Elias’s hands freeze mid-sigil, the arcane threads of Detect Magic unraveling in an instant as a sickening chitter echoes off the damp stone walls.
His eyes snap upward—just in time to see the bulk of the spider materialize, its limbs arching over the weapon racks, mandibles snapping forward toward Ardana.
The ritual collapses. The golden light fades from his hands, replaced now by cold, immediate clarity.
“Ardana!” Elias shouts, his voice sharp with alarm. He scrambles backward to his feet, fumbling for his focus with one hand while instinctively trying to place himself nearer the door—putting a wall between himself and the beast if he can.
The echo of steel draws his gaze to the racks. Weapons, yes. Ordinary—so far. But now wasn't the time for precision. It was time to survive.
He begins to call up his next spell, his mind pivoting quickly to offense, eyes narrowing on the spider as he fights past the adrenaline surging through him.
Whatever it was—guardian or lurking predator—it had made a mistake in showing itself now.
"Fall back if you need to—don’t get tangled in its reach!" he calls, readying himself for a clean cast the moment he sees an opening. No more rituals. Now it's battle.
Ardana is taken by surprise by the attack... but even more by the powerful toxin that the monstrous arachnid releases in her body! The paladin feels a burning pain, a strong dizziness... then nothing, as she collapses to the ground, dying.
The veteran Woodrow's battle reflexes promptly kick in and the warrior's blade comes into action almost before he even realizes it!
But this time the spider can't count on the surprise effect and the warrior's high-quality armor is not penetrated by the poisonous fangs.
The spider then disappears into nothingness again... but our heroes fear that this is not a definitive retreat; it was not seriously injured at all. Perhaps it has something else in mind.
Now Koran, Elias, Tarysaa, Ardana are up! Any order. (Ardana is dying, so if no one does anything for her, on her turn she will have to roll her first death saving throw - but if someone heals her instead she can act too.)
The moment Ardana collapses, her form crumpling in the wake of the spider’s venom, Elias’s blood runs cold.
“No—no, no, no!” he stammers, rushing forward just as Woodrow’s blade flashes past him in a blur, engaging the beast with a roar.
Elias drops beside Ardana, his hand reaching to steady her body, searching desperately for breath—for any sign that the poison hadn’t claimed her fully. Her armor is scorched by acid. Her face is pale.
His mind races. Cure Wounds—not prepared today. A gamble, a decision made hours ago—now a dagger in his own gut.
"Damn it, Fonkin!" he growls through clenched teeth. “Those potions were trash—I have nothing!”
His head snaps up, eyes wild as he calls out, urgent, loud, but clear:
“Does anyone have a real healing potion? Anything restorative? If she doesn't get help—now—she’ll die!”
He presses his hand gently against her chest, trying to will the life back into her, even as the thunder of battle rages behind him.
“I can stabilize her if I must… but that won’t be enough if she’s still poisoned. We need something stronger—now!”
His voice shakes—but his hands remain steady.
He would not let her die. Not like this. Not in some forgotten room, on a floor slick with mildew and steel.
((19 medicine check to stabilize...with a roll that good could he suck the poison out? Are there even rules for that in D&D?))
There are no explicit rules for "sucking out the poison" - but maybe Elias, with his good roll, did something like that, including his action of making Ardana 'stable'. And anyway the poison wouldn't have continued to cause damage... The eventual damage is once per bite. Ardana won't die from the poison. She would have risked dying only for the eventual failed detah saves. But now she doesn't need to roll those either...
For the healing potions, good point! I'm almost sure that Woodrow and Koran also bought some from Fonkin - and who knows? Maybe they were luckier. If they don't take their Turn in time, when I take the Turn in their place I check. ]]
Tarysaa immediately removes her backpack and starts rummaging about looking for..... ah... something bundled in protective calfskin and down. Working swiftly yet effectively, she unwraps the item and calls to Elias, "Here. A potion of healing. Get her to drink it and perhaps a few drops sprinkled into the bite..."
She then takes a deep breathe and releases it -- going over which spells to have 'in mind' if another creature suddenly appears out of the darkness.
Elias’s heart pounds like a war drum in his chest as Tarysaa tosses him the calfskin-wrapped bundle. He catches it, almost too quickly, and his stomach drops when he recognizes the wrapping—Fonkin’s handiwork.
“It’s one of his...” he mutters under his breath, even as his hands work to uncork the vial. “Please, let this one be real.”
He kneels beside Ardana’s crumpled form, carefully slipping an arm behind her shoulders and lifting her just enough to coax her head back. The potion’s contents slosh with a metallic glint—its color seems right… but after the last two duds, he doesn’t trust appearances.
“If this is snake oil again, Fonkin…” he breathes darkly, “I’ll drown you in it myself.”
With trembling hands, he tips a small amount of the potion into her mouth. No reaction. He gives her a little more, gently tilting her head to help her swallow, watching for the telltale glow, the faint shimmer of restorative magic. As a precaution, he dabs the last drops onto the site of the spider’s venomous bite, just as Tarysaa had advised.
And then… he waits.
No sounds of combat. Just the distant drip of water. The eerie silence of the room. Somewhere in the gloom, the spider has vanished again—waiting, watching, perhaps preparing to strike once more.
But Elias doesn't move.
His gaze is fixed on Ardana’s face, praying that something stirs—a twitch, a breath, a glow.
“Come on,” he murmurs, barely audible. “If you're going to punch me again someday, you’re going to have to wake up first.”
Tarysaa and Elias administer a potion to the unconscious Ardana... and fortunately it works! The tiefling paladin reopens her eyes and, although still in pain, is able to act once more... although the monstrous spider is no longer in sight.
The tension rises, while the spider is nowhere to be seen, but... is it perhaps ready to reappear at any moment?.
Still Koran, and Ardana can take their Turn before... before Round 2 starts. Since Woodroow would be the 1st in the new round, he too can take his Turn. Any order.
Ardana wakes up and feels for her wound. The poison still courses through her veins, dulling her reactions. She calls on Helm and the blood clears, and she feels more like herself again; she stands, and readies her sword, looking around for the spider.
Ardana is already in better shape, having called upon her sacred healing powers. In the meantime, Koran has entered and is wandering around where the Pop-up Spider was before - but it seems that it has not made itself invisible, but has actually disappeared.
Round 2
Woodroow, while remaining on guard, also tries to look for the elusive enemy, wandering around the room with a few test thrusts here and there... but he only skewers thin air. He then stands ready to strike in case the monster reappears...
"It's here!" Mival then shouts from outside "It appeared in the corridor and is holding on to the walls with its legs!"
...In addition to doing this, however, the spider also tries to give the young Doppelganger a bite...
But the young man is quick to duck under the monstrous claws, which go to waste. Geados, although not personally intervening in the fight, nods his quick reflexes.
"Damned cowardly beast!" Mival tries to land a Slam, while he climbs out of Geados' boat to seek cover from the corner.
Elias’s hands freeze mid-sigil, the arcane threads of Detect Magic unraveling in an instant as a sickening chitter echoes off the damp stone walls.
His eyes snap upward—just in time to see the bulk of the spider materialize, its limbs arching over the weapon racks, mandibles snapping forward toward Ardana.
The ritual collapses. The golden light fades from his hands, replaced now by cold, immediate clarity.
“Ardana!” Elias shouts, his voice sharp with alarm. He scrambles backward to his feet, fumbling for his focus with one hand while instinctively trying to place himself nearer the door—putting a wall between himself and the beast if he can.
The echo of steel draws his gaze to the racks. Weapons, yes. Ordinary—so far. But now wasn't the time for precision. It was time to survive.
He begins to call up his next spell, his mind pivoting quickly to offense, eyes narrowing on the spider as he fights past the adrenaline surging through him.
Whatever it was—guardian or lurking predator—it had made a mistake in showing itself now.
"Fall back if you need to—don’t get tangled in its reach!" he calls, readying himself for a clean cast the moment he sees an opening. No more rituals. Now it's battle.
((Elias rolls an 8 for Initiative))
(( Tarysaa init: 6 ))
Finding herself tucked into a corner of the room, Tarysaa tries to take in what is going on but is unable to provide instant action.
[[ OOC: OK, rolling myself for those for those who couldn't ]]
Initiatives:
Ardana: 10
Koran: 17
Woodrow: 20
Ardana's DC 11 Constitution saving throw 3
Round 1
Ardana is taken by surprise by the attack... but even more by the powerful toxin that the monstrous arachnid releases in her body! The paladin feels a burning pain, a strong dizziness... then nothing, as she collapses to the ground, dying.
The veteran Woodrow's battle reflexes promptly kick in and the warrior's blade comes into action almost before he even realizes it!
Woodrow's Longsword Attack: 16 Damage: 8 (slashing)
Round 1
The powerful blow cracks the monster's exoskeleton, which emits a cry perhaps of surprise, perhaps of pain.
But the fearsome opponent is not defeated at all and tries to bite Woodrow too, perhaps hoping that its venom will resolve the situation once again.
Bite Attack: 14 Damage: 5 (piercing)
If it's a hit, the target must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw, taking damage: 20 (poison) on a failed save, or half (10) on a successful one.
Round 1
But this time the spider can't count on the surprise effect and the warrior's high-quality armor is not penetrated by the poisonous fangs.
The spider then disappears into nothingness again... but our heroes fear that this is not a definitive retreat; it was not seriously injured at all. Perhaps it has something else in mind.
Now Koran, Elias, Tarysaa, Ardana are up! Any order. (Ardana is dying, so if no one does anything for her, on her turn she will have to roll her first death saving throw - but if someone heals her instead she can act too.)
Combat Stats (those interested can peek):
Initiative Name Status
20 Woodrow Undamaged
19 Pop-up Spider 8 Damage
17 Mival Undamaged
17 Koran 2 Damage
10 Ardana Dying
8 Elias Undamaged
6 Tarysaa Undamaged
The moment Ardana collapses, her form crumpling in the wake of the spider’s venom, Elias’s blood runs cold.
“No—no, no, no!” he stammers, rushing forward just as Woodrow’s blade flashes past him in a blur, engaging the beast with a roar.
Elias drops beside Ardana, his hand reaching to steady her body, searching desperately for breath—for any sign that the poison hadn’t claimed her fully. Her armor is scorched by acid. Her face is pale.
His mind races. Cure Wounds—not prepared today. A gamble, a decision made hours ago—now a dagger in his own gut.
"Damn it, Fonkin!" he growls through clenched teeth. “Those potions were trash—I have nothing!”
His head snaps up, eyes wild as he calls out, urgent, loud, but clear:
“Does anyone have a real healing potion? Anything restorative? If she doesn't get help—now—she’ll die!”
He presses his hand gently against her chest, trying to will the life back into her, even as the thunder of battle rages behind him.
“I can stabilize her if I must… but that won’t be enough if she’s still poisoned. We need something stronger—now!”
His voice shakes—but his hands remain steady.
He would not let her die. Not like this. Not in some forgotten room, on a floor slick with mildew and steel.
((19 medicine check to stabilize...with a roll that good could he suck the poison out? Are there even rules for that in D&D?))
[[ OOC: OK, Ardana is stable now.
There are no explicit rules for "sucking out the poison" - but maybe Elias, with his good roll, did something like that, including his action of making Ardana 'stable'. And anyway the poison wouldn't have continued to cause damage... The eventual damage is once per bite. Ardana won't die from the poison. She would have risked dying only for the eventual failed detah saves. But now she doesn't need to roll those either...
For the healing potions, good point! I'm almost sure that Woodrow and Koran also bought some from Fonkin - and who knows? Maybe they were luckier. If they don't take their Turn in time, when I take the Turn in their place I check. ]]
Tarysaa immediately removes her backpack and starts rummaging about looking for..... ah... something bundled in protective calfskin and down. Working swiftly yet effectively, she unwraps the item and calls to Elias, "Here. A potion of healing. Get her to drink it and perhaps a few drops sprinkled into the bite..."
She then takes a deep breathe and releases it -- going over which spells to have 'in mind' if another creature suddenly appears out of the darkness.
Elias’s heart pounds like a war drum in his chest as Tarysaa tosses him the calfskin-wrapped bundle. He catches it, almost too quickly, and his stomach drops when he recognizes the wrapping—Fonkin’s handiwork.
“It’s one of his...” he mutters under his breath, even as his hands work to uncork the vial. “Please, let this one be real.”
He kneels beside Ardana’s crumpled form, carefully slipping an arm behind her shoulders and lifting her just enough to coax her head back. The potion’s contents slosh with a metallic glint—its color seems right… but after the last two duds, he doesn’t trust appearances.
“If this is snake oil again, Fonkin…” he breathes darkly, “I’ll drown you in it myself.”
With trembling hands, he tips a small amount of the potion into her mouth. No reaction. He gives her a little more, gently tilting her head to help her swallow, watching for the telltale glow, the faint shimmer of restorative magic. As a precaution, he dabs the last drops onto the site of the spider’s venomous bite, just as Tarysaa had advised.
And then… he waits.
No sounds of combat. Just the distant drip of water. The eerie silence of the room. Somewhere in the gloom, the spider has vanished again—waiting, watching, perhaps preparing to strike once more.
But Elias doesn't move.
His gaze is fixed on Ardana’s face, praying that something stirs—a twitch, a breath, a glow.
“Come on,” he murmurs, barely audible.
“If you're going to punch me again someday, you’re going to have to wake up first.”
Round 1
Tarysaa and Elias administer a potion to the unconscious Ardana... and fortunately it works! The tiefling paladin reopens her eyes and, although still in pain, is able to act once more... although the monstrous spider is no longer in sight.
Ardana is back at 9 HP!
Round 1
The tension rises, while the spider is nowhere to be seen, but... is it perhaps ready to reappear at any moment?.
Still Koran, and Ardana can take their Turn before... before Round 2 starts. Since Woodroow would be the 1st in the new round, he too can take his Turn. Any order.
Combat Stats (those interested can peek):
Initiative Name Status
20 Woodrow Undamaged
19 Pop-up Spider 8 Damage
17 Mival Undamaged
17 Koran 2 Damage
10 Ardana 22 Damage, Wounded
8 Elias Undamaged
6 Tarysaa Undamaged
Ardana wakes up and feels for her wound. The poison still courses through her veins, dulling her reactions. She calls on Helm and the blood clears, and she feels more like herself again; she stands, and readies her sword, looking around for the spider.
(Lay on Hands self for 8)
Round 1
Ardana is already in better shape, having called upon her sacred healing powers. In the meantime, Koran has entered and is wandering around where the Pop-up Spider was before - but it seems that it has not made itself invisible, but has actually disappeared.
Round 2
Woodroow, while remaining on guard, also tries to look for the elusive enemy, wandering around the room with a few test thrusts here and there... but he only skewers thin air. He then stands ready to strike in case the monster reappears...
"It's here!" Mival then shouts from outside "It appeared in the corridor and is holding on to the walls with its legs!"
...In addition to doing this, however, the spider also tries to give the young Doppelganger a bite...
Bite Attack: 5 Damage: 4 (piercing)
If it's a hit, the target must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw, taking damage: 15 (poison) on a failed save, or half (7) on a successful one.
Mival's DC 11 Constitution saving throw, if needed: 10
Round 2
But the young man is quick to duck under the monstrous claws, which go to waste. Geados, although not personally intervening in the fight, nods his quick reflexes.
"Damned cowardly beast!" Mival tries to land a Slam, while he climbs out of Geados' boat to seek cover from the corner.
Mival's Slam Attack: 16 Damage: 5 (bludgeoning)