakardros!"
Tarphrex looks back at the sound of a new voice, then Shalelu's excitement. He nods slightly, then returns to his self-assigned post, watching for anyone sneaking up on the party.
"Oh, thank Desna that worked..." Sherman heaves a sigh of relief. He hands the man his waterskin to ease out his thirst. "Good. You're alive, my friend. I'm Reverend Sherman Blake, and..."
But he is interrupted Shalelu's yell, and he looks over. "... the who now? Oh, I'm sorry, I need to..." turning quickly back to Vale, and then looks around. "Elisani! Could you tend to this man? I need to go see what that is about..."
Sherman gives Vale a pat on the shoulder and a weak smile, and scurries over to Shalelu. She seemed agitated, so maybe he needs to hurry. And as he walks, the name Jakardros starts to ring a bell. Amaiko mentioned the name, something to do with Shalelu...
Once he joins Shalelu, Sherman repeats the treatment that woke Vale Temros just a moment earlier.
As Sherman moves away to help Jakardros, Estella moves to support Vale. She sits down next to him and offers her waterskin. "You look like you could use some water."
"My name is Estella. Me and my friends here were supporting Shalelu over there, who's been looking for you. How about you tell us what exactly happened?"
@Sherman: The man coughs awake, and Shalelu briefly puts her hand on your shoulder in thanks. Then begins tending to Jakardros.
_________
@Estella: He takes a drink of the water, still weak and breathing heavily. "Shalelu? Jak's girl? I'm glad she found us."
He struggles to a sitting position, coughing on the dust in the room. His sentences are short, the words coming heavivly between deep breaths.
"We were attacked. At the fort. So many ogres. It was like. Every band around. Got together. I'd never seen. So many together. And trolls. An ettin. And stone giants. In command."
He pauses to breath some more. "The walls were overrun. Quickly. We fought back. But most of us. Are trained with a bow. Safer that way.
He puts his head back, eyes closed as he recalls what happened. "After they were over the walls. It went fast. So many of us died. We escaped. Through a hidden tunnel. We ran but they chased us. We tried this place. To hide. Then the spider and the ogre. Mutants got us."
Vale looks at Estella, then around at all of you. "Thank the gods you found us. Thank you."
odd collection of monsters...any clue why? If they're anything like the one we've already found, Big, dumb and have a severe dislike of fire
@Ain: Vale shakes his head. Your answer comes from near Shalelu; Jakardros speaks, his voice strong despite his condition. "Giants. They're all giants."
He's sitting up, pale like Vale (hey, that rhymes) and likewise looks weak. But he is obviously angry at their situation.
______________
@Sherman: Got another one in the tank for the last survivor?
anything else about them? Details to figure out what type of giant. We can mount a counter offensive
@Ain: "We already told you what type of giants. Ogres, trolls, ettin, and stone giants."
__________
@Sherman:
The last one wakes up, looks around holding his head, but doesn't say anything.
From his watch point, Tarphrex asks, ”Why you hang in spider nest? Spider not giant.”
Estella tilts her head. "As far as spiders go, I'd definitely call this a giant spider though..."
She shakes her head.
"But I digress. I'm glad we could help you, and I'm sorry for all the horror and loss you've experienced. We're here to help reclaim the fort."
He turns to the rest. "Should we take a rest so the Black Arrows can recover, and form a sort of plan of action, now that we're with people who know what we're up against?"
She turns to Vale. "At the very least, you mentioned a hidden tunnel. Could we use that to get back inside?"
"Oh dear, you all look to be in quite a bad shape." Sherman shakes his head, and keeps giving the gift of magic.
"We have not gone to look inside the farmhouse itself, is it possible that we could allow our patients to rest more comfortably there?"
"Tarphrex think little ogre not alone. Cry for mama, yes? Tarphrex worry where be mama. Many giant attack fort. Men captured, given to spider. Who do that?"
He points at the house. "If little ogre live in house, need to investigate house, yes. But careful Tarphrex wants to be."
Jarkardros speaks up, "You said Mama?" He looks at the third man with a scowl. "Fine, Kaven, you were right." Kaven, as you now know his name, smirks. "That would make this the Graul farmhouse. They're half-breds. Ogre and whatever they can get their hands on. They'll breed with each other as well, mutants. They'll likely have our gear inside. But I wouldn't want to sleep in there."
Vale tries to explain better, after thanking Sherman for the spells, "I don't think we were given to the spider so much as they didn't take us from it. We were trying to hide here in the barn, it was dark, we couldn't see. Then the spider had us."
"That all makes a great deal more sense; let's rest a bit, here, and then go gather your things."
Elisani wrinkles her nose. Given what she encountered when searching the dead half-ogre earlier, the inside of the farmhouse is bound to be filthy. "I wonder why they kept the spider here? Surely its poison is as much of a danger to them as to us." She shrugs. "Perhaps they were simply too lazy or too cowardly to fight it. Regardless, Tarphrex is correct. We should investigate the farmhouse and slay any half-ogres within. Preferably before my mutagen wears off."
Nodding his agreement at Ceven’s comment, ”Tarphrex understands now. Tarphrex have magic. Can go when friends ready. Need plan.”
He looks at Elisani and says,
Elisani translates Tarphrex's comment for the rest of the group. "I would also like better intelligence on the enemy. Unfortunately, Ceven and I were unable to see much when we were scouting. I would recommend staying together. Should we encounter a group of half-ogres, our odds will be better as a team than as individuals."
Nodding, ”OK. Tarphrex make fast magic when we find small ogre family.”
He settles in, watching the house for signs of movement, feeling he knows his part in the adventure to come.
Elisani translates Tarphrex's comment for the rest of the group. "I would also like better intelligence on the enemy. Unfortunately, Ceven and I were unable to see much when we were scouting. I would recommend staying together. Should we encounter a group of half-ogres, our odds will be better as a team than as individuals."
"Let me know if we want me on poit or on flank, I will happily do either. All of you could get into position and I could walk towards the front do and blast it off it's hinges ... or I could hover above the front door and attack the ogres when you draw them out. Also good."
"Do we rather want to squeeze in for a fight, or lure them out?"
Sherman looks somewhat exhausted after tending the Black Arrow folks.
"I can work pretty decently in narrow spaces, but I don't know how everyone else feels about that. I do think bottlenecking them at the door could work very well for us."
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Known entrances for the farmhouse:
There is a front door on the porch, this is on the southern facing wall.
There is a side door on the eastern side, this faces the barn. Both are similiar size (a medium creature would fit in normally).
Not to overly-complicate things, but there are also several windows/boarded up holes where windows used to be.
The farmhouse is two stories tall, the second floor is smaller than the first, suggesting an attic of some sort.
__________
While you look at the farmhouse to size up your options, you turn back to see the fire-pelt cougar licking Jarkardros cheeks while he pets it.
Motion catches Elisani's eye, and she turns to see the cougar reunited with its person. She smiles and turns back to the group. "I am accustomed to fighting in buildings and alleyways, so I have no issue with confined spaces. However, fighting inside the building may be challenging for Ceven and Shalelu, and Ain's fire spells run the risk of setting the farmhouse on fire. I would suggest luring the occupants out. If Ceven rips down the door, the noise and damage will no doubt bring them to see what is going on."
"Friends enter side door or front door?"
"Friends enter side door or front door?"
"I'm going to blast the front door Tarp; we don't want anyone trapped in there. We are better to fight out here in the open, and to keep them scared that we will, in fact, burn the house down."
"Friends enter side door or front door?""I'm going to blast the front door Tarp; we don't want anyone trapped in there. We are better to fight out here in the open, and to keep them scared that we will, in fact, burn the house down."
So you level a blast at the front door? Just want to make sure you're ready. You, Ceven, specifically.
The tiny sorcerer looks around, ”What tarp?”
So you level a blast at the front door? Just want to make sure you're ready. You, Ceven, specifically."Friends enter side door or front door?""I'm going to blast the front door Tarp; we don't want anyone trapped in there. We are better to fight out here in the open, and to keep them scared that we will, in fact, burn the house down."
Ready, yes; front door, yes.