Rowen quickly memorizes Yvonne’s sending stone number and goes over to investigate the tendril in the jar.
There is a small label on the jar, with text written in marker that reads: "Telal Specimen #005: Tentacle Sample" as well as a date that you recall from the purple book as the day that a biomechanical weapon named Telal attacked the Lair and the surrounding settlements. The tendril within has scabby, red flesh and metal plating resembling fish scales, and it spasms and twitches as it drifts and darts about the clear liquid in the jar.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
Rowen keeps an eye on the jar with the tendril, but does not touch it. She uses her sending stone to contact the real Yvonne (using the info found in the tablet under Contacts).
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I really like D&D, especially Ravenloft, Exandria and the Upside Down from Stranger Things. My pronouns are she/they (genderfae).
Rowen keeps an eye on the jar with the tendril, but does not touch it. She uses her sending stone to contact the real Yvonne (using the info found in the tablet under Contacts).
After about a minute of waiting for it to work, your sending stone connects with Yvonne: albeit with some mild interference.
"Hello?"
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Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
“Yvonne? This is Rowen. I’m a new member of the Guild. I just wanted to let you know your simulacrum is acting erratic, its hand is wet like the snow is melting, and the boiler in the Guild is really hot.”
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I really like D&D, especially Ravenloft, Exandria and the Upside Down from Stranger Things. My pronouns are she/they (genderfae).
“Yvonne? This is Rowen. I’m a new member of the Guild. I just wanted to let you know your simulacrum is acting erratic, its hand is wet like the snow is melting, and the boiler in the Guild is really hot.”
"I... that shouldn't be happening. Neither of those things should be happening..." She is silent for several seconds. "I'm sorry I can't fix it from all the way out here, but I can at least tell you how to fix things. Would that help?"
Out of your peripheral vision, you can see that the tendril is even more active, ramming against the side of the jar, nudging itself closer to the edge of Yvonne's desk.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
Remember, when running a red dragon, if the players are in a building, make it catch on fire.
I’d imagine a red dragon would light a building on fire to force out all the inhabitants, bringing them out in the open and easy to target.
A green dragon would do the same thing with poison gas. In fact, I’ve done exactly that.
I remember running an encounter with a red dragon once. I was feeling particularly inspired by Tucker's Kobolds that day, so I gave it had a whole entourage of kobolds running along railings at the top of the chamber, helping the dragon during the big showdown: They'd try to spill cauldrons of oil on the ground near the party (or if they got lucky, on the party), meaning extra fire damage from the dragon's breath weapon and making hazards across the arena.
I vividly remember the table huddled together, trying to plan how in the Nine Hells they were going to not die, and having a blast while doing so.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
Remember, when running a red dragon, if the players are in a building, make it catch on fire.
I’d imagine a red dragon would light a building on fire to force out all the inhabitants, bringing them out in the open and easy to target.
A green dragon would do the same thing with poison gas. In fact, I’ve done exactly that.
I remember running an encounter with a red dragon once. I was feeling particularly inspired by Tucker's Kobolds that day, so I gave it had a whole entourage of kobolds running along railings at the top of the chamber, helping the dragon during the big showdown: They'd try to spill cauldrons of oil on the ground near the party (or if they got lucky, on the party), meaning extra fire damage from the dragon's breath weapon and making hazards across the arena.
I vividly remember the table huddled together, trying to plan how in the Nine Hells they were going to not die, and having a blast while doing so.
That is so cool! You’re a tough DM :)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I really like D&D, especially Ravenloft, Exandria and the Upside Down from Stranger Things. My pronouns are she/they (genderfae).
Remember, when running a red dragon, if the players are in a building, make it catch on fire.
I’d imagine a red dragon would light a building on fire to force out all the inhabitants, bringing them out in the open and easy to target.
A green dragon would do the same thing with poison gas. In fact, I’ve done exactly that.
I remember running an encounter with a red dragon once. I was feeling particularly inspired by Tucker's Kobolds that day, so I gave it had a whole entourage of kobolds running along railings at the top of the chamber, helping the dragon during the big showdown: They'd try to spill cauldrons of oil on the ground near the party (or if they got lucky, on the party), meaning extra fire damage from the dragon's breath weapon and making hazards across the arena.
I vividly remember the table huddled together, trying to plan how in the Nine Hells they were going to not die, and having a blast while doing so.
That is so cool! You’re a tough DM :)
I try to mix up my combat with added elements (like mischievous kobolds), to make it more interesting. I don't really enjoy combat that has nothing special except "hit the monsters until they die", where the party can swarm the monster and take turns beating the stuffing out of it with little resistance- or as I call it, surround-and-pound tactics. Yeah, I am a tough DM, but I reward creative tactics and clever plans: None of the encounters I run can be solved by "I run up to the monster, and attack every round to kill it to death, never moving after I get within stabbing range".
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
Remember, when running a red dragon, if the players are in a building, make it catch on fire.
I’d imagine a red dragon would light a building on fire to force out all the inhabitants, bringing them out in the open and easy to target.
A green dragon would do the same thing with poison gas. In fact, I’ve done exactly that.
I remember running an encounter with a red dragon once. I was feeling particularly inspired by Tucker's Kobolds that day, so I gave it had a whole entourage of kobolds running along railings at the top of the chamber, helping the dragon during the big showdown: They'd try to spill cauldrons of oil on the ground near the party (or if they got lucky, on the party), meaning extra fire damage from the dragon's breath weapon and making hazards across the arena.
I vividly remember the table huddled together, trying to plan how in the Nine Hells they were going to not die, and having a blast while doing so.
That is so cool! You’re a tough DM :)
I try to mix up my combat with added elements (like mischievous kobolds), to make it more interesting. I don't really enjoy combat that has nothing special except "hit the monsters until they die", where the party can swarm the monster and take turns beating the stuffing out of it with little resistance- or as I call it, surround-and-pound tactics. Yeah, I am a tough DM, but I reward creative tactics and clever plans: None of the encounters I run can be solved by "I run up to the monster, and attack every round to kill it to death, never moving after I get within stabbing range".
That’s great! And kobolds can be amazingly hard to beat when the DM uses them right, especially for low level parties.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I really like D&D, especially Ravenloft, Exandria and the Upside Down from Stranger Things. My pronouns are she/they (genderfae).
Remember, when running a red dragon, if the players are in a building, make it catch on fire.
I’d imagine a red dragon would light a building on fire to force out all the inhabitants, bringing them out in the open and easy to target.
A green dragon would do the same thing with poison gas. In fact, I’ve done exactly that.
I remember running an encounter with a red dragon once. I was feeling particularly inspired by Tucker's Kobolds that day, so I gave it had a whole entourage of kobolds running along railings at the top of the chamber, helping the dragon during the big showdown: They'd try to spill cauldrons of oil on the ground near the party (or if they got lucky, on the party), meaning extra fire damage from the dragon's breath weapon and making hazards across the arena.
I vividly remember the table huddled together, trying to plan how in the Nine Hells they were going to not die, and having a blast while doing so.
That is so cool! You’re a tough DM :)
I try to mix up my combat with added elements (like mischievous kobolds), to make it more interesting. I don't really enjoy combat that has nothing special except "hit the monsters until they die", where the party can swarm the monster and take turns beating the stuffing out of it with little resistance- or as I call it, surround-and-pound tactics. Yeah, I am a tough DM, but I reward creative tactics and clever plans: None of the encounters I run can be solved by "I run up to the monster, and attack every round to kill it to death, never moving after I get within stabbing range".
I do the same thing. I've discovered that just giving the monster a ton of damage and HP doesn't make the monster fun or engaging; you need to give them weird tactics. Give them things to do beyond just attacking. And above all, make them terrifying. Players should be traumatized by this thing and never want to face it again.
I like watching players RP, even if it is difficult to keep up with as a DM, so giving them little hooks with the monsters is another thing I always try to do. Monsters aren't just monsters; they're story beats. Really, really dangerous story beats.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
“That would definitely help. And that tendril on your desk is going berserk.”
*Gtg. Bye! See you later.*
*Arrivederci! See you later!*
"The what? There shouldn't be anything on my desk that's moving... or alive, for that matter. What is it?" You can sense panic in Yvonne's voice, and see that the tendril is inching ever closer to the edge of the desk.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
“That would definitely help. And that tendril on your desk is going berserk.”
*Gtg. Bye! See you later.*
*Arrivederci! See you later!*
"The what? There shouldn't be anything on my desk that's moving... or alive, for that matter. What is it?" You can sense panic in Yvonne's voice, and see that the tendril is inching ever closer to the edge of the desk.
Rowen casts Hold Monster on the tendril.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I really like D&D, especially Ravenloft, Exandria and the Upside Down from Stranger Things. My pronouns are she/they (genderfae).
“That would definitely help. And that tendril on your desk is going berserk.”
*Gtg. Bye! See you later.*
*Arrivederci! See you later!*
"The what? There shouldn't be anything on my desk that's moving... or alive, for that matter. What is it?" You can sense panic in Yvonne's voice, and see that the tendril is inching ever closer to the edge of the desk.
Rowen casts Hold Monster on the tendril.
The tendril stops moving, simply too weak to even attempt breaking free of the spell.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
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Sure enough, Yvonne's name is there. In fact, it's the first name you see at the very top of the list.
You notice the tendril in the jar twitching and writhing far more frequently all of a sudden: So much so, that the jar begins to shake slightly.
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
Rowen quickly memorizes Yvonne’s sending stone number and goes over to investigate the tendril in the jar.
I really like D&D, especially Ravenloft, Exandria and the Upside Down from Stranger Things. My pronouns are she/they (genderfae).
There is a small label on the jar, with text written in marker that reads: "Telal Specimen #005: Tentacle Sample" as well as a date that you recall from the purple book as the day that a biomechanical weapon named Telal attacked the Lair and the surrounding settlements. The tendril within has scabby, red flesh and metal plating resembling fish scales, and it spasms and twitches as it drifts and darts about the clear liquid in the jar.
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
Rowen keeps an eye on the jar with the tendril, but does not touch it. She uses her sending stone to contact the real Yvonne (using the info found in the tablet under Contacts).
I really like D&D, especially Ravenloft, Exandria and the Upside Down from Stranger Things. My pronouns are she/they (genderfae).
After about a minute of waiting for it to work, your sending stone connects with Yvonne: albeit with some mild interference.
"Hello?"
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
“Yvonne? This is Rowen. I’m a new member of the Guild. I just wanted to let you know your simulacrum is acting erratic, its hand is wet like the snow is melting, and the boiler in the Guild is really hot.”
I really like D&D, especially Ravenloft, Exandria and the Upside Down from Stranger Things. My pronouns are she/they (genderfae).
"I... that shouldn't be happening. Neither of those things should be happening..." She is silent for several seconds. "I'm sorry I can't fix it from all the way out here, but I can at least tell you how to fix things. Would that help?"
Out of your peripheral vision, you can see that the tendril is even more active, ramming against the side of the jar, nudging itself closer to the edge of Yvonne's desk.
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
“That would definitely help. And that tendril on your desk is going berserk.”
*Gtg. Bye! See you later.*
I really like D&D, especially Ravenloft, Exandria and the Upside Down from Stranger Things. My pronouns are she/they (genderfae).
*Arrivederci! See you later!*
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
Remember, when running a red dragon, if the players are in a building, make it catch on fire.
I’d imagine a red dragon would light a building on fire to force out all the inhabitants, bringing them out in the open and easy to target.
True, smart thought.
Long live the dragon slayers, long live the spider guild, long live the forums.
I want you to know. You are going to lose. You are going to lose badly. You’re going to lose badly and it’s going to be awesome.
A green dragon would do the same thing with poison gas. In fact, I’ve done exactly that.
I really like D&D, especially Ravenloft, Exandria and the Upside Down from Stranger Things. My pronouns are she/they (genderfae).
I remember running an encounter with a red dragon once. I was feeling particularly inspired by Tucker's Kobolds that day, so I gave it had a whole entourage of kobolds running along railings at the top of the chamber, helping the dragon during the big showdown: They'd try to spill cauldrons of oil on the ground near the party (or if they got lucky, on the party), meaning extra fire damage from the dragon's breath weapon and making hazards across the arena.
I vividly remember the table huddled together, trying to plan how in the Nine Hells they were going to not die, and having a blast while doing so.
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
That is so cool! You’re a tough DM :)
I really like D&D, especially Ravenloft, Exandria and the Upside Down from Stranger Things. My pronouns are she/they (genderfae).
I try to mix up my combat with added elements (like mischievous kobolds), to make it more interesting. I don't really enjoy combat that has nothing special except "hit the monsters until they die", where the party can swarm the monster and take turns beating the stuffing out of it with little resistance- or as I call it, surround-and-pound tactics. Yeah, I am a tough DM, but I reward creative tactics and clever plans: None of the encounters I run can be solved by "I run up to the monster, and attack every round to kill it to death, never moving after I get within stabbing range".
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
That’s great! And kobolds can be amazingly hard to beat when the DM uses them right, especially for low level parties.
I really like D&D, especially Ravenloft, Exandria and the Upside Down from Stranger Things. My pronouns are she/they (genderfae).
I do the same thing. I've discovered that just giving the monster a ton of damage and HP doesn't make the monster fun or engaging; you need to give them weird tactics. Give them things to do beyond just attacking. And above all, make them terrifying. Players should be traumatized by this thing and never want to face it again.
I like watching players RP, even if it is difficult to keep up with as a DM, so giving them little hooks with the monsters is another thing I always try to do. Monsters aren't just monsters; they're story beats. Really, really dangerous story beats.
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
"The what? There shouldn't be anything on my desk that's moving... or alive, for that matter. What is it?" You can sense panic in Yvonne's voice, and see that the tendril is inching ever closer to the edge of the desk.
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
Rowen casts Hold Monster on the tendril.
I really like D&D, especially Ravenloft, Exandria and the Upside Down from Stranger Things. My pronouns are she/they (genderfae).
The tendril stops moving, simply too weak to even attempt breaking free of the spell.
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)