Off to one side of the room, a wooden stable has fallen into a mound of rotting timber walls and moldy straw. The outer wall on the east side has also collapsed, leaving a ragged hole. Two more exits from this yard come into view - a pair of double doors exits east, and single lone door leading into the tower in the southeast corner.
Entering the room, the rest of yard comes into view. Off to one side, a wooden stable with molding, collapsing walls and moldy straw form rotting mounds. The outer wall on the east side has also collapsed, leaving a ragged hole. Two more exits become apparent - a pair of double doors exiting east, and a lone door leading into the tower in the southeast corner.
Despite your best search efforts, no mushrooms can be found in the yard.
Well, what say you all. Go through one of the doors or looks like we've got that tower, the rubbled wall or the well. I'm partial to keeping my sight lines long but that could just be my aversion to tight spaces talking, Deelin says with wry humour.
"I say we look through the tower first." Althesia calls out. "No telling what might come out of it when we move deeper into the monastery."
"Ayuh, tower den."
Willy moves down the path towards the tower door, continuing to scan the ground for tracks.
"All right. I'll run rearguard."
You don't find any tracks anywhere along your path to the tower door.
Looks like it hasn't been used in a while, Deelin says as he steps up to try opening the door.
The door seems to be swollen shut.
"'ere, lemme."
Willy puts his shoulder into the door and tries to force it open.
And his foot slips.
"I guess I can give it a shot." Haünrar charges the door, leaps through the air and plants the flat of his foot into the troublesome door... ...
In a clumsy attempt, Willard can't get the door to budge, but Haunrar tries and is able to force it open.
Thick webs cover much of the ancient crates and barrels stored inside the base of the tower. A rickety wooden staircase ascends along one wall to reach an open trapdoor above.
Haunrar looks up just in time to see a man-sized spider drop from above.
Map
* - spider
H - Haunrar
W - Willard
De - Deelin
A - Althesia
Haunrar gives a gasp as the large spider startles him. He...
...brings up his falchion with both hands in an attempt to shield himself from the attack...
...and swings in a high arc at the attacking monstrosity.
Attack:
Dmg:
Initiative
Althesia reacts a little too late, not expecting Haunrar to force the door open so easily. On her next action, she drops her bow and draws a dagger.
Surprise round
Before Haunrar can put his sword up, the giant spider lunges forth, finding flesh with its fangs (3 dmg + make a Fort save). Haunrar repays the spider by hacking a large wound into its carapace, splattering bluish-green fluid around the area.
Initiative order:
1. Deelin
2. spider
3. Haunrar, Althesia, Willard
"uugh!" Haunrar grunts as the spiders fangs pierce his upper arm.
He consideres starting a war chant, but decides that his sword is a better tool for this lone enemy.
Althesia cranes her neck, trying to catch a glimpse of the spider in the press of bodies. Sighing, she sits down on the nearby rock pile, and waits for an opening. "Tell me when you're done over there." She calls out.
Deelin jumps back in surprise and sends an arrow over Haünrars shoulder at the horrid spider.
After his falchion slices up the air about the spider, he shuffles diagonally about 5 feet to the northwest.
Round 1
The eight-legged creature dodges Deelin's attack, again striking at Haunrar. It misses this time, thrown off by the bard's slash. Unfortunately, Haunrar also misses.
Althesia's dagger flies by harmlessly, while Willard's axe misses it's mark and hits the stone floor, instead.
Frustrated, Deelin sends another arrow after the first. Damn spider, hold still, he says through gritted teeth.
Starting to get angry, Willy takes another swipe at the spider with his axe:
After he steps away, Haunrar decides to start up an old, orcish chant after all, that is designed to Inspire Courage and help his allies strike harder and more accurately.
Althesia, realizing the direness of the situation, curses her poor choice of tactics. She draws her other dagger and flings it at the spider.
Deelin sends another arrow the spider's way, lodging it not-so-deeply into the spider's body, but drawing blood nonetheless. The arachnid strikes at Willard, again, but its attack is easily avoided. Haunrar's performance boosts the battle prowess of the others. Althesia hits her target this time, imbedding a dagger into it. Willard again swings downward, this time splitting the spider's head it half and dropping the monstrous bug.
"Sneaky spider aint ya? Not so sneaky now."
Willy looks up at where the spider dropped from.
Don't be too harsh Willard, the poor thing was only protecting itself. Anyway let's see if these mushrooms are in here, they're going to need somewhere cool to grow.
Huge spider-webs cling to the walls, all the way up to the trapdoor.
Althesia picks up her weapons, and she looks up the tower as well.
"Ooo, let see if anything interesting is in this room." Haunrar begins to look around, searching for anything of interest including the mushrooms, applying what he knows about fungi during his search.
Knowledge Nature:
Perception:
While most of the crates and barrels in the room have rotted away, but one contains a sword-shaped object wrapped in oilcloth. Unwrapping it, you see it's a masterwork shortsword.
You see nothing else noteworthy.
Haunrar picks up the short sword and gives it a few practice swings. Nice, he thinks.
"Would this do anyone any good?
"Nah, I'm a axe man."
Willy points at the trapdoor. "Up dere?"
"No time like the present. Let's go."
Deelin calls out to the explorers while watching over the courtyard ready for anything, the mushrooms we're looking for are most likely growing near large stocks of metal, a blacksmiths forge for example. Doesn't look like it'd be here but it pays to check anyway.
On hearing Haünrars discovery he says shortsword hey, no i'll stick with my bow thanks. though it'd make a good secondary weapon.
Before you ascend very far, the staircase fails to support your weight. It cracks and crumbles until a large chunk of it falls to the floor, making any further ascent impossible.
"Well that stinks," notes Haunrar as he wipes his hands together, rubbing off the kicked up dust. "I guess we can try looking around this big room here." He looks around the room he is in.
Perception:
Afterwards, he goes to the door in the north wall and listens.
Perception:
"Mebbe I can climb up dere."
"Mebbe I can climb up dere."
"I think you should go for it."
Willy takes the rope out of his pack, ties it around his waist, then gets out his climbing kit. He puts his axe on his back and his dagger between his teeth and tries to make it to the trap door.