The Scarred Lands (IC)

[fendrin]

Heinrich

"I am feeling... ill. It is a nasty bite, too."

The dark elf shows Gislana the two large puncture holes in his left leg, from which bright red blood flows, contrasting sharply with his night-dark skin.

"I would not be concerned with it, if I were not expecting to receive more in the near future."

[Toliudar]

Gislana

Spoiler

Show

Fixing the heal check I tried to post previously, and botched. Torger, let me know if you want me to do individual checks:
(1d20+6)[21]

[Torger]

Jess near dances with impatience as the others pull themselves free of the webbing and Gislana tends the injured, but he has more sense than to run off by himself.

Finally, when everyone is ready, he darts ahead of Heinrich, going in first. [color=Green"]Come on! Doc Branson is this way![/color] He sounds more concerned than he should as he leads you through the streets of Haven Fara.

As you wind through the houses that seem to be built pretty much wherever was convenient at the time, with no sense of design or planning, you note the occasional furtive people in groups of two or three darting between houses. You pass the large ship-***-dwelling in the middle of the town that supports the centre of the web dome, and as you go, the periodic slamming grows louder and louder until you can see an old man running out of his house, staring intently at the arachnids through a spyglass, and then running back inside, slamming the door behind him. Nailed to the door is a spider about the size of two fists, with the same red markings as the one above, and on a hanging sign above the door is a sign that reads, "Doc Branson, Herbalist." In crude and fading letters.

The sounds of the children crying seem to be coming from some of the barricaded houses you passed, but there seems to be little in the way of danger to them at the moment, arachnoid invasion aside. Jess stops short in front of the house, waiting for the rest of you to catch up.

[Darius]

Graeme MacKelan

Graeme finally chops his way free and says, "I'm wit' th' lad. Le's get goin'!" He then chases after the swift footed boy. Shield at the ready and sword in hand, Graeme hustles through the town. He keeps track of his path in the event that he has to return this way without getting lost. Noting the lack of order to the town, he harumphs out a, "Humans."

Sweating not from the heat (for his endure elements spell is active) but from the exercise, Graeme comes to a stop near the boy. He pants a bit as he asks, "So, this 'ere Branson - 'e some sorta expert on these varmits?" Graeme looks about and says, "Methinks this ain't been th' first time these 'ere critters came a callin', is it, Lad?"

[fendrin]

Hienrich

"What makes you say that, Graeme?" Heinrich says, sarcastically. He steps up to the door and knocks.

[Toliudar]

Gislana

As she wipes her hands after squeezing the last of the poisoned blood from a wound, Gislana looks around.

By Nemorga, the boy's already takink off again?

The dwarf woman slips her spear back onto its hook on her back, and takes up her crossbow again. Carefully loading it again, she follows after Jess and Graeme, hoping that they'd learn more about these eight-legged invaders.

[Torger]

Jess had just began addressing Graeme's comments when Heinrich pushed past and knocked on the door. There have always been a lot of spiders around here, but I've never seen so many in one place, nor have I seen them so big. Doc Branson just has a... thing for spiders. Obsessed with the bastards...

As he was talking to the Dwarf, the door opens, and a strikingly beautiful girl in a homespun gown opens the door Jess breaks off his commentary, and immediately moves to embrace the girl. Oh thank Corean... I was afraid that the Spiders had you...

I thought I'd never see you again...

The two stand, locked in embrace and muttering to eachother for a couple of minutes, blocking the door. Beyond them, a frail, toothless old man with flyaway hair can be seen scribbling on sheets of parchment that litter half of a desk. The other half is occupied by a terrarium containing, apparently, nothing.

After a minute, Jess comes to his senses. Oh! Patience, we were attacked by the spiders when e tried to enter, and some of the others were bitten, and they have an injured girl with them. Do you have any of that tonic left?

As they step apart, she curtsies somewhat awkwardly to the disparate group, having never even seen another race before, let alone To kinds of dwarf, two kinds of elf, and a giant man. She leads them past the muttering old man and into the house.

The front room is filled with jars, all labeled. On the wall around the desk, they seem to contain individual spiders, dead and preserved, while the opposite wall around the doorway she leads you through seems to contain pots of spices and herbs. Beyond the doorway is a kitchen, with a fire crackling merrily in the hearth.Please, Sit, all of you... You can place your sick friend in here... She leads the litter-bearers through another door into a bedroom that is sparsely furnished, though bearing a feminine touch.

[HellFencer]

Madrigal

Lucas stepped inside, following the girl, and took a careful look around. The sheer amount of spider paraphernalia. Ever stoic, Lucas scanned the room for signs of something out of place that may shed light on why the spiders attacked as they did.

[Toliudar]

Gislana

Hauling one of their two charges into the girl's bedroom and returning, Gislana smiles wearily. She addresses her concerns mostly to the old man.

I am beink glad of the help. I'm afraid I am a beink bit out of practice, but it looked like some kind of nerve poison, delivered by a sea-creature's spine, I am thinkink. You are able to help, yes?

And, do you know why the spiders are so interested in beink here?

[Darius]

Gislana



And, do you know why the spiders are so interested in beink here?

Graeme MacKelan

Graeme leans over and whispers loudly to Madrigal, "Most likely tae make this crack-pot their king." He nudges the armorman and snorts out a laugh.

[Azerian Kelimon]

I hope you people will excuse me if I don't want to thrash the house by going in. I'll wait outside and stand watch. When you're done, tell me what you have learnt. Ty says, as he sits with his back to the house, thinking about the encounter with the spiders. There must be a way to make any encounters easier...what could we do? I doubt the prevenom I can create would work, and Heinrich is right in that using torches would have to be done carefully so as not to burn down the town. Hmm...maybe this branson has something that'll allow us to deal witht he spiders easier? Maybe some repellant? half-lost in thought, Ty doesn't notice a spider waking up.

Aaaah....Has something happened, boss? I've been resting, Etrius says, coming back to life.

OH, DAMMIT! I forgot. Etrius, we've just had a battle with spiders. Forgive me for not telling you.

WHAT! BOSS! That's not fair! You had a fun encounter with spiders and I couldn't participate? It's unfair! The crystal "bellows".

Don't worry, little buddy. Next time, you'll be ready for it. Just stay alert and awake.

Okay, boss. But you'll have to be a big hero in the next battle!

WHY did I have to choose a heroic persona for my psycrystal? Ty laments, resuming standing watch.

[fendrin]

Heinrich

Peers around the room curiously, being extra careful not to touch anything.
This seems like the kind of place a crazy man would live.

[Torger]

The old man patently ignores Gislana, muttering furiously as he scribbles on the scraps of parchment. slamming his quill don on the desk with a loud bang, he goes over to a cage near one wall, and fishes a live mouse out from inside, taking it back to the Terrarium. Time for supper, Howard. There's a good boy... He drops the mouse inside, closes the lit and stands back and watches as the confused creature wanders around for a moment, then, as it passes an innocuous mound of soil, a wolf spider snapped out of a concealed burrow, snatched up the mouse, and disappeared with him.

He seems completely oblivious to the house guests until he bumped into Gislana. Oh! My, you're a dark one, aren't you? Too long in the sun? Ah well, come to see the ol' Doctor, have you? Perhaps to volunteer for my next pack of wolf spider agility serum? Made of 100% real Wolf Spider extract! Without waiting for an answer, he snatches up the spyglass and runs out again.

The girl, Patience, seems to have examined the injured parties, and is consulting an old leather-bound tome she's opened on the table. A cauldron is on a boiling hook over the fire, as is a kettle, and the smells of fresh bread are starting to reach you. Whatever the secondary effects, we need to leech the poison fro these wounds. I'll need to make a poultice. Jess, hand be the Monkshood and the Ginger root, please... The girl seemed more confident as she worked around the kitchen, but still made a point of not addressing any of the unintroduced strangers in the room. Jess just stares stupidly at her, handing her the jars requested, and leaning against the counter out of her way. It's almost like two separate worlds, the madness of Doc Branson, and the quiet competence of this girl who could not be older than sixteen.

[HellFencer]

Madrigal

Lucas turned and stared toward Graeme, unsure how to get a subtle look across. Finally, he gave in and said with an echoed voice, "So it would seem." He shrugged as best as plate mail could, and turned to watch Patience go to work. "What of these spiders, then? Are we to track them down, or wait for the good doctor to return?" he asked, mostly directed at Patience.

[Torger]

Patience is visibly intimidated by the men in her kitchen -- a black-skinned elf, a filthy dwarf, and a large, intimidating suit of armour -- but swallows and responds to the question. Daddy loves spiders... He's been running out and examining them since the Disappearance. This breed is everywhere, locally, but never this big, or this many at once... The girl's arms, exposed sh she rolls up her sleeves to work over the cauldron, seem to be peppered with twinned scars, long-healed, as if from puncture wounds.

Jess seems to have regained conscious thought, having confirmed his beloved is safe. Patience... what happened? Where did all these spiders come from?

[Toliudar]

Gislana

Gislana shakes her head at the old man's departure. Decadent old fool. This is what happens when the proper curiosity of scientific inquiry is divorced from a sense of service to the People.

She looks with cautious approval at the work of the blonde girl, Patience. Good name. Knows her herbs. She remains tuned in to Jess and Patience's ongoing conversation, but takes the opportunity to examine Doctor Branson's work area, while trying not to disturb anything.

Spoiler

Show

Checking her understanding of medicine to see if Patience's selection of herbs makes any sense to her: (1d20+6)[26]

Search the workbench (1d20+1)[11]

[fendrin]

Heinrich

"Patience, that is your name, yes? Patience, what is this 'Disappearance' you mention?"

[HellFencer]

Madrigal

"Well, it seems he is quite a bit preoccupied with his research then. I'll assume he's not going to help. That means we need a plan of action. Our first goal is survival, so kill any bugs as they come. Secondly, you all should probably rest. We still need to figure out where we are..." Lucas said, rather out of nowhere. It seemed he was used to giving orders.

[Torger]

Patience is startled at being addressed directly, as the invaders seemed content enough to more or less ignore her. Please, Sir... Last night, almost half the town disappeared. Then, the spiders came, and... Please, who are all fo you? JEss, why are they here? What's going on?

Clearly, the strain of trying to hold it all together in the face of this calamity has begun to wear on her, and she starts to cry again. Jess goes to her and hugs her, and you hear a commotion from outside.

[Toliudar]

Gislana

Trying not to judge the girl too harshly, Gislana calls out to Ty, outside.

Shouty-Man, this is beink your big chance! What is goink on out there?

[fendrin]

Heinrich

He couldn't have, could he? Maybe not intentionally. He's probably crazy enough to do it.
"I think I know what has happened here. I think..."
He gets cut off by the loud crash.
"Quick, we may need the Doctor!"

Heinrich dashes outside, drawing his sap.

[Azerian Kelimon]

As the doctor exits the house, he is webbed by a pair of spiders who start cocooning him. Moving towards the spiders, Ty "whispers": Etrius, I'm going to engage the spiders. Once I attack the first one, discharge the psionic focus and concentrate the energy on my sword. A Battle? Finally! I'll do as you wish, boss! The crystal answers as Ty takes a swing as the closest one.

Spoiler

Show

Init roll in case it's necessary...(1d20-1)[11]

Attack roll against the spider, power attack for 1: (1d20+5)[24]

Damage rolls: Sword: (2d8+6)[13] Psionic Weapon feat damage: (2d6)[11]

[Torger]

Tiersias approaches the spiders, and they seem to sense him, turning, one ceases to exist as a large sword bisects him entirely. The other chitters and backs away from the Large man.

[Azerian Kelimon]

One down, one more to go, Ty thinks as he does a rapid spin towards the other critter. I hope you don't mind this, doctor, he says as he attacks the other spider.

Spoiler

Show

Attack roll, power attack for 1: (1d20+5)[25]

Damage rolls, use my second focus for another psionic weapon use: Sword (2d8+6)[10] Psionic weapon: (2d6)[7]

NICE! A crit possibility. And now that I think of it, I shouldaf rolled a confirmation for the last one. Not that it's necessary, but let's say this was gorier than I thought.

[Torger]

No, no no! They're just agitated! Rub his thorax, and he'll calm right down! Vangal's Teeth, boy! The old man yells from his ebbed prison, suddenly splattered with another batch of spider ichor as Ty destroys the other one.

[Azerian Kelimon]

Way to go, boss! Those spiders now know who is the man and crystal around here!

I apologize for that, but the others are probably scared by the commotion, and I don't think they would have tried to calm the spiders if they had seen you webbed like that, Ty says as he frees the doctor from the webbing.

By the way. Could you do me a favor, doctor? Could you please explain just how this place became a ghost town and was flooded with gigantic spiders? And, by chance, d'you have anything to keep them away so we can search for the missing villagers without massacring your pets?

[Torger]

At the sound of her father yelling, patience pushes away from Jess and rushes out the door. Daddy, what... She stops short, seeing the carnage of the spider and the Giant pulling her father from the webbing. Clearly, the man is on the verge of hysterics, kicking and mumbling unintelligable over the ebbing still covering his face.

He needs his medicine! Bring him inside! Now. Teh resolute and competent girl is back, and she takes charge of the situation.

[Azerian Kelimon]

Excuse me, miss, but by chance, did the doctor change after some event? Like anything happening to your mother? Oh, and excuse me for this, Ty enquires as he removes the last straps of webbing and gives a few slaps to the doctor's face, applying an age old treatment for hysterics. Then, he hands the doctor to Heinrich and Gislana, who are closest to him. As he does so, he says You'll have to tell me what's happened in a while.

Spoiler

Show

How much time has passed since I expanded? The expansion lasts half an hour. Oh, I do as many attempts as needed to restore my two psionic focii.

[Torger]

The girl is absolutely scandalized by the rapidly shrinking giant, and glares at him, not bothering to answer him after he slapped around ehr aged father. Come on, Daddy... You need to take your tonic...

[fendrin]

Heinrich

"Everyone inside. We have much to talk about."

Once everyone is inside and the door is closed, Heinrich turns to face the others.

"Patience, how many others has your father infected with his 'Agility Serum'? I fear they have... changed."