Hunter in the Dark

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There's a map which led you to this spot, a proverbial map with an X to lead you to this location, but the map offers no insight as to what lays /beyond/ this point. You've been traveling through the forest for what feels like ages to reach what looks like ruins. The ruins are made of some kind of obsidian stone. They're lovely but hold an air ominous nature and mingle with the shadows of the forest trees so much that without the map you might have stumbled within ten feet of this spot without ever seeing them.

An arched doorway without a door leads you inside this space, into a room half collapsed. Light would have poured inside the room if not for the trees creating such shadow that you are enveloped on all side by darkness. In spite of this you continue forward through a hallway which is thankfully roofed even if the obsidian walls make the darkness suck at whatever light there is.

Munch takes a moment to clear a few trees before heading in. Whatever happens inside, might as well make it a little easy to find again later, even if it's just to collapse the entrance and make sure no one ever again enters the place. "So, the job said something about better dungeons? Are we supposed to write up a review or something? Because I'm thinking low on accessibility, decent points for atmosphere."

Azog is here, and hrms at the space. "Ancients have left strange things," he suggests. "Or maybe more recent people? We shall face whatever hardships remain, regardless." He adjusts the set of his shield and looks around, trying to judge whether a lantern is necessary.

"Well...if this isn't a pleasant start t' the day, I don't know what is." Kerbasi stops just at the edge of the darkness. The lean priest reaches up, and adjusts his geek lenses. Acleese had replaced the chipped pair just the other day--waiting until the priest had fallen asleep, and thieving them away in the dead of night.

Kerbasi adjusts his lenses again. Frowns. Frowns again, and readjusts. "Let me check my notes, a moment." Instead, he spends the next few fumbling with the lenses, and mumbling. Eventually, he finds his pockets, but it takes some time.

Kisaiya is walking along, hands tucked behind herself as she hums a tune to herself. Well, herself and anyone that was listening. Her dress swished about her feet as she moved to one side and then the other, before staring into the gloominess and frowning. "Hmm..." She pulls her pack around and digs through it for a lantern she can hang from her belt - if just to give some light for the way ahead.

"It's better than sewers." Kisa smiles off to Munch, "AND better than cats. Especially better than sewers with cats." She nods and gestures off to Kerbasi next. "Yes. Exactly. It's a nice start."

The light is a welcome addition to this place for all that the obsidian walls seem to drink it in rather than reflect it back. Even with the lantern you can hardly see what's going on around you. Still you move forward until suddenly a string of words appears before you scrolled out in blue fae lights. "Only in silence can one survive." <draconic>

Azog takes a cue from Kisaiya and breaks out a lantern and oil. The lantern has seen better days. The oil, luckily, is just more oily. He lights it and carries it along for now. "Ah, we've found where Sandy went, then," he says as he reads the words written out.

Munch blinks with a soft click, and the faint squeal of metal armor upon metal armor. "...that.... might be a problem."

Clink. Cluuuunk. Kerbasi's hand vanishes into the pocket. Then the wrist. Aaaaand, down to the elbow, before he finds whatever it is he's looking for. Oh, there's that awkward twisting, too. The turning around, the staring into half-space as the mind wonders just where on Ea--. The contortionist half-jumps, even, from trying to reach whatever's in there.

Anyways, it's some ways down.

"Aaaaiii...ah! There it is! There--ah. Heh." He says, and pulls out a small, neat notebook. "Heh, now...they write, we ought t'take notes. They're interested in the smells, sights...tastes," he fumbles some, "of the interior of the dungeon, as well as th'--" flipspage, "--experience. Sketches are considered a bonus, and may increase the final payout. Well...I suppose I'm feelin' a touch artistic. Anyone else?" he asks. He squints, and reaches up then, as though to mess with his glasses. Stops. Stops, because there is growling and hissing. "...excuse m'?" he asks. "I'm afraid I didn't catch that?"

Kisaiya is staring at the words... she has no idea what it says on the wall so she just stares at the blue lights. She reaches up to scratch at her chin, tilting her head to the side and then glances back to Kerbasi. "Oh. Okay." She reaches out, pressing her hand to the wall, running it over the blue fae lights - sort of sweeping at it with her hand. Then leans in and licks at the spot that she cleaned off.

Munch considers a moment... and his face cracks open a little bit, a long black snake-tongue flicking out to test the air, and then the wall. He doesn't wipe it off first. "So do we worry about being quiet? I mean, can we really trust anything glowing blue lights have to say?"

Azog peers slowly at Kisaiya. Then at Munch. "If you want, I can reduce the wall to bite-sized pieces pretty quickly. Just say the word..."

Kisaiya shrugs at Azog, "Well, I could too, but that's not really the point is it?" Her mouth pulls off to the side, lips compressing, "I mean, we're supposed to be writing a review on the dungeon. If we /break/ the dungeon we can't very well review it. That'd be dishonest." She glances at Munch and crinkles her nose, "It tasted like rock to me. DId it taste that way to you too? I tried to lick the blue part- wait, you can read that? What's it say?"

Azog says to Kisaiya, "If there are monsters here, it's kill or be killed, and I'm not dying for some fool magazine. I expect the whole thing's a fraud anyhow, so I'm not bothered by that. In any event, if we destroy the walls, we can just write it up that way, it'd be the same, anyhow. Walls crumbled into bite-sized pieces," he quotes from his potential review. "Never the less, not edible."

Munch blinks, and shrugs. "Tastes like silicon oxides with ferrous inclusions. Typical obsidian. It says 'Only in silence can one survive.' which depending on why this place was built, might be helpful, or an outright lie." He glances to Azog, his face cracking a little further to show off the adamantine fangs and grinders inside, before closing back up. "Already bite-sized. Just have to put some effort into your bites."

Kisa stares at Azog, and her face squishes off to the side again, "Nono. You don't get it at all. But it's okay, I didn't expect you to really get it anyway, point is - we can't destroy the walls. If we did that, then it would be dishonest. That'd be like... writing a review on a sword after you /broke the sword/ intentionally. It'd be silly."

Kisa rolls her eyes and she looks off to Munch with a frown, and a nod, "Yeah that probably sounds about right and wait, what? Only in silence can one survive? That's awful cryptic." And she starts heading down the hallway.

Azog arches a brow at Munch, but nods about the bite size. "Point taken." As far as the silence goes, he says, "If this is a sneaking dungeon, you might as well go on without me." As far as destroying walls goes, he shrugs. "If I can break a sword with my bare hands, that definitely goes on my review," he points out. "Anyhow, it probably means we'll all die horribly if we're not inside one of those silence sphere spells."

Kerbasi lifts the notebook, "Heh, well. I suppose--what did it taste like?" he inquires of Kisaiya. "I...oh? In silence? I...heh. Well, does anyone know handspeech?" he asks.

The priest's brow furrows, and he appears to look concerned about this. Actually concerned. Then again, he could have practiced it in front of a mirror.

He wriggles his fingers, signing: 'I'm sure you'll be fine, Azog. If you get chopped down, it's just a pleasant chat with the Lady, and won't we all be jealous?'

Munch shrugs. "Well, if we're going to die, I guess we better get it over with." He glances to Kerbasi. "I know -of- it... and think I figured out a few of the swear words." To be fair, as a barbarian, he knows the swear words in most languages.

With a clank and a clamor and very little regard for written advice you all head down the hallway.

Azog nods at what Munch says. "Oh. I know swears in half a dozen languages. Just follow Sandy around. She knows quite a lot of words. I said them to vendors til I worked out what they meant." He nods. "I was very trusting when I first came to th city many years gone now." And he will -try- to move silently. It's just ... not that quiet.

GAME: Azog rolls stealth: (7)+3: 10
GAME: Munch rolls stealth: (2)+2: 4

"So, you think the right way to evaluate a sword would be to break the sword and write It came broken, huh? Alright. Well I know who I'm not asking for product reviews!" Kisaiya smiles and shrugs, then signs back to Kerbasi, 'I am sorry, but I don't speak handspeech.' In perfect handspeech, with a smile.

Of course she's not actually stopping, now she's skipping even!

Munch stops talking, but... quiet? Not so much.

GAME: Kisaiya rolls stealth: (6)+16: 22
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+23: (10)+23: 33
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+23: (19)+23: 42
GAME: Azog rolls fort: (15)+12: 27
GAME: Munch rolls fort: (1)+17: 18 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Aftershock rolls 2d6+7: (4)+7: 11
GAME: Aftershock rolls 2d6+7: (10)+7: 17

As you go forth suddenly from out of the corner of your eye you see... something. A little flicker and then suddenly two massive spiders appear over Munch and Azog, biting the two.

GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+23: (8)+23: 31
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+23: (12)+23: 35

The spiders duck down for a secondary set of attacks but miss the bites. Then just as quickly as they'd come the spiders vanish, fading into a ghostlike state that leaves them barely visible in the uncertain light of the lantern.

GAME: Kisaiya rolls 25: (18)+25: 43
GAME: Kisaiya rolls 2d4+27: (4)+27: 31

Kisa turns to see the spiders as they start back into the shadows. Of course, that was after they had attacked Azog and Munch, "Why?! Why friend spiders?!" She reaches back, a grab of the haft before a swing of the weapon around and into her hands. She pulls her mouth off to the side again as she closes the distance on the spiders. "If I can find a way to capture you though, I'm so bringing you to Alba. I bet she would love you!" And she swings the scythe.

The scythe swing, all with a shift of the weight and a sweep of the blade, swings true.

And passes right through the spider without hurting it. "Ack... Well, this could be interesting."

GAME: Munch casts Shield. Caster Level: 6 DC: 13

Munch buzzes and jumps as he's suddenly bitten, grabbing his weapon and... squints, his leathery 'dreadlocks' rising to wiggle around his head like a nest of irate worms. "Oh... they're doing a ghost sorta thing..." Buzzing softly, the metal mans tiny 'scales' start to molt, shimmering a moment before falling, then sweeping back up by unseen force to form a protective layer between himself and the spider-things.

GAME: Kerbasi rolls knowledge/the planes: (16)+8: 24
GAME: Kerbasi casts Wind Walk. Caster Level: 15 DC: 23

Kerbasi fumbles back as the blade goes through the creature. "I--" he starts to say, and then something clicks in his brain. Something. He makes a sign in the air in front of him, the Sign of Scales, the Sign of Triangles, and mouths the Lady's name. Gray energy takes off, enveloping the party--as swiftly as gravemists, and probably, just as pleasant.

The party fades to vapor. The priest puts a finger alongside of his nose, motioning for quiet. He signs something.

"They're blind. They ah, don't move when you don't make a sound. Can't attack from th' ether. We'll float like ghosts," he adds, signing. With too much fervor and contentment. <handspeech>

With the sudden silence offered by Kerbasi's spell, the spiders stop their attack, simply standing in place and then slowly fading from view entirely.

Munch didn't really understand that.... he doesn't even -have- a nose... but he does go perfectly still, as only a golem really can. Well, maybe some undead. And he does vaguely recall this spell being cast before.... in Gustav? Maybe was the Gustav mis-adventure…

"They're a cousin of th' phase spider. Bit more deadly, though. They'll hit y', then vanish. Then unvanish, then hit again. Th' can't strike from where they're at. ...heh." Kerbasi pauses in his fingertalking, long enough to half-smile and reach up behind his head. "I ...heh. Unfortunately, I can't take us to th' realm they're in when they vanish." Again, the awkward smile. He looks to Munch and Azog, and mimes floating down the hall, further. <handspeech>

Azog raises his shield and deflects the horrible spider bites, mostly. He drops the lantern he'd been carrying, where it hits the ground and gains yet another dent. The glass is long gone. He hauls out his sword, which still has the faint corpselight glow Kerbasi put there so many years ago, and then he rises up as Kerbasi does the magic thing. And he's invisible. That's interesting. He noted how Kisaiya's scythe went through the one with no effect, but he knows it bit him, so he'll wait until it comes to him, and phases in to bite him. Then boom. But it never phases in. Well. Then Kerbasi is gesturing, so he shrugs and moves down the hall.

Munch squints, and gestures back. 'Finger-wiggle, wave, thumb, wave, waggle, finger-point?' Okay, so he has no clue what any of that meant. He shrugs, and floats down the passage with the others, trying very hard to keep his stubby little wings from flapping as he flies. Stoopid instincts.

You follow the path continuing into the dark. The hallway seems to go on forever, and you grow denser as you move. Until finally, rather inexplicably the spell seems to come to an end and you are left your material selves once more. Still you walk. It doesn't feel like that much time has passed, but it also feels like you've been walking for... ever. Then suddenly there are more glowing sigels on the wall. "In darkness one can revive."

This time the sigils burn right before a door which is miraculously closed and locked. <draconic>

Kerbasi looks at his fingers as they fade back to the ground. His brows go up, from over the rims of his glasses. "...heh," he says tightly. Swallows.

He halts, and turns around slowly. Up. Down. Walls. Just in case there's a marker anywhere, a signal, anywhere. His shoulders are a bit well, tense. 'Th' Lady's prayer should have stayed with us a few hours more,' he signs.

Munch squints at the glowing words, reading them for Kisaiya. "'In darkness one can revive'? After the silence thing, I'm willing to go with this advice.... though not really sure what it means. Darkness has never really been an issue with my eyes." The ones made from magicite, that seem to glow in dim light.

Kisaiya's hands wave like crazy for a moment, grinning widely and then she meanders up toward the door and points at herself then at the door before - SPROING! She whips out some lockpicks! Because of course she has lockpicks, "OH that's good, I was worried that it might be another 'silence rar rar' bit."

GAME: Kisaiya rolls 19: (3)+19: 22

Azog pauses before the closed and locked door. He glowers at it as the others look it over, then stows his shield. He pulls an adamantine earthbreaker from his back, and takes a few warm-up swings. "I've got darkvision as well," he says helpfully, then since we're no longer admonished to silence, he'll take a swing at the wall -next to- the door. That's usually the best place to breach. And anyone ambushing people who come through the door get a big surprise.

Munch watches the lock-picking with casual interest. He usually just pushes a door until he can go though. Even the ones that say 'Pull'.

GAME: Azog rolls strength: (5)+8: 13

Kerbasi looks at his sleeve. "Acleese is gonna kill me," he says, solemnly. It's a man facing a death sentence.

Or at least, mountains and mountains of paperwork.

He reaches out, and tears the corner of his robe. Then, "...m'lady, I am sorry for this. Forgive m'. But, I need t'know you're there." And he tugs on the grave.

GAME: Kerbasi casts Mending. Caster Level: 15 DC: 17

Azog's weapon hits the wall and reverberates off of it with a harsh sound that covers much of Kisaiya's work with her lockpicks which open the door way much more effectively. Meanwhile Kerbasi's spell goes off without a hitch, causing the robe to be repaired.

Kerbasi pulls his fingers away from the robe, and flicks them together a few times. "It looks alright, heh. Well! I'm glad that everything's in order, then," he says. He looks at them, with a warm smile.

Except there's moss on his face. Really. It's like a beard tried to grow there. Except it's in patches and floofs, and intended possibly, deliberately, to scare small children, and/or get him admitted to an Althean ward, post-haste, at the Temple for Disease Control.

Azog grumbles at the magic walls. They'd have to be magic to stop his earthbreaker. He cleared the doorsmaching contest so very long ago with one blow, back during that event. But today, he's just accompaniment. But the door's open, so he'll stow the earthbreaker, take up his shield again, and march on in with the others.

Munch watches -all- of this with intrest. Priests gettign worried about gods is not the sort of thing one should ignore. And walls that can take an adamantine hit? That's a challenge to pay attention to! ...though maybe should just pay attention to whatever is past the door. "Figure best to have no lights inside.... and Kerbasi, you got...a... little something there... on your face..."

"I do?" the priest asks. He blinks a few times behind his geeklenses. "I...oh. ...oh! Well, I'm sure that will come off with a touch of soap and water." Kerbasi, that is, his terrible beard, beams at Kisaiya. "That was fantastic work with th' door, by the way. ...where did you happen t'pick that up?"

"I've wanted to actually do this in a dungeon for /ages/, but there's just never any locked doors." She puts the picks back away, sticking them back inside... wait, where did she put them?

WHO KNOWS!

Another mystery of Kisaiya with a jazz hands after she flings the door open for everyone. "Thank you. And it's been a hobby of mine."

Kisa shrugs, "I figured it seemed like a good skill if you're in dungeons. Traps and locks and all that. But I never run across them! Plus, Sandy's wine cellar."

As you walk into the next room a strange sight greets you. Here you have light coming down from the forest and the broken ceiling. And in that light are piles of skeletons. They lie jumbled together without any rhyme or reason. At the end of this large room you can see a door blocked by a huge pile of bones.

Azog hrms about Sandy's wine cellar. "There are many dangers there," he agrees. "Not the least of which is finding out what Sandy drinks. I do not believe it is human blood." He'll head in, and for the door with the bones.

Munch squints, and carefully draws his weapon. Piles of bones are seldom a good sign. "Wait.... darkness revive? Suddenly not sure we want revival."

"Heh...well...in darkness, one can revive. Dark energy would heal somethin' like this. I uh, heh," the priest says. He looks about, as though looking for...something? Anything. "Does anyone see any sigils, or anythin'? They're strange pieces of writin' or inscription, that look as though th' might reach out and bite you," he adds. Then looks to Azog, "Let's please make sure there's nothin' around before we open that. Heh. If I grew a beard after a bit of prayer like that--imagine what somethin' stronger's bound t'do? I mean, th' very prayers designed t'deal with somethin' like this'un?"

Kisaiya shrugs at Kerbasi, her eyebrows arching up high and starts to hum another tune as she searches about the room. She's looking for the sigil thingy that Kerbasi had mentioned…

Azog looks around for sigils as he moves into the room. He'll kick apart the piles of bones as he passes them. If they're going to form up into monsters, he'll at least make it inconvenient for them.

"...we came from darkness. Ah...maybe w'just need t'make more light?" Kerbasi asks. "We could light a few torches, heh?" And he scrubs at his jaw. It itches. It also looks ready to frighten small children.

Munch moves slowly, golem eyes scanning for anything of note or interest. Which is a pretty broad definition, to be sure, but they're high quality eyes, built by some of the best artificers around.

GAME: Munch rolls perception: (7)+19: 26

Across the room... just behind Azog in fact, in the pile of bones which he just scattered, the bones begin to shake and jiggle. They slide together quick as a snake. Snapping into place magically. Magic draws more from the piles until whole bodies are formed in the darkness. Bodies that grow flesh and armor. Eyes which snap open with blue light that pours forth from them. Together the bodies take a breath. Five of them clothed in black armor. All the bodies in the little pile that Azog kicked over.

Munch says, "AZOG! Behind you!"

GAME: Munch spends ONE use of BREATH WEAPON.
GAME: Munch rolls 7d6: (19): 19
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+19: (7)+19: 26
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+19: (5)+19: 24
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+19: (8)+19: 27
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+19: (3)+19: 22
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+19: (10)+19: 29

Munch moves to the side, and his face splits wide open before vomiting up a toxic spray of green ichor, which sizzles on contact, with a sharp, acid scent.

GAME: Kisaiya rolls 25: (18)+25: 43
GAME: Kisaiya rolls 2d4+27: (5)+27: 32
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+18: (10)+18: 28
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+18: (19)+18: 37
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+18: (19)+18: 37
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+18: (12)+18: 30
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+18: (11)+18: 29

Kisaiya, seeing that the others are starting to attack these new people reaches for her scythe once more. "~Hello darkness, my old friend~!" As she steps into the shadows and uses the haft for leverage. Swinging it with a push of her hips one way and a sweep the other to bring the blade into that cutting blow. The razor sharp adamantine end slicing into the person who... screams at her and seems upset. "YOU ATTACKED US FIRST! JUST SURRENDER IF YOU WANT!"

All five of the people scream as acid rains down on them and they narrowly evade more hitting them. Three immediately attack Azog, swinging wildly and looking a bit the worse for wear as it is. One runs across the room, swinging equally wildly at Munch. The last whom Kisaya attacked turns on her, glowing blue eyes wide with some indefinable emotion.

GAME: Kerbasi casts Light. Caster Level: 15 DC: 17
GAME: Kisaiya rolls sense motive: (10)+2: 12

"...I'm terribly sorry about this. Ah...Lady, please show us th' way!" Kerbasi says, and gestures towards the giant oruch. ...who begins to glow, glow merrily with a cheerful, gray light. As the oruch advances, weapon in hand--the creatures drop, then fade back into bones.

Who else can say their enemies died instantly, from a look?

As Azog is being attacked, he will fight back viciously and ferociously. He wards off the attacks coming his way, blocking them with his shield and warding off blows with his heavy armor, now glowing. The three on him dropping with the light, he'll move to Kisaiya, and ... well, he'd planned to hack it down, if the light doesn't kill it. Then he'll dash over to Munch. "Get the bones all into light," he calls out.

GAME: Munch casts Light. Caster Level: 6 DC: 12

Munch starts to battle, only to have his foe collapse. "Ahw.... we -could- just fight them until they're powder, right? *sigh* But I guess we should be smart about it..." Grabbing a leathery dreadlock, the golem crushes it in his grips, and gives it a firm shake. The tube starts to glow a blue light, not unlike a glowstick, and he heads over towards the moving bones, leaving them still again.

And with the oddity of this situation (she was trying to get what emotion the thing was trying to convey - but it didn't work), the once-bone-now-fleshy went once-fleshy-now-bone. Kisaiya blinked, her head looking up and down a few times before nodding with Azog's suggestion. "Sure!" She spins the scythe so the blade is down and away from her, and with a humming tune reserved for cleaning, begins to sweep the bones into the circle of light before they can go twice-bone-now-fleshy.

Of course, once that's done, with a little waggle of fingers, Munch's hair also starts to glitter with sparkley bits.

Munch hrumphs, and rips off the glowing dreadlock, leaving it with the pile of bones before heading towards the far door. "I only accept glitter from the Magic Beach Ball." ...that sentence make sence in context, I swear.

Azog is glowing now, but he'll sweep any remaining bones into the light. That's about all he can do, being non-magical. Apart from aglow just at the moment. With these cleared out, he'll go to work on the bones blocking the door.

Munch squints... and takes a few moments to break a couple of the bones. Just in case.

"...thank you for bringin' them back to th' light. I don't think they wanted t'be here," Kerbasi is saying to the oruch. He looks over the bones, then. Just...his brow is furrowed, over the geekly lenses.

"Lady, watch over them. Heh. They were brought back after their time, an' not by their own choosin. Lay them t'rest, an' may they follow th' sound of your Harp, to where they're supposed t'be," he says. He makes a Sign of Scales in the air in front of him.

Munch considers, and shrugs. "Meh. Six out of ten. The ghost spiders were a cheap trick, and the bones puzzle is okay, but not really a battle I can get into. Sorta hoping for something I can really let loose on guilt free, like a demon."

It's a lot of work, and a dirty job at that moving dust-covered bones from one pile to another until the door is cleared. Then you're free to move through the door since this one isn't locked like the last one. Then it's another long walk through another dark hallway though this time you have more light to show the way. Eventually the light fades and then you're walking in near darkness again. Eventually you'll come to another doorway marked by another set of runes. "Can you come out alive?" <draconic>

Munch against reads for Kisaiya. "'Can you come out alive?' Interesting question, since by some standards I'm not truely alive as it is. But I'm leaning towards 'yes, yes I can."

Azog shrugs to the others, checks out the door we're slowly revealing. He says to Munch, "Yeah, this one's really suspicious. And we're interfering all over the place, so I dunno how our story is any use to dungeon story tellers. Maybe it's just Tarien's tale-tellers looking for material?" He peers at the next door. "Sizzle sizzle rainbow? More Sandy runes?"

"What?! No way! Totally eight out of ten. It's all puzzles and tricks, if you use your head then everything has a weakness. So much better than those terrible ones where it's like someone knew who was going to be there in the future and intentionally tailored it. Ya know? No fun." She sighs and follows along with everyone else. She's back to skipping down the hallway and humming a tune.

Maybe she should play the song? No... No... that can wait for the campsite. "What? No way. Tarien is more prank, less riddles." Kisa nods her head, at least - that's her interpretation.

Kerbasi reaches up, and rubs at his temples. "I heh...some days, I mean..." it ends in a mumble, and the priest busies himself with his hands.

Clears his throat, a few times. "Well. I suppose we ought t'look into it, though. Do you --" he starts to say, then reaches out, and runs a finger along the wall. Sniffs it. "...well. It still smells like wall, I'm afraid."

Azog wonders, "Wouldn't sending people through a dungeon for jokes be a prank?" Anyhow, he'll let the others figure this one out, though he puts a hand on his earthbreaker, in case it's wanted.

Munch considers a few moments, and shrugs. "Might be a rhetorical question, but guessing whatever's on the other side is dangerous." The metal man buzzes to himself a few moments, and molts another protective layer of floating scales, the last bunch long gone.

GAME: Munch casts Shield. Caster Level: 6 DC: 13

As you enter the room it lights with blue flame. The same color as the written words on the walls, the same pale ice color as the light in the dead's eyes. It creates a circle in the room that flashes with odd sigils and then the light dies down leaving a massive spider in its place dimly lit by that pale blue glow in the ground.

GAME: Kerbasi rolls knowledge/arcana: (3)+10: 13
GAME: Munch rolls knowledge/arcana: (2)+10: 12
GAME: Kisaiya rolls Knowledge/arcana: (3)+5: 8

Kisaiya walks into the room, pulling out her scythe but her mouth pulls off to the side as all the blue lights up. She holds her arms open wide and calls out, "HI! I'm Kisa, do you wanna fight? Because I have my doubts about things wanting to fight here, and I bet we could really just sit down and have tea instead. I have tea! It's from Veyshan!"

GAME: Kisaiya rolls diplomacy: (2)+19: 21
GAME: Kisaiya rolls diplomacy: (4)+19: 23

"By my mistress' command I will kill you all!" The spider hisses at you in a high-pitched noise that grates on the ears. Then it launches forward into an attack on the nearest target - Kisaiya! <infernal>

GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+20: (5)+20: 25
GAME: Kerbasi casts Mass Bear's Endurance. Caster Level: 15 DC: 23
GAME: Azog rolls 1d20+25: (7)+25: 32
GAME: Azog rolls 2d8+26: (7)+26: 33
GAME: Munch RAGES!, gaining +2 to melee attack/damage/Will saves and 26 temporary HP

Azog is hidden behind by Kerbasi, and he's a solid wall, but he's more than that, and he advances fearlessly, thumping forward with mighty strides, and hauling back over his shoulder with his heavy sword. He lays into it with a solid hit, one which would fell many a lesser beast. But this thing is pretty damn tough, itself.

GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+20: (12)+20: 32
GAME: Munch rolls weapon16+1+2: (17)+20+1+2: 40
GAME: Munch rolls 2d12+13+1d6: (20)+13+(5): 38

"Lend us your endurance, Lady, if you may?" Kerbasi asks. He looks earthward, and stoops. The priest places his hand on the earth--then, swiftly, clenches it, catching, symbolically, earth and rubble between his fingers. Though his hands are empty, he lifts them, palm up and high, into the air overhead.

Strength flows, with the steady, solid energy of the Gray!

WAIT! It's a spider and it seems to talk?! The attack hits her dress and scates off of it as if it were made of metallic thread and cloth. It is now however, well, it doesn't look like it is anyway.

"Wait-wait-wait-wait!!" Kisa holds her arms up high with the hands dangling at the wrists, like spiders do when they're being cautious of something - or trying to say you should not come closer. "I have coffee too! LET'S TALK! It will be good! I like spiders! I even have a friend who I bet would love to feed you! Her name is Alba! SHE HAS A SPIDER FARM!"

Munch buzzes. "Well -I- want to fight." The buzz grows into a shriek of a buzzsaw through sheetmetal as the golem rushes forward, ducking around a spideattack before slamming his massive axe into the demonic beasty.

GAME: Kisaiya rolls diplomacy: (13)+19: 32

The demon pauses in it's attack, glaring at those standing around but for the moment it stares at you all with deadly intention. "Coffee?" <infernal>

GAME: Kerbasi rolls diplomacy: (19)+14: 33

"I...ah. Ah, heh. You have a f...alright. If she has a friend, I believe her. So long as y'don't swing at those of us who lay down our arms, then I'm not going to, either." Kerbasi lowers his hands. "May th' Lady's Grace be with all of us," he says, sounding heartfelt. "An' let's talk about...coffee, was it?"

GAME: Azog rolls 1d20+26: (17)+26: 43
GAME: Azog rolls 1d20+26: (10)+26: 36
GAME: Azog rolls 1d20+21: (18)+21: 39
GAME: Azog rolls 1d20+21: (9)+21: 30
GAME: Azog rolls 2d8+26: (10)+26: 36
GAME: Azog rolls 4d8+52: (24)+52: 76
GAME: Azog rolls 4d8+52: (22)+52: 74

Munch hesitates as the talking starts, then winds up as Azog rips into it.... only to have the fragile thing collapse. "Wel poo." the golem sighs, relaxing and releasing a small cloud of only mildly toxic vapors. Pondering a moment, he grabs a spider pieces and takes a bite.

It's not fighting? What in the world is this? "Coward!" Azog shouts, his tradespeak so heavily accented it's tough to make out. "Liar, faker," he accuses as he slams his blade into the creature, "fiend! Enemy of the oruch." Adom's big on accepting honorable surrender. But demons don't surrender, so it's got to be a ruse, and he just lays into it, and there's blood and gore and mess and he just doesn't stop until it's ... wait, it's dead? "What?" he bellows. "Monsters are tougher than this," he complains.

"Waitwaitwait!!" Kisaiya is waving her arms and then runs over to try and help the collapsed spider... only for Munch to take a bite out of it. "You... YOU are the /monsters/." Kisa looks between Munch and Azog, her brow furrowed and just shakes her head - aghast.

Munch chews thoughtfully. "Welll... yeah. I'm literally an axe murderer. I just kill things that superfically fail to resemble the species I live with, so it's socially acceptable." He takes another bite of spider. "If it's any consolation, pretty sure was a full blown demon. Tastes like one, anyway."

"I gave m'word in m'lady's name." Kerbasi takes a deep breath. The priest looks...hell. His brows draw down, his features are thundr'ous. "And while I may not be oruch, m'temple does honor other peoples, does live among them. I do know th' talk when a foe lays down arms. I assume y' have a reason, Azog. I assume y'do," he says, and he doesn't look happy.

Azog glowers at Kisaiya. "I'm a monster? For killing a huge spider demon thing? Bah," he grumbles, and will clean the gore from his sword. And shield. And armor. This may take a while. He says to Kerbasi, "Yeah, I don't normally refuse a surrender, either. But a demon? Oruch don't take surrender from demons. Demons don't surrender anyhow, they just wait for you to put your sword down so they can stab you in the back."

"You're more of a demon than it was. You /both/ are." She looks to Azog and her mouth pulls thing, "And I am /never/ vouching for you again." She shakes her head and starts petting the head of the spider creature. "You're assuming it's a demon. You don't know. I've known many spiders that talk." A frown and she turns her back to Munch and Azog, still petting the head of the spider creature.

Munch ehs. "Think was less 'surrender' and more 'forego violece to get something I want.' But yeah, deals with demons aren't a good idea." He starts on ripping off a leg to take with him. Regular spider monsters just don't have that demonic zing.

-End