Enara jogs back to the others, stowing her rapier before collecting her bow off the ground.
"I hate bugs."
"Hum. Which parts of the spiders do you need to prep a meal? Should I just like, fetch the whole leg or something?", Phai asks of Beryl, quite willing to make herself useful.
Bertrum leans against the wall while the Alchemist works, seemingly drifting off.
"You need to burn the hairs off first. Open flame grilling...is best..."
*ZZZZZzzzzzzZZZZZZzzzzz*
Beryl talks as she works.
"Yes that's right, the upper portion is the meatiest. I have some fire powder here that I use to make bombs, but a small amount as seasoning I find gives a wonderful smokey flavour; here take a pinch"
Beryl works on healing up Bertrum's damage from the spiders.
A quick look over at the human sized lumps shows most of the sacks are full of rot and decay, but one of them must be more recent. The body is beyond recognition, but still intact enough to see that it is cluching a +1 Striking Scimitar. It seems to be bound tight and unable to use it. Didn't save this potential hero.
From here there are 2 tunnels. One to the north and one to the south.
Enara waits for the others near the mouth of the southern tunnel, rapier in hand.
After picking his nose, his arm pits, his nose (one must be certain), Mosquito notices the cool human female nudging toward the Southern tunnel.
Mosquito jumps up to his feet. He grabs his sweet war-flail, and rushes into the tunnel!
After a short nap, and a ton of water supplies being used up once he wakes up, Bertrum leans heavily on his Halberd and moves to follow Enara...slowly.
As the group starts to move down the southern hall. The gloom and tunnels snaking away from each end of this open cavern make it seme like merely a corridor rather than a proper chamber. Thick sheets of spiderwebs hang from the northern wall.
The sheets of spiderwebs along the north wall are in fact the walls of a cleverly disguised tent-like structure.
Enara puts a hand up, signaling everyone to stop. She then points to the sheets of webbing along the north wall before speaking in a low whisper.
"Those webs aren't random; someone or something has turned them into a tent."
Mosquito stops. The little-big goblin turns to the web tent that the coolest of human females has noticed.
He politely knocks on the tent, causing the poor goblin's knuckles to get caught in the webbing.
Dis bees un bit ov stupids. Whats ifn youses needs ta go poddy? Youeses reaches fer da fluffy papers and youeses gits stucks! Messes bees everywheres!
The goblin seems to have talked himself into a slight depression....
"Curious, still, if not practical. I mean, how do you even handle them without getting everything stuck in a clump? That, and what if someone decides to burn all the webs...I mean, not that hidden then, is it?", Phai comments, drawing on her extensive knowledge of Architecture to note that no great civilization every decided to build their foundation on spider webs.
"It's quite practical, if you're something that doesn't get stuck on webs. Like, say, a giant, intelligent spider." Enara gives an involuntary shudder and steps no closer.
Burtrum shrugs and yanks Mosquito free.
"Seems practical to me. Not like a lot of bad weather down here, and it makes great camouflage for those unfamiliar with the area. 'Hello?' Anyone in there?"
He then tears the silk with his halberd's sharp edge at range, to see what is beyond.
The tent like webbing shifts then opens up below, a flap like door seems to unhindge downward. Almost invisible, but must have been part of how it was made.
Sliding out of the container is a human woman. She raises her hands "Yes. Hello. My name is Renali." Her accent is interesting, but it is clear enough common. She holds her hands out in a non hostile stance.
"Who are you?" she seems shocked to see a diverse group such as you.
"Hej Renali. We? Just locals on a sight-seeing tour. We visited the old fortress and now wanted to show our friends the caves here. Had a interesting run-in with a lady with skeletons. Do you know her, by chance? An acquaintance of yours? What are YOU doing here?", Phai engages the woman in casual conversation without so much as a pause to consider.
Perking up at the welcoming sight of a nice Web Lady, Mosquito smiles at her. The little-big goblin holds out his hand like he seen some important folks do.
Hellos! I am Mosquito! We are huntings! Why are you being heres!
The goblin seems to think that shouting his the way to proceed in this situation.
The smiling goblin looks like he will run out of breathe if he keep the smile up for too long....
Bertrum merely holds his pole-arm in a 'ready-to-smack-something' stance and glances annoyingly at Mosquito.
"Listen little big-man, SHE could be one of the ones we are hunting! So keep your guard up!"
Enara stays right where she is, eyeing the woman cautiously.
”Ah yes yes. I don’t think you sight seeing, spiders and goblins and nasty lady involved. They all gone? I heard much fighting from other rooms. I do not know the lady’s name, but she fought me. I only just recovered from the encounter”
She looks around ”I came here through the gate, further in. I have been stuck here since the portal shuttered and the cave-in blocked my way. Also further in” She points to the East, ”There is nasty Barghest. In there.”
Waving to Mosquito ”Hi Mosquito. You must not be like the others I saw. Greetings!”
Putting her hands up to Bertram ”I am sorry, I am not sure who you are hunting. I do not believe I am that though. First this is not my language. I had to learn it from others. Is it possible that the ones you are hunting are the Cinderclaws? They were interested in an old shrine near my home. I did not trust them. But through a series of bad events I ended up here. Stranded in this cave. Would you be willing to help me get home?”
Everyone is pretty sure she is telling the truth. Though something seems off about her, first but not least the strange web hut she was in. Though her mentioning the cinder claws she seems genuinely angry at them.
Beryl eyes her suspiciously.
"Where is your home? Through a portal? We met another unfortunate who was stranded far from home as well. And you said "shuttered", does that mean it is closed or just blocked? I've never seen a portal before"
She tries a disarming smile, but Beryl has never been good at hiding her emotions and her distrust is plain.
"What a strange shelter you have, did you find it like that?"
"Or did you make it yourself? What IS your first language? And where is your home? If you are stranded here, I take it it's nowhere close, so I'm also missing some context on that old shrine and the Cinderclaws - I take it you came through some portal, but from where?", Phai keeps up the barrage of questions, well aware that rapidly answering a multitude of different things easily trips up people trying to make up a consistent story.
Not that she initially suspected the strange woman of lying, but better safe than sorry.
Otters? Wheres bees da otters? Cinderclaws? Whats bees un cinderclaws? Barghest? Bees da sum kinds ov breakfasts? Mees hungrys.
Bertrum merely rolls his eyes and waits patiently.
"Yes. I came through some doorway and it lead me here. My home is in the Mwangi jungle. It was blocked off, then I got trapped here because of the Bargeist as well as a Charau-Ka fanatic futher in. They have kept me from checking out the collapsed tunnel. I do not know if its been cleared"
Looking at her built structure. "Yes.. I built this. This is a form I am showing you to not scare you. I mean you no harm, I just didn't wish to frighten you. I look more like what you just fought than yourself."
"I feel better speaking the tongue of my people, or the region from which I came. I learned this language from my own explorations. Like I said, the portal of some kind was in the jungles of the Mwangi expanse. From what I have pieced together, that is very far south from here"
Looking to Mosquito "Sorry friend. No Otters. Cinderclaws mostly left, I believe. Though the fanatic Malarunk is one of them. Also saddly I have no food for you. I have been living off rats and fungus for weeks"
"The hell's a barghest?"
Mosquito seems as if he will pass out from thinking so much.
Bertrum raises an eyebrow.
”Form? Hmmm…So what is your natural form? Personally I like to change into lizards. Never thought about changing into a pretty girl so I don’t intimidate someone.”
She looks about the group, "Um yes.. my form looks like a large spider. We change into this to not frighten off others. As for the Barghest.. I believe its something that some goblins worshiped. Mostly I know its big, mean, thinks itself in charge. It resists fire and most weapons that don't have a spark of magic in them.. It also has a mean bite. I wish I could help, but I just recovered from my scrap with that elf woman. I can try to offer a distraction though, if you wish to kill the evil creature. I just want to go home" She looks sad and distraught.
You actually see welling of tears on her eyes.. but also you spot them on the backs of her hands too.
She seems to deflect from the transformation discussion a little.
That's enough for Beryl.
"Of course we'll help you get home right folks? If it's truly an evil creature, then you've got the right people. We're the heroes of Breachill"
She then beams with pride at being able to call herself that, and starts wondering how best to use her few alchemical reagents to help tackle a barghest.
Along with the fire she mentioned, you are pretty sure the inverse is true, It is weak to cold.
"Well, some of us are. I'm new in town." Enara offers a small smile.
Mosquito's blue eyes begin to run with tears. The purely distraught little-big goblin falls to his knees as the nice spider lady tells her tale. The bard wails as if he were being stricken by the 2nd grade teacher using a yard stick on him!
Wees bees soo sads!
Mosquito is pretty sure these things are gods. At least that is what he has heard.
Enara, on the other hand has a better idea is just unsure. Though she is pretty sure these are strong creatures.
Bertrum scratches his head, and leans on his halberd.
"If this thing is as tough as she says, then I think we should rest first. I'm still sore from all those spider bites and the leftover posion is making my mouth taste like copper-flavored cotton! Besides...I want to ask this young lady how she turns into a spider and back in to a young lady! Sounds fun...turning into a spider that is..."
"Well, whatever it is, it probably still dies if Mosquito hits it hard enough."
Beryl nods to Bertrum's suggestion.
"I wouldn't mind preparing some more reagents either, I only have enough for one bomb. These things are vulnerable to cold I've heard, so a few frost vials could make all the difference!"
Un god! Wees kin makes un new shirts!
Mosquito spends the time imagining him wearing a new god shirt!
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"I'm fine either way - rest or no rest. But if this fine spider lady had trouble with the necro-elf, then in my book she's on our side, plus if they are after this mysterious place near her home, then we basically HAVE to investigate. Even if that means slaughtering some blazing dachshund-deity", Phai nods in affirmation.
Then, after thinking on what else was said, she turns to Bertrum:"Say, if you learn how to turn into a spider, can we milk you for poison?"
Through the rest, your new friend tries to help out here and there. Turns out she very capable with medicine skills and is able to Aid Beryl with the healing of everyone.
In the morning, or as much as you can tell being in this cave system. Renali says, "I can make one of you invisible before the battle. I don't want to get involved if I can avoid it though, if thats ok."
Mosquito falls asleep dreaming of his new barghest armored shirt!
The next morning, the little-big goblin seems anxious to go kick some stupids buut!
Mees bees go'ins ta go bashes da stupids barghest wit mees flails!