Arc 3 - Glimmers in the Dark (Main Roleplay)

[Kowsauni]

As Ilikan leans down by the edge of the cavern he does hear the sound again. He is certain something is down there but it is impossible to tell what from the noise. (Ilikan can roll a nature check to jog his memory to what is making the noise, however...)

As Ruin's sun rod fly's down the chasm it seems travel for about 75 feet or so before getting stuck in something. As far a the sun rod illuminates it is surrounded by a massive amount of enormous spider webbing running all the way across the chasm. As the party watches a massive spider comes into view and probes the sunrod with its mandibles. However, after determining it isn't food it loses interest ans crawls back out of sight.  

[Southern Cross Nemesis]

"Well, You 4 have a safety net at least." Ruin stated  

[Psychofish]

Illikan, twists his mouth, thinking as he listens to that clicking sound and opens his mouth to make a guess- as that torch hits the webbing and the homeowner comes out investigating. Not missing a step on his clueless silent guessing a moment ago, he nods knowingly and says "Giant spiders."

"They don't seem to be coming out though so... take your time. Just make sure you don't fall off the rope. Especially not if you're going without the armor."  

[PupSage]

"We could try to tame it. It'd make a great mascot until we run into Drow."  

[Rain Yupa]

"Hence the conundrum, Ilikan. The more armor I wear, the more likely I am to fall."

Since it did not seem like the others were too impatient to wait, Revenge would doff his armor quickly with Ilikan's help, which he would give it to Irene to keep safe in her bag of holding.

With his check penalty safely stowed (but not his weapons or pack!), he would attempt to cross the rope bridge, albeit with less confidence than Kuori or Ruin.

Quote:

Athletics without check penalty = +7 to roll, result of: 22.

Gripping the manacle hooked to the upper rope carefully, Revenge would use some careful footing and balance autocorrecting vis-a-vis his tail to cross the impromptu rope bridge. In fact, he would make it across a little quicker than he actually expected.

"I've never done anything like that before!" he would exclaim when he reached the other side, the adrenaline still pumping in his veins. "It looks very dangerous, but it was actually... easier than I thought it would be? Is this one of those 'perks of being an adventurer' I didn't know about?"  

[Psychofish]

Well, that covered nearly everyone. Illikan took his shield off his arm, attaching it to his back so it wouldn't get in the way, but was well enough acclimated to the rest of his armor that he felt no issue with keeping it on (shedding the -2 check penalty from the heavy shield). He gave Valak a nod, and moved over to their guest before the tiefling could offer to toss her as well.

She'd been able to take care of herself keeping out of the way just fine, but frail as she was he wasn't sure about this climb.

"Well, how do you feel about that? Do you ant to try the climb yourself, or would you like a piggy-back?"

She wasn't that big- if she held on tight, it'd probably have been about the same as if he'd tried to cross with the shield still on his arm, he figured.  

[Kowsauni]

Without his armor Revenge has no problem making it across the cavern on the ropes.

After packing away Revenge's armor Irene would look up at Illikan and smile. "I appreciate the offer but I think I can make it across on my own. I don't want to make it any more difficult for anyone else to pull themselves across ."  

[Psychofish]

Illikan nodded- whether or not he was certain he agreed with her decision, she had made her choice- and he believed in that more than in coddling. The warden stepped aside, holding out a hand for the lady to go first- or Valak, if he was getting impatient waiting.  

[Southern Cross Nemesis]

Ruin would slap Revenge's back, "An old bard, I knew, would say yes... Well that, and the coin, and retelling the story later."

"Then he was dangling hundreds of feet in the air, alone. Drow was just a hundred feet away loosing their poisonous arrows. As their pet spiders watched below, mouths watering, waiting and wanting for the brave paladin to fall...He had to reach the other side of the chasm. For he was the lost only hope. The noble thoughts running through his head was that of courage and cheese, stood a stark contrast the fear he felt in his heart."  

[Mongooseh]

Valac taking this lull as a cue attempted to cross over the rope.  

[PupSage]

"Alright Illikan, get over here." Kuori said looking around the area a bit.  

[Psychofish]

Illikan would wait until Irene crossed, keeping watch on the other side to make sure that if any nasty surprises came up behind them- or she fell partway- that there would be one last line of defense.

Once Irene was across, he'd move onto the ropes and make his way across.

[Athletics: 1d20+13= 27]  

[Kowsauni]

Valac makes it across on the ropes. Kuori does not see anything worrying as she looks around. Irene wraps her extra long sleeves around the higher ropes as she walks along the lower one. Despite her frail appearance, she has no problem making it across. Ilikan too crosses on the ropes with ease. Once on the other side, Irene returns Revenge's armor to him. She peeks over the edge of the cliff at the sunrod tangled in the webbing below. With disappointment in her voice, she would say, "It's a shame none of them came up to meet us. Oh well, I'm sure there will be more chances to run into giant spiders as we go along."

With no one left to untie them on the other side, the ropes remain attached in place (unless the party chooses to untie them from there current side to render them useless, but that does mean having to solve the same predicament again if the party returns this way).

With the entire party now safety across the chasm, they continue on under Kuori's careful guidance. The trail once again gets rocky as it snakes steeply into the earth. The air is stale and the only source of light comes from the party's torches. Eventually, after hours of exhausting descent, the party comes to a more level open area. By this point even Valac is feeling exhausted. Irene continues to be her normal chipper self, and she estimates that it is well into night on the surface.

This spot is familiar to Kuori; she remembers camping here in her youth on a hunting expedition with her brothers. She knows in another day of travel they should reach her village, but now is a good time to rest.  

[Rain Yupa]

"Both Sehanine and myself appreciate your patience," Revenge would say to the group, as he graciously accepts his armor back and starts donning it, a process expedited with help.

"If we're leaving the ropes, we can always deal with these spiders on our return trip," Revenge would say to Irene as she peeked over the edge. "Please do be careful while you're over there."

Revenge would then re-equip his everburning torch and follow Kuori's lead.  

[Southern Cross Nemesis]

"Irene, Is it too late to request your shoes at the end of this trip?" The Tiefling said, before crashing to the floor. "Ow."

If pressed he would continue, but he needed a break.

"But, all jokes aside, what are you kid? Most of my students would have been begging to stop a few hours back." He would add as he rolled over on to his back to look at her