by Aleron Kong
Richter was quiet for a moment. “I am honored, Sedrin. I don’t know what else to say. Thank you.”
Sedrin nodded, then a smile broke out over his face. “There was an unexpected benefit. I got a nickname! ‘Ten Fingers.’”
Richter’s face took on a bemused expression of confusion. “I don’t get it, man.”
Sedrin leaned in and whispered, “One of the village women gave me the nickname. It’s because my biggest finger is the one you can’t see!” Then he started laughing.
Richter joined him in the laugh and they walked over to the rest of the men. Everyone else was chuckling a bit, and he heard Krom say, “and he had the hood in his bag the whole time!”
Richter fixed the dwarf with a glare. “You’re a dick, Krom.”
Krom smiled back. “Thank ye, yer lordship!”
Shaking his head, Richter created the war party again and made sure that everyone was visible on his minimap. Then he had Sion hand out health and stamina potions. The sprite also handed over thirteen mana potions for Richter and several more for the casters. Richter looked at him in surprise.
“Did you think I just wasted the week you were away?” his Companion asked with a laugh.
Richter put the potions into his Bag and then handed out Potions of Clarity. After feeding one to Alma, he took one himself. Then he loaded his Ring of Spell Storage. Not knowing what they were going to find, he decided a little extra help couldn’t hurt. His hand glowed green as he finished the three-second incantation. As the light died out, another green light flared within the clear gem on the ring, letting him know that he had successfully stored Summon Weak Saproling.
The last thing he did was to distribute some of his items. He made it clear that everything was a loan, just like any weapons or armor they may have gotten, but he wanted to see his war party better equipped. When he had been deconstructing items at the Forge, he realized that his extra rings weren’t doing any good just sitting in his inventory. Coupled with the fact that he had drank all those darkvision potions when he could have worn the hood (he shuddered again remembering the taste), he came to two conclusions. One, he should spread the wealth. Two, he had so much stuff that he forgot to use his items. He had to unload.
First, he pulled out all of the armor he had taken from Orvin, the Warrior who had accompanied Sonirae. All of it went to Caulder. The sergeant groaned when he hefted the Steel War Door Shield, but he was strong enough to handle it. The task became much easier when Richter gave him the Belt of Strength. Caulder smiled as soon as he buckled it on and started moving around with much greater ease than a few seconds prior. Richter looked at his new Tank and knew that he had made the right choice. The Belt of Sustenance went around his own waist, and the sleepiness gnawing at the back of his mind faded substantially.
Next he offered the Stone Lizard armor he had taken from the bugbear ranger to Beyan. The gnome begged off, though, saying he was concerned about disruption of his spells, so instead, Richter gave him the Apprentice Dark mage robes he had scavenged after the bugbear attack. The defense on the robes was only +5, but it covered the alchemist head to toe and would give extra protection against magical attacks.
The armor ended up going to Ulinde. The archer seemed more than happy with the durable, but lightweight, protection. Richter also handed over the Ebonwood Bow of Sundering. Though the bow was powerful, Richter wasn’t willing to relinquish the Dexterity boost his wood elf bow provided. Ulinde reverently took his weapon and immediately began checking the wood for cracks.
The Wand of Dark Bolts he handed to Jean. Krom happily took the crossbow away from the Air mage. He considered giving Jean his original sprite armor, but it just seemed wrong somehow. He told the mage to stay back from any direct fighting and hoped that the mail armor Krom had provided would be enough. Richter asked the mage what his Air magic skill level was, but unfortunately Jean was still only level seven. That meant it would still be five levels before the man could cast Lightning Bolt I.
He also equally handed out his extra rings and amulets, increasing everyone’s health and stamina slightly. The mana ring went to Sion. He searched through his inventory once more and lastly pulled out a wooden shield that he gave to Terrod. With his war party as well equipped as he could make them, he addressed the group.
“We have two objectives today. We will be searching a small area, looking for a specific plant, a shiverleaf frond. We are also going to be investigating a monster sighting that the hunters have reported. Any monsters or dangerous animals that we find while we are doing those two things, we take out. Any questions?”
Caulder spoke up. “I thought we were going into the Catacombs, my lord. I was looking forward to that.”
Several other party members nodded. Richter could understand where they were coming from. He had told them that this excursion was going to involve the Catacombs and yet they were going nowhere near them. In fact, he had barely thought about the Depths since he had put the kobold egg back in stasis. Despite that, he said, “Suck it up, Sergeant. The Catacombs aren’t going anywhere. We’ll get to them, just not now. So get your game face on.”
Caulder bobbed his head in acquiescence, but Richter heard him mutter, “Promises were made.”
The Air magi cast Haste I on everyone, and the party took off through the gate. The guards stationed there saluted as the war party jogged past. The sun was warm, and looking up, Richter appreciated the azure sky dotted with fluffy white clouds. The farmers waved to them as they moved by, as did the villagers tending the livestock. They crossed into the trees with a light breeze at their backs and birdsong echoing in the trees around them. As they got into their stride, Richter rechecked their collective status page.
*Base Values not adjusted for Characteristics or War Leader bonus
**Cumulative Armor Base Value not adjusted for Characteristics. Damage will only be calculated based upon the specific armor piece struck.
Yup, Richter thought, we are some bad hombres. He noticed that the challenge had been added to the top of the page. He intended to conquer that task or die trying.
For the first fifteen minutes, they jogged through the woods, Richter and Sion leading the way. The overall speed of the party was limited to their slowest member, Caulder, so the two Companions ranged ahead. At first they didn’t find anything more dangerous than a wolf or bear track, but then Sion froze. Richter silently made his way over to his friend and examined what he was looking at. At the sprite’s feet was a trail that looked like a broad ribbon on the ground. Sion made eye contact and said, “Shale adder.”
The other members of their party caught up and Sion explained what they were facing. “These things are big. At least ten feet long, often up to twenty.”
“Okay, so what else?” Richter asked. “Does it spit acid, mesmerize us with it gaze, fart poison?”
“No,” Sion said, shaking his head, “but it’s big, fast, and camouflages itself well. Very well.”
Richter raised his head as the others approached. “Okay. We have our first customer of the day. Sion says it’s a big ass snake called a shale adder.”
Everyone nodded, except for Ulinde who asked, “How big?”
“At least twenty feet,” Sion answered. The elf blanched slightly, but nodded.
“We move forward together now. Tight formation. Caulder, bring that slab of metal up here. You’re right behind me and Sion. Beyan and Jean, you’re in the middle. Let’s move.”
Haste I was rebuffed and they got back to it. Richter and Sion kept one eye on the ground and the other on the surrounding trees. The sprite had told them that the adders liked to strike prey from above. They moved slowly through the thick trees, making far too much noise for Richter’s liking, but he knew it couldn’t be helped. Most of the other party members were just lacking in stealth or wood craft. The trail started leading them north.
The war party slowly jogged on following the slithering tracks. Almost an hour later, they found a splash of red blood. Not
too much, but still enough for them all to go on high alert. After a minute when nothing else happened, Sion and Richter fanned out and found a blood trail that continued to follow the path of the snake. The strange part was that the sinuous trail was fainter than it had been before the blood.
“If the snake killed something and carried it off, wouldn’t it be heavier? I mean wouldn’t the tracks be deeper and easier to follow?” Richter asked. Sion nodded. “Then what’s with this?” Sion just looked back and shrugged.
Having nothing else to go on, they kept moving forward. Ten minutes later, the trail ended at a hole in the side of a small hill. Richter never would have seen it if they hadn’t been following the snake’s trail. The entrance was on the far side of the hill and covered by thick bracken. After they had chopped through the briar, it was clear that they had found a lair.
The bones and remains of animals both large and small littered the ground around the cave. What was even more concerning, was that as they had cut their way closer to the cave entrance, they had started seeing webbing as well. Standing in front of the cave, Richter turned to Sion. “I don’t suppose that this is a special type of snake that makes webs?”
Sion slowly shook his head while keeping his eye on the cave.
Richter turned back to the cave with a grim expression on his face. “That’s what I thought. Fuck. I hate spiders.”
He had Futen turn invisible and then scout inside. The remnant came back a few seconds later reporting a large cavern filled with webs. He could not go any further without disturbing the white strands. Richter nodded and placed his bow back into his Bag, drawing his short sword instead. Underground, it would probably come to some close quarters work. The green blade made a shing sound as it cleared his back scabbard. He waved Caulder to the front of the group and they filed into the dark, one at a time.
As soon as they were underground, Richter cast Far Light I several times. The slope leading into the cave had been somewhat steep, and they went down about fifteen feet before reaching the earthen floor. Loose and stringy roots hung down above their heads and larger roots interwove through the ceiling and walls. More webs were strewn across the room, making moving forward impossible. Sedrin tried cutting through the webbing with his dagger, but the stuff was thick and somewhat sticky. It quickly clung to his blade, like tape on scissors, forcing the guard to stop and peel it away. To make matters worse, the webbing numbed any exposed skin it touched. It wasn’t a problem for those of them wearing gauntlets, but the webs still stuck to the armor in the most irritating way. Terrod’s cobalt sword was able to cut through well enough, and the threads fell right away from Richter’s elementum blade, but it was still taking too long.
“Stand back and be ready,” he told everyone.
Richter began casting with both hands. He didn’t dual cast this time. Instead, he cast Flame I twice. Twin jets of fire lanced out from his hands, severing and burning the webs in front of them. The cauterized ends of the white strands snapped back under pressure, sending reverberations through the web. His flames revealed a doorway to the far left; the blood trail continued on in that direction.
They were about to go through, when Richter heard something. Click, click. Click, click. They all stopped and listened. The noises started coming faster and closer together and it soon became clear that more than one creature was making the noises. Noises that were getting closer. They all shared a look and then Richter shouted, “Back up to the entrance and get ready!”
Richter cast Grease I in front of the doorway and then hastened to rejoin his party. They moved back, always facing towards the deeper part of the cave. The clicking grew louder and louder. Richter began casting buffs, Barkskin I and Minor Life Armor I. Before he could do anything else, the doorway leading deeper into the cave exploded with black spiders.
Each was about the size of a German shepherd. Their bodies were long like a wolf spider’s, and two clusters of red eyes sat above slavering mandibles. Clear spittle dripped from their mouths and several thorn-like teeth lined the top and bottom of their jaws. Their mandibles were to either side of their mouths, like pincers. The clicking came from them snapping together again and again. The ends of their legs were sharp like pins, easily digging into the floor and walls as they boiled out of the entire circumference of the hole. They climbed on the walls, the ceiling, and the floor. First one, then five, then more than a dozen ran into the room.
Richter quickly Analyzed one.
Name: Assengai Spider Drone Disposition: Neutral
Assengai spiders are pack hunters. Their speed, numbers, and natural weaponry allow them to overwhelm enemies many times their size. These fallen foes are taken back to their lair and assengai drink their blood, slowly draining them to death. The process is not quick as the nest will live off of several enemies at once, allowing one victim to recover as they move on to the next. The webbing of the spiders is a weak tranquilizer, keeping prey docile, but also conscious. It is said that the prey of the assengai die of hunger rather than blood loss, knowing one irrevocable truth as they starve: they are food. Drones are the lowest members of the assengai hierarchy. With extremely low intelligence, they are fiercely loyal and will attack enemies of their queen with little regard to their own safety.
Level: 12
Health: 310 Mana: 0 Stamina: 260
Strength: 16
Agility: 18
Dexterity: 18
Constitution: 31
Endurance: 26
Intelligence: 0
Wisdom: 3
Charisma: 4
Luck: 10
As soon as Sion saw them, he shouted, “Spear spiders!” and began loosing arrows into the creatures.
Richter watched, hoping to see the ones on the floor slip in the grease, but their eight legs and the fact that each ended in a sharp point was enough to keep them upright. Gritting his teeth, he thought, *Psi Blast!*
Alma let loose a cry and then flew forward several yards. When all of the members of the war party were clear of her mental blast, she unleashed her devastating psychic attack. She chose to narrow the beam in the confined space of the cave, still striking all of the spiders that had made it past the doorway. The assengai fell to the ground twitching. Sion and Ulinde wasted no time peppering the fallen spiders with arrows. More continued to pour from the opening, with no concern for their fallen. One was even in such a rush that its sharp legs pierced the abdomen of a fallen spider, sending green ichor spraying as it ran past.
Richter pointed his Ring of Spell Storage and released the spell. A green disc phased into being, but Richter didn’t waste any time watching the saproling be summoned. The first spiders had reached the party and they were slamming their sharpened legs against Caulder’s heavy shield. The ting ting ting sound left no doubt as to how strong and dangerous the spiders’ attacks were. Knowing they needed time, he cast a spell he had never tried before. Both hands wove through a slow, but exacting, series of movements. A cry of pain threatened to undo his concentration, but the fact that spiders continued to pour into the room firmed his will. Words of Power poured out of his mouth, getting thicker and harder to say, but since Alma’s Psi Bond had leveled up, his ability to focus had deepened. Three seconds after he started, he finished the spell with a shout and wrenched his hands down in a slashing motion. For the first time he saw the power of Rending Talons I.
The entire area in front of the hole the spiders were coming out of became a spinning maelstrom of talons and hooked nails. They randomly spun around the space at high speeds, scoring against anything they could touch. The talons weren’t strong enough to do more than score the spiders’ armor at first, but they moved with increasing speed and soon green gore was flying.
Caulder and Terrod stood side by side, fending off the attacks of the spiders that were already beyond the AoE of Richter’s spell. Their attacks complemented one another as Terrod held his shield in his right hand and Caulder held the war door in his left. Caulder stood slightly forward,
taking the brunt of the attacks. The cry of pain had come from Terrod, and blood leaked down his leg from a puncture mark, but a dead spider now lay at his feet, neatly bisected. Sedrin stood behind them both. The longer reach of his weapon let him jab the spear forward whenever a spider tried to get past his fellow guards’ blades. The creamy white spearhead already dripped green.
Sion and Ulinde stood several feet back from the guards, flanking them and forming the two bottom points of the party’s triangle formation. They shot as quickly as they could, each arrow causing frost to spread from the impact point. Occasionally spiders were knocked back by a heavy arrow connecting. They would always regain their feet, though, and surge forward again. The space was too small for Sion to use imbue arrow, but his shots still struck with devastating force and accuracy. From the center of the formation, Jean added to the ranged attacks with shots from his wand. There was a slight bzzzt as each black bolt left the wand. Krom stood near the center of the formation, ranging left or right whenever a spider attempted to sidle past Terrod or Caulder’s shields. Beyan’s contribution was seen in a reanimated spider attacking its former compatriots.
As Richter had been casting Rending Talons I, the saproling had crossed into the cavern. This time, the saproling took the form of a six-footed pit bull, comprised of roots and thorns. It stood four feet tall at the shoulder and had an oversized head. Its mouth was full of sharp thorns that oozed a green poison of some type. It dove into the spiders with gusto, not at all minding that it was outsized and vastly outnumbered. The spiders attacked it with their needle-like legs and powerful bites, but the tough wood that made up its body was highly resistant to piercing attacks. The Earth creature also drew strength from being underground, surrounded by the roots of mighty trees. It drew energy through its legs and it was able to self-heal some of the damage it suffered.