IC VIII Lost in the Flood

[Admiral]

As Natalia moves to cut into the web, the spiders from the surrounding web begin swarming towards her in what looks like a defensive hive mind.

Spoiler

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If Natalia wants to cut into the web, just FYI she'll be swarmed (it's pretty clear from looking around). So she would roll an initiative roll and a damage roll against an object (so no crit/sneak).

[Athedia]

"WHAT?!" Natalia struggles to move forward, draw her blades to cut them out and free the person that must be trapped in there as well. "What mean only eyes? How? Stuck? Why? What--need help free!"

Mithril grabbed Natalia's arms and held her back. "There is no-one in there. Rhenner, I think we found out the tortures of the crevice."

[Dusk Eclipse]

Stephan has to fight back the urge to throw up, he had heard stories about places like this back in the arena, but he never gave them much credit, the Drows were insane, but even them couldn't have done something like this; or so he had though. "I think we should leave"

[Athedia]

Stephan has to fight back the urge to throw up, he had heard stories about places like this back in the arena, but he never gave them much credit, the Drows were insane, but even them couldn't have done something like this; or so he had though. "I think we should leave"

"But your sword can't be much further down, are you sure?" Mithril gestured deeper into the crevice.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia pauses for a brief moment, breathing heavily and almost hoping someone else will do it. But just like with Ildan, she needs to help, even when they're running out of time...

Spoiler: Question

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Before Natalia does anything, is there any way to figure out what's going on? And how much time have we spent? I don't want to waste too much time for you all. Especially if we're also going after the sword--are we?

EDIT:

Mithril grabbed Natalia's arms and held her back. "There is no-one in there. Rhenner, I think we found out the tortures of the crevice."

"But--but can't leave...!" She struggles against Mithril.

[Dusk Eclipse]

"I.... I need to recover that sword" Stephan closes his eyes "I'm sorry" he says before diving deeper into the crevice, going as far as the magical tether allows him.

[Athedia]

"I.... I need to recover that sword" Stephan closes his eyes "I'm sorry" he says before diving deeper into the crevice, going as far as the magical tether allows him.

Mithril shook Natalia. "And what happens then? You let them the eyes fall to the ground? There is no BODY."

Releasing Natalia, Mithril lowered herself closer to Stephan, keeping within the range of the others, but extending Stephans reach.

[CoffeeIncluded]

"Stephan!" Natalia moves to race after Stephan, but Mithril's words make her stop short."I'll ask what wanted! What do you want?" she signs. "To be free?"

[Athedia]

"Stephan!" Natalia moves to race after Stephan, but Mithril's words make her stop short."I'll ask what wanted! What do you want?" she signs. "To be free?"

Mithril turned back. "Ask what the eyes want? Eyes can't talk Natalia. And if they could and they asked to die. What then? Would you kill them? Or force them, socketless, bodyless, into the void below? Rhenner, hold her back please, before she hurts herself."

[CoffeeIncluded]

Mithril turned back. "Ask what the eyes want? Eyes can't talk Natalia. And if they could and they asked to die. What then? Would you kill them?

"I..."

Or force them, socketless, bodyless, into the void below? Rhenner, hold her back please, before she hurts herself."

"Mithril! Please!" She desperately signs to the eyes, "Do you want to die?"

[Athedia]

"I..."



"Mithril! Please!" She desperately signs to the eyes, "Do you want to die?"

"Please what? Natalia, we are who knows how deep underground, over a giant chasm, being watched on all sides. All this while something or someone is in peoples minds, the world is going mad and 3 of our friends LEFT US, WERE KILLED OR ARE MISSING! So please what? Keep you from dying? Keep you from doing something that will only make your life worse? What do you want Natalia?"

[CWater]

"Natalia.." Rhenner puts a hand on the girl's shoulder. He has been quiet 'til now, made speechless my the sight of the lonely eyes. "...Put the blade down. It can't help this one."

[CoffeeIncluded]

"Please what? Natalia, we are who knows how deep underground, over a giant chasm, being watched on all sides. All this while something or someone is in peoples minds, the world is going mad and 3 of our friends LEFT US, WERE KILLED OR ARE MISSING! So please what? Keep you from dying? Keep you from doing something that will only make your life worse? What do you want Natalia?"

Natalia draws back as if stung. "I--want stop! Want back! Want back where things simple, where we...and you were warmer...but...I know can't. I know..." She looks down at her hands. "Know not simple, but doesn't mean...can't help where or how...I know friends...know friends...why...can't leave..."

"Natalia.." Rhenner puts a hand on the girl's shoulder. He has been quiet 'til now, made speechless my the sight of the lonely eyes. "...Put the blade down. It can't help this one."

"Nothing? Not...whole evil here?" She closes her eyes and shudders. "Not...strong enough..."

As they dive after the sword, something Mithril said strikes her. Something or someone in peoples' minds? Peoples'. Plural. She thought it was just Hoodsie.

[CWater]

"Nothing? Not...whole evil here?" She closes her eyes and shudders. "Not...strong enough..."

"Yes.. That, and that we don't have enough knowledge."

[CoffeeIncluded]

"Yes.. That, and that we don't have enough knowledge."

"..." Natalia winces with a small pained sound, and turns away. "Then how...act at all?" she whispers.

There's nobody in there. Somehow Natalia knows just what she ought to do, but...but she can't just leave them. And she doesn't know if she can help them the only way she can.

[Admiral]

The party continues descending, glancing around at the webs that stretch along the crevice for any sign of Stephan's lost weapon. They pass by half a dozen more sprawling cobwebs, each seeming more sinister after their discovery. While the spiders that crawl along most seem normal sized, a couple of times they see spiders nearly as big as Shiny skittering along, sometimes in pairs or triplets.

As they navigate around one particularly thick web, they are unsettled to see a pair of blue eyes embedded inside its cobwebs, staring out at them as well.

Spoiler

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Another spot check.

[Athedia]

"..." Natalia winces with a small pained sound, and turns away. "Then how...act at all?" she whispers.

There's nobody in there. Somehow Natalia knows just what she ought to do, but...but she can't just leave them. And she doesn't know if she can help them the only way she can.

"You do as the rest of us. We warned you before and now again. We can't interfere in the Crevice. We risk so much already just being down here."

[CoffeeIncluded]

"You do as the rest of us. We warned you before and now again. We can't interfere in the Crevice. We risk so much already just being down here."

That's it. That's the thing. Talking as if ...as if she doesn't understand. "I know! Understand! Younger, can't talk right, but...still not stupid. Just...when stronger, need to try..."

The party continues descending, glancing around at the webs that stretch along the crevice for any sign of Stephan's lost weapon. They pass by half a dozen more sprawling cobwebs, each seeming more sinister after their discovery. While the spiders that crawl along most seem normal sized, a couple of times they see spiders nearly as big as Shiny skittering along, sometimes in pairs or triplets.

As they navigate around one particularly thick web, they are unsettled to see a pair of blue eyes embedded inside its cobwebs, staring out at them as well.

Spoiler

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Another spot check.

Natalia whimpers, a high groan, at the sight of the spiders. She can't help it, just they way the look sets her on edge.

Spoiler: Spot:

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(d20+13)[16]

Dammit. Up to you, especially you Dusk.

[CWater]

"..." Natalia winces with a small pained sound, and turns away. "Then how...act at all?" she whispers.

There's nobody in there. Somehow Natalia knows just what she ought to do, but...but she can't just leave them. And she doesn't know if she can help them the only way she can.

Rhenner grits his teeth and Natalia can feel the grip he has of her shoulder grow tighter, though the cleric doesn't seem to notice it.

"You do as the rest of us. We warned you before and now again. We can't interfere in the Crevice. We risk so much already just being down here."

"She's right", Rhenner says, but doesn't look at Natalia, "Let's go."

Spoiler

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Spot: (1d20+7)[9]

[Dusk Eclipse]

"Natalia... just.... let's just find the sword and get out of here"

Spoiler: Spot

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I won't risk it, so I'm taking 10 for 21 total.

[Admiral]

After descending for about another twenty seconds, Stephan spots a stretch of web that seems to be gently quivering. Guessing that something might have fallen on it, his eyes follow it up, and he sees three spiders nearly the size of Shiny gathered around what looks like his sword.

[Dusk Eclipse]

"Spiders.... big ones" he points to the web and their occupants.

[CoffeeIncluded]

"You want...to grab?" Natalia stutters out. She was quiet the whole time they dove.

[CWater]

"Allow me", Rhenner says. Holding his holy symbol, he begins to cast a spell. "Wise Fharlanghn, your faithful follower may have chosen to wander through this dark and horrible place, but he would like to do so without all these small cretins climbing all over him. In Your wisdom, would you grant this wish?"

There is no shining light or other flashy effect, but suddenly all the spiders on and around the cleric are pushed away by an invisible force. It seems to move with him too, for when he floats closer to the sword, its guardians are also pushed back (and the many other smaller ones).

Rhenner picks up the sword and eyes it briefly. The way he holds it shows that he's not used to such a weapon. "I do kind of like swords", he says absent-mindedly, "But back when I first joined the Church military the master-at-arms took one look at my fightning and told me to stick with something easier. ...He was probably right", the medic concedes and hands the weapon back to Stephan.

Spoiler

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Anyone who wishes to travel in a spider free zone can do so by staying close. (10 ft. radius)

[Dusk Eclipse]

"He was right, you are holding it too low for you to use it effectively" Stephan extends his hand "May i?"

[Admiral]

The web rocks back and forth furiously as the spiders large and small scurry away from the cleric, driven back by his magic.

As Rhenner draws close to the sword, he notices a third set of eyes a couple of yards from where the sword had fallen.

[CWater]

"He was right, you are holding it too low for you to use it effectively" Stephan extends his hand "May i?"

"Sure, take it before I hurt myself", Rhenner's tone suggest he's quoting someone, possibly the previously mentioned armsmaster.

The web rocks back and forth furiously as the spiders large and small scurry away from the cleric, driven back by his magic.

As Rhenner draws close to the sword, he notices a third set of eyes a couple of yards from where the sword had fallen.

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What colour this time?

After noticing the eyes, Rhenner tries to avoid looking in their direction again, but he can't quite stop himself from stealing glances at them. Why do people look at things they know they don't really want to see?

"...Right, weapons back. Time to go back up."

[CoffeeIncluded]

"..." Natalia sucks in a breath from between her teeth. As Rhenner casts the spell and pulls the sword free she moves close to him where the spiders won't go and whispers, "You think they watching? Telling?"

Spoiler

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not straight up, diagonally to save time.

And it's times like these I wish this was a real life game since Natalia has a lot of sound effects and it's hard to convey them online.

[Admiral]

The party begins to ascend, this time at a diagonal. They've lost about a minute, but based on their estimations from Zik's note should still be able to make it to the escape route.

As they ascend, the webs grow a bit thinner at first, but as they make their way deeper into the Crevice they appear to thicken again. Expanses of web come looming out of the darkness, forcing the party to navigate carefully through them. Anyone keeping their eyes out is greeted by the morbid appearance of further sets of eyes peering out at them within the webs- who knows how many more there are throughout the immense valley. Spiders scatter furiously when they draw close to a web thanks to Rhenner's spell, and Stephan's flaming sword lets them cut through obstacles when they're necessary, but the strangling effect of the surroundings is hardly lessened.

After a minute of flight the most horrifying tableau yet floats into view, when the party sees a humanoid figure sprawled out flat along a thick sheet of web, like a vision from a nightmare.

[CWater]

"..." Natalia sucks in a breath from between her teeth. As Rhenner casts the spell and pulls the sword free she moves close to him where the spiders won't go and whispers, "You think they watching? Telling?"

Rhenner shakes his head slightly. "...I have no idea what's the point of this strange and sick magic, if there even is one. And we have no time to study it."