Not So Itsy Bitsy

Log Info

• Title: Not So Itsy Bitsy
• Emitter: Hades
• Characters: Stena Level 4, Lyme Level 2, Rocky Level 5, Venom Level 3, Verasyn Level 3
• Place: Forest East of Alexandria
• Time: Jan 26, 2021
• Summary: Hired by the Guild of Adventurers to cull a Giant Spider infestation
• APL: 3
• Encounter 1: 4 Giant Spiders, CR 4

On this day, which is Variday, of the month of Vhast on the 25th dawn, an ad for adventurers have been called. The situation? a nest of Giant Spiders has popped up in the forest near Alexandria, due east. So far, a farmer and more than a few travelers on the road have been attacked by the menace, but thankfully, none of died as of yet. But all agree on one fact: The threat must be purged.

Thus, adventurers have gathered and are now on their way towards the forest with a guide and the poster of the ad leading the way. The party leads on by foot and horseback, with the guide asking. "So uh...you guys really think y'all can get rid of these nasty things?"

Lyme troops along on foot, various tools of squishing and smiting on his person. However, he doesn't brandish any at the moment. He just sets out, enough the walk in the forest for the moment. When the guide asks, he answers cheerfully: "Well, we'll find out when we meet them."

A low, rumbling laugh came from the back of the group. Or, at least, something that sounded like a laugh.

       "Nasty things? Is relative, I suppose."

The source of the voice reveals itself as an ivory-scaled Sith-makar as Verasyn steps forward. "Is normal hunting from home."

Rocky chuffs softly, and nods in agreement. "Different lands, same prey. This One is not concerned."

Stena, for her part, is casually bringing up the rear herself. She's testing the weight of her great axe with a relaxed mien, at the moment, a lazy half smile on her face.

Meanwhile, from the middle somewhere, a veiled, silent figure turns it's head toward the inquiry and gives a little thumbs-up. A thunderbelcher is slung from Venom's shoulder and held in that hand, and there is a slow panning of the head, likely searching for signs of anything untoward.

The guide simply nods, only once at the various answers being given about the party's confidence to stop the monsters currently terrorizing the area. "Well, I count all of us lucky to have all of you tough guys here to help us." It doesn't take long for him to lead them to the entrance to the forest.

"This is as far as I can take you. I'm not privy to gettin' eaten." The guide says, fear in his tone. Clearly giant spiders is not something he was prepared to face. 

While certainly the party could see if they could get anything more out of the guide, whose name was given as Tom, it would appear as though they will have to find the Spider's Den themselves.

Rocky's tail thumps heavy against the ground, as the sith moves into the woods themselves. While no stranger to life outside, the greyscale is still adjusting to the lands of the softskins, and the differences in flora and fauna.

Lyme gives Tom a cheery wave, then sets to work. Pulling out a javelin to use as a walking stick, he scans the ground looking for signs of... oh, hold up. He stops, squatting for a moment. He points with his stick -- pointy stick, really -- and says: "Looks like they're pretty close and the have something decent-sized."

Venom's attention seems drawn suddenly toward a shape on the road, there is a racheting set of clicks under the motion of her thumb and she levels the Thunderbelcher on a sna- ah, a stick. A different, non pointy stick. The silent one straightens and her veil ruffles with a sigh before she looks about at what the others may(probably) have found.

Pacing a few steps into the trees, Verasyn lifts her head slightly, nostrils flaring as she takes in something on the wind. Casting a glance in Lyme's direction, she nods. "Were here not long ago." Squinting a bit, she lowers herself down towards the ground, gently touching the soil and detritus with her clawtips until she discovers another set of tracks - and drag marks. "This way."

As the path and direction are pointed out, Rocky moves towards a forward position. No scout, but a well armored shield. If danger is to come, let it come for him.

Tom bids his farewell to the group and heads back to the safety of the city until the danger has passed. As the party continues down the tracks that Verasyn and Lyme had discovered, they notice multiple things. First off, the webs.

So...many...webs. 

Beyond the capability of smaller spiders, these are massive. Furthermore, there appares to be multiple creatures caught in the webbing are long-since deceased or currently paralyzed by strong venom. They seem to be at the edge of the nest itself.

"..oi," says Stena, looking at the webs.

"Ah, right. Spiders." She nods. She'd been paying attention. Honest. 

"Sorryy," she adds, "I saw some deer tracks and started thinking about, well... deer meat."

Lyme puts his javelin back into the case on his back, and unlimbers his curve war-knife. "These look..." A pause. "I suppose it would be unkind to burn the webs if anyone is still alive in there."

Rocky chuffs. "Better to burn than be eaten. Better cut free than burned. But This One think are not people trapped. Animals." A glance to Stena. "Deer, maybe."

Stena gives Lyme a look at that, then takes a step. There's a squishing sound. "...oh *no*," says Stena. She pulls her boot away and something gummy is sticking to it. Something gummy, rotten, and gross. "... Oh *no*," she groans a second time. This is what's holding her attention right now.

A soft hiss is offered in response from Verasyn. "Is bad, hunting a predator on empty stomach. Is better when hunting prey, hunger makes one run faster." Shaking her head, she looks to the others. "No fire. Will scatter if another way out, make a new nest elsewhere. Thin them out, make sure trapped. -Then- burn."

Venom finds her attention snatched from the cocoons slung amongst the webs before any coalesce into something she would recognize as a humanoid form. Instead, she finds herslf distracted by the blonde woman's antics.

Lyme shakes his head a moment. "Assuming that we're the hunters here." His sword tip drops.

"Is up to you, whether you choose to be hunter or hunted." Pacing carefully around a few of the coccooned forms, Verasyn's eyes fall onto a pair on a large tree. Drawing one of her blades, she steps towards them, remarking grimly. "Unwary hunter is no hunter at all..." As if on cue, her head cants before snapping up towards the canopy above, eyes opened wide and serpentine pupils constricting.

Lyme smiles faintly, "We're not the only players in this game." He reaches back carefully, and draws back out his javelin. "You hear it too," he hisses. "Above us!"

"Gods damn it, and I like these boots," mutters Stena. Her eyes turns towards Verasyn, however, and then she nods towards her. "You've the right of it, you know." And then she's got hre own axe out, of course, because it's a good time for it.

As soon as Lyme calls out the Spiders above them, two massive spiders fall from the canopy above everyone, landing on the outskirts of the party to split them up. Hunter mentality. THey bare their fangs and hideous mandibles, the eight-legged freaks ready for combat!

Will our adventurers survive this threat and become the hunters? Or shall they become prey?

With the call to alarm, Venom is bringing the Thunderbelcher around as the spiders land. She closes the distance, snapping a kick over the spider's head, a trouble she's still not been able to account for it seems, though as she brings her foot back at the knee, she manages to put a two-toed waffle print on the arachnid's thorax.

As the spiders land, Verasyn's second blade bares its steel. Wasting no time with battlecries, instinct turns to action as she closes the gap between herself and the first spider. Even as it reels from the first attack, it proves nimble and aware enough to avoid the initial slash from the blade in her right. Using that momentum from her swing, however, the Sith-makar lets her weight carry her, her left blade extended with a thrust and buries itself in the spider's thorax with a crunch of chitin and a sickening squelch.

Lyme sidesteps the onrushing spider, plants his foot, and strikes the spider with solid downward cut and a satisfying crunch. It's not immediately fatal, but it's also not a good day to be a spider...

Rocky moves with surprising swiftness for all his bulk, moving across from his fellow sith to strike as the spider is distracted. His large blade cracking the shell as much as cutting, making for a fatal shower of ichor.

The party manages to work together and annihilate both spiders without any injuries to themselves! Hoorah!

However, the hunt was not yet over. The commotion had tripped the webbing as if to alert that prey had been caught, and two more Giant Spiders make their way over to the party! The battle is hard fought, but quite finished. The prty will notice that these spiders are slightly bigger than the others and bear an intricate pattern on their backs.

"You know what? I. Hate. SPIDERS," yells Stena.

She's not quiet, no. The muscular girl with the white streaks in her hair advances on the chittering thing and with a glint of her axe in the light and qdownward swipe, a spider falls into two very seperate pieces.

The silent one inhales a gasp of pain as she is the fangs sink into her flesh. Undaunted, perhaps even piqued by the lovebite, Venom skitters sidelong to put the spider properly between herself and her cohort, and puts a forceful boot into the connection between thorax and abdomen, paining the creature, though her followup kick ends up wide as it recoils.

Lyme turns, seeing one spider addressed. He charges the other one, barreling forwards to sweep his war-knife down on its head. There are more crunches, and some involuntary leg-twitches

With the fountain of ichor brought about by Rocky's strike against the now-dead spider, Verasyn finds herself awash in a coating of the stuff. Trying to find a clean bit of sleeve to wipe it from her eyes, the arrival of two more spiders dismisses that thought. Swinging both of her blades, both strikes come up short, depth perception hindered by blurry vision.

This is clearly his fault.

Rocky might accept the blame, but is a little busy with the spider trying to eat him. The greyscale drives his blade between the spider's legs, starting to leverage open the shell. The blade slips before the body is fully split, but the damage is done, and the monster falls still.

Kicking the remains of the sheared spider off her axe, Stena whirls around to face one of the others. She hefts her axe, makes her way towards it, and raises it for an impressive swing. Unfortunately, she cleaves into some webs in the process and then hits the trunk of a tree behind her, where upon her axe is briefly stuck. With annoyance, she yanks it free.

he spiders fight valiently, but alas, one of them is already slain by the adventurers! The last remaining Giant Spider seems to be frantic at the moment, roaring a bit in fear, but not backing down in honor of its fallen brethren!

...just means more food for it is all. 

With a roar, it immediately goes after Stena, for trying to attack it!

Stubborn spiders. Troubling.

Luckily, the adventurers seem to have this batch on the back foot. Speaking of which, as the crew have the critter sutably hemmed in and frantic, Venom thrusts a fierce mule kick into the center of it's leg joints as it rears up, then, tucking her knee to her chest as it drops back down, she swings her heavy boot up over her head and brings the heel down in between the eyes as an axe splitting wood. KrchSPLOOSH!

"Hate them," grumbles Stena. She's cuttingh down mroe webbing. Unhappily. She will purge it. Fire just seems like a good way to burn down the etnire forest.

Which, if there's more spiders, may not actually be a bad plan.

Venom pulls her foot out of the spider's dome, looking about at her allies, then steps back and, as Stena, for one, starts cutting through the webbing, she sights down her longarm and starts to sweep the barrel over the area to hopefully pick off any stragglers that are still hiding amongst the strands.

As the combat quiets and things still, Verasyn's head slowly turns to look over the scene. Reasonably assured that no more spiders will be pestering the group for the time being, she turns to address the two webbed victims.

Sheathing one blade, she uses the other to sever the threads holding one up, the bundle of silk and its contents falling to the forest floor with a thump. Carefully cutting into it, it would reveal its contents to be an old man, easily into his eighties, and very, very dead. A grunt of disappointment coming from the sith-makar, she moves to cut down the second.

Much to everyone's surprise, it lets out a yell when it hits the ground.

Indeed, whomever was in that webbing was alive, even as they struggle to undo their imprisonment. But with help, or no help even, it would be revealed that it contained a Silvanyari woman, even as she gasped for air. She must have been paralyzed by the Spider's stinger or knocked unconscious before being webbed up.

Rocky chuffs in surprise at finding someone alive, and moves to offer assistance. No healer, the sith can at least offer a hand up and a skin of fresh water.

With a low snort, Verasyn moves away from the elven woman as she frees herself, sheathing her blade and crossing her arms against her chest as she observes. The woman was armored and seemed equipped for a fight, but clearly not for the one she had found. With a rumble, she muses, mostly to herself. "Not told of people missing. Wonder if details left out on purpose..."

"...gaaaah," says Stena, stepping back from the fallen elf for a moment before advancing to help haul her up to her feet, assuming she's in any state of consciousnss. Otherwise, she'll heft her over her shoulder bodily.

The elf-ess coughs before being helped up by the others. She accepts the water thankfully. "Thank you...-thank you-." she chokes out, before Stena puts the elf over her shoulder. But of details missing? Now -that- is interesting. Perhaps something to follow up on...

Venom maintains her overwatch as the others free the victims. Huh. Ok, there were a couple. She cants her head ont the musings from the sith, then gives a low whistle through her teeth, then signs, "left up wave pointpoint left thumb point waggle" <unknown>