Tests and Trials Game Thread

((So, to be clear she won't help fight spiders. To be equally clear, I'm not saying you shouldn't fight spiders/explore this floor!))

"Remember, these spiders seem to be able to become invisible.  Include walking on walls, and even if we have a secure location they could still flank us.  I say if we don't have to fight them we just avoid them.  Death will come for them in due time."

Nodding to Lurn with a smile, "That actually makes a good deal of sense, if the spiders do just ignore us, we should do the same and let them be.  As long as we can explore the area and make certain nothing else but spiders are here.   So, I'll not attack them, just try to scout quietly.

Stealth: 14 

He will have his bow ready, but hope not to use it.  Jaq heads east.  Looking into the first smaller room...then without going in, but after seeing the contents of the room, will move further east and peer into the next doorway.

Cladmir stayed silent during most of the exchange -- he has no particular love for spider but no hate either.

Jaq notes the nearest room to the east is empty but the next entrance to the large central room is completely filled with spiderwebs. Looking through the webs he can't make out a great deal but as he squints through is pretty sure something, somethings, are moving in there.

Nothing comes to greet him though, so that's nice.

He will then continue east and check out the last doorway.  Then if nothing he will peek around the corner to the hallway leading north.

The final, smaller room has some webs in it but nothing seems to be moving. Looking up the hallway to the north there are numerous webs, but might still be passable, and Jaq spots one big spider on the edge of his vision crawling over what looks to be an unmoving golem.

Jaq moves back towards the others and stops at the doorway to the room closest to them and waves them over.  "This small room is clear, the next one over is a huge room full of webs, hard to see through.  Certainly spiders.   And the last room is a small one like this.  Some webs, but I didn't see spiders.  Then up the hall, more webs, but not as bad as the main big room.  And way up the hall I can barely see a big spider moving and the Librarian's damaged golem."

"The way it looks to me, if we go non-aggressive there are going to be large chunks of rooms we aren't going to be able to enter and explore."

He shrugs and waits to see what others think.

((From your previous time here you know there is another inert golem down the east corridor of the central intersection of the floor. That corridor was similarly filled with webs, though Joe burned up a fair portion before you all lost consciousness. The burning up of that web is what lead to you losing consciousness actually.))

As someone who's not an adventurer by choice Cladmir was a bit mystified.   "Pardon me for asking, but as a humble soldier I must ask:  What good would come from exploring?  Are we in search of something in particular?"

"We had some other gear we've not gotten back yet, and who knows what sort of stuff they might have taken from others who they captured. Maybe check the other level for the rest of our stuff, and if we're missing things, then come up and get into a tussle with the spiders?"

"Indeed, no need to fight and risk unneeded harm.  Those spiders are dangerous, and there'll be no drow pulling us out of the cocoons this time if we fall."

(Has Kroshav actually mentioned to the party what Eula has said about smelling something on the surface before the snow came down?  'cause if there's something out there, the spiders may be a nice little buffer.)

((Don't think so, and I forgot, so blissfully unaware, enjoy!))

"In the case I would gladly assist everyone recover your belongings.  It seems that I have carried nothing of values and so they discarded everything together for me to recover in one go."

Turning to Cladmir, Jaq asks, "What were you and your group doing in the area?   Do you live nearby or were you out exploring like us?"

Cladmir seemed lost in thought for a moment.  "You could say that I hailed from the Kingdom of Firth -- for I was born there as a son of a farmer in small town named Shelley, but our family were forced to leave the kingdom when I was but a lad.  I myself struck out when I was still young and arrived in Balyon as part of a mercenary band and through the grace of the gods made it to my 35th birthday.  Most of the folks in our caravan were simple travelers and while my former companions were traveling part to finds work and part to provide protection, I was hoping the leave the fighting behind and find a nice quiet place to settle down..."

(( I just noticed that when I typed in "Balyon" in the past it kept changing it to "Babylon" so sorry for any confusion there haha. ))

((With all apologies to Rod, I've allowed Kroshav's 7 INT to be an excuse to pay little attention to directions, geography and maps, so didn't even register.))

((I'm just inherently useless when it comes to that sort of thing, so I wouldn't notice even if I was trying to catch people out on mistakes.))

"We still have a floor yet to explore, yes?  Let's search there for the rest of our items, then.  The spiders can have their nest."

Jaq nods to Lurn's comment and heads back to the stairway and is willing to lead the way.

((Balyon is the country to the north of the Duchy, where Lurn is from. I think that Cladmir is getting at that he still thinks he is in Balyon, which would place him on the wrong side of the mountains.

Oh, Triss the vampire was also from Firth.))

The party move around the golems intermittently stacking stones and debris by the stairs to head down one floor.

The floor plan is exactly the same as that on the fifth floor (where you were imprisoned).

A golem stands by the stairs and, as the party moves to pass it, says,

"Should I guide you to where the remaining conscious Drow is currently? A cursory examination of the rooms on this floor has already been done, so I may be able to assist in your search."

The golem suddenly raises an arm and points down the corridor,

"The Drow have a storage depot near the stairs on the other side of this floor. Its contents have not yet been inventoried."