[DnD5E-IC]Adventures in the Borderlands, Chapter 1

[truemane]

Heart moves back next to Skia to support her, taking care for her defense.

Skia's bow sings and an arrow flies directly at the fleeing spider, killing it instantly. The one struck my Heart has apparently had enough and turns and runs back to its hide.

From the darkness come two more of the massive arachnids, one of which sinks its fangs into Arabella and the other attacks Heart (but misses).

In the distance, under a nearby tree, the party can hear a commotion. At least two more voices, and the sounds of fight.

Daeric, who had been exploring the area due to rumours of a magical altar, was captures by the giant spiders and was trapped in webbing against the tree.

Jakob, who (at the Duke's request) had been looking for signs of the other adventuring party she had sent into the wilds, found himself in the trees at night. He was about to leave (he knew there were giant Wolf Spiders all over this place), but then heard calls for help and found Dearic.

He had just freed the tattooed man when the rest of the party came running into the woods, and the spiders woke up.

(Khalidd, momentarily forgotten, lurks behind Skia, trying not to get in the way)

Battle of Spider Forest, Round Three

Spoiler: OOC

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Arabella: 4 piercing damage, 8 poison (save for half).

Initiative Order (in case it's necessary)
Spiders - 20
Arabella - 13 (holding a torch in one hand)
Dearic -
Jakob -
Heart - 1 (Fighting defensively)
Skia - 1

[JNAProductions]

Heart, perhaps a little recklessly emboldened by her dodging, lunges forward, two quick swipes of her daggers going wide and failing to do anything. She cusses under her breath after the misses.

[bladescape]

"That was just frightfully good timing sir. I do see you have an axe so I may just be inclined to leave such things as these to you, or more so your comprehensive musculature and likely equal constitution. Just ah, be careful as I--" The stream of words is partially cut off as the man mutters an arcane set of words, the small star-like tattoo on his palm lighting up and shooting out as he tries to bolt the closest with frost. "Yes, I have some lending of aid I can provision a saviour with!"

Spoiler: OOC

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Targetting the one to the right of Jakob on the map.
(1d20+5)[11]
(1d8)[6]
If hit: Reduced speed by 10ft

[Xihirli]

Skía followed Heart's sword with her arrow, taking advantage of the Spider's movements to avoid Heart's attack to aim at a spot it would find difficult to move mid-dodge.

Spoiler: SNEAK ATTACK

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(1d20+7)[11]; (2d6+5)[13]

[Silent_p]

Spoiler: OOC Things

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Okay, first things first: Con save vs poison (1d20+5)[6]

Arabella will also use Second Wind as a bonus action (1d10+2)[5]

Attack the closest spider (D23): (1d20+6)[22]
Damage: (1d6+4)[8]
(Crit Damage: (1d6)[4])

Having slashed successfully at one of the spiders, Arabella was still blindsided by another as it bit into her. She cried out but pushed through the pain, teeth clenched in determination as she swiped at the spider in front of her, scoring a solid hit.

[truemane]

Jakob, having spent his attention on freeing the talkative tattooed man, can do little more than dodge and weave when one spider attacks him. Luckily, his weaving is effective, and the horrid thing misses its strike. The other spider, having just narrowly avoided Dearic's blast of cold, scuttles up the nearest tree and drops down on the sage. Dearic's feet are as quick as his mouth, and he skips back out of the way.

Meanwhile, Heart and Skia both attack a single spider with a flurry of attacks, but they all go wide.

Arabella however, strikes hers a might blow, splitting it in who and leaving it writhing and twitching, dead on the ground. Thick green poison leaks from split savs near its fangs, killing the grass all around.

And then, out of the darkness, comes Khalidd the dry goods merchant, up behind Heart and Skia and stabs with his long halberd. He just catches the spider right in the cluster of its eyes and it dies on his blade. He steps back, pretty chuffed about the whole thing.

There are now more dead spiders than living ones. However, there are two still alive, up near the new people.

Battle of Spider Forest, Round Four!

Spoiler: OOC

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(I swear Khalidd isn't my pet DMPC! He just rolled really well!)

Initiative Order (in case it's important)
Spiders - 20
Dearic - 15
Arabella - 13
Khalidd - 7
Jakob - 5 (Fighting Defensively)
Heart - 1
Skia - 1

[Lord of Gifts]

Jakob Neumark AC: 18 | HP: 28 | Current: 28 | Hit Dice: 2d10 Passive Perception: 14 | Passive Insight: 14 Level 1: 1/2 Active Effects: Hunter’s Mark Conditions: None

The night drew on, and Jakob still hadn’t found the adventures he was searching for. Recognising the tell-tale signs of Wolf Spiders, he turned back towards the keep, and resolved to try again come dawn. Not far along the way, he came upon a heavily tattooed man, bound to a tree with layers of thick webbing. With a few strokes of his axe, Jakob severed the ties and offered his new companion a hand.

"We should leave. This place is..." The sounds of fighting cut him off, as an armed group burst through the trees. Giant Wolf Spiders surged towards them, and Jakob raised his axe to meet his foe. Nimbly dodging attacks from the nearest beast, he lashed out in return, hacking at the creature’s legs and head.

Spoiler: OOC

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Jakob casts Hunter’s Mark on the Spider around F6, and then attacks with his great axe.

Attack: (1d20+6)[21], Damage: (1d12+4)[16] + (1d6)[2]

[bladescape]

"Infected by spiders, indeed!" Dearic's voice is cheerful despite the spider currently bearing down on him. Stepping back to avoid the nipping fangs twice, he sighs. "Seems a shame to just kill them but one matters in matters they meddle! If you know the area I simply must ask you some questions after we are done here!"

Twisting one palm forward at a 90-degree angle, the other tapping three small tattoos clustered on the back of his left hand, Dearic summoned small bolts of light to float around his head, circling once, twice, before the single nodes slam forward into the spider that had closed on him.

Spoiler: OOC

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Magic Missile on the spider in melee with Dearic
(1d4+1)[4]
(1d4+1)[5]
(1d4+1)[2]

[JNAProductions]

Spoiler: OOC

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(1d20+6)[22]
(1d4+4)[6]

(1d20+5)[13]
(1d4)[1]

(1d6)[6]

Heart continues her attacks, hoping to hit truer this time.

If the spiders in front of her are taken out, she'll toss her non-magical dagger at one of the further spiders, and draw another.

[Xihirli]

"I'll take the one on the.... left!" Heart says, taking aim at one of the two remaining spiders. She shoots, hopefully better this time.

Spoiler: OOC

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The person next to the spood is its enemy, right? We're not fighting any humanoids. (1d20+7)[10]; (2d6+5)[10] Can't roll a 4 AGAIN, surely.

[truemane]

Jakob strikes his spider a massive blow with his axe and tears it in two. Ichor and poison fly up into the air and hisses on his blade. Three blinding spears of light fly from Dearic's fingers and turn the spider in front of him into a smoking husk.

Heart handily dispatches the final spider with two well timed hits with her dagger.

And the spiders are dead. And the forest is quiet.

You can all hear the shallow, laboured breath of Vincent, lying on the forest floor, his skin looking ashen. He's unconscious and nonresponsive.

Spoiler: OOC

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You win the Battle of Spider Forest! 120 XP for everyone!

The question now is: do you risk taking a Long Rest and having it interrupted? Or a short rest that will probably not be. You can't do both.

And also, what you're going to do about Vincent.

[bladescape]

"Good sir, that was a timely rescue! Timely indeed! I've been wandering a here-abouts for a little and would have ended up spider food if not for you! The Arcadium would've laughed at me coming back from that!" A good natured chuckle escapes the man's throat as he dusts the front of his robe off, clearing the last remaining strands of web off. "But do forgive me, I have nothing much I can provide my saviour with!"

While he notices the others nearby, his focus appears to be on Jakob who saved his life.

[Silent_p]

Arabella puts her shortsword away, wincing at the sharp pain the movement causes her. Still holding her torch, she slowly walks to Vincent, limping slightly. With a little effort, she crouches down next to the man before glancing over her shoulder. "I am no healer but he's not sounding well," she says, "Does anyone have the training or magic to assist?"

[Xihirli]

Skía knelt next to her fellow elf, looking him over. "Lossëhelleth!" She said, improvising a tourniquet by ripping part of his shirt off. "Hold on!"

Spoiler: OOC

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Medicine! (1d20+2)[4]

[Lord of Gifts]

Jakob Neumark AC: 18 | HP: 28 | Current: 28 | Hit Dice: 2d10 Passive Perception: 14 | Passive Insight: 14 Level 1: 1/2 Active Effects: Hunter’s Mark Conditions: None

Jakob’s assault shredded one monster, while the tattooed mage slew the other with an arcane barrage, and suddenly the fight was over. The woodsman wiped his blade against a tree, and graciously accepted the thanks of his new companion. "We should join them," he suggested, gesturing towards the torchlight. "There is safety in numbers."

Approaching the party with his axe held low in one hand, and the other outstretched in a sign of peace, he called out a greeting. "I am Jakob Neumark, a journeyman of the Forester’s Guild. I seek an adventuring party, in the service of Duke Joranna."

[JNAProductions]

"We work for the duke," Heart replies. "Give us no harm and we'll be peaceful to you."

She looks at the prone figure, and steps nearer, staying ready to offer assistance if needed.

Spoiler: OOC

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Helping anyone who needs it on the checks.

[bladescape]

"Oh of course!" The tattood man follows over, glancing around the party curiously. Seeing the man on the ground looking ashen, he begins to meander his way over to it. However despite his closeness and curiosity about the situation, he makes no move to try and bind wounds or interact with it, instead just viewing and studying what was going on.

Spoiler: OOC

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(1d20+5)[16] Nature roll as Dearic is curious about the poison and what's going on with the poisoned man.

[truemane]

Skia tried to get a tourniquet applied to Vincent's wound, but it seems she's just a little too late, and too much of the poison has traveled through his body to tie the wound.

Dearic has some knowledge of these creatures, and of the poison they produce. It looks lethal, but it's mostly a paralytic. The poor elf probably wasn't going to die, but he was going to be unable to move for some time. Maybe hours. Maybe days.

Meanwhile, all around them the dark of the forest was alive with the sounds of movement and wind and leaves and animals. It would be very hard to notice if more giant spiders were sneaking up on them by ground or from above....

[bladescape]

"Don't worry too much, good lady!" Despite the pallor of their friend, the tattooed magi seems to be quite content with the situation. He looked it over and just nodded to himself as if satisfied with his findings. "He's bitten but the venom is only a strong paralytic. He'll likely be unable to move for a day or so, and though he may seem deceased it rarely actually kills the targets. In the words of the high elvish, 'Quenya, lá Vanwa.' as in he struggles but he does not go beyond the veil yet."

Having said his piece, he glances around, seemingly unconcerned of the possibility of further incoming foes. "We should probably bring him back to society. Assuming a society isn't too far adrift from here in location. I must admit I am quite lost."

[Xihirli]

Skía, the elf, is successfully shocked out of her fear and looks up at this new stranger. "Are you... translating Elvish for my benefit?" She asks in Elvish.

[JNAProductions]

"It's far enough to the stronghold that it's not practical-certainly not tonight," Heart says. "But we can rest on the plains. Hopefully without any more attacks."

[Silent_p]

Arabella rises awkwardly, wincing briefly as she straightens. ”Heart is right,” she says nodding to the woman, ”we are too far from the keep to travel there now. We will need to camp here - or close by, at least.” Holding her torch aloft, she peers about, though the action is largely ineffectual given beyond the torchlight.

”I am Arabella de Lancet,” she adds, turning to the two newcomers, ”I regret I did not catch your names…”

[Xihirli]

"Skía... Skía Thÿella," she introduced herself. "What about Lossëhelleth? We need to take him to safety."

[bladescape]

"Ah! Of course. Dearic Mordren, Librarian of the Scholarium Arcana. A pleasure to meet you all. The fellow with me is Jakob. He's quite the upstanding man, having saved me in dire need from these spiders." Dearic paused then looked around at the dark forest. "He should be in relative safety so long as we arrive at a location we can defend as a group. I would hate to wake to spiders again."

Then finally he turned to respond to Skia, switching to fluent elvish himself with a smile, "<Of course not, for one of birth with elfin blood you are perhaps more an expert than myself. Forgive me the habit of explaining things I am not used to others knowing already.>"

[Lord of Gifts]

Jakob Neumark AC: 18 | HP: 28 | Current: 28 | Hit Dice: 2d10 Passive Perception: 14 | Passive Insight: 14 Level 1: 1/2 Active Effects: Hunter’s Mark Conditions: None

As he got closer to the light, Jakob noticed the prone form of an elf, and realised one of the party was gravely injured. He had hoped he would find them unharmed, but at least the rest were still on their feet. Lacking much familiarity with poisons, he cautiously stood back and left the treatment to others.

"I was sent to escort you back, but I would sooner travel by the light of day. We should find a more defensible location, where those spiders cannot so easily catch us unawares, and set camp. Once morning comes, we can continue back to the keep." He pauses and takes a long look at Vincent. "Provided your friend will survive the night."

[truemane]

Jakob picks the unconscious Vincent up over his shoulders and the party trudges out of the small forest with no further trouble.

They pass onto the open plain and try to find somewhere with even minimal amounts of defense to settle down for the remainder of the night. They find a slight depression in the flat land near some rocks. Like a wise halfling once said "It's shelter if one wall and no roof is a house." but it's the best they can do.

The Goblinwater is very loud here and the sound of water fills the quiet night and makes it difficult to hear much of anything else.

The party opts for no fire, and they huddle up in the dark. The divide up the watch: Arabella, Skia, Dearic, Heart, Jakob.

The party had no sooner gone to sleep and Arabella had no sooner settled down to keep watch, when there was the sound of small, high voices chittering away in a language she did not understand. The chittering grew heated and seemed to be an argument of some sort.

After some time, a small blue bloom of light appeared, revealing 10 small (smaller than even halflings or gnomes, about 2 feet tall), thin, elfin creatures with green skin and what looked like seaweed for hair. They all looked halfway between scared and determined. Five of them held small bows at the ready, and four of the rest held small daggers.

The remaining one held her hand up. Above it floated the blue ball of light.

"Big people!" she said, in Southron so heavily accented it was almost incomprehensible, "Big people! Why here?"

[Silent_p]

Arabella could almost feel the exhaustion make its way through her as the adrenaline faded and she was left with pain and worn muscles. She tried not to dwell on their situation, far enough from the relative safety and shelter of the keep to seem nearly insurmountable in the dark. She was focusing on looking forward to a rest when the prospect of that was dashed.

She remained still as the voices chittered nearby, hoping in vain that they would move on and not approach. Too great a hope, she reflected as the light bloomed and the creatures were revealed.

”I am Arabellaphon de Lancet,” she said, giving Heart a gentle shake on the shoulder as she rose slowly to her feet with a grimace. ”We have traveled from the keep to seek stone to rebuild it. We do not intend you any harm.”

Spoiler: OOC

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Persuasion check: (1d20+2)[22]
Nature check to identify what kind of creatures these are: (1d20+2)[10]

[Lord of Gifts]

Jakob Neumark AC: 18 | HP: 28 | Current: 28 | Hit Dice: 2d10 Passive Perception: 14 | Passive Insight: 14 Level 1: 1/2 Active Effects: None Conditions: None

While Jakob’s role in the fight had been brief, his day had not been easy. Long hours of careful tracking, followed by a trek to find shelter with an elf slung over his shoulders, had left him weary. So when they finally settled down to make camp, Jakob easily settled to sleep, content in the knowledge he had found the Duke’s agents.

Unfortunately, his rest was soon disturbed by high pitched chittering, and a strange blue light. Bolting upright, he scanned for a threat while instinctively grasping for his axe. Finally laying eyes on the creatures did assuage his fear somewhat, as they didn’t seem particularly aggressive. Of course, there were plenty of creatures that were normally harmless, but would fight viciously in defence of their territory.

Navigating by the blue light, he slowly climbed to his feet, careful not to make any sudden movements, and took place next to Arabella.

[truemane]

One of the small warriors notes that Jakob is awake and watching. He stage-whispers what sounds like a warning and they all look up and look wary.

The leader shushes them.

She concentrates, clearly trying to sort through unfamiliar words. "Keep? Keep rocks? Like house? Only rocks? Big people not serve the Spider?"

The capital is clear in her voice.

[JNAProductions]

Heart mutters something, still wrapped up in her sleep, but awakens after only a moment of prodding. "Is it morning already?" she asks, a little more comprehensible, and then spots the small humanoids. "Ah. We've got guests."

If the small ones repeat their question, or if anyone tells Heart what's been asked, she'll add "We're passing through-we work with the Duke. She's attempting to make a new home for herself and others-and right now, we're looking for an old quarry we can revamp."

When the little folk mention the spider, Heart winces. "Gods above, no! We got attacked by them, and one of ours is injured from that fight!"