Sparlock's Hoard of the Dragon Queen

OoC: Technically you are out of "initiative" order, but I think we are waiting on Valji. Although, you can also see the mural, and while you may not be able to interpret it as well as Valji can, you can make out a number of draconic curses (of the non-magical variety) and the words "Death Comes from Above".

OoC: Oh, sorry. Thought we were still in the skill challenge thing.

OoC: No worries. You passed with flying colors, anyway.

Continuing down the corridor, the damp walls dip lower into the cavern.  At the edges of the torchlight, insects can be seen scurrying away from the light and a small swarm of bats gets startled, flying towards the group and out into the rest of the cavern. Further down the cave, cobwebs begin to appear, sporting the wrapped and dessicated remains of centipedes and various other subterranean bugs. Lissandra accidentally steps on one of the webs, and a handful of arachnids flee in random directions, scurrying away from the boot of doom which almost came down upon their spidery heads.

After a bit of travel, the cave opens into a large cavern. To the left and right, large stalagmites and stalagtites meet, forming gigantic pillars which seem to point towards the central space in the cavern. Above, the torchlight falls away into a mess of cobwebs as far as you can see. The crevices and corners of the floor and wall seem almost alive, but as you look, all you can see is more cobwebs and the occasional centipede.

In the center of the room, between two of the large pillars, a large, ornate chest can be seen, glinting gold in the dim torchlight which reaches it.

BTW, who all has a light source? 

Skiaceq strikes his torch and examines the room from where the group stands. Among his kind are tales of the deep places of the earth, and massive spindly creatures that burrow there—Aarakocran horror stories for chicks. His imagination makes him shiver, feathers standing high. The torchlight paints the room in warm oranges and yellows, but does little to illuminate its extremities; the thick mess of webs casts shadows in every direction, mostly hiding the walls. “That can’t be what we are looking for, can it? Why would a ritual item here?”

Perception: 12

"Ughh...spiders. I DETEST spiders! Let's clear this cavern out before we are set upon by hungry arachnids that think I am a great meal!" the gnome says. While Skiaceq is lighting his torch, Valji will start lighting up the spider webs with his signature balls of flame. "Here ya go, creepy-crawlies!"

(Casting fire bolt at the wbes in the cavern ceiling!)

Webs seem to cover every surface of the cavern, but Skiaceqs keen eyes notice that two pillars on either side of the chest sporting a thin yet strong looking layer of web. He wouldn't want to be caught in that.

As Skiaceq is scanning the area, a firebolt soars high into the air, hitting a large section of web, which bursts into flames in response. As the section burns, a number of spiders flee in all directions, the unlucky ones caught in the flames mid flight, their tiny bodies falling to the ground like so many shooting stars. From one particularly large clump of web, a smoldering cocoon falls to the ground, bursting open on impact, and revealing what appears to be the skeletal remains of an armored kobold.

In the distance, previously unseen but now illuminated by the light of the flaming web is a large arachnoid creature. Its body seems old and dessicated, seemingly held together by an eerie green energy with runes running the length of its thorax and abdomen. It seems to turn to Valji, and an inhuman scream fills the cavern as the runes begin to glow. Simultaneously, the smaller spiders immediately surrounding Valji glow with the same light, rushing at him with a vengeance. (Attack: 17 Damage: 5) They tear into his gnomish hide before scattering, the green light disappearing from around them. 

Will be posting initiative order at some point tonight. I wasnt expecting you to piss it off this quickly, so I didn't have everything ready. XD

Skiaceq launches his eyes at Valji in wild-eyed horror as the creature becomes visible. Before he can cry his incredulity, it is on him, a carted mass of legs and mandibles faster than the eye said was possible. Skiaceq tries to back away, but his legs have become as stony as the cave floor.

Initiative: 22

"Spiders. Why did it have to be spiders," Darvin mutters, getting Miri's shortbow ready.

Initiative: 17

Round 1

Skiaceq
Darvin
Zombie Spider 
Lissandra
Eadyan
Valji

After surveying the damage its spider minions did, the large undead spider skitters into the another section of webbing, disappearing from sight. The flaming section continues to burn, lighting up the ceiling and a portion of the chamber, allowing you to better see the chamber and chest. It's a large, circular cavern approximately 65 ft in diameter with a total of six large, natural seeming pillars. The ceiling, having appeared at first as a number of cobwebs, appears to have multiple large distinct sections of thick webbing, overlapping with each other so that the spider could conceivably hop unseen from one section to the other. Its difficult to guess how high the ceiling is, but the nearest section, which Valji hit with this firebolt, appears to be around 30 ft up.

Skiaceq: If you want to fly up there, it will require a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw to avoid getting caught in the webs.

OoC: Are we able to narrow down where the spider might be, or could it be anywhere in the various web layers?

Im going to randomly generate it. Skiaceq could fly up and get a visual and/or take a shot with his sling... or even use an unarmed attack if he was feeling brave enough. I'm sure there's other ways to find it if you can come up with a creative solution.

Fight and flight war in Skiaceq's mind, but the conflict is over before he can become conscious of it. His feet and arms move unconsensually. Halfway through an overhand swing, Skiaceq's mind returns to the present, and he knows the torch is leaving his grasp and sailing at the ceiling.

Athletics: 19

The torch flies from Skiaceq hand, arching towards the sky before landing around ten feet in front of him. The light further fills the room, illuminating the chest and showing more white webs covering the ground behind it (on the other side of the chest).

Strictly speaking, that would be a straight strength with no proficiency attack roll, but with that low of a roll it wouldn't make much of  difference either way.

"Oh yeah? There's more where THAT came from, beech!" Valji yells defiantly as he flings another fire bolt at the next section of webs...Somehow, the wizard doesn't look like he was really hurt by the swarm of undead spiders! (OOC: Arcane Ward from the School of Abjuration baby! =)

Flame on! 19 Damage: 9

The fury and ferocity with which he ignites the spiders' webs indicate that Valji has some deep-seated, irrational hatred of spiders!!

Darvin considers trying to add to the inferno, but decides instead to ready his bow for the inevitable spider attack that he expected to come any second. He draws one of Miri's arrows back in the shortbow, and scans the webbing above, ready to fire at the first sign of the spider.

Ready to fire as soon as he can see the spider.

Darvin readies his bow, and all is quiet for a split second as he walks slowly forward, watching for wherever the spider might come from. Lissandra lets out a small squeal, and Darvin turns around to see the angry maw of the ten foot wide arachnid hanging not more than twenty feet above his head, its spindly legs grasping onto a thread of silk which had only just detached from its silk gland. He lets off a shot from his bow in a moment of horror, but it goes wide as the arachnid points its abdomen towards him, unleashing a torrential rain of warm, sticky silk. (Attack: 19) Within a split second most of his body is wrapped in its cocoon. Blinded and restrained, Darvin feels his body lifting up at a terrifying pace, twirling in the air as more and more silk is deftly wrapped around his body, the spider pulling him back upwards towards a non-burning section of the web. The spider climbs back up into its nest and begins pulling him in with it.

Seeing this, Lissandra feels faint for a moment, but steadies herself, presenting her shield with the symbol of Chauntea. "Goddes Bless us, and protect us from this fiend," she intones, and a calming blue-green light surrounds Skiaceq, Darvin, and Valji. 

Eadyan looks at the creature, presenting his shield and screaming after it, "You've done enough damage for one lifetime. The bells toll for you." (Damage: 9 Wisdom Saving Throw: 11). The sound of a loud, gothic sounding church bell fills the chamber. It seems distorted, as though coming from the shadowfell itself, and the spider screeches in annoyance as the sound tears through its magically infused body, seeming to not do as much damage as it should have, but annoying the spider just enough that its runes glow once again, and a swarm of spiders rushes towards Eadyan. (Attack: 21 Damage: 6) Oddly enough, unlike with Valji they seem to disappear as they enter his armor, and he screams and pats at his body. Then, like with Valji, they retreat, reappearing through the armor and escaping into the cobwebs once more as the glow dissipates from their tiny arachnoid bodies.

Seeing all this, Valji unleashes the greatest firebolt he has delivered in his life, and the massive dart of fire shoots towards the spider, which was just disappearing over the lip of its webbed enclave, catching it on the side of its abdomen and lighting the web on fire. There is a much more massive screech as the spider drops Darvin to the ground (3 damage) and flees to another section of web, two of its flailing legs trying to put out the smoldering embers that were threatening to ignite the dessicated creature as it flees from the flames.

Round 2

Skiaceq
Darvin (restrained, prone)
Zombie Spider 
Lissandra
Eadyan
Valji

Skiaceq is up. Darvin is restrained and prone, but may make a DC 12 Strength check to escape his new found cocoon as an action. Unfortunately, Bless doesn't count towards that since its not an attack roll or saving throw. 

The scene that plays out before Skiaceq is more horrifying than any tale. His limbs shudder uselessly, deaf to the faltering commands of his mind. When the creature vanishes from sight, the panic surges for a moment—somehow, not seeing is worse. But mind grasping for reason, he finds a moment of clarity. His torch lay farther from his companions than he felt safe to venture. Then an idea comes.

"Scatter your torches! Light as much of the room as you can!"

He hurries over to help Darvin escape his restraints, carefully snapping the sturdy fibers using his talons like picks.

As the horrifying creature wraps him in a cocoon of webbing, Darvin momentarily dissociates, briefly experiencing himself as a small child being forced into a crate while an older boy sat on the lid. He remains in that state for what feels like several minutes, although in reality only a couple of seconds pass before he snaps out of it, only to discover that the reality he was in was even worse than the flashback. He looks up to see the talons of his Aarakocran companion tugging at the webbing that binds him, which snaps him back into fight mode, as he summons what strength he can to help his ally break his bonds, but to no avail. The undead arachnid's enormous strands of silk are too strong. Darvin feels his mind starting to fragment again as the hopelessness of his situation reasserts itself.

Strength check: 6

Edit: Sh**

However, though he himself feels hopeless, he makes eye contact with Valji and speaks an elven phrase. As he does so, Valji finds himself newly confident, as though the psychic facade of bravery that is Darvin were temporarily inhabiting him instead of the half-elf. [1d6 Bardic Inspiration die for Valj]

From out of the darkness, the spider leaps(Athletics: 18), landing with some force on top of Eadyan, who is toppled over by the large arachnid. (Fall Damage to both: 10) Using its spindly forelegs, the spider pulls his head toward its angry maw, where its fangs dig deep into his shoulder, injecting venom which does not seem to quite take hold. (Attack: 24 Damage: 5, Constitution Saving throw: 8))

(Strength Saving throw to avoid being knocked prone: 17)

Lissandra rushes the arachnid with her sickle, but after having to dodge her way between its legs to get at the creatures abdomen, her strike does not have quite enough strength to pierce the thick exoskeleton. (Attack: 19 Damage: 6) Looking at her in annoyance for having interrupted its meal, the spider once again glows with the eerie green light, and its nearby minions rush to its aid, only to be unable to find purchase on Lissandras armor as she knocks them off en masse. (Attack: 7 Damage: 7

Shrugging off the pain, Eadyan pushes against the spider, shoving it off of him as he gets up, recovering his club and looking at the creature with murder in his eyes. (Athletics: 20 opposed by Athletics:  12)

Valji is up, feeling both bardicly inspired and blessed. Inspiration to Darvin for his excellent description of the mental state of spider bait, as well as Skiaceq for taking into account his claustrophobia even though I was willing to give a pass for the large room. And while we're at it, to Valji as well for the surprising yet wonderfully in character response of "Oh God spiders! I didn't know there's a boss up there, but burn it all with fire anyway!"

"Oh hells to the no, you are NOT going to eat my new friends, you dried-up, hairy legged, nappy head spider beast! You have met your match, and I'll learn you for not dying right the first time!" The whole time Valji is ranting at the spider, he is moving his fingers and arms in wild gesticulations with his crystal focus in one hand. Then the arcane words come flowing, anger and adrenaline mixing with the magic the gnome was channeling. At the crescendo, he thrusts his arms towards the arachnid, and a beam of crackling, blue energy lances out towards the creature, forming a sustained arc of lightning between Valji and the undead monstrosity. (witch bolt)

Ranged spell attack (with Bless): 24 Damage: Unable to parse dice roll. 

(SWEET! Double Prizes!! =) Valji REALLY hates spiders...)