[Alliance] Session Six
Last time was mail-pocalpyse. Letters arrived for Gil, Uther, and Vel, and Zap also got a piece of spam mail.
Gil got a letter from his aunts. Uther got a message that Kalthas knew he was moving through elven lands (and how dare). But in the meantime the group will chill in Tranquillien and look for help or goods and services.
The Guardians of the Eternal Spring - the standing militia - are in the area as well.
It was evening. The group decided to first inspect the local graveyard to check for troll tampering. The locals give them looks. As they get closer to the (much prettier than human) graveyard, they notice a lot of guards. Their warnings have gotten out.
Zap was happy people listened to him, as it apparently doesn’t happen a lot.
Fortunately, it seems that there was nothing to worry about in the graveyard - at least in regards of Tranquillien.
Vel has been studying the notebook Tess gave her, and has learned the strengths and weaknesses of a worgan. There are many different topics, as the journal is 10 years of information. She knows Tess is weak to silver, both in and outside of transformation. She has also studied the part about the nightshade.
There are also some hypotheses on how she can start to take control of herself during the transformation - the nightshade may be the key as it sets the transformation off balance without the toxicity of wolfsbane. Wolfsbane is toxic to her.
Gil goes to a jeweler and asks for silver ingots. He gets directed to a blacksmith, apparently. Zap and Gil go to the smithy. The Smithy is an elf with a beard. He says he can part with some raw silver.
The smithy: “Silver is brittle and difficult to work with if you don’t treat it correctly.”
Zap: “You can say the same thing about relationships with a woman, lad.”
H E H
Anyway, the two barter with the man. He was willing to part with a bar of silver for 350 gold pieces. The smithy says might have smaller amounts in Silvermoon, or in other areas if they doubleback.
Gil asks if there is anything they can do to assist to lessen the cost.
The smithy explains that he doesn’t often give discounts to adventurers. In addition, the fact he only had a couple of bars and didn’t know when the next shipment would be in, he couldn’t really budge on the price. Likewise, unless one of the duo wanted to become blacksmith apprentices for a couple of years, there wasn’t much they could do, but if they could bring back some raw materials he would be willing to compensate for them.
Zap and Gil decide to wait, since the issue wasn’t super pressing.
The smithy recommends going back to the jeweler. He also asked what the pair actually needed the silver for.
The two look at each other. Zap motions to the man for him to come close to him.
“Ya see…. It’s for the young master of there. He likes to feel safe at night, if you get my drift.” Zap dwarf winkie faces.
The smithy repeated that they may be able to find a small amount of treated silver at one of the local jewelers.
“We may be needing some silver, but you’ll always be my gold medal.”
And that ends the silver quest for now.
Vel stays at the cemetary for a little bit and asked if anything had seemed suspicious. Lucky, they had gotten the information in time to prevent anything from happening in this area.
They also mention there is a travel advisory, knoll marauders around the Tranquil Pass to the east. There is also a reward for information or proof about people that have gone missing lately.
Additionally, they tell her there is also an Arcane Sanctum in the area, which is basically a library. Vel disappears into the library for the night and has a nice nostalgia trip as all of the books she has already read. The good books are in the forbidden section and protected by arcane golem. Vel sleeps at the library, as she passes out in her book.
There are also elven taverns, which are basically coffee shops. There are dramatic readings of poetry on Thursday. Unfortunately, it is Wednesday (my dudes). Gil goes anyway, to find “information”. The minstril is very handsome, very good at playing the harp, and very much interested in Gil. Gil follows up on that, and is able to get free room and board for the night. Elyssa went to the tavern with Gil, and was oblivious to anything that happened.
The rest of the group find an inn and rest for the night.
THE NEXT DAY Ashwynn orders breakfast for everyone, and asks what the next course of action is going to be.
Uther doesn’t want to keep the king waiting, Vel doesn’t want to keep her aunt waiting. Zap asks if she’s really all that intense. Gil responds with: Yes.
Gil: “If we don’t go to her, she’ll come to us.”
Zap: “I think you mean she’ll come to you.”
Uther agrees it would be a poor decision not to see Allyria. Vel mentions the knoll activity in the area, and there are rewards for getting to the bottom of it. The group agrees that this is the best course of action, and take out some knolls in the process. They finish breakfast and head out on their way.
They began going down the Tranquil pass, and are warned a couple more times of the knoll activity.
One of them, a captain, explains that there are some Farstriders that have been sent to patrol the area but it is still not safe. While the group appeared capable of defending themselves, he suggested caution regardless.
Gil asked if there was an area of higher concentration of activity, and he said they were focused south of Sungraze peak - though he wasn’t sure why as there wasn’t much there aside from old Amani catacombs.
DING DING DING
The group collectively groans at the implication. They decide to check out the catacombs on the way to the Farstrider lodge. The captain mentioned that the Farstrider presence may be due to the catacombs as well.
The group thanks him and head on their way. They head up the mountain pass, which is quite beautiful. Trees grow out of the mountain side and it is still idyllic in its own way.
As the group walks up the mountain pass, Tess managed to catch something in the wind - a scent. It’s interesting considered she had spent some time as a worgen, but not a lot, and she remembered some of her time spent. The scent was she was picking up reminded her of that - even though she wasn’t in her worgen form. She gets a smell of blood through the mountains - but it’s just a hint on the wind, and then it’s gone and it doesn’t come back.
She alerted the group that she smelled blood.
Ashwynn and Vel narrow their eyes at Tess, and Zap steps behind Uther and asks how that makes her feel.
Elissa asks if Tess normally smells blood on the wind. She doesn’t
Meanwhile, Gil sat down to sense for humanoids. There are a lot, but they are all further down the pass. As he opens his perceptions, he hears the sound of several humanoid forms rapidly running and making their way through the pass in the general direction of the group. Specifically, there were nine, and there were many more in other places.
Gil recommends that the group hides and ambushes them. Gil and Tess get out-stealthed by Zap, a dwarf and Velameestra, as well as Uther and Elissa.. Oops. Vel also put Frost Armor on in the meanwhile.
They hear running, howls and laughter coming up the side of the mountain. There is also the smell of blood in the air.
A young Farstrider comes into view. He is being attacked by gnolls and is knocked off the cliff. He falls unconscious as he spills off the cliff.
Meanwhile, Gil hears skittering and screeches to his side as several spiders climb up the rocks toward him accompanied by gnolls.
COMBAT-COMBAT-COMBAT-COMBAT
Gil is attacked by a spider, but fortunately manages to shrug off the toxin..
Most of the gnolls are too busy laughing at the farstrider to notice the party.
Zap motions to Elissa to go help the guy that fell off the cliff. He then rolls out of the shadows and shoots one of the gnolls. The gnoll is hit, but still continues to laugh.
Uther scans the gnolls to see if there is an important one he should focus on. He sees many knolls and a spider attacking Gil. He ultimately chooses to smite, at range, one of the gnolls. He smites it for the light as golden motes of light surround his hand and then blast the beastly creature.
Another spider goes to try and eat Gil. It also fails to poison him. Vel goes to freeze the spiders trying to eat her brother. She successfully hits one of them for a lot of damage. The spider is not very happy. The spider goes to attack Gil and paralyzes him, making him fall unconscious.
Seeing her brother fall, Vel flings arcane missiles at the spiders and kills both of them. She then runs through both Uther and Ashwynn and disappears in a flash of mist as she Blinks to her brother’s side.
One of the gnolls misjudges the distance of the cliff, and when he goes to jump down to attack Ashwynn he spills off the cliff, dies, and then rolls down the cliffside past Zap and Elissa.
Several of the gnolls do poorly trying to attack the group.
Ashwynn fights the one that attacked her brother, and fucks it up, killing it.
Tess manages to get out of hiding and fires her gun at one of the gnolls atop the cliff. As it gets blasted, it yelps and staggers backwards, but is still standing.
Vel gets shot by another arrow.
Zap goes to shoot a gnoll with his gun, though sadly not for a lot of damage.
Gnolls attack Tess, one getting a good hit on her. It really fucking hurts to use a sword, but won’t be permanent.
Uther uses his brand new sword to slice and dice one of gnolls in front of him, adding some extra smiting to kill the other one.
Uther had taken an overhead strike on the first gnoll and cut him from shoulder to hip diagonally, and then spun around as his blade got a golden sheen from the smite and he stuck it through the gut. He is clearly quite pleased with using a greatsword.
Swords are his jam.
Vel is ready to fight. She ducks into cover with Gil’s body. She chants a spell to fortify her body, though the fear begins to channel through her.
Sadly, the farstrider slips away as Elissa tries to heal him. With a sad look, Zap encourages Elissa to focus on the present and mourn later. Elissa holds herself together.
Zap pulls out his grappling gun, and swings to a place where he can back up Vel and Gil.
Zap: “Alright ya hairy bastards, I’m a better one then you.”
One of the gnoll flings arrows at Zap, missing with one and clipping another.
Tess shoots and misses one of the gnolls.
Another one of the gnolls tumbled off a cliff and nearly killed itself as it attacked Tess, but managed to connect, through another that jumped down to attack Uther missed completely.
Uther swings at the two gnolls that jumped down to attack him, once again able to kill both of them with his sword.
Zap goes to shoot another of the gnolls, discouraged by his last shot. Zap is able to redeem himself and shoots it between the eyes, turning it into a bloody paste.
Uther blasts the remaining gnoll with a bolt of fire, and sets it ablaze.
Tess heads back down to Elissa and the farstrider.
Vel fires blue fire at the remaining gnoll, and it turns into ash.
Elissa decides not to give up on the dying farstrider, and against all odds, the Farstrider’s eyes begin to flicker open. She put her faith in something.
Gil regains consciousness, but is still paralyzed. But luckily, Zap has just the thing for that. A breathalyzer! He uses it to analyze Gil’s poison and manufactures an antidote. He has to shake the vial for 20 seconds before he can use it though. It looks super lame.
Gil is really feeling it. He’s able to walk again. Zap goes to protoplase him to heal him up.
Meanwhile, Elissa is still on her hands and knees with a soft gold-white glow around her hands trying to stabilize the unconscious Farstriders. After a few moments, the gold fades to completely white, and then a minty green color begins to ebb in. As it does, it wisps its way away from her and wraps around the Farstrider and his eyes snap open.
Gil welcomes him back to the world of the living, and he seems to be fairly confused as to where he is. Gil briefs him that they are in the Tranquil pass, and explains he was being pursued by gnolls. He then remembers what happened.
Elissa smiles. Gil notices that Elissa’s eyes are glowing gold, even though she isn’t using magic right now. The gold is fading slowly. The Farstrider blinks at her and attempts to stand. Gil helps him.
The Farstrider explains that the rest of his unit were ambushed. He doesn’t know where his unit is. He fiddles in his pouch and brings out a small letter, containing their orders.
"Ranger Keeli Embershadow,
Reports of Blackpaw activity within the Tranquil Pass have increased. Several farstrider patrols have gone missing in the past several days. Gnolls are capricious and deadly - the farstriders have probably already been killed, and probably devoured alive. Your squad is being dispatched to assess the threat of the godless beasts and report back to the Enclave. If possible, collect the badges of the fallen, so that they might be returned to their next of kin. Don't take any unnecessary risks. We don't need to lose any more Striders to vermin like they. Shorel seshoor.
~Ranger-Captain Helios Suncrown"
The farstrider explains that the gnolls are more organized than they should be. They also seem to be getting smarter. He offers to head back down to Tranquillien to warn them. He asks the group to keep an eye out for more of the gnolls, and also his unit who may have been captured or killed by the gnolls, if they are going to go further into the pass.
Uther: OH FUCK YEAH (not really)
Uther gives his words to aid his comrades. The farstrider thanks the group's, grateful for his life. He asks them to bring back their tags to Suncrown if they can.
He begins heading back down the mountain, ensuring that he would be safe. As he leaves, Ashwynn suggests the groups to collect their heads in preparation of the next fight.
Vel investigates the gnoll bodies and only really has busted up weapons and currency. She looks to see troll involvement. She isn’t able to find anything.
As he rests, Gil notices that Vel is a bit more pale than usual. He also notices that 20 minutes after it started, Elissa’s eyes have stopped glowing. Everyone saw it.
After taking this breather, the group continues on the mountain pass. The pass gets narrower and foggy. Gil examines the path ahead. He doesn’t sense any in the immediate area. However, he does notice a trip wire. If they had tripped it, it was attached to a wick that connected to blasting powder, which would have caused a rockslide. (Gil saved the day \o/)
Gil managed to stop Uther before he walked into the tripwire.
Zap notices the *really* good blasting powder. He investigates it. It’s very clean, and clearly the gnolls didn’t get it themselves. It’s likely human made. It’s good shit. Zap is tempted.
Zap uses his puppy-dog dwarf eyes and asks Vel to use ice magic after sappyingly complimenting her. Vel uses ice magic to freeze the wicke. Zap is super happy.
(Eric pouts because they outsmarted his trap)
Zap pockets it and informs the group it’s stolen.
The group reaches the bottom of the cliff and takes a breather.
Tess leans up against the cliff and feels something sticky. She walked into a large, sticky, spider web. In fact, as they glance around, the entire area is completely covered in spider webs. Little spiders skitter across the web away from them.
The group talks about the collective hatred of spiders. Though surprisingly, Gil doesn’t think spiders are that bad.
As Gil leads the party up further the spiderwebs seem to get bigger and thicker, but then there is a cave off to the left while the path veers off to the right. Gil is able to tell there are humanoids inside - in addition to the skittering of spiders just in general - but he specifically hears restrained breathing from inside. There is also a large collect of humanoid creatures about three miles down the path to the right. The ones in the cave - about five - are only about three quarters of a mile inside.
“GNOLL.”
“NOT A GNOLL.”
“FUCK.”
Gil immediately resolves they they need to in. While he cannot tell what they are, Uther agrees that they need to go in. He also points out the larger group miles away-- they are moving, but not away from this point. It’s a camp, most likely.
Uther still advocates going into the cave. He also wants to know what that camp is all about, too.
They step into the creepy spider cave. “Do we have to go into the creepy spider cave?” Elissa asks, shaking. Uther and Gil assure her that it will be okay.
Gil lights a torch and he hands one to Uther, Vel, and Tess-- as they don’t have darkvision. They can also use them for backup weapons. Go team!
They immediately can hear the skittering of smaller creatures in the dark. Spiders crawl over the walls, down into the direction where they need to go. As they approach, they realize that they’ve walked into an atrium. Something, in the distance is squirming, bound in spiderwebs in the far corners of the room.
As they step forward, Vel, Tess, and Zap all hear something. It sounds like silly string when it’s sprayed. The path behind them is now sealed by a web. Above them are two people-sized spider.
Uther can see the cave shift and move under him. He didn’t step on the ground. He stepped on a very, large spider.
Springing into action, Vel, Tess, and Zap are able to rally to the change. Tess charges in with a sneak attack, but she isn’t able to land a hit. Another spider lashes out at Tess (Crit avoided), it jumps out onto her. She can’t wrestle it off quite in time, she’ll have trouble moving.
Zap takes a look at the whole cave, searching for loose rocks. It does seem that he could collapse the ceiling… that being said, he sees the whole ceiling writhing. Spiders. Spiders everywhere. Millions of red eyes gleam down at him, watching. He waves to them, “Hello.” He can also see the five Farstriders bound up in the corner.
As they look up to the ceiling, Ashwynn and Elissa shudder.
Zap admits that he hasn’t tested this particular gadget on Spiders
Vel slices open one of the cocoons. A small boy comes slipping out of the sludge. He sputters, gasping for breath, scrambling out of it. He looks around rather panicked. It’s Bryce. He’s clearly upset by the spiders.
“Bryce, what are you doing here?” Elissa calls.
“I dunno!”
The broodmother stirs, setting her eyes on Uther. Uther shields himself, the spider bounced off an invisible barrier, a golden shockwave ripples off him in a glorious fashion. Zap is impressed.
Meanwhile, the spider that Tess attempted to attack leapt up on hwe.. She can feel the venom course through her veins as she tenses up. Gross. Tess dodges its next attack too.
A spider breaks off from Tess, focusing on Gil. He bites in, and Gil has been bit so much, but he’s slowly developing immunity.
A bunch of spider jump and move around, webbing falls from the ceiling. They begin to spill webbing down from above. In the spray of web, everyone ducks out of the way, but Bryce and Elissa struggle to move away in time-- given the shock.
Elissa is now over her fear, but she’s still bound. After watching Tess get fucked up, she closes her eyes and she mutters something. (She says, ‘Put your faith in the light, you can do this). She casts Shield of Faith on Tess. She’s still restrained. The mint green energy wisps around her, a wind kicks up around Tess, as she heals her, too.
Gil swings at a spider. He’s ready to stick this bitch. He pulls out Stalwart and he swings, the spider ducks, but he’s able to follow up with another swing and cleave the asshole in half. He’s able to clip another spider with the follow-up. (SWING W I D E)
Bryce fails to break out. The Broodmother attacks Uther again, he’s still shielded. It bounces off Uther, there’s a WONGGG sound.
Tess, feeling a bit better, goes for a stab. Her rapier slips through it, it’s unable to recover from the damage dealt. It folds over and its legs crinkle up. She moves behind Zap, The Broodmother’s eyes flicker to her, then to Zap. It lunges at Zap, landing a hit. It chomps into the dwarf-- he feels the poison coursing through his veins. His body seizes, and he hits the floor.
Vel slices another one open. A leather-armored Elf slides out. She looks beaten and bruised. She looks worse for wear, but she’s clearly a Farstrider. She blinks quickly, subconsciously grabs Vel, “Do you have a sword?”
Vel offers her dagger. Gil then counters with his extra sword. She’s going for it.
The Broodmother shrieks and launches a glob of web at the new Farstrider. It hits. Keeli goes down.
Ashwynn action surges, hitting the Broodmother twice in a row. She runs up to it, leaping on top of it. She stabs down with her spear, using it as a base. She hacks away at the Broodmother’s back, and the creature fails and screams. The princess straight up hacks one of its legs off.
Not to be outdone, Uther is up next. Unfortunately, he misses as the Broodmother flails wildly. It jerks away from the Prince, falling out of range.
The loose Farstrider, Keely, frees herself and she runs to grab Gil’s extra sword.
The Broodmother lunges for Uther, she tries, but fails in her pain. She calls out, there’s skittering on the ceiling. Her children rally to her. A number of spiders descend onto the battlefield, blocking the path for much of the party.
One of the spiders appears in front of Vel, it does bite into her, but her armor is able to keep it from hurting.
Elissa cuts webbing off of her, she intercepts a number of spiders that are coming for Gil. Gil redoubles his focus and attacks. He lets loose an arrow and it sinks directly into the Broodmother’s eye, Ashwynn still on top. Bryce can’t free himself. A spider swings at Uther but misses. Tess readies her gun, shooting at the very spider that failed to hit the young Prince. She kills the crap out of it. Riding that success, Tess also hits the Broodmother with her rapier. She joins in with Ashwynn for a spider-kabob.
Zap is immobile. Keeli, now with sword, moves to outflank some of the spiders. She can’t quite get there-- as she’s recovering from her injuries. A spider clips her shoulder, instead. “Just practice.” She sweats.
The Broodmother spins, trying to get Ashwynn off her back. (Cherry hiccups). The Princess manages to stay up. The BM then shoots a web up, climbing up beyond the party. Ashwynn remains-- trying to stab the fuck out of the spider. The BM strays web all across the area. Gil, Keeli, Tess and Uther are all restrained as a result.
Ashwynn continues to attack the BM, she shouts, “Keep pressing the attack, it’s beginning to slow! If we attack the Broodmother the others will scatter.” She heals those around her.
Swarm-Spiders find the nooks and crannies between Gil’s armor. They do the same to Elissa and land attacks..
Vel goes straight for the spider in her way. Lobbing an Arcane Missle, the missiles slam the spider into the wall, also into a spider-warm too. That Spider isn’t having a good time-- he dead. She then moves straight for the next cocoon.
(SWORD). Uther breaks out of the web he’s in and he makes it to the last cocoon.
The BM moves, still on the ceiling. Ashwynn clings for dear life, but remains. The BM descends, attacking Elissa. It sweeps down the a bite, but the bite clangs off a spider-covered shield.
Gil readies himself again. He nocks an arrow, and the arrow sails right into the BM. There’s a collective screech as the BM dies.
Ashwynn hops off the BM’s body and wipes the spider gore off of her weapon. Gil collects his arrows.
Uther goes to Zap and he’s able to use the Breathalyzer on Zap. Zap regains slow control over his body over the next few minutes. Uther heals the dwarf, too.
One cocoon is a Farsider-- a grizzled looking elf. The other two are denizens from The Last Crossing-- a teenage girl and a middle aged man. They’re concerned and rather shaken, and relieved.
Elissa’s father is nowhere to be found.
“Bryce, what happened? How’d you get here?”
“The undead took us back, I don’t know where. It was dark, scary, and they were all dead. They brought us through the graves and then they were here. They said we’d be given to the Gnolls as a gift. I didn’t pick up anything else, didn’t understand the language. They drug us out here to the spiders.. I don't remember anything else. We were poisoned. Now… you saved us again.” Bryce says.
He looks to Zap, “Aren’t you the dwarf that shot me with the gun?”
Zap greets him.
Bryce: “What are you all doing here?”
‘Indirectly, we were looking for you and other survivors of the crossing. DIdn’t expect to find you you here.” - Uther
“I dunno where the rest are. They still may be with the gnolls. I saw one of the gnolls chewing on a bone. You don’t think they’re going to eat them, do you?”
“I wouldn’t worry about that now, Bryce.” Uther cajoles him.
Keeli hands Gil his shortsword back and thanks him, but said that she wasn’t sure if the rest of her unit survived outside of her second that was also cocooned with her. However, she revealed her unit was the unit assigned to investigate the gnolls.
“We’re certain the camp is about three miles that way.” Gil explains.
Keeli is encouraged to hear that, perhaps they’ll have time to save the rest. If they’re lucky… they’ll be able to save the rest.
Gil asks how many were in her unit, and she said there were six. Gil gave her a rundown of the Farstrider they saved from the gnolls.
She explained that the Gnolls found the FS party, that the Gnolls split them apart. Once they were poisoned it was hard to do anything at all.
Gil explains that the humans were from South of the Elfgate. They explain the situation with the Trolls and the Catacombs. TURNS OUT ONE OF THE ENTRANCES TO THE CATACOMBS IS THREE MILES AWAY.
The trolls seem to be trying at appease the Gnolls, winning them over as allies or pawns. The humans seem to be sacrifices. The party agrees to make haste into the catacombs. Keeli wants the party to face the Gnolls head on as she takes a party around the side.
They discuss Alleria and that there wasn’t time to get word to her. Keeli advocates resting now or striking nOW. If they attack in the night, they could have the elements of surprise.
Keeli leaves the decision to Gil, though she’s a Ranger-- as her party was rescued by him. Gil offers her his swords, but Keeli wishes to find her equipment in the spider-mess.
The party hems and haws over what to do, but coming out of two combats, they finally decide to rest in the cave. No one will come looking for them, as it’s a spider-hell. With luck, everyone can be returned to where they belong before nightfall proper-- FS lodge and cave respectfully. Keeli offers to take watch so the party doesn’t have to.
The party is able to nurse any and all wounds, between Uther, Zap, and Gil. Zap sees to Tess, healing her completely with the Protoplazer.
As the party is settling down, Uther goes to Ashwynn and taps her shoulder, “Wait until father hears about that.”
‘About what?”
“About his daughter leaping on the back of a giant spider and riding it all the way to the ceiling.”
“Uhhh? Perhaps it’s best it’s not if we go into excruciating details, don’t know if mother would be too happy.”
“Oh, don’t worry. Father will be proud enough to protect you.”
Ash chews her bottom lip, “As you say.”
Vel siiiiiggghhhssss-- she can see where Uther gets all of his personality from. Gil chides the other set of siblings, saying it’ll be a great story to tell for years to come!
Elissa chats with her fellow village people, relieved and happy to see them. After, though, she passes the fuck out.
The Two FS rangers will head out behind the Gnoll camp. The party will assault the camp from the front. Those catacombs.
Gil sits with Keeli. A large group can’t fit in the side, but the FS can. She’ll spy and count the numbers if there are too many trolls.
Vel is ready to be artillery, after being talked down from other tactics.
Vel and Uther leveled this session!
