"Are these the fish stealers? I don't think so. But maybe we can find clues around this area." Taong looks around the area to see sign of the real threat, the fish stealer.
"Whoo-hoo! We did it! That was easy!" shouts Kenoryth.
"Nothing to do now but collect our reward!"
Tamily is relieved to learn that the rats are dead, but when she visits the basement with the heroes, she points out that rats can't smash barrels open, and two of the barrels have definitely been smashed open. The rats couldn’t have caused all of the destruction.
Also, she points out that there's a giant excavated hole that has to be explored.
"Oh," says Kenoryth, frowning. "Right. That makes sense. Well, no time like the present!" and with that, he ducks right through the hole...
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After a moment (most likely before Tamily is called in) Khaldan will pull himself together and get up. "My apologies, it is just all a bit different to training."
He will then go down the stairs to investigate the barrels.
to check the barrels, particularly if there is anything we can tell from the broken ones, like the type of weapon or tool was used to break them open.
He is also still interested in what he has heard about the dangers of giant rats.
Recall knowledge (nature) +5
When Kenoryth starts through the hole, Khladan will call out "Kenoryth, my friend, wait up, let's all go down together. Strength in numbers!" and then start following.
''If that is so, let us continue our hunt of the fish stealer." Taong advises. "What he tells is right," referring to Khaldan. "We're all in this together. Wait for us!" Taong follows them with his hide shield raised as usual. Better to be ready than sorry. As he does so, he scans the area around the big hole. He even lights up his hide shield with his spell to give them a nice view of what could be in the giant hole. "What do you see, fellow wizard?" he asks Kenoryth.
Khaldan is able to see that the barrels were not smashed with natural weapons (claws, teeth, etc.), but rather, crafted metal weapons - perhaps a spear of some kind.
---
Squeezing through the hole, the group finds themselves in a cavern that seems to stretch endlessly beneath the streets of Otari. Who knows what menace could be lurking down here? Up ahead, the passageway ends in a cliff that plunges sharply into the darkness. The cliff is only 10 feet tall, but the surface is slick with moisture.
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Khaldan looks at the cliff with a dubious expression. No way I'll be able to make it down there without help.
He will delve into his backpack, pull out a rope and a torch and cast light on the torch. Then he will have a look around the passageway for somewhere to anchor a rope.
If he finds one, he will tie the rope to it, tie a few knots into the rope at the right lengths for climbing and then throw the rope over the cliff.
If he can't find an anchor point, he'll call out "Anyone have a piton or grapple to hold a rope?" while preparing the rope.
Either way he will then drop the 'lit' torch over the edge and see what is down there.
"You can leave it tied there," suggests Kenoryth. "We'll need to get back out. Plus, I have another 50 feet of rope if we need more."
Taong stows his shield behind him and frees his hand with any weapon. He then waits for the two to fix the rope into something sturdy, to help them easily climb down the cliff.
Gurnevan screws up his courage and shoves his way to the front of the pack. As a dwarf, he naturally has no need for torches.
"While you lot fiddle with ropes and torches, I'll actually go down there and let you know what I see."
With no fanfare, and no preparation, he hops down and hopes for only minor bruising.
The dropped torch shows nothing except for some carved rock. Given the length of rope, Kenoryth ties it to one of the pillars in the storeroom, and it still has enough length to hang over.
Gurnevan jumps down. 10 feet is a pretty long fall for a novice adventurer, and Gurnevan takes damage.
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Dailyn follows along, keeping an eye on things and doing his best to be weary of the odd tunnels. Once they come up to the cliff face he provides what support he can. Seeing Khaldan requesting help he does exactly that, "Not sure what good it will do but you have my support," he offers jokingly.
Taking his lean frame he walks over with his staff and does his best to provide additional support for his ally to get down.
It wasn't much, but at least he didn't make things worse. He then chuckles and looks at the rope and ponders simply tumbling down, but thinks twice on it.
As he attempts to climb down himself, he finds the grip slips immediately. Hoping to reduce the fall, he tries to brace with his own staff and hopes his ally would be good on their word.
Dailyn Aids Khaldan. However when he tries to climb down himself, he slips and falls, but manages to Grab an Edge.
Sounds reasonable.
Gurnevan picks himself up, dusts himself off, and heads forward into the darkness.
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Dailyn takes another hold of the rope, frustrated. "I knew I should have just tumbled down..."
With the help of the knots, he makes another attempt at climbing down.
Satisfied with his attempt and back on solid ground, he looks to the others before glancing off into the distance. "Where to next? You all point me in the right direction and I'll see what I can scrounge up."
Khaldan and Dailyn climb down, and Fibek mangles his way down.
---
The tunnel continues deeper underground, eventually opening into a large chamber. Patches of glowing blue fungus cling to the ceiling and provide dim light. You can just barely make out vast strands of webbing across the floor and walls of this cavern, stretching between stalactites like shimmering curtains.
The webs aren’t sticky enough to make anyone who touches them unable to move, but they do slow characters down.
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"By the mercy of Sarenrae, you keep a frenzied pace my friends. Perhaps after we deal with these webs we could take a break and deal with poor Gurnevan's wounds?" Khaldan exclaims as the group enters the room.
"It looks like we aren't passing quietly by though. Should we burn the webs? I'll try some acid first."
Khaldan will then cast Acid Splash at the strand of web 30' ahead of him (so 15' ahead of the party so no one gets splashed).
for acid damage to the web.
Taong waits for the result of what just Khaldan did on the web to make an easy way for all of them. Does it burn or dissolve? Is it resistant to it? Only time will tell.
As the heroes start tinkering with the web, its creator emerges from the shadows.
Khaldan and Kenoryth are ready, though.
--Round 1
Khaldan (14/14 hp)
Kenoryth (15/15 hp)
Spider (-0 hp, Recall: Nature)
Dailyn (11/11 hp)
Fibek (14/14 hp)
Gurnevan (12/19 hp)
Taong (14/14 hp)
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"Well, guess it was always going to be a spider!"
Khaldan first recalls his knowledge of overly large spiders
◆
and then he will cast Ray of Frost at the spider
◆◆
for cold damage
Khaldan's memory - and his aim - are a little spotty.
The spider moves up and shoots a web at Fibek.
Fibek finds himself splattered with sticky webs, unable to move.
The spider will take a second shot at Dailyn, just a little further.
Dailyn is able to dodge it.
--Round 1
Kenoryth (15/15 hp)
Dailyn (11/11 hp)
Fibek (14/14 hp, immobilized)
Gurnevan (12/19 hp)
Taong (14/14 hp)
--Round 2
Khaldan (14/14 hp)
Spider (-0 hp, Recall: Nature)
Taong sends a mental jolt to the spider. He then raises his shield. "This area must be its territory."
◆◆ Cast a Spell, Daze, DC 17 basic Will save vs 4 mental damage
◆ Raise a Hide Shield (+2 to AC)
"Nope!" chirps Kenoryth. "It's ours!"
He waves his small hands in precise gestures and projects the image of many slender sharp stones emerging from the walls, floor and ceiling!
Warped Terrain (creates illusory difficult terrain to slow down the opponent in a 15' radius).
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"If at first you don't succeed.."
Khaldan will try again with Ray of Frost on the spider
to hit for cold damage.
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Dailyn, seeing the bottleneck in the hallway hopes to give his allies a chance to bring all their attention to focus on the insect. Looking upon the ground, Dailyn ◆ strides towards the north. Taking his staff, he points towards another loose rock and uses his ◆◆ telekinetic projectile spell to peg the spider's body, hoping to hit a soft spot!
◆◆ to hit for bludgeoning damage!
"I swear, rats and spiders. Seems right out of the children's adventure novels my father use to read to us..." the elf would muse mockingly, hoping their combined efforts would help bring down the spider.
A barrage of objects come flying from the area around Fibek and Dailyn. Only Fibek's rock seems to deal any damage. Khaldan's ray of frost seems potent, but is just a bit wide.
vs DC 17
Taong casts a spell, and the spider seems dazed, but not stunned.
Kenoryth casts a spell, and spikes come up from the ground.
--Round 1
Kenoryth (15/15 hp)
Dailyn (11/11 hp)
Fibek (14/14 hp, immobilized)
Gurnevan (12/19 hp)
Taong (14/14 hp)
--Round 2
Khaldan (14/14 hp)
Spider (-6 hp, Recall: Nature)
Gurnevan moves forward and casts electric arc.
The spider takes a little damage, and then moves forward through the spikes to bite at its immobilized prey.
vs Fibek flat-footed
plus DC 16 Fortitude
Even immobilized, Fibek appears to be a formidable target!
--Round 2
Kenoryth (15/15 hp)
Dailyn (11/11 hp)
Fibek (14/14 hp, immobilized)
Gurnevan (12/19 hp)
Taong (14/14 hp)
--Round 3
Khaldan (14/14 hp)
Spider (-8 hp, Recall: Nature)
"Wounds? What wounds? Bah, don't tell me you think a tiny little rat bite is reason enough to..."
Gurnevan's complaints are cut short by the arrival of a much larger enemy that could bite a lot harder than a rat.
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The spider being a more formidable foe, Gurnevan chooses to turn to more powerful magic than simple lightning. He steps away from it to make space, and an orb of green energy forms at the tip of his staff, and careens towards the spider.
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Eyes widening at the sudden nearness of the spider, Khaldan will try again with Ray of Frost
for cold damage.
"Hah. hopefully that one will stick!"
He will then pull out a dagger (◆ manipulate) in anticipation of cutting webs next turn.
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Frustrated with his first attempt, Daily attempts to recall any knowledge he has on spiders...
◈
It was a spider... though his own studies were more of historical elements, so he held little confidence with his effort. Frustrated he makes another attempt at lobbing a loose piece of stone at the large insect!
◈◈
"I swear, with all this nasty webbing I'm having trouble projecting the somatic components to my spells!" he bitterly complains.
Kenoryth telekinetically hurls a sharp bit of scree at the spider, then raises a magical shield.
Taong sends an electric arc to electrify the spider! He then raises his Hide Shield.
◆◆ Cast a Spell, Electric Arc, DC 17 basic Reflex save vs electricity damage
◆ Raise Hide Shield (+2 to AC)
The spider easily dodges the electricity, and the rocks that Fibek, Dailyn and Kenoryth send, but not the two beams that Khaldan and Gurnevan send.
With a loud screech, it dies.
--End of combat!
Kenoryth (15/15 hp)
Dailyn (11/11 hp)
Fibek (14/14 hp)
Gurnevan (12/19 hp)
Taong (14/14 hp)
Khaldan (14/14 hp)
The heroes search the room.
Kenoryth and Dailyn spot a wrapped up bundle of bones and dried skin that looks like it was some sort of small, reptilian creature. The bundle also contains a shortsword that has a small emerald in the pommel. There is also two minor healing potions ().
"Gurnevan's hurt. He should take the potions," says Kenoryth, eyeing the distasteful bundle closely.
"Wounded? You call this a wound?"
He grumbles, but pockets the potions anyway.
"Now come on and start clearing these webs so we can keep going. Whatever opened up that hole in the wall, the spider must've moved in after they'd left. Which means we've got a ways left to go."
HP for Gurnevan
"Let us treat that, else it will be a threat to your life>" Taong readies his healer's tools and mends Gurnevan's wounds before they proceed to their next destination. "We can use the potions later."
"Actually, I'd call it an ouchie," says Kenoryth softly to himself. "Maybe a boo-boo."
With Gurnevan patched up, the group heads down the corridor.
After the web-infested cave, the passageway leading deeper underneath the streets of Otari appears to be mostly natural, but someone, or something, has worked to open the cavern and level out the floor, making the passage easily traveled. A crude barricade made from old wooden planks and part of a barrel blocks the entrance to a side tunnel, while the main passage continues off into the gloom.