The battle within Devargo's sanctum continues to rage unabated.
Alandra again calls on her goddess, this time her aim proving true as the bolt of cold and ice slams into the Ettercap. The creature shrieks in pain, as the part of its body struck turns blue and frosty, the blood vessels cearly visible under the frozen fleash.
Zalen also proves better at his aim, striking the creature with a cunningly placed bolt of electricity. The stuff sparks across its body, again causing the involuntary jig of its limbs. The rogue then turns his attention to the cage of the little Pseudodragon. A brief glance reveals it is far too complex for him to open while the spider behind him is so threatining, so instead he tumbles past it and onto the throne area, near the Ettercap.
Krek swings his mighty blade in a low arc, trying desperately to prevent the spders from attacking the bound Ayedah. His blow was timed perfectly, but the spiders height served to foil the attack, its legs flexing and causing it to sway out from under the murderous arc of the weapon
Ayedah, realsing she couldn't shrug off the webs decides on a more direct approach. She brings her huge hammer up in a massive move, tearing free of restricting webbing. As it slams down, the spider at her feet seemingly ducks into her blow, moving as it was away from Kreks attack. The resultant spattering of spider bits covers all three of the group at the back of the room in dark blood and ichor. Krek almost appears comical, a great glob of goo sliding from his face, and only his somehwat surprised eyes visible through the mess.
Stepping up to the now struggling Ettercap, Gern swings his waraxe with deadly efficiency. The blade sinks into the creatures abdomen, opening a huge rent in its already weakend body. Greenish blood and intestinal organs spill from the gash, but still the creature stands able to fight.
With a hissing scream, it chooses to flee instead, withdrawing from Gern and diving down into the darkened hold of below the open trapdoor. As it rushes past Zalen, the young rogue slashes with his rapier and its blade sinks into the spot near the base of its head. The retreat turns into a formless flop as the now dead Ettercap tumbles through the hatch and gets caught in the webbing below it.
The last two spiders seem to shudder at the death of the Ettercap, and both of them retreat into the hole of the trapdoor and down into the relatively safety of their webbing. With a collective sigh, the group realised they were suddenly free of threats. The silence in the room was only marred by the persitant creaking of the planking as the ship rocked on the water.
"Anyone bit by a spider?" Alandra asks.
"I was bitten, but I feel fine!" Ayedah answered, breathing hard as she calmed down. Her hammer suddenly seemed much heavier as she tried to tear herself free from the rest of the webbing. "Krek and Zalen need your help more than I do right now, sister!" she said, her words laced with guilt over being kept out of the fight as they were bitten time and time again. Gods and spirits, they were so bloodied... She wanted to help tend to them, but someone had to watch over that trap door.
She gave Devargo's body one last glance. There was no satisfaction in what she had done, but she couldn't deny relief over his threat being over.
Ayedah walked up to the edge of the pit, looking down and holding her earthbreaker ready to swat at anything coming up again. "Gern, are you alright?" She had heard of dwarven resilience. She hoped what she heard was true for his sake.
Krek shrugged off the pain from his wounds with adrenaline.
"Gorum aided me before - he will again if I'm hurt." Counter-intuitive to his speech, however, he rips a piece of his trouser leg off and ties it just the largest bite.
"We must take the battle to them so they cannot rest and grow stronger." He also takes a look down the bit with Ayedah.
Zalen sways a bit as the adrenaline surge begins to wear off. He opens his mouth to answer Alandra's question but he seems to be incapable of naught but mumbled nonsense at the moment. Those observing him can see his eyes appear to be hazy and unfocused. Taking a deep breath though the rogue attempts to steady himself and, bearing what limited concentration he has at the moment upon the cage of the dragon he stumbles over to it and bends all his will to the effort of opening it and setting the poor creature free.
Gern felt mildly weakened from the spiders venom. The great beast had caused a moment of fear to well in his heart, and that was more worrying to the fighter than the damnale bite and poison had been.
When Ayedah asked after his health he grinned at her. "Aye Lass. It'll take more'n a wee bite from a spidee te take the edge offa me. Me arms feel a bit heavy is all, but I'm still fine te be fightin'"
Looking to Alandra he adds, "Save yer magics fer now Lass. We might need 'em further in. Fer once I'm agreein' with the big man 'ere" he states, nodding in Kreks direction.
"I dinnae wanna' leave them big buggers too long nae they come back to take us when's we least need it."
Slowly the sounds of the world outside began to filter in to the group. Some shouting could be heard in teh distance, possibly from one of theother shps. What was happening couldn't be determined from this distance, but it certainly sounded like voices raised in anger.
In the darkened hold below, Krek's orcish blood enabled him to pick out details Ayedah couldn't hope to tell. The grey green vision of his eyes pickeed out the two spiders, deep in the corners of a large room. Ther were tensed on webs of fine silk, even his colourless darkvision could tell these webs were not ordinary. Obviously the arachnids had felt threatened or exposed by the course of the fight, as they had retreated to the depth of the webs where a type of funneled nest had been built. Worming them out of such a position would prove difficult.
Both Ayedah and Krek could see the body of the Ettercap lying tangled in the webbing directly below them. In death the thing looked even more grotesque. The legs were bent and crooked, and the stench of its open stomach wound was quite vile. Also from here both companions could make out the remains of humanoid shaped bodies, coccooned in more silken webbing.
Zalens shaky hands eventually managed to open the lock to the cage in which the little pseudodragon lay. As the door latch came free, the little creature burst from the cage and soared exultantly around the room, all the companions could clearly hear both a audible and psionic cry of joy escape from the beautiful beast. "Freeeeeeee!" it called, and never had that word carried such connotations for those around it.
Zalen's heart soared with the little dragon at it's joy and exuberance. It's watched it's antics for some time. As he does he slowly and carefully makes his way over to the slowly cooling corpse of the former Spider King. He begins to search the body of the ex-master of Eel's end until something occurs to him and he speaks aloud to the dragonette "Say little friend, by what name would you have us call you?"
The rogue continues his search, hoping to find something to combat the poison in his body which has seemed to fill his head with wool.
As Krek and Gern speak of heading into the spiders den, Zalen address them. "I agree, they should be finished off, do the three of you think you might be able to accomplish that yourselves while Alanda and I stay here to keep guard? From the sounds above we may not have this ship to ourselves too much longer." and then to the dragon 'and little friend, can you let us know if any enemies approach?
(if the agree he says "Alanda, perhaps you could magic Ayedah's hammer so she can see her way in the hold? And after that, would you mind closing and bolting that door?" indicating the one the party came in through)
Ayedah quietly asked Krek, "What can you see? I see that...thing down there but not much more." Her expression had grown more and more grim as she took in the sight of the corpses down below. If she needed a reminder of why they had come to kill Devargo, this was it.
She got another as she looked up suddenly at the outburst of joy from the little dragon, and could not help but smile in spite of the grim sight below. "I am sorry I asked how you tasted, little one. I did not really mean it." she apologized sincerely before noting Zalen's labored movement. She wanted to help him move about, but she did not dare leave the trap door. "Zalen, can you keep going?"
She nodded at the suggestion that the spiders be finished off. They were too dangerous for anyone from the House of Clouds to handle, and there was simply no way to move them out into the wilderness where they belonged without taking them through the city. It was too much of a risk. "I was not able to see for certain, but some of them were wounded already? Then we should finish them off quickly. It is better than leaving them to die slowly. And safer too."
She looked curiously at Alandra, secretly eager to see more strange magic worked.
The little dragon flies a blissful loop and lands gracefully before the young rogue. It's serpentine head stretcehs tall as it stares into Zalens eyes, its own brilliant orbs swriling with a myriad of colours and patterns, and a slight gleam of irridescence lighting teh bone ridge around them.
All those gathered in the room can hear as the pseudodragon speaks in their minds. "My dragon name would not suit those of such limited tongues. For you, my most brilliant of saviours, I would ask to be called Majenko.' as it speaks, you can all hear the purring noise which escapes from his chest.
"I will most certainly assist you in your endeavours to further destroy this vile place. It is but a pittance for me to stand guard at the door and warn of approach from anything that is not one of you. Indeed, it is my great pleasure to offer you all my services in whatever endeavour you wish to partake, for the term of no less than a year and a day. For that is the correct conditions of service when one is rescued by heroes such as yourselves."
Gone from the mental voice are all sounds of fear and begging. A cunning intelliegence tinged with great joy and humour can now be sensed beneath the words permeating your heads, though tinged with something alien to you all.
On Devargo's body, Zalen finds a variety of potions. One of tehm is filled with a meuve liquid in a clear vial. Five others seem to be stone or clay with wax stoppers, impossible to tell what is in them without opening one. The wax is red in colour.
The man is also dressed in extremely well built leather armour. While the deack and his other clothes seem covered in blood and gore from the horrendous injury, this armour seems barely touched by more than felck of blood. Also, the weapons the man carries are unique. Gauntlets with sweeping blades where the knuckles would be. The make of such things is sure to make them valuable. Slung at his waist is a small handcrossbow. The stock seems to be inlaid with a silver motiff of a deer running in woods. Not something you'd reckon to find on a criminal living in the docks of this city.
Around his neck a are tied two small keys, hanging from a leather necklace.
"Alanda, perhaps you could magic Ayedah's hammer so she can see her way in the hold? And after that, would you mind closing and bolting that door?"
"Sure, Z," Alandra approaches Ayedah. "Here," she says touching the giant hammer with the holy symbol of Pharasma., causing it to glow with a faint light. She then bolts the door.
Majenko, my name is Alandra.
Though Krek would love to turn around and see the freed creature for himself, he didn't dare; since apparently, by Ayedah's question, only he could see the entirety of what lay below, nobody else could keep a trace on the spiders.
"A few have webbed themselves into a corner," he said to the barbarian next to him. Though his eyes told him getting to them would be difficult, his ego was louder. "Zalen is right - the three of us should be able to handle them. Not if you can't see down there though."
His eyes kept rapt on the enemies, though his ears wandered. This dragon-esque creature they'd freed sounded very grateful to Krek. Perhaps too grateful. It was exceedingly difficult for him to tell though, not having known the creature for long and not even being able to look upon it as it communicated.
Krek did his best to ignore the stench below.
Zalen smiled and whistled softly, his rogue's eyes lighting with avarice as he discovered the rich finds on Devargo's corpse. Knowing they might not have time to properly divest the corpse of them at the moment the rogue does though snatch at the keys around Devargo's neck which promise further riches. Sighing in frustration at his inability to discover the contents of the potions, Zalen speaks again to Alandra "Ala', might you be able to make heads or tails of these potions? You have far more experience in this sort of thing than I do I'm afraid." 'Or perhaps you little friend, I mean Majenko? Might you have gleaned their purpose from Devargo at some point?'
Then deciding to speak aloud for the benefit of the others, Zalen continues speaking to the little dragon. "Majenko! Why yes, that is indeed a fitting name for such a magnificent creature as yourself." Zalen says with his rogue's charm. "But my little, friend, please, I think I can speak for us all when I say that while we would be most pleased to have your company for as long as you desire, I beg you do not consider yourself in our debt. What we did was only right. But if you would call us friend you may stay with us for as long as you desire and may leave whenever you wish. Ok? Meanwhile, any further information you can give us on what dangers or treasures we may find here would be most appreciated!"
Ayedah stared in awe at what Alandra had done to her earthbreaker, obviously distracted until Krek spoke. She nodded to the half-orcish priest, "Yes, it should not be a problem. Are you both ready?" she asked both Krek and Gern.
Ayedah leapt down into the hold, intending to hit the floor running and swinging. She tried hard not to think of the bodies surrounding them, as futile as that was.
"Ala', might you be able to make heads or tails of these potions? You have far more experience in this sort of thing than I do I'm afraid."
"Umm, okay." Alandra takes a small taste of each of the potions.
Taste-based Perception: 1d20+3=4, 1d20+3=13, 1d20+3=5, 1d20+3=18, 1d20+3=20, 1d20+3=5
Gern watches incredulously as the two hot headed warriors leapt into the hold. "Hae ye not heard o' ropes or laders, ye two great fools" he calls after them. Grumbling to himself, he rushes over to the hold and jumps in after them. Everyone hears the lound thunk as he hits the deck on his back, the wind rushing from his chest in a rush
"Ungh!"
Alandra finds the meuve liquid to be sweet and gives her tongue a sense of wellbeing and general healthyness. The other vials all taste bitter, to match the strange smell they have. What's more the cumulative effects of the tastings leave her tongue numb and tingly, a strange emptiness trying to fill her mind. They were obviously poisons of some description.
"Bleh." Alandra starts spitting the bitter stuff out of her mouth. "Thethe aren't even pothions!"
The trio of warriors leap into the darkened hold bravely, but the heroic charge turns almost farcical immediately.
Ayedah, lands with grace on the floor, her knees bending to absorb the impact of the drop and her hands stabilizing her body. As they do though, she inadvertantly puts them into some of the irridescent webbing that fills the hold. The web clins and wraps around her, designed to collapse on prey as it touches the strands and she becomes hopelessly tangled. The magical light from her glowing hammer shows her the instant response from the two spiders. They tense their legs, felling the panicked movements through their contat with the webs and both of them emerge from their web tunnels.
Krek follows the big Shoanti girl into the hold. While not as graceful in his landing, he does manage to avoid the webs, though his ankle twists badly in the attempt
Gern cries out as he practically trips into the hold. His tumble quickly spins him onto his back and he falls prone on the ground, tangled in webs and winded.
Above this tummultuous start, the little Pseudodragon snakes around Zalens legs, rubbing his scaled head up and down the leather trues of the rogue. "I have no idea what that animal kept on his person. He was foul minded, making poisons below this ship that he happily spread throughout this city. Making money from the in...". His head suddenly snaps to the side, staring directly at the single closed door that leads into the lower deck of the ship. A warning hiss escapes the little dragons mouht and he darts into the shadows above teh door. Two men are coming up the stairs, they are nervous but intent on searching this room". The warning comes into both Zalens and Alandras mind simulataneously
Zalen whispers urgently, "Alandra! Find cover! I'll try to knock them out!" while at almost the same time responding to Majenko 'Can you tell if they are enemies or of evil intent Majenko?'
While doing this Zalen snatches the small hand crossbow and bolts (if possible, if not just the crossbow) and seeks to hide (1d20+7=12), giving himself an unobstructed view and shot of the door and prepares to cast his Spray of Colours on the men as soon as they enter. (readied action?)
Alandra also tries to hide, and readies an ice bolt.
Cursing his ankle, Krek moves to the front of where Gern lays, his sword drawn and his temper ready.
"Come fight us, insects!"
Ayedah's eyes widened at the predicament she had landed in. She was relieved Krek had at least managed to avoid being caught, but now Gern was on his back and seemed practically helpless.
She lunged as hard as she could towards the spiders, trying to pull away from the webbing and straining uselessly to tear her hammer free to meet the spiders head on.
Zalen and Alandra
The door to the audience room is suddenly kicked inwards and two men rush the room. Both are armed with sowrds and shields, and chain armour of some desccription hangs over their clothing.
With a sudden burst, a range of coulourful lights emerge from Zalens outstretched hands and engulf the two men. Their is a scream and one the men drops to the floor, his hands clutching at his eyes for a brif moment before he becomes motionless. The second man is protected by his upraised shield, so isn't affected at all. He is just about to rush the exposed rogue when a blast of ice comes from the side and strikes him solidly. The magical blast seems to catch him completely unawares and his body is rimed in horfrost as it engulfs him. The shock in his eyes is complete as his frozen body topples lifelessly to the deck . Both therogue and the cleric clearly hear a shout of fear from downstairs, through the passage that these two just emerged.
Krek, Gern, Ayedah
Krek's readied defense barely misses the spider as it rushes to attack the downed dwarf. His great blade slices through some of teh nearby webbing , creating a greater area for the 3 companions to move unhindered in though.
Ayedah swings her hammer innefectively at the spider approcahing from her side, the webbing surrounding her seriously impeding her ability to attack. Not so for the spider. It lunges at teh girl, and large fangs sink into the exposed meat of her forearm as the hammer strike falls wide. Venom once again pumps into the big shoanti girl.
The spider attacks the helpless Gern, its fangs sinking deep into the now heavily wounded dwarf. He groans as the bite strikes and the venom enters his system.
With a heave, the tries to burst from the webbing, but the combined effects of various wounds, falling and venom leaves him too weak to succeed.
Upstairs Duo
Both pleased and somewhat amazed by their stunning success, Zalen stands and gives a huge grin to his companion as he says in hushed tones "Way to go Ala!" He quickly makes his way over to the stunned man, making sure to divest him of All his weapons before securely binding and gagging him.
While doing this he mind speaks to the dragon 'Majenko, do you know where and who that shout came from little friend?'
Krek is furious at his failed swing, not seeing the beneficial side-affect of it. He rails again against the spiders, his temper aiding his energy.
However, it doesn't aid his precision.
upstairs
[ooc]There are two heavy tables that could be used to build a barricade across the double doors or single door. The doors open into the room, so it is possible to use these tables to jam the doors shut as well, if you can effectively brace the table.
1st Fort Save: 18
2nd Fort Save: 20
Ayedah growled in pain as the spider bit into her arm. She could feel something burning in her blood, but she gritted her teeth and put it out of her mind when she saw Gern being attacked as well. Krek was by his side, but the dwarf's seemingly helpless state still frightened her.
Ayedah tried to work herself into a fury, but the exertion of the fight upstairs still weighed on her. Instead, she lifted her hammer over her head, hoping the full weight crashing down towards the spider would overcome the pull of the webbing.
Crit Confirmation: 15 (penalty from being entangled not added yet) (if it his, X3 damage!)
"We got 'em good eh Z.?!" Alandra says. When she hears the rest coming she quickly shuts the door and goes back to her hiding place, readying another ice bolt.
Ranged touch attack: 1d20+4=14
Cold damage: 1d6+1=2
Upstairs
"There is a single man I can detect downstairs. He is afraid and has hidden in a small room. Two others are making something in a room they think of as heavenly. I think they are females of your species but it is hard to tell, their minds are fogged. It is difficult to reach people in this place. My mind is also somewhat clouded here, and sensing them through these timbers is ...hard. I think there may be one other, but I cannot be sure. That mind is very difficlt to reach". Majenko's mind voice is calm in its assertation of the situation. The little dragon looks to Zalen and ALandra for approval at its actions.
In the spiders den
As the spider scuttles across its web to attack Gern, Krek's great sword blade slashes around and up. The heavy blade slices neatly through the spiders body, severing the thing in a spray of green black goo.
Almost immediately, there is a meaty thwak as Ayedah desperately smashes her hammer into the last spider. Again its body is mashed into pulp, the slightly irridescent webbing surrounding everyone taking the brunt of the splattered remains. A strange odour permeates the room at the death of the two spiders.
From the floor, Gern states in mild frustration "Bah, ye coulda' left me at least on o' the scunners te take on.". He struggles to burst from the webs again but is held back by his awkward position. "Ahh, a little help wouldnae go astray if anyone has the time".
Ayedah sighed heavily when she heard Gern's complaints; she was relieved he was alright. "Sorry, Gern." she said with a smile and a knowing wink to Krek before she remembered her surroundings. "Gods and spirits, all these people..."
She tried to pull herself free once more, eager to be free of the webbing that also held so many bodies. She looked about, to make sure no other dangers lurked nearby.
Krek keeps his eyes on his enemies as he tries to help Gern out of the webbing with one hand, the other on his sword.
Zalen shakes his head to try and clear the perpetual fog his mind seems to be in. He then smiles warmly at the little dragon though, scratching him behind his eye ridges as he says "Well done little one! You are already proving yourself to be a valuable member of this team! Thank you!"
The rogue then moves over to the trap door, lying on the floor to take a peek in and asses the situation as he whispers to his comrades "Are you all OK down there?"
1)If they are still in combat with the spiders he will inform Alandra and then try and blast one of arachnids with his electrical bolt.
2)If they are done fighting he will say "Good work! Ala and I managed to finish off two more of Devargo's men up here but Majenko tells us there's three perhaps four more souls downstairs, at least one or two of which may be combatants. If you're all done playing with spiders down there I say we bar the door to this room and check out the deck below. Need a hand up?" As he gives his trademark roguish grin. If they do need one, Zalen extends his arm into the hold to help them up until one of his stronger friends can take over. Although he is trying hard to appear his normal self it is fairly obvious that he is having to concentrate very hard on even the simplest of tasks.
3)If/once the group is all back in the room. Zalen stands, his eyes closed, again trying to focus his concentration. Finally raising his head, but his eyes still cloudy, he will ask Gern and Krek or Ayedah to bar and block the door the party came through as secuely as they can while he throughly searches both men and lets everyone know what he found on Devargo. He also politely asks Alandra if she can search for any magical auras. Then pointing to the unconscious/bound man he says "Should we wait to question this one first?" before her turns to Majenko "Or maybe you can delve into his mind as we ask him questions little one? Then we won't need to remove his gag" (Telepaths Sure are Handy! = ) Although it seems clear he needs a rest the young man is obviously pushing himself hard to try and meet up to the expectations he feels are upon him as leader of the group.
Krek fairly rips Gern from teh webbing on the floor. The stout dwarf seems very embarrased at needing the half orcs help, but offers his thanks none the less.
The three warriors look around the room. The place is a warren of spider tunnels and irridescent webbing. Masses of bones fill all parts of the place, many of them look humanoid. The webbed remains of a fresh corpse lays close by. The contorted face of the victim is clearly visible, and the ructus mask of pain it shows is quite disturbing. The body appears nearly mummifed, as its fluids have been drained.
Apart from the trapdoor leading into the room above, there is a single door that leads from here. A narrow pathway appears to have been left amongst the webbing, allowing access to and from the room. The door is shut.
Upstairs, with the combat over, Zalen quickly pins and ties teh unconcious thug up. Majenko replies to Zalens query, a hint iof distaste in his thoughts. "I cannot force thoughts to come to a person I am afraid. It causes them pain to do so, and is quite....how do you humans refer to it. Unpleasent, that is the word. Yes it is quite unpleasent for me. I can listen to his thoughts as you ask him questions though and maybe I can pikc things up from him." Along with the hint of distaste, the group gets the distinct impression the psedodragon is very wary of the task.
There appears to be no more movement from downstairs, and the noises from outside appear to have abated.
Wrath
Ayedah stared at the corpses a little longer than she would have liked. It was becoming more and more apparent just how wicked Devargo must have been. She was thankful that Zalen called down to them when it broke her attention away from the dead.
"We are alright, mostly!" She turned to Gern, dropping her voice to spare his pride. "Gern, you are wounded. Can you keep going or do you need to go up? We can lift you up if you need."
"We should see what is behind that door. Let us leave this place at least." she suggested with a shudder. It was not the presence of the dead that was getting to her, but the thought of how they must have died.
And then, slowly, Nayr felt himself surfacing, his eyes opening a just a sliver. But there was only more darkness. Nayr's head was spinning, and he didn't have to make physical contact to feel the throbbing bump on the back of his skull. Weakly, he reached around in the black and touched with what felt like a wall. A wet one at that, slimy and slightly spongy in texture. Where in Shelyn's good graces am I?
As more of his senses came back into focus, the first Nayr noticed was a scalding pain in his left arm. It felt very much like a small dagger was twisting into his flesh, a sensation that left him wincing in pain. An odd, and somewhat bitter tasting flavour lingered in his mouth, not to mention the unmistakable smell of saltwater and brine that permeated the air around him.
After a few more moments of recovery, Nayr struggled to his feet, running his hands along the moist wall. He could feel the outline of a door, and with a quick but dizzy glance downwards, he observed that a sliver of light shone through underneath the barricade.
With this information, Nayr began to pound on the wooden door, cringing at the waves of pain that emanated from his arm with each blow. “Hey! Is anybody out there?!”
After helping Gern to his feet, the Half-Orc's confidence is too much for him to handle after the defeat of their enemies; he brazenly walks over to the wooden door with his sword in hand ready for whatever may come from it.
"Maybe it's that box the wench kept talking about."
Were it not for the party being separated currently, he would've opened the door right then. However, he felt it best to wait for them - though he was impatient.
The pain from his wounds did not bother him much; in fact, he came to relish the feeling a little.
Alandra studies the armor and weapons intently for a few moments.
Appraise checks: 1d20+6=25 (armor), 1d20+6=19 (gauntlets), 1d20+6=10 (hand crossbow)