“In concord are we,” Ellaeaanda responds to the strange creature. “But your assistance we need. What know you of this spider lady, that we may aid your cause?” She glances casually towards the trembling pouch. "Is that your last meal of spiders?"
Cerrus nods in agreement with Ellaeaanda. "We can help you if you help us first. Who is this spider lady? What wrongs has she done to you?"
Cerrus thinks on what he knows of tixitogs - particularly if they known to be cunning and deceitful.
Ardoinel looks up at the tixitog grimly as the others speak to it.
"She asked you a question: is that pouch full of spiders or some other kind of meat?"
Ellaeaanda seems ready to proceed further into the cave as she nods at the tixitog’s response. “Then remove this spider lady we shall. But if under her influence are the spiders, defend ourselves we must. What know you of these spiders? Common hunting spiders are they?” She muses on how the mysterious woman might exert such control over arachnids.
Cerrus listens intently to the tixitog's answer, wondering if they are trying to lure the group into a trap.
Ardoinel is suddenly very glad Cerrus stopped him from cutting that bundle open.
He looks back up at the tixitog, wondering how much they can trust this creature. It seemed to be the kind of callous that only a creature that is smart enough to talk but still thinks in terms of predator and prey can be, and he wondered if they agreed to leave it, it'd just harm more people, like how that starving bear had wounded Skorp and Venak. Alak's warning rang in his ears.
Taking the tixitog’s words at face value, Ellaeaanda nods her thanks for its cooperation and truthfulness, then bids the creature farewell.
Ardoinel nods.
"Resa, would you be willing to scout ahead?"
" I do not mind looking ahead, but... but I mean, there are spiders, and a spider lady. I mean, what does a spider lady do? Besides eat innocent people like me?! Promise you will save me if I scream?" Resa seems to be more concerned with the spiders than anything else, this creature ate them, and to her that was a good move.
After her party hopefully agreed to it, Resa would move ahead and scout, looking out for anything that was not normal among the rocks
“Doubtful the lady would eat you,” Ellaeaanda reassures Resa in a nonchalant voice. “More likely to feed you to her spiders.” She follows behind the stealthy scout at a safe distance, perhaps about fifty feet, so that her magical orbs of light do not give the rogue away, but close enough to come to the arachnophobe’s aid in case of trouble. Meanwhile she warns the others about the spiders’ venomous fangs and ability to throw sticky webs from a distance to immobilize their prey.
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Netkin takes great care not to touch the pouch as he walks around it, even asking Ardoinel to carry the construct to make sure it won't accidentally bump or roll into it.
He shifts from foot to foot as he waits for Resa to come back, throwing nervous glances at the tixitog above.
The more he looked at it, the more it did look uncomfortably like a spider.
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Upon hearing about the centipedes, Ellaeaanda turns to Netkin and inquires “Can you create repellent for centipedes as well? To preserve the pillars, we must drive them back—or else lure them forward.”
Ardoinel strokes his beard a bit and his brow furrows as Resa returns and reports what she's discovered.
"It is a shivery thing when even you cannot even count on the normally great strength of stone," he muses. Then he launches into another coughing fit, a cloud of smoke and ash surging from his mouth. He feels the dark chuckle deep in his chest, delighting at the prospect of such destruction.
"Well, we have some centipedes ahead. If we hit the pillars right, we can smash them. But should we not check with our new friend if there is something they would enjoy form them? Perhaps a snack?"
"I haven't seen the area myself, but I imagine those pillars are holding up the ceiling of that chamber. Breaking the pillars might cause a cave in."
Cerrus tries to understand how to attack the centipedes based on Resa's description.
Ellaeaanda fixes Resa with a curious gaze in response to her question. “An hour thence, then an hour more in return, to ask the tixitog the mundane? Strange priorities have you. And doubtful it would leave its lair, unless delivery you offer.”
A slight nod indicates agreement with Cerrus—a cave-in would effectively seal off the aiudara—as she recalls what is known about such giant centipedes.
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Upon hearing about the centipedes, Ellaeaanda turns to Netkin and inquires “Can you create repellent for centipedes as well? To preserve the pillars, we must drive them back—or else lure them forward.”
"Oh, yes, sure, I could do that." Beat. "Er, perhaps I should mention that it'd take me half a day. Maybe more. If they're this big, I guess I'd need a big dose..."
"If we were outside, I would have suggested fumigation to force them back... However, in this case, I guess it would also force us back. Out of the cave, I mean."
"Nonetheless, perhaps they fear fire as much as any insect? A bright torch shoved in their faces - I mean, um, their eyes - might force them back the way they came."
“A puddle is not a lake,” Ellaeaanda intones in response to Netkin’s suggestion, “but perhaps a flicker of flame will suffice.” She lights a torch and hands it to the halfling while gesturing to attach it to his construct. “Inedible is safest to test this plan.”
“If fire does not avail, then with spells from afar must we brave.” The elf calmly prepares herself in case they need to take more drastic measures.
Cerrus shares his understanding with the group. "To safely attack the centipedes without damaging the pillars and risking a cave-in, we need to draw them away from the columns or avoid physical attacks altogether, which would be difficult for most of us. I suppose another option would be to reinforce the columns somehow, likely needing some quick thinking and crafting ability."
"I can't build scaffolding in the middle of a battle," Ardoinel grouses. "I agree, we need to lure these things closer to us. I have spells that can strike from afar, so that may at least draw them closer."
He moves to the front of the group, between Resa and Netkin.
"I'll hold the line, you can take shelter behind me."
" I think I could maybe draw them to me, perhaps if they chance me and I appear injured it would work? Maybe a broken wing sort of deal?" REsa offers forward to the group, thinking her speed and swiftness may carry her through better than others.
“Not yet,” Ellaeaanda advises. “Draw them completely away from the pillars first.” She knows that their spells won’t damage the pillars, but the creatures thrashing about in pain might. Best to draw them clear before launching their attack.
Resa awaits to strike, hidden back from the centipedes, to ensure they follow her more towards the area that would work for not destroying the pillars
Ardoinel draws out his shard of metal and begins rotating it in the air, ready to unleash a painful barrage of stinging metal to the centipede when it approaches.
Cerrus readies himself to strike once the centipedes are fully away from the pillars. He whispers to the group. "Hold attacks until they are clear. Netkin, have your construct draw them this way."
With the centipedes drawn away from the fragile columns, Ellaeaanda intones the words of a spell. Her violet eyes glow softly as she drains the life force of the nearest centipede. “An unkind fate today,” she intones as an impending eulogy, then retreats farther back away from the vermin.
Cerrus moves up to attack alongside Netkin's construct and slashes twice with his battle axe, attempting to carving weak points across the belly of the huge bug.
◆ Stride
◆ Strike
◆ Strike
“A quick fate,” Ellaeaanda nods approvingly at Cerrus. “Now, as you suggest,” she steps lightly past the fallen vermin, “buttress the pillars we should, lest they fall when we pass.” She glances towards the construct, then looks expectantly at the halfling.
“Netkin, great skill have you in construction. Aid you I shall.” Sifting through her pack, she produces some pitons, pulleys, rope, and a hammer, all in readiness to help the inventor stabilize the columns.
Cerrus backs out of the way to let Ellaeaanda and Netkin tend to the pillar safely. "Well done, everyone. Glad that threat is out of the way."
Cerrus cleans his blade of centipede gore and stands guard in case other bugs find their way here.
Ardoinel lowers his hand as his metal fragments coalesce back into a single lump and he pockets it.
"Well done, indeed."
He approaches the first pillar and begins sizing it up, thinking on the trip his parents took him on to star-studded Bolgrad, and how the dwarves there supported weak pillars like these.
"If there's one thing we dwarfkin know, it's how to listen to the stone and understand what it needs. That's how we've made things to last, whether that was our own family home or the great city of Highhelm itself."
He breaks into a brief coughing fit and he hears a growl in his mind, half-annoyed, half-mocking.
"No accounting for divinely-induced dream-fires, though," he mutters upon recovering.