Sickening of the Cabal, IC

[Jib]

The story will begin in the quite town of Nilkath. For the past fifty years the small village has survived from the meager income of the iron mine that produces low quality iron ore that is shipped to the nearby city for the making of tools and other less than important equipment. With only a population of about 75 people, primarily human, living in the town and anywhere from 60-80 more people living in the surrounding lands surviving off of the rocky and harsh soil. Of course the primary occupation in the town is mining. 43 men mine the ore from the cave that was discovered a few years before the town was built. Several of the men actually live in the mine, including the foreman of the operation. In two decades since the town was first built there have only been three murders, and a handful of other incidents that would be called crime. The owner of the mine also acts as the mayor of the village, as well as the judge, jury, and tax collector. The town has a small pub, a blacksmith run by a man trapped by debt to the mine owner, and a small market to trade for some of the staples of life. There are two wooden towers that serve as guard towers, but are often left un-manned because of the lack of action to have ever found the village.

The surrounding lands are barely adequate to support farming, and are all owned by the Elfit, the owner of the mine. Most of the farmers in the area are trapped by debt to Elfit and can not leave, or simply do not believe that there is any better than anywhere else to be found. The cold temperature of the area not only makes finding frozen travelers on the nearby road normal, but prevents the growing of many other farm staples that need some warmth for life. The terrain is relatively rocky and harsh terrain, and the small rugged hills lead sharply into mountains to the north about 26 leagues to the north (1 league = 5.556 Kilometers). Though the forest starts long before the base of the mountains.

Recently there have been strange occurrences near the village, primarily in the direction of the forest. Sightings of strange and deformed shadows in the tree line of the forest by the few hunters in the village, in the mine attacks by spiders the size of small dogs have become an occasional danger, seemingly without cause. In the village sickness has become much more prevalent than it was only a year ago, children coming down with a strange disease marked by boils that ooze a foul smelling and oily black ichor, causing bleeding from the eyes, and pain of the mouth, fingers, and eyes. While death is not the most probable end for one stricken, at least one in ten children stricken dies after fighting the disease for fourty-five to sixty days. As of now13 children have died to the Black Ichor as the villagers have begun calling it. Adults will also contract the disease, with some slight differences, mainly in that they do not die to the disease, that they will bleed from all of the bodily orifices, and will also cough the foul ichor up. The most extreme events that have taken place in the village are that there have been almost five murders in the last few months, in a village where no murders had happened for seven years.

After almost a year of suffering from the strange disease Elfit the village owner finally sent a messenger to the local city to find someone willing to investigate the cause of this evil, and to put an end to it. He has offered a reward of 1500 Gold Coins to the man or men (or women), who can find the cause of these strange goings about.


You trugged leagues beyond leagues to reach this remote hole of a village, far north in the outskirts of the Lisban Empire. The empirical road ended fifteen leagues to the east of the town, making the last leg of the treck a muddy one, over a cart track cut into the sparse forest. As you traveled you felt as if you were never alone,strange shadows seemed to flit in and out of the corners of your eyes, and every so often you would strain to hear what seemed like the whisper of a woman in your ear, only to be left with nothing.

The forest you had to pass through before seeing the village was un-earthly quiete. No bird sung, and the wind itself seemed hush as if not to break the oppressive silence. While you did note some minor signs of wildlife, the forest seemed to be devoid of the life even woods this far north should have. This being the end of summer, just before the fall cold begins to set in, you would expect something to be about preparing for hibernation or migration in progress. The northly winds had carried a few light skiffs of snow down from the Coralis mountains in the last few days, and the weak sunlight has done little to burn away the chill. You spotted the village five leagues away, the sooty smoke columns rising up seemingly insignificant against the desolate backdrop the village sets against. A natural clearing around the town, filled with small farms of crops and the hardy shaggy cattle that survive in this northern climate. through the eastern edge of the clearing flows a small stream from the north. You can see the rickety wood bridge built over the tributary for the path you are plodding along. There is a split in the types of buildings, some made with straw thatch roofs and dingy greyish brown walls, and others build from the native evergreen wood of the area. One building stands out because of the cold blue-grey slate roof set on it. The sun has passed its highest place in the sky by a couple hourse, and the cold shadows of the west are begining to crawl across the land.

[Erik Vale]

Mal shook his head as he looked and listened to the land.
"A Blighted land this is. For such a poor mine too, it is surprising the town hasn't succumb.

So far he had been rather quiet, almost meditating.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Vernus did not like the look or feel of this place. Not at all. This wasn't how the wilds were supposed to be, cold and creepy and lifeless. If he had any doubt that evil had come to these lands, it was quite thoroughly dispelled.

His face was set in a dark scowl. This blight on Pelithea's work was an affront. He couldn't wait to introduce whoever was responsible to the business end of his staff.

"I'm guessin' we'd be findin' our employer in the place that actually looks like it'd still be standin' after a storm?" he murmured, nodding at the building with the slate roof.

[TerrickTerran]

The gnome druid walked quietly near the humans, her badger at her feet. She was not sure what was happening, but they seemed to know the way. She didn't particularly like towns so if they could not find lodging, she was perfectly happy sleeping in the wilderness with Nibbles.

[Jib]

You all notice a slightly putrid tinge to the highland air.

You also hear the muffled sound of what sounds like metal on metal, a solid pound and ring.

The dark blue shades of night are creeping ever faster across the East Horizon, the already chill air stirs with an Icy wind atop the small knoll you are astride.

[Zman]

Ian Spellsword

A tall a very well built man with a natural air of charisma traveled with the group. As he looks around he seems to be bored, but his eyes are keen and alert. "Damned dreary place. I'm bored already."

[TerrickTerran]

"Owww, this hurts. Something is really wrong here. Nature is in agony." She stopped to try and figure what was causing all of this.

[Jib]

TerrickTerran
You can not Detect much more than the sickness itself, you can tell that it is not a natural event though. As you attempt to discern it, and focus on it, you become slightly nauseous.

Quelian-Drae
The mound seems to be about Six feet tall, and has a rough radius of about six feet as well.

[Jib]

Your group makes the trek down into the shallow valley that surrounds Nilkath without event, the farmers you pass on the way glance nervously at you with hard eyes. The people seem gaunt and tired, their skin pale from years in the harsh northern terrain. Several of the fields you pass seem to have died, or withered, and the smell of rotten produce permeates the air as you come closer to the village.

The road winds slowly and comes into the south side of the town, with a foot of the mountain to the west. Once at the south edge of the village you can all notice the foul mound of corpses piled up under the trees of the village. To your horror you note that most of the bodies are children no older than 14, The rotting plant and rotting flesh mix into a sick sweet odor that assaults your senses. The town does not seem any more populated that the surrounding farm land did as you traveled. A few women scurry about, but no children can be seen. To your right sits a building with multiple racks under an awning off the front of it. The racks are sparsely populated with sickly looking produce. To your left sits the single building with a slate roof, and it is in noticeably better condition that the rest of the buildings in the town. And straight ahead of you is the largest building in the town, it bears no markings but the large front door is open wide and held with a rock, in front of it lays the town well.

[Erik Vale]

As it was, by now Mal had covered his mouth and nose with a scarf.
"And they still live here? I'll enjoy the money, but hey...."
Everyone knew he was saying they should have well and turely moved on by now.

Riding up to the larger building ahead of them, Mal stables his horse to the railing.
"I would say this one's the one were supposed to be meeting up in. Given it's held wide open."

[Quellian-dyrae]

Vernus was just shaking his head as they walked through the town. This was truly awful. Why were these people still here? He shrugged in response to Mal. "Fair enough. Let's be about it, then," he said, heading straight for the open door. "Hey there! Anyone about?" he called into the large building.

[TerrickTerran]

Rinar continued to follow her companions. She did not like cities and was going to make sure she was staying close so nothing bad happened to her in there. She just knew something evil was afoot.

[Jib]

As you near the door the smell of grog wafts past you, you can hear a brushing sound, and the clinking of metal against metal. Footsteps near the door after Vernus calls in, and some inaudible muttering as a man steps into the doorway.

The mans eyes open wide when he sees the group standing at his door, his pale skin seems to turn a shade whiter, and he quickly runs one hand over his half bald head, the greasy hair sticking down to his scalp. His appearance seems gaunt, what should be jovial features made sickly. He is dressed in simple dirty grey clothes, and uses a piece of hemp rope as a belt. A dingy terracotta colored vest is the only noticeable color about him. He immediately puts his hands together in front of himself and begins pushing his fingers against each other. He turns his head over his shoulder.

"Head to the back" He says over his shoulder before turning back to the group. He can't seem to come to make eye contact and keeps fidgeting with his hands "To what do I owe the pleasure travelers" He speaks with a timid voice.

Behind him the room has several tables lit with a brazier in the middle of each. Old beaten up wooden chairs are scattered around the tables, and against a bar on the far side of the room. A pair of young girls in equally destitute clothing scurry to the left behind the bar, shortly after a door slams shut. The air of the room is smokey, and you can see rows of metal mugs lined up against the far wall on shelves.

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Greetin'," Vernus said to the man. "City o' Miar got a message spread around sayin' you folks needed some help. We came ta give aid. Where can we find the person in charge 'round here?"

[Erik Vale]

Mal simply nods as he takes in (But tries not to) the atmosphere. This place really was a unique experience for him.

[Jib]

The man eyes Vernus up and down, his dull eyes seemingly sharpen for a few moments as he does. He puts his hands down to his side, hooking one into the rope belt around his waist. He steps out slightly, seeming to have calmed down, and slides around to stand next to Vernus (OOC: Assumption, Mall tied of his horse, this would place him to the west of the door that is open. This assumption was wrong, text prior to this bracket altered.).

"The Mayor of the town was the one who would have sent for you" He seems to more spit the word mayor than say it "He decided it wasn't good for business for everything to be like this. I apologize for the state of this place, it wasn't like this a year ago. Something unholy has its teeth in us."

He takes a few steps toward the slate roofed house behind you all. He shuffles his feet in the dirt and turns back to look at Vernus and Mal again.

"The Mayor is a stuck up Ass, so I apologize for 'im now, you'd be the third group he'd run off if you don't help us" He pulls at one ear with his free hand, seemingly relaxed now, though still alert. "I can introduce you to 'im, but I can't stay from the bar to long, don't like leaving the girls alone with these going's on" As he says the last bit he makes the tell tale triangle with his right hand, a sign of worship to the gods to ward of evil.

(Edit) Do check the OOC Thread from time to time, I try to keep most of the OOC stuff there as to not ruin the flow of the story~

[Zman]

Ian walk into the bar, his eyes moving around the rooms eyeing each person closely in turn. His keen eyes seem to be at odds with his vicious smile, "It's a sad place where a man wouldn't lay with a woman for fear of catching what has afflicted them."

His eyes leave th two girls, "Best take us to this mayor lest we grow bored of life and catch whatever is killing you."


Spot[roll0]
And to try and guess at what is going on...
Knowledge Arcana[roll1]
Spellcraft [roll2]

[Jib]

Ian

As Ian enters the bar he can see to his left four longer tables, unlike the round ones in front of him. The North West corner of the building is partitioned off, and a door leads to the room from behind the bar. Against the wall where the bar meets the room wall there sits several piles of wooden plates. A Pair of men are sitting at one of the square tables in the South West corner of the building, they are both covered in dirt, one with a shirt and one without. The one without a shirt has oblong scars running up and down his back randomly. Something about the scars seems familiar to Ian, almost as if the man had suffered dozens of small spell burns on his back, but the coloring of the scars is far to dark to be spell burns, and no spell Ian can recall would leave such small burns if it failed. Nor does he understand how the man would have received spell burns across his back, even if the thuggish villager could cast, the burns would be on his chest and arms from when the spell backfired.

The rest of the group is standing in front of the tavern with the balding man. He seems to start for a second and then looks the group over.

"I seem to have forgotten my manners" He states apologetically "I am Ernth Liffson, The owner of this Tavern. Ladies" He adds bowing slightly to Mal and Rinar "Might I know the rest of your names as to introduce you?"

During his introduction some yelling between men begins to the west. He does not seem concerned about it, but does look toward the Foot of the Mountain that the village is built against.

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Name's Vernus, an' worry not. Seems ta me that the sorta folk who'd leave good people to fend for themselves on account o' the mayor bein' impolite ain't the sorta folk you can trust ta help! You can count on us ta see this through, stuck-up mayor or no, aye all?"

[Erik Vale]

"Oh aye. It is of interest to learn what has caused such a, unfortunate event."

[Jib]

Ernth pulls his finger out of the rope belt and runs both hands over his hair again. His pale face draws with sadness as he glances over the tavern toward the mountains.

"I don't know whats caused it, was about a year ago, it was a real warm fall, so we shouldn'tve had any problems, but, children started to get these funny boils about em. At first its more vile than anything else, then the things would burst an start leaking this foul black ooze. As soon as they burst, the little ones start screaming about the pain, not in the welts, but in their mouth, fingers, an eyes." He stops for a moment, his face slightly contorted from anger and an ugly deep sadness. He picks his hands back up in front of him to fidget his fingers against each other and pauses for a moment to collect himself. "They go on like that for days, not sleeping, not eating, just screaming. Its enough to make you want to cut your ears out. Then, Then.... The eyes start bleeding. Every vein in their body stands up, they start spasming. Ten minutes later they die, still screaming." He pulls a grimy bar rag out from in his vest, dabbing at the pair of tears that had run down his face. He looks back at Vernus (Edit Due to my miscalculation in Mal's location some text was changed), smiling weakly, as he slips the rag back into his vest. "I think the Mayor will tell you better, he's an ass, but has no children to worry about" Ernth turns and glances harshly at the house, and after pausing for another moment starts walking to the house slowly. "C'mon, I need to get back to the tavern soon. Can't leave your girls in a mining town too long"

[Jib]

Inside the tavern there are four tables to the left of the entrance, unlike the round ones in front of the door. The North West corner of the building is partitioned off, and a door leads to the room from behind the bar. Against the wall where the bar meets the room wall there sits several piles of wooden plates. A Pair of men are sitting at one of the square tables in the South West corner of the building, they are both covered in dirt, one with a shirt and one without. The one without a shirt has oblong scars running up and down his back randomly.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Vernus swallowed once, opened his mouth, swallowed again, and finally got out, "That's...horrible. Aye, lead on, good Ernth. Sooner we can look inta this the better, I'm thinkin'."

[TerrickTerran]

"I do want to know what the problem is. There is something rebelling against nature." Rinar didn't know what was going on, nor did she care. She just wanted to help nature and her friends to stop whatever was causing the problem.

[Zman]

Ian half heartily agrees as if day dreaming, "Agreed, leaving woman alone can be hazardous...reminds me of this one debauched night in....." Ian trails off. "Lead on, let's not linger here longer than necessary."

[Jib]

Several more men begin yelling to the west, along with what sounds like metal bouncing off stone. Shortly after a skinny man with matted hair comes running from around a small house to the west. You can hear more shouting and one booming voice over the others commanding them to hold the ground. Ernth immediately runs toward the rest, seemingly forgetting about your group. The look on his face seems scared but ready for something.

Everyone
Everyone can give me a listen check please~

[TerrickTerran]

Rinar looked around trying to pinpoint the noises she was hearing. She didn't like what was going on.


[roll0]

[Quellian-dyrae]

Vernus took off after Ernth, and if a threat presented itself, he'd try to position himself between it and the innkeep. "What goes, man?" he asked as they ran.

Listen: [roll0]

[Jib]

"Smash the damn things! Smash them!" Comes a burly voice from the western side of town. A blood chilling scream is also heard as several other men yell un-intelligibly. The sound of something cracking loudly is prominent after the first man yells.

Rinar
You can faintly hear what sounds like a chittering sound, along with deep spit filled hiss's.

Vernus
You can hear what sounds like a spit laden hiss coming from the same direction as the yelling. As you round one of the small houses you can see the mine that supports the town and its people. In the Foot of the Mountain is dug a twenty foot wide and ten foot high entrance. A pair of wooden tracks with stakes on the outside of the beams runs out from its mouth, and the entrance is shored up heavily with tree-sized beams. In front of the mine several men with sledge hammers and pickaxes stand. To your horror you can see several dog sized spiders standing in the entrance to the mine. They are grey and molted, the arachnid flesh seeming to peel from their abdomens, they each sport particularly long legs covered in what looks like thick bristling hairs. Under the beady eyes they each bear a pair of long fangs with a flex joint in the first fifth of the appendages, and they seem to be dripping what looks like a slightly bluish oil. One man lays convulsing, a fang broken off in his leg, and a crushed spider laying in front of him. A massive man, standing just taller than you, is pulling his heavy sledge hammer from the spiders corpse with one hand and dragging the fallen man back from the mine as fast as his tree-like legs will allow him.

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Giant spiders!" Vernus yelled, loud and clear that his comrades would be aware of the threat. He looked to Ernth, "You know how ta fight?"

Though he listened for a reply, he didn't wait for one, grasping his holy symbol as he intoned, "The faithful shall be as giants among men!" As long as nothing interrupted him ((one round casting time)), his body and gear would double in size as he invoked an Enlarge Person spell. While he cast, his eyes swept the field, trying to get a quick count of the townsfolk and spiders.

[Erik Vale]

Mal'Ana'Nan shakes his head as he begins running of in the direction of the shouting, having already been told what it was. At the same time, he also unslings his preloaded Crossbow. To himself he thinks-
'Must be desperate, to attack a town.

[Zman]

As soon as Ian hears the commotion, his blade leaps to his hand as a sharp smile crosses his face, "More like it."

His ears opens and his eyes sweeping...


Listen[roll0]
Spot[roll1]

[Jib]

Mal'Ana'Nan and Ian
You both crash out of the dingy tavern and sprint towards the west where the screaming and commotion seems to be originating. You can both hear a blood curdling scream of a man. (Tech Stuff: You have a full round of running before you will be in sight of anything, if you would both toss out an Initiative roll for me it will help with placement.)

Ian
The din of the screaming men and the loud metal on stone sounds make hearing almost impossible for you.

Vernus
Ernth grabs a pickaxe from one of the running miners as he pushes him behind a hut, the bowls his way toward the spiders. "I can fight as good as the next Tavern Keeper!" He shouts to Vernus over his shoulder. Map after Ernths Movements (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=189844994487743&set=a.189836691155240.43665.100003867323594&type=3&theater).

[TerrickTerran]

Rinar heads for the sounds she's hearing directing her badger to flank with her against any potential opponents. She wasn't sure of what was going on, but she wanted to make sure she'll be ready.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Vernus advances, strafing right. He'd swing his war staff down hard on the nearest spider, bringing it up immediately, ready to strike any vermin that tried to close.

Move action: Move one square up, two right, basically put him between the villager to his right and the spiders.
Standard action: Single attack on the spider to Ernth's right. [roll0]

Damage: [roll1]
Vernus currently has 20' reach and can make three attacks of opportunity this round. DM, please feel free to roll AoOs for Vernus along with provoking actions if desired. His char sheet should be updated for all the adjustments from Enlarge Person.

[Jib]

Vernus's Staff makes a sickening sound as it crunches through the spiders abdomen. Foul green ichor sprays about as the beast lets out a shrill scream of pain. The beast stumbles slightly, but manages to stay standing, its dark multi-faceted eyes entranced on Vernus. The one spider Vernus had struck slides one of its foul fangs into his thigh, grazing him. Vernus immediately feels a burning sensation in his leg.

The spiders collectively seem to wait for something, the sight of Vernus and his enlarged person startles them, but one in the back keeps flitting around to look back down the mine, as if it was hoping someone was coming. Ernth screams coldly as one of the spiders fangs sinks deep into his leg, the sharp end passing through his calf. He weakly tries to beat at the animal with a pickaxe he had taken from one of the miners, but to little avail.

The spider you struck is still alive, here is an updated Battle Map (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=191439680994941&set=a.189836691155240.43665.100003867323594&type=3&theater). If I have your positioning wrong Quellian-dyrae just yell at me and I will see about patching it up.

[Erik Vale]

Ok, I see where all present, But can I get a who's who?
Action coming shortly.

[Zman]

Forgoing his defensive arcane energies, Ian moves forward, a shark like grin, "Damned, late to the party."

Ian grasps his scimitar in both hands and moves forward to strike at the closest spider...


Attack[roll0]
Damage[roll1]
Critical[roll2]
Damage[roll3]

[Quellian-dyrae]

Vernus gave a slight grin at Ian's remark, before winding up and swinging at another of the big vermin.

Attacking the spider two squares left, one up, if it doesn't have cover. If it does have cover, will try to finish off the injured one.

Attack: [roll0]

Damage: [roll1]

EDIT: ::REEEAAALLLYYY hopes it doesn't have cover!::

[Erik Vale]

Mal scrowls and raises his crossbow, loosing a bolt at the furthest spider.


Hit: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

However, loosing his footing at the last minute, he snorts as his bolt flies high, as he begins reloading.

[Jib]

The bolt from Mal's crossbow shatters as it hits the rock face above the mineshaft entrance, and scatters splinters and rock chips down on the spider in the cave entrance. At the same time Vernus reaches out with his now gargantuan staff to exterminate a spider, its chitinous legs scattering as the heavy weapon crushes in down the center, the creature does not even twitch after the attack. Ian slides alongside Vernus to attempt a slash at the severly injured spider.. The creature barely raises one of its sharp fangs in time to slide Ian's singing blade to the side and prevent its death. The villagers all stop running as they hear the crushing sound of the dying spider, and turn to cower and view their saviors fight. Ernth manages to limp weakly to the south while fending with his pickaxe, moving out of the Hero's path the best he can. The spiders seem enraged that another of their numbers have fallen, the first having been killed by the miners. Immediately they begin to move in for the kill. One of the spiders in the back moves quickly up to strike at Vernus, its fangs flailing uselessly as the large man sidesteps the attack, and blocks a second attack from the injured beast next to him. Ian is struck in the leg as a second spider moves in from the back and pushes its foul mandible into his thigh.

The spider you struck is dead Quellian, Mal's and Ian's attacks are misses. The spider Ian attacked is marked by a red Circle, the one Vernus attacked is marked with a red line. Battle Map (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=191883677617208&set=a.189836691155240.43665.100003867323594&type=3&theater) as of the attacks made by the party.

This Battle Map is after the spiders have moved and attacked (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=191889574283285&set=a.189836691155240.43665.100003867323594&type=3&theater).

Ian landed a Natural 20 on his save VS the spider poison, but sustained 5 points of damage from the attack.

It is now the parties turn once more, if Rinar does not put up an action for this next round I will have her do some healing me-thinks.

[Quellian-dyrae]

As the spiders approached, Vernus would take a swing if he had a clear shot. Regardless, once they closed, the priest would drop his war-staff and pull out his good ol' trusty lumberjack axe. It wasn't as well-made or balanced as the staff, and lacked the weapon's substantial reach, but it was a more devastating weapon in closer quarters. He'd bring it down for a heavy chop at the nearest least-injured spider.


I'm not sure, Vernus might get an AoO on the spider with the red...thorax (?)...and black legs. If the spider he dropped no longer counts as a creature to provide cover, it would provoke as soon as it leaves its starting space. If it moves in a straight line, it would provoke when it passes through the fallen spider's space, since creatures don't provide cover when moving through their space. However, if that spider does count as cover, and the target spider skitters around it so it's blocked by the injured spider, it would have cover the whole way and avoid the AoO.

So, IF he gets an AoO:

Attack: [roll0]

Damage: [roll1]

Regardless, on turn, free action to drop staff, move action to draw axe, either attack that spider (if no AoO or if AoO misses), or if it is injured by AoO, attack the red and black striped spider in front of Ian.

Attack: [roll2]

Damage: [roll3]

[TerrickTerran]

Rinar will offer to heal anyone, instructing her companion to aid anyone who needs it. She will defend but not directly attack.

[Erik Vale]

Mal moves back away from the spiders as he reloads.

[Zman]

Ian straps his now wounded leg away, "Damned filhy arachnid!" as he slashes with his blade...


Attack[roll0]
Damage[roll1]

[Zman]

The blade lands true and Ian attempts to driv it home...


Critical Confirmation
Attack[roll0]
Damage[roll1]

[Jib]

While Mal is re-loading her crossbow Vernus brings his Axe down on the spider in front of Ian. The heavy blade crushes and rends its way through the skittering menace, leaving it broken and dead.

Re-Aiming Ians attack as the one in front of him his dead

Ian flinches as spider entrails are scattered over him and his boots. Slicing out with his curved blade he strikes the Spider in front of Vernus. His blade sings clean through the beasts head, leaving it twitching and convulsing in its last throws of death. Rinar steps forward and lays her hand on the back of Ian, the soft words she whispers bring a gentle and fresh green tinted light to her hand that spreads into Ian, dissipating quickly but closing his wounds.

Rinars Heal on Ian: Cure Light Wounds
[roll0]

[Jib]

Spiders Attack, top of the round.


The last spider out of reach carefully moves the five feet to come within range of Ian, and lashes out with its sharp fang, the dripping appendages sliding harmlessly into the ground next to Ian. The second remaining spider takes the moment Vernus looks to the spider attacking Ian to stab one of its mandibles into is side, again the burning sensation spreading into Vernus's skin.

[roll0] Vernus's Save vs Poison
You guys are good to set out your next actions. There are two surviving spiders, one in front of Ian, and one in front of Vernus. I will post a Battle Map as soon as I am done with work.

[Zman]

"Filthy vermin..." Ian spats as he brings his blade down, "Dirtying my boots!" as Ian deftly slices into the spider with his blade.


Attack[roll0]
Damage[roll1]

[Quellian-dyrae]

Vernus scowled as the spiders got their licks in. "Yeah, an' well done then, question is, was it worth it?" he grumbled as he took another slash, again aiming for the least injured spider he could reach and that wasn't obstructed.


Note: I'm not impressed with that save, so there may be some hit and damage loss due to poison.

Attack: [roll0]

Damage: [roll1]

[TerrickTerran]

Rinar will direct Nibbles to attack if the spider on Ian is still up. She'll take a total defense action for herself.

[Erik Vale]

Mal takes a quick look then aims his crossbow at the most injured looking spider.


[roll0]
[roll1]

*Sigh*
And again, misses horribly.

[Jib]

Crudface, I thought I had rolled the Poison damage for you in the same hit, sorryfaces.

[roll0] Strength Damage to Vernus

Mal's bolt flits close over Ian's shoulder and flies down into the tunnel. The echoing sound of it hitting stone inside the cave chimes back out a few seconds later. Vernus's axe crashes into the ground next to the spider, causing it to flinch ever so slightly and re-direct its attention for a moment. Capitalizing on the spiders momentarily distraction Ian sinks his black into the spider, leaving a long gash oozing a nasty slime as he withdraws the blade. Rinar's Badger moves to the south of Ian and swipes its sharp claws, its claws sliding harmlessly off of the spiders carapace.

Top of next Round

The spider in front of Ian swipes at him helplessly, the savage gash in its side hindering its movements severely as it attempts its attack. The creature chitters frantically as its mandibles pass by Ian harmlessly.

There is one Spider left, Current Battle Map Here (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=193590734113169&set=a.189836691155240.43665.100003867323594&type=3&theater). The only surviving spider is the one marked with my finger.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Vernus would take a quick step to get beside the remaining spider and across from Ernth. Although the man hadn't been attacking, he was still armed, so he hoped the spider still discerned him as a threat, at least enough to distract it some. Then he brought across his axe in another powerful slash - though not as powerful as he had been. He could feel the poison attacking his muscles, sapping his strength.

Attack: [roll0] (add another +2 if Ernth qualifies me for flanking).

Damage: [roll1]

[Erik Vale]

Mal inwardly curses himself as he reloads, not expecting to participate further in the fight.

[Zman]

Ian continues to press the advantage,maiden stepping to a better location and deftly slashing with his sword....


Man, I feel like 2nd rate Melee, too bad my build isn't competent for 2-4 more levels!

Attack[roll0]
Damage[roll1]

[Jib]

Vernus delivers a final blow to the cruel looking arachnid. His large axe sinks deep through the spider. The creature releases a final chittering death hiss as it falls to the ground, spilling its foul blood about as it shudders in its death throws. All of the evil creatures lay dead on the ground. The group of hero's can hear from the tunnel what sounds like faint foot steps retreating. Ernth convulses as the poison evercomes him, and passes out. A villager who was hiding between huts behind him rushes foreward and kneels next to Ernth laying him out on his back. Several more villagers sllowly aproach the group, all eyes nervously flitting from Ernth to the group.

From my tablet at works, I will post a map of the finished battle map when I can.

[Quellian-dyrae]

As soon as it looked like they were momentarily clear, Vernus would tend to his and Ian's wounds with a light flow of positive energy, hoping to keep the effects of the poison from worsening. It wasn't even a spell, just a little trick, but hopefully it would do the job.

Take 10 on an untrained Heal check for each instance of poison on each of us...if I'm right that should give us a minimum effective Fort save of 12 against the secondary damage, and we can still roll if the DC is higher.

I may have missed a damage total somewhere. Vernus should be at 17 hit points currently, right?

[Jib]

Here is the Map. (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=195250620613847&set=a.189836691155240.43665.100003867323594&type=3&theater) The square marked with my finger has two corpses sitting in it. You all gain 375 Exp for killing the spiders. Would you guys give me your opinion on the difficulty of this fight, I thought it was pretty easy, so I am planning to bump up the next one. I generally want you guys to be exhausted after five or so fights.

Your HP looks about Right Quellian

Vernus chases the poison from his and Ians systems, a slightly putrid green puss emanating from dozens of their sweat glands as the toxin seeps out. As the companions recover from the battle they can hear a slightly nasally voice yell from behind them in the direction of the Tavern. As they turn they see a potbellied man come waddling around a corner from the south. He is wearing a tall gaudy hat covered in dyed feathers, and his heavy woolen overcoat and breeches seem to be of high quality. His long mustache is unkempt and has small bits of food hanging from it, his double chin covered in what looks like butter. Next to him stands a particularly large man, As tall as Vernus, and covered head to toe in heavy steel armor. His short hair is brown with speckles of grey, and his short beard and mustache both heavily greying. On his back he carries a massive tower shield, and at his right hip hangs a heavy Broad Sword. Under his left arm he carries a dinged and scratched helmet, both of the horns that once protruded from either side of it broken off.

The fat man walks up adjacent to Mal, his beady eyes squinting suspiciously at the group. "What are you doing, get back in the mine! The spiders are dead!" Are the first words out of his mouth as he glances away from the group to eye the villagers. Immediatly several of the men grab their discarded picks and hesitantly step near the mine entrance. None daring to go much further. Luckily for them the pig-like man focuses his attention on the group, particularly Mal.

"I am sorry for not coming to greet you myself, but I was just starting supper. I assume the boy I sent to town collected you fine people" His eyes wander up and down Mal as he makes a sickly attempt to smile handsomely. With a flourish he reaches for Mal's hand, trying to bring it to his lips "I am Turk Nol'Garnsh, the Mayor of this fine little town." Mal's noes is assaulted by what smells like feces and sweat from the man, mixed with grease and wine.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Vernus took an immediate dislike to the mayor. His demand that the miners return immediately to work reminded him some of his old "boss" Remiss. Although to be fair, at least Remiss had some style. "Those spiders are dead," he corrected pointedly. "But looks ta me like they came from the mine. Could be more down there, or there could be a way for 'em ta get in. We should check the place out before ya send yer people back down there."

[TerrickTerran]

Rinar shook her head as the smell offended her sensitive nose. She murmurs in Gnome a few curses while she lets the others chat.

[Zman]

Ian eyes the mayor as he approaches, "Ahh, you must be the glutton that has hired us. Judging by the state of the town I had feared a food shortage, but it appears you've eaten it all and coupled it with bad fashion. Have no fear, the curse has been identified." Ian rolls his eyes...

[Jib]

The Mayor plants his slimy lips on the back of Mal's hand, leaving a buttery mark. He looks the group over for a moment, squinting his beady eyes at Ian for the remark.

"You are welcome to investigate the mine, I brought you here to do everything you can to find the source of this curse, but the miners will be going back in. Either they work, or they starve, its their choice." With these words the Mayor glares back at the hesitant workers near the mine, who immediately enter the dark tunnel. Turning his attention back to the group "When you bring me proof that this is all over, I will pay you, until then you will be working with your own money. If you need any information, feel free to ask Rogar here" He gestures to the large man next to him "He has been working as my bodyguard for a long time, and knows about everything of this town and surrounding area."

The pudgy man looks around himself, glaring disdainfully at several of the peasants milling about cleaning up the mess of the battle.

"And do make sure that you don't forget, I am the lord of these lands, and my word is law."

[Erik Vale]

Mal has grown, used to ignoring human idiosyncrasies, and used to ignoring things in general through meditation.
It barely helps.

"Such things are understood. However, I think it's time we check the mine so these men can get back to work. I'm sure they would enjoy being able to eat tonight."

[Jib]

Turk smiles a fake little grin, and turns around to walk toward his home.

Rogar stays standing with the group, placing his free hand on his hip. "Well, were should we start ladies" Rogar pops off, his heavy voice carrying well.

[Quellian-dyrae]

"You're with us, then?" Vernus asked. Good. The man looked capable, although after meeting the man he worked for, he certainly wasn't prepared to fully trust him. "'Less anyone has a better idea, I'm thinkin' we should explore the mine. Ensurin' these folk are clear o' immediate danger's a priority, ta my mind."

[TerrickTerran]

Rinar shrugged. She didn't really care about these human affairs much either. The sooner they got back to nature and out of this city the better in her mind.

[Erik Vale]

"Agreed, and one can always get lucky with a quick end to this."
If you could capture Mal's voice in a Jar and cool it, you would be able to sell it as liquid distaste. Even the completely ignorent could tell.
Looking towards the Mine, Mal thinks for a second.
"There is nothing I need to retrieve."
Mal moves towards the mines entrance.

[Jib]

Rogar clomps along next to Mal, swinging around the others to keep in stride. He sets his helmet down on one of the barrels adjacent to the entrance and pulls his armor straps tight. Checking the rest of his gear and ensuring it was all in place he turned to look at the group before entering.

"Watch out for low beams in the cave, and if you hear the stone grinding, run back for the entrance. This mine has had this village around it for a good 35 years, and it was a natural cave before then, so it goes pretty deep." Rogar picks his helmet back up and straps it snugly back on his skull, sliding it back and forth to test it.

[Quellian-dyrae]

"So noted," Vernus replied as he advanced for the mine, figuring that must have been their version of TIMBER! He had strong respect for miners, felt a certain camaraderie from his days as a lumberjack. Both jobs were long, difficult, and not infrequently dangerous for scant pay. Really made him dislike the callous mayor.

He moved fairly quickly, to catch up with the miners as try and figure out what tunnels they were working that day, suggesting to them that they give the adventurers the chance to clear them first. He paid attention for Rogar's reaction to this, trying to get a read on where the guard stood regarding his lord's demands.

[Zman]

Ian follows closely behind his companions, wary of their new found perdiciment.

[TerrickTerran]

Rinar sighed. "They better not be devastating nature by doing all of that. I will not approve of any of that." She continued to follow her companions with Nibbles close behind her.

[Quellian-dyrae]

"I wouldn't figure there's anythin' too harmful 'bout minin', long as they're playin' it careful with the surroundin's. Buried ore isn't exactly critical ta the cycle o' life an' all," he said with a grin. "'Sides, there's nothin' in nature that don't consume resources. We people-types might be a bit more high-maintenance than most, but it goes ta good use. There's a balance ta be found there, I think." He gave a sage nod as he said so.

His voice became more grim as he added, "There's somethin' devastatin' nature 'round here, but I'm not thinkin' it's these good folk."

[TerrickTerran]

"All right. I agree with that." Rinar whispered something in Gnomish to Nibbles and then glanced around. "Just need to find something I can ask a few questions. They might have seen or found something a human would miss."

[Erik Vale]

"Well. My abilities are less suited to killing things at the moment, and more to capture. So I'f I see a large rat.."

Mal shakes his head as he mutters a few words, before going into the mine.
Casting Prestidgination and Unseen Servant.

[Jib]

The group enters the dark mine. Inside they enter one large entrance room, the place is dirty with some stray rocks and ore. There are several small wooden carts with notched wheels sitting against the western wall of the room, each filled with pickaxes and buckets. A pile of torches sit adjacent to the carts, and in front of them a table with buckets and another pickaxe present. Large beams run from one side of the room to the other supported by heavy posts, a mesh-work of rough hewn boards running across the top of the beams to help hold the stone and earth ceiling up. Several torches light the room, giving more than adequate light to move about with, but down the North West and South tunnels it becomes pitch black after a dozen or so feet.

The air is slightly stagnant and foul. The same undertone of rot that wafted about the village heavily. This mingles heavily with the smell of sweat and urine, the soothing smells of the earths rock and soil doing little to mask the foul odors of mankind.

There is a glow in the North tunnel beyond a bend in the tunnel, from that tunnel also comes the loudest of the metal on stone sounds. The echos of metal on stone also come flitting down from the North East tunnel as well, while the South tunnel remains silent.

"Well, we have two levels to this mine. This is the first level is where most of the actual mining is done, while down below they are chasing some veins trying to find more stashes of Iron."

He points toward the South tunnel "We had a collapse in a tunnel that way maybe two years ago, lost a dozen miners or so. It was pretty nasty, since then we made sure to shore up the mines a good chunk. There's an underground spring down that way too."

He switches his finger to the North East tunnel "Down that way you will find one of the shafts leadin down to the next level, and we hit a good cache at the back end of that tunnel."

Finally he flicks his wrist to the North tunnel "And up there we have a pretty small deposit, but its where the workers like to hide the most when evil comes crawling out of the tunnels, poor cowards trapped like mice"

Rogar chuckles to himself and walks across the room to pick up one of the torches. He holds it in one of the mounted flames lighting the oil soaked rag quickly. Rogar smiles a crocked smile, marred by several missing teeth in his mouth.

"Where do you think we should get going?

Here are two photos to help you visualize your entry into cave, just got done touching up the map for you guys.

This Map is a bit Sideways (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=197273690411540&set=a.197273653744877.45337.100003867323594&type=3&src=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-f.ak.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ak-snc6%2F703524_197273690411540_220541454_o.jpg&smallsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ash3%2F550663_197273690411540_220541454_n.jpg&size=2048%2C1536), as East ended up being top and West is bottom. North should be top.

This Zoomed in Map is accurately (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=197273707078205&set=a.197273653744877.45337.100003867323594&type=3&theater) aligned with my chosen axis and affords a better view than the larger first photo.

[Zman]

Ian looks down the tunnels, closing his nose to the stench. "What a rightfully distasteful place. Which direction to the vile creatures usually come from? The lower level?"

[Erik Vale]

"I would like to look at the collapsed section first myself. Otherwise, it looks like the way is down."

[TerrickTerran]

"The collapsed section should be interesting. Perhaps there is a clue there that could be useful." Rinar will load her sling and wait for someone to take the lead.

[Jib]

Rogar holds the torch up in front of him as he turns to walk down the tunnel. His heavy boots clomp loudly as he takes the lead.

"They dug into something in the tunnel, I don't know what it was myself, I was out dealing with some thugs, but the miners said it wasn't a normal cave they had tapped into. We are pretty used to running into natural caves in here, but This one was something they didn't recognize at all."

He turns a corner and they are standing at a split in the tunnel. To one side is a small room lined with beds, and to the other the tracks and tunnel wind on. The split is made by a pillar of stone that has been left in the middle of the room. Rogar points at a pile of rubble on the south wall of the tunnel. It is obvious were at one time there was a tunnel that has come crashing down. It does not appear like much of an attempt was made to clear the rubble. At the top of the pile is a very small opening, no more than five inches tall and 13 wide, over the fallen rocks.

"The workers never did clear it out, partially because they didn't want to disturb the bodies. Bad luck and the normal peasant fears. And because they thought what ever was back there wasn't good luck either, so that tunnel just stayed collapsed" Rogar leans back against the pillar in the middle of the room "Nothing to it if you ask me though, that was long before we started having problems, and most of the spiders come up from below, or from the stream further down this tunnel."

[Quellian-dyrae]

Well, since they were looking for information, Vernus would take the chance to poke around a bit, see if there was anything of interest.

Search: [roll0]

[Erik Vale]

Mal looks at the pile.
"We aren't going to be able to clear a path with any reasonable speed. I suggest we head below. It's best we check for any monsters before we take a look. However, as for petty peasant supposition... They are sometimes right."

[TerrickTerran]

Rinar nods. "If I can find something small that burrows, perhaps I can have it look around for us before we try and remove the stuff. Until then, I'd like to find where these monsters are lairing."

[Jib]

Vernus

Your search check reveals very little about the room. Beds covered in tattered rags for blankets, buckets for the removal of dirt. You do note that there is air movement through the tunnel from the back of it.

Rinar

You can currently sense some small minor creatures such as earthworms and the like, but nothing intelligent enough to communicate with.


Rogar picks at his teeth for a moment while the group scopes the room.

"We have two lower mines I can lead you too. There is a particularly hard vein of marble running across the lower section, so it was easier for us to dig two access shafts than to try and go through the stone. That leaves us with the Northern and Southern second levels of the mine. As of yet, the spiders seem to be coming from both of the shafts, we just cant figure out were at below they are coming up." He shifts against the stone pillar, his armor scraping ever so slightly. "We hit a couple of natural caves down below sometime last year, at first nothing seemed wrong, but it was a few months after that when the spiders started to crawl up our legs."

He stretches out and steps away from the wall. He scratches at the back of his head for a moment, and seems hesitant to say anymore.

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Sounds like a plan then. Not seein' anythin' useful here. Seems ta be some air flow though. That means this route could lead ta the surface, aye? Or maybe the collapse went all the way up. Don't matter much I suppose; Mal's right, we won't be clearin' this fast enough ta be useful."

[Jib]

"That works for me, follow me boys"

Rogar tromps off back down the tunnel which they had just come down. Entering the main entrance room he turns back to the group.

"So, do we head to the South second level, or the North second level?"

[Erik Vale]

"I would say which one gained access to natural caverns closest to the time of the spiders comming out... But then again months... Whichever one leads to the natural caves soonest would be best."

[Zman]

Ian continues to look around, relying on his rudimentary knowledge...trying to asertain which direction is most likely.
Survival[roll0]

[Jib]

Rogar leads down along the North West tunnel. The shaft itself is relatively large for a mining shaft. The heavily used cart tracks show signs of years of wear. As the group moves deeper into the mine you all notice that the slope of the floor is leading down, and that the air gets a bit heavier, almost stale.

Ian
As you enter a specific section of the tunnel you can notices a smell that is much more acrid than the sweat and filth most of the mine smells like. You recognize the smell from the druggy filled slums of the city, a foul stench almost like cat urine and ammonia. Mesk, a hard drugged peddled to workers to keep them moving for days. The chemical is concocted by alchemists from earth minerals and toxic compounds, and the effects of the drug are catastrophic on a person. They will seem very nervous, gaunt, and have nervous twitches. While there are other symptoms and signs, these are the most common.

[TerrickTerran]

Rinar doesn't like this at all and decides to check out and see if it's safe to go further.

Survival Check [roll0]

[Zman]

Ian, raising an embroidered handkerchief to his nose, "Mesk, explains much. Poor creatures..."

[Jib]

Rinar

As you enter a specific section of the tunnel you can notices a smell that is much more acrid than the sweat and filth most of the mine smells like. You recognize the smell from the druggy filled slums of the city, a foul stench almost like cat urine and ammonia.

[Erik Vale]

Mal pulls his traveling scarf over his face almost absent mindedly as the group continues, paying attention to his surroundings.

[Quellian-dyrae]

As they walked, Vernus asked, "How many spider attacks have you had, now?"

[TerrickTerran]

"This odor is familiar terrible as it is. It's one you might find in a city. So why are we finding it here?" Rinar didn't like it, especially as it offended her sensitive nose. She covered it up and waited for any responses.

[Zman]

Responding to Rinar, a slight expression of annoyance barely noticable, "Mesk."

[Jib]

A strange look comes over Rogar's face for a brief moment, but he regains his cool composure quickly. He waves off in the direction of the work sounds.

"The miners get paid by how much the pull out, so a few of them use Mesk to let them work late into the night, and work harder than they ever could otherwise. The men need the money, so they are not worried to risk something for it."

Mal

As you travel down the hallway you notice a strange outline in the shaft wall. You immediately recognize it as a door, concealed to look like part of the mine wall.

[TerrickTerran]

"It stinks either way." Rinar continued to search slowly for signs of the spiders or anything else.

[Jib]

The group can hear rattling coming from behind them in the tunnel. As they turn they can see a single villager leading a hafling along the tunnel.

"Rogar, the mayor had another person answer the request." The skinny villager says as he comes up to the group. He stands to the side to stand out of the way of the hafling. Before the group stands a three foot five inch halfing with puffy brown hair is short kept, with a bald spot running along a scar in his hair. His sharp green eyes are easily visible in the low light.

[Magnera]

"Hello, I am Matry, after seeing just what occurred outside, I have discerned that it would be best if we were help each other out. 300 gold pieces are worth nothing if your dead." Matry pauses for a moment, his eyes search for whoever his guide was referring to. After being unable to locate who it was, he decides to simply take a shot in the dark.

"Rogar?" Starts the inquisitive halfling. "You seem to know much about this mineshaft, tell me more about it."

[Erik Vale]

"Yes, perhaps about the door... Here"
Whilst he orrigonally walked past it somewhat deliberately, almost to see if Rogar knew about it at all by tension, Mal had just walked back to what is, to all others, a not to unusual set of lines in the wall, looking almost like natural rock.


Search roll for means of opening and any features: [roll0]
Sense motive roll as to Rogars reaction to Mal's noticing: [roll1]

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Welcome ta the team," Vernus greeted the halfling, then looking to the wall Mal indicated. He peered at it closely, and still couldn't tell it was anything but rock. "That's a secret door?" he asked. "Good eye..."

[Jib]

Rogar goes to reply to Matry but swings about as Mal notes the door.

"That is a private area, off limits to people who do not have the mayors authority to enter. You would have to ask him to enter, and I doubt he would say yes. From what I understand he keeps valuables in there."

Mal

As you search around the outline of the door you find what seems to be a small wire hanging from the very top of the crack.

You also notice that Rogar is wringing his hands, and seems very nervous, even though he is trying to conceal it and maintain a calm, some twitches seem to be making it through.

Rogar turns back to Matry, his face is slightly pale.

"What is it you would need to know about the mine?"

[Erik Vale]

For a moment before he steps away, Mal considers it.
[Thoughts] 'Highly stressed so he is probably lieing and very badly. No one looked for it as a minor so possibly his own cache, unlikely he's the cause... Or the mayor has something rather wierd in their. Could 'accidently' open and decide... He is the only one there who would object, I could, 'Brush against' the string... I'll stall for time a moment.'

Slowly, Mal's hands work towards the string, as he tries not to look like he's already found it.

"A human suffering from Yearlings could point out how false that is. Try again and I might stop looking for the catch or however you open this door. I doupt it's dangerous and my guess is that it's actually a stache for you... I mean, he could be holding up boys or some such, but thats just a wild guess."

They way Mal says boys is dripping with disgust, in memory of the mayor kissing him. He had to bite of Elven, but that was beside the point.


Bluff: [roll0] [Failure being things like him looking/staring at the string]
Diplomacy: [roll1] [Trying to get a truthful/semi-truthful. Do you use Giant's Fix?]

[Zman]

IAn, noting the door in his most crisp and clear diplomatic voice, "Then we must respect his wishes and leave it be."

Then we must return and investigate...

[Magnera]

Matry's eyes lock onto Rogar, finally finding out who he was. "I wish to inquire about where these things seem to come from and how you wish to deal with them." After noting the secret door and Rogar's reaction to it, he makes certain to return to it, and discover what secrets are inside.

[Jib]

"If I open the door, I lose my job. As for dealing with the spiders, if I knew how to do that I would have already done it and taken the reward myself. Unless you would rather explore the cave on your own, I suggest we keep moving." Rogar booms out, much of the joviality in his voice gone.

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Fair enough. I'm trustin' if we come across anythin' that is relevant ta our cause, you'll be more forthcoming," Vernus offered agreeably, although there was an edge in his voice that made it clear that it was less a statement of trust and more a demand.

[Magnera]

Matry moves to the front of Rogar, knowing that his place in the party was in the front. Keeping an eye and ear out for trouble. "Mind if I take front? My eyes are great at finding things that lurk in the shadows."

Move to front of party, holding my two sickles in one hand and my ever burning torch in the other. If something startles me, I'm going to drop the ever burning torch and bring my sickles to their correct hands. While also looking around for signs of trouble.

[Jib]

Rogar seems disgruntled and a bit off balance. He allows Matry to take the lead, following at his side and just behind. He pushes the group on down the tunnel. They come to a large cavern at the end of the shaft where mixed into the iron is gleaming black metal. Two recesses lead to the south. One is a dead end, and at the end of the other sets a large black hole with a pulley system built over it.

Rogar clears his throat roughly before the leads them to the hole. "This will be were I have to stay, someone has to run the pulley to get you down into the hole. At the bottom you will drop down through the top of a larger room. From there you will be on your own. I recommend being careful because we have not reinforced much of the new tunneling down there."

[Zman]

Ian eyes the whole with suspicion, "And how will we be getting back up?"

Sense Motive[roll0]

[TerrickTerran]

Rinar shook her head. "He wouldn't like it if he doublecrossed us. An angry badger can do many nasty things to a human."

[Erik Vale]

"When It comes time I might be able to send a servent or two up to pull the first up."

Mal had been quiet fr the remainder of the trip, and like the others decided to come back to the door.

"However, it would be best you stay up here to operate."

[Jib]

"I will wait here until you yell back up the shaft. Its about sixty feet down to the next level, so I should be able to hear you just fine." Rogar seems sincere about staying at the top of the shaft. "The Mayor is offering to pay you to fix a problem for him, and its my job to fix problems. This is in my best interest as well."

Rogar sets the brake on the winch system, and pulls the looped ropes up from the hole. "We can send down two people at a time. As for your friend" Rogar looks at Nibbles "Either we can tie him in, or you will have to carry him, unless you want to leave him up here with me."


Ian

You do not believe he has a hidden motive, or is lying to you.

[Magnera]

"Well looks like I'm going to go first then!" The halfling gets right into position upon the system. If anyone was to go first, it was going to be him. However, he was really nervous about the whole fact that he might be trapped sixty feet under ground.

[Quellian-dyrae]

"I can join ya," Vernus offered. His fighting style was fairly well centered around the whole "front line of defense" shtick.

[TerrickTerran]

"I'll take the middle, let you meat shields stay in front of me." Rinar then followed them.

[Zman]

"I'll join you Rinar." Ian says as he prepares himself to descend, lamenting the cleaning of his cloths that will be required later.

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Meat shields huh? Ha! I'll keep that in mind..." Vernus laughed, then going about getting on and securing himself.

[Magnera]

"Meat Shield? I'm no more a hunk of meat than you!" Says Matry with a very teasing tone in his voice as he secures himself into the contraption.

[Erik Vale]

Mal rolls his eyes at the antics of the others.
"Just scream if you see something rush out of the darkness at you. That way we know to come back with lots of alchemest fire and pick axes before finding another route."

[TerrickTerran]

Rinar sticks her tongue out at Matry in a cute fashion. "All right. Let's do this then."

[Jib]

Rogar easily spins the winch and lowers the first two down. After a few minutes the entire party sits at the bottom of the shaft safely. Rogar yells down the shaft.

"Just give me the word when you want back up."

The group stands in a relatively large room in the mine. The pickaxe and shovel marks were easily visible and did not seem to be worn down by much time yet. The sand stone of this area seems steady, and some bracing and support have been installed already. Leaving from the South West side of the room is a single tunnel. The light of Matry's torch lights the room, but casts shadows about the room, creating an eerie mood in the room. Unlike above, no sounds of picks on rock can be heard down here. All sound seems slightly muffled, and the temperature in the room is just slightly chilly. There is no air movement in the mine right now. The only sound that echo's slightly from further inside is the sound of water running against stone.

As of right now the only light I remember your group having lit up is Matry's torch. If that is not true make sure to correct me.

On a related note, here is the Map of the Area (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=200299540108955&set=a.197273653744877.45337.100003867323594&type=3&theater), my finger is pointing to Matry's token.

[Erik Vale]

"It always is chillier underground. No wind flow suggests there are no other openings... It feels just like a basement."

It was a joke, but a poor one.

With no other way to go that wasn't up, Mal began moving to the tunnel, however not entering while he waited for a 'meat shield' as it had been put, to go in front.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Vernus would take his own everburning torch from his pack, and start for the tunnel. He'd keep basically at Matry's side if possible, a half step or so behind, or just fall back to second rank if the tunnel was narrow enough that they had to walk single-file.

Battle map wise would be at Matry's side if there's room for that, so that space permitting we can flank a foe adjacent and directly in front of either of us with a 5' step from each of us.

[Zman]

Ian readies his blade, noting the shadows his companion's torches cast. Keeping towards the front he is ready for what is ahead in the dank and stagnant place.

[Magnera]

Matry stays right next to Vernus, his right hand still hold his sickles of choice while the left pushes forward with his ever burning torch. The halflings piercing green eyes scan the darkness, searching for anything of notice. His ears are on full alert for anything and everything.

Spot [roll0]
Search [roll1]
Listen [roll2]

[TerrickTerran]

Rinar stood back, ready to summon an ally in case they needed it. She wasn't sure what might appear here, but she wanted to be ready.

[Jib]

You come around the corner of the short tunnel and enter a larger room. This room has been reinforced heavily. Scattered all around the room are tools of the mining trade, buckets, picks, shovels and hand carts to move the earth. Some of the carts and buckets have been overturned, and tools scattered as if knocked aside. Three tunnels lead to the south from this room.

Everyone toss a survival check for me while in this room. Don't feel like running four checks and pulling up the sheets for it :D

Here is the Map (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=200793610059548&set=a.197273653744877.45337.100003867323594&type=3&theater) for this room. This smaller Map (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=200793623392880&set=a.197273653744877.45337.100003867323594&type=3&theater) is closer in to show your placement better.

[Magnera]

Continuing forward, Matry keeps him self alert and strong. "I haven't really bothered to ask anyone but Rogar, but how do we plan on dealing with this menace?"

[Quellian-dyrae]

"I got a big stick. I've found it ta be impressively effective against menaces." Vernus said with a slender grin.

More seriously, he added with a shrug, "Until we know for sure what we're dealin' with, I'm not thinkin' we have much in the way o' a plan. For now, plan seems ta be, 'kill the big spiders.'"

[Zman]

Ian eyes the sand, "Signs of creatures...keep an eye out and your torches lit." as he indicates the prints.

As for group checks, it's easiest to just make a notepad txt wih the code for the most common rolls and just update it with levels. Then only a copy and paste away.

[TerrickTerran]

Seeing the tracks, Rinar will peer down at them and try to figure what they are.

[roll0] knowledge:nature check

[Jib]

Rinar

You note the tell tale brush marks around the footprints that mean spider.

You can all hear from the back most tunnel the sound of wood on wood, something slamming against something else. After that comes the sound of some chittering much like the spiders from the mouth of the mine had.

[Erik Vale]

Mal instantly goes on the alert.
"More Spiders. That door means they are probably controlled or modulated by something else."

Meanwhile, glowing barriers of light come into existance around him.

Inertial Armour, glowing version.

[Zman]

Ian smiles, "Good hunting." as he takes his scimitar in two hands and waits for his fellows torches to illuminate a target.

Where did Ian go on the map?

[TerrickTerran]

Rinar will step back while pulling out her sling. She'll keep Nibbles in front of her as a defensive aid for the moment.

[Magnera]

Matry keeps with his buddy, meanwhile racking his mind for something to give him a burst of ingenuity. " I guess that sounds like our prey! I have some oil that we could throw down and then light when they start to come out. A flaming arrow or a torch could probably do it."

[Quellian-dyrae]

Vernus would toss his torch off to the side, and as long as nothing was rushing them, draw a javelin, cast Light upon it, and toss it down the corridor the chittering was coming from. That done, he'd ready his staff, prepared to whack anything that tried to get at his allies past him.

[Jib]

Here is your current positions. (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=202545106551065&set=a.197273653744877.45337.100003867323594&type=3&theater) There are no doors at the face of the tunnels, and currently no beasts are visible.

You continue to hear the chittering from down the last tunnel, it stops and starts, with different pitches, with one chittering over another.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Vernus would look to the others. "Kinda like havin' the choke point here. Should we make some noise, see if we can lure 'em ta us, or go after them?" He cased about the room. "Could maybe stack this minin' stuff up at the others tunnels, just ta slow down anythin' what might come at us through them."

[Magnera]

"With our foe being spiders, I don't think making obstructions will help if they come from the ceiling. Other than that, I am all for setting up a trap or two!" Matry thinks for a short while, contemplating things they could do. "Well let's ask our selves a few questions. How do we attack from here, how do we defend from here and how do we move from here?" He pauses, letting the thoughts soak in. Attack wise, we just need to hold the area and help each other attack with flanking. Defense wise, let's move some of this stuff and make a place for our ranged friends to attack from, maybe baricade the enterance or something. Movement wise, I have no idea.

[Erik Vale]

Roger's not going to be able to pull us up faster than a spider can climb. As for baracades just cover two tunnels, hopefully at least one of these will remain clear of spiders should we make noise, and it could be they are waiting for us in ambush and wont come down anyhow."

[TerrickTerran]

"Whatever works for you guys. I'll help how I can, but lifting is definitely not my strong point." Rinar glanced down the tunnels wondering if there were more than spiders down there.

[Zman]

Ian, getting bored with their debate, "Are you really afraid of a couple of vermin with more legs than necessary? I say we press forward, kill them as th come and make it back in time for a nice supper and warm bath."

[Quellian-dyrae]

Vernus cast Ian a genuinely surprised look, one brow raised. Confidence was one thing; equating a solid strategy to fear was quite another. Biting back a sarcastic retort, he replied, "We manage to lure 'em in here, we fight on our terms, have the chance ta shape the field. We catch 'em in the chokepoint, we can focus our efforts on 'em one at a time, cuttin' down their offense and speedin' up our victory. We lure them ta us, we may even get time to cast a spell in preparation as they come. It may or may not be doable, but we'd be fools ta waste the chance ta try. The tactical benefits are huge."

[Magnera]

"Actually, you both have very valid points regarding this situation. While indeed it is important that we fight upon our own ground, it is also important we don't lose the initiative." Matry move his sickles and points to the tables around the area. "I say we use these tables upon the thinner passages and use the wheelbarrows, facing the enemy, upon the bigger one. Perhaps we could fill them with rocks, dirt and tools to make them even harder to move."

"Something I am concerned about, how do spiders sense the prey they have caught? They feel where the prey struggles and then attack. I theorize that, if we move these heavy objects, they might feel their home getting changed and attack us. Still, I still stand with the fact that we should make defenses here and the sooner we get started, the better."

[Quellian-dyrae]

"True enough!" Vernus agreed, going about building the makeshift fortifications as Matry had described...finding the materials annoyingly difficult to move about, still weakened by the previous poison.

[TerrickTerran]

Rinar pitches in though her size and strength don't allow any great lifting ability. She hoped they were right as the usual ways of dealing with spiders were probably too dangerous down here.

[Zman]

Seeing he had been overruled, Ian rolls his eyes in an exaggerated fashion before lending his stong back t the task. Looking at his rapidly dirtying clohs with disgust. V" Very Well."

[Jib]

The group begins to feel an UN-nerving sensation. Something is wrong, they cast their eyes about and try to understand what it is that is tipping off danger sensors in each of them.

Then you all realize it, the chittering from earlier is gone. The tunnels are dead silent, except for a new sound, like wood on dirt.

[Magnera]

Matry freezes, every muscle in his body halts as he tries to figure out what is wrong, just what has occurred? Then it hits him, its not the addition of something, but the absence of it. The absence of the sounds from the spiders, they were no longer there... The halfling racks his mind, trying to figure out whether or not they have been discovered.

[TerrickTerran]

"We've waited too long. This is going to get a lot worse before it gets any better." Rinar was ready for some action.

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Seems like. Blasted spiders," Vernus grumbled, before giving Ian a nod. "Was a good call. Should we move on, then, all?" If everyone was prepared to, Vernus would ready his staff and start down the tunnel they hadn't been barricading.

[Zman]

As Vernus signals to move on, Ian gestures in the air snarkily and unenthusiastically, "Tally hoe!..."

[TerrickTerran]

"Lead on then." Rinar signalled Nibbles to remain close to her.

[Erik Vale]

Looking up from what he was moving, Mal frowns.

"That soung could be someone walking or a door. But if you lot are so ready we might as well move on. Worse to worse we have some baracades here if we need it."

[Magnera]

"If things get zesty, we can retreat back here and fight where we know the battle field."

[TerrickTerran]

"Whatever works. The longer we wait, the worse the ambush could be." Rinar will make sure she's between everyone in marching order.

[Jib]

As the group enters the second tunnel they notice the sound of the scraping gets louder, and seems to be coming now from both of the tunnels. Part of the way down the notice that this tunnel dead ends fairly quickly. Suddenly the sound of crashing is heard from behind, as a large spider knocks aside the partially built barricade, following a much smaller spider that had crawled along the wall. In front of the group the tunnel wall bursts open as three more spider. The spiders coming out of the wall have larger more flat fangs that the spiders from before. The front spiders immediately lock eyes on Matry, and the large spider behind on Ian.

Surprise round was used for the positioning of spiders, roll initiatives, spiders are acting on 22.

Edit, here is a link to the Combat Map (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=207351406070435&set=a.207351379403771.46512.100003867323594&type=3&theater).

[Zman]

Ian, quick on his feet crosses his arms in a defensive gesture muttering in Draconic as he wraps himself in Arcane Protections...

Casts Shield on a 22, 3 first level spells left for the day. AC:21

[TerrickTerran]

Rinar will defensively cast Longstrider (which will last 2 hours)

Initiative Roll [roll0]

[Magnera]

Matry immediately drops his everburning torch as soon as a spider comes into his line if sight, his swift hands bring both if his sickles to the correct position within his hands.

I'm just using free actions here to say i am still around.

[Jib]

The large spider behind the group swings around the corner of the tunnel with a short shuffle of steps, and lashes out at Ian with its fangs. The smaller spider also takes a step forward and lashes out at Ian, though its weapons pale in size compared to the monster next to it. Two of the spiders in front of the group move in the five feet and lash out at Matry.

Spider Attacks.
[roll0] Against Ian, DC 13 Fort Save against poison to stop [roll1] Str damage. (Large Spider)
Damage [roll2] (Large Spider)
[roll3] Against Ian DC 12 Fort Save against poison to stop [roll4] Str damage (Medium Spider)
Damage [roll5] (Medium Spider)

Above this statement are the attacks inflicted on Ian in the back of the group.
Below this statement are the attacks inflicted on Matry in the front of the group.

[roll6] Against Matry, South most spider, No poison.
Damage [roll7] (Medium Spider)
[roll8] Against Matry, North most spider, No poison.
Damage [roll9] (Medium Spider)

I will condense and pump out the party actions as soon as they are all in.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Vernus dropped his own torch, and tried to fend off the spider near him long enough to cast a quick spell. "The gods shield the faithful from all harm!" he intoned.

Whether he got it off or not, he'd take a risk, advancing past the front line of spiders to get in among them, stomping and making noise to try and draw their attention to him.

Standard Action: Attempt to cast Shield of Faith defensively. Concentration (DC 16): [roll0].
Move Action: Move into a flanking position so our rogue can get his Sneak Attack! I believe this puts me two squares forward, one square to the right, and provokes an attack of opportunity from one spider.

Also, just want to check that those squares the spiders were in, since they seem to have like a wheelbarrow or something in them, don't count as difficult terrain. If they do, I believe the spiders can't 5' step, and since Vernus has Combat Reflexes, he'd be able to make an AoO against each of them despite being flat-footed.

EDIT: Yeay it worked! Vernus is AC 20 for one minute.

[Magnera]

"Thanks for the wonderful distraction!" Speaks the well positioned halfling. Matry uses the position granted to him by his ally and steps right into a superb tactical position. His aim goes right for the heart of the spiders abdomen!

Attack via flank [roll0]
Attack via flank[roll1]
Damage [roll2] [roll3]
Damage [roll4] [roll5]

[Erik Vale]

Mal fires his preloaded crossbow, choosing to reserve his powers.


[roll0]: To hit, includes shooting into combat penalty.
[roll1]: Damage

[TerrickTerran]

Rinar will aim her sling and toss a stone at the nearest spider.

[roll0]

and possible damage

[roll1]

[Jib]

Matry cleanly slices open the spider he lays blade on, the beast dropping onto its head and the paddle shaped fangs hung from there still to move no more. Mal's bolt strikes true, punching through one of the many eyes of the smaller of the two spiders standing to the rear of the group, leaving the beast twitching and dead on the ground, as the bullet loosed by Rinar's sling hits on of the lead spiders hard in a leg. The spiders immidiatly retaliate, lashing out with their sharp fangs. The large spider hiss's loudly before lashing out, the sound echoing in the cave.

[roll0] Large Spider vs Ian
[roll1]
Fort save Vs Poison if hit is Successful DC 13 Vs [roll2] Str Damage

[roll3] Vs Matry
[roll4]
Fort save against DC 12 vs [roll5] Str Damage

[roll6] Vs Vernus
[roll7]
Fort save against DC 12 vs [roll8] Str Damage

As for the cluttered terrain, whichever square has the most of the item in it is the one that suffers the terrain difficulty modifier, so I think everything should lay out decently.

Sorry for being slow, I really can't operate without painkillers and I am between doctors right now.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Vernus dodged the spider's fangs, making a fending swing at one of the spiders before dropping the weapon. He darted ahead and around, presenting a moving target and pulling his axe out as he did. Distracting them from Matry sure seemed like a winning strategy! "Come on then ya over-legged bug-eaters!" he taunted with a disconcerting lack of regard for the limits of arachnid communication skills.

Standard action - Attack using Combat Expertise for 1: [roll0] for [roll1]. AC improves to 21.

Free action - drop staff.

Move action - Move while drawing a weapon from +1 BAB.

Now, I'm not 100% sure of current positions, but if I got it figured right:

If both spiders have moved one square towards the party, I move one square diagonal forward-right, and then another square right. My attack is against the spider that attacked Matry. This should open Matry up to five-foot step one-square forward to flank the spider that attacked me if he wishes.

If only the spider that attacked Matry moved forward, I move two squares right (basically into that square with all the shovels). In this case, I attack the spider who attacked me, and that leaves us flanking the spider who attacked Matry.

If the spiders moved otherwise...basically I'd like to move in whatever way allows Matry to flank either immediately or with a 5' step if at all possible, with my attack going after the spider we don't flank (here's to hoping for another one-shot!) If that isn't possible, just ignore the movement portion of my action.

Regardless, movement on my part will provoke an AoO from both spiders.

[Magnera]

As the spiders shift to continue attacking his clever ally. Matry seizes the moment and attacks a distracted spider, once again, aiming for the heart of the over grown arachnid.

I hope that my post fluff shows that we are in flanking positions.
Attack: [roll0] Damage: [roll1] [roll2]

Attack: [roll3] Damage: [roll4] [roll5]

[TerrickTerran]

Rinar will order Nibbles to attack the nearest spider and will then take a total defense action.

[Jib]

As Vernus and Matry focus on the spider the creature quickly is crushed, its life ooze drenching the ground leaving only one spider standing in front of the group. The last beast desperately strikes out at Matry hoping to stop the inevitable by killing the hafling. Behind the group the Large best strikes out at Ian as Ian strikes at it, Nibbles reinforcing his attack.

[roll0] Vs Matry Damage= [roll1]
[roll2] Vs Ian Damage= [roll3] DC 13 Save vs [roll4] Poison Damage to Str

Ian's Attack on Large Spider
[roll5] Attack
[roll6] Damage

Mal is Reloading

Nibbles Attack Vs Large Spider
[roll7] Attack
[roll8] Damage

[Quellian-dyrae]

If the creature wanted to turn its back to him, Vernus was happy to oblige, quick-stepping into position to make sure its many eyes were well and thoroughly obstructed by its bulk and chopping hard for its back.

Either 5' step or use Move action to get into flanking position...not sure which I need.

Standard Action - Attack: [roll0] for [roll1]. Attack includes bonus for flanking.

[Zman]

As the large spider narrowly misses Ian he retaliates with a quick strike.... But Ian is unable to make a solid strike...


Attack[roll0]
Damage[roll1]

[TerrickTerran]

Rinar will continue to defend for the moment and will have Nibbles flank as necessary.

[Erik Vale]

Mal takes a moment and fires at the most injured looking spider.


[roll0] Includes -4 for in combat.
[roll1]

[Magnera]

Matry smiles, his ally has come through for a third time! Seizing the moment, the halfling moves to flank the spider and once again aims for the most sensitive organs of the spider.

[roll0]
[roll1]
Damage [roll2] [roll3]
[roll4] [roll5]

[Jib]

With the focus of the group the final digging spider falls dead, its death cry echoing for a few moments. The beastly spider standing before Ian is not the only creature attacking the heroes. The beast winds back its massive fangs and lashes out at Ian full force.

[roll0] Spiders attack Vs Ian
[roll1] Spider Damage
DC 13 Save against [roll2] Poison Damage

[Quellian-dyrae]

Vernus didn't hesitate; as soon as the last spider on their side went down, he advanced to back Ian up.

Double-move into melee range of the big spider.

[Zman]

Ian barely abasing hers another deadly strike lashes out with his scimitar...


Attack[roll0]
Damage[roll1]

[TerrickTerran]

Rinar uses her sling again

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Nibbles will defend Rinar this round.

[Magnera]

Matry looks past his allies and looks for an opening in the monsters defense. When he sees the opening, he tumbles past the beast and threatens the large spider.

Since I'm small and the spider is large, can I run past the spider? Tumble roll if you need it.[roll0]

[Erik Vale]

Mal reloads his crossbow with methodical patience.

[Jib]

As Matry rolls past the spider in a show of agility, the beast backs into the tunnel it came from, lashing out at the Hafling in the process. The beasts eyes seem more intelligent than the other spiders did, almost like they are darting around the party looking for something.

While the beast is bleeding the foul ooze that these beasts have been spewing, it is still standing strong.

[roll0] Vs Matry (Closest, flashiest movement)
[roll1] Damage Vs Matry
Matry, DC 13 against [roll2] Poison damage to Str.

Matry is in melee, Vernus is in Melee, Ian is no longer in melee because of the spiders retreat. Spider used a five foot step back. While Matry went under the legs of the beast, he could not go directly under it. Rinar, you are welcome to roll the attacks for Nibbles, and I would prefer it to please, I forget about your fuzzy companion fairly easily :D

[Quellian-dyrae]

Not seeing much of a route around the spider's bulk in the narrow corridor, Vernus went with the next best thing - hefting his axe and swinging hard at the creature.

Standard - Attack: [roll0] for [roll1]

[Magnera]

Matry presses on, his twin sickles bearing down upon his opponent. Right after the sickles make their mark, Matry backs away from his foe and makes room for the more powerful fighters.

[roll0] [roll1]
[roll2] [roll3]
5Foot step back so Ian can take place in the battle.

[Erik Vale]

Mal fires again, almost as if a golem with one order.


[roll0]
[roll1]

[Erik Vale]

[Crit conformation roll. Ohh, no crit.]

[roll0]

[Jib]

The best is showing weakness in the face of the continued onslaught. Gashes and slices have opened up the spider, leaving it weakened and slightly disoriented. It makes a desperate swing at Vernus, its bright eyes beginning to dull.

[roll0] Attack Vs Vernus
[roll1] Damage
DC 13 Save vs [roll2] Poison damage vs Str

[TerrickTerran]

Rinar was tired of these silly thing. She decided to see if she could summon an ally.

defensively casting Summon Nature's Ally 1

[Erik Vale]

Mal Silently reloads, he doesn't expect the spider to last much longer and he takes his eyes from it as he reloads, almost uncarring of the beast.

[Jib]

(Break for new round here.)

[Quellian-dyrae]

Vernus took another hard swing, hoping to finish the spider off with a brutal chop to the head.

Attack: [roll0] for [roll1]

[Zman]

Ian continues to strike...


Any chance for an updated map?
How many spiders are left?

Attack[roll0]
Damage[roll1]

[Magnera]

The sickles scythe their way to Matrys foe, aiming to strike wherever they contact.


[roll0] [roll1]
[roll2] [roll3]

[Jib]

The beast crumples to the ground under Ians strike, shuddering for a moment before going still. The five corpse lay strewn about the hallway, on one of the bodies that is flipped up, you find a pentagram inscribed into the beasts carapace.

Link is Here (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=222482881223954&set=a.207351379403771.46512.100003867323594&type=3&theater), Sorry for the Wait.

[Quellian-dyrae]

'Ello. What's this?" Vernus mumbled as he eyed the marking. Now what could that be for...?

Spellcraft: [roll0].
Knowledge (Arcana): [roll1].
Knowledge (Nature): [roll2].
Knowledge (Planes): [roll3].
Knowledge (Religion): [roll4].

[Erik Vale]

"Let me take a look."
Mal makes his way over returning his loaded crossbow to it's place.

[roll0] Knowledge Arcarna
[roll1] Spellecraft
[roll2] Decipher Script
[roll3] Knowledge Nature
[roll4] Knowledge Psionics
[roll5] Knowledge Religion

[Magnera]

"You can all take a look at that, my eyes and ears will go else where."

Spot [roll0]
Listen [roll1]
Keeping my senses out and about just so that we are not under stealthy attack.

[Jib]

Matry
You notice no sound, the entire cave has gone dead silent. You can see along the walls the scrapes and marks the spiders made as they moved.

Mal and Vernus
The rune is vague, it is not as complex and modern runes would be. While being crude it does seem to show plain simplicity. The general command of the rune is obey. The rune also shows some religious influences, particularly of Sinai the Goddess of Chains.

[Erik Vale]

"These appear to be runes of... Some sort of domination ritual. I will need more time and to remove the carapace for more detail, I have enough space in my pack... I doubt it will provide much benefit however except as a point of comparison.... But then again we could potentially find it to be of use. How I wish I had a linked book back to the monastery."

Mal's words are slow and measured as if deep in thought, up until the last sentence, which becomes a wistful tone. He then steps back from the spider, hand on his knife, it would do for a tool, but he would rather have someone watching his back while he removed it.

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Lady o' Chains, right?" Vernus asked, eyeing the symbol. While Mal attended to that, he checked the other spiders to see if they were similarly marked.

[Erik Vale]

"I am not big on religion in general, but yes, it appears that her church has a hand in the ritual. I do not believe she would choke out a village, but perhaps this is part of a darker ritual... Perhaps a vengeful ritualist, a adept mayhap, maybe a arcarnist or diviner, however rituals can be carried out by anyone with time, a knowledge of spell-craft or of religious ritual could undertake such spells."

[Jib]

Vernus rolls over the other spiders, finding the same rune etched into each of the beasts undersides.

[TerrickTerran]

Rinar cancels her spell when the thing falls and there is no threat. She wonders what her companions have found.

[Erik Vale]

Mal looks at the other runes, comparing their complexities to that of the first found, at the moment he looks for the most complex one.

[Jib]

Mal find the most complex rune to be on the belly of the digging spiders, and the large spider. The runes on these spiders have one layer more than the runes on the other spiders.

[Erik Vale]

"Hmmm. If you guys would watch me, I think taking the exsocelatal runeforms on the larger one one of these spiders would be best.."

Mal nudges one of the digger spiders with the toe of his boat, looking around at the others, hand on his knife ready to work.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Vernus nods, going to recover his staff, and then taking up a defensive position by Mal, eyes darting between the corridors.

Spot: [roll0]

[Magnera]

"These stone-er rune things, how much of a pretty penny could they make us? Perhaps we could enslave big spiders ourselves!" Matry smiles at the last bit, thinking of riding a giant spider as a mount. Right up until he remembers that they have eight creepy eyes...UGH!

[Erik Vale]

"Depends on the buyer. Here, I would assume no value other than proof of a ritualist targeting the town. If you had a preservative with you, then they could be worth a sum to a arcarnists giuld, depending on their assessment of the runes value, it's complexity, and whether or not they know the runeform."

Mal speaks rather matter of factly, almost flatly as he carefully removes the sections of abdomin so covered. He works slowly as to avoid cracking the carapace, slowly prying away the shell while sawing away internal structures attached to the carapace as best he is able...
It is messy work to say the least, and he has rolled his sleeves all the way to his shoulders, revealing his not so muscular arms...


I don't know if any rolls are relevent, but if they are I will be taking 20/10 [depending on which is possible.].

[Jib]

Mal carves through the thick carapace with some marked efforts, the foul ichor splashing about as the knife frees a section of the spider from its body. The result is a rune on a section of carapace about seven inches across. Vernus finds nothing out of place as he watches guard over Mal.

[Erik Vale]

Mal carefuly wraps up the two sections of spider carapace [Big one and Digger] placing them carefully in his backpack moving stuff around.

After a moment looking a round Mal wipes his blade on one of the spiders and puts it back, he doesn't roll down his sleeves though.

"A dead end... Looks like we're going to have to double back, unless someone is volunteering to go through the spiders tunnel first."

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Does seem like it'd have a better chance of gettin' us ta somethin' useful," Vernus said. "I can take front rank."

[TerrickTerran]

"Does this mean we're done in here? Because if so, I'm glad." Rinar was tired of the odors and ready to get clean again. She felt filthy and not very druidic at the moment.

[Magnera]

"As much as I wish for that to be the case. What if there are more and then we leave, and after that they attack again? Lets make certain that everything is as it should be." Matry smiled as he spoke, thinking that he wouldnt have to come in here again if he did a good job.

The halfling had been thinking for the past while, not about the spiders but of the town and why everything seemed to be so horrible.
"Here's a thought. Now as dark as it seems, perhaps it will do some good. Perhaps we can use these spiders to make things better about this town. Perhaps ending that gluttons life or, more preferably, maybe scaring him off to some faraway town."

[Quellian-dyrae]

Vernus was nodding as Matry spoke, until he got to the point about the mayor. "The guy's a swine, but I don't know he's done anythin' worthy o' death. Gettin' him ta leave could be a positive step...I'm just not sure we want ta prioritize it. The guy's a swine, but I don't know he has anythin' ta do with the troubles here."

He thought a moment, then added with a laugh, "'Course, if we are gonna go that route, probably wouldn't hurt ta wait 'till we get paid!"

[Magnera]

" Yeah, lets get paid first, THEN remove Mr.Glutton!" Matry smiled a teasing smile at the rest of the group.

So where do we want to go?

[Erik Vale]

"I don't often explore, but the right hand wall rule has been favoured when I have... We'll just skip this tunnel when we get back to it... And however disgustingly repulsive the fat bastard is, lets avoid killing him."

As much as Mal shudders while speaking about the Mayor, he seems sincere.

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Fair enough. Anyone opposed or have anything else ta do here?" If not, he'd start advancing again.

[TerrickTerran]

"We did what we said, so let's get our reward." Rinar dusted off Nibbles and looked to follow whoever was leading.

[Magnera]

"Looking at what we found in the abdomens of these spiders, I don't think we are quite done here. We need to find who is controlling these spiders and put a stop to them."

Matry turns around and walks after his comrad, trying to stay in the lead.

[TerrickTerran]

"You really want to stay down here? No one likes nature more than me, but this isn't nature." Rinar sighs as she feels they're going to stay down here instead of getting out.

[Quellian-dyrae]

"If there are more spiders, the miners are still in danger," Vernus said, slowing both to discuss and let Matry take the lead. "Not ta say I'm not good and ready ta sleep off this spider bite, but I'm thinkin' it best we be thorough. Lives are on the line here."

[Magnera]

" I hate being down here in this practical cesspool as much as any of us. But what I like more than what I hate is getting paid!"

[Jib]

The first tunnel to the right leads back about twenty feet before it bends to the left, obscurring sight further down. There comes a slight dripping sound from the far end, dull sounding because of the soil.

So what is your walking order going to be?

[Erik Vale]

Same as Last I think. I'll stay near the back.

[TerrickTerran]

Rinar will stay in the middle.

[Magnera]

Matry will go in front if someone doesn't get there first. He uses his senses to keep track of danger.


Spot [roll0]
Listen [roll1]
Search [roll2]

[Jib]

Matry

You note as your eyes skim over the flor areas where it loks like something has been drug down the tunnel away from where you entered.

As the group comes around the corner in the tunnel the group finds water running down the wall, creating a sheen on one of the rock walls. The floor in this area is muddy, and sucks your feet down. Mushrooms grow from the walls and floors, contributing to the musty smell. The wall behind the water catches. Your eyes for some reason.

Mal

Hidden Door Auto roll success. You notice a hidden door behind the water

[Erik Vale]

Mal stops a moment, then speaks.
"Stop... Something's here."

Mal reaches through the wall of water, which bounces around his 'shield', and begins feeling the stone.
"There's something not right..."


Taking 20 on a search check.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Vernus takes up a protective position beside Mal as he conducts his search, staff at the ready.

[Magnera]

" Oh? You might be onto something Mal, take a look at these dragging marks in the mud, where exactly do they lead?"

[TerrickTerran]

Rinar glances over the tracks and thinks about the tracks. Perhaps they do tell more of a story than she thought.