Red Dead Annihilation: Campaign Thread

Ran takes a quick swing at the retreating spider (Spider A).

AoO: Attack: 15 Damage: 9  

Moving from the river out into the wild jungle felt jarring to Danica. Somehow being on a body of water felt more familiar even though it wasn't a ship. But being truly out in nature felt like she was going back to her roots, which was ridiculous considering her home forest was nothing like the alien jungles of Chult. That just made them all the more interesting to the druid. She wondered which plants were poisonous, which had medicinal qualities and which were just plain delicious, and considered taking a few samples. The elf wished she could scale the towering trees to see what the view was like above the upper canopy and could just imagine the cacophony the birds and monkeys above would raise if she did. 

It wasn't surprising to her that the "path" that Hew had spoken of that would lead them to M'bala wasn't an obvious one. She put her faith in the tracking skills of her crew. At least until they lead them straight to some webbing. Seeing the sticky strands sent a chill down Danica's spine. 

At Ran's comment about undead arachnids, Danica groaned. "Why would you say that Ran? Now we're going to run into zombie spiders next."
Seeing Hew caught and being preyed upon, Danica backs Meili up by sending out another Guiding Bolt to hit the salivating creature. 
"Mica, Ran! Don't let them draw you off on your own! Probably luring you into a damn trap!" Or at the very least into more webbing. 

((If Danica needs to move to get a better angle on Spider B to ensure she won't hit Hew or Meili, she will. But otherwise would remain stationary. Rolled using character sheet.))
Attack:   15      Damage:  16

Ran swings to strike at the retreating spider... but his longsword catches a strand of webbing over his head and is plucked right from his grip.  It dangles from above, swinging gently back and forth like the proverbial sword of Damacles.

For the second time in 6 seconds, Meili frees Hew from the sticky webbing of the hideous spiders.  He laughs and nods in appreciation to the monk, and prepares to follow up on her kicks with his rapier.  Both of are stunned as a blast starlight rips into the spider, courtesy of Danica.  It shudders and chitters, its many eyes looking at Meili in... Confusion?  Pain?  Fear?  It doesn't matter. The spider rolls over onto its back, legs curling up in death.

Above, the remaining to spiders in the webbing pause, detecting the pheromones of fear and pain released by their injured and slain brethren.  They slowly retreat further up into the webbing, vanishing into the darkness between the trees.

[... and we are out of initiative.  Good Work!]

Ran smiles over at Danica when she comments about the zombie spiders. He then reaches up and retrieves his second longsword, wiping the webbing off before slipping it back into its scabbard.

He looks around at the webs in the trees.

"You think the giant creepers are gone for good?" Ran asks. "I say we light the webs on fire and watch the whole thing go up in a beaut of a bonfire."

Two feelings clearly fought each other in Meili's head making her facial expression the definition of inner unrest. Spiders are just animals that have their place in the forest's life, and yet, to be forced to the bottom of a food chain and become a fly was such an unpleasant experience, that Ran's suggestion sounded very tempting. The reasonable side of her won in the end, though. "The fire," she tried not to express too much longing in her voice, "might spread too fast. Might be dangerous in the woods." She sighed and began to clean her sword from the wisps of the web on it, ready to resume the group's careful advancing toward M'bala.

Danica immediately frowns at Ran's suggestion, glancing about at the webbing. "Doesn't quite sit right with me. Not their fault we charged through their home for one. And Meili brought up the other. Though the jungle is rather wet..." Looking over at their dwarven guide she asks, "What do you think Hew? There's the concern that the sight and smell of smoke might bring unwanted attention our way as well."

Ran looks up at the webbing, not quite feeling the same concern for the spiders as the others. Once something tries to eat him, it's on his bad side for good.

He looks at the 'path' they were following. Do they have to go through the webbing to continue?

Ran sees that there is more webbing on the path.  Now that you have identified it, it shouldn't be too difficult to clear with the spiders frightened away.

"It'll burn, alright," says Hew, as he peels back his leather armor to clean out the spider bite.  "If I had my druthers, I'd torch it all.  Might get lucky and catch of few of them buggers in the flames.  Any survivors will have all the webs back up and running by nightfall anyway," he grumbles.

Ran looks around at the others, one hand reaching for his pack and the torches inside. 

"Won't take but the strike of the flint," Ran says, more as a question than a statement. "If you want to just keep going, I'll try to forgive and forget. But I'd rather torch them then have them at my back."

(Ran's voting to torch the web, but he's not feeling strongly enough about it that he'll step on Danica and Meili's toes if they're strongly against it.)

Meili was not that opposed to the idea. Hew said it is safe, the group had to pass and she did not like the idea to get ambushed again. "If you say we can do it safely, do it. Not to avenge us," she looked at Danica almost apologetically, "but otherwise, we risk never getting through to the other side of the pass". Unless Danica or someone else could talk senses in those predators, or there was a guaranteed safe way through the webs, the fire seemed like the best option.

Danica purses her lips with squared shoulders. "I like to preserve life and nature when possible, but our quest is priority. Sounds like we need to do it to get past." With that, the druid steps up to the webbing blocking their path and with a murmuring of an old elven prayer she hadn't used in decades past, used Druidcraft to light the sticky silk aflame. "Best keep an eye out for any that return seeking revenge." 

 He cursed under his breath and his attack missed the spider. Fortunately his friends were more precise and finished the fight before ire made him spend a spell slot on Magic Missile. Discussion turned to if they should burn the spiders or simply get on their way. Meili surprised him for saying something rational amidst her idealism. Danica’s position was the kind of thing the wizard would have expected from a Druid.

“When it comes to put things on fire my cantrip is the closest thing to expertise I have. So unless someone here can make the arson in a safe manner, well, I think it’s still better to have spiders than roaring flames at our backs.” The Hexblood looked at Hew and from him to Mica and Danica. If someone knew how to burn the spiders safely it was one of them. “Should I help with Fire Bolt or it would be too much?”

Those were words Velan never imagined to utter. The question if a cantrip, the most rudimentary kind of spell, would be too much. It was not the first surprise of their journey. Collecting the debts of a gladiator, connecting to three princes, receiving a special quest directly from a god. Compared with all that happened already it was a rather tame situation.

(I think Danica lit the webbing on fire)

It's a team effort, with Velan and Danica moving along either side of the path, setting alight the thick strands of spider web.

As Hew said, it burns well, the flames wicking up the long gossamer threads and pausing to smoke and bubble at the thicker gob.  It burns quickly, the webbing burning away completely before the moist leaves and foliage catch fire.  The smoke is thick and dark, hanging in the air and even appearing to 'drip' down with tendrils toward the ground before drifting off into the jungle.  As the flames rise high into the branches and vines, you can hear the webbing bubbling and hissing.  Somewhere, there is chittering scream, perhaps from one of the spiders you so recently fought.  

When it is over, the path is clear, though the air is now thick with an unpleasant odor, like burnt hair.

 With the webbing out of the way, Hew encourages the group to get moving again.

Ran smiles at the chittering scream.

"Take that you eight-legged freak." Ran says.

He continues along after the path finders, doing his best to keep watch for future spiders and trouble.

Perception: 10   

Mica stands back and watches as the webs go up in flames thanks to the work of Danica and Velan.  As Hew urges them forward, he hesitates “Just a moment, maybe we can take something for the villagers after all.”  Mica draws a knife from his belt, approaches the fallen spiders and studies them for a moment, appraising them to determine what he can harvest and how.

Nature check for appraisal: 7.

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Quote from LAXGunner >>

Mica stands back and watches as the webs go up in flames thanks to the work of Danica and Velan.  As Hew urges them forward, he hesitates “Just a moment, maybe we can take something for the villagers after all.”  Mica draws a knife from his belt, approaches the fallen spiders and studies them for a moment, appraising them to determine what he can harvest and how.

Nature check for appraisal: 10.

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After studying the spider carcasses, Mica kneels down next to the body and attempt to harvest what resources he can.

Harvesting check (Dex + Nature prof bonus w/advantage assuming successful appraisal check) 14.

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"The web is good too, to stop bleeding," commented Meili picking up a few freshest pieces closer to spinneret glands. It did not replace the herbs and points, of course, but could be part of the first emergency kit. Other than that, she was ready to move forward along the stinky but so pleasantly web-free path.

[Unfortunately, DC for the appraisal would have been 11 (10+ CR1).  The 10 check doesn't pass so there would be no advantage on the Harvesting check.  In either case, neither an 8 or a 6 succeeds in harvesting anything of value.]

Perhaps his fingers are a little clumsy from so much paddling over the last week.  Whatever the reason, each time Mica tries to make the precision cuts necessary to harvest something useful from the dead spiders, the blade slips.  The last straw is when the poison glands near the fangs rip open, spilling their contents into the jungle soil.  He succeeds in removing what looks like meat, but Hew cautions against taking any of it for rations.  "It won't kill you, but the taste and texture will have you wishing that it did.  Something like rubbery, spoilt blood.  Don't ask why I know that."

As you continue your trek toward M'bala, dark clouds gather and thunder rumbles, a sound you are becoming all too familiar with.  Soon the rain starts and it does not abate, growing heavier and heavier.  Before long there are puddles of thick mud at your feet and you are surrounded by a curtain of rain.  Though there are still some hours until nightfall, the storm pitches the jungle floor into twilight.  The deepening darkness and the dampening sound of the rain play tricks on your senses.  A cascade of water pouring down from leaves overhead is mistaken for something moving in the bushes along the trail.  That rhythmic splashing sound... is it just more rain, or the footfalls of something stalking you?  You begin to feel very small in a jungle of giants.  While Hew seems at home here, this journey seems to be taking a toll on Inete.  She looks tired, and she absentmindedly brushes at the spot on her head where some of her hair was shorn off.

Hew stops to examine some markings near the base of a tree.  He takes out a knife, scratches one of the markings, and then gives the tip of his knife a quick sniff.  "Grung," he says, though you must lean in to hear him over the din of the storm.  "Frog folk from the deep jungle.  Poisonous, and dumber than goblinkind.  This is a signpost of sorts.  But its old.  Smells like it hasn't been visited in months.  Still, its worth a reminder to redouble your awareness."  He pushes up with a hand on his knee and starts back down the trail.  He hesitates a bit, as though he is unsure of his balance for just a moment.  Then he straightens up and continues.  "They like to strike from ambush.  And they are far from the worst th-"

Hew is interrupted as a great sucking sound fills the air around you.  The ground shakes, tree roots erupt from the soils and muddy water splashes everywhere. A sinkhole has opened up beneath you! 

DEX saves, everyone.

"So you're saying there are goblin frogs out here?," Ran says as he listens to Hew. "What do -"

He doesn't finish his question before the ground starts disappearing and he lunges to grab on to the tree they were just looking at.

Ran Dex Save: 7