Quest #14 "Hidden Fortress of the Poison Spider Monsters"

[Storm11]

Brother Gilbert

Go ahead, Saracen. I have doubts about this internal voice being benign. He thinks, As if the spiders were not disturbing enough, I have no wish for strange voices in my head, calling me "master." Or whatever resides in this plinth.

Saracen nods. Me too. I have only one spell left. How many do you have good brother?

[SpinwardMarch]

Brother Gilbert

I have two. He holds his symbol of Pelor before him and prays quietly.

Detect evil [1d8] = 8

[OGRE MAGE]

Inside The Stone Room
Sunday, 7th of Goodmonth
Early Morning, Warm, Humid, Stagnant

Gramble chances a look at the eye, finding it quite small, about the size of a copper coin.

With the staggering amount of bagged gear they have already collected from their dead, Mag retrieves the very last empty sack he can find that isn’t filled to capacity. He suggests covering the top of the plinth with it.

Jeevus seems quite certain that the sticky gobs would indeed hold the copper plaques to the sides of the plinth.

Brother Gilbert uses the powers of Pelor to help him determine if the pedestal or it’s contents are evil. He detects no such emanations.

Actions?

Marching Order:
Jaxsen 10/10
Gramble 10/10
Maag 9/9
Jeevus 3/3
Brother Gilbert 8/8 1/3 first
Avaala 12/12 CL DM RM 2/2 first 1/1 second
Saracen 21/25 1/4 first 0/1 second

[SirOwen]

Jaxsen Reiter

Jaxsen waits until Maag has the eye covered with the bag and then begins to attach the disks in their appointed positions. He aligns the lines on the disks horizontally, so that the lines flow from one element into the next as they make their way around the plinth.

[Jernau35]

Maag

Before putting the sack on the plinth, Maag pauses momentarily to see if there are any objections to the plan.

[SpinwardMarch]

Brother Gilbert

Maag, the bag is fine, but it probably will not make a difference. We shall see.

[Storm11]

Saracen nods his head as the monk places the plaques. Maybe we should spread out in case there’s a trap? Perhaps the more vulnerable should wait outside Until it’s gigej the all clear? Just a thought!

Hefting his sword and shield the holy champion takes his place by the doorway, back against the wall, prepared to attack should something be released and attack the company.

[SirOwen]

Avaala the Grey

Avaala stays in the room, but removes himself back into the SE corner. "Brother Gilbert found no evil here, and whatever speaks to our minds asks only if it is to be freed. Let us not attack needlessly."

[OGRE MAGE]

Inside The Stone Room
Sunday, 7th of Goodmonth
Early Morning, Warm, Humid, Stagnant

The group position themselves around the room as desired. Maag sets the sack over the top of the plinth, trying to cover it as best he can. As soon as the tiny window on top is covered, the spell casters again hear something in their minds.

"Hey! Who shut out the light? Master? I cant see anything now! What is happening? I'm scared!"

Jaxsen lines up the copper disks perfectly, matching the symbols with what he thinks must be the correct colors. Once the final disk is placed upon the plinth, the room starts to rumble again.

After a few seconds, the colors inside the plinth starts to flash and rotate, shining their bright light out into the entire room. The sack drops a few inches suddenly, then starts to rise up above the top of the pedestal.

A concealed roundish shape rises up about a foot, revealing a soft steady hissing noise coming from under the large sack. A shrill, high-pitched voice suddenly sounds out in the common tongue for everyone to hear.

"Whoever put this damn sack over my head is gonna PAY! Is this supposed to be some kind of joke?"

The high pitched voice is strange to your ears, almost dreamlike really. The figure under the sack continues to rise up slowly out of top of the plinth.

Actions?

Marching Order:
Jaxsen 10/10
Gramble 10/10
Maag 9/9
Jeevus 3/3
Brother Gilbert 8/8 1/3 first Detect Evil: 14
Avaala 12/12 CL DM RM 2/2 first 1/1 second
Saracen 21/25 1/4 first 0/1 second

[SpinwardMarch]

Brother Gilbert

Um, we apologise for the sack, but we didn't know what or who resides in the plinth. Someone can remove it, if you wish. We meant no harm, but we were being cautious.

[Storm11]

Saracen moves over and lifts the sack with a flourish. You are free! he says enthusiastically.

[SirOwen]

Jaxsen Reiter

Jax wonders about the last few moments and thinks, 'We need more planning. We are not acting like a swarm.'

[SirOwen]

Avaala the Grey

Avaala stays in the corner, trying to keep all his options open.

[Jernau35]

Maag

Maag backs away, reaching for his crossbow as he does. Normally, in his experience, the sack is only removed after the victim has been securely tied up (severe beating optional). This tends to make the victim a lot more amenable to any subsequent, reasonable, business propositions that may be presented to him.

Annoying a probable spell caster, leaving his hands untied, and letting him see the people who did it, is not, in his professional opinion, sound business practice.

All of which he sums up in a rather pithy:

"Ohhh shit...

[OGRE MAGE]

Inside The Stone Room
Sunday, 7th of Goodmonth
Early Morning, Warm, Humid, Stagnant

Maag doesn't admit to being the "bagman". He is convinced that this whole thing is another bad idea. He backs away from the rising sack and levels his crossbow.

Avaala stays in the corner, hoping Maag is wrong.

Jaxsen silently wishes the group would act together more often.

Brother Gilbert apologizes to the covered being, hoping it wasn't offended by their caution.

Gramble stays silent.

Saracen reaches up and flicks away the sack with gusto, exclaiming that the creature is now free.

What you find under the sack is a rather strange sight to behold. Flittering up out of the plinth completely is a small, watermelon shaped creature unlike any you have ever seen before. The rubbery monster flits around on what appear to be fragile wings that shouldn't be able to support its mass. The things dark, splotchy skin is leathery and hard, while its long bulbous snout doesn't seem to match its high pithed voice. If you had to make a guess, you would say that this small creature is somewhere in between a faerie dragon and an elephant.

watto_deals-1536x864.jpg (270.97 KiB) Viewed 437 times

He points at your group and his squeaky voice exclaims.

"Now! Which one of you is the wise guy who tried to cover me up?"

Actions?

Marching Order:
Jaxsen 10/10
Gramble 10/10
Maag 9/9
Jeevus 3/3
Brother Gilbert 8/8 1/3 first Detect Evil: 13
Avaala 12/12 CL DM RM 2/2 first 1/1 second
Saracen 21/25 1/4 first 0/1 second

[Storm11]

Saracen’s eyes widen awkwardly.

She left! he says with a shrug, pointing at the doorway. But at least we freed you! Saracen Solaris, favoured of Pholtus the blinding light, pleased to meet you! The holy champion nods his head in a semi-bow. And you are?

[Jernau35]

Maag

Maag lowers his crossbow to a slightly less threatening level. He's about to confess, when Saracen blurts out his answer. "It woz..."

Maag glances at his fellow half-orc and hope his bluff works.

[wolfpack]

Gramble raises his eyebrows when seeing the strange creature.

pray tell what exactly are you creature.

[SirOwen]

Avaala the Grey

"Greetings," says the mage. "If you were about to unleash an unknown creature, would you not take precautions? At least until you were certain the creature could speak and reason and be more properly called...." Avaala hesitates as he bows. "...an intelligent person?" Avaala allows another short pause for his compliment to sink in. "I am Avaala."

[SirOwen]

Jaxsen Reiter

Jax lowers his halberd. "For my part, I admit," he says to the new escapee. "I thought the bag was a good idea. We didn't know but that you might fly out and try to kill us all. This place has had no good surprises yet."