The Vega South Campaign

[ZaneLaCoix]

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Alright, wasn't sure how you'd rule it. So took one way out, and now for the other...
My apologies
(1d20+7)[12] And now sense motive

[neoseph7]

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I have spiders pantomiming a request for you to follow her (your sense motive check was high enough). This is far enough from the rules that I shouldn't expect anyone to read my mind to determine what's kosher. My sincere apologies for not being clear.

[ZaneLaCoix]

[Aetheas]

"I think she's trying to tell us to follow. Don't strike, and place some trust in them, alright?" He asks of his allies, then turns to the spider. "Lead the way."

[lukfugl]

Kurth follows the healer's lead.

[Seffbasilisk]

Venderholfen

Venderholfen drops back to follow the last member of the party, constantly glancing over his shoulder at the other spiders.

[neoseph7]

The party follows the blue spider through the tree top village. Her path includes stairs and ladders, for the benefit of her humanoid follows. Several levels up, the party is approximately 100 yards (300 ft) from her target: A massive cluster of Banyan tree surrounded by planar webs.

The path to this location from where the party stands now is a straight section of plank and bridge flanked on both sides by massive red woods and the occasional birch that make it up this high. As the party moves along, that creeping sensation of being followed starts to kick in.

It's hard to hide a hundred orange spiders behind trees, and their presence becomes obvious rather quickly as they start to swarm the few paths that strike the way into the the Blue stronghold.

A large troupe of Oranges jump from tree to tree before landing in front of the party.

They are led by a seven footed spider with scars running along his carapace. In addition to the orange body and gray scars, large blotches of black hives can be seen scattered throughout his mid section. In addition to their leader, 2 Orange spiders are on this patrol attacking the party. They are both small while he is the size of a man.

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Roll for initiative.

[ZaneLaCoix]

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Alright lets see if I can get this right...
Aetheas
HP: 10/10 AC: 13 Init: (1d20+1)[18]
Healing Surges: 4/5 Prepared spells: All

[Seffbasilisk]

Venderholfen

AC: 16 (FF 13, T 13)
HP: 9/12
Saves: F:2, R:3, W:1

Initiative - (1d20+3)[13]

(OOC: I didn't think we had healing surges...do we?)

[ZaneLaCoix]

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No, it was for lack of term... And I was wrong... 2/3 left for the spontaneous healing.

[lukfugl]

Kurth
Init: [roll]1d20+3[/roll]
HP: 14/14, AC: 16 (FF: 13, Touch: 13), Fort: +4, Ref: +3, Will: +1

(edit: bah, I previewed for formatting and forgot to fix the roll before posting, and you can't add a roll to a post. initiative roll in next post)

[lukfugl]

Kurth initiative: (1d20+3)[21]

[neoseph7]

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With the details I have provided, why don't you guys describe the combat zone you are in. What you guys "see" can alter the fight in your favor. I will use these descriptions for the fight.

As tonight marks Yom Kippur I will be unavailable for the 24 hr period from sundown tonight until sundown tomorrow night. So don't be surprised if I don't reply durring that time.

[neoseph7]

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The spiders all rolled junk for initiative, so it is the party in whatever order followed by the spiders, who are probably going to attack the nearest people (big surprise. I know). Please post your actions and don't worry about character order. In fact, go ahead and mention your first two rounds of actions while your at it.

[ZaneLaCoix]

Aetheas
HP: 10/10 AC: 13 Init: 18
Spontaneous Healing: 2/3 Cast/Active spells: Deathwatch (10 minutes time)

From the Healer's stance, he took a quasi-defensive position between his humanoid and arachnoid allies. Concentrating upon the very life energies within the immediate area he would become aware of each living being around him, and how close one was near to death.

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Deathwatch up for 10 minutes.

[lukfugl]

Kurth
HP: 16/16, AC: 14 (FF: 11, Touch: 13), Rage: 5 rounds left

Kurth bellows and charges the largest of the spiders, heaving his greataxe in an arc over his head. As time passes, he continues to hack at this same spider until either it drops or he comes close to dropping.

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First round, assuming clear path and distance for charge, enter rage and charge:
(1d20+5)[23] to hit, for (1d12+3)[5] damage; AC down to 12 for that round.

If there wasn't room to charge, I just close instead; if so, subtract 2 from the attack roll above and my AC is still at 14 for the first round.

Second round, assuming I and my target are still up:
(1d20+3)[18] to hit, for (1d12+3)[5] damage.

[Seffbasilisk]

Venderholfen
AC: 16 (FF:13, T:13)
HP: 9/12

Seeing no wiser course of action, Venderholfen similarly lifts his axe and charges in as well.

Attack - (1d20+5)[23] Damage - (1d12+4)[5]

Turn 2: Attack - (1d20+3)[22] Damage - (1d12+4)[12]

[neoseph7]

Kurth charges the leader of the gang and hacks off his front limbs in one clean arc. Venderholfen smashes his axe through the nearest lackey. THe small creature is split in half, spilling raw silk components and body fluid across the forest canopy.
The spider leader attempts to slam his body into Kurth, but falls flat in the face of the mighty orc. His troupe-mate charges to Venderholfen, but only succeeds in making himself fodder for Ven's second attack, which strikes true as he crushes the bug under his feet.
Kurth makes two more attacks before dispatching the main spider, and all the while avoiding the attacks of the main spider. Without taking damage, the party wipes the floor with the subset of spiders, but more are coming and their luck wont holdout forever.

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The spiders rolled a 2, a 4, and a 7. I rolled an extra die for Kurth for his third attack. It was a 19.You were meant to win that fight. Kurth, Venderholfen, and Aetheas recieve 200XP each. Your tour guide Blue is shocked.

[ZaneLaCoix]

[Aetheas]

First set down, with still near maximum time left upon his watchings, the healer turns to the escort. He took a gamble for trying to send instructions out to more allies "Call for reinforcements. We'll hold them here until there is none left!"

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Holing a full-defensive whilst keeping watch of the surroundings.

[neoseph7]

The spider tilts it's head at the healer, and starts off in the direction of her massive tree home. A loud rumbling can be heard from within this tree, the vibrations freaking out the local wildlife.

[neoseph7]

First it was a hand, followed by an enormous head. THe whole structure seemed to made from wood and stone, and it moved with a thundering gait. Humanoid in stature, the giant picked up a large tree with one hand and started swinging it around like a massive club. Although it came from the main tree, it didn't discriminate between spider colors (for the unlucky Blue that got in the way. Most seem to have recieved the memo).

It takes a little finesse, but the party makes it past the guard. Inside the massive tree is a large chamber that seems to have once been a council chamber, though is now covered in webs.

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Please describe the interior as much as like. Include a set of very large crystals somewhere, and a place were the stone golem sat.

[neoseph7]

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*sigh* This method of free-form doesn't work with everyone.

You are surrounded by Blue spiders, many injured from the combat that ended just minutes before. They go about their business mostly unaware or uncaring of the party, though a few exceptions exist with the seemingly older crowd who's multiple eyes fix on you with uncomfortable precision. The Blue you've been following (we'll call her Red Star for the seven or so red spots on her back that, when linked, make the shape of a star) climbs up large net of webbing devoid of the sticky globules in a typical web into an alcove that once could have been a balcony chamber in this council hall. These appear to be her quarters, and a map composed of web strands and leaves make up the back wall. It's hard to read, and many of the leaves are discolored with a foul substance possessing an awful odor.

She performs what can only be described as arachnid house keeping before offering the party some leftover dessicated bear remains coated in giant-bee honey. Water pools down the web in a constant, if small stream. Red Star motions to it, presumably offering it as a drink.

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Any attempts to determine the edibility of the fare show that it tastes a little weird but is safe to consume. Regardless of whether anyone in the party accepts the meal or not, she leads them down as follows.

After the meal she climbs down from her perch and motions for the party to follow. In the center of the council chamber are a set of massive crystals housed atop a wooden structure, still erect. The structure leads further inwards, and Red enters the small room. After navigating several web walls (the work of the newer members of the Blue Sword Spider family apparently) the party makes its way down a flight of stairs into a large chamber housing smaller crystals (glowing a dull blue instead of the vibrant rainbow of colors the top crystals had) in addition to an incomplete golem, a blue spider fidgeting with the crystals, and his living accommodations. His appearance is marked strongly by thin pale-white legs.

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I leave it to your imaginations to give this spider a nickname.

He appears to making sounds using a complex arrangements of mammalian internal organs filled with air, the crystals, and by rapidly moving clothe around a glass bowl of water. Some of the sounds are almost common speech.

Of interest, the golem is unable to move anything but its arm, which is swinging wildly in an attempt to smash the image of a foe in front of it. The mixologist is furiously making noises at a rather rapid pace when Red interrupts his progress. The two have a conversation, involving clicks from their mouth pieces as much as from forearm contact. After some time passes, the tech walks over to the party. He motions something, but it's hard to make out. Of interest, he is wearing a necklace made of the same material as the golem.

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Sense motive check anyone? Asides from that, what does the party do? Role-playing with the spiders at any point from the start is highly recommended. I know the bluff skill is supposed to cover pantomiming, but I would still love to read detailed descriptions of how the party attempts to communicate with their creepy crawly comrades. Which is to say, good descriptions will result in circumstance bonuses for the bluff check.

[ZaneLaCoix]

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(1d20+7)[13] Sense Motive

Again, waiting to see if the warriors would go first... Why is it always the healer whom is put in harm's way?

[Aetheas]

The Healer silently curses his luck for taking the frontal lead the whole way down, and through the minor tour. Granted, he'd be more than willing to bow out of the way for either of the barbarians if they wish to take a passive guard around him. It would be he who would dub, and ask if the nickname of "Red Star" would be fine for now--until a more appropriate name had been raised. Throughout the tour, he would take his time taking in each of the sights, smells (despite how rancid), and sounds of the den.

Now the thing that perplexed him the most was this construct--only half of it moved, and it was being made by these Spiders. Clearly they had an intelligence--at least enough to be able to realize how to defend themselves, and create items to help. A very curious set of creatures indeed. "That... It's to defend your home isn't it?"

[neoseph7]

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While there are many implements in the room, none of the ones that have seen recent use are for construction. It would appear some of the crystals record sounds that can be amplified with the massive crystals up top. The golems respond to the commands of whoever is wearing the necklace. The spiders know this, but don't know the language needed to control them. Judging by the behaviors of the rampaging golem up top and the half construct here, they seem to have stumbled upon the command "attack".

[neoseph7]

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The spiders want you guys to find speak the command words to control the golems. Please list what languages you speak. Bonus points for making up the words for "Attack", "Stay", "Follow", "Dance", and "Fart".

[neoseph7]

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I cannopt help but notice the alarming lack of posting. Is this really not interesting? Perhaps I can whip up some non descript black rooms detailed completly at random from the DMG? Roll on the contents table to determine how many furnishings and traps there are...::

[ZaneLaCoix]

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I was hoping it wasn't just me.

[Aetheas]

The local healer pondered for a moment, not one truly working for the arts which animated those things. He kept the beings which controlled those alive, not created them--nor even studied it. He reached out a hand, perplexed. "May I see the gem?" Should he get it, he'd place it around his neck, and mutter a soft random word that had popped into his head out of random. "Stand?"

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(1d20+2)[13] Spellcraft for a hopeful boost.

[neoseph7]

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In which languages? Speaking in common has no effect. Aetheas has the gem of control.

[Seffbasilisk]

Venderholfen

Venderholfen is still confused, but, as his default when he's confused is to hit things, or follow orders, he tries speaking into the tube, first in Common, then in Orcish, and finally in the rumbling tones of Giant.

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Ach, still crazy on my front. I'll try to post more often.

[ZaneLaCoix]

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Aetheas is useless in this case then... Unless I dig into the imaginative words. He only has common.

[neoseph7]

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Well this seemed like a better idea when there were more people in the campaign. Anyone have decipher script? Or am I coming up with something new?