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Netkin carefully places each helmet in a compartment. "Sorry, don't know which one belonged to whom... But it's better than the floor..." he whispers apologetically to the uncaring pieces of armour.
Once he's done, he stops for a second to wipe the sweat off his brow with the back of his sleeve. "So... No things left to do? We can tell the goblins their citadel is secure?"
Ellaeaanda nods approvingly in agreement with Netkin. “Indeed. Good news one may share with Bumblebrasher clan.” So saying, she starts heading to the upper part of the citadel to tell the goblins that they may move back into their former home.
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"Hello! Um, we've just finished clearing the citadel. We got rid of the giant slime in one room, and uh, deactivated the sigils that kept the Hellknights skeletons alive and running. All should be well now!"
"Do we need help with those wounds? I've run out of bandages, but I think I have a couple of unguents left..."
Cerrus also speaks with the Bumblebrasher clan leadership. "My friends and I were able to remove the nasty creatures below and either dispatched of them or, in some cases, quelled unhappy spirits. I believe two friendly kobolds still reside in one of the rooms. I suspect that you and them could find a workable agreement that allows them to stay in a portion of the citadel in exchange for services or similar."
Cerrus looks at the charau-ka in sympathy but has no medical training to speak of.
"Shall we rest here for the day and then set off toward the cave again?"
Ellaeaanda does not wait for an invitation—seeing the goblins’ difficulty in healing the charau-kas on their own, she steps in with her own healing kit, tending them with patient, methodical certainty.
To Cerrus she responds “Or in town, if preparation we need for the vermin and spiders described in Voz’s journal.”
"It would be nice to rest for a moment. I never imagined all this when I started out, but maybe adventuring is a good life? New things every day to see." Resa isn't able to help any, but she does try to interact with everyone
With the charau-kas treated and asleep, Ellaeaanda returns to the others. “Even the sun dozes,” she remarks, in apparent agreement with resting at the citadel. “In the morning I shall examine the charau-kas anew. Rest well, for dangers loom on the horizon.”
As Ellaeaanda goes to tend to Skorp and Venak, Ardoinel follows.
"তোমাকে কী আক্রমণ করেছে?"
He begins assisting with the application of herbal unguents and poultices.
"নিশ্চিন্তে বিশ্রাম নাও, এবং ইউয়েলরালের উপহার তোমার আরোগ্য লাভকে সহজ করুক।"
Once they're seen do, Ardoinel stands up and stretches, turning to Helba.
"It was an honor to aid you, Helba."
He chuckles a bit at the mention of Pib and Zarf's "might."
"Mighty indeed."
At the suggestion they spend the night with the Bumblebrashers, he bows.
"Thank you once again for your hospitality."
When he sets up his bedroll, however, he makes sure to place it away from the group and the Bumblebrashers' communal fire. He knew the average goblin would probably be in awe of a man who could dream fire out of thin air, but he didn't want anyone to get hurt.
Resa stays up for a good bit of the night, not needing to sleep overly much, but still bothered by the events of the last few days. She had to deal with the fact many people it seemed where not evil, but sometimes you faced someone so bad you had to get rid of them. Making the choice seemed harder to her than it had to be, and she would offer a prayer to Desna to help her see the correct path way forward.
Cerrus enjoys the evening with the goblin tribe, telling tales of the group's adventures. "And then that damned slime thing hit me so hard that I was unconscious after two solid hits. Thankfully, Netkin woke me up and I kept fighting."
After awhile, Cerrus tries of the merriment and finds a quiet corner to sleep.
Upon waking, Cerrus asks the group if additional preparations need to be made. "Anything to do before we head back to that cave entrance?"
Waking to the sounds of Netkin's alchemy, Cerrus joins Netkin in early morning preparations. He creates two knick-knacks from his bag of random doo-dads.
He attaches one to his new battle axe, and offers Ardoinel the other.
In the morning, Ellaeaanda responds to the charau-kas with a caution in draconic.
To Cerrus she gently shakes her head. “Aiudara and destiny await.” The elf almost seems eager to discover this aspect of her heritage. She looks down at the busy halfling. “Have you created repellent for the spiders?”
”কোন এক ধরণের প্রাণী আমাদের আক্রমণ করল। আমরা খাবারের জন্য শিকার করছিলাম, ঠিক তখনই ছোট পশম এবং বড় নখওয়ালা একটি বড় প্রাণী আমাদের আক্রমণ করে পালিয়ে গেল। আমরা প্রাণীটির পাঁজর দেখতে পেলাম, এটি নিশ্চয়ই ক্ষুধার্ত ছিল।“
Ardoinel listens to Skorp and Venak's explanation and shakes his head a bit.
"Probably that warg we drove away..." he mutters sadly.
He looks to the Bumblebrashers.
His elven ears pick up Netkin's thinking aloud and he turns and approaches.
"I think I can help there; Yuelral taught us the secrets of many plants and herbs, including which ones spiders dislike. Strong scents are the key. Basil, mint, lavender, rosemary and marigolds are all options that will help."
"Me! I dislike spiders, and they dislike me! All those legs and crawling features... Ewww. And then some bite you, others are poisonous, and I hear some are even venomous!" Resa jumps in to help Netkin, but it's very clear she has no idea what her help will look like or even do. But it gave her something to focus on.
“Eucalyptus, citronella, and cinnamon as well,” Ellaeaanda chimes in, adding to Ardoinel’s list of things that would drive spiders away.
“Doubtful is their dislike,” she responds to Resa’s discomfort with spiders, “and unwise is yours. Sacred creatures they are, respected like grandmothers and venerated by gods. The weft they weave wields the potential of fate.” Her gaze looks past the rogue, unseeing. “Mayhap we are destined for violence, but they feed only because they must. Remember too, how Voz describes their control under another. Perhaps they are slaves to be freed.”
With everyone ready, the seer wishes the charau-kas well and bids them and the goblins farewell, ready to head back to the cave where they found Voz.
Having completed his preparations, Cerrus bids the goblins and the charau-kas farewell. "I hope we are back soon with tales of victory and newfound treasure. Then we have a worthy celebration!"
He sets off with his new friends, anxious to uncover what lies in wait at the cave but also with calmness that he is facing whatever comes with this group.
Resa, trying to have faith in her friends, looks really doubtfully at the web covered chamber. " Can we perhaps talk to them then? I would rather not have them in my... well, it is a pain to remove webs from your hair."
“Not known for speech are arachnids, Ellaeaanda responds to Resa. “But perhaps we can discern what type they are.” The elf lights a torch and slowly enters the northern chamber, using the torch to carefully burn away the cobwebs. She gestures towards the trembling pouch of webbing. “Steel, not fire, should reveal its contents,” she advises the others. Curiously, she carries no blade of her own.
"Better to clear this area first to avoid having something come at us from behind." Cerrus joins Ellaeaanda in a search of the room, doing his best to avoid the webbing.
Ardoinel offers no commentary on the nature of spiders. As far as he was concerned, they were wild animals like any other. Small ones should be treated with gentleness, and large ones respected from a distance.
He joins in the search of the chamber.
He sheathes his sword and draws his clan dagger, grimacing a bit.
"I just hope that what we reveal isn't a swarm of newly-hatched spiderlings panicking that their warm, comfy egg sac's been breached."
He approaches the pouch Ellaeeanda indicated and begins gingerly cutting into it.
Cerrus makes way for Ardoinel to take the lead on entering the room and readies himself to provide backup. "Right behind you, Ardoinel. It's just some misplaced treasure, right?!?!"
Cerrus sees the a creature amongst all the webbing and stops Ardoinel short of hacking and burning.
"What. is. that?"
Ellaeaanda calmly cocks her head to one side as she examines the creature on the ceiling.
Ardoinel starts a bit as Cerrus stops him and directs his attention to the slavering creature above. He sheathes his clan dagger quietly and draws his sword anew. This was no animal.
“Bomb,” Ellaeaanda coolly replies to Netkin. “Spider it is not, but feed on spiders it does. Gone are the hunting spiders that weaved these webs. Beware the tixitog’s tongue. Slippery too is the floor.” She retreats to make way for the usual vanguard of the group to enter, opting to come around through the other tunnel from Voz’s lair. With her longbow at the ready, she ruminates further on what she knows of these creatures.
"Can we talk to it? If it's not hostile to us, perhaps we can talk to it to pass, and leave it's food source alone?" Resa is not positive she wants to try this creature that EATS spiders.
"I don't think we can reason with this creature. But someone could try." Cerrus waits to see if someone else takes the lead on diplomacy efforts.
"Does it even speak Taldane?" Ardoinel asks. Then he looks back up at it, and sighs a bit. "At the very least if it doesn't understand us, it'll know we're ready for it and be less likely to try something brave."
"HO THERE!" he calls up to the tixitog. "We see you up there! Your ambush has failed. You won't find us an easy meal!"
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“Always one can talk,” Ellaeaanda responds to Resa, “but not always does one listen. And fear not,” she turns to Netkin, noticing his nervousness and doubt, “only the small are grabbed by the tixitog’s tongue, to be swallowed, suffocated, and crushed.” Hopefully the halfling will be cheered by the news that his larger companions are safe from such a fate. After a moment’s consideration, she glances briefly towards Netkin’s construct and adds “Unpalatable your creation is. Perhaps it could investigate the pouch of webbing without molestation?”
Resa doesn't wish to provoke anything, she will just watch and pay attention for anything to change, just to make sure everything goes well
"We don't want a fight. Our business is deeper into the cave. We'll let you be if we have your word you'll let us be in return."
Cerrus tries to reason with the creature, uncertain if he can actually speak to it.
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"But I am small," Netkin whimpers - his voice noticeably higher.
"I could send my construct, I guess... If I'm quite sure it won't attack it... But it can't, um, see things exactly, or at least report them. And it can't grab them. It has no opposable thumbs. We had to make do, you understand."