IC II

[VonAlric]

Newton

After a pause he adds "We might want to check out the stables too, make sure it's clear. If it is we might want to consider staying there tonight"

Gardo

"Will the whole of us fit in that stable? If it doesn't have more than one entrance or exit, I'll stay outside, thank you. I've been caught in a room with only one exit a few too many times to be comfortable with it unless we scout out the whole of it."

[sulldawga]

Telemachus

"Let's sweep it and make sure it's empty. Then let's make sure there's no cellar so we can't be surprised by intruders from below. Then we can decide if it's safe to camp inside or not."

[thirdkingdom]

Fourthmonth, Twentythirdday
Hex 237.118
The Abandond Watchtower

The rest of the party advances as well. Spiralling closer around the conjoined structures, two things become apparent:

*The interior of the Keep is not as dark as one might assume. The interior is dimly lit, but not with the flickering light of torech or lantern-light. It is almost as if there is a skylight, letting in the last light of day. Perhaps the roof has collapsed, even.

*Upon approaching to within 20 feet it becomes obvious that the interiors of both structures are filled with thick strands of spiderwebs, each strand the thickness of a child's little finger.

[beniliusbob]

Zellar

"Spiders. Why did it have to be spiders?"

I'd say we just torch it, but that could burn away scrolls or any other sensitive pieces of treasure. I don't particularly want to whirling dervish straight into webs and possibly save or die poison. We don't have any spare animals we can drive into the breech, do we? That might draw them into view so y'all can feather them with arrows and such. Or maybe we can cut down a few saplings nearby, build a fire outside and try to smoke them out, or at least addle them a bit before we tread further in.

[The_Wanderer]

Feargus

"Who said we should 'smoke them out'? I like that idea. We build a bonfire of sorts outside of the opening and try to fan the smoke inside."

Are there any easily climbable trees or high ground nearby that could be used to see the roof?

[shaidar]

Newton

On seeing the webs, and hearing "spiders" mentioned, Newton backs up enough so that can keep an eye on the entire structure while the group discusses the next move. He knocks an arrow ready.

"If we're lucky it's just giant spiders" he says, while trying to remember any other wilderness creatures he learned about that use webs like this.

TK, anything from his wilderness creatures lore skill?

Feargus

"Who said we should 'smoke them out'? I like that idea. We build a bonfire of sorts outside of the opening and try to fan the smoke inside."

Are there any easily climbable trees or high ground nearby that could be used to see the roof?

"Me too, if we can sort something out before we lose the daylight"

What's the vegetation like around here, enough small brush to make a smoky fire?

[VonAlric]

Gardo

"Spiders normally don't hunt, they wait for stupid things to get into their webs. I say back off a ways, have a good fire tonight, then go after the blasted things when we have good light for a while."

[beniliusbob]

Zellar

"Gardo is right. It's unlikely they'll crawl out after us. If there's a hole in the roof, they're probably living off of birds that fly through the ruin. We should be safe until morning, and the daylight will make it easier for us to corral them." She pauses. "Unless there's something other than spiders that might be spinning webs in that tower."

[thirdkingdom]

Feargus

"Who said we should 'smoke them out'? I like that idea. We build a bonfire of sorts outside of the opening and try to fan the smoke inside."

Are there any easily climbable trees or high ground nearby that could be used to see the roof?

Yeah, there are some trees someone could climb to get at least to the height of the roof. It's not a huge distance.

[thirdkingdom]

Newton

On seeing the webs, and hearing "spiders" mentioned, Newton backs up enough so that can keep an eye on the entire structure while the group discusses the next move. He knocks an arrow ready.

"If we're lucky it's just giant spiders" he says, while trying to remember any other wilderness creatures he learned about that use webs like this.

TK, anything from his wilderness creatures lore skill?

Probably just giant spiders that fall under that rubric. Anything else is likely fae, or extraplanar.

Feargus

"Who said we should 'smoke them out'? I like that idea. We build a bonfire of sorts outside of the opening and try to fan the smoke inside."

Are there any easily climbable trees or high ground nearby that could be used to see the roof?

"Me too, if we can sort something out before we lose the daylight"

What's the vegetation like around here, enough small brush to make a smoky fire?

Totally. It's spring, the trees are leafing out, you could easily do that.

[The_Wanderer]

Feargus

"Any of you guys good at climbing trees?"

Assuming nobody volunteers (or is particularly skilled at it), Feargus begins to carefully climb one of the nearby trees to see if there is any obvious holes in the roof.

[thirdkingdom]

Feargus

"Any of you guys good at climbing trees?"

Assuming nobody volunteers (or is particularly skilled at it), Feargus begins to carefully climb one of the nearby trees to see if there is any obvious holes in the roof.

The trees aren't that hard to climb, and I'm going to assume the *someone* does.

A tree nearby is climbed. It's relatively easy; the trees here are old growth, for the most part, although the ones immediately around the tower are smaller. It seems likely that when the tower was occupied the trees were cut down in a perimeter around the tower, and now that it is abandoned they have grown back around. But, regardless, a nearby tree is found that can be scaled; although it is not tall enough to afford a view down *into* the tower, it quickly becomes apparent that the roof of the tower has collapsed in, exposing some, or all, of the interior to the elements.

The climber also notes a filigree of webbing emerging from the top of the tower, spreading out to the nearby treetops.

[sulldawga]

Telemachus

"Look, we should just give up on hiding from our enemies tonight. Those spiders can climb into the trees from the tower and flank us easily. Let's build eight or ten big fires, make it look like we're a much larger force than we are, and set strong watches."

[beniliusbob]

Zellar

"Agreed. We can smoke them out in the morning."

Updating my default spells as of tomorrow: cure light wounds, protection from evil, light, bless, hold person, dispel magic, cure serious wounds.

[shaidar]

Newton

"Sounds good to me"

[The_Wanderer]

Feargus

Feargus hops down from the last branch. "Yep, seems to be spiders or at least something that leaves a web. With that hole in the roof, we might be hard pressed to really smoke them out but I think it's worth the effort. Either that or we just torch the stable."

[thirdkingdom]

Fourthmonth, Twentythirdday
Hex 237.118

Bravely, the companions decide to set up camp near the tower, counting on large fires and the confidence that comes from being seasoned adventurers, to scare away any arachnidal threats. The mercenaries are . . . less than enthused about the plan.

During the night a number of the guards on duty spy multi-faceted clusters of eyes glistening in the firelight, mostly high up in the trees. The adventurers are not molested during the night, however, but no one sleeps easily knowing that somewhere, in the shadows, lurks several, if not more, enormous spiders.

http://orokos.com/roll/774507: 1d6 6 2d6 10 5d8 27

[sulldawga]

Telemachus

After awakening and enjoying the morning's repast, the mage begins to plan the clearing of the tower.

"It would seem that if we apply the smoke to the base of the tower, the spiders will only flee through the open roof. Perhaps we climb the tree again and toss a couple of lit torches through the hole, and see if we can get them to come down?

Or else I can Fireball them after they exit. It could, uh, induce a wider conflagration though."

[beniliusbob]

Zellar

"Torches are unlikely to be enough to drive them from their lair. We should force them into the trees with bonfires and set up an ambush for them as they flee from the tower. A fireball is a just desert for such abominable creatures, but we should ensure they are clear of the tower, in case valuable artifacts remain within."

Zellar moves about the camp enlisting 'volunteers' who will gather deadfall as well as green branches and leaves to build the bonfires that will smoke the tower. Once the work teams are moving, she'll try to take a reading of the current wind direction and determine where best to place the fires.

[sulldawga]

Telemachus

"That is a terrible plan. Alas, it is also the best plan we have available."