Gregor smiles.  “I think Natalia should set the rope.  She is most likely of all of us to succeed.  You, Bayle, have to guide us to the giant slayer’s hut and I think you may have an even greater role to play before we are done.”

"Hear that, kid?" Natalia grins as she pulls out some rope. "An even bigger role—more than I can offer right now. Your skills are more wanted than my own." She asks Bayle to point out the easiest path up the cliff. As she climbs up to secure the rope, she carefully finds holds for her hands and feet, keeping in mind that Bayle is smaller and lighter and that perhaps the area is slippery. If she reaches the top, she’ll decide if it's necessary to drive one of her hand axes into the ground for added stability before dropping the rope down.

Strength: 18 Or Athletics: 20

"Your eagerness is admirable, young Bayle." Tormund says, and as Natalia climbs, he leans down and says with joking secrecy, "Though we've been around many years more than you, we like a chance to prove ourselves just the same. You've shown yourself to be quite the guide already, if you can do much more, Natalie may find herself with a competitor!"

Natalia effortlessly starts pulling herself up the rock with the rope dangling from her belt.

She feels a sense of exhilaration as the cool mist from the slight cascade of falling water dapples her skin.

But all that good feeling melts away the moment she pulls herself up to a landing near a crevice and realizes the entire landing is covered in sticky, thready substance. Her eyes move to a deep dark fissure in the rock and sees something moving within, alerted by her contact with the webbing...

START INITIATIVE!

(To be continued via Discord)

After a well-placed arrow forces the spider back into hiding, the party continues their climb up the rock.

Unfortunately, the slickness of the rock and the exhaustion of the battle proves too much for Gregor and Kas who each plummet back to the ground, sustaining serious injuries. Fortunately, Tormund is on hand to provide some timely assistance, utilizing his healers kit to stabilize both companions.

Meanwhilee, Natalia, free from the spider's web manages to complete her climb to the top.

Tormund calls up to Natalie, "It seems these two will need some time to recover! I've got them stable for now, but we'll need to get them up! Perhaps we can pull the old man up with the rope and I can carry Kas on my back!"

Meanwhile, Bayle, shaken to see his town's saviors in such dire straights asks Tormund, "What should I do?"

After brutally killing the spider youngling, Natalia clamps her handaxe in her mouth and completes the climb up. Distracted and revolted by the web and the surprise attack, she fails to notice anything else (i.e. the near TPK). She quickly scans her surroundings after reaching the top,  careful that the spider mother and her brood are nowhere around.

Natalia then searches for the closest structure—either a stalagmite or a tree—to secure the rope onto. If nothing is available, she drives her handaxe into the ground for stability. As she tosses the rope down, Tormund's voice reaches her.

She hesitates for a moment before responding with confusion and anger. "THE SPIDER WAS NOWHERE NEAR THEM!" Her gaze shifts to the two unconscious bodies, deepening her bewilderment since she last saw Gregor right next to her. Her annoyance only lends to extending her rage and she readies herself to pull Gregor up and assist Tormund.

Tormund looks to Bayle with a small smile and in an attempt to calm him says, "Do what you do best, young one, and climb to our friend. I'll be here with my bow should anything stand in your way."

He'll watch as Bayle climbs and waits to ensure he reaches the top safely, keeping an arrow notched and ready to draw just in case another problem should show itself.

Bayle looks down at the two unconscious men on the ground, then up at the rock... He exhales some breath and starts climbing, using the rope... Distracted by staring at the spider lairm his feet slip a couple times on the slick rock... Fortunately, the rope is there to assist. He climbs the rest of the way without effort pulling himself up to the ledge below.

He looks to Natalia and asks, "How will we get the others up?"

Once Bayle is safely at the top of the climb, Tormund will put away his arrow, unstring his bow, and adjust his equipment to make space for Kas. He will then carefully place Kas onto his back with his arms over his shoulders and bind his hands with a spare belt to keep him secure. Once he's sure Kas is well secured, he'll give the rope a solid tug and check that it will hold their weight, and then begin to move up slowly, using the rope to ease the climb.

It could be the way Kas was secured.... It could be that the nerves from the spider fight were still with him, but Tormund finds himself unable to successfully climb up the rock with Kas on his back... After taking the time to try, readjust and recover from a slight pinch in his back, (1 hour in time) Tormund is ready to try again...

Tormund redjusts everything, painstakingly going over the setup again and again each time something slips as his back grows sore. He finally takes a moment, a deep breath, and one careful move at a time, starts his way up the rock again. (19 Athletics)

Natalia asks Bayle for some extra rope and requests that he secures it separately from the current one Tormund is using. She will then tie it around her waist and will wait for Tormund to climb up so Bayle is not left alone. Once Tormund arrives, she will ask for them to please hold onto the rope in case she falls on the way down or back up, before carefully descending the cliff. Afterward, she’ll wrap Gregor’s body in her bedroll tight and secure him onto her back using the other rope as best she can. Then, she will attempt to climb back up with Gregor.

Natalia successfully carries the aging monk to the top of the rock, her mind spinning with the tales she'll one day tell future entrepreneurs about the challenges of starting a business.

On her way up the rock, she sees the badly injured spider taking an exploratory look outside of her lair. However, the creature is still wary of the party and retreats to await easier prey.

By the time the full party is at the top of the rock, the sun is starting to look low in the sky. It's late afternoon. Gregor and Kas remain unconscious, but they also seem stable.

"What now?" Asks Bayle. "Should we rest here or continue on? Been a long time since I saw that cottage. Might take me some time to find it, especially if we lose daylight. But if I do find it, maybe we can get some help for Kas and Gregor... What do you think?"

The boy look to Natalia and Tormund for instruction.

Tormund furrows his brow for a moment, considering their options and the lowering sun. "I say we keep moving and try to get to this cabin. Hopefully it will offer us some true shelter for the night. I'd be wary to rest here for long as those spiders we saw may become more active in the dark, and so may the large creature that attacked the bandits we found in pieces. With two of our party recovering, we'll be safest within some real walls."

Natalia adjusts Gregor, making sure the bedroll he’s wrapped in doesn’t slide down her back. “We can look for the cottage, but if we find suitable shelter first, we should rest while we can,” she says. “I know we’re exposed right now, but wandering too long increases our risk. If we arrive with two of our party already dead, I doubt that would convince the Giantslayer to join us— I wouldn’t.” Natalka will also task Bayle to retrieve the equipment that was used for the climb.

Bayle nods obediently and quickly recovers the equipment.

You prepare some rigging to help carry your injured companions through the forest and set off with Bayle in the lead...

(Soundscape)

Over the next hour, the sun turns golden, the crickets grow louder and the sound of wolves can be heard in the distance. Up ahead, Bayle whispers to himself, increasingly frustrated, trying to recall his path. A few unexpected reversals and sounds from the boy start to give you serious pause about whether or not he knows his way.

Every time you check in with him, however, he assures you that he's on the right track, just getting turned around a bit...

As day turns to night, both Gregor and Kas start stirring... Close to consciousness, but not quite there yet. As visibility starts to decrease, you can't help but resign yourselves to the notion that you might need to bed down somewhere after all.

(Soundscape)

You're just about to call it a night when Bayle exclaims that he recognizes this place. "We're close!" He says. "I'm sure of it!"

As he speaks, Tormund alone notices...

Tormund will place a hand upon Bayle's shoulder, quickly pulling him to his side and using his body to shield the boy from the moving shapes. In a serious half-whisper, say to Natalie, "Hold, friend. Stay calm, we're not alone." Tormund will straighten up a bit and speak towards the humanoid shape, attempting to sound friendly even as his muscles tense in anticipation of what may come. "Good evening! We seek only passage and have little to offer in the way of valuables." He'll look back at the creature moving behind them, "I believe your four-legged friend may have saved us a run-in with some bandits earlier today."

Bayle quickly obeys Tormund's request.

In response, to Tormund's hail, a husky voice calls out from the shadows. "That so? Pretty far from the beaten path, I'd say. Where did you come from? What do you seek? And speak true. The twins have a taste for liars." 

Natalie is finally able to see what Tormund saw first, a human shaped figure holding a crossbow watching from the woods.

In response to the stranger's words you hear two growls coming from your flank. Natalie looks but only sees the figure of a single beast crouching in the brush.

Tormund takes a deep breath, thinking over his next words carefully and deciding where to start, then clears his throat. "I myself am from the mountains and have spent my time wandering, the town of my birth is long destroyed. We travel on behalf of the people of Frickley who face a difficult situation involving a Giant of the hills extorting them for more food than they can hope to produce and threatening their lives should they fail. We seek the wisdom of Jahia Frostwood who is said to live nearby and who knows much about the giants. We seek any aid she can provide us that may save the city of her birth and the lives of the people of Frickley."

Natalia raises an eyebrow but remains still as Tormund advises. Her muscles tense at his words in the darkness, until the stranger finally steps forward. She nods in agreement with her companion.

"I’m from a neighboring town as well. My name is Natalia, a sellsword for hire and founder of a security group called Nightmare Corp. As you can see," Natalia then gestures to the unconscious bodies of Kas and Gregor. "Two of our group lack our expterise. While we’re searching for the Giantslayer, we’re also looking for a safe place to rest. We’re prepared to fight, if necessary— we promised the townspeople protection and that is our priority. This child is from Frickley and has been kind enough to guide us."

She nods over to Bayle to speak.