Follows:
ONE HUNDRED THREE
(I/C)
Wyn took off his pack, bow, and quiver, leaving them just outside the door. “I look around de fireplace to see iffin anytin ta find. I tink Offop cen check de scrolls on ‘is own... don’t want ta be close to ‘im iffin he ‘az an epiphanie all ova de place...“
“Lannis, leave your pack by the door and tie a rope around you and something dense, in case the trap actives,” Brendon helped the Magic User remove his gear while Wyn handed his better rope to the Scout.
"Good thinking Brendon, mind tying me on?” Lannis seemed almost jumpy with his desire to enter the Scriptorium. “You're a man of the sea, I assume you're a master of knots. Not sure what to tie myself down to, unless Abraxas wouldn't mind holding the rope for me.”
"Este... no me gusta amigos,” Abraxas shrugged but took the back end of the rope, wrapping it around his forearm. “Knowingly walking into a trap, es loco. But I am here for you Señor Lanneis, be careful. Good luck Señor Wyun. I'll hold down el Bastille out in the hallway. Señor Koivad, ayuda me, por favor. I dont think we should have too many people in there."
“Aye, Abraxas I can hold the rope and be an additional anchor WHEN the trap goes off.” Kovid leaned over to the Fighter, whispering, “I think we might be the... how would you say it? 'Cabeza grandes' in this outfit... hahaha.” He laughed and then sighed deeply. “Thor’s shit I could really go for a cerveza grande right now!”
While Brendon was typing the rope across Lannis’ shoulders and through the back to make a catch point for the Magic User, the group’s wizard continued, “I'm going to be honest, there's a lot of books in here, and potentially a lot to gain from searching, but it will take longer than some of you may be comfortable with. I implore you to let me conduct as thorough a search as I can, or allow me to come back later to finish it. Please, this could be very important."
“How long?” Lyra asked.
“If I just do a cursory search, like flip it open, read an excerpt or unroll a bit to see what’s written, it’s still gonna take me a good half hour.”
“Lannis…” Lyra said, drawing out his name.
“I’ll prioritize, I promise. Castle, the Keys, 4 Goddesses, or anything Magical. I swear, that’s it.”
Brendon slapped Lannis on the back. “It looks and feels silly I’m sure, but it’ll keep you alive.”
Lyra and Kovid moved north down the hall towards the corner, the Dwarf holding on to the tail end of the rope. Brendon moved south down the hall to keep post in that place to watch for issues and intruders. Abraxas was at the door, the bulk of the rope around his forearm and leg braced at the corner of the door, controlling the slack as Lannis walked across the floor. And Wyn watched the center line of the room as he approached the dormant fireplace to search it around.
Lannis reverently took the first tome off the shelf and smiled, the heavy book weighing in his hand. Holding it with care he cracked the cover and read the first paragraph or two before sighing and closing it, putting it back on the shelf. “Should be allowed to spend a long more than 20, 30 seconds per book. Maybe later we can come back again,” he muttered as he took a second book and repeated his search.
The group was waiting and watching Lannis carefully, the mage on the far end of the room in the area that “could” be a trap under the wrong circumstances. Wyn as well had his attention divided between poking around flagstones and the back of the hearth and seeing what Lannis was up to (Surprise Check 4/6: Red/Black 2 – Surprised! Thanks Kelly!).
Hidden in the back of the fireplace and camouflaged to look like the stones, something skittered and LUNGED for the elf, its chameleon like powers ending. It was an almost 3’ tall spider with a pair of crab like pincers in place of its front two legs.
“Sacre blu!” Wyn gasped as the Crab Spider hit the elf hard, its claws gripping him on the thigh and wrist and squeezed as it PULLED itself into the elf and its fangs buried themselves in the soft place under his armpit (>+2 to hit +4 Surprise, Red/Black 17), tracing fire in his blood and a pair of deep holes there as well as lacerated wrist and badly bruised thigh (1d8 Damage, Red/Black 5 – Take 5 Damage!). “MERDE!” he cursed.
He could feel its poison running through his body (>Save vs Poison +2 bonus, Orange 18) but the elf was made of sterner stuff and was able to fight through the fire in his blood. Lannis was standing there with a book in his hand, Wyn had a Crab Spider in front of him and the elf was already woozy from the first pass (Down to 4 hp), and Abraxas was in the doorway holding the rope connected to Lannis and the rest of the group were in the hall.
(Initiative: Spider Red/Black 1, Party Steel 2). And it was our turn.
Time is now 1:04
(OOC)
Crab Spider! Ah!
With the door open and a fight going on, if the party makes noise I will make a WMC with a 2/6 chance of success. So quick and quiet if possible. What’s the plan? Run in the possibly trapped room? Attack? Not? Wyn is down to 4 hp, spider does 1-8 when it hits plus poison. Remember where everyone is and time to get there. Chameleon power ends after it attacks, has to flee and get away to pull that trick again.
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