This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Tozer clenches his fists as he watches Delmae recede into the distance. The dwarf is in a constant war with himself to keep his anger and frustration from boiling over. I don't care if that hairy piece of excrement bashes me again, I'm finding out what's behind that door near the waterfall.
The next time the work detail is near the waterfall, Tozer watches for his opportunity to check the door just a few feet to the west. | Stealth w/ advantage granted by inspiration: 14
"A steep rope bridge leads from the walkway ledge to the uppermost level of the largest hanging tower..."
You wouldn't be able to just steal a glance, you'd have to actually run up the bridge. You can definitely wait for the beasts to become inattentive and make a break for it. Per the module:
"Bridges. Bridges of spider-silk rope connect the walkways to the guard tower and the entrance to the priestess’s tower. The swaying bridges are difficult terrain for non-drow."
If you use your movement and dash (run), you have to make a dexterity check to keep your footing. If you just use your movement, you don't have to roll. The beasts are not drow and have the same difficulty as you on the bridge. If they choose to run, they will also have to roll dexterity checks. It's 2 movements to reach the top of the bridge to the entrance.
Beegred suffers from nightmares the whole evening. He dreams of his past in the tunnels and passages of the Underdark, but the walls creep and crawl with slime and ooze. Stalagtites and stalagmites spring into movement like massive tentacles reaching out and lashing at him. The air buzzes maddeningly, constant and loud. Every now and then he runs into festering postules growing on beasts or flora. When he gets near, the postules burst and putrescence assaults his nostrils. His skin crawls with unseen creepy crawlies and then the itching begins.
Beegred wakes after his long rest, not rested at all.
"A steep rope bridge leads from the walkway ledge to the uppermost level of the largest hanging tower..."
Tozer rethinks the idea of ascending the rope bridge. Too steep for this dwarf.
The next time he passes through the guard tower, Tozer studies the room with the hope of seeing something--anything--that he might be able to steal and use as a makeshift weapon.
Dream sequence — if you want a peek inside Valthana's head:
The strain of carrying such a huge jug of water is almost more than Valthana can manage. It is half as tall as she and three times as big around. Somehow, she managed to carry it. A drow guard, out of sight, keeps threatening her, "Spill a drop and you'll be sorry." As if carrying such a huge jug of water isn't difficult enough, she finds herself trying to walk up a ladder made of some kind of white, spongy material. As she climbs, the width of the ladder begins to narrow. Then, her feet begin to stick ever so slightly. She chances a look away from her load and realizes she is climbing a gargantuan spider's web that extends beyond her vision. Looking back at her now-empty hands, she grunts at the sight of them being bound to the web. She pulls with all her might, but the webbing wrapped around her wrists keeps her from freeing herself.
"Valthana!" a voice calls. She looks to her right at a nearby ledge. On the ledge stands a plump female with icy white skin and thick, curly blue hair. She stands with her hands on her hips, looking disapprovingly at Valthana. "Get down here, Valthana. I've told you to quit moping around and get busy. I need you to help with supper. We're having guests." She turns and walks into the cave and Valthana follows. As she gets closer, she seems to shrink. The female is much, much taller than Valthana. She looks down at Valthana as they walk through the blackness. "Cheer up, little one." They enter a large kitchen. Everything is huge compared to Valthana, but this doesn't surprise her. She climbs up a ladder made for her onto the counter. The blue-haired female begins working at a basin of water.
Valthana walks over to a cutting board and picks up a very large knife. It's larger than a greatsword, but she is able to manage it because she is strong. She steps onto the cutting board and looks at the baby lying upon it. It also has icy white skin and curly blue hair. It coos at Valthana. With no emotion, Valthana lifts the knife and slices off the top of the infant's head. It slices away like a piece of raw meat. The infant continues to coo, seeming unaware that the top of its head was just cut away. Valthana cuts another slice of the head. There is no blood. There is no bone. Just raw meat being sliced. Valthana cuts up the entire baby. The huge female steps over and thanks Valthana and slides the slices of infant onto a platter. She then picks up a handful of smaller bodies — Valthana's size — from the basin and puts them on the cutting board. "Now these," the giant says. Valthana looks at the bodies — at their pale skin — at the racially-distinctive mottled skin that goliath shamans say hint at a particular goliath’s fate. These particular markings, she knows as well as her own. She hesitates as the eyes of the bodies before her turn toward her. "Mama?" the smallest of them says. "Is it our turn?" another asks.
Valthana awakes with a start. She looks around the cell, relieved. She rubs at the wetness on her cheeks, leaving dark smudges.
Wanting to discuss escape plans with others,, but seeing that beegred and valthana are currently asleep, Narstin decides to get a nap in himself, he'll need the rest for his own work detail later.
At the end of the work detail, as the group is crossing through the guard tower, the drow stop the two beasts and interrogate them. Xilyra understands them as they ask about your behavior, compliance and your state of misery. While distracted, Tozer looks around and sees various items hanging from hooks on the wall or lying around on tables. Swords, hand crossbows, grappling hooks, discarded strands of silk rope, a quiver full of hand crossbow bolts, and so on. Realizing that some of the items would just not be reasonable to take or hide on your person, you decide that one hand crossbow bolt missing from a full quiver would not be noticed, and the diminutive size of the bolts should be concealable on your person.
Tozer leaves the tower with a hand crossbow bolt entwinned in his beard.
Besides Beegred who has nightmares and Valthana who grieves, those of you not on a work detail rest deeply, exhausted from emotional strain and hard labour. The majority of your sleep is dreamless until the very end when you have a sudden and vivid dream of a young child from your past. This child is in distress, afraid and anxious. He sobs between words, trying to tell you, "I want to go home. I want them to stop hurting me. I'm hungry."
You all wake with a start: Valthana, Beegred, Narstin, Eldeth, the fish man and the grey man. You sit up, all of you looking around bewildered and confused. Standing among you is the little mushroom thing and the voice of that child from your past that you just dreamt of, continues between sobs, "I want to go home. I want them to stop hurting me. I'm hungry."
Then you hear another voice in your head, "Shuushar will help you if he can." You know the prison cave is silent of this speech as you can hear the snoring of the others or the shifting of bodies as they look around bewildered. As this voice tries to reassure the child in your head, the fish man crawls over to the mushroom thing and cradles it. "But first we must escape."
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Valthana can't help it; she crawls over as well, drawn toward the mushroom and fish. She moves as quietly as possible, furrowing her brow as her mind tries to make sense of the voice and the creature. "Was ... " she whispers. "Was that ... Is this a child?" she asks sympathetically.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Tozer cannot resist having a slight grin on his face as he walks about Velkynvelve with a crossbow bolt wrapped up in his beard. In some small way, stealing the bolt--as mundane as the thing is--feels like a minor victory for the dwarf. There is one more piece of information that Tozer hopes to gather while he traipses around the compound. Those spider webs below us...how far down are they?
As Velthana whispers in Common, everyone hears her words twice. Once in their ears as common, and a second time in their heads as their native language.
You all hear the fish man's response once, as he doesn't speak, "Less than a child, an infant. Grown Myconids have proper legs and arms. You speak to Shuushar? You know Undercommon?"
Tozer cannot resist having a slight grin on his face as he walks about Velkynvelve with a crossbow bolt wrapped up in his beard. In some small way, stealing the bolt--as mundane as the thing is--feels like a minor victory for the dwarf. There is one more piece of information that Tozer hopes to gather while he traipses around the compound. Those spider webs below us...how far down are they?
"Undercommon?" Valthana shakes her head. "No. I only know Common and ... Giant," she finishes lamely. She looks at the infant in Shuushar's arms. "Why would they capture an infant? What sick scheme do they have planned?"
Eldeth jumps in, speaking in whispers. You hear her twice as well, her whispers and in your head as your native language, "Undercommon? I heard her words in common, and in Dwarvish in my head."
The grey man chimes in without speaking, "Fascinating. This is an omen. All is going according to the divine plan. We will be saved, mark my words!"
Eldeth responds, this time without spoken words, "Vile Derro! No benevolent gods would plan this kind of torment. The gods have no hand in this. All other gods have no interest in saving us."
The grey man, the Derro retaliates, "Buppido the Derro will be saved. Derro god wants it to be so. Sacrifices made to escape will please Diinkarazan. Those of you wise enough to see the opportunity Diinkarazan offers, will escape as well! As for the young one, he will be easily broken and trained. He will make a better slave than a slave captured and broken as an adult. Always the risk adults remember their former lives. He will fetch a high price in the Drow slave markets."
“i heard dwarvish in my head as well,” Narstin says after Eldeth first speaks up. Then, in response to the grey man, Narstin gets excited, though he keeps his voice low still, “Yes, an omen indeed! A wonderful omen! The Revered Mother would not have allowed me to be captured for no reason. She must have sent me here to protect this child, as well as helping everyone else escape!”
After the work detail ends, everyone except for Dalmae is returned to the prison cave. You all know you have until a shift change, barely a handful of minutes, until the next work detail begins.
To everyone's surprise and dismay, Mistress Ilvara leads a procession of drow and a couple beasts, whom are carrying Delmae by the arms and legs. Delmae is unconscious and dripping blood from open wounds. Mistress Ilvara's dress is covered in blood, plain evidence as to whom is responsible for the brutality. Mistress Ilvara barks commands, which everyone regardless of language barrier is able to understand, "Bring them out, line them up over the webs.
You are all lined up on the stairs to the north of your prison, from where the beasts lair. Mistress Ilvara begins, "Accept your fate. Learn to obey, and you may survive. Those of you who worship false gods, you'd best turn your backs to them and embrace Lolth. She is your future. Your only hope at life. Do not cross her. We drow are her children and obeisance to drow will appease Lolth.
There are also beasts in the likeness of Lolth here in the Underdark. You are to worship them, abase yourself to them, give yourself up for them." Mistress Ilvara walks among you, holding out her hand. In it, is a dead spider, about the size of a tarantula. "If any of you are party to the harming or killing of these Lolth-like beasts, your lives are forfeit."
Mistress Ilvara completes her presentation of the dead spider to each prisoner and then returns to Delmae. She waves a hand, mutters some words and touches the unconscious druid. Delmae gasps as her wounds close up and some life force revitalizes her. At this signal, the beasts lift her form above their heads and pause as Mistress Ilvara casts her judgement, "Foolish slave! Your actions have brought death upon the spawn of Lolth. Your life will now be sacrificed to them!" She casts a spell and five globules of light appear above the webs below, for all of you to see better. The final word of the incantation, a maddened screech, is the cue the beasts were waiting to heave Delmae over the edge.
Delmae, in her confusion and panic, only yells a frantic, "Noooo," as she lands softly onto the yielding webs. You all watch as she struggles to untangle herself. Her struggles suddenly become frantic as she sees something you do not. With a heroic effort, she frees an arm, rips off a shred of her own flesh and begins to cast a spell. Then you see them, two very large spiders. Delmae releases her spell and one of the spiders approaches. Delmae speaks to it, "Protect me." The spider turns to face the other. Delmae works frantically to free herself.
Mistress Ilvara, seeing this, grits her teeth and begins to cast her own spell. By the time she releases her incantation, Delmae is standing, using the large spider to steady herself. When Mistress Ilvara's spell hits the charmed spider, it begins to turn. Delmae, not realizing what has happened, turns her own head to look behind her, expecting another danger from that direction. Instead, she is completely unawares as the first spider sinks fangs into her shoulder and neck, injecting venom. Delmae doesn't even scream, just stiffens. You watch in horror as the second spider also bites her in a thigh. Then the two work in unison to spin her as they wrap her in a cocoon of silk. Even in the light of the floating globules, you have no idea if Delmae is living or dead. The good among you hope she is dead, for her sake. The evil prisoners grin.
As you draw your eyes away from the horror below, you notice four extra drow standing in the guard tower, watching. As soon as the spectacle is over, one rushes forward and whispers to Mistress Ilvara. Then the drow motions for the other three to come forward and when they do, you see they are dragging a halfling in chains. A new prisoner.
Mistress Ilvara smiles wickedly at all of you, "Lolth is pleased! She provides a replacement already." She turns to the halfling and says, "I need rest, but afterwards I will be seeing to you personally. I hope you saw what happened here and behave better than she did. Accept your fate. Learn to obey, and you may survive." With that, she walks away. The halfling is thrown into the cell with the rest of the prisoners and you are all left to your own devices, wondering when the next work detail will begin.
Xilyra leans against the wall of the prison, sliding down the the floor. She was physically exhausted from the labor and the beatings from the beasts, and emotionally exhausted from seeing the other half elf sacrificed. Xilyra had done some awful things during her life but that was just... Evil. She shook her head, willing the memories away. Curling up, she lays down and tries to get some sleep.
With a weak and squeaky grunt, the halfling pushes himself slowly to his feet. He's a tiny person, even for his race: well under three feet tall, and quite skinny to boot. His grubby, tan face is one of extreme youth. This boy can't be older than 18 or 19 years of age. His shortish, brown-blonde head of hair is greasy and matted, with a long tuft hanging limply down from the front, over the bridge of his nose. There's a hint of dimples hidden in the cheeks, beneath the forlorn expression of resignation.
His bright blue eyes, swollen and weary, briefly sweep the room and the other occupants of the cell. There's no recognition, no pause, and no connection. After he's assessed his new environment, the boy lowers his eyes and stumbles his way to an unoccupied spot of wall, chains clinking. There he places his back against the wall and collapses to the floor. He then gathers his knees up in his arms, and places his head down upon them, hiding his face in silence.
Beegred shuffles over to the new prisoner. The halfling will speak quickly to the other halfling, and then shuffle away before the guards start getting twitchy. Beedgred is still mumbling like his mouth is swollen. (While he still has objects hidden in his mouth, he will be mumbling.)
"If you are hurt, talk to Narstin, and he will patch you up." (Points at the dwarf.) "Don't eat too much. The food is terrible, and whatever they put in it gives headaches and nightmares. Stay quiet, as the guards like to hit us. And be ready to move, if there is a chance to escape from this prison."
Beegred Thornpost - Lvl 8 Halfling Ranger - Out of the Abyss by Kerrec Drusk - Lvl 8 Half-Orc Life Cleric - The Long Road: Dragon Heist by Mingofaust (player & current DM) Hunferho Aelorothi - Lvl 5 Half-Elf Bard/Rogue - Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus (by Pokepaladdy) DM - Frontier City of Nunkreet (ended)
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Tozer clenches his fists as he watches Delmae recede into the distance. The dwarf is in a constant war with himself to keep his anger and frustration from boiling over. I don't care if that hairy piece of excrement bashes me again, I'm finding out what's behind that door near the waterfall.
The next time the work detail is near the waterfall, Tozer watches for his opportunity to check the door just a few feet to the west. | Stealth w/ advantage granted by inspiration: 14
Per the description in the module:
"A steep rope bridge leads from the walkway ledge to the uppermost level of the largest hanging tower..."
You wouldn't be able to just steal a glance, you'd have to actually run up the bridge. You can definitely wait for the beasts to become inattentive and make a break for it. Per the module:
"Bridges. Bridges of spider-silk rope connect the walkways to the guard tower and the entrance to the priestess’s tower. The swaying bridges are difficult terrain for non-drow."
If you use your movement and dash (run), you have to make a dexterity check to keep your footing. If you just use your movement, you don't have to roll. The beasts are not drow and have the same difficulty as you on the bridge. If they choose to run, they will also have to roll dexterity checks. It's 2 movements to reach the top of the bridge to the entrance.
Beegred suffers from nightmares the whole evening. He dreams of his past in the tunnels and passages of the Underdark, but the walls creep and crawl with slime and ooze. Stalagtites and stalagmites spring into movement like massive tentacles reaching out and lashing at him. The air buzzes maddeningly, constant and loud. Every now and then he runs into festering postules growing on beasts or flora. When he gets near, the postules burst and putrescence assaults his nostrils. His skin crawls with unseen creepy crawlies and then the itching begins.
Beegred wakes after his long rest, not rested at all.
Tozer rethinks the idea of ascending the rope bridge. Too steep for this dwarf.
The next time he passes through the guard tower, Tozer studies the room with the hope of seeing something--anything--that he might be able to steal and use as a makeshift weapon.
If he does indeed see such an item, then he makes an attempt to steal it.
Dream sequence — if you want a peek inside Valthana's head:
The strain of carrying such a huge jug of water is almost more than Valthana can manage. It is half as tall as she and three times as big around. Somehow, she managed to carry it. A drow guard, out of sight, keeps threatening her, "Spill a drop and you'll be sorry." As if carrying such a huge jug of water isn't difficult enough, she finds herself trying to walk up a ladder made of some kind of white, spongy material. As she climbs, the width of the ladder begins to narrow. Then, her feet begin to stick ever so slightly. She chances a look away from her load and realizes she is climbing a gargantuan spider's web that extends beyond her vision. Looking back at her now-empty hands, she grunts at the sight of them being bound to the web. She pulls with all her might, but the webbing wrapped around her wrists keeps her from freeing herself.
"Valthana!" a voice calls. She looks to her right at a nearby ledge. On the ledge stands a plump female with icy white skin and thick, curly blue hair. She stands with her hands on her hips, looking disapprovingly at Valthana. "Get down here, Valthana. I've told you to quit moping around and get busy. I need you to help with supper. We're having guests." She turns and walks into the cave and Valthana follows. As she gets closer, she seems to shrink. The female is much, much taller than Valthana. She looks down at Valthana as they walk through the blackness. "Cheer up, little one." They enter a large kitchen. Everything is huge compared to Valthana, but this doesn't surprise her. She climbs up a ladder made for her onto the counter. The blue-haired female begins working at a basin of water.
Valthana walks over to a cutting board and picks up a very large knife. It's larger than a greatsword, but she is able to manage it because she is strong. She steps onto the cutting board and looks at the baby lying upon it. It also has icy white skin and curly blue hair. It coos at Valthana. With no emotion, Valthana lifts the knife and slices off the top of the infant's head. It slices away like a piece of raw meat. The infant continues to coo, seeming unaware that the top of its head was just cut away. Valthana cuts another slice of the head. There is no blood. There is no bone. Just raw meat being sliced. Valthana cuts up the entire baby. The huge female steps over and thanks Valthana and slides the slices of infant onto a platter. She then picks up a handful of smaller bodies — Valthana's size — from the basin and puts them on the cutting board. "Now these," the giant says. Valthana looks at the bodies — at their pale skin — at the racially-distinctive mottled skin that goliath shamans say hint at a particular goliath’s fate. These particular markings, she knows as well as her own. She hesitates as the eyes of the bodies before her turn toward her. "Mama?" the smallest of them says. "Is it our turn?" another asks.
Valthana awakes with a start. She looks around the cell, relieved. She rubs at the wetness on her cheeks, leaving dark smudges.
(Well that's not grim or anything)
Wanting to discuss escape plans with others,, but seeing that beegred and valthana are currently asleep, Narstin decides to get a nap in himself, he'll need the rest for his own work detail later.
At the end of the work detail, as the group is crossing through the guard tower, the drow stop the two beasts and interrogate them. Xilyra understands them as they ask about your behavior, compliance and your state of misery. While distracted, Tozer looks around and sees various items hanging from hooks on the wall or lying around on tables. Swords, hand crossbows, grappling hooks, discarded strands of silk rope, a quiver full of hand crossbow bolts, and so on. Realizing that some of the items would just not be reasonable to take or hide on your person, you decide that one hand crossbow bolt missing from a full quiver would not be noticed, and the diminutive size of the bolts should be concealable on your person.
Tozer leaves the tower with a hand crossbow bolt entwinned in his beard.
Besides Beegred who has nightmares and Valthana who grieves, those of you not on a work detail rest deeply, exhausted from emotional strain and hard labour. The majority of your sleep is dreamless until the very end when you have a sudden and vivid dream of a young child from your past. This child is in distress, afraid and anxious. He sobs between words, trying to tell you, "I want to go home. I want them to stop hurting me. I'm hungry."
You all wake with a start: Valthana, Beegred, Narstin, Eldeth, the fish man and the grey man. You sit up, all of you looking around bewildered and confused. Standing among you is the little mushroom thing and the voice of that child from your past that you just dreamt of, continues between sobs, "I want to go home. I want them to stop hurting me. I'm hungry."
Then you hear another voice in your head, "Shuushar will help you if he can." You know the prison cave is silent of this speech as you can hear the snoring of the others or the shifting of bodies as they look around bewildered. As this voice tries to reassure the child in your head, the fish man crawls over to the mushroom thing and cradles it. "But first we must escape."
Valthana can't help it; she crawls over as well, drawn toward the mushroom and fish. She moves as quietly as possible, furrowing her brow as her mind tries to make sense of the voice and the creature. "Was ... " she whispers. "Was that ... Is this a child?" she asks sympathetically.
Stealth: 19
Tozer cannot resist having a slight grin on his face as he walks about Velkynvelve with a crossbow bolt wrapped up in his beard. In some small way, stealing the bolt--as mundane as the thing is--feels like a minor victory for the dwarf. There is one more piece of information that Tozer hopes to gather while he traipses around the compound. Those spider webs below us...how far down are they?
As Velthana whispers in Common, everyone hears her words twice. Once in their ears as common, and a second time in their heads as their native language.
You all hear the fish man's response once, as he doesn't speak, "Less than a child, an infant. Grown Myconids have proper legs and arms. You speak to Shuushar? You know Undercommon?"
The webbing is maybe 20 feet below the lowest point of the outpost.
"Undercommon?" Valthana shakes her head. "No. I only know Common and ... Giant," she finishes lamely. She looks at the infant in Shuushar's arms. "Why would they capture an infant? What sick scheme do they have planned?"
Eldeth jumps in, speaking in whispers. You hear her twice as well, her whispers and in your head as your native language, "Undercommon? I heard her words in common, and in Dwarvish in my head."
The grey man chimes in without speaking, "Fascinating. This is an omen. All is going according to the divine plan. We will be saved, mark my words!"
Eldeth responds, this time without spoken words, "Vile Derro! No benevolent gods would plan this kind of torment. The gods have no hand in this. All other gods have no interest in saving us."
The grey man, the Derro retaliates, "Buppido the Derro will be saved. Derro god wants it to be so. Sacrifices made to escape will please Diinkarazan. Those of you wise enough to see the opportunity Diinkarazan offers, will escape as well! As for the young one, he will be easily broken and trained. He will make a better slave than a slave captured and broken as an adult. Always the risk adults remember their former lives. He will fetch a high price in the Drow slave markets."
“i heard dwarvish in my head as well,” Narstin says after Eldeth first speaks up. Then, in response to the grey man, Narstin gets excited, though he keeps his voice low still, “Yes, an omen indeed! A wonderful omen! The Revered Mother would not have allowed me to be captured for no reason. She must have sent me here to protect this child, as well as helping everyone else escape!”
Buppido, the Derro (gray man) replies, "Yes, Diinkarazan made Revered Mother send you to save us."
After the work detail ends, everyone except for Dalmae is returned to the prison cave. You all know you have until a shift change, barely a handful of minutes, until the next work detail begins.
To everyone's surprise and dismay, Mistress Ilvara leads a procession of drow and a couple beasts, whom are carrying Delmae by the arms and legs. Delmae is unconscious and dripping blood from open wounds. Mistress Ilvara's dress is covered in blood, plain evidence as to whom is responsible for the brutality. Mistress Ilvara barks commands, which everyone regardless of language barrier is able to understand, "Bring them out, line them up over the webs.
You are all lined up on the stairs to the north of your prison, from where the beasts lair. Mistress Ilvara begins, "Accept your fate. Learn to obey, and you may survive. Those of you who worship false gods, you'd best turn your backs to them and embrace Lolth. She is your future. Your only hope at life. Do not cross her. We drow are her children and obeisance to drow will appease Lolth.
There are also beasts in the likeness of Lolth here in the Underdark. You are to worship them, abase yourself to them, give yourself up for them." Mistress Ilvara walks among you, holding out her hand. In it, is a dead spider, about the size of a tarantula. "If any of you are party to the harming or killing of these Lolth-like beasts, your lives are forfeit."
Mistress Ilvara completes her presentation of the dead spider to each prisoner and then returns to Delmae. She waves a hand, mutters some words and touches the unconscious druid. Delmae gasps as her wounds close up and some life force revitalizes her. At this signal, the beasts lift her form above their heads and pause as Mistress Ilvara casts her judgement, "Foolish slave! Your actions have brought death upon the spawn of Lolth. Your life will now be sacrificed to them!" She casts a spell and five globules of light appear above the webs below, for all of you to see better. The final word of the incantation, a maddened screech, is the cue the beasts were waiting to heave Delmae over the edge.
Delmae, in her confusion and panic, only yells a frantic, "Noooo," as she lands softly onto the yielding webs. You all watch as she struggles to untangle herself. Her struggles suddenly become frantic as she sees something you do not. With a heroic effort, she frees an arm, rips off a shred of her own flesh and begins to cast a spell. Then you see them, two very large spiders. Delmae releases her spell and one of the spiders approaches. Delmae speaks to it, "Protect me." The spider turns to face the other. Delmae works frantically to free herself.
Mistress Ilvara, seeing this, grits her teeth and begins to cast her own spell. By the time she releases her incantation, Delmae is standing, using the large spider to steady herself. When Mistress Ilvara's spell hits the charmed spider, it begins to turn. Delmae, not realizing what has happened, turns her own head to look behind her, expecting another danger from that direction. Instead, she is completely unawares as the first spider sinks fangs into her shoulder and neck, injecting venom. Delmae doesn't even scream, just stiffens. You watch in horror as the second spider also bites her in a thigh. Then the two work in unison to spin her as they wrap her in a cocoon of silk. Even in the light of the floating globules, you have no idea if Delmae is living or dead. The good among you hope she is dead, for her sake. The evil prisoners grin.
As you draw your eyes away from the horror below, you notice four extra drow standing in the guard tower, watching. As soon as the spectacle is over, one rushes forward and whispers to Mistress Ilvara. Then the drow motions for the other three to come forward and when they do, you see they are dragging a halfling in chains. A new prisoner.
Mistress Ilvara smiles wickedly at all of you, "Lolth is pleased! She provides a replacement already." She turns to the halfling and says, "I need rest, but afterwards I will be seeing to you personally. I hope you saw what happened here and behave better than she did. Accept your fate. Learn to obey, and you may survive." With that, she walks away. The halfling is thrown into the cell with the rest of the prisoners and you are all left to your own devices, wondering when the next work detail will begin.
Xilyra leans against the wall of the prison, sliding down the the floor. She was physically exhausted from the labor and the beatings from the beasts, and emotionally exhausted from seeing the other half elf sacrificed. Xilyra had done some awful things during her life but that was just... Evil. She shook her head, willing the memories away. Curling up, she lays down and tries to get some sleep.
With a weak and squeaky grunt, the halfling pushes himself slowly to his feet. He's a tiny person, even for his race: well under three feet tall, and quite skinny to boot. His grubby, tan face is one of extreme youth. This boy can't be older than 18 or 19 years of age. His shortish, brown-blonde head of hair is greasy and matted, with a long tuft hanging limply down from the front, over the bridge of his nose. There's a hint of dimples hidden in the cheeks, beneath the forlorn expression of resignation.
His bright blue eyes, swollen and weary, briefly sweep the room and the other occupants of the cell. There's no recognition, no pause, and no connection. After he's assessed his new environment, the boy lowers his eyes and stumbles his way to an unoccupied spot of wall, chains clinking. There he places his back against the wall and collapses to the floor. He then gathers his knees up in his arms, and places his head down upon them, hiding his face in silence.
Current Roles:
GM - Fata Morgana: The Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Beegred shuffles over to the new prisoner. The halfling will speak quickly to the other halfling, and then shuffle away before the guards start getting twitchy. Beedgred is still mumbling like his mouth is swollen. (While he still has objects hidden in his mouth, he will be mumbling.)
"If you are hurt, talk to Narstin, and he will patch you up." (Points at the dwarf.) "Don't eat too much. The food is terrible, and whatever they put in it gives headaches and nightmares. Stay quiet, as the guards like to hit us. And be ready to move, if there is a chance to escape from this prison."
Beegred Thornpost - Lvl 8 Halfling Ranger - Out of the Abyss by Kerrec
Drusk - Lvl 8 Half-Orc Life Cleric - The Long Road: Dragon Heist by Mingofaust (player & current DM)
Hunferho Aelorothi - Lvl 5 Half-Elf Bard/Rogue - Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus (by Pokepaladdy)
DM - Frontier City of Nunkreet (ended)