Folca and thus Deor witness a surprising event. Folca is alerted to the cave opening the party entered by Moose’s bellow. It appears the Huge Spider attempted to escape this way and has been charged by Moose. He has smashed it against the side of the large rock face. Then he brings his full weight down on it. The spider appears shocked, surprised and stunned. It is oozing a foul green ichor.
Moose backs off a bit, the Spider shakes once and tries climbing the wall with an obviously broken leg. Moose charges again and the spider compresses and falls off the wall. Its 6 of its long legs waving up in the air. The other two do not move.
“Of course, my lady,” Thoroncir says. He will fill and light his Lantern of Aglarond, and suggests the others rest, drink some water and eat some food for the moment. He will maintain a vigilant watch until Gil-Gandel and the rest of the party returns.
You go, Moose! Woo-hoo! Hmmmm… Moose v. Giant Spider. There’s a “Which animal could kick which other animal’s ass” debate you never see on the SDMB.
Too right I pitch the Orc food. There is precious little of theirs that I would eat were I starving, and I would shrink from offering it to friends. Who dares speculate from what part of the creature their meat came - or how many legs it had? :eek:
Well, now it is their turn to feed the carrion birds and beasts, and may the One redeem their spirits. I’ll keep a look out while Gwaelur gets his breath back.
Hmm… Is the spider outside of the main entrance? Will Gil-Gandel, Ghan, or Gwaelur spot the spider on their way back inside? A few arrows or bolts seem like the perfect way to end this.
It’s all your fault. I wanted to go spider hunting earlier. You had a chance to show your squeeze to-be how tough you were. Now we have to take back seat to a Moose, a bird, a Wose, a Dwarf, and an Elf. Men of the West, indeed.
Might I suggest we find out how the spider got outside. Mal and I can try to find it’s passage, while the rest of you make your way outside. Let us take the lantern; it will smoke less should the passages get tight. You can work with torches. I’m assuming the spider was large enough that any passage it took would fit a skinny kid and a halfling.
Renee looks at Brin puzzled, "Perhaps it climbed the walls or the ladders in the lower room to the upper room and walked out from there? Just go quickly before Moose gets hurt. "
Renee writes out a note in her fair hand and leaves in on the floor.
The party heads out swiftly back to the front entrance. As the progress, Deor sees through Folca that the Spider has righted itself and Moose missed has opportunity to strike it.
The party travels the 1000’ back in about 4 minutes and reaches the entrance chamber.
Brin, Thoroncir, Mulligan & Theogrim prepare to come out firing from behind coordinating with Folca.
As Moose moves around and spider has its back to the opening, the four step out and fire.
All four hit and the spider spins around to shoot out a sticky thread at the largest bow. This is Thoroncir’s. At that moment Moose charges it again and knocks off its aim and hurts it more. Brin puts another arrow in its head. Theogrim switches to his Two Handed sword. Thoroncir moved out of the way and Mulligan moved to a side and further away.
The spider looks weak. “Please let me live and I will give you my treasure”
Thoroncir nocks another arrow. He says to the rest of the party while still keeping an eye on the spider, “I say nay. Its kind are ever evildoers. Releasing it now will only grant it license to do harm later, to others perhaps less well-prepared than we. Let us slay it now. We may yet find its treasure on our own anyway.”
Deor, lurking behind the party, staff up in front defensively but loosely held in case the spider snags it, is troubled. “Refuse the surrender of an enemy? This is not a mere animal to be put down, it has [del]an Intelligence score[/del] a sentience of its own, and I am disinclined to simply execute it. It will pose less risk to future travelers with several permanently mangled legs, if it deems it safe to stay at all. To the spider I propose a counter-offer: give us your treasure and your word that you will relocate your self and your children three years’ journey to the west, and we shall spare your life.”
Deor halfway expects to be overridden, and I fully expect that he will be. But he’s too young, idealistic, and naive to aprreciate the inherent risks in taking a monster at its word and the general stupidity of following a monster (a spider, no less, known for traps) back into its den willingly.
As the spider sees the party debating its life and says to Deor, “Yes, this deal I will accept.”
Suddenly Moose who had not follow the conversation came crashing down on the head of the spider, pinning down the stinger and blinding one eye. The spider grasps for Moose. Brin & Thoroncir let loose again and both strike again. Theogrim rushing in and slices off a leg, cleaving a deep wound into the cephalothorax. The green ichor comes flowing out. The spider weakly hits Moose but Moose stands firm. Brin sends another arrow deep into the spider’s cephalothorax.
Thoroncir holds up for fear of hitting a friend. Mulligan now takes aim with his throwing knives and puts on in the spider’s other large eye, but of course 6 others remain.
Theogrim strikes again, deep in the abdomen. The spider stops moving accept for slight shudders.
