Hurdrak initiative 6

Hurdrak rushes into the middle to provide the first line of defense while Dixie helps Mistral escape.  Also, he wanted some revenge against these lesser cousins of his.  Blade in hand he sweeps it out before hand in warning and then brings it close touch the flat of it to his head.  He takes a deep breath and then as they move he releases his ultimate skill.  In flurry of blurred movement, Hurdrak firm seems to be lashing out in all different direction seemingly like there are multuples of him.  Then just as soon as it started, it ended and he was right where he was blade flat to his head again.

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Assuming 23 let's him go first.  He will move into the room, at least 10 ft past the others.  He will then us the spells Arms of Hador but flavored as shadowy sword strikes vs dark tenticles.  Each creature within 10 ft (hence why he would move at least 10 feet from them) takes 5 necrotic damage and can't make reactions for one round.  Dc 14 Str for half damage and they can do reactions.

Blackbur swings his sword at the spiderling on the pika’s muzzle!

Attack: 23 Damage: 10 

Some strands of the sticky fiber gets inside her mouth and nose when Dixie attempts to free Mistral. She manages to warn Mistral of the upcoming danger in the middle of vigorous sneezes and sqeaks, with an ambition for further help. "Watch out!"

In a display of his prowess and cool head, Blackbur deftly smites the spiderling from the pika's nose, ending it without so much as trimming a whisker on the captive creature's face. What comes next, however, is enough to test even the patrol mouse's mettle. 

All those in the lair feel a deep sense of dread, a sickening, alien hunger, unfathomable. It is emanating from Hurdrak. 

The barely perceptible light which had been coming in by the lair's small exit, seems to be sucked right out into the cold, as deepening shadows dance about the patrol's own spider. His blade goes pitch black, and the darkness lashes out at all around.

It is over in an instant, though it seems much longer to those still standing. The spiderlings have been defeated, the captive rescued; but the toll is visible on the members of the patrol, the lingering effects of a brief but wrenching pain. They are safe from the spider threat, for now. But what of the one in their midst..?

(Combat is ended. All save Hurdrak take 7 necrotic damage, dc 14 Strength save for half).

 Sirithal screams in pain as he is battered by Hurdrak’s reckless attack.

As he recovers his composure, leaning heavily on his staff, he nonetheless speaks very clearly ‘Fair warning, if you do that to me again I will end you...’ his eyes narrow with a piercing intensity, and the temperature in his immediate vicinity drops noticeably.

Unknown whispers dominate her sense, sudden horror that can only be compared to the darkest nightmare engulfs her with tentacles emerging from the warlock, Dixie feels her soul cowering in anticipation of death. The spell left no visible bodily harm, but a scarred memory of the might of the spider has made a permanent mark. Why couldn't I find it out earlier? 

Strength Saving Throw: 9 (Gamelog)

Erhard is shivering and shaking uncontrollably, in a manner reminiscent of Kilmorrow's behavior. Not behavior one would expect from the Mouse Guard, even a tenderpaw. Could it be coincidence, or is there something unnatural at play, something more sinister?

And where is Kilmorrow, anyway? No one can remember seeing him, since prior to the battle with the matriarch...

(Mistral Str save: 19)

Mistral recognises that Hurdrak is casting dark magic and, drawing on his own internal strength, is able to somewhat counter its effect.

Per discussion in ooc thread, I'm giving up an inspiration for teammates to have saved vs that.  It would only be 3 damage, not 7.

Hurdrak stops stops his dance with death and smiles at the corpses of spiderlings about.  Then his eyes come to see his companions and he falters.  "I... I am sorry," he says with shame upon his face, though that might be hard to see by the others.  "It is an ancient technique passed down within my family and I have recently grasps its usage.  I... must not have the control of it."  

He sheaths his blade and pulls out the knife and offers it Sirithal with his head bowed, "In penance, when we return, I shall cut off one of my turaus (first part of a spiders leg after it's claw) and present it to the guard captain."

Quote from Opheodrys >>

(Combat is ended. All save Hurdrak take 7 necrotic damage, dc 14 Strength save for half).

 

 Blackbur strength save 12 nevermind, just saw

Blackbur wheezes, falling to his knees. “Hurdrak, stop! Stop! What are you doing???”

Sirithal stares is disbelief at Hurdrak’s proffered dagger. ‘Put that away. I don’t need a sacrifice to assuage your guilt, I just need you to not try to kill me again...’

Hurdrak pulls the dagger back from Sirithal and says "I did not try to kill, but my lack of fineness did endanger you.  A slight difference but I shall refrain from such techniques until I can better control them."

He offers the dagger to Blackbur and makes the same offer to sever a Tarsus.

Ooc Reminder again, you are only taking 3 damage as the gm has offered to use my inspiration point to have you all succeed.  

A mouse arm pokes through one of the silk bundles, followed by a head, with the thickest growth of whiskers any of you have ever seen on a mouse. "Ah, good timing. I was worried that I was going to be dinner for some spider."

But, then noticing Hurdruk, he squeals and pulls a quarterstaff out of the bundle to hold between himself and the spider.

Blackbur cuts himself off from continuing with Hurdrak and jumps right into helping the webbed creatures escape their bonds.

”We will discuss this later, Hurdrak. We need Heidi up here to examine these folks.”

Blackbur's stern suggestion reminds Dixie of the blocked passage that she had left behind. Mouseguards might be able to pass the barrier by squeezing themselves through it. A small rabbit like Dixie can not do it. She's so much horrified at the fact that she starts to tremble a bit, sniffing in the small amount of snot escaping her nose. "Uh-ohh!"

Sirithal, leaving the rescue of any captives to Blackbur, now the threat is over, decides to search the area for anything of interest left by previous victims...

The fel conjuration has passed, and Dixie now notes the faintest glimmer of light returning to the web-choked hall, reflecting off the frozen shards of web from Sirithal's quick-thinking wizardry. Remembering the smoke from the torches, and the evident passage of air, the rabbit ranges over to find what must be another opening!

The Healer passes the exchange between Hurdrak and the others, though she had been waiting outside the chamber, and is not quite sure what she missed. "Let me 'ave a look. Hmm.. They all look fine to me, but if you ever need an amputation, best leave it to a professional. Blackbur's fine with a blade, but not like that!"

Heidi examines Whiskers, and administers an antivenin. "Lucky to be alive, ye are! Now hold still..." The mouse healer carries on with her duties, making small talk to help ease the obvious tension still in the air. The mouselings are oblivious, exploring the room and poking at the dead spiderlings with their long thorns. The Pika is less communicative, beyond the murmurings they had already heard. Several swollen bites can be seen on its face, which Heidi tends to.

"Ma! Over here, another one!"  Sure enough, the little ones have discovered another mouse-sized bundle of silk.

A quarterstaff attached to a furball? Dixie moves closer to have a better look at the threatening encounter between Hurdrak and the moving quarterstaff! Unsure of what to expect from it, she stands behind Hurdrak and stares at the subject of interest. It's a mouse! "He means no harm, he's with us to rescue you and your friends"- she speaks with an intention of promoting assurance. Then she aims at the back of the lair and quizzes the stranger, "Did the mother spider bring you here through another path?"

Charisma (Persuasion): 7

Sirithal leans heavily on his staff, wearied by the expenditure of his arcane energies, and the enervating affects of Hurdrak’s friendly fire.

’We need to rest...’ he wheezes, as he starts to look for a way out to safety..

In his "search for survivors," Sirithal finds a blue cloak, and a few weapons, very likely Mouse Guard in origin. The lair is also a veritable boneyard, bones of myriad small species caught up in the webbing.

While gathering and returning these items might be appreciated, it is not such things the lizard is seeking out. The wizard is nearly as exhausted as the rest of the patrol, despite his affinity for the cold. Just as he is about to give up on his search, he notices the square corner of a small book sticking out of the webbing.