"Looks like just table salt and iron fillings," Huxwren says after holding the bag that had vexed Eldrin for a minute, all the while shaking their head emphatically. "Now let's get some sleep - somewhere without any spiders, if possible."
After having smashed the brotherhood of the spider and their shiver operation, the pathfinders take a moment to recover after the battle. Huxwren wants to rest, and Eldrin looks like he might do so any minute whether he finds a bed or not. After a few minutes Grunyak is hit with a terrible side-effect of the shiver fear immunity, and finds that he can only see 10 feet and sees strange and nightmarish things overlaid on his vision . You deduce he is likely seeing into the nightmare dreamscape plaguing Bridgefront.
|
Taariik immediately stabilizes the few cultists here who remain alive after he wakes up.
Taariik then looks around.
"This was a tough fight! I am really glad we survived!!" he says looking at all the blood.
Taariik starts to collect all the shiver. "I would like to destroy this disgusting stuff! Anybody against that?"
He shakes his head.
"And we should continue to search this place and then report this to the magistrate afterward. Can you guys continue to fight or should we try to rest somewhere here? I could go on."
He then looks at Grunyak and touches his shoulder.
"Grunyak, what is going on? Are you ok?"
|
Whether we rest nearby or elsewhere, I think we should destroy the shiver. A good ol"fashioned hangover is enough, we don't need nightmare inducing drugs.There is one prisoner, too, whose fate we should decide.If we can heal most of our wounds, and get the poison cleaned from our bodies, I think we should clear the whole house before reporting to the magistrate. But that's just my opinion.
”That’s fine - totally cool.” Huxwren’s voice is at complete odds with their words.
|
Grunyak looking at the 8 curative scrolls, "Might as well use some of these." "They are very hard to use in combat situations." "Much better used between fighting."
He then converts his shield of faith into a curative spell.
"Torag, in your wisdom, heal instead of the protection I asked for."
"I have one more powerful spell remaining that I can convert, let's just say it is a power of 3 out of 9." "It could possibly help with my vision as it normally restores sight, but the healing may be more important if we continue." "I also have a wand with 23 castings remaining of minor curative healing." "And now I have 4 scrolls remaining." "I would like to keep one scroll, but the others are available now. I need to know who to heal though."
|
|
"Well, maybe we should watch the shiver then? If we move the death from this room and maybe clean up a little we would use this. I have some rope. I could rig up a trip wire with mess kit pans to make noise if someone moves there either opening. It won't be fool proof, but it will at least give us a chance against invisible cultists."
Grunyak taps Dru twice more with her wand and once each on Taariik and Hux.
If no one else wants healing Grunyak will give Dru her wand back.
The pathfinders debate how they are going to rest and recover from an arduous morning of constant battle while still preventing any remaining cultists from reclaiming this headquarters. Taariik is adamant about destroying the shiver, so you start there.
Stepping into the room full of shiver it becomes clear why the cultists were wearing plague masks, as the air is thick and pungent with alcohol and spider venom fumes. Hundreds of glass vials have already been filled, and a large spigoted alembic full of pure shiver hangs from a chain above the table.
Taariik sets about destroying the stuff while Grunyak does his best to secure the area for resting, despite his current impairment. He sees in this room a pair of ghostly inebriates flickering in and out of existence, one of whom looks at him quizically as if peering into a painting and trying to puzzle out its meaning. As you're doing that, you hear some muffled cries coming from the room to the east, and investigating find several locals who are awake but paralyzed, naked and laid on a billiard table and on the floor amidst several ruined instruments. On the wall is a torn oil painting hanging askew of a brooding man staring in disapproval. Grunyak sees the nightmare version of the room, one clean in and good repair and with instruments in perfect working order. The man in the painting looks at him and says
"Have you brought my book?"
There are five people in total in the room, but two are ashen grey corpses, while the other three cling to life. Grunyak surmises that they have been poisoned with spider venom to cause their paralysis, and you assume that they are here to eventually be sacrificed to Mog-Lathar. As you are trying to help them, Grunyak sees the dream instruments begin to play of their own accord, and then everyone hears their discordant song pushing through to the real world, so powerfully emotive that it makes everyone feel sick. As this happens you also notice a carpet of tiny spiders flowing around the door to the north, and decide that the house is too dangerous to rest in, and that these poor people need medical attention at once.
Deciding that Huxwren's idea of summoning the guard to keep an eye on the house while you rest is the best one, you retreat the way you came and take the poisoned captives to a bridgefront hospice for treatment. Captain Crandon is waiting for you as you emerge from the city-wall tunnel, and agrees to find some hand-picked guards to put a quiet watch on the tunnel entrance while you gather your resources.
As you're moving about Grunyak peers into the true horror of the nightmare dreamscape of Bridgefront, a persistent world of nightmare that seems overlaid on Bridgefront and capturing its denizens every time they sleep. He sees the horrors of that world, including baying black hounds made of shadow, flying faceless creatures that lift people high up and drop them to their deaths on the cobbles below, and stranger things like houses with hungry mouths and puddles of tar sucking dreamers to their doom. He also feels the strange visions starting to fade.
As you're walking about Grunyak sees a very strange sight.
"Grunyak, you're asleep early. This way, we need to get you to the sanctuary." As she pulls on his hand and tries to take to the air, she stops.
"Wait, you're not asleep. Did you take shiver? Good gracious, do you know how dangerous that is? If you'd fallen asleep rather than into this fugue state you'd be in grave danger. Shiver dreamers are lucid; they are aware that they're dreaming; and death in the dreamscape is true death to the lucid. That's why shiver users are dying in their sleep. You need to stay away from that stuff."
She looks off into the distance outside the range Grunyak can see, before looking back.
"I have another client who needs my protection. The dreamscape is growing you know. It gets bigger every night, and there are only so many I can protect. Get to sleep Grunyak, I'll find you and your friends and protect you as long as I can. I feel like you're our only hope." She swooshes off into the air and disappears from Grunyak's view.
Eventually you return to the inn and get a long night of rest, once again found in the dreamscape by Madame Carrington, and you awake feeling refreshed and renewed, even more powerful than before!
|
|
Grunyak helps sell the items of calue and manages to find and acquire a magic pearl he has been wanting. The process plus the rest. Has done him good, but he is ready to finish what the group started.
"The magistrate's men can hold for a while, but forever. We should head there and finish clearing the place."
After spending a couple of hours in the Night Market and the surrounding curio-shops bartering for magical trinkets and other items, you return via the hidden tunnels in the city walls to the entrance to the house which formed the base of the Brotherhood of the Spider.
Captain Crandon herself is standing guard, along with another of the city watch. She nods as you approach.
"Good you're here. Something moved in there a few hours ago, looked like a person came out, saw us, then went back in. Well, I say person, but they weren't quite right. Face was sorta, spider-like. Damn creepy. My shift's almost over, but I can keep a couple of guards here a while longer yet, make sure no-one comes in behind you. Good luck in there. "
"Fascinating." Huxwren stands expectantly in front of the guards as if waiting for them to step aside. "Do not fret, we will surely get to the bottom of this. Quickly now, chop chop."
Carefully retracing your steps, you go over the ground you already covered to ensure that nothing has changed. You find the parlour much as you left it, save for the briney smell of the seawater gently lapping a few feet below the lip of the ruined lift shaft.
The stairs to the basement descend down, opposite an ornate spiral staircase at the end of the hall that leads up.
Resolving to look around this floor, the briney smell from the floor below is starting to come up the stairs causing you to remember the ruined lift shaft on the floor below. In its place on this floor is a door.
Carefully checking it over, Drusilla opens it and finds that it goes outside to a small railed balcony that overlooks the street below. Standing there and looking down, Drusilla and Taariik can see one of the oldest streets in Korvosa. The street signs call it "Merciless Way", but all the locals to whom you have spoken have referred to this street as "Hook Street". Drusilla notes several familiar landmarks, a weathered gargoyle on one old building, a collapsed chimney on another, that she recognises from the strange shiver dream she had yesterday.
While standing looking at the street, and at the mass of makeshift tenements built up around the older buildings, you begin to hear a strange noise, like the buzzing of a bee, but much deeper. Suddenly a hideous creature that looks like a wasp the size of a horse but with a spider's head and legs and two immense pincers floats down from the roof of the house and appears angry!
[spoiler=Initiative]
Huxwren
Taariik
Eldrin
Horrifying Creature
Grunyak
Drusilla
"Humph. It's nothing but a spider eater." Huxwren's tone is dismissive as he waves a hand at the creature. "Could have used its help yesterday. Perhaps it's upset we've killed all its food? Oh well - it is a fool to attack us!" The halfling chants a few words and points a finger at the flying creature.
Your damaging spells deal an additional 2 points of damage of the same type that they would normally deal to each target.
Huxwren sends a pair of focused fire beams at the spider-eater, one scorching its side, but the other burns into its eyes. Huge chunks of the creature are burned away, several of its legs look inoperative, yet still it seems intent on attacking.
Taariik conjures some protective images, while deeper in the house the sounds of muffled voices can be heard.
Huxwren
Taariik
Eldrin
Horrifying Creature
Grunyak
Drusilla
The sound of a door being opened can just be heard over the din of the injured spider-eater's wings, which drops slightly and unleashes a barrage of attacks, pincers, mandibles and stinger lashing out at the armoured intruders.
The spider-eater flies down and bites Dru on the neck, its dirty fangs dripping acid goo all over as it tears up her flesh. While its pincers can't pierce her armour, it plunges its stinger powerfully and pierces through, injecting her with poison.
?
Huxwren
Taariik
?
Spider Eater
Eldrin
Grunyak
Drusilla
Dru slams her morningstar into the spider eater and recieves a spray of disgusting blood for her trouble. It hovers in the air and seems to sway from the heavy damage, appearing as close to death as something can.
Eldrin moves and casts a spell, protecting himself from harm. From the other direction Huxwren and Grunyak get a clear view of a strange looking woman turning the corner. She seems a mixture of human and spider, with huge fangs protruding from her cheeks and small extra eyes around her human ones.
"You came baacck! You'll pay for what you have done, heathens!"
She moves her hands in an arcane invocation, casting a spell, and suddenly webbing erupts all around you!
Grunyak and Eldrin find themselves stuck fast as strands of web spring up from nowhere and pin them in place, but the others manage to avoid getting tied up.
Active Effects:
Webbing: The entire area is difficult terrain. Moving through it requires a CMB or escape artist check, where failure means you get stuck. 5 feet of webbing provides cover, and 20 feet total cover (so the spider lady has total cover from you all at present). If you are grappled you cannot move, but you can make a CMB or escape artist check as a standard action to try to break free.
Spider Lady
Huxwren
Taariik
?
Spider Eater
Eldrin
Grunyak
Drusilla
”Quickly now - chop chop.” Huxwren claps his hands twice, and the Pathfinders feel their limbs quickening. ”That aranea won’t take care of herself, after all.”
Taariik attacks the flying spider eater quickly, but perhaps with too much haste because his rapid attacks are unable to penetrate its armour. From beyond the edge of the thick webbing, you hear whispered voices.
"Toward the door, blast them Guela!"
"Not yet, not yet Raizel, they are held fast."
Immediately afterward come the sounds of spellcasting once again.
The spider flies away cautiously.
Active Effects:
Webbing: The entire area is difficult terrain. Moving through it requires a CMB or escape artist check, where failure means you get stuck. 5 feet of webbing provides cover, and 20 feet total cover (so the spider lady has total cover from you all at present). If you are grappled you cannot move, but you can make a CMB or escape artist check as a standard action to try to break free.
Haste: +1 bonus on attack rolls and a +1 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves, double speed (to a max of 30 feet), extra attack on full attack action
Raizel (red)
Huxwren
Taariik
Guela (blue)
Spider Eater
Eldrin
Grunyak
Drusilla
Grunyak pulls and punches at the webbing until his arms are free, and then brushes off those parts still attached to his legs.
Eldrin struggles feebly against the webbing, while Drusilla emerges out of the it to see two of the aranea's busily weaving spells. They both hiss as she escapes the webbing, and Raizel takes a step back, casts a spell, and a strange spectral hand that had been hovering around her shoots out toward Drusilla.
The ghostly hand touches Drusilla's new mithral armour and arcing electricity suddenly erupts from it, causing Dru's muscles to spasm and pain to wrack her entire body. The hand then rushes back to Raizel's side and hovers once again.
Active Effects:
Webbing: The entire area is difficult terrain. Moving through it requires a CMB or escape artist check, where failure means you get stuck. 5 feet of webbing provides cover, and 20 feet total cover (so the spider lady has total cover from you all at present). If you are grappled you cannot move, but you can make a CMB or escape artist check as a standard action to try to break free.
Haste: +1 bonus on attack rolls and a +1 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves, double speed (to a max of 30 extra feet), extra attack on full attack action
Raizel (red)
Huxwren
Taariik
Guela (blue)
Spider Eater
Eldrin
Grunyak
Drusilla
”Bah!” Huxwren doesn’t bother hiding his disgust with the webbing. ”You there, young fellow - clean up this mess, won’t you?” The halfling’s arms extend out to extreme lengths as he speaks, dagger held in one of them.
Taariik's sword sinks deep into the fleeing spider-eater's side before returning gore-soaked to his hand. The huge thing's wing flutter and stop, and it crashes through the makeshift structures abutting the house like an anvil through tree branches. Luckily the area seems deserted, apparently the locals give this house a wide-berth.
Taariik then runs through the webs as Huxwren extends their magical arms, while Raizel and Guela seem shocked to hear the spider eater fall, and exchange a look of fear.
"They killed it already?"
Still Guela holds her nerve, steps back and casts a spell at Drusilla.
"My brood will eat your eyes from the inside!"
For some reason Drusilla finds this concept highly amusing.
Active Effects:
Webbing: The entire area is difficult terrain. Moving through it requires a CMB or escape artist check, where failure means you get stuck. 5 feet of webbing provides cover, and 20 feet total cover (so the spider lady has total cover from you all at present). If you are grappled you cannot move, but you can make a CMB or escape artist check as a standard action to try to break free.
Haste: +1 bonus on attack rolls and a +1 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves, double speed (to a max of 30 extra feet), extra attack on full attack action
Raizel (red)
Huxwren
Taariik
Guela (blue)
Spider Eater
Eldrin
Grunyak
Drusilla
Drusilla stops laughing, and Raizel doesn't like that one bit. Starting to look a little panicked, she lets her anger get her through.
"Time to die!"
She steps and casts a spell, ignoring her spectral hand for a moment and conjuring a powerful lightning bolt that she sends through Drusilla and Grunyak before smashing into the wall and blowing a hole in the old rotten wood.
Active Effects:
Webbing: The entire area is difficult terrain. Moving through it requires a CMB or escape artist check, where failure means you get stuck. 5 feet of webbing provides cover, and 20 feet total cover (so the spider lady has total cover from you all at present). If you are grappled you cannot move, but you can make a CMB or escape artist check as a standard action to try to break free.
Haste: +1 bonus on attack rolls and a +1 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves, double speed (to a max of 30 extra feet), extra attack on full attack action
Raizel (red)
Huxwren
Taariik
Guela (blue)
Eldrin
Grunyak
Drusilla
Guela bites at Taariik as he passes, but she manages only to pop one of his images.